Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures: The electrical supply to SCP-XXXX is to be maintained continuously. In the case of an imminent power failure, connection to the public electrical grid is allowed. Damage to SCP-XXXX is to be repaired as rapidly as possible.
SCP-XXXX-1 is to be supplied with ten gallons of XXXX-Alpha solution every month, in addition to a sufficient quantity of intravenous nutritional solution. All solutions are to be administered through the tanks affixed to the side of SCP-XXXX. Requests made by SCP-XXXX-1 are to be approved by Level 5 personnel assigned to SCP-XXXX before being met. Medical personnel are to remain on standby near SCP-XXXX, and are to be mobilized in the event that SCP-XXXX-1 loses consciousness.
In the case that SCP-XXXX initiates an XXXX-Sigma event, attempts are to be made to evacuate the Front Range region. A disinformation campaign against the XXXX-Sigma event is to be launched in conjunction with evacuation efforts. The use of Class-A amnestics is also authorized if the disinformation campaign proves insufficient.
Description: SCP-XXXX is an airtight metal capsule located in a sealed cave near Georgetown, CO. SCP-XXXX is connected to a small modular nuclear reactor, and is fitted with several liquid storage tanks. SCP-XXXX has a circular access port that is ten centimeters wide, which can be only be opened from the inside. The cave that holds SCP-XXXX bears petroglyphs similar to those produced by the Muache Ute Tribe. SCP-XXXX contains SCP-XXXX-1.
SCP-XXXX-1 is a non-anomalous Caucasian male. It claims to be 104 years old, with autonomic nervous system analysis corroborating the assertion. Vital signs for SCP-XXXX-1 are displayed on a standard hospital monitor outside of SCP-XXXX. SCP-XXXX-1 is conscious and healthy, considering its advanced age, and is able to communicate with Foundation personnel using a speaker system.
SCP-XXXX-1 demands to be consistently supplied with XXXX-Alpha, a substance it believes will extend its life indefinitely. XXXX-Alpha is composed of 76% water, 20% glucose, 2% myelin, 1.3% [REDACTED], AND 0.7% sodium chloride. Testing of XXXX-Alpha has yielded only rudimentary improvements in neural health. SCP-XXXX-1 appears to have some means to analyze the chemical composition of XXXX-Alpha, and is thus able to independently verify that it is supplied with genuine XXXX-Alpha solution.
SCP-XXXX-1
SCP-XXXX-1 possesses two rawhide ceremonial rattles, collectively designated SCP-XXXX-2. When shaken simultaneously, SCP-XXXX-2 spontaneously generate a massive electric potential difference between them, producing an electrostatic discharge. In addition to its electric properties, SCP-XXXX-2 will trigger a manifestation of SCP-XXXX-3.
SCP-XXXX has been fitted with a simple mechanical device that will activate SCP-XXXX-2 in the event that:
- The outer surface of the capsule is breached
- Electrical power to the system is cut off
- The electrical signature of ventricular systole from SCP-XXXX-1 ceases for more than 2 minutes.
SCP-XXXX-1 is also able to use SCP-XXXX-2 directly, utilizing a set of specially designed gloves to redirect the resulting electrostatic discharge.
SCP-XXXX-3 is an incorporeal entity that presents itself only as audible resonations in the cave that holds SCP-XXXX. SCP-XXXX-3 is able to communicate in an archaic form of several Uto-Aztecan languages. Efforts to translate these communications have proven difficult due to limited sample size and the extreme age of the dialect. Through comparison with Pipil, Ute, Panamint, and Shoshoni, the basic intent and subject of some SCP-XXXX-3 communications has been ascertained.
SCP-XXXX-3 is capable of influencing weather phenomena to an apparently unlimited extent. It expresses strong malevolence toward modern civilization, but seems to be beholden to the will of the individual that uses SCP-XXXX-2. Both SCP-XXXX-1 and SCP-XXXX-3 claim that the activation of SCP-XXXX-2 achieved through mechanical means would result in a manifestation of SCP-XXXX-3 in which it is not obligated to follow orders from any human being. Such a scenario has been designated an XXXX-Sigma event.
Addendum XXXX-1: Interview with SCP-XXXX-1
The following interview was conducted on 27-08-2006, following the discovery of SCP-XXXX.
Agent █████: Good morning, SCP-XXXX-1.
SCP-XXXX-1: Is it really? I’ll have to take your word for it.
Agent █████: Can you tell me your name?
SCP-XXXX-1: I’m afraid that’s sensitive information. It would cause quite a hubbub if it got out.
Agent █████: Noted. Why did you put yourself inside SCP-XXXX?
SCP-XXXX-1: I thought I already told you people? I found the stuff that will make me live forever, but I knew only your organization would have enough of it. So I built myself a little machine to keep me safe and make sure you give me only the good stuff.
Agent █████: But the XXXX-Alpha solution you provided does not show…
SCP-XXXX-1: I’m not going to let you poison me with whatever the hell your doctors brew up. I know my cure works, and I won’t take anything else.
Agent █████: That’s fine. How did you come across SCP-XXXX-2?
SCP-XXXX-1: The rattles? Some…acquaintances brought my attention to them. I’m sure they wouldn’t be very happy if they found out where they are now, but that’s never going to happen now that you people are keeping the secret, is it?
Agent █████: One more question. Are you fully aware of the potential consequences of activating SCP-XXXX-2 using the mechanism you have in place?
SCP-XXXX-1: Me and the big guy have talked about it at length. You know you can understand his gibberish perfectly well if you’re the one who shook the rattlers? Anyway, he says he’d be happy to murder everyone if you let him loose. And if the machine does the shaking, he’s free to do what he will.
Agent █████: That will be all.
SCP-XXXX-1: Hey! Tell your higher-ups to send me some cigars! It gets boring in here.
Addendum XXXX-2: Incident XXXX-1
On 09-09-2013, SCP-XXXX-1 was supplied with a nutrient mixture doped with general anesthetics and precursor drugs, in an attempt to induce unconsciousness and remove SCP-XXXX-2. SCP-XXXX-1 was able to detect the presence of these drugs, and activated SCP-XXXX-2 in response. Under the control of SCP-XXXX-1, SCP-XXXX-3 caused heavy flooding across the Front Range in Colorado, inflicting approximately 1 billion USD in property damage.
Addendum XXXX-3: Interview with SCP-XXXX-3
Expected inundated area during a hypothetical XXXX-Sigma Event.
SCP-XXXX-1 agreed to trigger a manifestation of SCP-XXXX-3. Because Foundation personnel are unable to communicate in any meaningful sense with SCP-XXXX-3, SCP-XXXX-1 also served as a translator. All untranslatable phrases appear as phonetic approximations.
SCP-XXXX-3: [Greetings]
Dr. ███████: What are you?
SCP-XXXX-3: [I am the spirit of] Cuma’ma’u [, wife of] Coma’napüz [, and mother of thunder]
Dr. ███████: When were you created?
SCP-XXXX-3: [Two hundred thousand moons ago]
Dr. ███████: Why are you beholden to those who use the rattles?
SCP-XXXX-3: [I obey the will of the Sun Dancers. They give their] dosabitat [, so that I may bless them with water]
Dr. ███████: And why do you view modern society with such contempt?
SCP-XXXX-3: [SCP-XXXX-1 reports a series of extremely negative sentiments. Foundation transcribers had difficulty differentiating the sounds produced by SCP-XXXX-3 from normal reverberation.]
Dr. ███████: That’s enough! Okay, you didn’t seem to like that. There’s just one more question. What is the upper limit of your ability to influence weather phenomena?
SCP-XXXX-3: [One hundred and seventy thousand moons ago, in the land of] Amotken [I was called upon to aid in the war against a great enemy. I shook the earth with my thunder and turned the waters against the enemy. Their women drowned, their men rendered homeless and starved. There was peace.]
Dr. ███████: That’s good. I think that’ll be all, SCP-XXXX-1.
It is now believed that SCP-XXXX-3 may have caused the event that carved the Channeled Scablands in Washington, a cataclysmic flood that occurred about 14,000 years ago. This event produced a peak flow rate of 20 cubic kilometers per hour, and inundated almost 100 square kilometers in what is now eastern Washington. If this event were to be replicated in the modern Front Range region, it would result approximately 500 billion USD in damage and about 2 million casualties.
Electron micrograph of a human cell infected with SCP-XXXX.
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures: Samples of SCP-XXXX are to be stored in a liquid N2-cooled storage container. Testing with SCP-XXXX is to be subject to standard precautionary procedures for virulent pathogens. Note that SCP-XXXX constitutes a Class A, UN 2814 biohazard. Efforts to develop a vaccination for SCP-XXXX are a high priority.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a neurotropic virus, exhibiting morphological similarities to Rabies lyssavirus. SCP-XXXX is able to infect almost all animals to some extent, though the infection it causes is asymptomatic in non-human hosts. SCP-XXXX can be transmitted by airborne particles, bodily fluids, or an animal vector.
In humans, SCP-XXXX enters the bloodstream and infects neural pathways. It travels through nerve axons via retrograde transport to reach the central nervous system, in a manner very similar to R. lyssavirus. However, the transportation stage of an SCP-XXXX infection occurs over an extremely short period. Symptoms of infection will begin to present themselves an average of 5 days after contraction, though this value varies wildly, depending on the location and mode of initial infection, from 2 hours to 14 days. In addition, SCP-XXXX targets Type II alveolar cells, causing minor shortness of breath and allowing airborne infection. Note that SCP-XXXX is largely asymptomatic during its transport stage, though it is still present in the bloodstream, and remains infectious.
Once SCP-XXXX reaches the central nervous system, it will target the medial temporal lobe. It will infect and destroy neurons involved in this process over the course of two days. The method by which SCP-XXXX identifies target cells is unknown, and presumed to be anomalous. Symptoms at this stage of infection include anterograde amnesia.
After destroying much of the medial temporal lobe, SCP-XXXX will infect peripheral gial cells that are left behind, allowing it to remain dormant in the central nervous system for up to 3 months. In the final stage of infection, SCP-XXXX targets parts of the temporal lobe assigned with semantic and episodic memory. This results in severe retrograde amnesia, resulting in inhibition of basic cognitive functionality. The final stage of SCP-XXXX infection lasts between 5 and 19 days.
SCP-XXXX remains entirely undetected by the immune system during infection. It is therefore difficult to produce an effective vaccine, due to the lack of a responsive antibody. Attempts to trigger an immune response in animal models have failed. Current vaccine development efforts focus on artificially designing an antibody to trigger an effective immune response to SCP-XXXX.
Recovered autobiographical text from an SCP-XXXX victim seem to indicate the retention of some memories, despite the observed destruction of the tissues required to store and consolidate this information. Furthermore, the information presented in the text seems to be shared between several individuals. Testing with SCP-XXXX has failed to show evidence for this phenomenon.
Addendum XXXX-1: Recovery
Initial samples of SCP-XXXX were collected after unidentified GOI activity in the area surrounding Spruce Creek, Colorado, and the subsequent radio silence from the town. Much of the local population, as well as local insect populations, were found to be infected with SCP-XXXX. Armed Response Force Omega-6 was mobilized with the express purpose of destroying all SCP-XXXX instances using incendiary munitions. The resulting wildfire was allowed to burn until noticed by firefighting services in the region, and was explained as an accident involving Spruce Creek's stores of emergency gasoline.
Addendum XXXX-2: Recovered Text logs
The following is a series of notes collected from the forest surrounding Spruce Creek. Monospaced text represents physical notes, whereas standard text represents unsent messages and journal entries recovered from an abandoned mobile phone. The material has been ordered chronologically, based on digital timestamps, location of recovery, and chemical dating. A search for the apparent surviving SCP-XXXX victim has been initiated, but has yet to produce results.
The light falls in shafts through the fringe of trees that covered the mountainside. It has a soft, yellow glow. It plays across the dirt and grass, dancing to and fro. The air is filled with the songs of insects and birds.
I’m not sure why I’m in the mountains, and I can’t remember driving here, but it’s nice. The cabin’s fully stocked with food. I think I’ll stay here for a while. It’ll be good for all the stress. In the meantime, it looks like my kayak is still in serviceable shape. I might take it out for a run tomorrow.
The sun wheels through the sky, dragging the shadows behind it. It seems to tarnish the firmament, turning the polished silver, yellow, then a blazing red. The mountains put out the fire, and the stars peer out from the endless darkness above.
The river is wild, higher than I’ve ever seen it at this time of year. Maybe it’s the unseasonable warmth? My kayak sustained some damage, so I don’t think I’ll be taking it out again until I can get back to town and repair it. I think I’ll take my time though. The hummingbirds are very pretty.
The bulb draws strength from within itself. It bursts from the ground with an abated ferocity, turning green leaves into the ever-wheeling sun. It clings to the loamy earth and finally creates a single crimson blossom, boldly stating its intent to the greater world. Then it withers in the cold winds.
I woke up in the cabin today. It’s a little unusual, but I understand the allure. It is beautiful out there. The yellow aspens are quite a sight. I think I’ll stay here for a while and destress.
From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest long-distance migrant in the world. It will travel 5,000 miles each year from the breeding to wintering grounds. It migrates north along the Pacific Coast in the spring, but returns to the wintering grounds in Mexico via an inland route along the Rocky Mountains.
It looks like there’s a big wildfire to the east. They say the fire season gets longer every year. I noticed today that my kayak’s been scuffed up really badly. I took a look at the locks and I didn’t notice any obvious tampering. I’ll check the windows tomorrow.
A neuron is composed of a soma, dendrons, and axons. It forms the primary unit of the nervous system in all living beings. The clouds roll across the open plain and clash against the towering mountains, turning dark and angry. Thunder echoes through valleys. Photoreceptor cells are stimulated by a structural change in the protein retinal. The cell is then hyperpolarized, triggering an action potential in connected neurons. It’s loud.
The fire is getting closer. The smoke is irritating my throat. I tried to start the car earlier this morning, but it just sputtered. Diagnosing the problem will take too long. I’m heading out on foot tomorrow.
Fire is rebirth. It clears the way, erases the old growth and making room for new shoots. In a few terrifying nights, it ravages its way through everything, bringing even the greatest of giants to their knees. Then there is only ash. But soon the cold winds blow, and bring the dormant seeds of distant places. The land flourishes anew.
I’m not sure what’s going on. I woke up choking on smoke. When I ran outside, the sky was on fire. I’m hiding under a rock, hoping to wait it out.
The night is dark. The valleys below are filled with fireflies. The chop of the rotors shakes the soles of my shoes. The cold wind slaps at my exposed cheeks. In my hand is a plastic syringe.
It sure is cold. The rain is coming down pretty hard, but if I follow this road, I should get somewhere nicer. Right?
The mountains stand in the hazy distance, a dark silhouette against the soft pastel colors of the sunset. Wispy clouds sail by above as the car thrums away, into the golden plains. No trees, no concrete, nothing at all. There is no smoke in the air. The cold wind takes it all away.
There's a road here. I guess I should follow it.
Could you come get me? I'm in the middle of the forest.
What's going on? I need help.
I think I'll follow this road.
Why do all the trees look the same?
Rabies has a 100% mortality rate. In the last trial, it worked too fast, killed the subjects outright in less than an hour. We'll need to reduce its affinity for acetylcholine receptor complexes, maybe put in a timed-self destruct mechanism so that it doesn't go too far.
I'm hungry, but I found some edible berries. It's starting to feel better.
This road seems like a good bet.
Huh. I don't remember sending all these messages. Are they coming through?
Trial 104, Human subject 34, Results: Initially positive. Sudden stroke followed by death after two days.
Trial 230, Large scale application 1, Results: Very positive. Production of emergency amnestic compound authorized. It won't hurt one bit. Just don't look.
If anyone finds this phone, I need help. I'm leaving it on the side of this road because it's about to run out. I'm going to the lights, there might be a town.
The sun never sets. I stare into it, and I am blinded, but my eyes heal and see and are blinded again. It needs to end
I'm awake now
Back and forth. Eyes in a empty helmet. They tried to fight. Too late. It's always been too late. The night was very dark. I'm not sure how it happened, but we messed something up. I got a scrape, a mosquito bit me, I don't know. They left me behind, in the middle of the forest. The screams of the town filled the night as they were reborn, again and again. The cold wind whistled through the tops of the trees.
I'm really awake now.
The xylem is the tissue that carries water. The phloem is the tissue that carries sugar. Transpiration allows trees to go taller than they should. No it doesn't. I can't remember.
| | | — | |
I can see more. I lost some, but now I can see so much.
This wasn't supposed to happen let me out
Who are you
I don't know