| Item #: SCP-1290 | Level 2/1290 |
| Object Class: Keter | Classified |
Special Containment Procedures: Currently, the existence of SCP-1290 is public knowledge, but all information regarding its workings and nature must be edited and controlled so that it does not deviate from the globally imposed coverage.
The Foundation, governmental, international organizations and Prometheus Labs must collaborate to keep the true nature of SCP-1290 hidden from the public and prevent the usage of people in SCP-1290.
Description: SCP-1290 is a para-technological device with the ability to teleport objects over long distances from an Input Port (SCP-1290-A) to an Output Port (SCP-1290-B)1. Specifications and capacities of SCP-1290 instances vary by model, but Carrier Ports are typically 2m diameter platforms attached to a 5m x 20m x 3m main unit, have a maximum application distance of approximately 5,000km, with a delay of ≤ 0.1 seconds output and are powered by specialized electrical generators for the object.
The object works through multiple thaumaturgical workings that, in addition to achieving teleportation of objects placed over the Carrier Ports, reduce the backslashes and stabilize the workings. Most of the workings of SCP-1290's mechanism are unknown, so reverse engineering and industrial espionage work by Prometheus Labs is still ongoing to discover the exact functioning of the object.
When an organic material is entered into SCP-1290, in 85% of the cases the DNA and molecular structures of the material are destroyed, causing an accelerated degradation of the cellular structures and "disintegrating" the object at the Output Port. The remaining cases show no sequelae after use. But because the threat to life is too high, no living being can be transported in SCP-1290.
Addendum A
Creation and early years
The development of SCP-1290 was initiated by Prometheus Labs in early 1968, and by the following year they had a working prototype. This prototype had failures such as a relative spatial desynchronization of the object with the planet, which caused great costs in damages to Prometheus and delayed the project. It was not until 1972 that Prometheus succeeded in creating a safe functional SCP-1290 device for transporting materials. Such a device was purchased by the U.S. Army and allowed for a funding agreement with the U.S. government, in addition to the purchase of 40% of Prometheus Labs stock by the United States. This agreement and purchase rescued Prometheus from bankruptcy.
According to documents declassified by Pentagram, SCP-1290 was used on a one-off basis during the last phase of the Vietnam War to see its capabilities for transporting supplies during a wartime conflict. Due to space and power requirements, the tests were conducted on ships for delivery of supplies to South Vietnamese-controlled harbors. Although for the transport of vehicles the use of the device gave poor results, for the delivery of armament, ammunition and fuels it gave favorable results. The U.S. Army kept its SCP-1290 instance in storage for times of greater need.
In 1975, International Instant Transport Company (Insta-Trans since 1990), a subsidiary of Prometheus Laboratories for the use of SCP-1290 in the freight industry, was founded. The Foundation attempted to disband the company prior to its creation, but because the U.S. government was involved with the project, it was not possible. Because of SCP-1290's exposure to the public, Prometheus justified the device's operation through manipulation of the Higgs boson and quantum fields.
After the creation of Insta-Trans, Prometheus' business and profits increased to equal and exceed its revenues during its pre-decline period in the 1960s. Although, the United States prevented the sale of SCP-1290 instances to other countries.
Addendum B
Odysseus Program
During the 1980s, NASA collaborated with Prometheus Laboratories to establish a base of operations on Earth's natural satellite and initiate lunar colonization. This collaboration was carried out in the so-called Odysseus Program, which would serve as a prelude to the future colonization of Mars.
To achieve these objectives, SCP-1290 would be used as the centerpiece of the project. Since the use of SCP-1290 would be highly noticeable during and after the project to the civilian population, the U.S. government decided to disclose the existence of SCP-1290 years earlier through Insta-Trans so that the technology would not be foreign to the public. However, because the greater the distance between the Carrier Ports and the greater the total mass of the object(s) to be teleported, the greater the energy expenditure required to achieve teleportation, making it unfeasible to build a SCP-1290 instance that would connect the Earth to the Moon. In view of this situation, it was decided to build a resupply station between the two celestial bodies.
Materials and supplies from the operation would be sent to the Skylab-2 space station (launched in 19812) through the use of SCP-1290, and personnel via a space shuttle. Then, a spacecraft, which would be permanently maintained in orbit, would carry the materials and people from Skylab-2 to the Moon. Once near the lunar base, it would unload the material and personnel via modules to the lunar surface.
The project was officially announced by NASA in April 1982 and the spacecraft that would make the continuous trips between Skylab-2 and the Moon, the Argonaut, built by Prometheus, was launched on May 15, 1984; carrying the first team that would lay the groundwork for the U.S. lunar base3.
During the construction of the lunar base, the Soviet Union accused the United States of violating the Outer Space Treaty before the United Nations Council. It claimed that the United States, during the Odysseus-2 mission, had claimed lunar territory for the construction of a military base on the Moon. Although the United States denied any pretense of claiming the Moon or areas of the satellite as U.S. territory, the Soviet Union continued to claim unlawful occupation of a World Heritage Site and demanded either that the United States abandon the Moon, or that it allow the settlement of members of the international community on the base and a joint administration of the base - which would imply access to the plans and technologies used in the Odysseus Program, including SCP-1290.
In 1986, under pressure from allied countries, the United States agreed to international cooperation for lunar colonization. On September 24, 1986, the Agreement on Outer Space Cooperation was signed by the United States, the Soviet Union (later Russia), the United Kingdom, France, China, Japan and Canada to work together on the creation of a lunar base and an international space station4 for peaceful scientific research. The agreement also stated that the moon base would be considered an exoterrestrial free port, which would be under the administration and laws of a council appointed by the United Nations Outer Space Regulation Agency (UNOSRA). After the signing of the agreement, the signatory countries had easier access to Prometheus technology.
Faced with this future situation of lunar colonization, the O5 Council approved the creation of a Foundation facility on the lunar surface for the containment and investigation of anomalies on the Earth's satellite and the protection of the civilian population on the Moon.
In 1987, the creation of the European Teleport Network (ETT) was announced in a collaboration between several European countries with Insta-Trans and, in turn, Insta-Trans extended its operations to countries of the communist bloc. In 1992, the ETT would become fully operational.
On July 20, 1991, coinciding with the 22nd anniversary of the first lunar landing, the International Lunar Research Base, better known by its advertised name "Terraluna", was opened. The following day, July 21, Facility-99 was inaugurated in a collaborative effort between the O5 Council and several regional councils of the SCP Foundation.
Addendum C
Moonwalk Project
In 1991, Insta-Trans signed a contract with UNOSRA to build a SCP-1290 instance capable of connecting the Earth to the Moon, under the name "Moonwalk Project". This was for the purpose of direct shipment of materials and parts for the construction of spacecraft for Martian colonization. To achieve this, it was necessary to build Carrier Ports with 50m diameter platforms and an electrical supply 13 times larger than the one needed to teleport an object to two diametrically opposite points of the Earth.
For the construction of the Earthen Port, under the code name "Charlie", it was chosen to be located in the Central Region of France, close to the Belleville Nuclear Power Plant for a direct supply of energy from the plant. To meet the energy needs of the Earthen Port, it was also decided to build a third unit at the plant (commissioned on April 20, 2000). While the Lunar Port, code-named "Harry", would be erected north of Terraluna, a reactor would be built to feed the Carrier Port and replace Terraluna's solar supply. That method of power supply had proven to be deficient, relying on diesel generators at the base most of the time, and useless when Terraluna enters its occultation period5.
In August 2001, both the Earth and Moon Ports were ready and touted as "Charlie, the Earth Gate" and "Harry, the Moon Gate" respectively6.
On August 31, 2001, the first activation and transport between Charlie and Harry took place and was broadcast globally from both the Earth and the Moon. Completing the Moonwalk Project and finalizing the Odysseus Program.
Addendum D
Incident M-01
On September 7, 2001, at 22:57 hs (GTM-7), Facility-99 detected a large emission of high intensity thaumic energy from Terraluna. From the beginning it was thought that a critical failure had occurred in Harry which caused a thaumic explosion of the device, but the level of thaumic energy released was 50 times higher than Prometheus and the Foundation estimates in case of a critical failure, and Harry was not scheduled to be activated that day. The thaumic energy emission lasted 23 minutes until it stopped.
Mobile Task Force Beta-3 ("Blue Danube"), which was stationed at Facility-99, was sent to check the incident site. Upon arrival at Terraluna, they found that much of the northern sector of the base had been destroyed and that the area where the Lunar Port Harry was located was gone. MTF Beta-3 was instructed to assist the survivors on the base and try to find out what had happened. The task force was able to assist and rescue 92 of the 272 Terraluna personnel until the Galactica/ ship could evacuate them from the satellite on September 10th through September 20th.
The survivors reported that they did not know the cause and nature of the incident, and in addition to the extensive destruction and corruption of Terraluna's systems data, no further information about the event could be obtained. UNOSRA and Insta-Trans decided to cover up the event by claiming that a meteorite fell 200 m from Terraluna, destroying the base and Harry. This in order not to negatively affect Insta-Trans' business and future space travel plans. The M-01 Incident was publicly referred to as "The Terraluna Tragedy".
Ten days after the M-01 Incident, on September 17, Charlie received a request for confirmation from Harry. Although the command center denied the request, Charlie began its loading process anyway and could not be stopped. Upon completion, 13 individuals and 4 [REDACTED] specimens that could not be identified manifested on the Earthen platform. Shortly after the materialization, the individuals and specimens disintegrated.
Investigations into the causes of the M-01 Incident are still ongoing.
