It has been said that one is the loneliest
number that you will ever know. But at least the number one is a number that
can actually be known. What could we possibly mean by that? Well, try to imagine a number that cannot
possibly be known or quantified, a missing number if you will. No, not that one. This is a number that you can never put into
an equation or a formula, and it does not appear in the numerical sequence. You cannot count to it, add to, divide, or
multiply by it, or even see it, and yet this number still somehow exists. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? After all, the mathematicians among you will
understand that numbers are not a force of nature. They aren’t a metaphysical aspect of our
reality like space or time. Numbers are a tool, in a way, a tool created
by human beings. We use them to measure and calculate, numbers
help us make some sense of the crazy world that we all live in. Just ask your math teacher and they’ll tell
you how important numbers are to human civilization! The point is, ancient mathematicians invented
numbers, so how could a number ever be missing? What makes a number unknowable? Well, perhaps it’s time you learned. Math class is in session and today, we’re
talking about SCP-033, also known by the appropriate nickname of “The Missing Number.” As you may have already gathered, the whole
point of SCP-033 is that it can’t be fully understood by the ordinary human mind. Even highly trained mathematicians, experts
in the use of numbers able to understand the most complex equations, are barely able to
interpret the formula that results in this Missing Number. At present, it exists written down on an irregularly
shaped piece of paper. This paper does not have any right angles,
no parallel borders and the length of each side is different from all others. The SCP Foundation keeps this paper stored
securely, locked up at the minimum safe distance of thirty meters away from any computer or
other electronic devices. On the paper itself is the mathematical formula
that equals SCP-033. As you can probably imagine, the formula is
intensely complex. It is filled with mathematical symbols ranging
from common ones that you would immediately recognize, to those that are way more sophisticated
and would likely require a PhD to fully understand. And then there are parts of this unfathomable
problem that would baffle even the world’s most notable math geniuses. But, all of these symbols and numbers coalesce
to equal a number that has somehow been missed by all of humanity, throughout the entire
history of our civilization. One noted mathematician by the name of Professor
Hutchinson, who first observed the calculation of SCP-033, referred to The Missing Number
as Θ′ Okay, so here we have a number that can barely
be understood by the average person, created by a formula so complex that when written
down it might as well be a page full of gibberish. Surely there couldn’t be anything more to
it than that, right? Wrong, you should know by now that the SCP
Foundation doesn’t concern themselves with the mundane, ordinary type of strange. They deal exclusively in the kind of strange
that has anomalous origins and properties. In the case of SCP-033, the Missing Number
is so complex that it practically breaks every and all rules of mathematics. In other words, Theta Prime cannot possibly
remain fixed within our reality. The reason why the paper Theta Prime is written
on has to have such unusual dimensions is due to the anomalous effect of the number. When written onto ordinary paper, canvas,
or any other similar surface or material, The Missing Number will begin to break down
whatever it has been written on. It will literally erode and disintegrate anything
on a molecular level. You might be forgiven for thinking you could
get around that by typing out the equation for Theta Prime on a computer, but you would
be wrong. This reaction even affects technology, burning
out any and all devices someone attempts to digitally store SCP-033 on. And if written on literally anything else? Well, then the Missing Number will fade, become
obscured and unintelligible in a matter of seconds, unreadable to anyone. We’ve talked a lot about what SCP-033 does,
mainly because we can’t really show or tell you what it looks like. Well, unless you want your computer, phone,
or tablet to break down and melt from the inside-out. Like we mentioned earlier, Theta Prime cannot
remain fixed in our reality, and it will fade away from any surface or destroy any devices
used to display or calculate it. But the anomalous effects of the Missing Number
do not stop there. SCP-033 also possesses the ability to “leap”
from any safe material, like the paper of specific dimensions that it is written and
stored on. This is why the safe containing the paper
with the Missing Number equations written on it has to be kept a certain distance away
from any electronic devices, or other surfaces that can display Theta Prime. Should a material safely storing SCP-033 come
into contact with anything unsafe, say a computer, then the Missing Number will pass onto the
unsafe device, material or surface and begin to destabilize its atomic structure. Any paper or electronic storage device within
a thirty meter safe distance of SCP-033 risks becoming a victim of Theta Prime, almost as
if the number itself is an infectious virus. Although the SCP Foundation’s top researchers
have tried their best to find one, there currently exists no safe way to store SCP-033 digitally. The Foundation has a number of projects that
are still ongoing, looking into the best possible method to store the Missing Number electronically,
without posing a risk to their computer systems. Additionally, the Foundation has long been
conducting research of a different nature: Trying to find some way of weaponizing SCP-033. It doesn’t seem like a bad idea, right? After all, Theta Prime functions a lot like
a computer virus when it comes into contact with machines, so why wouldn’t they try
to use it as a weapon? It is the goal of these projects, that the
Foundation will be able to use the Missing Number as a way to neutralize hostile, machine
SCPs. Any anomalies that they encounter that operate
on logic based systems, such as artificial intelligences, could in theory be susceptible
to the destructive effects of SCP-033. Within the SCP Archive file for the Missing
Number, is a classified article that details more about the discovery of SCP-033, before
going on to explore the results of the Foundation’s testing with Theta Prime’s use as a cyber
weapon of sorts. First and foremost is a transcript from a
debriefing with Professor Hutchinson. If you were paying attention earlier, then
you will remember that this is the same Professor Hutchinson that first observed SCP-033, and
as a noted mathematician, he has some invaluable inside knowledge on the nature of Theta Prime,
as he calls it. “Every school child knows that 2 plus 2
is 4. The solid mathematical certainty of numerical
order and value is the basis for all logic-based systems. We know that after 2 comes 3 and after 3 comes
4. What this formula proves is that we missed
a number somewhere. Imagine if all of our technology was based
on the belief that after 4 came 6. We simply didn't know or conceive of 5. That is, in essence, what this formula proves—we
missed a number.” The Professor then goes on to ponder why hand
crafted vellum works the best for containing SCP-033. Vellum is essentially an older type of fine
parchment that originally would have been made from the skin of a calf or other young
animal. Professor Hutchinson seems to theorize that
there are two ways this particular material is able to keep SCP-033 written on it. “One, the irregularity of the crafting process
due to human error serves to eliminate any traces of regularity that would be found in
a machine-created product. Two, the irregular borders seem to confuse
it somehow, as if it gets locked up looking for a pattern to identify and use as an escape
hatch. I'll tell you this, though, I don't think
it should be left on anything longer than a few days. It will find a pattern eventually.” Finally, Professor Hutchinson then goes on
to talk about the anomalous effects of the Missing Number, specifically its ability to
destroy materials or computers that it comes into contact with. Hutchinson posits the theory that Theta Prime
does not actually destroy anything, but instead tries to integrate itself into a system or
onto a page. But the system or page cannot cope with the
Missing Number, and so breaks down. It is almost as if he thinks the number itself
wants to be understood, it longs for humanity to understand it after having been missed
for so very, very long. But Theta Prime is so utterly beyond our understanding
that it has the potentially to be devastating. “It’s like trying to cram another book
into a completely full bookshelf. If you get a hammer, you can get it in there,
but the whole shelf bursts eventually. If it gets out into the internet, we will
potentially experience a full IT infrastructure collapse within hours.” During one of their numerous tests with SCP-033,
the Foundation’s researchers wrote the various equations and formulae that equal Theta Prime
on a standard piece of white copy paper, referred to as X1. Then, they placed a second sheet, X2, just
thirty centimeters away from X1. Within about a minute, the same mathematical
symbols and formulae on X1 had started to appear on X2. After one hundred and sixty seconds, the second
page was full with the complete equation for the Missing Number. After around five minutes, both X1 and X2
began to appear slightly damp, however Theta Prime and its related equations were still
visible on the pages. After double that time, the first page, X1,
had begun to separate, dissolving partly into water and the rest into the pulp that had
formed the paper itself. While it still kept the same standard shape
and size, the formulae written on it had since become unreadable. X2 was still wet as well, but SCP-033 was
still visible. After over twenty-one minutes had passed,
X1 had been completely destroyed. The water component of it had evaporated,
and the paper pulp had also disappeared. The second page, X2, soon followed the exact
same process of being structurally broken down and unmade atom by atom until there was
nothing left. It becomes terrifying to think what might
happen if you wrote the equations for the Missing Number on another human being. While their testing has yet to produce any
tangible results, the Foundation’s staff always make sure they transfer the Missing
Number onto a whiteboard or chalkboard whenever studying it. Upon doing so, researchers are instructed
to incinerate the paper that SCP-033 was written on previously, preventing multiple instances
of Theta Prime and hopefully stopping the number from spreading further. Any researchers observing or experimenting
with SCP-033 must do so within a safe distance, away from computers and other devices. Testing can only occur for a maximum of 42
minutes before the Missing Number will destroy the surface it is written on, or fade from
view. While dangerous, volatile, and potentially
hugely destructive if it ever fell into the wrong hands, Theta Prime is a strangely insightful
SCP. Knowing there exists a Missing Number must
be similar to how mathematicians felt about the introduction of variables. You will probably have seen these a lot in
your algebra homework, ‘find the value of x’ and so on. Like SCP-033, that is also a number that cannot
fully ‘exist’ in our reality unless you figure out its value. It influences the calculations you have to
make to find it, but it cannot be seen or understood fully at first. Perhaps there will come a day when we can
store the missing number properly. But until then, we can only hope it never
finds its way into our favorite notebook... Now go check out “SCP-1861 - The Crew of
the HMS Wintersheimer” and “SCP-823 - Carnival of Horrors” for more SCPs that’ll blow
your mind!
