Inter-Kingdom Corruption
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Item #: SCP-4437

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-4437-1 is to be kept in a 3.5 x 3.5 x 3.5 meter containment cell with a ceiling composed of glass. A feed from 3 standard cameras and a hi-speed camera is to be watched constantly, with observers on rotations of 4-hour shifts. All requests from SCP-4437-1 require approval from at least 3 on-site members with level 3 clearance or higher. Any and all signs of plant life detected within forty meters of Biological Containment Site 37 are to be destroyed by incineration.

Should a request from SCP-4437-1 to go outside be approved, SCP-4437-1 is to be accompanied by two remote-operated drones, each armed with a small flamethrower. Any requests from SCP-4437-1 to be outside longer than twenty minutes are to be denied. Between the time of 1 week before the start of March and 1 week after the end of July, all signs plant life within 3 kilometers of containment are to be incinerated and all ventilation connected to SCP-4437-1's cell is to be heavily filtered and monitored for traces of pollen.

While testing is taking place outdoors, at least twelve trained guards armed with flamethrowers and terrariums of Reticulitermes flavipes1 are to be stationed in a circular pattern around SCP-4437-1 to prevent possible escape. In the case of a breach while SCP-4437-1 is indoors, Researcher Rachel Oak is to be given access to the Site’s intercom system immediately.

Description: SCP-4437 is an anomalous entity hive-minded disease that spreads through physical contact and affects all organic material. It has been deemed extremely contagious despite its current containment. This disease has proven to have many similarities to SCP-299. These include:

  • Infected plant material becomes black and extremely resistant to impact2.
  • Plant material, especially trees, seem to be the easiest for SCP-4437 to completely infect.
  • The easiest method of terminating infected instances of SCP-44373 is through incineration.
  • SCP-4437-1 has been documented to sprout white flowers.4

SCP-4437 is not widespread; It currently is limited to a single human host, designated SCP-4437-1, hereafter referred to as “Specimen.” Specimen is a human male of presumably Middle Eastern and/or Hispanic race, approximately 1.8 meters in height, and has proven to be sapient and perfectly capable of speech. Through unknown methods, its sclerae have become black, with irides an unnatural shade of brown. Specimen is presumably the last surviving animal host of SCP-4437; See Interview Log 1 for more details. Specimen has to date made no containment breach attempts following Test 4437.2-2[[footnote See Addendum 4437/3.[[/footnote]].

Addendum 4437/1: Specimen was captured by foundation personnel in ██████ Forest in California, on 9/██/20██. This caught the attention of The Foundation when footage of the fire showed the smoke to be thick and white, and the fire itself to be a vivid crimson. Specimen was caught attempting to escape the forest and apprehended 2 kilometers from the edge of the forest. Incident 4437.1 occured approximately 2 hours after Specimen was brought to Site 37.

Incident 4437.1: Specimen's first attempt to break containment. According to personnel, Specimen produced claw-like growths at the end of each finger and began to relentlessly slash at the door to its cell for 45 minutes. Though unsuccessful in its attempt, it led personnel to install a hi-speed camera for further examination of such transformations.

Interview Log 1: Interrogation immediately followed installation of the hi-speed cameras. Witnesses of Incident 4437.1 claim that Specimen was shouting and vocalizing frustration throughout its breach attempt, and Agent B█████ was tasked with interrogation.

Interview Log 1

Synopsis of Test 4437-1 Specimen was detained and brought outside into the sunlight. Specimen ceased attempts to struggle once outside, becoming visibly calmer and began presumably sleeping5 After approximately 20 minutes, Specimen “woke up” from this state and attempted to seize the nearest D-class personnel. Specimen was quickly brought back to its containment cell and the contaminated D-class was placed in quarantine to possibly reveal if Specimen Specimen and SCP-4437-2 Instances makes “more” through physical contact.

Discovery and Classification of SCP-4437-2: The quarantine of D-339276, was recorded and documented.

Excerpt from Quarantine Log

At this point in the log, Specimen/SCP-4437-1 lifted its head (Specimen had previously been pacing around the containment cell), as if suddenly detecting the SCP-4437-2 instance. Specimen began to pound at the wall in the direction of SCP-4437-2. SCP-4437-2 turned towards the direction of Specimen and exhibited the same behavior. After approximately 8 minutes of this behavior, SCP-4437-2 began to show signs of desperation. SCP-4437-2 rapidly underwent a transformation similar to Specimen during Incident 4437-01 and began to claw at the walls, attempting to reach SCP-4437-1. With each slash at the walls, SCP-4437-2’s chipped and cracked. SCP-4437-2 had significantly less success than Specimen at damaging it's containment unit, despite the quarantine having weaker walls than a containment cell. SCP-4437-2 was incinerated.

Upon analysis of the broken shards from SCP-4437-2’s claws, the material was noticeably [REDACTED] and brittle8. SCP-4437-2 was shouting, demanding that he “Go outside and see the sun.” It was at this point that parallels between SCP-4437 and SCP-229 began investigation. Research dedicated to the possible connection between these two anomalies is currently underway, with cross-testing pending approval. Approximately 1 week after Specimen’s initial containment, it was interviewed a second time upon request by Researcher Rachel Oak.

Excerpt Interview Log 2

Addendum 4437/2: Testing has shown a direct correlation between the presence of living SCP-4437-2 instances in Specimen’s vicinity and its behavior. Specimen becomes more “normal” when in the presence of more and more living SCP-4437-2 instances. As such, Specimen has been allowed to have 2 plants in its cell: One Echinocactus grusonii9, and one Ranunculus asiaticus10. This change to Specimen’s containment has yielded positive results. Since the addition of these two plants, which Specimen was permitted to infect, Specimen has shown to be significantly calmer, and even become contempt with his containment.

Addendum 4437/32.5: Over the course of containment, Specimen has begun to show signs of a sort of evolution. Skin has become darker, most likely due to integration of SCP-4437. Additionally, Specimen has begun to show a tendency to identify itself as not only a host, but as the disease itself; This has been noted as a rare instance of SCP-4437 not expressing what could be classified as “hive-minded tendencies.” These speculations were further supported when Specimen requested to “Have a name, like the others I talk to.” Given access to a small database of first names, Specimen chose a name it thought suitable. Specimen is to be personally addressed as “Corey.”

Addendum 4437/3: Several tests were performed to test infection of SCP-4437, including:

  • D-70724, who only spoke Russian.
  • A 15 x 15 x 15cm cube of birch wood.
  • A pig (To compare test results with SCP-299).
  • 2 red roses.
  • A sheet of type C, double wall cardboard with width and length identical to a sheet of standard AA4 paper.
Testing Log 2

Addendum 4437/4: Proper and Full SCP-4437-2 Instance Denomination.

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Addendum 4437/5: Throughout the course of containment, Corey has become increasingly trusting of Researcher Oak, now referring to her as a friend. Oak has been instructed to not reciprocate this affection, but also to not deny him this feeling of closeness and familiarity, as this idea of friendship has proven to be one of the most effective methods of containment. Oak has, however, voiced that she enjoys speaking and testing with Corey.

Addendum 4437/6: On 02/██/20██11, Specimen began to alter its behavior. Overall motor functions slowed, and Specimen was observably calmer than normally documented. Upon examination, Specimen had begun to grow several thin vine-like structures along its scalp, dotted with small white flowers. For testing, Specimen was brought outside, where he [REDACTED], causing all involved personnel to be immediately put into quarantine. All those quarantined either were completely unaffected by the pollen, or exhibited symptoms typical with allergic reactions that were deemed non-anomalous. Investigation into whether Specimen utilizes plant-like asexual or animal-like sexual methods of reproduction has been denied.

Footnotes