SCP Concept: Evolutionary Predator
rating: 0+x

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be kept in a 5x5x5 steel room at all times. Water is to be provided via a steel pipe protruding from the wall In the wake of Incident XXXX-03-A, XXXX’s only source of water is to be two liters delivered with every meal. Twice a day, raw animal meat should be delivered through a double-box slider in the wall. All food and water, as well as any other object introduced to the room, must be thoroughly sterilized in order to prevent SCP-XXXX from gaining traits of potentially harmful bacteria that may live in/on the object.

The sole means of entry and egress is to be a double-door system, with both doors being constructed of 2 cm thick steel. Only one door may be open at any time to prevent possible containment breach. Under no circumstances are unprotected Foundation personnel to enter the room. Requests for genetic material from SCP-XXXX must be approved a Class B or higher staff member, and the Foundation reserves the right to deny the request for any or no reason. No unauthorized testing will be permitted, and violators will face amnesic agents and/or disciplinary action

Description: SCP-XXXX is a highly mutable organism. In its dormant state, the creature is usually observed as a mantis-like creature of shifting color, measuring about 2.3 meters in height and weighing roughly 68 kg. This seems to be its preferred form, but the specimen can take a huge variety of appearances and physiologies at will.

SCP-XXXX’s unique ability is the capability to take traits from any organism from which it can consume a DNA sample and incorporate them into its own body. This is achieved by a previously unknown fifth nucleobase in its DNA structure that can act as any of the four normal bases depending on the electric charge it is exposed to at the time. By using electric signals from its brain, SCP-XXXX can change its DNA to that of any DNA structure it has encountered in the past. In simpler terms, SCP-XXXX can reconfigure its DNA to match that of any organic creature it has consumed. Curiously, amnesics of any class will not remove the stored DNA information from SCP-XXXX’s memory, suggesting that the structure may be stored in the nucleobases themselves instead of in the brain. It is currently unknown whether SCP-XXXX is able to evolve traits from bacteria that only have RNA.

Examination of genetic material from SCP-XXXX shows signs consistent with an organism roughly 35 years of age. However, analysis of the composition of air from the creatures’ lungs indicate that SCP-XXXX may have existed for over two million years. It is theorized that the constant reprogramming of DNA inside the organism has prevented telomere decay, thus effectively making SCP-XXXX immortal to aging and long-term damage. Because of this regenerative quality, XXXX’s genetic material may be useful for testing and/or research on physical maladies.

SCP-XXXX is capable of rudimentary communication by manipulating DNA to create a vocal chord system similar to that found in humans (for a complete list of communication logs with SCP-XXXX, see Addendum XXXX-1). Both through communication with Foundation personnel and observed behavior, SCP-XXXX has shown signs of sophisticated intelligence, with the capability to lay out long-term plans and to predict the actions of others with very high accuracy(95%+ correct). Unfortunately for the Foundation, the creature is also incredibly hostile, often attempting to kill any live animal on sight and trying to obtain DNA samples from killed or previously dead organisms, usually through consumption of part of their corpse. SCP-XXXX has shown and stated that its sole goal is to become the optimal predator, hence its desire to obtain traits from other creatures.

(Records of SCP-XXXX’s hunting behavior with various animals can be found in Addendum XXXX-2.)

Addendums

Addendum XXXX-1

XXXX-1-A

Interviewer: Personnel D-946, Dr. Jamison (through telecommunication)

First interaction with SCP-XXXX

<Begin recording>

D-946: (enters room) Okay, I’m in. What do you want me to do?

SCP-XXXX: (hissing sound, tilts head and looks directly at D-946)

Dr. Jamison: Can you speak? Can you understand us?

SCP-XXXX: (hisses again)

D-946: I don’t think it understands us. What now?

Dr. Jamison: One second. I’ll bring over a communication specialist.

D-946: Alright… (looks at SCP-XXXX nervously and takes a step backward) How long will that ta- OH FU- (unintelligible screams and cries for help)

Dr. Jamison: 946? Ah, [REDACTED]…(yelling into PA system) Requesting assistance! Personnel badly injured at Containment 08-153- (stops suddenly)

(SCP-XXXX takes a hissing breath in)
SCP-XXXX: (serpentine, partially slurred speech) you… creatures… (hisses louder) …fascinating…

Dr. Jamison: (deep breath) Why did you attack him? What are you?

(XXXX looks up at camera)

SCP-XXXX: he was… vulnerable… weak… fearful… yet… (hisses and twitches) yet necessary…

Dr. Jamison: (visibly shaken) What do you mean, necessary?

SCP-XXXX: necessary… for evolution…

<Sounds of security forces entering containment room door, recording abruptly ends>

Aftermath: D-946 evacuated to intensive care immediately, but succumbed to bleeding and poison from deep bite wounds two days later. SCP-XXXX immediately reclassified as Keter and moved to high security containment.

XXXX-1-B

Interviewer: Dr. Jamison (via telecommunication)

<Begin recording>

Dr. Jamison: Hello? Can you hear me?

SCP-XXXX: (hissing, looks up at loudspeaker)

Dr. Jamison: Do you have a name?

SCP-XXXX: …name… (hiss) unfamiliar concept.

Dr. Jamison: Your speech seems better. Have you been working on it?

SCP-XXXX: vocal communication traits… developing.

Dr. Jamison: Developing, huh? That all you do?

SCP-XXXX: improve… kill more… better…

Dr. Jamison: You said something about evolution. Is that your goal?

SCP-XXXX: to hunt… (hisses loudly) kill to evolve… evolve to kill…

(short pause in conversation)

Dr. Jamison: Why did you kill D-946? What evolutionary advantage did he offer you?

SCP-XXXX: (hiss) he was new… fascinating… delicious…

Dr. Jamison: (slightly shaken) But you said you killed only to evolve. Do you also kill for enjoyment?

SCP-XXXX: …enjoy? (mouth curves in a smile-like form, hisses) …yes… but also knowledge… speech… he offered so much…

Dr. Jamison: (pause) Knowledge?

SCP-XXXX: (hisses and curves mouth in a sinister smile)

(SCP-XXXX’s body begins to rapidly morph, flashing colors)

Dr. Jamison: What the…

(Color flashing dies down. In the middle of the containment room stands a human being identical in appearance to D-946)

SCP-XXXX: This form is… poor. Suboptimal. Yet… useful. So much information…

Dr. Jamison: (silence)

<Recording ends>

Addendum XXXX-2

The following is a log of all observed hunting experiments with SCP-XXXX.

Addendum XXXX-3: Incident/Breach Log for SCP-XXXX