Googolplexed: Burning Rubber on the Mind

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Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX are currently housed in Site-██'s Biological Anomaly Wing. Containment chamber access requires a Level 3 Biological and Environmental Protection Suit composed of non-rubber materials. Three (3) BEP Suits should be stored in the chamber airlock. Direct access to live specimens is restricted to Level 2 Staff and above. Please consult project director Dr. Conrad with any experimental or research proposals.

SCP-XXXX are stored within a 1.5m x .5m x .5m aquarium which simulates a bog-like environment. The aquarium habitat's surface must be approximately 75% dry land and include multiple plants with wide leaves. Water temperature ought to be maintained within fifteen to twenty (15-20) degrees Celsius to slow SCP-XXXX metabolic rates and reduce rubber consumption. Air humidity must be kept at or above 90% to prevent desiccation of specimens. The number of SCP-XXXX instances in containment should not exceed two hundred fifty (250), but should remain large enough to ensure a healthy distribution of specimens along SCP-XXXX's life cycle.

The population of SCP-XXXX ought to be fed fifteen (15) kilograms of rubber material weekly. See Discovery Log XXXX. The population of SCP-XXXX ought to be fed ten (10) kilograms of shredded GOODYEAR brand tires bi-weekly. If GOODYEAR brand tires become unavailable, they are to be fed twelve (12) kilograms of styrene-butadiene rubber material weekly.

Note from Doctor Conrad: Yes, they do seem to "enjoy" GOODYEAR brand tire rubber over all other sources and types of rubber. No, it's not funny. Yes, that's what we're going to feed them at all opportunities. It decreases their food intake and makes them cheaper to contain.

Any statistically anomalous increases in car crashes and/or reports of rubber consumption by humans ought to be investigated as possible SCP-XXXX infestation by MTF Theta-3 "Rubber Maids". SCP-XXXX-1 instances outside of monitored testing should be dispatched immediately and incinerated. Any successfully captured SCP-XXXX specimens may be destroyed, or at Dr. Conrad's request, added to the population in containment.

Description: SCP-XXXX is an anomalous fluke1 most similar to Fasciola hepatica, a semi-aquatic fluke native to the Middle East and Northeastern Africa. F. hepatica usually mature to a length of thirty millimeters (30 mm), however, SCP-XXXX have been observed to reach sizes of up to forty-six millimeters (46 mm).

The internal structure of SCP-XXXX varies from F. hepatica in two significant ways. Organs are suspended within a non-biological material resembling unprocessed rubber. The function of this material is currently unknown but suspected to relate to SCP-XXXX's anomalous properties. SCP-XXXX also contains two anomalous organs; one which produces an unidentified protein and another of unknown function. Further research is ongoing. See Discovery Log XXXX. The organs of SCP-XXXX are not suspended within parenchyma2, as in F. hepatica, but instead by a functionally identical mass of styrene-butadiene rubber dusted with silicate. The means by which this non-biological material transmits nerve signals are anomalous, although further research has been placed on hold indefinitely. SCP-XXXX also contains two anomalous organs; one which transmutes rubber molecules between types, and one which produces ghrelin3.

Wild F. hepatica begin life as eggs within the parent's host, on plant leaves, or within the thick surface scum of a dense bog. Eggs within a host will hatch upon the host's death and escape into a nearby bog environment. Adolescent F. hepatica search for sheep, goats, pigs, cows, other grazing animals, or humans to serve as a potential host. After entering into the host's stomach, F. hepatica make their way through the bloodstream into capillaries and bile ducts to attach their suckers and feed on the host's tissues.

All development stages of SCP-XXXX prior to entering a potential host's bloodstream are identical to that of F. hepatica. Once an SCP-XXXX specimen enters the the bloodstream, it bypasses a potential host's capillaries and bile ducts and instead approaches the blood brain barrier. Instances of SCP-XXXX employ suckers sharper than those of a F. hepatica to penetrate the blood brain barrier and enter the brain. The SCP-XXXX then burrows into the temporal lobe until arriving at the potential host's hypothalamus. Burrowing instances of SCP-XXXX move slowly enough that no major damage is dealt to the surrounding tissue. It is believed that SCP-XXXX may also secrete a biodegradable lubricant to assist in burrowing, however, samples have failed to be collected, although further attempts at extraction are under review.

Once arrived at the hypothalamus, an SCP-XXXX specimen will attach two suckers approximately ten millimeters (10 mm) apart on the surface of the hypothalamus. (Upon attachment the host becomes designated as an SCP-XXXX-1 instance.) One sucker slowly extracts nutrients from the brain tissue while the other slowly injects waste products and ghrelin. The newly-designated SCP-XXXX-1 exhibits no external change and only a slight inflammation of the hypothalamus.

Within five (5) minutes of sucker attachment, the SCP-XXXX specimen residing in the SCP-XXXX-1 instance undergoes an increase in the rate of sucker extraction and injection. This increase will inevitably corrode the hypothalamus of any SCP-XXXX-1 instance that is not a Homo Sapiens within fifteen (15) minutes. H. Sapiens are believed to survive due to their comparatively large hypothalamus compared to all other potential host species. The corrosion of an SCP-XXXX-1 hypothalamus is designated as a Rejection Event.

A Rejection Event causes SCP-XXXX to return to burrowing behavior, however at higher speeds and more disruptive than previously. The new destructive burrowing follows a path through the corroded SCP-XXXX-1's hypothalamus, thalamus, corpus callosum (if present), midbrain (if present), pons (if present), cerebellum, and medulla (if present). This causes structural collapse of the SCP-XXXX-1's brain tissue, immediately resulting in complete brain death. In rare cases, the brain stem of a rejected SCP-XXXX-1 host may remain undamaged and allow the body to survive for a short period, although no rejected SCP-XXXX-1 has yet to survive more than 12 hours after a Rejection Event. After completing the burrowing behavior along the specified path, the SCP-XXXX instance will lay between one and twenty (1-20) eggs within the brain of the deceased SCP-XXXX-1 instance. These eggs will hatch and feed on remaining tissue until reaching fluke adulthood, and exit the deceased SCP-XXXX-1 instance via the nasal canals.

Progression of SCP-XXXX-1 Instances

Stage Number Time Since Attachment Physiological Effects Psychological Effects
Stage I 0-12 Hours Light continuous salivation begins. N/A
Stage II 12-72 Hours Salivation continues. Stomach acidity approaches 1 pH. Stomach resting diameter expands an average of 6 cm. Host reports consistent hunger despite food intake.
Stage III 3-7 Days Salivation increases. Stomach acid approaches .6 pH and stomach lining begins to develop ulcers. Notable shrinkage of host's frontal lobe (~8% shrinkage by volume) and parietal lobe (~15% shrinkage). Host reports extreme hunger despite food intake. SCP-XXXX-1 begins to develop interest in automobile maintenance and racing. SCP-XXXX-1 begins to lose reasoning and complex pattern recognition skills (15-20 IQ Point loss). SCP-XXXX-1 loses advanced vocabulary and elementary grammar skills.
Stage IV 7-10 Days Salivation continues. Stomach ulcers become severe and cover a majority of the stomach lining. Extreme shrinkage of host's frontal lobe (~30% shrinkage) and parietal lobe (~55% shrinkage). Inflamed hypothalamus (~15% growth). Tooth enamel thickens whilst molars and incisors sharpen. SCP-XXXX-1 loses conscious thinking ability (intelligence estimated at ~45 IQ Points). SCP-XXXX-1 only capable of producing one or two words at a time; typically related to hunger, automobiles, tires, rubber, fire, burning, heat, and escape.
Stage V >10 Days Continued shrinkage of the frontal and parietal lobe (75% shrinkage). Reduced white blood cell count (~2,000 WBC). Rate of respiration rises (~30 BPM increase). SCP-XXXX-1 loses most, if not all, sapience (intelligence estimated at ~15 IQ Points), making psychological profiling impossible. N/A

A procedure has yet to be discovered for returning SCP-XXXX-1 instances to non-anomalous H. Sapiens. Research in this area is ongoing.

After reaching Stage V, SCP-XXXX-1 instances begin to actively seek out and consume rubber and protein. This behavior appears involuntary as Stage V SCP-XXXX-1 have lost the capacity for logical thought. SCP-XXXX and SCP-XXXX-1 exhibit preference when selecting rubber sources to consume, but the object of these preferences is unknown. See Discovery Log XXXX. SCP-XXXX and SCP-XXXX-1 exhibit clear preference for styrene-butadiene rubber, followed by polybutadiene rubber and silicon, over all other rubber.

Parasitic SCP-XXXX specimens produce sets of eggs bi-weekly while feeding on the rubber and proteins consumed by SCP-XXXX-1. These eggs are extracted by the the immune system of SCP-XXXX-1 and discharged via sneezing. If an SCP-XXXX-1 instance dies or ceases brain function at any time, the SPC-XXXX will exit the deceased host via the nasal canals.