The generic idea I’m going for is an object that gets more dangerous the better it’s understood or the more it’s researched, disallowing any scientific study of the object. Obviously, this contradicts the scientific nature of the Foundation and I like the paradox that this creates, especially if the object is currently Safe or Neutralized.
My more specific concept to accomplish this is a Safe anomaly, originally thought to be Keter class, that possesses traits only once tested for those traits (probably only for a short time if the trait is not studied further). Thus, it can be easily contained in a box in a standard locker, but must not be researched, tested, or otherwise investigated. The description would say something along the lines of ‘The item is in the box. All other properties are indeterminate and will spontaneously develop upon testing.’
The story would be about how the Foundation’s initial rounds of research nearly resulted in a catastrophic event. For (random) example: testing for contaminates reveals deadly microparticles, testing for the contagiousness of these particles reveals that many members of the faculty are already infected – essentially, each result warrants further testing, perpetuating and magnifying the danger. The hook (for me) is how the item’s somewhat-paradoxical true nature came to be known given the science was pointing in a completely different direction.
Is the idea intriguing and/or new? Does it seem like it can be expanded into a full story? What are the biggest issues (stemming from the concept) that you can see me facing when drafting the full SCP entry?
Thanks for any help and critiques!
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