SCP - 018 "Super Ball"
Object Class - Euclid
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Site-19, SCP-018 Containment Observation
Dr. Marcus Bell tapped the reinforced glass, eyeing the small red sphere suspended in its padded box, floating in the center of a goo-filled tank. "There it is. The most dangerous children's toy ever made."
Agent Riley, newly assigned to the retrieval team, frowned. "It's just a Super Ball."
Bell grinned. "That's what the last five people thought. Until it bounced through a concrete wall and nearly decapitated a forklift operator."
Riley adjusted her armored suit, the plating heavy on her shoulders. "And we're sure the padding and goo will slow it down?"
"Sure as we can be." Bell handed her a clipboard. "Your mission: enter the tank, check the restraints, and make sure the ball's still secure. If it's loose, you call for backup. You do not try to catch it."
Riley smirked. "What's the worst that could happen?"
Bell's face turned serious. "If it gets out, you'll find out."
Riley double-checked her breathing apparatus and was lowered into the tank, the goo thick around her. The box was right where it should be, but the restraint's indicator light blinked yellow.
"Dr. Bell, the lock's loose," she radioed. "Should I—"
A faint clink echoed through the goo. The box's lid shuddered.
"Riley, back away!" Bell's voice was sharp.
But it was too late. The lid popped open, and SCP-018 shot out, ricocheting off the tank wall with a crack that sent ripples through the goo. Riley ducked, the ball whizzing past her helmet, leaving a dent in the armored plating.
"Containment breach!" Bell shouted. "Lock down the chamber!"
The ball bounced again, each impact doubling its speed. Riley pressed herself into a corner, heart pounding.
"Bell, it's moving too fast! I can't see—"
A blur of red zipped by, slamming into the tank's far wall, then the ceiling, then the floor, each time accelerating.
Containment alarms blared. Two more agents in heavy plating entered the observation room, prepping the emergency net.
Bell barked orders. "Deploy the kinetic dampeners! Riley, stay down!"
Inside the tank, Riley saw the ball ricochet, then slow as it hit the goo's thickest layer. The net dropped from above, tangling the ball mid-bounce.
"Got it!" Riley shouted, grabbing the net's handle and yanking it closed. The ball thrashed, but the net's fibers—woven with SCP-148 alloy—held.
Bell exhaled. "Containment restored. Riley, you alright?"
She laughed shakily. "I'm fine. But next time, I'm bringing a bigger net."
Back in the observation room, Bell handed Riley a mug of coffee. "You did good. Not everyone gets through their first run with 018 in one piece."
Riley grinned. "It's just physics, Doc. Even if it's… weird physics."
Bell raised an eyebrow. "You ever want to see what happens when someone puts that thing in a boot?"
Riley shook her head. "No thanks. I like my legs attached."
Bell chuckled. "Smart. Some ideas are better left on paper."
They both glanced at the tank, where the red ball sat quietly in its box, as if waiting for the next bounce.
End of Log