Video summary
SCP-156 is an anomalous object classified as Euclid, consisting of exactly 181 pomegranate arrows that exist in a constant state of regeneration. These instances can be moved freely, but if separated from the main group or destroyed simultaneously, they instantly reappear at random locations within the original cluster. The Foundation maintains these objects in refrigerated storage and strictly controls their consumption, allowing only D-class personnel to ingest them unless higher-level approval is granted. This containment protocol is essential because ingesting an arrow triggers a unique biological cycle where the subject remains dormant until specific dates each year, regardless of whether they are alive or dead during that period.
The primary effect of consuming SCP-156 depends on the time of ingestion relative to the annual cycle. If eaten between March 21st and September 20th, the subject appears healthy until noon on September 21st, at which point all vital processes cease abruptly without any discernible cause of death or decomposition. Conversely, if ingested after September 21st, the subject dies immediately. Despite being technically dead, the bodies do not decompose and may later exhibit unexplained bruising and scarring consistent with torture, though no reliable formula predicts which individuals will suffer these physical traumas. The subjects remain in this dormant state until noon on March 21st, when life processes restart, but they retain little to no memory of the intervening six-month period, with some recalling only vague images of a pale male face and a wilting pomegranate tree.
As individuals undergo repeated cycles of death and reanimation, severe psychological and physical deterioration occurs. Subjects begin to experience intense distress and paranoia as September 21st approaches, leading them to avoid any risks or dangers even if they previously engaged in such behaviors. Over time, the physical wounds during dormancy intensify, eventually mimicking burns and puncture wounds, while many develop phobias of dogs and dead plants after three to five cycles. In advanced stages, ocular tissue may undergo necrosis that does not reanimate with the rest of the body, and after ten or more cycles, subjects may fail to regain consciousness upon reanimation, entering a permanent comatose state despite their bodily functions continuing annually.
The anomaly came to the Foundation's attention following an incident in Greece where people died on September 21st, 19 without apparent cause, only for several of the deceased to return to life the following spring. Investigations revealed that all affected individuals had attended a party at the home of a woman who was found asphyxiated in her coffin, with fresh SCP-156 arrows discovered inside despite the six-month gap since the event. Subsequent testing on D-class personnel confirmed the anomaly's properties, showing that even after autopsy and significant physical damage, a subject could regain heart activity and brain function before expiring shortly after reanimation. These findings led to the official designation of SCP-156 and established long-term monitoring protocols to study the progressive psychological and physiological impacts on those infected by this deadly yet regenerative pomegranate arrow.
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Item number: SCP-156
Object class: Euclid
Special containment procedures:
SCP-156
is to be kept in refrigerated storage
unit 19-C
except when removed for experimentation.
Subjects infected by SCP-156
are to be restrained and monitored for
their own safety.
From September 21st through March 21st,
infected subjects should be kept within
a secure storage unit
unless the experiment parameters
indicate otherwise.
Both storage facilities should be
monitored by security camera.
The termination and autopsy of D-class
personnel assigned to SCP-156
should be delayed until after March
21st.
No personnel are permitted to consume
SCP-156
except D-class personnel unless approved
by a level three staff member.
Description:
SCP-156
is a group of exactly 181 pomegranate
arrows.
The number of instances of SCP-156 is
constant.
When one is ingested or destroyed, it is
replaced instantaneously with a new one
among the largest group of contiguous
instances.
Otherwise, the instances can be moved
around freely.
After leaving the group, such as after
an instance is touching no other
instance,
the instance will spoil normally,
after which a new instance will appear.
When all instances are destroyed
simultaneously, all 181 instances
reappear randomly to location of one of
the destroyed arrows.
Attempts to measure the time between
destruction of one instance and the
appearance of a new one using high-speed
cameras have so far failed.
If SCP-156 is ingested between March
21st and September 20th,
subjects display no signs of infection
until noon of September 21st,
when all vital processes abruptly cease.
A similar effect is observed immediately
when SCP-156 is ingested after September
21st.
Despite being technically dead,
postmortem examination of subjects have
been unable to discover a cause of
death.
Subjects appear to have been in perfect
health aside from any pre-existing
conditions.
While dead, subjects do not show any
signs of decomposition,
though the bodies of many subjects begin
displaying bruising and scarring
consistent with torture.
While the majority of subjects suffer
these wounds, not all do.
And no reliable formula has been
discovered to predict which subject will
be affected.
Infected subjects remain in this dormant
state until noon of March 21st,
when life processes restart.
Subjects remember little of the
intervening time period.
While most subjects are entirely unaware
that any time has passed since their
apparent death,
some claim to recall a pale white male
face and a wilting pomegranate tree.
Subjects continue to die and reanimate
annually on September and March 21st
respectively
until killed by another cause.
Reanimation only occurs from deaths
caused by ingesting SCP-156.
After undergoing a single death
reanimation cycle,
subjects begin displaying high levels of
distress and paranoia as time approaches
September 21st.
Even if they have not been made aware of
the death reanimation cycle.
Furthermore,
subject will take extreme lengths to
avoid taking any sort of risk or danger
to their person.
Even if they had displayed risk-taking
behaviors prior to ingesting SCP-156.
Over the course of multiple death
reanimation cycles,
the psychological symptoms become more
pronounced.
At the same time,
physical symptoms during the dormant
period increase in intensity for the
subject suffering them.
Eventually,
physical wounds on subject will begin to
emulate burns and puncture wounds.
Many subjects gain a phobia of dogs and
dead plants after three to five
reanimations.
After several deaths caused by SCP-156,
the ocular tissue undergoes necrosis in
many subjects.
This tissue does not reanimate with the
rest of the body.
Often, after 10 or more reanimations,
reanimation of bodily processes will
occur,
but the subject will fail to regain
consciousness, entering a comatose
state.
Death and reanimation continues
annually, even after subjects have
reached the stage.
SCP-156
came to the attention of the foundation
after an incident in
Greece
after
people died on September 21st, 19
without apparent cause.
The foundation became involved after
locals reported the return of several of
the dead who had been interred in
above-ground vaults the following
spring.
After questioning these subjects, all
reported having attended a party at the
house of one
who had been buried and was found
asphyxiated in her coffin.
SCP-156 was discovered within the house,
fresh,
despite the interval being 6 months
since the incident.
Testing commenced on D-class personnel
on August
19
D-15624,
the first test subject, died on
September 20
19
and was autopsied.
No cause of death could be found.
Subject was left under monitoring and
storage.
On March 20
2000
Subject began to show brain activity and
subject's heart began beating, despite
the body having taken significant damage
during the autopsy.
D-15624
expired shortly thereafter without
regaining consciousness.
Aero was given SCP status and
longer-term testing was ordered.
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