SCP-2139

Description

SCP-2139 is the provisional designation for a potentially anomalous psychological phenomenon which occurred at Foundation Site-35, located 53km North of Alexandria, Louisiana. The effect is theorised to be generated by an anomalous object or objects.

Based on the evidence available, SCP-2139 is believed to greatly increase the credulity and suggestibility of persons affected by the anomaly. Affected persons do not have insight into their condition. Initial testing of former Site-35 personnel indicates that the psychological effect is anomalous, and fades over a period of one month after exposure to SCP-2139 ceases. Further research will be required to confirm that SCP-2139 behaviours are not the result of ordinary crowd psychology effects.

Formal testing of SCP-2139 itself has not been possible, as the entirety of Site-35 appears to have been affected by the anomaly before the existence of SCP-2139 was confirmed. This has also prevented the identification of the object or objects purportedly giving rise to the anomalous effect.

Addendum 2139/1 - Site-35 Daily Briefings

Below are relevant extracts from Site-35's scheduled daily briefings to US central command. On 17 January 2016, Command noted that Site-35 had a higher rate of research proposals than usual, and queried the reason for this increase.

18 January 2016

We have discussed the growth of research proposals with the heads of department, and their reports indicate that researchers are generating more ideas than usual to explain the anomalies secured on site. At this stage our working hypothesis is that there is some form of interaction between the anomalies on-site that is causing a positive feedback loop and making their properties more readily ascertainable.

19 January 2016

You're correct, of course, that any anomalous interaction would have shown up before now - we have discarded that possibility. We are now wondering whether the effect is the result of a new anomaly, yet to be classified.

Testing across the site with Kant-counters has shown no unexpected readings, which we interpret as evidence that this new anomaly must have a side-effect of disabling Foundation technology. That would also explain why none of the Scranton Reality Gauge Alarms were triggered.

Noting that this could be a more serious situation than originally anticipated, we have cancelled all non-essential staff leave as a precaution.

20 January 2016

Alternatively, the anomalous effect could simply be to enhance creativity and generate more research proposals in that manner. A behavioural influence, rather than an effect on reality, would explain why the anomaly doesn't give rise to abnormal Hume readings.

Dr. Carter has raised the point that, if the anomaly is focused so narrowly on assisting the development of original thought, it is unlikely to have arisen naturally. The question is: who would have the ability and incentive to construct such an anomaly, and for what purpose?

21 January 2016

On reflection, we agree with you that the anomaly appears to affect credulity, rather than creativity. Our previous theories have been discarded, and we have initiated a site-wide lockdown. We are looking into potential sources of the anomalous effects, based on when symptoms first became evident.

22 January 2016

Investigations have uncovered the following potential sources of the anomaly:

• Uncommonly mild winter weather through January 2016, potentially indicating a meteorological phenomenon
• Extended D-Class testing of SCP-1011 during November 2015
• Change of Site-35 supplier of cardboard boxes on 1 December 2015
• 15 August 2015 - further amendments to SUSEOCT (Southern United States Extranormal Organization Cooperation Treaty) on behalf of the Foundation and representatives of UIU and Marshall, Carter and Dark LLP
• Third anniversary of the death of former Region 352 Director John O'June in January 2016
• Unscheduled visit on 4 January 2016 by Site Director Aktus, Site-81

We will advise further as our hypotheses develop.

23 January 2016

Numerological combinatorics to assess congruence between January temperatures and significant dates in Director O'June's life has so far yielded few results. At Dr. Yu's suggestion, we will incorporate the section numbers of SUSEOCT amendments into our next iteration.

Separately, cross-checking of Foundation containment files to which we have access has turned up several possibilities which we think Command should investigate further. SCP-2366 and SCP-2604 are both mind-affecting anomalies stemming from otherwise-ordinary wood and wood-derived products. Both are deliberately manufactured, and would fit with our working theory of an intentionally designed anomaly. They could also easily evade standard detection - when everyone is looking at the trees, the wood is the one thing on Earth no-one has their eyes on. There could be other similar anomalies out there, hidden in plain sight.

We hereby request delivery of samples of SCP-2366 and SCP-2604 to Site-35 for comparative analysis with our supplies of cardboard boxes.

24 January 2016

The Site-35 management committee, having debated at length, are agreed that cardboard boxes are the most likely source of the anomaly. All site resources have now been devoted to this investigation - we look forward to your response to our requisition request.

Senior Researcher Michaels has noted that the new supplier for the boxes was "Apollo Office Supplies Inc.". Could this company be related to the Order of the Hyacinth, responsible for the death of Director O'June? According to Greek myth, Hyacinth was a lover of the god Apollo, suggesting a connection. The infestation of Louisiana by water hyacinth is well-known, and several staff have since corroborated reports of increased growth of the plant in bodies of water near the site. Water hyacinth is also known as the Terror of Bengal. Please advise.

25 January 2016

Please respond to our previous requests. The general staff population are very concerned about the Order of the Hyacinth plot to destabilise Site-35, and silence from Command will encourage further talk of complicity in this scheme by Foundation personnel outside the site.

We have discovered that the change of cardboard box supplier was confirmed by one "Declan Hall". No person of that name is on the current Site-35 staff list, and we have been unable to discover any such person on the Foundation database. Presuming that the HR records have not been redacted by co-conspirators in RAISA, this appears to have been a fake name, suggesting an inside job.

As the Order of the Hyacinth is a Catholic sedevacantist sect, we have taken the precaution of confining all known Catholic staff in the D-Class barracks.

26 January 2016

We continue to generate theories as to the source of the anomaly. Our previous cardboard box theory has been supplanted by new analysis suggesting that the anomaly could be caused by a single object with a large area of effect, or by a liquid or gas that is able to move around the site undetected.

We accept that the detention of certain staff members may have been disproportionate, and they have been released. Indeed, we now consider that the anomaly may have been deliberately made to look like the work of a Catholic sect in order to frame innocent staff, and that the real perpetrators of this conspiracy have been manipulating the situation throughout.

Could you please share with us information about the movements of Director Aktus between June 2015 and today. Certain staff have raised concerns that his visit may not have been as unscheduled as it originally appeared. Further data is required in order to ascertain the full extent of his involvement.

27 January 2016

Negative, Command: we strongly advise against shutting down Site-35. Our investigations into the anomaly continue to generate new leads, in a number of different directions, which should be pursued to the fullest extent by the site community. We recognise that we are under the influence of the anomaly, but we do not understand why you have dismissed our contention that it was deliberately engineered as a threat to the Foundation. Surely the anomaly's effect puts us in the best position to develop theories as to its source?

The removal of personnel or objects risks the loss of containment of the anomaly within site walls, before it is formally identified. Taking objects off-site, or worse, to other Foundation sites, risks cross-contamination of anomalous properties and could cause a cascade effect, with further sites compromised by the anomaly. This could be exactly what the anomaly's creators want.

We are very concerned with Command's attitude to our advice and updates. We have noted your refusal (or inability?) to provide us with details of Director Aktus' movements, and thus the suppression of our quest for the truth. Please be advised that, as of this time, we will consider any Foundation approach to the site as evidence of collusion with the person or group behind this anomaly, and will respond with force.

On 28 January 2016, MTF Epsilon-11 ("Nine-Tailed Fox") was deployed to establish control over Site-35. [REDACTED]. The site was eventually subdued with no further casualties and all personnel and affected MTF members removed to Site-73 for quarantine.