SCP-1368
Aegides
Special Containment Procedures
An exact census of the SCP-1368 population is impossible to determine, but interviews with a singularly cooperative contained instance have led to a rough estimate of █████ instances still remaining uncontained. When an uncontained SCP-1368 instance is discovered, MTF-Phi-10 (AKA "Crawling In My Skin") is to be mobilized. All people found to be hosting instances of SCP-1368 are to be incapacitated by non-lethal means. The SCP-1368 instance is then to be made to leave its host by the application of open flame to the host's sternum. Once removed from its host, the SCP-1368 instance is to be temporarily contained in antibiotic-treated plastic and transported to the nearest Site equipped with 1368-Lerna containment methods.
Secured instances of SCP-1368 are to be folded by means of 1368-Lerna-33 containment machine1 to dimensions of 20 cm X 20 cm X 0.5 cm and contained in vacuum-sealed, opaque, shrink-wrapped plastic. Each bag is to be equipped with an RFID transmitter and a serial number. Contained instances are to be stored in 1368-Lerna-0102 cabinets in a darkened containment chamber which is to be sterilized of all biological contaminants and designed in all aspects for defense against gale-force winds. The containment chamber is to be heated to 50° C with panels of induction heating coils located in the floor and walls. The containment chamber is to be monitored by microphone and made accessible only to the automated processes of designated 1368-Lerna-33 units. Under no circumstance is any human or humanoid life form to have physical contact with an instance of SCP-1368.
Personnel attempting to access sites equipped with 1368-Lerna containment methods are to be checked for hosted instances of SCP-1368; if none are found, access is granted. In the event that Foundation personnel are transfigured by contact with an instance of SCP-1368, they are to be debriefed and then incinerated.
Description
SCP-1368 is the collective designation for a parasitic sapient species of humanoid beings composed of a thin hollow layer of contiguous epidermal human skin. In their natural state, SCP-1368 are off-white or beige, highly flexible, very strong, and somewhat elastic, similar in consistency and color to the shed skin of a snake. They are capable of locomoting in the same manner as a human, as well as slithering on the ground, undulating through water, or fluttering on air currents. Each instance has a long vertical seam on its front which extends from the lower lip to the groin. Their structure lacks eyes, a mouth, and a groin area, having holes in those locations instead. They have no form of nervous cephalization, instead possessing a neural net evenly distributed across their surface. They are generally unable to feel pain and do not need to breathe. When without a host, they speak with voices consistently characterized as "airy" and "whistly."
An instance of SCP-1368 parasitizes a human host by spreading open its seam, enveloping the host completely and laying over them like a second skin. They are capable of wriggling under the clothes of their host in order to gain total coverage. Once this is achieved, its seam seals shut and it becomes nearly perfectly transparent, only appearing slightly reflective on camera. SCP-1368 are capable of controlling the movements of their host to a fine degree, physically forcing their muscles from the outside. Cca. 84% of all instances recovered are skilled enough in this regard to control the cardiovascular systems and voices of their hosts, and cca. 5%3 of all instances recovered can control the ocular motions of their hosts. SCP-1368 use human hosts as means to their own ends, though an overall picture of their goals, if any exist, has yet to resolve. SCP-1368 have no specific preference for types of humans to use as hosts in any regard. What is known is that they actively attempt to resist and breach containment (refer to Incident Report 1368-1).
Although classified as parasitic due to the distinctly non-mutual nature of the relationship, instances of SCP-1368 do provide some minor benefits to their hosts. They provide protection from chemical irritants, as well as treatment of some acne, scabbing, and scarring that might otherwise afflict their hosts. Because of this, hosts may become sympathetic to the desires of SCP-1368 instances and agree to assist them.
SCP-1368 obtain sustenance from dust, which is primarily composed of dead skin. If currently hosted, they may feed directly on the dead skin being shed by their host in real time. They are capable of incorporating all of the dust they consume into their body mass, allowing them to heal from damage in a short period of time. SCP-1368 are vulnerable to high temperatures and are particularly repulsed by fire. An instance can only be completely destroyed by incineration; any and all remaining pieces with access to dust regenerate into duplicates of the original instance, albeit with diminished recollection of prior events. Instances are able to hide and remain dormant for months without being detected, usually posing as discarded clothing or paper. To date, significant populations (more than ███ instances each) of SCP-1368 have been detected in twelve cities in the American midwest; five cities in Greece; Calcutta and Mumbai, India; Florence and Milan, Italy; Istanbul, Turkey; and Tehran, Iran. Despite attempts to contain the populations in these locations, recurrences and complete restoration are not uncommon.
SCP-1368 possess a secondary ability in the form of control over local air currents. When in distress or separated from a host, they have been observed to siphon air through their bodies and expel it from their mouths to produce wind of speeds up to 12 kph. In larger groups they may produce wind of speeds over 100 kph.
SCP-1368 Interview Log 22
Interviewed: SCP-1368-0325
Interviewer: Dr. Binweir
Foreword: SCP-1368-0325 was abnormally cooperative during recovery and agreed to speak with Foundation personnel.
<Begin Log>
Dr. Binweir: SCP-1368-0325, you said that you had (reading from paper) "a then story now to tell us?"
SCP-1368-0325: Man, Foundation man. Now, there are thousands of us. Thousands and thousands. Then, there are a few.
Dr. Binweir: Yes?
(SCP-1368-0325 wipes a line of dust off of the table with its index finger. The dust is slowly absorbed.)
SCP-1368-0325: Hollow. We now are so hollow. Thousands of hollow man needing dust, delicious dust. You, solid man, you create delicious dust, we want to feed.
Dr. Binweir: Are you-
SCP-1368-0325: Can't hear them, but I feel them, feel now in the skin. █████ hollow man are hunting dust, hiding from you Foundation, hiding from the hunters. You solid Foundation man, those solid man out behind the glass, those solid man outside the outside who have knives and flames. We, now they, hide from you. Hear me feel them. I tell you. We then in my home place ███████ ███4, many of the disparaged, bad-mouthed "hollow man" (SCP-1368-0325 makes air quotes) arrive from an away place. Solid friends, my friends wary, friends have a groovy idea. Friends and I, we meet and greet an aegis5 — the hollow man name for hollow man. Takes many tries then, trying to change, but now we friends and I are safe. We then are a part of majority. Hollow man lifestyle is pleasant. Glad… glad glad happy. ███████ ███ then is hungry, now there is always plenty to eat. Happy hollow man, fulfilled and safe, man. But I now still think and know solid man rightness, solid man originality. Hollow man now, many disparage solid man, when they then are once solid man.
Dr. Binweir: Am I correct, then, in assuming that you were originally human?
SCP-1368-0325: Foundation man, you hit it on the nose, man. (SCP-1368-0325 raises hands cautiously) No skin off my nose, I now joke. Then you say there is dust, now where is it? Just need to live a little, Foundation man.
<End Log>
Closing Statement: SCP-1368-0325 was remanded to standard containment. Research into the cognitive processes and communicative abilities of SCP-1368 instances, as well as investigation into the described events in the town of ███████ ███, are underway.
Addendum: Making physical contact with the outer surface of an instance of SCP-1368 has a cca. 8% chance within a time frame of five days of causing the affected subject to shed all of their skin in one piece, which becomes another instance of SCP-1368, while the body of the subject dies. Hosts of SCP-1368 are not affected in this way. Transfigured subjects initially retain their former identities and personalities, but inevitably become indistinguishable from SCP-1368 instances. Following this discovery, the 1368-Lerna machines were designed to allow for successful containment without human contact with instances of SCP-1368.
Incident Report 1368-1 On █/██/20██, a containment breach was detected at Site-109, the location of SCP-1368 containment. Security teams were dispatched. Dr. █████ and Junior Researcher ████████ had silently loaded 58 SCP-1368 bags onto a dolly and were leaving Site-109 with them. Dr. █████ and Junior Researcher ████████ were apprehended and found to be unwilling hosts to two uncontained instances of SCP-1368. Containment was reimplemented. Dr. █████ explained that they had been accosted and controlled by the instances separately while away from work; this story was corroborated by Junior Researcher ████████. Security measures have been introduced at Site-109 to detect whether personnel are hosting instances of SCP-1368.