Pardalis

Item #: SCP-3XXX

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Standard event reporting and law enforcement channels should be monitored for missing persons reported by people who do not know the victim well. Existing experimental Kant-counter sensor networks should be monitored for the SCP-3XXX-t signature. All potential SCP-3XXX-1 manifestations should be investigated by MTF Lambda 23 ("Literary Deconstructionists") as soon as possible, preferably as they happen. If the manifestation is confirmed, they should deploy Hume-gradient sensor arrays in the region of the manifestation and remain on standby for 2 weeks to rapidly respond to follow-on manifestations.

MTF Lambda-23 operatives must attempt to recover any SCP-3XXX-2 instances left behind in the area of an SCP-3XXX-1 manifestation. Note that SCP-3XXX-2 instances may be left up to 13m from the track of a manifestation, and may be moved further by wind, civilians, and other unpredictable factors.

MTF Lambda-23 Operational Requirements – hide block Lambda-23 operatives in the field must wear visors using Algorithm 7-Wheeler to detect and obscure potentially infohazardous narrative content and notify the wearer of its presence. The visors must also send continual video feeds to the command center for the mission, where they are recorded. Mission recordings are automatically enqueued to be reviewed for anomalies (after processing by Algorithm 7-Wheeler) by personnel with no personal connection to any of the field agents. Field operatives are to be armed with high-capacity paintball markers firing black paint, and conventional sidearms. They should also carry at least one popup net barrier. One member of the team should carry a flamethrower. At least one member must carry a long rifle suitable for neutralizing fleeing human targets. Operatives must be entirely covered in clothing resistant to slicing. Lambda-23 Operatives on a given mission must have no personal connection to any potential targets of SCP-3XXX-1 or bystanders.

Paintball markers, conventional weapons, and physical barriers capable of stopping wind-blown paper, such as nets or sheets, are often successful in discouraging SCP-3XXX-1 from absorbing people. Where settings permit and in extreme circumstances, flamethrowers may be used to discourage SCP-3XXX-1 from absorbing bystanders and Foundation personnel. Running away is also usually effective, and bystanders may be advised to do so, but this increases the risk of disclosure of SCP-3XXX's existence. No effort should be made to prevent SCP-3XXX-1 from absorbing SCP-3XXX-t.

Civilians suspected of carrying SCP-3XXX-2 instances should be detained and any suspsected instances should be confiscated. Where necessary, lethal force may be used to contain SCP-3XXX-2 carriers. If a civilian is known to have read one or more SCP-3XXX-2 instances, they should be isolated until they have been absorbed by SCP-3XXX-1 and any resulting SCP-3XXX-2 instances must be collected. In all cases where the civilian survives, they should be amnesticized before being released.

SCP-3XXX-2 instances are to be stored with standard procedures for visually infohazardous materials. They must never be viewed directly by any Foundation staff for any reason. ~Experimentation with D-class personnel must follow the protocol below~ Experimentation with D-class is halted. Any analysis of the text or other information on SCP-3XXX-2 instances must be performed by automated systems that ignore and discard any narrative elements of the text before displaying results to humans. All research on SCP-3XXX-2 instances requires approval of Level 4 personnel.

Archived experimental protocol – hide block Experiments with D-class personnel should be carried out by placing the SCP-3XXX-2 instance in a sealed container in the middle of a secure 20m x 20m room. The D-class should be instructed to open the container and examine the contents without moving from their current location. The D-class should be selected and handled by a small group of people completely separate from those actually operating the experiment, to prevent any problematic personal connection. The experiment should be video recorded from each corner of the room, with each feed processed in the same way as a video feed from the field of an MTF Lambda-23 operation with regard to Algorithm 7-Wheeler, remote transmission, and review. MTF Lambda-23 should be deployed outside the room and treat the experiment as an active incident. Kant counters should be deployed to record Hume fluctuations during the experiment.

Note: there is standing Level 4 authorization to perform OCR and word count analyses on all newly contained SCP-3XXX-2 instances.

Description: SCP-3XXX-1 is a phenomenon in which an entity materializes which is made of various written material, mainly printed paper. Its central shape is generally humanoid, but is highly fluid. SCP-3XXX-2 are pieces of written material left behind after an SCP-3XXX-1 manifestation. SCP-3XXX-1 is triggered by a human reading and comprehending SCP-3XXX-2. Said person is then designated SCP-3XXX-t, or simply "target".

An SCP-3XXX-1 manifestation begins between 1 minute and 2 hours after SCP-3XXX-t reads SCP-3XXX-2, usually when SCP-3XXX-t is alone and stationary. In the interim, reality around SCP-3XXX-t exibits faint but characteristic Hume fluctuations. At the start of the manifestation, a few pieces of written material materialize on the ground or in midair near the target, behaving as if carried by wind. The rate of materialization rapidly increases, and the pieces coallesce into a central humanoid figure, surrounded by a cloud of rapidly-moving written media that can extend at least as far as 13m from the center. Pieces of media continually materialize and dematerialize at roughly equal rates for most of the manifestation, with most pieces being cycled out quickly.

Upon reaching stable size, SCP-3XXX-1 approaches and engulfs SCP-3XXX-t. As it does so, SCP-3XXX-t's body disappears; this process is known as the absorption of SCP-3XXX-t by SCP-3XXX-1. At the same time, memories of people with personal connections to the target are modified in a way that either removes the target or drastically de-emphasizes their importance. This effect seems to focus on events that are essential to the target's identity, and ranges from close family to casual friends, regardless of physical proximity. Mere acquaintances are usually not affected. Affected individuals who remember the existence of SCP-3XXX-t (usually people such as spouses or children whose lives would be grossly inconsistent without the target) generally do not notice the absence of SCP-3XXX-t unless it is pointed out to them, at which point they do not regard it as significant.

There is a limited, unpredictable effect on physical and digital media related to the target. Physical artifacts with personal significance to the target, known from sources believed to be unaffected, often disappear. It is believed that significant artifacts and documents containing personal details, e.g. personality or important events, either disappear or are altered. No document containing such details of an absorbed SCP-3XXX-t instance has ever been found.

In short, SCP-3XXX removes from reality all information and artifacts needed to construct a detailed narrative, such as a biography or novel, about the target. Information that would not appear in such a story is unaffected. This "story theft heuristic" has proven helpful in predicting what will be affected, most practically in finding unaffected people to interview.

SCP-3XXX-2 instances are pieces of written media, of types commonly used at various times in human history. Most instances are printed text, but known instances include vellum, a fragment of a wax tablet, and a fragment of stone painted with a pictographic narrative (see experiment 3XXX-Y). The languages on known SCP-3XXX-2 instances include English, Mandarin, French, Greek, and Sanskrit. The languages in SCP-3XXX-2 instances resulting from a given SCP-3XXX-1 manifestation seem to be influenced by the target's native language, languages spoken nearby, and common languages among humanity as a whole.

SCP-3XXX-2 instances are always physically incomplete; for example printed pages always have sections torn away at the top, bottom or both. Existing evidence suggests that they always contain some fragment of narrative, furthering the impression that they were taken from a larger work. Based on the recorded reactions of SCP-3XXX-t instances before they are absorbed and the testimony of the one surviving SCP-3XXX-t instance, the narrative fragments contained in SCP-3XXX-2 are strongly emotionally compelling. In combination with their incompleteness, this produces a strong desire to know the rest of the story, particularly how it ends. This desire appears to play a role in SCP-3XXX-1's effect, though the importance of its role is unclear.

Based on word counts, SCP-3XXX-2 instances left in the wake of a given target's absorption tend to mention the target as a character. In one known case, an SCP-3XXX-2 instance mentioned both the target absorbed in that manifestation and one absorbed in a previous known manifestation. This raises the possibility that all characters in SCP-3XXX-2 are previous victims of SCP-3XXX-1.

Upon absorbing SCP-3XXX-t, SCP-3XXX-1 may absorb other people in the immediate vicinity. This is rare not only because the entity tends to appear when SCP-3XXX-t is alone, but the natural instinct of any bystanders to run away is usually effective. Further, under most circumstances SCP-3XXX-1 shows a reluctance to move very quickly or significantly deform itself to go around an obstacle. However, SCP-3XXX-1 is highly motivated to absorb SCP-3XXX-t. The only known time SCP-3XXX-1 has exhibited aggressive behavior is when MTF Lambda-23 attempted to remove SCP-3XXX-t from SCP-3XXX-1.

Given the viral nature of SCP-3XXX, every SCP-3XXX-1 manifestation carries the risk of triggering a runaway exponential MK-class end-of-world scenario. It is unknown how many instances of SCP-3XXX-2 are uncontained.

Table of Notable Manifestations – hide block There have been five known manifestations of SCP-3XXX-1 for which MTF Lambda-23 was able to reach the scene soon after the manifestation, and three in which they were able to be present during the manifestation. Only in the last instance were they able to rescue SCP-3XXX-t. Table of Notable Manifestations

Designation Details SCP-3XXXSCP-3XXX-1-1 (Someone picked up a piece of paper that turned out to be SCP-3XXX-2) SCP-3XXXSCP-3XXX-1-2 Guy X disappears SCP-3XXXSCP-3XXX-1-3 MTF uses found sheet to contain SCP-3XXX-1 SCP-3XXXSCP-3XXX-1-5 Guy Y disappears, SCP-3XXX-2 left behind mention him and X SCP-3XXXSCP-3XXX-1-7 In XXXXXX, California, woman disappears, SCP-3XXX-2 detected. MTF Lambda-23 put on standby. SCP-3XXXSCP-3XXX-1-8 In XXXXXX, California, Bob reads SCP-3XXX-2 from SCP-3XXX-1-7. Operatives arrived just as Bob was arrived. His wife Sara was present and read a SCP-3XXX-2 instance. MTF operatives attempted to remove Sara from the vicinity of SCP-3XXX-1. SCP-3XXX-1 responded by killing one operative with multiple paper-induced lacerations, absorbed another, and at one point went under a door to reach SCP-3XXX-t when operatives closed it between SCP-3XXX-1 and Sara. It only relented when SCP-3XXX-t voiced a desire for it to stop. Table of Notable Manifestations

Table of Notable SCP-3XXX-2 Instances – hide block Designation Medium Notes Notable words found SCP-3XXX-2-11 Printed paper English text. Resembles a page from a paperback novel, with the top and bottom missing uh SCP-3XXX-2-14 Wax tablet Written in Sanskrit. Wax appeared fresh at time of collection. ??? SCP-3XXX-2-38 Painted stone fragment The painted surface contains no recognizable text. Based on reactions of a D-class exposed to it, it contains a stylized human figure, perhaps with hints of another entity that would have been visible in the complete painting. The image implies extreme effort on the part of the human. n/a SCP-3XXX-2-49 Printed paper Mentions absorbees of both SCP-3XXX-1-2 and SCP-3XXX-1-5 Guy X, Guy Y SCP-3XXX-2-90 Vellum Appeared aged at time of collection, and uses an archaic style of text.

View Experiment Logs – hide block Experiment logs.

One where they get a description of the stone SCP-3XXX-2.

One where a SCP-3XXX-2 is deposited outside the experiment room, fortunately found by mtf op. They expanded the size of the room after this.

demonstrate possibility of multiple simultaneous SCP-3XXX-t

One where the humanoid part of SCP-3XXX-1 shows irritation with the blank room. Sick of the experimenters' shit.

The following interviews were conducted following manifestation SCP-3XXX-1-8, during which Robert Durchelt was absorbed.

Interview log for Dr. B. and Raquel M, coworker of Robert Durchelt

Dr. B.: Can you describe Robert?

M: Like, what he looked like?

Dr. B.: More like what was important to him, any important events that had occurred in his life.

M: Well, he was married, I'm pretty sure… He liked football, I think

Dr. B.: Any personality traits or behaviors that stand out?

M: Not really, he was pretty vanilla. I guess I didn't really have much to do with him, so I can't say much.

Note: Records at Mr Durchelt and Raquel M's workplace indicate that they worked closely together.

Interview log for Dr. B. and Sara Durchelt.

Dr. B.: Can you summarize in your own words the events of __?

Sara: It's a bit fuzzy, because, you know, but I'll do my best. I came home and saw Robert, on a chair in the living room, reading a piece of paper with the bottom torn off. I asked him what he was reading, but he didn't even look up. He had this transcendent smile on his face, like…

Dr. B.: Like what?

Sara: I don't know. That's when I noticed the first piece of paper skidding across the floor. Then there were a couple more floating through the air, then suddenly there was this *thing* made of paper standing behind Robert. There was paper flying around the whole room, like a tornado. Robert noticed, then, but he didn't look scared. He stood up, still with that smile on his face, and the paper thing sort of dissolved around him and then he disappeared… No, wait, the chair was gone, too. I didn't even notice that before.

Dr. B.: And is that when you received the SCP-3XXX-2 instance?

Sara: When it gave me the paper, you mean? Yes. I was just standing there in shock, when this piece of paper popped up in front of me, hovering and tumbling in the wind. I don't know why I grabbed it, I shouldn't have grabbed it…

Dr. B.: It's alright. What happened next?

Sara: Alright. *taking a deep breath* So, I grabbed the paper, and I read it, and— listen, I study English. I've read powerful stories, and I've read poetry that breaks your heart and makes you like it, but I've never read anything that hit me like that. It was breathtaking. And that's right when your boys in black busted open the door. Some of them sprayed the monster with paintball guns while one of them used one of those springloaded nets to partition the room, trying to trap it on one side. Then everything stopped for a second, while they waited to see what it would do. The monster swirled over there for a second, then sped up and dissolved into individual sheets so it could get around the net. Honestly, what did they expect with all the gaps around the edge?

Dr. B.: They'd had success with similar strategies before. What happened next?

Sara: Anyway, that's when they grabbed me and tried to pull me toward the door, and that made it mad. You could tell by the sound, if nothing else, but it sped up, then started just cutting through the net with the edges of the paper, and they started spraying it again, and… oh shit…

Dr. B.: It's alright, take your time.

Sara: I'm sorry, I'm not used to seeing… it papercut the closest guy to death. It sounds like a joke, right? But that's what it did. At least it was quick. There was blood everywhere. They managed to pull me into the hall. Right as I looked back, I saw the cloud eat the last guy in the room, and then they shut the door, what was left of it after they busted in. It started coming out around the edges of the door. They shut the exterior door of the building, and we headed for the gate, but I could hear it flapping against the inside of the door. Then it came out around the edges of the door, and the whole cloud flew around us to block our way to the gate.

Dr. B.: It actually flew around you without absorbing you?

Sara: Yes, strange, isn't it? I'm sure it could have eaten us all then, but pouncing on me from behind didn't fit the story. So, the person shape reformed then and started coming at me, and I think that's when I woke up and started getting really scared. They blasted it with the paintball guns, real guns, flamethrower, everything, but it just kept coming. The sheets would burn away but there were always more. We got backed up into a corner, and the whole thing was on fire and still coming. I was so scared, out of my mind, really, and I just yelled at it, "Stop!". And it did. It stopped, and cocked its head at me. So I kept going, "Please, just leave us alone!" It stood there for, probably only a couple seconds, but it felt like forever. Then it just let all the paper burn and… dissipated. I think that's when I forgot most of what the paper was about. I guess it was too beautiful to let me keep if I wasn't going to go with it. Everything after that was a blur. They just took me to the van and gave me a sedative, I guess.

Dr. B.: What can you tell me about Robert? His personality, any possessions or other items that were important to him. Things he was proud of?

Sara: No. All I know about him is that I was married to him. Hell, I can barely remember what he looked like, or his voice. I almost feel like I know him better from that fragment of story than from my actual memories, despite that being almost gone. Except… Something about that smile, when he was reading. It was like he was discovering happiness for the first time. I don't… I don't think he was happy, not truly. I wonder if that was my fault.

Dr. B.: Any important events in his life? Favorite food?

Sara: No, nothing. There's just this nagging feeling that I should be able to answer, but there's nothing there. And I feel like it should hurt to have him gone, but it doesn't, at least…

Dr. B.: Go ahead.

Sara: I only notice it when you're interrogating me, but the more I notice that feeling, that absence, the more unnatural it feels. I couldn't say it hurts, but it's clear there's something wrong with me, something missing. So if that's all I can do to mourn my husband, I suppose it will have to suffice.

Dr. B.: What do you remember about the SCP-3XXX-2 instance you read?

Sara: Not much. It's like remembering a dream from a year ago. It was about Bob, I remember that's the name that was used, not Robert. He was happy, doing something important, something meaningful. I wanted to know what happened in the rest of the story. Still do, honestly. The fragment was clearly from right in the middle.

Dr. B.: Nothing else?

Sara: It— Real life is just one damn thing after another, and then you die. I remember enough to know that for sure. What I remember of the fragment is that every word shone with purpose, with *meaning*. Whatever story that was a fragment of, the story that thing is writing, I think it's a rejection of the meaninglessness of life, of the grind. And it's beautiful. It's such a beautiful story. That's what I remember most.

Dr. B.: You're the only one who has read an SCP-3XXX-2 instance and not been absorbed. Do you have any insight as to why it let you go?

Sara: I said please! Apparently that's all it takes! But really, I think it has some idea of only taking people who want to be taken, and it knew I didn't really want to go. When I first read it, I did want to join the story, to find some of that meaning. But standing there later… Sometimes I think if it hadn't come down to that, with all the blood and the fire… sometimes I think I should have just let it take me.

Dr. B.: Thank you Sara, that will be all for today.

Sara shows signs of sympathizing with what she believes to be SCP-3XXX's goals. I recommend simply amnesticizing and releasing her as usual, rather than including her in the program as she requests. -Dr B.

Overruled. She has skills we're short on, and honestly, if our system wasn't equipped to handle slight sympathy for anomalies, it would have collapsed long ago. -Dr. S.

Sara has training in analyzing narrative (Master's degree in English). During the interview process, she elected to join the Foundation rather than be amnesticized. Sara is now serving as a member of the class-E personnel.