SCP-758

Description

SCP-758 is a young Russian male, 1.9 meters tall, weighing roughly 110 kg. Full name Vasili ████ ██████████, found in ██████, Russia in 19██. The subject was diagnosed as an extremely low functioning autistic at the age of four.

While it is only speculation, some members of the staff believe that the symptoms which caused SCP-758 to be diagnosed with autism are a coping mechanism that has been developed in response to his ability. At present, researchers have been unable to ascertain whether or not he actually has autism or if this is the case.

Addendum: 758-1

Development

Records taken from the notes of Dr. ████ █ ██████, the subject's speech and behavioral therapist prior to coming to the Foundation.

Two years after his diagnosis, SCP-758 began displaying his ability to recognize and correct errors in the technical aspects of linguistics. At the age of six, SCP-758 began correcting mistakes in the newspaper his parents read. The corrections included mistakes in grammar, punctuation, spelling and syntax. During the following weeks, SCP-758 was given increasingly advanced material, including magazines, essays written for the classes the subject's mother taught, and eventually graduate level college text books and encyclopedia volumes.

Upon learning of what they believed to be a savant talent, SCP-758's Dr. ██████ advised limiting the subject to a single language so as not to over-stimulate him. At the age of ██, the subject found a pamphlet written in Mandarin on the ground outside a store. SCP-758 picked it up and after staring at the page for a few moments, began correcting the pamphlet in the same manner as he had done with the previous materials. Dr. ██████ began giving him materials in every language they could find.

Discovery

Agent ██████, while on psych leave (see Med 861379), overheard SCP-758's parents discussing his talents and reported what he heard to the Foundation immediately. Upon performing a CT scan and an MRI, it was discovered by Dr. Bright and Dr. English that the language center of the subject's brain was non-existent. This led to the conclusion that the subject was an SCP, as he should not be capable of any amount of linguistic processing, much less to the degree his ability allowed him. SCP-758 was immediately brought to Site ██ for study where he remains in containment. See Research Log 758 for records of progress.

-Dr. English

Addendum: 758-2 Effective immediately, SCP-758 is being reclassified as Safe and his containment procedures are being changed accordingly. He does not understand the Foundation's number designation system, so any personnel speaking to him directly should address him as Vasili if they wish to receive any kind of response. - Dr. English

Addendum: 758-3 It has been determined that SCP-758 is speaking truthfully when he claims that he does not understand the languages he is reading. As such, any personnel wishing to utilize SCP-758's ability for proofreading official documents may submit a request to Dr. Bright for access to the subject before or after his scheduled study sessions with Dr. English and Dr. Sarlin. -O5-█
Note: Yes, there is academic speculation about whether or not current translations of religious texts match the original messages of the same text. No, SCP-758 will not be used to find out. It just doesn't matter that much to us, so stop asking. - O5-█

Research Log 758

█ / █ / 19██ - It has now been three (3) weeks since I was assigned to research SCP-758's ability. To date no progress has been made as the subject is either unwilling or unable to interact with my staff. - Dr. English

█ / ██ / 19██ - We have begun leaving texts in SCP-758's quarters in hopes he will happen upon them in his own time, rather than attempting to coerce him. - Dr. Sarlin

██ / ██ /19██ - SCP-758 has begun making corrections to the texts we leave in his quarters and is also beginning to show some signs of recognition and trust towards Dr. Sarlin and myself. This is currently the limitation of his interaction. Thus far we have only provided the subject with modern terrestrial languages. - Dr. English

█ / █ / 19██ - Yesterday the subject was provided computer coding for the first time. Not sure of his abilities with a computer, the coding was printed on normal paper. The Subject simply stared at it with a confused look on his face. Today he was placed at a computer terminal with the same code on screen and after a few moments he began correcting errors in the code. - Dr. English

█ / ██ / 19██ - Today tests with dead languages and languages suspected to be of extra-terrestrial or extra-dimensional origin began. SCPs with knowledge of such languages, including SCP-███ and SCP-███ were asked to provide us with two samples of each language for comparison, one that was, to their knowledge, properly written and one that had a number of technical errors with a varied spectrum of subtlety. All SCPs complied with our request without resistance. SCP-758's ability once again proved effective. - Dr. Sarlin

██ / ██ / 19██ - Today the idea was brought up that SCP-758's ability may extend to math, since it technically can be considered a language. The subject was presented with basic algebra proofs, at which point he spoke for the first time since coming to the facility, informing us that math isn't really a language. - Dr. English

██ / █ / 20██ - Since SCP-758 began speaking to Dr. English and I, we have learned that when he looks at text, the only language he can actually read is his native Russian. All other languages he simply recognizes the errors that exist and how they should be corrected. - Dr. Sarlin

█ / █ / 20██ - Today it was discovered, by accident, that SCP-758's ability is not restricted to written language. As the subject passed two guards, he overheard them speaking French and, despite having no knowledge of the French language, corrected one of the guards on the way he constructed a sentence. Further testing will be required in this area. - Dr. English

██ / █ / 20██ - After more in depth study, it has been found that when applying his ability to spoken language, SCP-758 is capable of correcting dialect, accent and pronunciation in addition to the technical aspects of written language he can correct. When asked to read a written language aloud, he has proven fully capable of speaking the words but states he still does not understand them. - Dr. English

█ / ██ / 20██ - SCP-758 has shown an ability to essentially "translate across time." That is to say, his ability has an understanding of the concept of a living language and he has proven himself capable of changing a text written in a given time period and change any colloquialisms and evolved words to provide a "translated" copy that results in the same message as the original text. In cases where he has attempted this with dead languages, he fully translated the text into the nearest living language from the time period he was asked to change it to. While he can update texts to later generations of a language, it seems that he is not able to revert texts to older generations of a language. - Dr. English

██ / █ / 20██ - SCP-758 has shown himself able to produce the proper pronunciation of written words upon request. To date, Dr. Sarlin and I have learned to fluently speak multiple dead languages with assistance from SCP-758.