Admiral Pegasus

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: One instance of SCP-XXXX and three backups should be kept on four separate respective Foundation hard drives. Each should be kept secure with at least three levels of unique high-security encryption protocols for use in location and elimination of other instances, as well as testing authorized by a Level 3 researcher. These instances are not to be destroyed until SCP-XXXX is considered neutralized.
These drives should be kept in a high security container at Site ██ and may be accessed by researchers of Level 3 clearance and higher. The researcher should not attempt to view the file while doing so.

New instances of SCP-XXXX must be rendered irreparably unopenable as an image. This can be accomplished by deliberately corrupting the file, but it is best to delete the file in entirety and fill the entire memory of the drive upon which it was saved with random bits where possible.

As cloud hosts are not as vulnerable to random bit filling, cloud hosted instances should be monitored for a week after destruction for sign of reconstruction.

Internet searches via the use of an algorithm must be conducted daily in order to locate instances of SCP-XXXX.

Social media platforms should be particularly monitored via the use of a Foundation web crawler.

Individuals reported to be experiencing abnormally rapid onset of Alzheimer's Disease should be recovered if SCP-XXXX appears in their browser cache, and are to be added to research data on SCP-XXXX.
If affected civilians are within the primary stage, Class A amnestics should be administered and
treated individuals should then be returned to their homes. Otherwise, they should be admitted to Site ██ for testing.

Affected individuals should be euthanized immediately upon reaching the brain-death phase (unless an experiment requires an instance of SCP-XXXX-1, in which case the body should be transferred to this experiment immediately), and their bodies cremated. No other containment measures are necessary after this point.

Instances of SCP-XXXX-1 are to be kept under an armed guard of at least two officers. Instances are often aggressive in their first stage.

Under no circumstances should an instance of SCP-XXXX-1 be allowed to remain active for over 48 hours, and should be eliminated in the same manner to the ordinary human.

If an instance of SCP-XXXX-1 breaches containment and is active for longer than 48 hours, no personnel should come within 50 metres of the instance and containment should be accomplished by lethal force at the furthest range possible.

Testing involving instances of SCP-XXXX-1 is currently prohibited.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a 1920 pixels high by 1080 pixels wide photograph taken in 20██ by an unknown individual. It depicts a small cuboid inkwell containing a feather quill - brown and white. SCP-XXXX is generally saved as a .png file, but has been encountered saved as both .jpg and .tiff file formats previously.

SCP-XXXX is spread unintentionally by individuals unaware of its anomalous properties, as it appears to be an entirely normal photograph. This results in SCP-XXXX being potentially spread very quickly to other individuals.

SCP-XXXX is a memetic infohazard which causes a gradually worsening lack of imagination and conceptualization ability in those it affects, resulting in effective brain death.

Several hours (with an average of four hours) after viewing SCP-XXXX, an affected individual's cognitive functions relating to problem solving and creative thought become impaired. When given a creative task, individuals report a sense of 'writers' block,' an inability to conceptualize abstract ideas. Over the course of the next twenty four hours, this inability to work on creative projects intensifies, extending to even the most simple creative endeavor, including drawing a scene the individual is asked to copy.

Most subjects also experience a form of effective intoxication as they lose the ability to imagine consequences to their actions. This arises rapidly after the initial sense of creative difficulty, manifesting in some subjects as violent tendencies or rage.

Approximately 10% of affected individuals show heightened symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease including memory loss, confusion and antisocial behavior.

Affected individuals will then begin experiencing difficulty understanding what they read or hear, often requiring the content to be repeated before they fully comprehend what is being communicated to them. This later affects their speech, leading to the individual having difficulty communicating even basic concepts through speech or written text, as well as difficulty completing mathematical operations.

After this point, MRI scans show minimal brain activity, indicating a complete lack of any thought at all. Physically, the subject responds to stimuli but there is no mental response. At this point, the subject is effectively brain-dead.

Subjects at this stage lose all cognitive function, conceptualize language, perform mathematics and visual concepts.

After this point, subjects who have been euthanized - or have starved to death due to inability to locate or consume food - are to be considered instances of SCP-XXXX-1.

Approximately two hours after termination - see Test Log 38 - SCP-XXXX-1 instances reanimate slowly. After an hour following, the instance is capable of locomotion and independent action but does not seek sustenance and does not respond to speech. The body also begins to grow long feather quills which frequently shed - since determined to belong to the species Strix Occidentalis and to be non-anomalous. The density of these feathers increases as the instance progresses, but do not grow on the face, ears or extremities. New instances are often aggressively defensive and will attack any individual who makes sudden movements in their presence or reaches a proximity of approximately five metres.

Over a period averaging seven hours after this, instances quickly develop complex linguistic skills, demonstrating a tendency to poetry and prose. When provided with an easel and paint or other physical tools, instances often demonstrate advanced artistic skills. Artwork produced by instances of SCP-XXXX-1 - SCP-XXXX-2 - have the same memetic properties of SCP-XXXX and should be immediately destroyed.

Spoken poetry or prose produced by SCP-XXXX-1 instances are also to be considered instances of SCP-XXXX-2, and all personnel involved should wear protective ear gear.

Under no circumstances should an instance of SCP-XXXX-1 be given access to any image manipulation software - See Test Log 62.

Instances typically remain distrustful, but do become more cooperative until they reach the third stage. SCP-XXXX-1 respond well to criticism or feedback on their work.

After 48 hours from initial termination, the instance will begin showing signs of psychokinetic abilities. These quickly develop from an ability to move objects to creation of matter and energy, often taking less than half an hour to fully manifest. These instances become increasingly hostile and defensive, creating fortress-like structures in order to defend themselves. One instance produced an orbital facility which it immediately relocated to - see Test Log 89 - Ω Event.

Test Logs:

+ Partial Test Log 38

Test 38

Subject: D-Class exposed to SCP-XXXX - terminated at 08:19 - hereafter known as SCP-XXXX-1-1
Procedure:
After testing, SCP-XXXX-1-1's incineration was postponed due to an emergency evacuation at Site ██. This allowed sufficient time for reanimation to become apparent.
Subject was allowed to remain active for 3 hours before it attacked Researcher ██████, resulting in the researcher's death.
Results:
Euthanized subjects hereafter classified as SCP-XXXX-1 and containment procedures updated accordingly.

+ Test Log 62

Test 62

Subject: D-Class exposed to SCP-XXXX and allowed to undergo reanimation stage.
Procedure:
One instance of SCP-XXXX-1 at second stage given a laptop loaded with a trial subscription to Adobe Photoshop
Results:
Use of digital assistance appeared to enhance instance's as yet unmanifested psychokinetic abilities resulting in an uncontrolled wave of perceived threats to the instance, its fantasies, and imagined locations becoming reality in a random arrangement within a 150m radius. Most features were noted to be blurry or pixelated as if the instance had produced them in the software.
All surviving personnel had to be replaced after this uncontrolled instance of SCP-XXXX-2 (which has been designated SCP-XXXX-2-42) affected nearly every employee at Site ██, causing significant obstacles to further research. One instance of SCP-XXXX-1 resulting from the SCP-XXXX-2-42 event later classified as SCP-XXXX-1-Σ - See Test Log 64.
Subject was terminated as soon as possible, approximately ten minutes after SCP-XXXX-2-42 event.
Analysis:
Researcher ████████ hypothesizes that the strength of SCP-XXXX-1 instances' psychokinetic abilities is derived from the amount of and type of artistic pursuit; their compulsion to engage in prose and poetry may derive from this.
Instances of SCP-XXXX-1 should never be given access to image manipulation software again. Renovations to restore Site ██ to operation were lengthy and multiple anomalous items had to be moved after their containment systems were compromised.
Interestingly, instances of SCP-XXXX-1 appear to fear their pre-exposure selves; multiple exaggerated versions of the instance's former self manifested during the event and attacked Foundation personnel.

+ Test Log 64

Test 64

Subject: One instance of SCP-XXXX-1 originating from the SCP-XXXX-2-42 event
Procedure:
Instance treated as if it were any other instance until second stage, upon which it became apparent that the instance had retained its pre-exposure identity (Foundation Doctor Ronald ████████) and values. This was confirmed by multiple Foundation psychoanalysts and neural experts.
Results:
Doctor ████████ - hereafter referred to as SCP-XXXX-1-Σ - has proven incredibly cooperative during experimentation and testing. Unusually for an instance of SCP-XXXX-1, he has no increased disposition to creative pursuits. Further testing recommended on SCP-XXXX-1-Σ, which he himself advocated.
SCP-XXXX-1-Σ assigned a humanoid containment cell and allowed regular visitation and is instructed to report any creative urges. Cell is to be swept clear of shedded feathers daily.
Analysis:
While the possibility that SCP-XXXX-1-Σ is in fact only pretending to still be Doctor ████████ remains, Foundation psychoanalysts assure researchers that the instance appears to be genuine in its assertion. MRI scans show the instance's mental activity matches Doctor ████████'s pre-exposure brain patterns.
Researchers comment that the existence of SCP-XXXX-1-Σ in its docile state allow for further research than previously possible due to its lack of urge to escape or protect itself any more than would be expected in a non-anomalous human.

+ Test Log 67

Test 67

Subject: One D-Class personnel
Procedure:
D-Class personnel is given an instance of SCP-XXXX-2 requested of SCP-XXXX-1-Σ.
Results:
D-Class personnel reports no ill effects and suffers none of the effects of SCP-XXXX initially.
Addendum:
Affected individual experienced rapid onset of symptoms three weeks later, and was submitted for testing.
Analysis:
It appears that instances of SCP-XXXX-2 created by ordinary instances of SCP-XXXX-1 are created with intent, likely to be either malicious or an attempt at reproduction. SCP-XXXX-1-Σ reported that while he experienced no unusual urges or predispositions, he did "feel as if [he was] more connected to the work" than he had been pre-exposure.

+ Test 89 - Ω Event

Test 89

Subject: SCP-XXXX-1 instance resulting from Test 67.
Procedure: Instance treated as if it were any other instance until second stage, upon which it became apparent that the instance had retained some of its pre-exposure identity.
Results:
Instance - designated SCP-XXXX-1-Ω - appeared similarly cooperative to SCP-XXXX-1-Σ and showed the same signs of retaining its previous identity. However, upon reaching the third stage (brought on prematurely for an unknown reason during an MRI scan), SCP-XXXX-1-Ω reverted to a state similar to a regular instance of SCP-XXXX-1 and immediately escaped containment. However, this instance had significantly enhanced psychokinetic abilities compared to other instances and relocated to an orbital facility which it brought into reality. This was quickly fortified and defended. Foundation orbital vessels nearby were quickly destroyed.
After several hours following the containment breach and significant loss of life aboard Foundation vessels (21 ships destroyed, 4 disabled) in orbit, SCP-XXXX-1-Σ expressed that he possessed the ability to contain SCP-XXXX-1-Ω, having been in existence longer than the Ω instance and thus in possession of greater psychokinetic abilities.
After SCP-XXXX-1-Σ was granted emergency permission to vacate his containment cell, a lengthy battle between himself and the Ω instance took place, resulting in SCP-XXXX-1-Σ being heavily wounded and perishing approximately two hours after the battle concluded. SCP-XXXX-1-Ω was terminated by SCP-XXXX-1-Σ. The International Space Station was ordered to disengage live broadcast of images while it came near to the battle in its orbital path, a radio silence lasting approximately 45 seconds.
SCP-XXXX-1-Ω's orbital facility remained after the battle and exhibits no signs of being an instance of SCP-XXXX-2. Facility was relocated to a higher orbit by several Foundation orbital tugs. Exploration team Theta Nine - 'Main Characters' - report its interior resembling a cross between an art gallery and a castle. However, the 'gallery' was empty of any work save for an incomplete painting on an easel - also not an instance of SCP-XXXX-2.
SCP-XXXX-1-Σ corpse cremated and ashes scattered in orbit as per his last will.
Testing involving SCP-XXXX-1 instances canceled until further notice due to any further testing requiring excessive risk.