SCP-3400
Rorqual Infection
Two glass beakers containing SCP-3400
Special Containment Procedures
A division of Mobile Task Force Gamma-6 is to monitor the population of Omura's whales (Balaenoptera omurai) and all specimens found to expel SCP-3400 are to be terminated on sight. Any SCP-3400 expelled is to be collected and incinerated. Approximately 5 litres of SCP-3400 is kept on-site for experimental purposes. All personnel interacting with SCP-3400 must wear liquid-proof gloves and avoid direct skin contact with the substance at all times. Human subject testing is prohibited for the foreseeable future.
Any individuals found to have made direct skin contact with SCP-3400 are to be apprehended, examined to determine the severity of the infection, and then given amnestics. Upon release subjects are to be informed that they possess an as-of-yet unknown, rare brain condition. Subjects found to be severely infected by SCP-3400 are to be humanely terminated.
Description
SCP-3400 is an anomalous substance expelled through the blowhole of approximately 54.3% of wild Omura's whales (Balaenoptera omurai) within the Indian Ocean. The substance is highly luminous, light blue, and has a consistency similar to that of vegetable oils. The substance floats on water, and has not been found outside of the Indian Ocean.
When an individual makes direct skin contact with SCP-3400, instances of SCP-3400-1 are transferred. SCP-3400-1 instances are conscious entities which can only materialise within the mind of an individual exposed to SCP-3400. They materialise as rorquals, with two large dorsal fins, and only materialise in groups. SCP-3400-1 instances can freely move around within the consciousness and memories of an infected individual. In severe cases, SCP-3400-1 instances can be apparently hallucinated within the sight of an infected subject. The subject will only realise they have been infected the next time they enter an REM sleep state. The subject will experience a dream involving the pod, and from that point forward the SCP-3400-1 instances will have virtually full access to the mind of the individual. The pod will begin to insert itself into the subject's memories and take up a large portion of the individual's thoughts. It is possible for an infected individual to lead a relatively normal life after exposure, but in severe cases SCP-3400-1 instances will occupy most or all of the thoughts and memories of the individual, preventing normal activity.
Addendum: On ██/██/199█, a yacht pulled into a harbour near Perth, Australia. All of the inhabitants, who were still alive, were found to have been exposed to SCP-3400, in some individuals with high severity. The following is a journal found on the vessel belonging to Isaac ██████, 24 years old at the time of infection.
██/██/199█
Quiet on the lines today. Nothing really that interesting except a small dolphinfish. Not big enough to be eaten, so we just threw it back. Rick complained, of course. It was dark out, and Ethan called us out to the deck. There was this patch of glowing stuff on the water passing by our boat. He reached down and touched it, said it felt like slime. We all ended up running our hands through the stuff before our boat moved past. It was quite satisfying in my hands. We went to bed not long after that.
██/██/199█
Had kind of a freaky dream last night. I was on some kind of floating island, and there was this whale group floating around. They looked like normal whales, but they had two fins. The guys said they had a dream with the same whales. Must have been a shared dream, or something. Caught a pretty big grouper after a massive tussle with the thing, which was a pretty nice contrast to yesterday. We can't stop thinking about the dream, though.
██/██/199█
I wasn't thinking of the dream today. The whales from it lingered in my mind though. Just a flicker of the fins or the mouth in the back of my mind. It was another quiet day for fishing, but we got hounded by gulls all day. It was real annoying, rick got really pissed. As I'm writing this I can see the whales in the back of my mind. I don't like it.
██/██/199█
I'm not sure why, but the whales from my dream have been on my mind all day. I can't stop thinking about them. It's really starting to get on my nerves, it was hard to concentrate on fishing, so I caught nothing. We got virtually no catches today on the whole, everybody seemed really out of it. Lucky we have enough food already so we don't really need to catch anymore. They have two fins, it's strange. I think I remember them, too. Just a flicker of a memory, of them in a lake when I was young.
██/██/199█
could barely get up to write this today, so I pulled it into the bed. the whales are all I can think about apart from the need to eat and shit. rick has gone, he's not in his bed. will seems virtually normal, he told us rick went missing. i remember the whales so many times. they were outside the window when my dad died. they were in the sea that time i nearly drowned. they were in the sea. in the sea when we touched the glowing.
(No date written)
all I can remember are whales. two fins. in the sky, my first day of school. when i caught the grouper they were in the sea. this entire trip, i remember they've been everywhere. they were here when I was writing this journal. i remember seeing them a few seconds ago.
(No date written)
they're here right now in the room. flying, the two fins scraping the ceiling. they're floating over him across the room. no food. active man gone. the two fins.
Isaac ██████ was humanely terminated shortly after discovery.