SCP-2271

Description

SCP-2271 is a poorly understood phenomenon currently affecting small populations in the American midwest. SCP-2271 manifests directly as a plain white envelope containing a letter detailing collections on a student loan account. While the envelope and letter are themselves non-anomalous, the manner in which they are delivered are, and as such they have been jointly classified as SCP-2271-1.

SCP-2271 takes effect on an individual in three distinct steps, each categorized by a regression of the subject's mental state, as well as aggression on the part of entities classified as SCP-2271-2 instances. The steps are as follows.

Phase 1: Initial Exposure

Subject receives a personalized version of SCP-2271-1. Typically this occurs through regular postage routinely received by the subject, although this can take place through a variety of different avenues. SCP-2271-1 instances have been found slid under doorways, inside of locked rooms, within articles of clothing, and in one case, within the excrement of a prisoner in solitary confinement.

All instances of SCP-2271-1 refer to a "Factory Financial Management" group, and provides phone numbers and addresses used to contact the company. To date, none of these numbers or addresses have shown any indication of being affiliated with the company in question, or any group whatsoever, but if used to mail a package or make a phone call, will result in some kind of communication with the company. Packages do not require a mail carrier; applying an address label of some kind will result in the parcel disappearing shortly afterwards.

The individual receiving the instance of SCP-2271-1 does not need to open the envelope or read the letter to be affected. As soon as they receive SCP-2271-1, they become an instance of SCP-2271-A.

Phase 2: Payment of Debt

In 100% of all reported cases, the letter within SCP-2271-1 will demand payment of a monetary amount that absolutely cannot be repaid, even if the subject had access to the total amount of all of Earth's liquid assets.

During the second phase, SCP-2271-A subjects universally become extremely agitated and obsessed with the repayment of the amount owed. Subjects will begin to sell all of their personal belongings and assets, and attempt to mail the collected cash to an address listed on their letter, or call the company and make a credit transaction. Attempting to hinder SCP-2271-A subjects from making these payments will often lead to violent outbursts by the subject. Subjects will aggressively maintain that they must meet an impossible repayment schedule, or face consequences from the collection agency.

During this phase, SCP-2271-A instances will begin to claim that they can see unclear, humanoid entities on the edge of their vision, which are "fast-moving" and "clouded in thick smoke". No other distinguishing characteristics have been reported. These entities have been classified as SCP-2271-2.

Phase 3: Liquidation of Assets

During the final phase of affliction, SCP-2271-A will begin to dramatically sell off the remainder of their perceived belongings in order to pay off their debt. During this and the previous phases, SCP-2271-A instances will receive additional instances of SCP-2271-1 as updates to the status of their debt repayment. In no reported cases has the amount owed ever decreased.

SCP-2271-A instances have been observed shipping the remainder of their material possessions, the possessions of those around them, their teeth, hair, excrement, blood (and other bodily fluids), pets, children/spouse/close relatives¹, and finally, with no other alternatives, the remainder of their own body. This behaviour will continue until the subject expires, or is no longer capable of making payments, after which they will disappear (after the second missed payment).

Foundation personnel collecting the remains of SCP-2271-A/34's eldest son.

SCP-2271-A subjects who are restrained from making payments will claim that the instances of SCP-2271-2 that had previously existed only on the edges of their vision will become more prominent and threatening, and begin to repossess items themselves. These claims are corroborated by observation of the subject and the belongings in question, which will begin to disappear if the subject does not personally make payments. SCP-2271-2 instances have not been photographed, but thermal surveillance has ascertained that there is always a significant drop in local temperature whenever SCP-2271-A subjects claim SCP-2271-2 instances are near, often as much as 25° C.

SCP-2271-A subjects are universally in a state of constant fear regarding SCP-2271-2 instances, and will show immense hesitation to avoid any stimuli that they relate to SCP-2271-2, including the sound of metal on metal, fire, strong wind, and the smell of burning rubber and petrol.

Addendum 2271/1: Discovery

The SCP-2271 phenomenon was first discovered in the town of ██████████, Nebraska, after local law enforcement ceased responding to attempts at communication by all outside groups. Foundation agents were mobilized to the town where they discovered that, despite signs of particularly graphic violence and struggle, the entire population had disappeared. The first instance of SCP-2271-1 was discovered during this investigation, albeit unknowingly, by the late Agent Sandra McCoy, during the sweep of an abandoned home in the area.

Two days later, another report surfaced of a family of fanatics in nearby ████, Nebraska, who had sold all of their possessions and then violently attacked their elderly neighbors. Foundation personnel arrived on the scene and managed to apprehend the subjects. It was during this initial investigation that SCP-2271-1 and -2 were originally classified.

However, during Foundation occupation of ████, several other members of the primary containment team became affected by SCP-2271, as well as a large number of townspeople. The situation soon become unmanageable, and all unaffected personnel were ordered to move back to a 5km perimeter and wait for further instruction. The situation resolved after two weeks, when all affected personnel had either disappeared, expired, or become too incapacitated to continue making payments. The remaining inhabitants of ████ were amnesticized and held for observation, then transported to Spain with different identities. The town itself was demolished, as was ██████████.

Incident Report 01/03/2014

Received at Site-01 on 01/03/2014 at 0315 EST.

On the third of January, 2014, Overwatch Command received a distress call from Site-91, the previous holding facility of all individuals contained in relation to SCP-2271. After the initial call, Site-91 staff did not respond for an additional eight hours, during which MTF Alpha-1 "Red Right Hand" was mobilized. Due to the remote location of Site-91, MTF A-1 was not able to reach Site-91 before it suddenly detonated its on-site nuclear device.

In the wake of this event, it was discovered that Site-91 had sent one additional message, timestamped only two minutes before the detonation of the on-site nuclear device. The message, a single scanned image, was sent with no additional explanation.

Investigation into this incident is still ongoing.