SCP-314 (“Motion-Seeking Blade”) is an early SCP article dating back to 4chan’s /x/ board.^[1]https://archive.ph/jmVa6#selection-5257.34-5257.48 It was transferred to EditThis, and then WikiDot, where it currently resides, though in a heavily rewritten form.^[2]http://web.archive.org/web/20080412092156/http://www.editthis.info/scp_wiki/SCP-314^[3]http://scpclassic.wikidot.com/scp-314^[4]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-314 It initially was on an object whose shape changed rapidly, but that “rarely deviates from the appearence [sic] of a spherical series of regular three-dimensional shapes”, and that would seek out any movement in its area. Its author is anonymous, but identified in archives.

SCP-314 is significant in that it is the first known SCP to use a site other than Site 19, the first to use a crude form of “[REDACTED]”, and the first to utilize cross-testing. It also achieved a “first” while on Wikidot; the usage of an SCP Foundation ethics committee.

History

SCP-314 was posted to 4chan’s /x/ thread # 446341^[5]https://archive.ph/jmVa6 on January 19, 2008. In the same thread, the author reworked it and added a subsequent entry to an SCP cross-referenced in the original.^[6]https://archive.vn/jmVa6#selection-9897.0-9897.84^[7]https://archive.ph/jmVa6#selection-9897.1451-9897.1619 SCP-314 was ported to EditThis, though the exact date is unknown, where it was given the title “Motion Seeking Blade”.^[8]http://web.archive.org/web/20080409210737/http://editthis.info/scp_wiki/SCP_Series It was ported to WikiDot on July 26, 2008 by far2,^[9]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-314, rev. 1 and added to the SCP Classic page in 2012.^[10]http://scpclassic.wikidot.com/scp-314

The complete rewrite history of SCP-314 is not clear. The original version posted to /x/ is apparent on all available archives of EditThis, which extend until July 4, 2008.^[11]http://web.archive.org/web/20080704070636/http://www.editthis.info/scp_wiki/SCP-314 Twenty-two days later, on July 26, 2008 when it was posted to WikiDot, it had undergone a dramatic change, with 7 removals and 37 additions per DiffChecker analysis. The name of the article is unchanged, however SCP-314 otherwise underwent a comprehensive rewrite with almost no verbatim lines preserved, but with initial concepts intact, such as Site 47, the object’s “kill radius”, its levitation and behavior, the inclusion of classic rock, and other etcetera components apparent as vestigia when comparing the two versions. The author(s) of SCP-314’s rewrite are unknown.

SCP-314 was rewritten again in 2011 by WikiDot user and SCP author Sorts,^[12]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-115736/scp-314#post-1269264 however the rewrite wasn’t posted until the then-current version of SCP-314’s rating was reduced into the negatives almost a year later, in September 2012.^[13]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-314, rev. 6^[14]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-115736/scp-314#post-1527391^[15]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-115736/scp-314#post-1558041 The rewrite re-cast SCP-314 as a Euclid class, instead of a Keter, added characters, and concluded the document with a containment breach.

Contributions

SCP-314 is the first to use a numbered Site other than “19” for containment (Site 47), which is a provisional site (the second such in SCP history)^[16]https://archive.ph/LZKOU#selection-2763.10-2763.23, and constitutes the first apparent use of both cross-testing, or using another SCP object to help reveal information about the current one,^[17]https://archive.ph/jmVa6#selection-5257.1568-5257.1674^[18]https://archive.vn/jmVa6#selection-9897.1426-9897.1622 and cross-prompting The early SCP-314 mentioned SCP-497, and the author later wrote an entry for this designation (one of the earliest “-J” articles, a non-viable SCP-497).^[19]https://archive.ph/jmVa6#selection-9983.30-9983.44). In commentary, cross-referencing in general is noted as a novel idea, and SCPs are encouraged to be included in articles, then written ex-post-facto with the cross-testing in mind.^[20]https://archive.ph/jmVa6#selection-6151.176-6151.287 Cross-prompting would shortly thereafter be used in the creation of SCP-002 and SCP-003.

SCP-314 (initial WikiDot version) was the first in-universe mention of a “SCP Human Rights and Ethics Committee”, which was recognized as novel in commentary.^[21]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-115736/scp-314#post-343285^[22]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-115736/scp-314#post-1269357 In 2012, this phrase was simplified by user Voct to “Ethics Committee” as site lore regarding this part of the Foundation developed.^[23]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-314, rev. 5 The “Ethics Committee” portion of SCP-314 was later removed during the Sorts rewrite and is not in the present version.^[24]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-115736/scp-314#post-1269357

EditThis’ SCP-314 includes a phrase partially obstructed due to a lack of in-universe clearance, which reads “[CLEARANCE INSUFFICIENT]”.^[25]https://web.archive.org/web/20080704070636/http://www.editthis.info/scp_wiki/SCP-314 This is the first ostensible use of redaction in SCP history.

Trivia

A thread on /x/ reveals the author, who in a discussion about excessive cross-referencing, writes:

“As the writer of the Rimmer from Red Dwarf one [the initial SCP-497], I’d like to apologize. 314 mentions a 497 that could be used relatively safely to get information on other SCP’s. I like that 314 references another SCP and thought a harmless one would be kind of funny…. Worth mentioning on /x/ for a few lulz, but definitely not worth archiving.”^[26]https://archive.ph/QNbYp#selection-9087.0-9087.425, brackets added

In the original and Sorts rewrite of SCP-314, the object plays classic rock, as a thematic pun.

SCP-314 was again considered for rewrite review in May 2013, but this never occurred.^[27]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-115736/scp-314#post-1780210 User and rewrite author Sorts on SCP-314 pre-rewrite:

“It could use a tone update but we don’t really need to constantly fix everything old to maintain high standards for new content.”^[28]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-115736/scp-314#post-1112924

The EditThis version of SCP-314 featured “Warehouse 19” as a provisional site for the object. This is a blend of Warehouse 13 and Site 19.