SCP-XXXX - Who Is the "I" in Kind?

Item#: XXXX

Level2

Containment Class:

keter

Secondary Class:

none

Disruption Class:

vlam

Risk Class:

warning

link to memo

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Special Containment Procedures: "Harmony Procedure" 12-A (HP 12-A) is always to remain effective for any education departments worldwide. Should any incidents pertain to HP 12-A criteria, an MTF is to be prepared and deployed to the previously recorded destination detailed within any HP 12-A incident report. Upon arrival, MTF units should dismantle any instances of SCP-XXXX-1 within the appropriate area. Each "essential component" of the SCP-XXXX-1 instance is to remain in a single container. The "essential components" should be separated and incinerated at a later time. Any and all research/rescue operations conducted within SCP-XXXX-2 should be attempted only with three or more armed members of an appropriate MTF. The aforementioned operations should only be conducted post-approval from a site director, or an individual of higher authority within the SCP Foundation. Should any non-authorized individuals return from SCP-XXXX-2, amnestic treatment should be applied when deemed appropriate by the respective leader of any ongoing research into the properties of SCP-XXXX.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a rare phenomenon possessing the potential to affect only a highly specific type of poster most commonly found within education institutions, or recreational facilities worldwide. Such posters are stylized as spelling "Be the I in KND". A wide gap is placed between the "K" and the "N", the intent of such a gap being that an individual will step into it, and thereby spell the word "KIND", with the individual's body acting as the "I". However, if an individual takes the place of the "I" on any such posters affected by SCP-XXXX, they will disappear after remaining stationary for approximately twenty seconds. Posters exhibiting this effect are immediately referred to as "SCP-XXXX-1". SCP-XXXX-1 can then be separated into its "essential components," these being the individual letters that act as the poster's constituents. Upon disappearance after contact with SCP-XXXX-1, individuals have reported themselves in the same location as when they disappeared. Upon further inspection however, no other human activity can be found in the area. This location is referred to as "SCP-XXXX-2". Multiple cases of disappearances linked to SCP-XXXX have been documented, the first being in [REDACTED], Arizona.

OOC note: Currently experimenting with formatting on the Sandbox. This article is far from finished.

[Open Harmony Procedure 12-A]

HP 12-A: As detailed by Site Director Constance Marques within Site-32 Mail Archive (02/14/2020)

The widespread effect of this anomaly is less catastrophic than we had previously considered. It requires consistent monitoring of schools worldwide, yes, but cases have very specific conditions and should be easily identifiable. Should incidents be handled with enough tact, we will likely be able to allocate minimal amnestic supplies towards SCP-XXXX cases. With that out of the way, criteria regarding SCP-XXXX are relatively simple.

If anyone catches word regarding all the following events, an SCP-XXXX incident is to be suspected:
- A missing persons case, with said missing person being last seen within a school or recreational building.
- A missing person case reported in the within a building containing a “Be the I in Kind Poster.”
- A missing person case reported within the vicinity of a building containing a “Be the I in Kind” poster.

If any individual is witnessed disappearing after stepping into a “Be the I in Kind” poster, that should be a clear no-brainer. It is most definitely an SCP-XXXX case. Amnestic treatment should be applied to any witnesses of the event ASAP (the type of amnestic used is up to the investigation lead’s discretion).

Also, after speaking with Dr. Eisner, we have decided to implement an armed guard of MTF personnel for anyone venturing into SCP-XXXX-2. He was quite adamant about this, so I can only assume it is for everyone’s own good.

Thank you for your consideration.

— Contance Marques, Director, Site-32

Addendum XXXX.1

Two disappearances were noted in [REDACTED], British Columbia. The first occurred on 02/03/2020, where a student of [REDACTED] Secondary School was reported missing. Subject was identified as James Lamry. After having been missing for two days, Lamry reappeared suddenly within the school. Photos taken of the event were seized. Lamry was administered Class-B amnestics shortly after returning. Any other witnesses of the event were administered Class-A amnestics.

Lamry after emerging from SCP-XXXX-1

Shortly after Lamry’s return, another student of [REDACTED] Secondary School was reported missing on 02/10/2020. Subject was identified as Victoria Taylor. After having been missing for two days with no sign of return, Site-32’s Director Constance Marquez requested an investigation launched regarding the disappearances. A small team was assembled and transported to the area of the disappearances. The team was composed of the following members:
- Dr. Felix Eisner
- Commander Camilla Rym of MTF Lambda-5 ("White Rabbits")
- D-3170 (Desmond Ardor – Convicted of conspiring to assassinate multiple members of Congress on 11/04/2013. Sentenced to death)

[Open Exploration Log 43-A1]

Exploration Log 43-A1: Video footage taken from camera attached to the clothing of MTF Lambda-5's Commander Rym - Description of footage to be recorded as text

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[BEGIN VIDEO - START TIME: 6:56 PST]

[LOCATION: [REDACTED] Secondary School, [REDACTED], British Columbia]

Dr. Eisner enters the school, followed by Commander Rym, and D-3179. All wear formal attire. Mr. Wendel, the school principal, greets the trio upon entering the building.

Mr. Wendel: Are you three from the government?

Dr. Eisner nods, pulling the previously issued fake identification from his pocket.

Dr. Eisner: Of course, Mr. Wendel. I hope we're not being too much of a bother this morning. Just standard protocol.

Mr. Wendel: Oh no, not at all! To my knowledge, missing persons cases are usually handled by the police, but it's great that the government is stepping in to handle some.

Dr. Eisner nods.

Dr. Eisner: There's been a slight influx in various locations. We don't want to jump the gun, but if they happen to be coordinated kidnappings, it's definitely something worth looking into.

Mr. Wendel: I have no complaints. The faster this can be resolved, the better.

Dr. Eisner and D-3179 approach SCP-XXXX-1. Commander Rym stays behind for a moment.

Commander Rym: I should mention Mr. Wendel, we do plan on checking what other content has been circulating on the school network. If you don't see us for a while, we're likely on one of the school computers perusing whatever's been going on lately.

Mr. Wendel: Of course. Go right ahead.

Commander Rym turns to face SCP-XXXX-1 before she suddenly turns around to face Mr. Wendel again.

Commander Rym: Someone else was missing a few days ago too, right? They came back though, from what I've heard.

Mr. Wendel: Yes. Although he hasn't been at school lately. Apparently, he has a few appointments with some doctors. It doesn't sound much like a kidnapping, but I guess you shouldn’t take my word for it.

Commander Rym: That's fine. Just wanted to confirm in case we need to look into anything more. Thank you for your cooperation Mr. Wendel.

Mr. Wendel: Ah, I should be thanking you. Anyways, I have some work to do. Good luck finding Victoria!

Mr. Wendel returns to his office. Commander Rym joins Dr. Eisner and D-3179 at SCP-XXXX-1.

Dr. Eisner: Apparently, one of us just needs to "be the 'I' in kind" for a bit, and we'll… disappear, from what it sounds like.

Commander Rym: Students from Arizona, Montana, and here all rematerialized after a few days, muttering some kind of gibberish. My bet’s on a textbook spatial distortion, but I won’t jump the gun on that.

Dr. Eisner: If I had to take a guess, I’d say you’re right. Then again, instead of talking about it, we should just go ahead and find out. One of us will have to take the plunge here.

From the movement of Commander Rym's body cam, she appears to nod towards D-3179.

Commander Rym: That's why we brought him. Right 3179?

D-3179: I'm beginning to think I should've taken my death sentence.

Commander Rym: Oh, lighten up. All the students who have left so far came back eventually.

D-3179 sighs, before stepping into position between the "K" and "N" on the poster.

D-3179: So I stand here for how long exactly?

D-3179 abruptly disappears from view of the video footage. Dr. Eisner and Agent Rym both confirm his disappearance. Both Dr. Eisner and Agent Rym wait for approximately twenty seconds before speaking.

Dr. Eisner: Commander Rym? Are you ready?

Commander Rym: I’ve come to learn that no one who joins an MTF is ever “not ready.”

Dr. Eisner: Fair point.

Commander Rym steps into the gap between the "K" and "N."

Commander Rym: I do speak from experience.

Video footage filmed from Commander Rym's body cam cuts out for five seconds. When footage resumes, the location is almost exactly the same. D-3179 stands in an open forum at the school entrance. Dr. Eisner is nowhere to be seen.

D-3179: Christ… Gave me a mini heart attack there. It looked like you guys just up and vanished.

Commander Rym: To be fair there was never any danger involved with getting here. From our perspective, it looked like you were the one who vanished.

D-3179: I figured this would be a portal to some hellscape. Not right back where we came. Never a dull day I guess.

Commander Rym: That’s usually the way it goes.

Dr. Eisner reappears about thirty second later. Commander Rym turns around. The poster seems to have fallen off the wall and lies on the floor. Dr. Eisner stands where the gap between "K" and "N" were initially placed.

Dr. Eisner: Peculiar. We haven't actually gone anywhere it seems.

Commander Rym: That doesn't coincide well with the missing student reports.

Dr. Eisner: No, it doesn't. Odd. I suppose we should take a walk around.

D-3179 looks at Dr. Eisner and Commander Rym for a moment, staring into Mr. Wendel's office.

D-3179: Wasn't the principal supposed to be in his office?

Dr. Eisner: Did he move?

D-3179: Well, his papers all over the floor. Guess he's just a messy guy.

Commander Rym moves her bodycam closer to the window. Scattered across the floor of Mr. Wendel's office are multiple papers. A few of them have only a black and white picture of a clip art smiley face printed. The camera pans around to view the exterior of the building and remains in this position for about one minute.

Commander Rym: Doctor, take a look at the cars outside. They aren't moving.

The camera remains fixed in its position. Multiple cars remain stationary on the road running parallel to the school.

Dr. Eisner: Noteworthy, definitely. Commander, can you and 3179 examine the outside surroundings?

Commander Rym: Of course, Doctor.

Commander Rym and D-3179 move to the front entrance, stepping outside. A line of cars fills the nearby road.

Commander Rym: Odd. Wasn't like that when we got here. This fits the criteria for a spatial distortion alright, but I suppose we can keep looking.

D-3179: We can’t just call it done at this point?

Commander Rym: How long has it been since the Foundation accepted you as a D-Class?

D-3179: What… Uh, a few weeks I think.

Commander Rym: Ah, then you probably haven’t been around to see how meticulously we work around these sorts of things. Anything that can be used as evidence in a report, we use. In any case, the quicker we get this done, the quicker we can get out.

Commander Rym and D-3179 cross the school parking lot, then make their way across the road. Commander Rym pans the camera about the area, revealing that the line of cars stretches along the entire length of the road. No recent human activity is noticeable.

Commander Rym: Now this looks familiar.

Commander Rym pans the camera into view of a telephone pole. Amidst unremarkable posters stapled to the pole are several black and white pictures of clip art smiley faces, tacked onto the wood with an unknown paste. Commander Rym takes down one of the posters, rolling it up and wedging it in her belt.

Commander Rym: Now that we have a sample of the abnormality, there shouldn’t be much reason to stay. I would say we’ve surveyed the area enough to reach a semi-viable conclusion about this place.

D-3179: We're leaving then, right?

Commander Rym: That's right, yes.

D-3179: Thank God.

Commander Rym and D-3179 make their way back to the school parking lot. Upon reaching the school itself, Commander Rym pans the camera towards the concrete at one the corner of the school. A white smartphone is visible on the ground.

Commander Rym: Ah, now this is something worth looking through.

Commander Rym picks up the phone, placing it with the rolled-up poster on her belt. She and D-3179 then continue into the school. Dr. Eisner is waiting in the forum near SCP-XXXX-1. The "essential components" of SCP-XXXX-1 have since fallen to the ground.

Commander Rym: I fetched a couple thing worth investigating. We should be fine to head back.

Dr. Eisner: Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it looks like getting out of here won't be the easiest task.

Commander Rym: How so?

Dr. Eisner waves a hand at the scattered SCP-XXXX-1 components.

Dr. Eisner: I've tried putting them back up, but the tape on the back of the letters has absolutely no hold.

Commander Rym: Have you tried standing in the place of the "I" while the pieces are on the floor?

Dr. Eisner: I was waiting until you two got back. I'll try it now.

Dr. Eisner steps into the gap between the "K" and the "N." No anomalous effects are apparent.

Dr. Eisner: Not what I was hoping for. Alright, what if you two held the letters on the wall?
Commander Rym holds the "N" and "D" up to the wall, while D-3170 holds the "K" far enough from the "N,” allowing Dr. Eisner to step into the gap. No anomalous effects are apparent.

Dr. Eisner: Ah, damn it. Well, now I'm hoping we're not stuck here.

Commander Rym: Considering that a lot of the students came back, I find it unlikely that we're trapped.

Dr. Eisner: True, but the less time we spend here, the better. This place is already freaking me out.

All members of the SCP-XXXX investigation team sit on the steps leading to the SCP-XXXX-1 constituents. Dr. Eisner and Commander Rym discuss a means of returning to normal space for approximately one and a half hours. Dr. Eisner leaves the frame occasionally, returning shortly afterward. D-3179 is out of frame for most of this time.

D-3179: Was this here before?

Commander Rym and Dr. Eisner approach D-3179. He brings their attention to another smiley-face poster just outside of the school office. Scrawled across the image in what appears to be black ink are the words “BE NICER TO EACH OTHER.”

Dr. Eisner: I inspected just about every poster around here while you two went outside. Nothing like this came up.

Commander Rym: Worth further examination maybe?

Dr. Eisner: Not much examination we can do until we get back.

Commander Rym: How do we go about that?

Dr. Eisner: The other students managed to do it. Certainly we can figure it out.

Dr. Eisner picks up the poster from the ground.

Dr. Eisner: What if we tried following the demands here?

Commander Rym: Worth a try.

Dr. Eisner: Right. Well, I’ll start. Commander Rym, you have been an invaluable addition to this team. You seem very confident in your work, and clearly have much experience under your belt. I must thank you again for accompanying us. 3179, you are by far the most compliant and helpful D-Class I have ever worked with. I will file a request to have you reassigned to anomalies of less threat once we get back.

Commander Rym: Much appreciated doctor. I am impressed that you decided to come along with us today. Many of the more research-based individuals I’ve worked with prefer to keep their distance from various anomalies. I respect your courage. 3179, I agree with Dr. Eisner. Your willingness to assist us in this mission, without making this difficult whatsoever, is exceptional.

D-3179: Oh, huh. Thanks, I guess. I gotta say, both of you seem pretty confident in what you’re doing. Plus, I feel less expendable today as compared to other days, so… that’s good I think.
The group pauses for a moment. Dr. Eisner begins walking back to the forum.

Dr. Eisner: Right, let’s see if that worked.

Commander Rym and D-3179 approach Dr. Eisner, who holds the SCP-XXXX-1 components up to the wall. They stick for a moment before falling to the ground.

Dr. Eisner: Regular tape doesn’t regain hold like that. Maybe if we have a lighthearted conversation for a bit, we can get this thing to work?

The group sits down, conversing. The contents of the conversation are irrelevant. After about thirty minutes of this, Dr. Eisner returns to the poster. The SCP-XXXX-1 components remain attached to the wall after Dr. Eisner presses them into place.

Dr. Eisner: This is promising. Would you like to do the honors 3179?

D-3179: Oh, absolutely.

D-3179 steps into the gap between the “K” and “N.” After a few seconds, he disappears from view. Commander Rym follows. Camera footage cuts out for approximately five seconds before resuming. She appears to be within the school forum area, D-3179 sitting on the steps leading to the SCP-XXXX-1 components. The camera pans to view the poster. Dr. Eisner appears after a few moments.

Dr. Eisner: Commander?

Commander Rym: On it.

Commander Rym walks past the school office. Mr. Wendel is visible working in his office. Upon noticing Commander Rym, he exits the office.

Mr. Wendel: Oh, welcome back! I checked the library earlier, but saw no one in there. Everything going alright?

Commander Rym: We went out the back to look about the general area for a bit. We haven’t found much of anything around the school, but we will continue our investigation elsewhere.

Mr. Wendel: I sort of expected this, but I was hoping for the best. Anyway, I suppose you might be leaving shortly then?

Commander Rym: That’s right, yes. Thank you for letting us poke around today Mr. Wendel. We hope to find further news on the missing student.

Mr. Wendel: Well, I hope something good comes from the investigation.

Commander Rym: As do we. We’ll be taking our leave now.

Dr. Eisner and D-3179 follow Commander Rym outside of the school.

Commander Rym: Recommendations for amnestic treatment?

Dr. Eisner: Maybe. I’ll gauge the use of amnestics depending on what we find. Best not intervene where we don’t have to.

[CUT VIDEO – END TIME: 9:32 PST]

Addendum XXXX.2

Upon extraction from the field, Dr. Eisner and Commander Rym returned to Site-32. Commander Rym was rerouted shortly afterward. Dr. Eisner filed a form for D-3179 to be reassigned to anomalies of Risk Class Caution or lower.

Investigation into the properties of SCP-XXXX continued. Samples obtained from SCP-XXXX-2 were forwarded to Dr. Hal Jeremiah for composition tests. Dr. Eisner was assigned to the investigation of the phone retrieved from SCP-XXXX-2. All files within were found intact.

Video Investigation has been separated into sections to remain coherent with accompanying documents.

---

[BEGIN VIDEO – START TIME: 20:07 PST]

[LOCATION: Site-32, [REDACTED], Brazil]

Dr. Eisner sits at his desk. The phone retrieved from SCP-XXXX-2 sits on the counter, attached to a charging cord.

Dr. Eisner: If anyone comes back to actually watch this, I wouldn’t mind if you transferred me to a different office. I’ve been overlooking the vertical maintenance tunnel for probably three years now. Just saying, might be time for a bit of a promotion.

Dr Eisner unplugs the charging cord from the outlet, plugging it into the PC underneath his desk. He opens the various files stored in the phone.

Dr. Eisner: “Vic’s iPhone” huh? This belonged to our person then. Alright, so there’s a folder of notes and a few images, all from recent dates. And… the recent notes seem to be a journal of some sort.

Dr. Eisner proceeds to examine the notes.

[Open Document 43-B1]

I don’t understand. I’ve never been one for diaries, but this is different. There’s no one here. It’s like everyone just suddenly disappeared. I was in the forum one moment, the next, gone. Everyone. I don’t know how, I don’t know why. Right now, I’m still looking to find someone. No luck yet, though it’s really only been a few hours. I still had my keys on me. Found my car in the parking lot out back and it started up no problem. I toured around [REDACTED] for a bit, though this was pretty hard. None of the cars on the road were moving. I’ve never driven on a sidewalk before, but there really wasn’t much else I could manage. I still found the whole thing pointless. No one to be found. I just hope this ends soon. That I might be able to figure out where everyone went. Maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow, and this will all turn out to be a dream.

Dr. Eisner turns to look directly at the camera.

Dr. Eisner: Look, if you’re going to put me in the one office tucked far away from the others, maybe add a bit of noise cancellation. I can hear the maintenance people opening a valve about fifty meters below me. Or maybe you could relocate me. Maybe.

Dr. Eisner continues to read the notes.

[Open Document 43-B2]

I’ve noticed something weird. All over the place, I keep finding posters with smiley faces on them. They’re stuck to poles, trees, whatever, with some kind of putty. I don’t know what it is, I didn’t touch it. Some of the posters have black smears across them. Again, weird. I’m pretty sure they weren’t here before. I would have noticed. Anyways, I decided to try something. I took my car up higher, up into the hills a little outside of town. I thought that maybe if I drove up there and waited until it got dark, I might be able to find someone using a light signal, or a flare, or something. It was about the best idea I had at the time. Turns out that the smiley face posters were on trees in the middle of nowhere. It’s worrying. Maybe they have something to do with the missing people? Or maybe not. I’m just seeing posters everywhere and people nowhere. I took a picture of one of the posters. It’s a little unnerving to be perfectly honest. Long story short, my plan didn’t work. Besides the streetlights which flick on automatically, there was nothing. Not a hint of anything that could be taken as someone trying to communicate. Screw this place.

Dr. Jeremiah enters the office. Dr. Eisner turns to face him.

Dr. Eisner: Ah, good. Is this a progress update, or are test results done?

Dr. Jeremiah: Done. Also, very peculiar. Take a look.

Dr. Jeremiah places a diagnostics sheet on the desk. Dr. Eisner picks it up, examining it.

Dr. Eisner: Alright, so high concentrations of cellulose and… looks like some petroleum products. That’s it for the poster? Just paper and ink?

Dr. Jeremiah: The poster itself is fairly unremarkable. The putty should be of more interest.

Dr. Eisner: Elastomers, aspartame, lactic acid, and a few other ingredients. So, chewing gum, along with… what?

Dr. Jeremiah: Not disappointing, is it?

Dr. Eisner: “Combusted organic material. Ash samples match no known organism.”

Dr. Jeremiah: There’s DNA in the sample for sure. The composition doesn’t line up with anything we have on record.

Dr. Eisner: Well, run a few more tests. See if you can’t find a relation to something we do have on record.

Dr. Jeremiah: Will do. How’s the reading coming along?

Dr. Eisner: Most of it is just short journal entries from a high school student. At the point I’ve gotten to, she seems to think it isn’t her that disappeared, but everyone else.

Dr. Jeremiah: I would think the same if there hadn’t been a few kids that managed to get back.

Dr. Eisner: Stands to reason anyone would. Anyway, back to reading.

Dr. Jeremiah: Enjoy. I’ll go test the samples again.

Dr. Jeremiah leaves the office. Dr. Eisner resumes reading the notes.

[Open Document 43-B3]

I’m not alone. I slept in my car last night. Could have driven home I guess, but I’m not sure how safe I would be. Especially not after what I found yesterday. As I entered town after being at the mountain most of the day, the posters were altered significantly. They had things like “BE FRIENDLIER” or “ENJOY YOUR TIME HERE” written like that, in all caps, in weird blurry ink. If it’s a prank, it’s not funny. Scared me half to death. Asides from this, I think I’ll try looking around the big statue downtown. Maybe someone thought it would be a good idea to head there. Regardless, messages on these posters keep popping up, each one being similar. Like hell I’m gonna be happy at a time like this.

Dr. Eisner: Let’s have a look at this picture then. Should be the image nearest to the time this was written. And… Yeah, this one’s right.

Dr. Eisner opens the image file.

[Open Document 43-C1]

Document 43-C1

Dr. Eisner: Exactly like the ones we found. At least things are lining up there. Onto the next entry I suppose.

Upon opening the subsequent document, Dr. Eisner’s eyes widen slightly. He nods.

Dr. Eisner: Well, the start of this one is a little divergent from the last few.

[Open Document 43-B4]

Oh god. Oh no. I can barely write down my thoughts at this point. I decided to retrace my steps and head back to the forum at school, see if maybe I can do something useful. That’s not my concern though. I saw them near the statue today. They were far enough away. Just staring at me. It was bizarre. Not people, no no no. I don’t know what I should call them. To be honest, I don’t even want to think of them. They either didn’t notice me or were uninterested. They just stood there, watching, I think. I don’t know. It’s surreal. I don’t know how well I can describe them. Their heads are, I mean, it’s the same smiley faces on all the posters, but they’re spherical. And their bodies, they’re these shifting pitch-black masses with hands and stuff almost clawing at the ground, or the sky, or whatever they can reach. They seem to have four, leg-ish things but, I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m looking at. I don’t know if they’re friendly or not. Actually, I’ll try making a quick sketch on my phone. That’ll be the best I can do. I’m not risking taking a picture. But please please please, I just want this to end.

Dr. Eisner leans back in his chair for a moment. He sits upright a moment later.

Dr. Eisner: Last one is here. Let’s see how this goes.

[Open Document 43-B5]

I had an idea. Maybe I can go back to the forum, back to where all of this started. Maybe there’s a clue. Something. I don’t care, I need something. I need to hurry, because it looks like they’re following me wherever I drive. They won’t leave me alone. I hate it so much, why would this happen?? I’m typing furiously just outside the school here, because I just want this written down if I manage to get back, or if someone finds this. But the instant I write this final sentence, I’m making a break for the forum. I just need this to stop. I hope I can do it.

Dr. Eisner closes the final document. He sits in silence for a few moments.

Dr. Eisner: Well… she said she made a drawing of one of the things mentioned in the file. Might as well find that.

Dr. Eisner searches through the phone images. Upon opening a certain image file, he appears to look at the screen in confusion.

Dr. Eisner: Good Lord…

[Open Document 43-C2]

Document 43-C2