DesignationLemon

SCP-XXXX upon retrieval near ██████, Iraq

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures:

SCP-XXXX is to be contained in a conical containment cell of radius fourteen (14) metres and height fourteen (14) metres. This containment cell should have a single access point that utilises standard security protocol as well as a basic English 'match a picture to the corresponding word' test. The inner and outer walls of the containment cell should be cleaned and re-coated with standard non-drying vandal paint once at least every two (2) weeks or immediately following any unauthorised access to the containment area.

A similar conical structure of ten (10) metre radius and ten (10) metre height should surround SCP-XXXX, with SCP-XXXX being stored at ground level in the center of this inner structure. The outside of this inner structure should be subject to the same cleaning and painting that the outer structure is subject to, on an identical schedule. No access to the inside of the inner cone is permitted outside of testing. These structural requirements are in place to prevent the effect of stage 4 subjects from manifesting by making it near impossible to build upwards.

In the event that SCP-XXXX undergoes transfer to another suitable location, the direct handling of the object is to be performed by one (1) member of D-class personnel. This personnel is to be escorted by foot to the new containment location by no fewer than four (4) armed guards, each maintaining a constant distance of at least twelve (12) metres from the designated D-class. Guards should be informed that the object exhibits memetic behaviour to those who stand too close to the object. Should the object appear to have a substantial effect on the class D personnel or any guard designated to relocate it, the affected personnel should be terminated and a replacement should be transported to the current location of SCP-XXXX.

Description:

SCP-XXXX is a 36cm x 40cm x 18cm fragment of limestone rock engraved with symbols of a previously undocumented language. SCP-XXXX was recovered following a foundation-led investigation in June 20██ following reports of police officials going missing near ██████, Iraq. See Retrieval Log for details on recovery.

SCP-XXXX exhibits a memetic effect on human subjects within a 9.6 metre radius of it's centre of mass. The rate at which this effect manifests in subjects increases exponentially the closer to SCP-XXXX's centre of mass a subject is. Whilst exposed to SCP-XXXX's effects, subjects will begin to experience a transition through the following stages:

+ Initial Stage

Upon initial exposure to SCP-XXXX, a subject's ability to interpret written or spoken words will begin to deteriorate. the rate at which this deterioration occurs is proportional to the subject's distance from SCP-XXXX. If the subject is monolingual, they will be observed to be taking markedly longer to construct sentences in their native tongue. Multilingual subjects have been shown to absent-mindedly replace words with equivalent words from one of the other languages that they are proficient in mid-sentence.

Questioning of subjects as to why they exhibit the above behaviour at this stage usually results in the subject not realising that they had exhibited said behaviour. If a subject is removed from the active radius of SCP-XXXX during this stage, they will resume normal linguistic activity after an amount of time proportional to how long they remained in SCP-XXXX's active radius.

+ Stage Two

Subjects have exhibited stage two symptoms between ten (10) minutes and forty-six (46) hours of initial exposure to SCP-XXXX's active radius. This time appears to vary depending on the subject's proximity to SCP-XXXX.

During this phase, monolingual and multilingual subjects will once again be able to quickly form sentences in their native tongue. These sentences, however, will be polluted with new substitute words from an unknown language. These words are presumed to be from the same language as the engravings on SCP-XXXX. Subjects also begin to comprehend written and spoken instructions at a similar rate to that which they presented before exposure to the initial stage.

Certain words in this substitute language have appeared consistently during separate tests of SCP-XXXX's effects. A full list of the phonetic pronunciations of these words and their proposed English translations can be found here:
[REMOVED BY ORDER OF O5-██]

When confronted about their usage of this substitute language, subjects generally become irritated and condescending towards the person who has questioned their behaviour. Subjects at this stage are less likely to comply with foundation instruction without physical encouragement.

Subjects that exit SCP-XXXX's active radius at this time will be prone to developing speech problems such as stutters. These issues have proven to be resolvable with regular speech therapy sessions.

+ Stage Three

Progression to this stage is markedly faster than the progression from the initial stage to stage two, with the lowest recorded progression time being four (4) minutes. At this stage, affected subjects will lose the ability to communicate in any language other than the substitute language that they were subconsciously using in stage two.

Despite a subject's ability to comprehend instructions given to them in their native all attempted modern and ancient languages, subjects become totally unwilling to follow instructions unless from another person who is subject to stage three symptoms. Subjects at this stage show remarkable willpower and have refused to follow foundation instructions despite application of: blunt force trauma, electrocution and sensory overload. Subjects who have reached this stage have to be forcibly removed from SCP-XXXX's active radius and restrained as to prevent them from re-entering said active radius.

Subjects continue to show aggressive reactions to attempts to communicate with them in any known language indefinitely after they are contained.
Testing of Class D Amnestics combined with linguistic lessons to attempt to undo the effects of stage three exposure is pending Level-3 approval.

+ Stage Four

Any stage three subjects that make contact with other stage three subjects within SCP-XXXX's active radius are to be immediately considered stage four subjects. Stage four subjects are to be considered highly aggressive and dangerous. A group of stage four subjects will on launch a co-ordinated attack on humans who do not understand their language, usually ending with the victim's dragging to the centre of SCP-XXXX's effective radius.

Subjects at this stage will immediately begin conversing in the previously observed substitute language and, if access to writing materials is provided, will begin designing a vertical structure (Designated SCP-XXXX-A) around SCP-XXXX. Subjects will make use of any available resources to begin construction work after a varying period of time. This period of time is much shorter when stage four individuals have previous experience in architecture or construction.

If no standard building materials are present, stage four subjects will attempt to make use of non-standard building materials. So far, stage four subjects have been observed trying to construct an instance of SCP-XXXX-A with the following materials whilst in captivity:

• 1000 ████ brand building blocks (provided).
• 500kg standard bricks (provided).
• Standard D-Class jumpsuits (provided)
• Fecal matter
• Human muscle tissue
• Various parts of the human skeletal system
• Organ tissue of deceased stage four subjects

Stage four subjects seem to prioritise the building of SCP-XXXX-A instances over other natural needs such as hydration and REM sleep. However, this does not mean that stage four subjects are ignorant of these natural needs. In fact, stage four subjects have been observed to fulfil these needs if their continued living is deemed necessary for the further construction of an SCP-XXXX-A instance.
See test logs XXXX-1 to XXXX-y for examples of this unnatural behaviour.

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+ **RETRIEVAL LOG**

Local foundation agents A█████ and C████ were dispatched in ██████, Iraq amid reports of multiple police officials going missing when sent to investigate reports of an unauthorised building site.

Upon arriving at the location of interest, foundation agents A█████ and C████ discovered a workforce of twelve (12) natives, including four (4) females of approximate ages ██ to ██, and nineteen (8) males of approximate ages █ to ██. The workforce surrounded a structure comprised of multiple different types of rock and mortar¹ that was later measured to be 10m x 10m x 60m. Among the workforce were multiple persons wearing standard police official uniform, posthumously confirmed to be the missing local officers.

The agents reported that the workforce appeared highly motivated and co-ordinated, with different discernible units performing different tasks such as resource gathering and construction work with exceptional efficiency, especially considering the lack of construction equipment found on site.

Agent A█████ approached a male member of the workforce and began to interrogate the subject in the native Mesopotamian Arabic. Upon hearing the Agent the subject became hostile, attacking the agent with their fists and shouting in an unknown language. The commotion caused by the altercation attracted the attention of the other members of the workforce, who subsequently joined the attack on agent A█████.

Initially thinking that the attack was religiously charged, agent C█████ requested radio authorization to use standard issue tranquilisers to prevent injury to the workforce and agent A█████. When the authorization was granted, agent C█████ fired upon the attacking members of the workforce, neutralising them.

SCP-XXXX was discovered at the ground floor centre of the tall structure, and was recognised as anomalous by agent C█████ after agent A█████ began to exhibit what we now call 'Stage One' symptoms. When it was discovered that grade A amnestics would not alleviate the workforce of their aggressive symptoms, they and the tall structure were terminated in what would be described to the public as a terror attack.

SCP-XXXX was relocated to nearby Site-██ for evaluation, transport team complied to application of Class B amnestics when it was made apparent that they were under the influence of SCP-XXXX's stage one effects.

TO DO: add testing logs

Footnotes

1. Later identified as an instance of SCP-XXXX-A