SCP-1853

SCP-1853 during testing

Item #: SCP-1853

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: All known samples of SCP-1853 are to be contained in air-tight containers under restricted access at Site-77 in Storage Locker 663. When in containment, SCP-1853 is not to be used on D-Class personnel or any other human subjects for testing purposes. Only chemical analysis testing is approved. When being tested, a small amount should be stored in an aerosol dispersal system.

Attempts to censor references to SCP-1853 and its effects mentioned during SCP-2206 broadcasts covering the New York Urbans and their repeated abuse of the substance are ongoing. Requests to utilize the substance to create more realistic staging for said events have been denied.

Any reports of SCP-1853 being used outside of containment should be immediately investigated by Foundation agents, under the guise of testing for normal performance enhancing drugs. Any subject found to have exposed themselves to SCP-1853 is to be interrogated as to how they came to possess it, followed by the administration of a Class-B amnestic and medical treatment to remove SCP-1853 from their systems.

Description: SCP-1853 is a green human-derived serum containing a mixture of unidentified proteins and chemical compounds. When not being applied to an organic object, SCP-1853 displays no anomalous properties, and is functionally identical to water. When applied to a living subject, SCP-1853 will noticeably enhance the performance of the individual subject in a competitive environment.

SCP-1853 is very effective in athletic competitions, but is equally potent in non-athletic competitions, such as chess, poker, and collectible trading card competitions. Subjects exposed to SCP-1853 have been consistently more able to effectively count cards, analyze opponent strategies, and use psychological methods to achieve victory, depending on their specific avenue of competition.

Further analysis has shown that SCP-1853's effects do not cease after a competitive event is over, and in fact may not desist at all. Reports of known SCP-1853 users at home has shown that in any activity the user feels is a competition will activate SCP-1853's effect. These have included but are not limited to:

Fighting with a large crowd in order to reach the front of the line, which incited a small riot.

Completing more of a workload than a coworker.

Finishing a meal before others at a table.

Mowing a lawn in a more efficient way than a neighbor.

Yelling louder than other individuals during confrontations.

Much higher inclination to incite fights with acts of violence against others.

Knowledge of SCP-1853's effect on them has shown to have a psychological impact on test subjects. Some subjects may attempt to turn every event in their life into some form of competition, in order to utilize the anomalous effect. This has been shown to be deleterious to the subject's personality, alienating themselves from many people they had previously been friendly with. In addition, subjects may begin to take aggressive action against those they perceive as not having a proper competitive spirit when the SCP-1853 afflicted user wishes to compete with them.

SCP-1853's source was contained on 02/19/98, in a Prometheus Labs facility, following the destruction of their main headquarters. Notes collected with SCP-1853 indicated that it was being developed as a "superhero" serum. However, several samples were discovered to be missing, and private records indicated they had been leaked to several minor-league sports franchises. As of 09/18/2005, it is believed that all samples of SCP-1853 are in containment. As such, it has been classified as Safe.

Addendum: Documents recovered from Prometheus Labs.

Testing Summary O-1 We've found that application of the serum to the epidermis allows for people to be stronger, faster, but not having more endurance. They were able to complete reflex-based tests in a quarter of the time of the non-affected subjects. This has definitely been a successful round of testing. Also, tell the handlers to be super careful when they're moving the serum from storage. This stuff is really potent, you only need to touch it to become affected. So, don't touch it.

Summary O2 We've begun to detect mood shifts in the subjects who were affected in the first run of testing. They're much less noble than we would've hoped people given this power would be. Instead, they're all about trying to see who can do the tests the fastest. We've put up a leaderboard to try to keep them docile. Perhaps we should use some people who're more moral as test subjects for the next run. More moral, that's a tongue twister…

Summary O4 They've begun breaking out of the test subject habitation zone. But only to go back to the tracks. This morning, Hank was harassed by about four of them, demanding that he update the scores for runs they did on their own last night. He did what they said. I've assigned additional guards to the track field to monitor their progress, and to make sure they don't go anywhere besides the track. I don't think trying to keep them in would do anyone good. I've added more cameras in the observation booth to keep an eye on them.

Summary O11 The test subjects are completely disrespectful to the testers. They're demanding to see the test results, to compete with us in how we interpret our data. This round of tests has been an interesting failure, unfortunately. While we were able to get the physical and mental results we needed, the personality changes were just too much to bear. I'll be having Linda do some interviews with them before we administer treatment, see if it's actually from the serum, or just a natural development in their minds. Keeping my fingers crossed that it's us. At least that'd be easier to fix.

Addendum: Recovered evidence.