Analyst R

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: Samples of SCP-XXXX are to be kept in cold storage with temperatures not exceeding 0 degrees Celsius. These samples are to be kept in a secure biological containment area, with at minimum one armed guard present to oversee said samples. These samples are only to be handled for the purposes of testing, and only when testing personnel are equipped with bio-hazard suits, and at minimum one armed guard present. After testing, all involved personnel are to be administered class A antimycotic (anti-fungal) medication, for a period of 1 week.

Any containment breaches of SCP-XXXX are to be reported immediately, and the following procedures are to be followed;

  • All persons and higher primates exposed to SPC-XXXX, or in the immediate vicinity of the containment breach are to be detained by a bio-hazard equipped MTF.
  • Those detained are to be taken to the nearest Foundation Site.
  • The area of the containment breach is to be thoroughly covered with class C antimycotics
  • All higher primates detained are to be terminated.
  • All persons detained are to be isolated within the facility. Persons who have been exposed to SPC-XXXX for less than 30 hours are to be separated.
  • Those separated are to be administered class A antimycotic medication for a period of 1 week. Once they have been deemed free from infection by SCP-XXXX, they are to be administered amnestics and returned to their residences.
  • Those who have been exposed to SCP-XXXX for over 30 hours are to be contained in the facility and administered class A antimycotics once per week to manage their infection level. These individuals may be used in further testing.
  • All personal involved in these procedures are to be quarantined, administered class A antimycotic medication for a week, and then be checked for infection.

Description: SCP-XXXX was first identified in a rural village in eastern Borneo in 1968, after reports of a cult emerged and was investigated by the Foundation. The cult had claimed to have found the cure to all suffering and despair, and had been infecting themselves and their loved ones with SPC-XXXX. 124 individuals were recovered from this initial outbreak, and 52 are still housed by the Foundation. 4 further outbreaks of SPC-XXXX have been identified since.

SCP-XXXX is a parasitic, fungus-like organism that infects the nervous system of humans and higher primates. Infection is caused by bodily contact or ingestion of SCP-XXXX, or sufficient contact with the skin of an infected host. As SCP-XXXX infects its host, it will produce white thread-like mycelium that grows over the host's nervous system. This mycelium is visible through the skin, especially on the extremities and face.

As this mycelium grows, it causes the host to feel a strong sensation of euphoria that increases in intensity as the infection progresses. This sensation has been shown to numb the feeling of pain or discomfort in infected individuals. These effects begin to become noticeable once about 10% of the host's nervous system has been colonized by the mycelium. The host slowly becomes unresponsive as the infection progresses, and will be render unresponsive in a euphoric coma once 50% of the nervous system has been colonized. The host will then slowly die of starvation; it is unknown how SCP-XXXX supplies moisture or oxygen to its host during this period. A human infected with SPC-XXXX will reach this stage within 2-3 months, depending on the temperature of the host. Once the host has died, SPC-XXXX will decompose the body and persist as a mound of mycelium roughly equal in size to its host. It is currently unknown how this mound continues to survive in the absence of nutrients from a host.

SCP-XXXX is easily destroyed with the use of antimycotics, and its growth is slowed significantly by cold temperatures. Previously infected hosts cured of their infection report extreme pain and discomfort from common stimuli such as touching, or bright lights. These effects do not appear to diminish with time, and commonly progress to violent attempts to become reinfected, or suicidal behavior. The use of amnestics or anesthetics proves to be ineffective at alleviating this condition. This condition has been found to be manageable with the use of antimycotics on an infrequent basis to prevent complete infection of the host, while keeping their discomfort to a minimum. Testing is ongoing to determine if there is a possible cure for this condition.