SCP-3242
Operative Disease Mouse
Special Containment Procedures
The subject should be contained in a rodent cage. Live rodents or similar-sized animals should be housed within the vicinity and are not to exceed forty in number.
Researchers are to call SCP-3242 "the subject" if mention of it is ever necessary.1
Assigned staff are allowed to leave the area unless the subject has vanished from containment. Should this occur, all staff working with the subject must be contacted and pass two of three required tests:
- A basic health evaluation.
- A psychological evaluation.
- Look into a mirror.
Description
The subject is an unknown organism restructured into a self-building program made for the assumed purpose of stealing information. This program has been made "real" by unknown methods, seeming to work on predefined logic rather than natural laws. The true appearance of the subject has been described as "less than grey" in the few verified observations available.
The logic by which the subject operates is thought to include the following:
- Infection can spread through media concerning or specifically mentioning the subject, if the contents of the media are retained in memory. Class-A Amnestics are the most effective way to reverse this.
- When the subject replaces an object or entity, everything, including biological processes and materials often described as data or code, is replaced. The matter that replaces it proves unattainable for testing.
The subject currently resembles Mus musculus or House mouse, of the BALB/c2 strain. Iterations can be identified by random, increasingly regular superficial changes in characteristics also specific to the species or "grouping" of the iteration appearance.
Addendum:
The anomaly was discovered in Brookfield Zoo on 6/15/2013. Risk to the public has been assumed self-negated as of 2/15/15, when the number of individuals affected by the anomaly reached fifty without the immediate loss of the subject from its containment.
The mass, weight, and physical capabilities of each iteration are determined by species and/or stereotyping. Individuals unaware of the subject are unable to be touched by the subject.3
The subject is also unable to interact with or touch powered technology. Attempts to take photographic evidence of the subject have also failed. As of May 2015, the subject has appeared as an outline in photographs. Each subsequent iteration has shown increased opacity in pictures.
Other abnormalities are noted:
- A process similar to capillary action occurs when dermal areas are removed. The effectiveness of this lessens with repetition and larger areas of removed dermis.
- Internal physical functions are reduced to muscle spasms; the lack of air flow explains the loss of the subjects' ability to speak. Conditions to observe the inner workings of the subject for longer than thirty seconds are difficult to accomplish.
- Ability of the subject to continue living without major parts. This includes the loss of the head. Complete and simultaneous removal has not been successful due to the fragile nature of the body.
- The effect on substitutes given after the above; objects of appropriate shape have been observed to gain the same random visual changes despite not actually functioning.
- The subject can be destroyed with slight deliberate force.
- Any part removed from the subject quickly dissipates.
Anything that the subject consumes is returned without any loss in mass. All materials consumed become their individual ingredients4that previously constituted the former, albeit with an unusual color and viscosity.
Visual anomalies within the area have been reported by staff since at least 1/1/15. Specific descriptions deviate slightly, but are otherwise consistent:
The subject may cause permanent code generation may occur on any blank storage device located within at least fifteen meters around the subject. How or why this happens is currently unknown. The devices are filled with random syntax abbreviated names for amino acids, repeated names of missing individuals, and known casualties in binary.
Exceptions to this are transcribed below and listed by the time of their realized corruption.
Contents of USB Drive-L: 9/16/14
Contents of USB Drive-S: 11/3/14
Contents of USB Drive-T: 11/8/14
Contents of Floppy Disk-Y: 4/7/15
Contents of Memory Card-Aa: 5/1/15
Contents of USB Drive-Ag: 1/28/18
Any unwanted behavior from the subject that is not a risk to containment should be ignored. To do otherwise has proven to only encourage the repetition of behavior.
Speaking about restricted information or previously assigned staff while within the vicinity of the subject may be considered grounds for reprimand or demotion, depending on the infraction.
Note: Those incapable of maintaining emotional and psychological detachment should be given amnestics and reassigned.
As of 2/17/15, visual hallucinations do not qualify unless consistent aggressive behavior can be proven. Work-related stress is also considered insufficient, unless elaborated upon with good reasoning.
Update:
Speaking, writing, or otherwise spreading anything about the subject, visual hallucinations, or any related information to any unaffiliated parties at any location or time outside of prespecified exceptions will result in the termination of all specifically involved in the infraction. Individuals, regardless of clearance level, that are given amnestics following the reading of this document or any variations thereof are not applicable to this unless they are found to have regained memory and violated the agreement.
This is applicable to all assigned, regardless of clearance level or reason of awareness.
The protocols defined in the containment procedures given to assigned staff, including those about the introduction of unaffiliated personnel to the area, are not optional.
If you're having a bad day, just stay home.
If you can't ignore them, file for reassignment.
Don't make stupid decisions.
Don't even think about it.
- Dr. Hester