SCP-2708

Description

SCP-2708 is the designation for a phenomenon currently thought to be a Class-II cognitohazard, with both visual and tactile elements. SCP-2708 has thus far been shown to have the potential to affect all human subjects who possess functioning knowledge of cognitohazard sciences and are capable of romantic and/or sexual attraction.³ SCP-2708 appears to spread its visually cognitohazardous effects to documents and text created by those it affects, but this effect is secondary in that the transferred visual cognitohazards do not have the same mental effects on observers as hazards such as Figure A have.

It is unknown what triggers the appearance of SCP-2708 in an environment, though it is speculated that one of the main means may be the viewing of an infohazardous version of Figure A (see addendum). Figure A's origin is unknown, but sources indicate it may have been originally created by [REDACTED] (see addendum).

Those affected by SCP-2708 have, in all 45 documented cases, met these behavior criteria:

• The subject will, at the onset of manifestation and onward, report increased libido and lethargy.
• The subject will not show any awareness of the presence of cognitohazardous stimuli, even with a history of extensive training designed to increase awareness.
• The subject will become hostile (though not to a degree that would constitute classification of SCP-2708 as mind-affecting beyond its default cognitohazardous nature) if questioned about such topics as romantic or sexual relationships, their personal history with such topics, or similar subject matter.
• The subject will develop signs of general paranoia, as well as nervousness, insomnia, abnormal sensitivity to light, and hand tremors.

After 3-6 days of being under the influence of SCP-2708 without intervention, subjects will claim to be fully capable of interaction with a perceived entity, SCP-2708-A, and perceive said entity as a romantic and/or sexual partner.⁴ Subjects affected claim to be capable of full interaction with it as if it were a human partner, up to and including realistic perception of facial feature details and general appearance, realistic perception of physical stimulation, and, in one case, even a perceived full-term pregnancy. Some subjects claim that SCP-2708-A is not able to speak; however, other subjects have claimed that SCP-2708-A can speak, but is simply not audible during conversation.⁵

Continued perception of SCP-2708-A can be negated with the administration of Class-D amnestics to the subject; however, evidence suggests the subject will still possess some knowledge of their interactions with SCP-2708-A despite amnesticization. Out of the five subjects successfully amnesticized following prolonged (two months or more) interaction with SCP-2708-A, all five recalled and spoke of an entity with which they had relations; however, contrary to tests run during the time affected by SCP-2708, SCP-2708-A was not recalled as a human being but rather a nondescript entity having no clear physical form.⁶

Testing with D-class personnel has been halted as of 11/10/16 due to inconclusive results. Even when presented with Figure A for a long period of time, D-class subjects did not develop any signs of influence beyond mild confusion, paranoia, and increased libido; no subjects out of 25 D-class tested perceived or interacted with SCP-2708-A at any point ranging from two days to four months after exposure, leading researchers to believe that there may be an additional, as-of-yet-unidentified triggering factor in the full manifestation of SCP-2708's effects beyond simply exposure to Figure A.

Addendum: Warning. This section contains a known Class I cognitohazard. This image should not be directly viewed for longer than 10 seconds at a time.

Figure A (main cognitohazards censored) Do not view this image directly for more than 10 seconds at a time. If any changes in the image's layout are observed, immediately alert the Site-81 Cognitohazards & Infohazards Department.

Although the supposed original case of an SCP-2708 manifestation is impossible to track, the aforementioned Figure A - a Class-I visual cognitohazard first located in the break room of Site-██ with no discernible source other than a paragraph of text and the lyrics to The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" written on the back - is suspected to be the cause of the first SCP-2708 case.

Transcription of text attached to the original copy of Figure A:

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

Many people are under the impression that art and feeling are mutually exclusive. That art is for a canvas, or your ears, or your skin, but never sensation. This is one of artistic expression's most limiting factors - this painful aspect of the human condition - and sensual limitation is a barrier we as humans must break through in order to comprehend what it means to be sapient and capable of true feeling.

Art is interpreted through perception, but sometimes we as artists cannot afford the cost of subjective interpretation, and we must make the necessary changes to the piece to negate that cost. Usually the observer does not notice the difference, but in rare cases we'll see someone pick up on it, and at that point we have to become a little more adamant in our presentation. It's for the best, for the soul's sake.

Art is for the soul, and what better way into the soul than through the body and mind? There is no purer expression of art than that which we express with our bodies and our touch and our love, and if you in your cold world will not process artistic expression with each other by will - if you will continue to refuse, by will or otherwise, to allow love and feeling into your lives - then we will help you to express it with yourself, little by little piece.

All you need to do is let it all in. You're waiting; we're waiting. Tell us, are we cool yet?