SCP Sandbox Wiki I

MRI image of SCP-086-█

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-086 specimens are to be kept under observation at Bio-Research Area-12. Containment cells are to be lined with a minimum of ██ cm of a high-magnetic-permeability alloy of no less than █00 kN/A², and shielded against radio transmissions of up to ███ kW in the █-██ MHz range. Specimens are to be manually fed two (2) times daily by D-class personnel, using processed food rich in complex carbohydrates.

All testing of exposure to SCP-086 is to be carried out using D-class personnel only. Termination of D-class personnel may be suspended for the duration of long-term studies. Maximum number of congregants at any one time is limited to ten (10). All personnel exposed to SCP-086 must be quarantined from unexposed personnel at all times. Communication between exposed and unexposed personnel is to be strictly curtailed except for testing purposes. All communication from exposed personnel, verbal or otherwise, is to be logged. All radio transmissions from SCP-086 specimens are to be recorded and forwarded to Site-█ for cryptographic analysis. All personnel entering the containment area of SCP-086 are to wear specially designed helmets in order to negate magnetic effects.

Newly-located instances of SCP-086 are to be contained and transported to Area-12 by elements of MTF-Theta-12 ("Heretics"). Congregants found on-site are to be terminated unless specifically requested for capture and examination by Dr. ███████ following interrogation.

Description: All specimens of SCP-086, numbered SCP-086-1 through SCP-086-██, appear externally to be humanoid, ranging from 1.65 m to 3.12 m in height, and weighing between 35 kg and 72 kg. All SCP-086 specimens display elongated limbs and varying degrees of macrocephaly. Internally, most organs of SCP-086 are similar in form and assumed function to those of a standard human, with the exception of the nervous system. Sexual characteristics are not present¹ on any specimens.

Computerized tomography scans of the cranium of SCP-086 specimens reveal twin fluid sacs in place of the cerebral hemispheres. As a result, there is no conventional brain function, and all specimens appear to be in a persistent vegetative state. Suspended in the fluid sacs are dense matrices of metallic filaments, tentatively identified as [REDACTED], which is considered a potential room-temperature superconductor. Longer, less dense groups of these filaments are present in place of the peripheral nervous system.

Specimens have been observed to transmit radio waves on frequencies between █ and ██ MHz, and generate magnetic fields of up to █.█ Tesla. Magnetic field generation may be highly localized, targeting specific areas of the human brain in a manner similar to rapid trans-cranial magnetic stimulation. This effect becomes either useless or ineffective at a range of ██ meters. Subjects exposed to SCP-086 show evidence of increased and/or altered function of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and hippocampus, corresponding with decreased aggression, increased social integration, lowered incidence of high-risk behavior, a reported sense of disconnection from pre-exposure memories and negative personality traits, and/or hallucinations. Physical barriers have been created in order to negate this effect.

When brought into the presence of SCP-086, subjects typically appear to become docile, speaking in hushed tones and expressing a desire for quiet so they can "listen". After █ to ██ exposures, subjects begin to repeatedly request additional time in the presence of SCP-086, becoming increasingly uncooperative when denied to the point of psychotic break. Exposure to multiple instances shows no appreciable difference in results.

Once removed from the vicinity of SCP-086, subjects will demonstrate evidence of personality modification falling into one of two general categories, dependent on pre-exposure religious tendencies. Subjects with strong pre-existing religious beliefs will become withdrawn, interacting little with other personnel and expressing a desire to be "left alone to think about some things". Subjects with weak or nonexistent religious beliefs before exposure will begin speaking at length to any personnel present about a variety of religious topics. Subjects display improvements in diction and sentence composition of up to ██% compared to the subject's pre-exposure baseline, and a ███% increase in figurative and evocative usage. These missives vary in length, tone and philosophical complexity, but all will contain multiple symbolic references to SCP-086 and exhortations for the listener(s) to "understand". For the complete listing of 'sermons' delivered, see Document 086-21F4-G7.

All instances of SCP-086 show little to no physical variation and are fully consistent in all other manners. There is no adverse effect to placing or leaving instances near each other. Subjects, in this case, will remember sermons delivered by one of them.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

• I was thinking we should make the fact that they aren't gods more subtle, as in telling the reader purely through the sermons. You know, like subtext. Telling it flat out kinda detracts, IMO.
  • Changed a bit, because you're right on that. I don't think we should make the sermons identical, though. Everyone's going to react slightly differently, process the information in varying ways. It's a personal revelation, not an assembly-line one. Besides, if everyone gets the same set of sermons, then there's less room for the kind of misinterpretation which I think is key.
    • Methinks that they're preaching a bible, not speaking specifically to each individual. So it would make sense that they coincidentally use the same chapters once in a while.
      • I don't think it's a bible. That's too impersonal, too inflexible. Besides, I don't think their message is quite so easily transcribed. It's not a language thing - language is for us mud-dwellers.
        • Missionaries can't simply preach an idea. If they do, they'd at least have citations to use. Religions don't last fully orally long enough to send people down to a new… planet? Galaxy? Dimension?
          • It's only a religion from our perspective. From their POV it's just teaching us how to, for example, read. Also, "missionary" is perhaps too loaded of a term. A better one would be "hierophant".
            • Sure, if it works well like that, we can leave it.

• I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE NEED MAGNETS. You can use special helmets to block those, yes? Does that matter? Why do we need magnets specifically, because despite the realism it offers, memetics might work better.
  • Tactile sense, metaphorically speaking. These things reach out and touch you. Memetics are cool and all, but they don't tend to carry the same connotations of physical contact and direct, intentional manipulation. Making the effect memetic gives the impression of passivity, like the creatures are just living radios what make you crazy if you hear them. The magnets, well, they're as close to telepathy as we can get inside the bounds of known science (and I hate hand-waving telepathy), while still implying active conversation.
    • Sounds good. We might want to spell out the whole 'physical' aspect of it more so that people understand that it's there for a reason.
      • How? Somewhere in the sermons, talking about "touching" and "reaching out" and "healing"?
        • Yeah, or the interviews. Damn, these notes are getting long. :P
          • How many sermons, and how many interviews?
            • Enough to get the point across effectively. If it's too long, that's a problem. Let's try to keep it minimal, eh?