Per 
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: Samples of XXXX are to be maintained in agricultural quarantine and testing area number 24 in a sealed underground chamber. High efficiency air filters will be installed in the ventilation shaft with double redundancies to remove stray spores and prevent them from reaching the surface. Seals should be checked weekly for signs of perforation or other form of damage. Regular maintenance is to be administered to make sure the filters are always operating at 100%.
Extensive medical and mental health checks are to be administered quarterly on all staff working on XXXX. Melatonin supplements, anti anxiety meds, and sedatives are to be administered as needed. Paramedics with mental health care experience are to be trained in operations while blindfolded and stationed outside with two layers of protection blocking their vision, whenever an individual enters the chamber for maintenance and care of the specimen.
Due to concerns about the effects of the object on Sarkic phenomena, wild specimens are to have their DNA sampled for cataloging and then be burned immediately and a quarantine and surveillance area burned and set up around the area the specimen was found in.
Description: SCP XXXX is a genetic mutation of the mushroom species Prototaxites Loganni. The species itself loosely resembles a leafless tree or a spear of asparagus, up to 8 meters tall and 1 meter wide. Spores from the subject induce fever, hallucinations, vivid nightmares, paranoia and thoughts of self harm. The sight of the subject induces panic attacks in affected individuals irrespective of spore exposure. Exposed individuals exhibit a prolonged and severe phobia of all fungi, regardless of anomalous status, size, edibility or origin. Even yeast is not exempt from this phobia, and subjects will cease to consume any edible product created from a fungus. Mentioning that yeast exists naturally on the human body may produce attempts at self harm including actions that will result in death. Subjects that later develop a yeast infection may self mutilate the affected area to get rid of the yeast.
When a spore print is taken from the subject its color cannot be described with any known language. When large numbers of spores are gathered in an area, they produce infrasound vibrations when disturbed that cause nausea, dizziness, an extreme sense of dread and auditory hallucinations of a soft rasping voice. Mycelia germinated from the subject’s spores produce substances that have increased growth rates and resistance to damage of a number of high security Sarkic infections.
Discovery XXXX was originally found in a quarry in rural Vermont, when a general combat MTF was alerted to the possibility of a Serpent’s Hand organization meeting and found a large number of dead bodies surrounding the object. A single survivor saw the MTF soldiers coming in and yelled “DON’T LOOK!” saving several soldiers from infection by the cognito hazardous effects of the object. MTF Theta 4, The Gardeners were called in first, only for several of them to fall victim before they withdrew. MTF Beta-7 Maz Hatters were then called in to secure the scene, and evaluate the biohazard and cognito hazard posed by the object. MTF Eta-10, See no Evil consulted via video conference software.
The survivor, Mister Ward Jenkins was labeled PoI number 4367, and placed in the care of MTF Sigma-3, Bibliographers for mental health treatment. Jenkins continues to suffer from severe panic attacks, bouts of self harm, and catatonia as a result of his exposure to the object.
Additional Instances More specimens were found in heavy woodland in rural Massachusattes, rural New York, a native american monument located outside of Binga Oklahoma. More were found in the Louisiana bayou where it threw a Sarkic sect into a frenzy, resulting in a number of murders followed by self mutilation that caused the sect’s death.
Immature, deceased specimens were spotted in Antarctica during a training exercise for MTF recruits and were found to be frozen solid, but still contain viable spores. Deceased partially rotted specimens were discovered being consumed by SCP 610 near Lake Bikal Secure Containment Zone and the resulting mutations nearly caused a catastrophic breach and are being examined by the Maz Hatters to determine the exact nature of their threat.
The final deceased specimen was recovered in the deserts of Saudi Arabia where archeologist Charles Hasred of Oxford University United Kingdom was found dead at its base by self-inflicted injuries.
The wound pattern of injuries above mentioned imply that the person infected or affected by XXXX experienced sudden panic or frenzied rage. In all cases, the mushroom was found to not be hostile, sentient, or able to speak, yet the sight of it and its mere presence caused extreme and frequently violent or self destructive psychological behaviors in the individual infected by it. Testing the effectiveness of amnestics on victims exposed to the specimen is ongoing.
Attempts to trace the object have shown a spiral shaped path across the earth’s surface, suggesting an origin in the upper atmosphere. Tracing this path led Foundation researchers to a comet given the designation XXXX-1 thereafter. XXXX-1’s path closely crossed Pluto’s orbit and a subsequent search through photos taken by New Horizons space probe a large frozen almost dead specimen was found on the surface of Pluto on the side facing the comet. It's believed that this is how the fungus reached earth. We do not believe it to be a deliberate action by any entity at this time. The XXXX-1 has been given the colloquial name Shepard 1 by Foundation researchers, for the surname of the researcher who spotted it. It is believed that viable spores of XXXX could potentially still be located in the comet itself and in its tail and that a second pass by the comet should cause a reinfestation and do so in a way that can be easily tracked and contained.
Addendum: We should consider ourselves lucky, I’m pretty sure this thing isn’t going to recur without the comet coming through the area again and we can find it fairly easily when it does. I’m more worried about environmental damage caused by it, another reason to keep working on this skip. We need to find out what its effects on an ecosystem are without loss of life. I’ll be in contact with the ethics committee about ways to test its effects without causing irreparable damage. This is also incontrovertible proof of the feasibility of the theory of panspermia. We should begin sorting through the genetics of anomalous pathogens and archeological sites to see if this mushroom has shown up before. You’ll have my recommendation, proposal and work up within the week.
I’m highly concerned with the aggression it triggered in SCP 610. The 610 creatures that ate it doubled in size and became more violent. Hard to believe such an awful creature as they could get worse but this thing did it. Sarks don’t tend to break into our bases but just in case I’d like some extra security or surveillance equipment or something. I’ll get the requisition forms in by next week.
We also need HR to get a handle on the hysteria this mushroom seems to be stirring up. I’ve had four attempts to destroy my lab samples this week and several members of my staff quit or urged me to destroy the specimen. If this thing were sentient the Ethics committee would be on our ass with a baseball bat, they don’t get a pass because its a mushroom and can’t answer back.
Sincerely,
Marie Howard
Lieutenant, Maz Hatters
