Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures: Cellular phones, audio or video recordings, and material with linguistic symbols of any kind (including literature, labelled products, tattoos, and electronic documents) are prohibited within ten km of SCP-XXXX.
No device with internet capabilities is allowed within 25 km of SCP-XXXX. If an internet-capable device is discovered or reported within this radius, Procedure 628-Permian should be readied and deployed conditionally on no less than 90 unexplained fatalities in internet-capable locations.
The book in which SCP-XXXX resides is to be contained in a Faraday cage encased in concrete. Dimensions should be similar to those of a standard containment locker. The physical iterations of SCP-XXXX must remain under redaction and containment in a standard containment locker until the exact nature of SCP-XXXX is known.
In the event of a suspected containment breach, Procedure 624-Lazaretto is to be put directly into effect.
Only D-Class Personnel without body tattoos or labelled clothing, including tags may be involved in the handling, experimentation, or transport of SCP-XXXX. Surveillance should not be recorded and experiment footage should be first previewed to ensure a lack of contamination.
Description: SCP-XXXX is an augmented memetic device, in the form of a phrase of unknown length, capable of spreading directly through proximity to textual or recorded audio/video media, including cellular phones. (See Incident Report: Breach 5a)
The original iteration of SCP-XXXX is currently contained in a copy of Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo. The precise maximum range of SCP-XXXX’s transfer effect is unknown, however it does not appear to spread beyond ten km. Subjects visually or aurally perceiving iterations of this phrase are considered contaminated and are usually identified after emitting a short burst of laughter following contamination.
The effects of contamination by SCP-XXXX begin roughly six hours after perception: serotonin and endorphin levels abruptly fall and the subject exhibits a heightened fear response, including conversation with an entity yet undetectable. This entity is not classified as hallucination and is identified as SCP-XXXX-1, as subject(s) and entity appear to interact, ultimately ending in subject death by apparent strangulation. (See Experiment 6b Log)
SCP-XXXX has previously inhabited works including Gaston Leroux’s Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and a single-volume compilation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Iterations of SCP-XXXX reside in other media: SCP-XXXX-2,3 are found in footage of Breach-5a and SCP-XXXX-4 is under redaction in Transcript 4a█. All other iterations of SCP-XXXX have been expunged. Iterations of SCP-XXXX do not appear to exhibit transfer properties when within ten km of the original.
As of current, approximately ███ personnel have been exposed to SCP-XXXX. There is no known procedure to counteract the effects of SCP-XXXX. (See Experiment Series 9 Log)
Addenda:
WARNING: MEMETIC HAZARD
Excerpt from <Incident Report: Breach 5a-c – Level 2>
“It is speculated Breach 5a began when a cell phone belonging to Researcher G██████ M████████ was accidentally brought into the Restricted Zone radius of the item and became contaminated. The phone was, at the time, only connected to the Site ██ email server, assumed that cellular data and connection to the Internet were inactive. At 9:48 an email was received by all personnel containing [DATA EXPUNGED], apparently an iteration of SCP-XXXX. Data from standard wall-mounted motion sensors indicate an increased level of activity around 11:00, with a sharp spike at 17:19 which dropped until a complete cessation of movement at 17:54. A near-by Response Team dispatched to ascertain the fate of the Site personnel encountered SCP-XXXX-2 scratched into a wall. Audio and visual contact with the team was severed after hearing laughter across the live-feed, and all personnel were assumed lost to SCP-XXXX. This was then termed Breach 5b and Procedure 642-Lazaretto was executed with regards to the entire Site. Footage from Breach 5a was recovered, causing the smaller Breach-5c when viewed by personnel unaware of SCP-XXXX’s memetic properties.”
Test 9a – Investigation of Measures to Counteract Effects of SCP-XXXX
Authorized by: Dr. G█████
Date: 2███-██-██
Subject Group: A
Procedure: Subjects are physically and psychologically examined pre-procedure. Each subject is fitted with remote injector containing test amnestic and contained in a separate standard humanoid containment cell. Audio surveillance is expunged to prevent containment breach resulting from verbalization of SCP-XXXX. Subjects are then exposed to Transcript 4a█. The amnestic is remotely administered to each subject 60 seconds after contamination. Results are tabulated below.
Results:
Subject Designation |
Preliminary Examination (physical, psychological) |
Amnestic Class |
Strength of Amnestic |
Subject Behavior |
Resulting Effect |
D-A1 |
Normal, normal |
Placebo |
0 |
Normal movement; Effects begin at 5.5 hrs |
Subject death, injuries as documented in Log 6b |
D-A2 |
Normal, mild depression |
D |
+ |
Slowed movement and confusion (normal for amnestic); Effects begin at 5.4 hrs |
Subject death, injuries as documented in Log 6b |
D-A3 |
Normal, normal |
C |
++ |
Significantly slowed movement, confusion (normal for amnestic); Effects begin at 5.7 hrs |
Subject death, injuries as documented in Log 6b, some unexplained damage to clavicle |
D-A4 |
Normal, normal |
B |
+++ |
Severely slowed movement, confusion and lack of coordination; (normal for amnestic); Effects begin at 5.9 hrs, subject highly vocal |
Subject death, injuries as documented in Log 6b, abnormal spinal fracture (C3-4) |
D-A5 |
Normal, mild ADD |
A |
++++ |
Sits and will not move, cognitive and spatial disorientation evident; (normal for amnestic); Effects begin at 5.4 hrs, subject loses consciousness |
Subject death, injuries as documented in Log 6b, additional damages to throat musculature, spinal fracturing (C2-4) |
D-A6 |
Normal, normal |
O |
+++++ |
Immediately unconscious, slowly rousing over 4 hours, (normal for amnestic); unusual chorea nearing 5 hours; [REDACTED] |
Subject death, injuries as documented in Log 6b, [DATA EXPUNGED] |
Analysis: Amnestic administration is not a viable method of counteracting the effects of SCP-XXXX
Excerpt from <Experiment Log 6d – Level 3>
Autopsy Report of Subject D-█████:
0830: Autopsy begun. Data retrieved from [REDACTED] Personnel Files identifies body as Demographic Code ███, approximately ██ years at time of death.
External Examination: Body is wearing standard D-Class jumpsuit, minus manufacturer labelling or Personnel Identification Number. No tattoos, PIN or otherwise. Body length is ███ cm and weighs ██ kg; age and bodily development consistent with stated age and gender. [REDACTED] Eyes are open, iris color ██, pupil diameter measured to be 0.4 cm. Corneas are cloudy. Lividity is fixed in distal portions of the limbs. Petechial hemorrhaging is present on the conjunctival surfaces of the eyes. Finger-pad contusions are horizontally circumscribed around the subject’s neck in a pattern consistent with manual strangulation, petechial hemorrhaging is present in skin superior to assailant contact point, on the underside of the mandible. Subdual hemorrhaging observed surrounding contusions suggesting assailant’s right, left thumb, and thenar spaces. Contused area extends superiorly from clavicle to underside of mandible and laterally to right and left from the isthmus of thyroid to trapezius.
Internal Examination (Abnormalities):
Head: Hemorrhaging from strangulation penetrates skin and subdural tissues of the neck. Petechial hemorrhaging in mucosa of lips and interior of mouth.
Skeletal System: Hyoid bone is fractured, cervical spinal cartilage damaged.
Muscular System: Sternocleidomastoid is separated from skull, and there is minor tissue damage to platysma
Respiratory System and Throat Structures: Hyoid bone, thyroid, and cricoid cartilages are fractured. Severe subdural hemorrhaging and soft tissue damage resulting from force used to induce asphyxia. Evidence of simultaneous carotid, and tracheal constriction suggests substantial force was applied. Smaller structures have been compressed, including external and internal jugular veins.
1343: Autopsy concluded.
Opinion:
Immediate Cause of Death: Asphyxiation by manual strangulation.
End Note: Assailant does not appear to possess normal human hand anatomy, and resulting damages are not consistent the force a human hand is capable of exerting.
Official Classification: D1 - Deceased in the Line of Duty