WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

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A man wakes up with a start.

00:00:01.800 --> 00:00:03.669
Did something just bite him?

00:00:03.669 --> 00:00:06.020
He looks down at his hand.

00:00:06.020 --> 00:00:07.310
Something definitely bit him.

00:00:07.310 --> 00:00:10.559
He can see the red welt already forming.

00:00:10.559 --> 00:00:13.630
He looks around for the culprit but can’t
find it anywhere.

00:00:13.630 --> 00:00:18.100
He really hopes he doesn’t have bed bugs,
that’s the last thing he needs right now.

00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:23.060
He’ll have to keep his eyes open for potential
pests, he doesn’t want this to happen again,

00:00:23.060 --> 00:00:26.950
since the spot is already starting to itch
and feel uncomfortable.

00:00:26.950 --> 00:00:30.429
A couple days pass though with no signs of
other bugs.

00:00:30.429 --> 00:00:34.620
It must have just been a random insect that
came inside his house to escape the winter

00:00:34.620 --> 00:00:35.870
cold.

00:00:35.870 --> 00:00:40.410
The spot on his hand felt a little rough for
a day or two, but now he’s pretty much forgotten

00:00:40.410 --> 00:00:41.840
all about it.

00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:46.770
Now what he really needs is some coffee before
sitting down to another coding session

00:00:46.770 --> 00:00:50.581
The man is in his kitchen trying to make a
fresh pot of coffee, but finds he’s having

00:00:50.581 --> 00:00:51.581
a hard time.

00:00:51.581 --> 00:00:54.940
He’s not so much making coffee as he is
making a mess.

00:00:54.940 --> 00:00:59.510
He knocks his favorite mug onto the ground,
breaking it, and decides that maybe he doesn’t

00:00:59.510 --> 00:01:01.850
need coffee after all.

00:01:01.850 --> 00:01:06.330
A couple of nights later, as the man is watching
TV, he starts to cough.

00:01:06.330 --> 00:01:09.710
Just a little at first, but then more and
more.

00:01:09.710 --> 00:01:13.479
The coughing fits get longer and deeper too,
like they are coming from the very bottom

00:01:13.479 --> 00:01:14.600
of his lungs.

00:01:14.600 --> 00:01:17.070
He hopes he isn’t coming down with something.

00:01:17.070 --> 00:01:20.280
He hasn’t left the house in days, so how
could he have?

00:01:20.280 --> 00:01:21.690
Can bugs transfer colds?

00:01:21.690 --> 00:01:23.900
He’ll have to look it up later.

00:01:23.900 --> 00:01:28.439
For now, he needs to do something about this
cough, he won’t be able to sleep if it keeps

00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:29.439
up.

00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:31.340
He needs to go get some medicine.

00:01:31.340 --> 00:01:33.520
The man gets bundled up and heads out.

00:01:33.520 --> 00:01:37.229
It’s lightly snowing as he walks to the
pharmacy and he can’t help but admire the

00:01:37.229 --> 00:01:42.730
way the moon hangs in the sky, a beautiful
beacon of light on this dark winter evening.

00:01:42.730 --> 00:01:47.160
Inside the pharmacy, he finds the cold medicine
section and picks out a cough suppressant.

00:01:47.160 --> 00:01:50.460
He takes it to the counter and decides to
get a few candy bars too.

00:01:50.460 --> 00:01:53.990
He’s developed a real sweet tooth these
last few days.

00:01:53.990 --> 00:01:58.860
The man starts to cough again, it’s a good
thing he’s getting this medicine.

00:01:58.860 --> 00:02:02.260
Several more days pass and the man isn’t
feeling any better.

00:02:02.260 --> 00:02:04.070
This cough just won’t go away.

00:02:04.070 --> 00:02:07.870
He decides it’s finally time to go see a
doctor.

00:02:07.870 --> 00:02:11.660
As he sits in the doctor’s office waiting
room, he does his best to hold in his coughs,

00:02:11.660 --> 00:02:13.800
but he has a very hard time.

00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:16.849
The woman on the other side of the room is
coughing too.

00:02:16.849 --> 00:02:20.510
Strangely it actually makes him feel a little
better, there must just be something going

00:02:20.510 --> 00:02:21.510
around.

00:02:21.510 --> 00:02:27.050
A nurse comes into the waiting room and calls
his name, the doctor is ready for him.

00:02:27.050 --> 00:02:30.599
The man is sitting on the bed in the examination
room when the doctor enters.

00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:34.849
He’s looking over his medical records and
doesn’t even look up from his clipboard.

00:02:34.849 --> 00:02:39.019
He tells the man to take off his shirt so
that he can be examined, and the man obliges.

00:02:39.019 --> 00:02:42.520
“Okay, let’s see what the trouble is”
the doctor says.

00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:48.770
He finally looks up at the man… and screams.

00:02:48.770 --> 00:02:53.260
It didn’t take long for the SCP Foundation
to hear the reports of people’s limbs metamorphosing

00:02:53.260 --> 00:02:57.790
into insectoid appendages, and they knew immediately
what they were dealing with.

00:02:57.790 --> 00:03:04.209
This was another outbreak of the parasitic
limb transforming insect known as SCP-150.

00:03:04.209 --> 00:03:10.280
SCP-150 is an obligate parasite, meaning that
it requires a host for the completion of its

00:03:10.280 --> 00:03:12.120
reproductive life cycle.

00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:16.970
It bears a visual appearance similar to that
of Cymothoa exigua, another parasite that

00:03:16.970 --> 00:03:22.720
eats the tongue of a particular type of fish
before replacing the tongue with its own body.

00:03:22.720 --> 00:03:28.480
SCP-150 engages in similar behavior, though
it appears to exclusively affect humans.

00:03:28.480 --> 00:03:33.519
When a human comes in contact with the small,
bug-like organism, it will embed itself under

00:03:33.519 --> 00:03:35.530
its new host’s skin.

00:03:35.530 --> 00:03:41.459
Next, over the course of roughly seven days,
SCP-150 will burrow deep into the host’s

00:03:41.459 --> 00:03:45.760
flesh and begin to cause numerous physiological
changes to them.

00:03:45.760 --> 00:03:51.439
First and most prominently, SCP-150 will begin
a gradual process of altering the limb that

00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:54.450
is nearest the original infection site.

00:03:54.450 --> 00:03:59.939
As SCP-150 burrows deeper and consumes the
flesh, it excretes a substance that has the

00:03:59.939 --> 00:04:04.200
effect of replacing the missing sections of
the limb with a hard, chitinous material that

00:04:04.200 --> 00:04:06.740
resembles one of its own appendages.

00:04:06.740 --> 00:04:11.030
Beneath the chitin, the excreted substance
forms a rudimentary nervous system that gives

00:04:11.030 --> 00:04:15.030
the host the ability to control the new limb
as if it were their own.

00:04:15.030 --> 00:04:21.900
As it feeds, SCP-150 also secretes several
chemicals that contain anesthetic, immunosuppressant,

00:04:21.900 --> 00:04:26.520
and transplant rejecting properties that keep
the host’s body from responding to the changes,

00:04:26.520 --> 00:04:28.330
or even reacting at all.

00:04:28.330 --> 00:04:33.100
In fact, the host will often report that their
new limb is completely normal, and feels stronger

00:04:33.100 --> 00:04:36.060
and more resilient after the transformation.

00:04:36.060 --> 00:04:42.220
SCP-150 will continue to feed for approximately
one to two weeks, and as it feeds on the nutrients

00:04:42.220 --> 00:04:46.590
within its host’s body it will begin to
reproduce, creating eggs that it deposits

00:04:46.590 --> 00:04:48.970
directly into the bloodstream.

00:04:48.970 --> 00:04:53.500
While the majority of these eggs will die
off, enough usually survive to begin colonizing

00:04:53.500 --> 00:04:58.210
other parts of the host’s body, where they
will hatch and repeat the process of feeding,

00:04:58.210 --> 00:05:00.690
reproducing, and spreading more eggs.

00:05:00.690 --> 00:05:04.970
It is theorized that it is capable of reproducing
on its own, meaning that a single instance

00:05:04.970 --> 00:05:10.650
of SCP-150 is all it takes to create a new
colony.

00:05:10.650 --> 00:05:15.820
Humans infected with SCP-150 will sometimes
report slight discomfort and issues with their

00:05:15.820 --> 00:05:20.040
fine motor skills during this period, but
will usually not express any knowledge of

00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:22.419
what might be causing this.

00:05:22.419 --> 00:05:28.400
Eventually SCP-150 eggs will reach the host’s
lungs where the process of assimilating continues,

00:05:28.400 --> 00:05:31.130
this time replacing the lungs themselves.

00:05:31.130 --> 00:05:35.720
During this process more eggs will be produced,
laid, and then spread out of the body by the

00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:37.400
host’s coughing.

00:05:37.400 --> 00:05:42.580
As many as 10,000 eggs will be produced during
this period, approximately 1% of which will

00:05:42.580 --> 00:05:47.650
survive being expelled, find another host,
and implant themselves.

00:05:47.650 --> 00:05:51.819
The assimilation process then spreads to the
central nervous system including the spinal

00:05:51.819 --> 00:05:56.639
cord and brain, but strangely, the host will
show no signs that their consciousness or

00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:59.090
behavior have been affected in any way.

00:05:59.090 --> 00:06:05.169
In interviews with hosts of SCP-150, those
who are unaware that they are infected have

00:06:05.169 --> 00:06:09.560
not expressed any knowledge of changes happening
in or out of their body.

00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:13.430
When subjects are made aware that they have
been infected, they will be able point out

00:06:13.430 --> 00:06:17.950
the site of the original infection and agree
that a change has taken place, but they seem

00:06:17.950 --> 00:06:22.840
to have no ill will towards their new chitinous
appendages, and will often express positive

00:06:22.840 --> 00:06:24.580
feelings about it.

00:06:24.580 --> 00:06:32.180
In order to better study the effects of SCP-150
under SCP Foundation control, two D-Class

00:06:32.180 --> 00:06:39.340
personnel, D-13732 and D-016002 were both
infected with the parasites and the assimilation

00:06:39.340 --> 00:06:43.600
process was allowed to fully progress through
all the stages.

00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:49.880
Following signs that D-016002 was experiencing
swelling of the brain, a decompressive craniotomy

00:06:49.880 --> 00:06:54.330
was performed, a procedure in which a portion
of the skull is removed in order to relieve

00:06:54.330 --> 00:06:56.490
pressure on the brain.

00:06:56.490 --> 00:07:00.270
This surgery had the added benefit of giving
Foundation researchers the chance to look

00:07:00.270 --> 00:07:03.690
at SCP-150’s progress firsthand.

00:07:03.690 --> 00:07:08.330
But after a flap of her skull was removed,
the attending scientists did not find that

00:07:08.330 --> 00:07:09.940
her brain was swelling.

00:07:09.940 --> 00:07:16.491
They didn’t find her brain at all, but instead
observed numerous instances of SCP-150 in

00:07:16.491 --> 00:07:19.300
the cavity where her brain should be.

00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:23.550
The D-Class had been partially anesthetized
to numb her skull but remain conscious during

00:07:23.550 --> 00:07:27.680
the procedure, and the scientists asked her
several simple questions to which she was

00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:29.389
perfectly able to answer.

00:07:29.389 --> 00:07:34.870
They began removing some of the parasites
and as they did so, her answers became slower

00:07:34.870 --> 00:07:36.169
and less clear.

00:07:36.169 --> 00:07:42.229
It appeared that the SCP-150 instances had
not just eaten and replaced her brain, they

00:07:42.229 --> 00:07:44.900
had become her brain.

00:07:44.900 --> 00:07:49.740
For the next experiment, they would use the
instances of SCP-150 that had been removed

00:07:49.740 --> 00:07:54.900
from D-13732’s nervous system after he had
been euthanized following the discovery that

00:07:54.900 --> 00:08:00.280
his entire nervous system had also been replaced
entirely by SCP-150.

00:08:00.280 --> 00:08:06.250
The parasites taken from his brain cavity
were placed into D-016002’s and the results

00:08:06.250 --> 00:08:09.220
were nothing short of incredible.

00:08:09.220 --> 00:08:13.370
After observing a period of time where the
organisms appeared to move and rearrange themselves

00:08:13.370 --> 00:08:16.530
within her skull, she regained consciousness.

00:08:16.530 --> 00:08:21.180
Once awake, not only did her cognitive functions
immediately improve, when she was asked to

00:08:21.180 --> 00:08:25.060
state her name, she told them it was Michael.

00:08:25.060 --> 00:08:27.580
D-13732’s name.

00:08:27.580 --> 00:08:33.310
It is unknown why SCP-150 engages in this
peculiar life cycle, but the danger it poses

00:08:33.310 --> 00:08:37.490
to human’s and the difficulty in keeping
it contained has led the SCP Foundation to

00:08:37.490 --> 00:08:39.680
classify it as Keter.

00:08:39.680 --> 00:08:43.310
Some of the more erudite researchers have
taken to calling the parasite the Ship of

00:08:43.310 --> 00:08:47.519
Theseus, a play on the philosophical notion
that questions whether something that has

00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:54.040
had all of its parts replaced is still, fundamentally,
the same, or if it has become something new.

00:08:54.040 --> 00:08:59.050
Perhaps the observation of those infected
with SCP-150 can shed some light on this millennia

00:08:59.050 --> 00:09:01.269
old question.

00:09:01.269 --> 00:09:05.430
Infected patients who are being studied are
to be kept in Level-3 Biohazard Containment

00:09:05.430 --> 00:09:08.980
Cells, with never more than one infected host
per cell.

00:09:08.980 --> 00:09:15.820
Cultures of SCP-150 adults and eggs are kept
in vacuum-sealed glass flasks in the Site-42

00:09:15.820 --> 00:09:19.790
infectious materials lab, and the Foundation’s
standard pathogen-handling procedures are

00:09:19.790 --> 00:09:22.440
required to be followed at all times.

00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:28.510
Should any instance of SCP-150 be found outside
of containment, it is to be immediately incinerated.

00:09:28.510 --> 00:09:33.260
“Tell me if it starts to hurt,” the dentist
says before reaching into your mouth with

00:09:33.260 --> 00:09:37.560
a pair of orthodontic pliers and starting
to pull your front teeth back into place.

00:09:37.560 --> 00:09:41.630
Evidently, your screams aren’t enough of
an indication of the extreme pain you feel

00:09:41.630 --> 00:09:44.040
because he doesn’t stop pulling.

00:09:44.040 --> 00:09:48.370
After what feels like hours of excruciating
oral surgery, you’re finally standing outside

00:09:48.370 --> 00:09:51.149
the dentist's office texting with a friend.

00:09:51.149 --> 00:09:52.149
“Come on, show me.

00:09:52.149 --> 00:09:54.910
It can’t be that bad,” reads the message
from your friend.

00:09:54.910 --> 00:09:58.490
You’re nervous to send her a picture though
since you have a small crush on the girl and

00:09:58.490 --> 00:10:00.950
you don’t want her to see you in this state.

00:10:00.950 --> 00:10:05.860
But after she asks you again you decide to
take a quick selfie and send it to her anyway.

00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:08.340
You snap a photo of your mangled mouth and
jaw.

00:10:08.340 --> 00:10:12.310
The mess of wires had to be hastily applied
to move your remaining crooked teeth back

00:10:12.310 --> 00:10:17.100
into place with globs of fast hardening epoxy
and the result looks like a low-budget horror

00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:18.160
movie prosthetic.

00:10:18.160 --> 00:10:20.310
You send the message and wait.

00:10:20.310 --> 00:10:25.100
You watch the dots appear that indicate she’s
writing a response, then watch as they disappear

00:10:25.100 --> 00:10:26.170
without a reply.

00:10:26.170 --> 00:10:30.690
You sadly slip the phone back into your pocket
and begin walking away.

00:10:30.690 --> 00:10:34.770
As you make your way home with your head hung
in shame you keep your mouth shut tight.

00:10:34.770 --> 00:10:38.100
You don’t want any passersby to see what
you’ve become.

00:10:38.100 --> 00:10:42.330
You decide to detour through the park to avoid
any people as much as possible and as you

00:10:42.330 --> 00:10:45.630
walk, you decide to stop at a picnic table
next to a small pond.

00:10:45.630 --> 00:10:49.960
You sit at the table and watch the ducks mill
about in the water.

00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:52.250
“They have it so lucky,” you think.

00:10:52.250 --> 00:10:55.779
“Ducks never have to worry about their teeth
getting knocked out by a baseball and leaving

00:10:55.779 --> 00:10:57.010
them looking like a monster.”

00:10:57.010 --> 00:11:02.110
The ducks suddenly all start moving away from
your side of the pond, eventually taking flight

00:11:02.110 --> 00:11:03.310
and leaving completely.

00:11:03.310 --> 00:11:07.089
You get the sense that they’re trying to
get away from something and you turn around,

00:11:07.089 --> 00:11:08.850
but there’s nothing behind you.

00:11:08.850 --> 00:11:11.970
“Oh, it must be me,” you think.

00:11:11.970 --> 00:11:16.940
But then you get the sense that there is something
behind you and turn again, still though, there’s

00:11:16.940 --> 00:11:17.940
nothing.

00:11:17.940 --> 00:11:20.860
It’s just you, the picnic table, and the
empty pond.

00:11:20.860 --> 00:11:24.920
You turn back to watch the still water but
you can’t shake the feeling that there’s

00:11:24.920 --> 00:11:26.910
someone behind you and turn again.

00:11:26.910 --> 00:11:27.910
“Hello?

00:11:27.910 --> 00:11:31.660
Is anyone there?” you ask but no one answers.

00:11:31.660 --> 00:11:35.430
You turn back to the pond and -
You scream in fright at the thing standing

00:11:35.430 --> 00:11:38.350
before you and fall back off of the picnic
table.

00:11:38.350 --> 00:11:41.620
You get up out of the dirt and you don’t
wait to stick around to see who or what this

00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:42.839
thing is.

00:11:42.839 --> 00:11:47.140
You start to run as fast as you can but you
immediately hear it chasing after you.

00:11:47.140 --> 00:11:50.460
Instinctually you take out your phone and
start trying to take pictures of whatever

00:11:50.460 --> 00:11:51.840
it is that’s behind you.

00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:57.210
You know no one will ever believe you and
you want some evidence of this, this… thing.

00:11:57.210 --> 00:12:01.980
You manage to snap off a couple of pictures
but you can hear the creature gaining on you.

00:12:01.980 --> 00:12:04.550
You scream as your mouth begins to ache.

00:12:04.550 --> 00:12:08.040
Perhaps running this soon after your surgery
is causing your damaged teeth to shift, and

00:12:08.040 --> 00:12:09.370
the pain is intense.

00:12:09.370 --> 00:12:13.470
It starts to feel like your mouth is full
of jagged rocks, but you can feel that it

00:12:13.470 --> 00:12:16.490
is your teeth pushing out and stabbing into
your mouth.

00:12:16.490 --> 00:12:20.800
You take one last picture before the creature
leaps on you, sending you both to the ground

00:12:20.800 --> 00:12:23.209
and your phone tumbling into the dirt.

00:12:23.209 --> 00:12:27.550
Early the next morning, a police perimeter
has been set up in the park.

00:12:27.550 --> 00:12:31.730
The detective arrives and walks past the traumatized
looking jogger who must have been the one

00:12:31.730 --> 00:12:33.550
that discovered the grisly scene.

00:12:33.550 --> 00:12:37.490
An officer guarding the site lifts up the
police tape so the detective can enter the

00:12:37.490 --> 00:12:41.029
crime scene that surrounds a body lying under
a white sheet.

00:12:41.029 --> 00:12:44.810
The detective asks the officer if they’ve
found anything yet and the office hands the

00:12:44.810 --> 00:12:48.070
detective a plastic bag containing a dirty
cellphone.

00:12:48.070 --> 00:12:52.350
The detective puts on a latex glove and removes
the phone from the bag.

00:12:52.350 --> 00:12:54.589
The screen is cracked but it still works.

00:12:54.589 --> 00:12:57.630
There’s numerous messages on the screen
that look like they’re from someone trying

00:12:57.630 --> 00:13:02.060
to apologize for not responding sooner, then
asking where the phone’s owner is and if

00:13:02.060 --> 00:13:03.560
they’re mad at her.

00:13:03.560 --> 00:13:07.370
The detective opens the phone’s camera app
and starts looking at the last photos that

00:13:07.370 --> 00:13:08.370
were taken.

00:13:08.370 --> 00:13:10.610
It’s a strange series of pictures.

00:13:10.610 --> 00:13:14.140
They seem to all be selfies that a young man
was taking as he ran through the park.

00:13:14.140 --> 00:13:17.920
It almost appears as though there’s a figure
behind him but it’s hard to tell.

00:13:17.920 --> 00:13:22.420
There’s a foggy white vignette on the pictures
that gets worse the further he looks, slowly

00:13:22.420 --> 00:13:26.930
closing in until the last photo is nothing
but a blurred milky white screen.

00:13:26.930 --> 00:13:30.860
The detective flips the phone over and looks
at the lens which he can see is completely

00:13:30.860 --> 00:13:33.630
covered in a hard white substance.

00:13:33.630 --> 00:13:38.040
The detective places the phone back in the
evidence bag and kneels down next to the body.

00:13:38.040 --> 00:13:44.570
The police officer turns away, he’s already
seen the victim and doesn’t need to again.

00:13:44.570 --> 00:13:47.779
The detective pulls down the sheet to reveal
a truly shocking sight.

00:13:47.779 --> 00:13:51.360
The boy’s mouth is a mess of teeth, far
far too many teeth.

00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:55.730
There are teeth growing out of every part
of his gums at horrible angles, filling his

00:13:55.730 --> 00:13:58.139
mouth and jutting out at painfully odd angles.

00:13:58.139 --> 00:14:00.639
Who could have done this?

00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:02.380
What could have done this?

00:14:02.380 --> 00:14:06.810
The local police department may not have had
any idea what the state of this victim meant,

00:14:06.810 --> 00:14:13.120
but the SCP Foundation did, because they had
seen the same occurrence dozens of times before.

00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:17.589
In fact, they had seen it happen so many times
that they had classified this anomalous entity

00:14:17.589 --> 00:14:24.839
as SCP-4910, but it had already earned a much
ominous nickname within the Foundation.

00:14:24.839 --> 00:14:26.540
It was known as...

00:14:26.540 --> 00:14:28.160
The Grinner.

00:14:28.160 --> 00:14:33.839
Very little is known about SCP-4910, and eyewitness
accounts of the creature are all extremely

00:14:33.839 --> 00:14:38.470
brief, due to those who have interacted with
it quickly succumbing to its effects.

00:14:38.470 --> 00:14:44.720
What is known is that SCP-4910 is a quadruped,
and appears to be made partially, or perhaps

00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:47.600
entirely, out of teeth.

00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:53.100
Those who encounter SCP-4910 quickly experience
its primary anomalous effect, which is that

00:14:53.100 --> 00:14:57.970
it causes the extremely rapid overproduction
of teeth in its victims’ mouths.

00:14:57.970 --> 00:15:01.730
Existing teeth will quickly increase in size,
protruding farther out of the gums than should

00:15:01.730 --> 00:15:06.290
be able, while new teeth will begin to sprout
from any available space in the mouth including

00:15:06.290 --> 00:15:09.259
the roof of the mouth and underneath the tongue.

00:15:09.259 --> 00:15:13.700
These new teeth will completely fill the mouth,
which almost immediately inhibits their ability

00:15:13.700 --> 00:15:15.660
to speak or vocalize at all.

00:15:15.660 --> 00:15:20.310
The creature will then use this opportunity
to attack and incapacitate the victim, before

00:15:20.310 --> 00:15:22.260
starting to feed.

00:15:22.260 --> 00:15:27.029
Further adding to the mystery of SCP-4910’s
appearance comes from the effect it has on

00:15:27.029 --> 00:15:29.819
any nearby recording equipment.

00:15:29.819 --> 00:15:34.449
Cameras and other devices that come within
SCP-4910’s proximity will have their critical

00:15:34.449 --> 00:15:39.000
components compromised by a sudden appearance
of a layer of dentin, which is the calcified

00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:41.610
material that partially makes up teeth.

00:15:41.610 --> 00:15:46.839
Interestingly, SCP-4910 seems to possess some
level of intelligence, as it appears able

00:15:46.839 --> 00:15:51.290
to differentiate between normal civilians,
who it hunts for sustenance, and members of

00:15:51.290 --> 00:15:55.910
organizations that seek to hunt down and contain
or harm it, which it uses for an even more

00:15:55.910 --> 00:15:58.140
nefarious purpose.

00:15:58.140 --> 00:16:05.209
While the exact mechanics are still unclear,
it seems as though SCP-4910 is able to “infect”

00:16:05.209 --> 00:16:09.430
certain anomalous organization members with
its ability, causing them to act as a vector

00:16:09.430 --> 00:16:13.709
for the effect, who then spread it to even
more victims.

00:16:13.709 --> 00:16:18.019
This effect is, of course, of great concern
to the Foundation, and containment protocols

00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:21.310
for infected victims have been hastily put
into place.

00:16:21.310 --> 00:16:25.830
Should a member of staff begin bearing a grin
with too many teeth, or multiple tooth-filled

00:16:25.830 --> 00:16:30.389
smiles, they are to be immediately immobilized
by any means necessary, though preferably

00:16:30.389 --> 00:16:34.139
with a firearm that allows one to keep an
appropriate distance and hopefully prevent

00:16:34.139 --> 00:16:36.120
any further spread of the effect.

00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:40.310
The infected individual is then to be doused
in a hydrochloric chemical compound that will

00:16:40.310 --> 00:16:43.570
reduce the afflicted to a pulp-like substance.

00:16:43.570 --> 00:16:47.399
Once this pulp is no longer animate, it can
be transferred to the closest incineration

00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:49.280
site for disposal.

00:16:49.280 --> 00:16:54.120
Should a member of personnel have an interaction
with SCP-4910 and feel that they were exposed

00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:58.649
to its anomalous effects, they may be saved
by taking immediate medical action.

00:16:58.649 --> 00:17:02.480
Oral surgery to remove the additional teeth
has been found to be effective when the procedure

00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:06.459
is undergone in the first one to two hours
following exposure, though the victim will

00:17:06.459 --> 00:17:10.410
suffer lifelong permanent physical issues
from the procedure.

00:17:10.410 --> 00:17:14.510
Once three hours have passed, the effect will
have spread to the rest of the body, with

00:17:14.510 --> 00:17:17.669
teeth appearing virtually anywhere.

00:17:17.669 --> 00:17:21.550
Unfortunately for the victim, should the infection
reach this point, pain management has been

00:17:21.550 --> 00:17:25.900
shown to be ineffective, and there is nothing
that can be done to alleviate their suffering

00:17:25.900 --> 00:17:27.910
save for termination.

00:17:27.910 --> 00:17:32.650
SCP-4910 remains at large and has been given
the Keter classification.

00:17:32.650 --> 00:17:37.990
Mobile Task Force Epsilon, codenamed “Tyrfing
Black” is the only MTF authorized to respond

00:17:37.990 --> 00:17:41.860
to sightings and they have been given permission
to engage the creature and utilize lethal

00:17:41.860 --> 00:17:47.640
force if necessary due to the danger this
anomaly presents specifically to the SCP Foundation.

00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:51.470
A kindly looking old woman is carrying groceries
into her home.

00:17:51.470 --> 00:17:57.990
When she closes the door, a crack forms in
the wall and a tile slides down off her roof,

00:17:57.990 --> 00:18:00.429
crashing to the ground and shattering.

00:18:00.429 --> 00:18:03.500
The next day, the local builder seems confused.

00:18:03.500 --> 00:18:07.850
He’d just fixed a similar problem a week
ago at another house.

00:18:07.850 --> 00:18:09.610
And another the week before that.

00:18:09.610 --> 00:18:13.500
He’ll patch this crack just like he did
before and repair the roof.

00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:17.289
But as he does so, he can’t help but think
he’ll be at another house with the same

00:18:17.289 --> 00:18:19.640
problem soon.

00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:23.340
Old people are like this sometimes though,
breaking things on purpose to get someone

00:18:23.340 --> 00:18:24.500
to come visit them.

00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:29.380
Oh well, as long as the money is right he’ll
keep doing the repairs.

00:18:29.380 --> 00:18:33.299
That evening the old woman is in bed when
she’s woken up by something falling onto

00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:34.299
her face.

00:18:34.299 --> 00:18:39.380
A crack has opened in the ceiling right above
her bed and plaster is falling on her.

00:18:39.380 --> 00:18:41.190
What is happening to this house?

00:18:41.190 --> 00:18:45.039
She would have to call the builder again in
the morning and let him know that it was getting

00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:46.039
worse.

00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:50.020
She gets up to clean the plaster dust off
her face but stops halfway to the door.

00:18:50.020 --> 00:18:52.530
Was that a noise she heard?

00:18:52.530 --> 00:18:54.929
It sounded like it was coming from downstairs.

00:18:54.929 --> 00:18:57.620
Another noise, she definitely heard something.

00:18:57.620 --> 00:18:59.440
Is someone in her home?

00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:01.440
“Hello?” she cries out.

00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:03.059
“Whoever you are, you better go.

00:19:03.059 --> 00:19:06.110
My husband is going to be home any moment
and he won’t be happy.”

00:19:06.110 --> 00:19:09.520
The noises seem to have stopped.

00:19:09.520 --> 00:19:11.070
Maybe she was imagining things.

00:19:11.070 --> 00:19:13.840
Who would rob a poor old woman after all?

00:19:13.840 --> 00:19:16.799
She didn’t have anything worth taking.

00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:19.620
She still needs to wash the plaster off her
face though.

00:19:19.620 --> 00:19:24.610
She listens for a moment, and when she doesn’t
hear anything else, she opens the bedroom

00:19:24.610 --> 00:19:29.940
door… and screams.

00:19:29.940 --> 00:19:33.850
The next day a child stands in front of the
house with a look of shock.

00:19:33.850 --> 00:19:35.150
Was there an earthquake?

00:19:35.150 --> 00:19:37.289
How could a house end up like this?

00:19:37.289 --> 00:19:39.460
They ring the doorbell but there’s no answer.

00:19:39.460 --> 00:19:43.490
They knock on the door and are surprised to
find that the door is open.

00:19:43.490 --> 00:19:47.000
“Grandma?” the child cries into the quiet
house.

00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:48.640
No response.

00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:50.770
The child enters and looks around.

00:19:50.770 --> 00:19:52.300
The house is a mess.

00:19:52.300 --> 00:19:57.160
Chunks of plaster have fallen off the walls
and ceiling, shelves have fallen over spilling

00:19:57.160 --> 00:20:01.880
their contents, and there’s broken glass
from shattered light bulbs everywhere.

00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:06.150
The boy looks up the stairs and can see that
his grandmother’s bedroom door is open and

00:20:06.150 --> 00:20:07.340
the light is on.

00:20:07.340 --> 00:20:09.760
“Grandma, are you up there?”

00:20:09.760 --> 00:20:11.360
Still no response.

00:20:11.360 --> 00:20:15.220
The child nervously starts up the stairs,
gripping the railing tight.

00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:19.890
They quietly make their way to the bedroom
and step into the sliver of light coming from

00:20:19.890 --> 00:20:21.740
the cracked door.

00:20:21.740 --> 00:20:27.110
The child pushes the door open to find their
grandmother on the floor, only, it isn’t

00:20:27.110 --> 00:20:28.630
their grandmother.

00:20:28.630 --> 00:20:33.190
Whatever this is looks like their grandmother,
but like she has been stretched and twisted,

00:20:33.190 --> 00:20:36.350
her body bent at angles where no joints exist.

00:20:36.350 --> 00:20:40.390
The child is paralyzed with fear, unable to
do anything but stare.

00:20:40.390 --> 00:20:46.920
But the nightmare isn’t over yet, because
their grandmother... is still alive.

00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:51.870
Sadly, reports like these are all too common
in this small town that is plagued by attacks

00:20:51.870 --> 00:20:55.580
from SCP-783, also known as…

00:20:55.580 --> 00:20:57.580
The Crooked Man.

00:20:57.580 --> 00:21:03.289
SCP-783 is an extremely dangerous anomalous
creature that is currently plaguing the population

00:21:03.289 --> 00:21:07.480
of Temby, a small, rural village in Oxfordshire,
England.

00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:12.870
Every twelve years during the fall and winter
months, SCP-783 will engage in a period of

00:21:12.870 --> 00:21:18.360
hostile behavior that lasts for roughly seventy
days during which time it will target and

00:21:18.360 --> 00:21:22.510
attack people who are indoors and alone after
sunset.

00:21:22.510 --> 00:21:28.080
Those targeted by SCP-783 will find that the
building they are in rapidly deteriorates,

00:21:28.080 --> 00:21:31.250
causing damage and creating structural integrity
issues.

00:21:31.250 --> 00:21:35.270
These often appear as cracks on the outside
of the building that lead to the buildings

00:21:35.270 --> 00:21:37.630
taking on a crooked appearance.

00:21:37.630 --> 00:21:42.510
Unfortunately, while the SCP Foundation is
aware of both the location and the periods

00:21:42.510 --> 00:21:49.150
within which SCP-783 operates, it has so far
been unable to prevent any attacks.

00:21:49.150 --> 00:21:53.429
Additionally, the Foundation has yet to be
able to produce either an image or even a

00:21:53.429 --> 00:21:59.140
physical description of SCP-783 due to the
effect it has on recording equipment.

00:21:59.140 --> 00:22:03.679
Cameras set up to capture the anomaly produce
only distorted or corrupted footage, leaving

00:22:03.679 --> 00:22:06.480
its appearance a mystery.

00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:12.720
Victims targeted by SCP-783 meet a fate that
is, in many ways, worse than death.

00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:17.970
Their bodies will experience extreme deformations
as their bones suffer dozens of fractures

00:22:17.970 --> 00:22:21.360
and are stretched and twisted in various unnatural
directions.

00:22:21.360 --> 00:22:26.210
They are then healed by the rapid generation
of cartilage and the growth of extra skin

00:22:26.210 --> 00:22:32.750
to cover the new elongated limbs, leaving
the victims a malformed knot of gnarled extremities.

00:22:32.750 --> 00:22:36.980
Some of the cases are quite severe, with one
victim having just their forearm extended

00:22:36.980 --> 00:22:43.380
to over 2.4 meters and another who was left
stretched to 12 and a half meters in height.

00:22:43.380 --> 00:22:48.929
Despite the gruesome injuries suffered, the
majority of victims are still alive following

00:22:48.929 --> 00:22:52.970
the attacks, though they will more often than
not be left completely paralyzed, in a persistent

00:22:52.970 --> 00:22:56.180
vegetative state, or both.

00:22:56.180 --> 00:23:01.370
Twenty-seven victims of SCP-783 are currently
being held in a long term care facility within

00:23:01.370 --> 00:23:05.690
a wing of a local hospital that was requisitioned
by the Foundation specifically for the care

00:23:05.690 --> 00:23:08.549
and treatment of 783 victims.

00:23:08.549 --> 00:23:13.690
Like many of the anomalies that the SCP Foundation
investigates and contains, many of the residents

00:23:13.690 --> 00:23:18.270
of Temby appear to have some awareness of
the Crooked Man, and the anomaly has become

00:23:18.270 --> 00:23:20.860
something of a local boogeyman.

00:23:20.860 --> 00:23:24.790
Researchers have even documented local school
children singing a nursery rhyme that appears

00:23:24.790 --> 00:23:28.429
connected and may even explain the origins
of the creature.

00:23:28.429 --> 00:23:29.690
It goes:

00:23:29.690 --> 00:23:33.000
There lived a crooked man, who made a crooked
deal

00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:36.549
He kept a crooked cane, and his catch in crooked
creel

00:23:36.549 --> 00:23:40.799
He stole a crooked child, who cried a crooked
squeal

00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:45.730
And that crooked little man was broken on
the wheel

00:23:45.730 --> 00:23:52.169
A month before a recent SCP-783 period of
activity was to begin, a Class D Personnel,

00:23:52.169 --> 00:23:56.000
D-209, was sent to live in a Foundation owned
home in the village.

00:23:56.000 --> 00:24:00.740
Audio and video recording equipment was set
up throughout the house in case the D-Class

00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:06.090
was targeted, in the hopes that some information
could be gleaned should something take place.

00:24:06.090 --> 00:24:11.440
Forty-three days after he began living in
the house, something finally did.

00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:17.910
One evening while in bed reading a book, D-209
heard noises on the ground floor of the home.

00:24:17.910 --> 00:24:22.289
Cameras on the first floor experienced corruption
and showed only a distortion moving through

00:24:22.289 --> 00:24:23.480
the house.

00:24:23.480 --> 00:24:28.520
When D-209 attempted to leave the bedroom
and escape the home, they immediately encountered

00:24:28.520 --> 00:24:29.690
SCP-783.

00:24:29.690 --> 00:24:35.120
During a period of time that lasted roughly
five hours, their bones were broken numerous

00:24:35.120 --> 00:24:43.289
times and re set over and over, leaving D-209
a twisted mass of flesh and bone.

00:24:43.289 --> 00:24:49.220
Strangely, at the exact same time that D-209
was being attacked, all twenty seven of the

00:24:49.220 --> 00:24:54.909
living prior SCP-783 victims in the hospital
experienced violent seizures, despite most

00:24:54.909 --> 00:25:00.110
of them having been declared functionally
brain dead and the rest being totally paralyzed.

00:25:00.110 --> 00:25:03.900
Also concurrent with the attack was a seismic
event on the outskirts of town.

00:25:03.900 --> 00:25:10.480
And the details revealed by this event were
both illuminating… and extremely disturbing.

00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:13.890
Foundation personnel were dispatched to the
site of the seismic activity to investigate

00:25:13.890 --> 00:25:18.169
and determine if it was connected to SCP-783
in any way.

00:25:18.169 --> 00:25:23.640
There they found a small group of angry townspeople,
perhaps frustrated by seemingly unending paranormal

00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:28.220
events in their town and the lack of progress
that had been made to stop them.

00:25:28.220 --> 00:25:32.909
After a tense standoff, SCP Agent Collins
fired her service weapon into the air and

00:25:32.909 --> 00:25:34.500
the crowd quickly scattered.

00:25:34.500 --> 00:25:39.260
Now, free of distraction, the agents could
begin their investigation in earnest.

00:25:39.260 --> 00:25:42.870
They immediately spotted several objects sticking
out of the earth.

00:25:42.870 --> 00:25:48.039
Upon closer inspection, these were identified
as elongated human toes.

00:25:48.039 --> 00:25:53.100
A dig team was sent to the site and by the
next day, a mass grave had been uncovered

00:25:53.100 --> 00:25:58.919
that was filled with a twisted mass of what
appeared to be victims of SCP-783.

00:25:58.919 --> 00:26:03.330
Their mutated and drawn out bodies were well
preserved despite being buried directly in

00:26:03.330 --> 00:26:07.900
the ground, and had all been buried head down,
with their arms extending deeper into the

00:26:07.900 --> 00:26:09.649
burial pit.

00:26:09.649 --> 00:26:13.640
As one researcher was attempting to take a
tissue sample from one of the bodies, the

00:26:13.640 --> 00:26:16.659
ground beneath him gave way and he fell into
the pit.

00:26:16.659 --> 00:26:21.230
He landed on the tangled mass of limbs, which
shifted under his weight and he disappeared

00:26:21.230 --> 00:26:22.830
into the pit beneath them.

00:26:22.830 --> 00:26:27.270
Agent Collins immediately found a length of
rope, tied it to her waist, and climbed into

00:26:27.270 --> 00:26:31.399
the pit with instructions to the onsite team
to pull her back up when she signalled.

00:26:31.399 --> 00:26:36.010
Agent Collins descended into the pit beneath
the bodies and after several minutes, she

00:26:36.010 --> 00:26:39.620
was extracted, though without the missing
researcher.

00:26:39.620 --> 00:26:44.220
At debriefing, she described how she found
an anomalous location under the ground beneath

00:26:44.220 --> 00:26:46.220
783’s victims’ corpses.

00:26:46.220 --> 00:26:51.630
And she was so rattled by what she saw, that
she was granted a temporary leave of absence.

00:26:51.630 --> 00:26:56.270
The Foundation had to know more, and a D-Class
personnel was quickly selected for exploration

00:26:56.270 --> 00:26:58.169
of the underground anomaly.

00:26:58.169 --> 00:27:04.220
D-2172 was equipped with audio and video recording
equipment, along with several scientific measurement

00:27:04.220 --> 00:27:09.730
tools as well as a firearm, and was lowered
down into the pit via crane.

00:27:09.730 --> 00:27:13.799
Their wired tether to the surface would both
send the information they collected back as

00:27:13.799 --> 00:27:16.860
well as serve as their lifeline to the surface.

00:27:16.860 --> 00:27:22.480
As D-2172 was lowered past the mass of corpses
into the darkness, they experienced a sense

00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:27.789
of vertigo, before it was realized that the
anomalous effects extended to gravity as well,

00:27:27.789 --> 00:27:32.430
which had become reversed, and that they would
need to start climbing up in order to descend

00:27:32.430 --> 00:27:33.740
further into the pit.

00:27:33.740 --> 00:27:38.539
They soon climbed out of the hole surrounded
by the reaching, extended arms of corpses,

00:27:38.539 --> 00:27:42.899
and emerged into an open world with an overcast
sky.

00:27:42.899 --> 00:27:47.860
It looked exactly like the town of Temby with
the same buildings present there as in our

00:27:47.860 --> 00:27:48.860
world.

00:27:48.860 --> 00:27:53.370
The world appeared to be uninhabited though,
with no sign of the missing SCP Foundation

00:27:53.370 --> 00:27:55.010
researcher.

00:27:55.010 --> 00:28:00.279
D-2172 began investigating the buildings and
found them all to be empty as well.

00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:04.690
Though they did unfortunately find signs of
a struggle in one house, with what looked

00:28:04.690 --> 00:28:07.769
to be evidence of the missing researcher’s
demise.

00:28:07.769 --> 00:28:12.000
They continued exploring the area and found
that the anomalous properties of the location

00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:16.860
extended to its borders too, and as the D
class walked north out of the town, after

00:28:16.860 --> 00:28:20.960
several kilometers they found that they were
now somehow back at the southern edge of the

00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:22.149
town.

00:28:22.149 --> 00:28:27.150
D-2172 was ordered to return to the entry
point but as they walked, they were suddenly

00:28:27.150 --> 00:28:32.780
impeded by the deformed body of an SCP-783
victim that stretched across the road in front

00:28:32.780 --> 00:28:33.919
of them.

00:28:33.919 --> 00:28:38.890
D-2172 drew and fired their weapon at the
entity but it didn't react, and they were

00:28:38.890 --> 00:28:42.280
forced to retreat into the nearby woods.

00:28:42.280 --> 00:28:46.740
After several minutes, they stopped to rest,
when they spotted something else.

00:28:46.740 --> 00:28:51.080
In the distance, the D-class saw what looked
to be a giant, white birch tree.

00:28:51.080 --> 00:28:53.750
And it was coming towards them.

00:28:53.750 --> 00:28:58.110
As the living tree approached, it became clear
that it wasn’t a tree at all.

00:28:58.110 --> 00:29:02.780
What looked like branches were extended bony
fingers that it was using to walk.

00:29:02.780 --> 00:29:08.169
The long, branchlike fingers were coming out
of the top of the “tree” where D-2172

00:29:08.169 --> 00:29:10.039
could see their origin.

00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:15.840
These branches were the elongated fingers
of the missing SCP Foundation researcher.

00:29:15.840 --> 00:29:21.169
D-2172 turned to run as the giant living tree
chased them back into the town, firing their

00:29:21.169 --> 00:29:25.500
weapon at the creature whenever they had the
chance, but was unable to stop it.

00:29:25.500 --> 00:29:32.850
The visual feed was soon lost as the audio
continued to broadcast the screams of D-2172.

00:29:32.850 --> 00:29:35.150
But this wasn’t the end of the expedition.

00:29:35.150 --> 00:29:39.440
The on-site team was surprised to witness
after several hours that the tether was pulled

00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:42.779
on twice, the signal that it should be reeled
in.

00:29:42.779 --> 00:29:48.100
A medical team was sent to the site, since
it is assumed that D-2172 would need immediate

00:29:48.100 --> 00:29:51.419
care, and the team began reeling in the line.

00:29:51.419 --> 00:29:56.190
After several minutes, they spotted the harness
that should have been strapped to D-2172,

00:29:56.190 --> 00:29:57.909
but with nothing in it.

00:29:57.909 --> 00:30:02.470
They continued to pull but the harness became
stuck on the mass of corpses in the pit.

00:30:02.470 --> 00:30:07.080
They then noticed that it wasn’t actually
stuck, there was a hand holding onto the harness

00:30:07.080 --> 00:30:08.730
for dear life.

00:30:08.730 --> 00:30:11.309
It was D-2172’s hand.

00:30:11.309 --> 00:30:16.110
The team kept pulling as D-2172’s arm kept
stretching out of the pit, to a length of

00:30:16.110 --> 00:30:17.630
over three meters.

00:30:17.630 --> 00:30:24.230
But eventually the resistance became too much,
D-2172 lost its grip, and it was seen sinking

00:30:24.230 --> 00:30:28.370
back into the mass of corpses inside the pit.

00:30:28.370 --> 00:30:32.420
Following this expedition, it was determined
that only Special Operations teams and Mobile

00:30:32.420 --> 00:30:36.980
Task Forces would be used to explore the dangerous
anomalous location in the future.

00:30:36.980 --> 00:30:41.520
At least three such expeditions have been
undertaken, though the details remain classified

00:30:41.520 --> 00:30:46.230
for the time being, and perhaps it is for
the best if they remain so.

00:30:46.230 --> 00:30:50.679
The SCP Foundation will continue to monitor
the town of Temby in an attempt to learn more

00:30:50.679 --> 00:30:56.130
about SCP-783 and hopefully discover a means
to contain it and its related phenomena.

00:30:56.130 --> 00:31:01.590
Due to the difficulty in containing the anomaly,
it has been classified as Keter, and a local

00:31:01.590 --> 00:31:06.139
building adjacent to the Temby hospital has
been requisitioned and designated as provisional

00:31:06.139 --> 00:31:10.600
Site-5 in order to accommodate the increased
Foundation presence.

00:31:10.600 --> 00:31:16.000
As the SCP Foundation continues to research
this mysterious and highly dangerous anomaly,

00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:20.840
any victims of SCP-783 are to be retrieved,
their injuries catalogued, and then their

00:31:20.840 --> 00:31:23.070
bodies are to be incinerated.

00:31:23.070 --> 00:31:27.679
“As you can clearly see, this completely
throws our entire understanding of our place

00:31:27.679 --> 00:31:31.980
in the universe into complete disarray!”
says the astronomer as he excitedly makes

00:31:31.980 --> 00:31:36.260
his case to a panel of aged, and supposedly
learned advisors.

00:31:36.260 --> 00:31:41.370
“My observations leave no doubt that everything
we previously suspected to be the absolute

00:31:41.370 --> 00:31:42.830
truth… is wrong.”

00:31:42.830 --> 00:31:48.270
The panel of advisors murmur and lean close
together to whisper to each other.

00:31:48.270 --> 00:31:52.250
The astronomer can’t hear what they are
saying, but the passion and joy that he felt

00:31:52.250 --> 00:31:57.230
as he explained his findings to the room is
quickly draining from his face.

00:31:57.230 --> 00:32:03.350
He can see the men mouthing the words “no”
and “lies” as they make disapproving gestures.

00:32:03.350 --> 00:32:04.710
But how could this be?

00:32:04.710 --> 00:32:07.460
Had they not understood what he was showing
them?

00:32:07.460 --> 00:32:10.840
Maybe he didn’t explain things in a way
that they could comprehend.

00:32:10.840 --> 00:32:16.059
Here he was, the greatest scientist of his
day, presenting hard facts backed up by rigorous

00:32:16.059 --> 00:32:19.460
observations and this was their reaction?

00:32:19.460 --> 00:32:23.610
The group of advisors finish conferring and
grow quiet.

00:32:23.610 --> 00:32:28.260
The chief advisor clears his throat and everyone
in the room waits for him to speak.

00:32:28.260 --> 00:32:34.600
“Royal Scientist… this panel has examined
your findings and listened to your… theories.”

00:32:34.600 --> 00:32:37.030
The advisor can’t help but sneer at the
word.

00:32:37.030 --> 00:32:42.760
“And has decided that the ideas you present
are not only incorrect, but dangerous.”

00:32:42.760 --> 00:32:45.440
The astronomer can’t believe what he’s
hearing.

00:32:45.440 --> 00:32:49.840
“This panel, acting under the authority
of the king, has charged you with the crime

00:32:49.840 --> 00:32:51.120
of heresy!”

00:32:51.120 --> 00:32:52.769
The astronomer is shocked.

00:32:52.769 --> 00:32:56.429
He steps towards the panel to plead with them
but he’s stopped by a pair of guards who

00:32:56.429 --> 00:32:57.789
grab him by the arms.

00:32:57.789 --> 00:32:58.789
“Stop!

00:32:58.789 --> 00:32:59.789
Stop!

00:32:59.789 --> 00:33:00.789
I’m a man of science!

00:33:00.789 --> 00:33:02.940
I only presented you with the truth!”

00:33:02.940 --> 00:33:05.899
But no one seems moved by his appeals.

00:33:05.899 --> 00:33:10.190
The panel watches as the astronomer is dragged
from the room, kicking and fighting, still

00:33:10.190 --> 00:33:12.910
insisting on his innocence.

00:33:12.910 --> 00:33:17.470
The screams echo through the dungeon as the
torturer cranks another notch on the rack,

00:33:17.470 --> 00:33:20.490
stretching the astronomer’s body just a
little bit more.

00:33:20.490 --> 00:33:26.249
He has no idea how long this has been going
on… hours, days?

00:33:26.249 --> 00:33:29.559
The pain has been excruciating and without
end.

00:33:29.559 --> 00:33:34.610
He closes his eyes, trying to escape the torture
by retreating into his mind, but he’s slapped

00:33:34.610 --> 00:33:38.490
on the face and brought back to the reality
of his situation.

00:33:38.490 --> 00:33:43.510
Standing in front of him is the chief advisor,
the same one who sentenced him to this inhumane

00:33:43.510 --> 00:33:44.510
treatment.

00:33:44.510 --> 00:33:47.470
“You can end this any time you like.

00:33:47.470 --> 00:33:52.470
Simply recant your statements and admit you
were mistaken and all of this will be over.”

00:33:52.470 --> 00:33:57.419
The astronomer is unsure if by “over”
he means that they will release him, or simply

00:33:57.419 --> 00:34:00.210
kill him to put him out of his misery.

00:34:00.210 --> 00:34:03.930
But it didn’t matter which the right answer
was, he couldn’t lie.

00:34:03.930 --> 00:34:08.790
The astronomer knew the truth and no amount
of pain, no matter how intense or how long

00:34:08.790 --> 00:34:12.250
they submitted him to it would change what
he now knew.

00:34:12.250 --> 00:34:17.129
Disappointed with the astronomer’s steadfastness,
the advisor signals to the torturer who cranks

00:34:17.129 --> 00:34:20.919
the rack again, stretching the astronomer’s
body to the point where he feels like his

00:34:20.919 --> 00:34:23.700
bones might pop out of their sockets.

00:34:23.700 --> 00:34:28.730
“Recant!” the advisor screams, repeating
the word over and over, growing louder as

00:34:28.730 --> 00:34:32.980
the astronomer’s own cries increase from
the pain caused by the torturer cranking the

00:34:32.980 --> 00:34:35.330
rack more and more.

00:34:35.330 --> 00:34:40.040
The astronomer closes his eyes again, he’s
certain this will be the end of him soon,

00:34:40.040 --> 00:34:43.470
and that he will die with the great secret
he’s learned without getting the chance

00:34:43.470 --> 00:34:45.609
to share it with the world.

00:34:45.609 --> 00:34:49.910
But suddenly, the astronomer notices that
the room has gone quiet.The advisor is no

00:34:49.910 --> 00:34:54.000
longer yelling and the torturer has stopped
operating the machine.

00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:58.960
The astronomer opens his eyes to see the advisor
and the torturer both in a deep bow.

00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:04.660
His gaze continues up and he sees… the king
himself standing in front of him.

00:35:04.660 --> 00:35:09.140
The king stares at the astronomer for what
feels like an eternity before simply asking

00:35:09.140 --> 00:35:11.210
“is it true?”

00:35:11.210 --> 00:35:16.370
The astronomer, limbs still stretched on the
rack, manages a nod and with his remaining

00:35:16.370 --> 00:35:19.790
strength whispers “it’s true.”

00:35:19.790 --> 00:35:24.130
The king motions with his hand to the torturer
who stands up and begins releasing the astronomer

00:35:24.130 --> 00:35:25.849
from his constraints.

00:35:25.849 --> 00:35:30.170
The advisor protests “but my lord, this
man -” but he’s cut off by the king with

00:35:30.170 --> 00:35:33.050
a stern look and retreats back into his deep
bow.

00:35:33.050 --> 00:35:38.290
“Show me” the king says, as the astronomer
stands, rubbing his sore shoulders where the

00:35:38.290 --> 00:35:42.620
tendons and muscles were stretched far beyond
their natural limits.

00:35:42.620 --> 00:35:47.329
The astronomer opens the door to his laboratory
and gestures for the king to enter.

00:35:47.329 --> 00:35:51.849
The room is a mess of papers and scientific
equipment, a reflection of the busy and scattered

00:35:51.849 --> 00:35:54.060
mind of the man who works here.

00:35:54.060 --> 00:35:57.369
The king is immediately drawn to a table with
a large scroll.

00:35:57.369 --> 00:36:01.780
He spreads it across the table and examines
it, but his face betrays no hint of what he

00:36:01.780 --> 00:36:02.859
is thinking.

00:36:02.859 --> 00:36:05.359
“Is this what you showed my advisors?”

00:36:05.359 --> 00:36:06.740
The astronomer nods yes.

00:36:06.740 --> 00:36:09.260
“Would you like to see for yourself?”

00:36:09.260 --> 00:36:14.050
The astronomer motions to the window, where
a brass tube is attached to a tripod.

00:36:14.050 --> 00:36:17.510
The king approaches the device but doesn’t
know how it works.

00:36:17.510 --> 00:36:20.130
The astronomer demonstrates by looking through
the eyepiece.

00:36:20.130 --> 00:36:25.130
He moves it slightly, making small adjustments
to make sure it is just right for the king.

00:36:25.130 --> 00:36:27.230
“There, now look.”

00:36:27.230 --> 00:36:32.780
The king bends over to peer through the telescope,
and a look of shock comes over his face.

00:36:32.780 --> 00:36:36.640
What he sees is the most incredible thing
he has ever witnessed.

00:36:36.640 --> 00:36:43.050
There, far above up in the sky, unable to
be seen by the naked eye, is a man.

00:36:43.050 --> 00:36:45.839
And he is staring back at him.

00:36:45.839 --> 00:36:49.970
The planet that this played out on was not
Earth, but a bizarre place that is one of

00:36:49.970 --> 00:36:54.160
the strangest anomalies in the entire SCP
Foundation archive.

00:36:54.160 --> 00:36:59.250
This is SCP-007, also known as…

00:36:59.250 --> 00:37:01.710
Abdominal Planet.

00:37:01.710 --> 00:37:06.870
SCP-007 is a spherical object located in the
abdomen of a young man.

00:37:06.870 --> 00:37:11.290
Or rather, in the space where his abdomen
should be, since most of the muscle, skin,

00:37:11.290 --> 00:37:14.859
and organs that should be present, simply
are not.

00:37:14.859 --> 00:37:19.579
The subject, a caucasian male in his mid twenties
of average height and build does not appear

00:37:19.579 --> 00:37:24.230
affected by the large missing portion of his
body, and has not reported experiencing pain

00:37:24.230 --> 00:37:26.589
or discomfort of any kind.

00:37:26.589 --> 00:37:30.770
In the space where his abdominal muscles and
organs should be is a small globe composed

00:37:30.770 --> 00:37:32.569
of soil and water.

00:37:32.569 --> 00:37:37.290
This sphere, which measures roughly sixty
centimeters in diameter, resembles the planet

00:37:37.290 --> 00:37:41.609
Earth, though the arrangement of the continents
does not match any known configuration from

00:37:41.609 --> 00:37:43.819
our own planet’s history.

00:37:43.819 --> 00:37:48.530
The tiny planet has its own weather patterns
and even a small, but still detectable, gravitational

00:37:48.530 --> 00:37:50.300
pull.

00:37:50.300 --> 00:37:56.040
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of SCP-007,
is that it appears to be inhabited.

00:37:56.040 --> 00:38:00.349
Microscopic organisms, that would correspond
to roughly the scale of human beings on earth,

00:38:00.349 --> 00:38:03.270
have been observed on the surface of the planet.

00:38:03.270 --> 00:38:08.260
So far, two distinct intelligent species have
been identified, both of whom seem to possess

00:38:08.260 --> 00:38:12.130
a technological level similar to the 15th
century on Earth.

00:38:12.130 --> 00:38:16.730
It is unknown if the inhabitants of the Abdominal
Planet are aware of the world outside of their

00:38:16.730 --> 00:38:20.490
planet, and communication attempts with the
planet’s occupants have been placed on hold

00:38:20.490 --> 00:38:25.079
by senior Foundation officials pending further
study into what effect an exchange may have

00:38:25.079 --> 00:38:27.869
on them… or us.

00:38:27.869 --> 00:38:33.310
The human subject within which SCP-007 is
located provided the Foundation with a name

00:38:33.310 --> 00:38:39.200
that he claims to be his, but no records of
such a person existing have yet to be located.

00:38:39.200 --> 00:38:43.560
Upon being questioned about the lack of records,
he willfully offered both a social security

00:38:43.560 --> 00:38:47.839
and driver’s license number, but when they
were checked against current records, neither

00:38:47.839 --> 00:38:50.839
had yet to be assigned by the US government.

00:38:50.839 --> 00:38:53.630
And the mysteries surrounding this man don’t
stop there.

00:38:53.630 --> 00:38:58.540
The subject has not shown the need for either
food or water and it is unknown what energy

00:38:58.540 --> 00:39:01.720
source his body continues to operate on without
nutrition.

00:39:01.720 --> 00:39:06.099
He is capable of both eating and drinking
though, despite the large missing section

00:39:06.099 --> 00:39:10.900
of his stomach, but it is still not known
what happens to the substances after he swallows

00:39:10.900 --> 00:39:12.000
them.

00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:17.319
The man is above average intelligence, and
scored a 128 on an administered IQ test.

00:39:17.319 --> 00:39:22.610
He also generally appears friendly and amiable,
and expresses only a passing curiosity about

00:39:22.610 --> 00:39:26.420
the planet located within his abdomen and
how it came to be there.

00:39:26.420 --> 00:39:30.580
When asked about the origins of the planet,
he replied very matter of factly that “I

00:39:30.580 --> 00:39:32.750
just woke up one day, and there it was.

00:39:32.750 --> 00:39:35.510
I don't have any idea how it got there.”

00:39:35.510 --> 00:39:41.190
Due to the poorly understood nature of SCP-007,
it has been classified as Euclid and the small

00:39:41.190 --> 00:39:45.869
planet and the man it resides in are contained
in a sealed, comfortably furnished, ten by

00:39:45.869 --> 00:39:50.250
ten meter room that the subject is not allowed
to leave.

00:39:50.250 --> 00:39:54.510
The subject is to be monitored closely by
foundation staff and has a weekly chess game

00:39:54.510 --> 00:39:59.440
with one of attending doctors, which also
serves as an opportunity to evaluate his mental

00:39:59.440 --> 00:40:00.440
health.

00:40:00.440 --> 00:40:04.940
So far, he has not shown any signs of mental
illness or violent tendencies and seems to

00:40:04.940 --> 00:40:06.460
be quite content.

00:40:06.460 --> 00:40:10.890
In general, he appears happy with his restricted
living situation inside the Foundation facility

00:40:10.890 --> 00:40:13.440
and has made no attempts to escape.

00:40:13.440 --> 00:40:18.200
The subject has made multiple requests for
access to a computer with an internet connection,

00:40:18.200 --> 00:40:22.540
but due to potential security risks, this
request has thus far been denied.

00:40:22.540 --> 00:40:23.780
“What was that?”

00:40:23.780 --> 00:40:28.150
The man and woman’s hike through a gently
rolling portion of the Rocky Mountains has

00:40:28.150 --> 00:40:30.390
just taken a turn for the dangerous.

00:40:30.390 --> 00:40:33.630
“There’s something there in the bush”
the man tells her before stepping in front

00:40:33.630 --> 00:40:35.760
of her in a defensive pose.

00:40:35.760 --> 00:40:39.599
They watch the bush intently, there’s a
slight rustling of the leaves as if something

00:40:39.599 --> 00:40:40.599
is inside.

00:40:40.599 --> 00:40:44.510
The man picks up a stick from the ground and
holds it in front of him, ready to strike

00:40:44.510 --> 00:40:47.850
whatever fearsome beast is lurking in the
underbrush.

00:40:47.850 --> 00:40:51.720
The rustling stops but the man doesn’t move
from his protective stance.

00:40:51.720 --> 00:40:54.550
“Do you think it’s gone?” the woman
asks.

00:40:54.550 --> 00:40:55.980
The man isn’t sure.

00:40:55.980 --> 00:41:00.590
He leans in towards the bush, searching for
signs of what might be hiding inside when

00:41:00.590 --> 00:41:01.590
- Ahhh!

00:41:01.590 --> 00:41:05.050
The man screams and falls backwards as the
creature emerges from the bush.

00:41:05.050 --> 00:41:08.450
“Aww” the woman cries, “it’s a pika!”

00:41:08.450 --> 00:41:11.530
She kneels down to get a closer look at the
adorable little creature.

00:41:11.530 --> 00:41:15.990
Pikas are native to this part of Colorado
and they resemble rabbits but with small,

00:41:15.990 --> 00:41:17.400
rounded ears.

00:41:17.400 --> 00:41:21.170
She watches it hop back off the trail before
turning around to see her friend lying tangled

00:41:21.170 --> 00:41:22.550
in the branches of a tree.

00:41:22.550 --> 00:41:26.740
She can’t help but laugh as she offers a
hand to help pull him out of his predicament.

00:41:26.740 --> 00:41:29.810
“Are you alright?” she asks between fits
of laughter.

00:41:29.810 --> 00:41:31.570
Yes, he’s fine.

00:41:31.570 --> 00:41:33.660
The only thing hurt was his pride.

00:41:33.660 --> 00:41:37.710
He notices a small red spot on his arm and
rubs it, but it doesn’t seem to hurt at

00:41:37.710 --> 00:41:38.710
all.

00:41:38.710 --> 00:41:42.610
His attention is diverted by the woman though,
who is marveling at the tree he was just stuck

00:41:42.610 --> 00:41:43.610
in.

00:41:43.610 --> 00:41:47.970
Free of the branches, he can appreciate now
that the tree really is incredible.

00:41:47.970 --> 00:41:52.290
It looks like a huge blue spruce, but the
name is a complete misnomer, because this

00:41:52.290 --> 00:41:54.500
tree is a vibrant red color.

00:41:54.500 --> 00:41:58.800
“I’ve never seen anything like it,”
she says and the man hasn’t either.

00:41:58.800 --> 00:42:04.020
Neither knows what species it is, and strangely,
there don’t seem to be any others like it.

00:42:04.020 --> 00:42:08.849
Maybe this is the result of an odd genetic
defect that turns blue spruces red?

00:42:08.849 --> 00:42:12.700
After admiring the tree for a moment, the
pair decides that they’ve hiked far enough

00:42:12.700 --> 00:42:14.980
and that they should probably head back to
the car.

00:42:14.980 --> 00:42:19.450
She jokes that he’s likely exhausted from
his run-in with a wild animal and he laughs,

00:42:19.450 --> 00:42:25.100
but clearly his ego has been bruised.

00:42:25.100 --> 00:42:29.030
The man stops his car in front of the woman’s
house and she thanks him for taking her on

00:42:29.030 --> 00:42:30.030
the hike.

00:42:30.030 --> 00:42:32.790
As she starts to get out though he stops her.

00:42:32.790 --> 00:42:35.230
He asks if she wants to go do something else.

00:42:35.230 --> 00:42:36.510
Like… dinner?

00:42:36.510 --> 00:42:40.880
The woman thanks him for his offer, but she
has to be up early the next day for work.

00:42:40.880 --> 00:42:42.050
Just a quick drink then?

00:42:42.050 --> 00:42:43.050
An hour?

00:42:43.050 --> 00:42:44.050
30 minutes?

00:42:44.050 --> 00:42:47.390
The woman tries her best to let her friend
down easy, explaining that she likes him as

00:42:47.390 --> 00:42:49.180
a friend and as only that.

00:42:49.180 --> 00:42:52.780
The man opens his mouth to respond but she
stops him.

00:42:52.780 --> 00:42:56.579
If he valued their friendship then he wouldn’t
try to take advantage of it by using it as

00:42:56.579 --> 00:42:57.930
a backdoor to dating her.

00:42:57.930 --> 00:43:00.790
The man again looks like his pride has been
shattered.

00:43:00.790 --> 00:43:03.260
He apologizes and admits that she is right.

00:43:03.260 --> 00:43:07.230
It’s just that he has such a good time with
her that he never wants it to end.

00:43:07.230 --> 00:43:11.510
She gives him a sad smile as she closes the
car door and he watches her enter her house

00:43:11.510 --> 00:43:13.540
before he finally drives away.

00:43:13.540 --> 00:43:16.589
It’s two weeks later when the man’s phone
rings.

00:43:16.589 --> 00:43:17.990
It’s his friend.

00:43:17.990 --> 00:43:21.339
She explains that she’s been thinking a
lot about what he said in the car and that

00:43:21.339 --> 00:43:23.730
she likes spending time with him too.

00:43:23.730 --> 00:43:26.309
Maybe there could be something more to their
relationship.

00:43:26.309 --> 00:43:29.250
The man can’t believe it, is this really
happening?

00:43:29.250 --> 00:43:30.599
The woman is serious.

00:43:30.599 --> 00:43:34.790
She’d like to take him up on that dinner
offer if he’s still interested, her treat.

00:43:34.790 --> 00:43:36.680
She wants to know what he is doing right - AHH.

00:43:36.680 --> 00:43:39.030
The man suddenly yelps in pain.

00:43:39.030 --> 00:43:40.030
Is he okay?

00:43:40.030 --> 00:43:41.030
What was that sound?

00:43:41.030 --> 00:43:43.660
“Yes, I’m fine, it was nothing,” the
man tells her.

00:43:43.660 --> 00:43:47.329
“It’s just that now… now’s not a good
time.”

00:43:47.329 --> 00:43:50.990
The woman doesn’t understand, she thought
he’d want to see her.

00:43:50.990 --> 00:43:54.040
She explains that she’s leaving town for
a work trip the next day and will be gone

00:43:54.040 --> 00:43:55.360
for a couple of weeks.

00:43:55.360 --> 00:43:59.990
She was hoping she could see him before she
left but - The man cries out in pain again.

00:43:59.990 --> 00:44:03.680
He tells her that he hasn’t been feeling
well all day, but that he’ll be alright.

00:44:03.680 --> 00:44:05.750
“Okay, well… get well soon.

00:44:05.750 --> 00:44:07.400
I’ll call you when I get back.”

00:44:07.400 --> 00:44:11.619
They exchange goodbyes and the man hangs up
the phone.

00:44:11.619 --> 00:44:13.819
The man looks terrible.

00:44:13.819 --> 00:44:16.990
His skin is pale and his face looks hollow
and gaunt.

00:44:16.990 --> 00:44:21.609
He looks down at his arm and sees that the
veins themselves appear to be moving, pulsing

00:44:21.609 --> 00:44:22.940
and vibrating.

00:44:22.940 --> 00:44:27.560
He screams again in agony and falls to the
floor, clutching his arm.

00:44:27.560 --> 00:44:31.599
After writhing on the floor he manages to
summon the strength to reach for the phone.

00:44:31.599 --> 00:44:35.220
His hand searches on the table above him and
eventually he’s able to knock it onto the

00:44:35.220 --> 00:44:36.220
floor.

00:44:36.220 --> 00:44:38.260
He grabs the phone and starts to dial…

00:44:38.260 --> 00:44:39.260
Nine…

00:44:39.260 --> 00:44:46.460
One… before he can press one again another
wave of intense searing pain consumes him.

00:44:46.460 --> 00:44:49.480
Several weeks later, the woman is standing
outside the man’s house.

00:44:49.480 --> 00:44:54.090
Mail and newspapers are piled up on his front
porch, as if no one has been in or out in

00:44:54.090 --> 00:44:55.300
some time.

00:44:55.300 --> 00:44:58.099
She knocks on the door but there’s no response.

00:44:58.099 --> 00:45:01.170
“Hello?” she calls out, but still nothing.

00:45:01.170 --> 00:45:02.700
She’s very worried.

00:45:02.700 --> 00:45:07.170
She’s tried calling him several times but
he never answered or returned her messages.

00:45:07.170 --> 00:45:12.400
She tries the doorknob and to her surprise,
the front door swings open.

00:45:12.400 --> 00:45:14.599
She steps inside and the room is dark.

00:45:14.599 --> 00:45:19.570
She’s also immediately hit by a strong aroma
of… pine?

00:45:19.570 --> 00:45:21.690
She searches on the wall and finds the switch.

00:45:21.690 --> 00:45:26.750
She turns on the lights and can’t believe
what she sees standing in front of her.

00:45:26.750 --> 00:45:31.460
There in the middle of the room, is a massive
spruce tree, it’s upper branches pressing

00:45:31.460 --> 00:45:32.860
against the ceiling.

00:45:32.860 --> 00:45:35.550
She reaches out and touches the tree's vivid
red branches.

00:45:35.550 --> 00:45:37.800
They feel sticky and wet.

00:45:37.800 --> 00:45:41.190
She pulls her hand away and looks down to
see that it’s covered in a red substance.

00:45:41.190 --> 00:45:43.380
That’s when she notices something else.

00:45:43.380 --> 00:45:51.510
Stuck among the trunk at the base of the tree,
is the half consumed body of her friend.

00:45:51.510 --> 00:45:54.740
Unfortunately this pair would never have the
opportunity to see their feelings take root

00:45:54.740 --> 00:46:01.210
and grow, because unbeknownst to them, this
beautiful tree is actually a very deadly anomaly,

00:46:01.210 --> 00:46:07.079
known to the SCP Foundation as SCP-867, but
which is perhaps better known by its very

00:46:07.079 --> 00:46:08.940
appropriate nickname…

00:46:08.940 --> 00:46:10.680
Blood Spruce.

00:46:10.680 --> 00:46:17.280
SCP-867 is, or at least appears to be, quite
similar to the species of tree Picea pungens,

00:46:17.280 --> 00:46:19.730
better known as the blue spruce.

00:46:19.730 --> 00:46:25.250
Of course there are a number of dramatic differences
between 867 and its non-anomalous counterpart.

00:46:25.250 --> 00:46:29.130
Visually, and most obvious, is the coloration.

00:46:29.130 --> 00:46:35.010
While blue spruces, as the name implies, are
typically a blue-green color, SCP-867 is a

00:46:35.010 --> 00:46:36.720
deep, vibrant red.

00:46:36.720 --> 00:46:40.650
There’s another major visual difference
too, with the Blood Spruce lacking any sort

00:46:40.650 --> 00:46:43.620
of seed cones that you would normally expect
to find.

00:46:43.620 --> 00:46:49.490
With no pine cones to protect and spread seeds,
you’d be right to ask how SCP-867 goes about

00:46:49.490 --> 00:46:50.490
reproducing.

00:46:50.490 --> 00:46:55.440
The answer to that question is what makes
this beautiful tree such a dangerous anomaly.

00:46:55.440 --> 00:47:00.240
The secret to how SCP-867 reproduces is found
in its leaves.

00:47:00.240 --> 00:47:04.780
While they look like pine needles, SCP-867’s
leaves are, in fact…

00:47:04.780 --> 00:47:05.950
needles.

00:47:05.950 --> 00:47:09.869
Their structure is very similar to that of
hypodermic needles, and each one contains

00:47:09.869 --> 00:47:14.610
a single long, thin seed which sits above
a small gas pocket at the base.

00:47:14.610 --> 00:47:18.270
When a living creature touches the leaves,
the tree immediately reacts.

00:47:18.270 --> 00:47:22.260
It triggers the gas pocket in the base of
the leaf to release which injects the seed

00:47:22.260 --> 00:47:24.710
into the skin of whatever touched it.

00:47:24.710 --> 00:47:28.670
The process is quite similar to that found
in auto-injectors, like those used to quickly

00:47:28.670 --> 00:47:30.559
treat allergic reactions.

00:47:30.559 --> 00:47:34.640
The seed itself is extremely small, and is
coated in a liquid that has both anesthetic

00:47:34.640 --> 00:47:39.540
and coagulant properties, which makes the
process virtually undetectable.

00:47:39.540 --> 00:47:43.991
Once implanted in the skin, these seeds can
lay dormant for up to two weeks, before they

00:47:43.991 --> 00:47:50.380
begin the germination process , and the true
horror of SCP-867 is revealed.

00:47:50.380 --> 00:47:54.250
Once the seeds begin to sprout and grow, they
will not seek to penetrate through the skin

00:47:54.250 --> 00:47:56.250
like a plant rising out of the soil.

00:47:56.250 --> 00:48:00.350
Instead, the strange plant will grow within
its host’s body, spreading throughout the

00:48:00.350 --> 00:48:02.109
circulatory system.

00:48:02.109 --> 00:48:04.810
This process is extremely painful for the
host.

00:48:04.810 --> 00:48:08.839
The plant’s tendrils wind through their
veins and capillary system, stretching and

00:48:08.839 --> 00:48:12.490
pressing against them as the blood spruce
grows within them.

00:48:12.490 --> 00:48:17.190
Eventually, the ever increasing size of the
plant’s tendrils becomes too much and the

00:48:17.190 --> 00:48:18.559
veins will begin to rupture.

00:48:18.559 --> 00:48:23.790
This leads to severe internal bleeding and
soon after, the death of the host.

00:48:23.790 --> 00:48:27.720
The entire process is quite quick, with it
only taking twenty-four hours from when the

00:48:27.720 --> 00:48:32.550
seeds first sprout to the host dying, but
that single day will feel like an eternity

00:48:32.550 --> 00:48:37.740
to the afflicted individual as they feel the
plant rapidly growing inside of their body.

00:48:37.740 --> 00:48:41.970
But even though the host has expired, this
parasitoid tree is far from finished with

00:48:41.970 --> 00:48:44.410
them, or at least their body.

00:48:44.410 --> 00:48:48.270
Soon after death, a new instance of the Blood
Spruce will burst from the body.

00:48:48.270 --> 00:48:52.369
The red tree is quite small at first, but
it will continue to quickly grow, just as

00:48:52.369 --> 00:48:57.510
it did within its host’s body, and can reach
maturity in just thirty days.

00:48:57.510 --> 00:49:03.619
And unlike most other plants, SCP-867 is able
to grow regardless of light or soil conditions,

00:49:03.619 --> 00:49:09.299
because it does not produce food via photosynthesis,
no this plant is carnivorous.

00:49:09.299 --> 00:49:14.900
As it grows, the 867 will slowly consume its
host’s body until nothing remains except

00:49:14.900 --> 00:49:17.300
the blood red tree.

00:49:17.300 --> 00:49:22.650
Instances of SCP-867 were first identified
in Colorado during the 1990s, following reports

00:49:22.650 --> 00:49:25.820
of numerous disappearances of hikers and Park
Rangers.

00:49:25.820 --> 00:49:30.210
The SCP Foundation dispatched a team to the
area to investigate, and they soon discovered

00:49:30.210 --> 00:49:34.400
numerous instances of the previously unidentified
tree.

00:49:34.400 --> 00:49:38.349
Several still young specimens were acquired,
though unfortunately this led to the deaths

00:49:38.349 --> 00:49:42.299
of several agents, who were not yet aware
of just how dangerous the red spruces could

00:49:42.299 --> 00:49:43.589
be.

00:49:43.589 --> 00:49:47.660
Once their threat level was properly assessed,
several specimens were flagged for containment

00:49:47.660 --> 00:49:52.339
and research purposes, while all of the other
identified instances still in the wild were

00:49:52.339 --> 00:49:53.339
destroyed.

00:49:53.339 --> 00:49:58.839
The remaining instances of SCP-867 were classified
as Euclid, and are now securely kept at a

00:49:58.839 --> 00:50:01.240
Foundation Bio-Containment site.

00:50:01.240 --> 00:50:05.280
Direct human contact with the plants is normally
not allowed, and remote rovers are used for

00:50:05.280 --> 00:50:07.660
the majority of tests and upkeep.

00:50:07.660 --> 00:50:12.280
If for any reason, it is necessary for a human
to enter 867’s containment cell, they are

00:50:12.280 --> 00:50:17.680
to wear full hazmat suits with a kevlar underlayer,
and upon exiting the cell must undergo a full

00:50:17.680 --> 00:50:19.860
herbicidal treatment and inspection.

00:50:19.860 --> 00:50:24.060
Should any possible puncture marks be discovered,
they will be forced to quarantine for no less

00:50:24.060 --> 00:50:25.250
than fifteen days.

00:50:25.250 --> 00:50:26.549
Ah nature…

00:50:26.549 --> 00:50:32.020
It's so beautiful, peaceful, and calming,
yet seems determined to try and kill us in

00:50:32.020 --> 00:50:33.640
any number of ways.

00:50:33.640 --> 00:50:38.100
If you’re out hiking or camping in the woods,
try to remember this extremely famous adage

00:50:38.100 --> 00:50:40.550
which I may, or may not, have just made up.

00:50:40.550 --> 00:50:46.730
It goes, “leaves of three, let them be,
needles of red, well… you’re probably

00:50:46.730 --> 00:50:47.730
already dead.”

00:50:47.730 --> 00:50:52.359
It’s 1:00 o’clock in the morning on a
work night and the last of the bar-hoppers

00:50:52.359 --> 00:50:55.470
and club-goers have long since turned in.

00:50:55.470 --> 00:50:59.130
At the end of the street, the last bar is
finally closing down for the night – or

00:50:59.130 --> 00:51:04.140
it would, except that the bartender is having
trouble getting rid of a customer.

00:51:04.140 --> 00:51:07.720
Sitting at the bar, an old derelict is demanding
yet another drink.

00:51:07.720 --> 00:51:09.840
The bartender grumbles in annoyance.

00:51:09.840 --> 00:51:13.640
This derelict is sloppy drunk and the bartender
just wants to go home.

00:51:13.640 --> 00:51:16.450
“Closing time,” growls the bartender.

00:51:16.450 --> 00:51:21.060
“Just one more,” protests the derelict,
shaking his empty glass for emphasis.

00:51:21.060 --> 00:51:22.100
“I’ve got money!”

00:51:22.100 --> 00:51:27.480
He laughs at his own words, his giggles ending
with a loud belch that blows a cloud of aromatic

00:51:27.480 --> 00:51:29.460
vapor into the bartender’s face.

00:51:29.460 --> 00:51:30.610
That’s it.

00:51:30.610 --> 00:51:34.380
This derelict has been hanging out at this
bar, causing trouble all night, and the bartender

00:51:34.380 --> 00:51:35.380
has had enough.

00:51:35.380 --> 00:51:39.589
“Get out of here,” says the bartender
as he hustles the wobbling derelict out the

00:51:39.589 --> 00:51:40.589
door.

00:51:40.589 --> 00:51:41.589
“You’re done!”

00:51:41.589 --> 00:51:44.839
The derelict creaks and totters as he stumbles
out into the street.

00:51:44.839 --> 00:51:47.220
The night’s festivities are really hitting
him.

00:51:47.220 --> 00:51:50.950
It isn’t often that he’s got the money
to burn, but, when he does, he likes to spend

00:51:50.950 --> 00:51:51.950
it here.

00:51:51.950 --> 00:51:55.420
The prices are right and the conversation
is minimal, which is just the way that he

00:51:55.420 --> 00:51:56.660
likes it.

00:51:56.660 --> 00:51:58.970
The derelict turns around, fire in his eyes.

00:51:58.970 --> 00:52:02.490
He’s raring to fight and he doesn’t care
that the bartender is quite a bit larger than

00:52:02.490 --> 00:52:05.780
he is – right now, all he can see is red.

00:52:05.780 --> 00:52:10.520
“Don’t tell me when I’ve had enough,”
he slurs, raising his fists as he prepares

00:52:10.520 --> 00:52:11.569
to lash out.

00:52:11.569 --> 00:52:14.780
But the bartender has already slammed the
door in his face.

00:52:14.780 --> 00:52:19.380
Defeated, the derelict turns his back on the
closed bar and starts a slow stumble down

00:52:19.380 --> 00:52:20.640
the street.

00:52:20.640 --> 00:52:25.250
“Stupid bartender,” mutters the derelict,
turning up his collar against the cold bite

00:52:25.250 --> 00:52:26.250
of the night air.

00:52:26.250 --> 00:52:30.299
He wishes that he just had one more drink
to warm his stomach against the chill.

00:52:30.299 --> 00:52:33.700
He’s so out of it that he doesn’t stop
to think that the bartender did him a favor

00:52:33.700 --> 00:52:37.700
by refusing to fight; there is no way that
the derelict would have won that battle.

00:52:37.700 --> 00:52:41.960
Even if he was in his physical prime, even
if the bartender wasn’t twice his size,

00:52:41.960 --> 00:52:46.200
the derelict is in no shape to fight: His
vision is blurry and his head is swimming.

00:52:46.200 --> 00:52:49.300
In fact, he can barely remain upright.

00:52:49.300 --> 00:52:52.890
If he had any sense, he would probably stumble
home and sleep this off.

00:52:52.890 --> 00:52:56.230
But the night is young and he’s not ready
to give up yet.

00:52:56.230 --> 00:53:00.760
He walks down the street, eying every store
front in hopes of finding another bar.

00:53:00.760 --> 00:53:03.520
Unfortunately, every window has a “closed”
sign in it.

00:53:03.520 --> 00:53:05.080
He swears under his breath.

00:53:05.080 --> 00:53:06.670
What a run of bad luck!

00:53:06.670 --> 00:53:09.960
What’s a guy supposed to do in this town,
he wonders.

00:53:09.960 --> 00:53:13.360
Just when he’s about to give up hope, he
spies something glinting in the reflective

00:53:13.360 --> 00:53:14.890
halo of a street lamp.

00:53:14.890 --> 00:53:18.530
He stumbles closer to get a better look and
he can hardly believe his eyes.

00:53:18.530 --> 00:53:20.780
Finally, his luck is changing!

00:53:20.780 --> 00:53:22.820
Someone has abandoned a half-empty bottle.

00:53:22.820 --> 00:53:26.240
“Well, hello there, little friend,” says
the derelict.

00:53:26.240 --> 00:53:28.790
He struggles to focus, but the world is spinning.

00:53:28.790 --> 00:53:31.859
In his confusion, he could swear he’s seeing
things.

00:53:31.859 --> 00:53:35.869
But no, he can feel the heft of the glass
bottle in his hand and he knows that it is

00:53:35.869 --> 00:53:37.000
as real as he is.

00:53:37.000 --> 00:53:38.859
“Who left you behind?

00:53:38.859 --> 00:53:42.250
Who would leave a perfectly good bottle just
sitting out here?”

00:53:42.250 --> 00:53:43.760
He recognizes this brand.

00:53:43.760 --> 00:53:48.180
There’s only about three fingers of liquid
left, but that’s better than nothing.

00:53:48.180 --> 00:53:51.480
Some people might balk at drinking out of
a random bottle that you found on the street,

00:53:51.480 --> 00:53:53.850
but the derelict doesn’t give it a second
thought.

00:53:53.850 --> 00:53:56.809
He tips the bottle back and slurps it all
down.

00:53:56.809 --> 00:53:59.920
It burns going down, just as it should, he
thinks.

00:53:59.920 --> 00:54:04.060
He sighs in contentment as he feels the harsh
liquid warm his stomach.

00:54:04.060 --> 00:54:05.150
Perfect!

00:54:05.150 --> 00:54:06.890
That really hit the spot.

00:54:06.890 --> 00:54:11.000
But what happens next surprises him so much
that he can’t believe his eyes.

00:54:11.000 --> 00:54:12.990
There’s still liquid in the bottle!

00:54:12.990 --> 00:54:17.430
He blinks, wondering if maybe his addled brain
is playing tricks on him, but he shakes the

00:54:17.430 --> 00:54:21.560
bottle cautiously and is rewarded with the
tell-tale swish of liquid.

00:54:21.560 --> 00:54:23.430
That’s no illusion.

00:54:23.430 --> 00:54:26.089
He takes another swig, guzzling it down.

00:54:26.089 --> 00:54:31.079
Normally, he’d drop the bottle to the floor
and stumble on, but something makes him pause.

00:54:31.079 --> 00:54:35.120
He maintains his grip on the bottleneck and
raises it again to take another look – and

00:54:35.120 --> 00:54:38.160
sure enough, there’s still more left in
the bottle!

00:54:38.160 --> 00:54:41.010
The derelict cannot believe his luck.

00:54:41.010 --> 00:54:45.140
He feels like he must have won the lottery
– he’s found a never-ending bottle!

00:54:45.140 --> 00:54:47.290
Already his mind is reeling with possibilities.

00:54:47.290 --> 00:54:52.540
“That bartender thinks he’s so smart,”
he mutters to himself as he weaves unsteadily.

00:54:52.540 --> 00:54:54.060
“But I don’t need him anymore.

00:54:54.060 --> 00:54:57.210
See if I ever go to his stupid bar again!

00:54:57.210 --> 00:54:59.609
He just lost his best customer.

00:54:59.609 --> 00:55:04.280
Now that I have you, little bottle, I don’t
ever need to pay for drinks ever again!”

00:55:04.280 --> 00:55:07.329
“This is the best day of my life!”

00:55:07.329 --> 00:55:10.369
crows the derelict, raising his arms in triumph.

00:55:10.369 --> 00:55:14.640
He’s barely able to stagger back to his
home, a seedy apartment on the bad side of

00:55:14.640 --> 00:55:17.079
town, before he passes out on the floor.

00:55:17.079 --> 00:55:21.030
The morning sun rouses the slumbering derelict
and he rises with a groan.

00:55:21.030 --> 00:55:24.339
His whole body aches and his mouth feels dry
and parched.

00:55:24.339 --> 00:55:28.660
That’s par for the course after a night
of drinking, but somehow this hangover feels

00:55:28.660 --> 00:55:29.700
different.

00:55:29.700 --> 00:55:33.910
He puts that thought out of his mind as his
mind returns to the strange never-empty bottle

00:55:33.910 --> 00:55:35.589
that he discovered the night before.

00:55:35.589 --> 00:55:38.150
It’s lying on its side on the floor, next
to him.

00:55:38.150 --> 00:55:42.579
He reaches for the mysterious bottle only
to find that, in fact, the previous night

00:55:42.579 --> 00:55:44.339
was not a dream.

00:55:44.339 --> 00:55:47.849
The bottle still contains just as much as
it did the night before.

00:55:47.849 --> 00:55:51.819
He can’t explain it, but the derelict isn’t
about to question his good fortune.

00:55:51.819 --> 00:55:55.160
He lifts himself to his feet and walks slowly
into the bathroom.

00:55:55.160 --> 00:55:57.990
He’s feeling a hangover like he’s never
felt before.

00:55:57.990 --> 00:56:00.770
His head is pounding and his throat is dry.

00:56:00.770 --> 00:56:03.220
His tongue feels swollen and sluggish inside
his mouth.

00:56:03.220 --> 00:56:07.690
But he knows how to handle it, a little hair
of the dog is all you need to help with a

00:56:07.690 --> 00:56:08.690
hangover.

00:56:08.690 --> 00:56:12.020
He takes another gulp from his bottle, but
this time it brings little relief.

00:56:12.020 --> 00:56:14.440
And he notices something else strange too.

00:56:14.440 --> 00:56:15.880
It's his scalp.

00:56:15.880 --> 00:56:19.230
The skin on his head has started to itch and
he can’t stop scratching.

00:56:19.230 --> 00:56:22.079
He feels like he’s got the world’s worst
dandruff problem.

00:56:22.079 --> 00:56:25.089
He should probably take a shower, he thinks.

00:56:25.089 --> 00:56:29.119
He strips down and steps into the tub, turning
the hot water on full blast and letting it

00:56:29.119 --> 00:56:30.119
wash over him.

00:56:30.119 --> 00:56:32.800
The shower only brings him temporary relief.

00:56:32.800 --> 00:56:37.900
Afterward, as he dries himself off, the towels
feel rough and abrasive against his skin.

00:56:37.900 --> 00:56:43.089
His skin comes off in big flaky patches and
his nails leave red trails in their wake.

00:56:43.089 --> 00:56:44.109
What’s that?

00:56:44.109 --> 00:56:45.640
Is that blood?

00:56:45.640 --> 00:56:49.569
He examines his fingers to see that his nails
have grown into ragged claw-like talons.

00:56:49.569 --> 00:56:52.100
With a frightened yelp, he bites them off.

00:56:52.100 --> 00:56:53.859
It’s easy to do.

00:56:53.859 --> 00:56:58.210
Although they look formidable, his fingernails
are weak and brittle, almost as if he’s

00:56:58.210 --> 00:56:59.990
dealing with a sudden calcium deficiency.

00:56:59.990 --> 00:57:01.590
What could be wrong with him?

00:57:01.590 --> 00:57:05.140
He remembers all the warnings he heard back
in school, when they used to march everyone

00:57:05.140 --> 00:57:08.330
into assembly to listen to lectures from the
local police.

00:57:08.330 --> 00:57:12.270
At the time, he scoffed at the long lists
of scary-sounding consequences of a lifetime

00:57:12.270 --> 00:57:15.420
of drinking, but now he’s not so sure.

00:57:15.420 --> 00:57:20.069
“It’s probably nothing,” he says as
he examines himself in the bathroom mirror.

00:57:20.069 --> 00:57:22.230
His skin looks blotchy and infected.

00:57:22.230 --> 00:57:26.260
It doesn’t take long before his hair and
nails are out of control.

00:57:26.260 --> 00:57:30.910
His hair grows down to shoulders, but comes
out in big ragged clumps if he runs his fingers

00:57:30.910 --> 00:57:31.910
through it.

00:57:31.910 --> 00:57:36.049
His clawlike fingernails are constantly breaking
and cracking until his fingertips are bloody

00:57:36.049 --> 00:57:38.000
and his quick is itchy and infected.

00:57:38.000 --> 00:57:43.569
If his habits had left him looking worse for
wear before, he really looks awful now.

00:57:43.569 --> 00:57:46.210
For the next week, he barely leaves the apartment.

00:57:46.210 --> 00:57:50.170
He pulls the curtains and keeps the lights
off, afraid that someone might see him.

00:57:50.170 --> 00:57:53.720
When the landlord bangs on the door, shouting
that the rent is late and demanding that the

00:57:53.720 --> 00:57:56.810
derelict hand over the money, he doesn’t
answer.

00:57:56.810 --> 00:57:57.869
He waits.

00:57:57.869 --> 00:57:59.630
The landlord gives up, for now.

00:57:59.630 --> 00:58:01.920
That’s good, thinks the derelict.

00:58:01.920 --> 00:58:05.990
It will give him time to think, time to figure
out what to do about his disease.

00:58:05.990 --> 00:58:07.980
He knows that something is not right.

00:58:07.980 --> 00:58:11.640
Many of the local bartenders are, by now,
probably wondering where he’s gone.

00:58:11.640 --> 00:58:15.140
It’s not like the derelict to stay away;
he’s practically kept the bar industry in

00:58:15.140 --> 00:58:17.250
this town afloat all by himself.

00:58:17.250 --> 00:58:20.970
It must be something major indeed to keep
him away from his favorite poison.

00:58:20.970 --> 00:58:25.480
Luckily, he still has the bottomless bottle
to comfort him during this trying time.

00:58:25.480 --> 00:58:29.119
The derelict is certain that he’s caught
some bad bug, but he thinks that he can wait

00:58:29.119 --> 00:58:30.119
it out.

00:58:30.119 --> 00:58:34.750
All he needs to do is make it through the
next week and everything will be fine.

00:58:34.750 --> 00:58:38.430
Sipping free drinks helps him to pass the
time in a pleasant stupor as he waits for

00:58:38.430 --> 00:58:40.530
his health to return.

00:58:40.530 --> 00:58:44.010
Unfortunately, things are only going to get
worse for him.

00:58:44.010 --> 00:58:46.940
His hair and fingernails keep growing, to
the point that he has trouble lifting the

00:58:46.940 --> 00:58:49.560
bottle without his twisted nails getting in
the way.

00:58:49.560 --> 00:58:53.940
His dry flaky skin is changing as well, becoming
thick and leathery and hanging off him in

00:58:53.940 --> 00:58:57.359
great folds like the hide of an elephant or
a rhinoceros.

00:58:57.359 --> 00:59:01.720
His skin continues to grow, until the folds
flop over his knees and gradually hang lower

00:59:01.720 --> 00:59:04.210
and lower until they touch the ground.

00:59:04.210 --> 00:59:06.789
Moving is harder now that he’s carrying
so much extra weight.

00:59:06.789 --> 00:59:11.500
He thought at first he just had a nasty bug,
but he’s clearly picked up some weird skin

00:59:11.500 --> 00:59:16.640
condition and even this derelict, sotted as
he might be, suspects exactly where he got

00:59:16.640 --> 00:59:17.640
it.

00:59:17.640 --> 00:59:20.270
It’s got to be that crazy bottomless bottle!

00:59:20.270 --> 00:59:22.270
He can’t think of another reason.

00:59:22.270 --> 00:59:25.809
Even so, he can’t bring himself to part
with this little gift from heaven.

00:59:25.809 --> 00:59:30.760
Even in his darkest hour, a few sips of liquid
courage always help to calm his nerves.

00:59:30.760 --> 00:59:34.500
He considers lumbering down to the free clinic,
in hopes that they might be able to cure him

00:59:34.500 --> 00:59:36.740
or at least tell him what’s wrong with skin.

00:59:36.740 --> 00:59:38.569
But he thinks better of this option.

00:59:38.569 --> 00:59:42.300
What if he’s got some weird alien parasite
that no one has ever seen before?

00:59:42.300 --> 00:59:45.220
They might lock him away in some government
lab or something.

00:59:45.220 --> 00:59:47.680
No, he reasons, it’s better to wait it out.

00:59:47.680 --> 00:59:52.050
He’ll sleep it off, swear off the sauce
for a little while, and maybe it’ll pass.

00:59:52.050 --> 00:59:56.210
In desperation, the derelict drags himself
across the floor, hoping to at least find

00:59:56.210 --> 00:59:58.589
some solace away from human contact.

00:59:58.589 --> 01:00:02.190
He locks himself into his bedroom while he’s
still able to manipulate the lock on his door

01:00:02.190 --> 01:00:06.500
– the extra folds of skin are hanging off
of his hands and arms making it hard to do

01:00:06.500 --> 01:00:07.500
anything!

01:00:07.500 --> 01:00:11.520
The extra skin is so heavy that he can’t
walk much carrying all that extra weight.

01:00:11.520 --> 01:00:15.599
He lies on the floor of his bedroom, away
from everything, and hopes that tomorrow,

01:00:15.599 --> 01:00:18.849
when he wakes up, this will just be a fading
dream.

01:00:18.849 --> 01:00:23.330
The only thing that brings him solace is the
never-ending bottle, which, even now in his

01:00:23.330 --> 01:00:26.530
advanced state of decay, he keeps close by
him.

01:00:26.530 --> 01:00:29.890
After all, he reasons, the damage is already
done.

01:00:29.890 --> 01:00:32.500
What could possibly be the harm in enjoying
a nice drink?

01:00:32.500 --> 01:00:35.650
A week later, his condition has not passed.

01:00:35.650 --> 01:00:39.410
The landlord is back and this time he’s
not taking no for an answer.

01:00:39.410 --> 01:00:43.120
The landlord isn’t supposed to enter his
tenant’s apartment without permission, but

01:00:43.120 --> 01:00:44.120
he doesn’t care.

01:00:44.120 --> 01:00:47.609
He uses his own key to unlock the door and
go inside.

01:00:47.609 --> 01:00:49.780
The condition of the apartment is appalling.

01:00:49.780 --> 01:00:54.000
The furniture is broken, the floor is covered
with unidentifiable filth, and there’s a

01:00:54.000 --> 01:00:55.520
rotten stench in the air.

01:00:55.520 --> 01:00:59.109
The landlord wants to throw up as the full
weight of the musty smell hits him in the

01:00:59.109 --> 01:01:00.109
face.

01:01:00.109 --> 01:01:03.600
It’s as if someone has been living in here
without any ventilation, with all the windows

01:01:03.600 --> 01:01:05.880
firmly closed and sealed.

01:01:05.880 --> 01:01:08.730
A sudden noise from the bathroom draws his
attention.

01:01:08.730 --> 01:01:11.869
Of course, thinks the landlord, that old bum
is hiding in there.

01:01:11.869 --> 01:01:13.119
He thinks I won’t find him.

01:01:13.119 --> 01:01:17.010
The landlord steels his resolve and heads
toward the bathroom, determined to get the

01:01:17.010 --> 01:01:19.099
money that he feels is owed to him.

01:01:19.099 --> 01:01:23.990
But what greets him when he steps through
the door isn’t the derelict anymore…

01:01:23.990 --> 01:01:25.210
it isn’t even human.

01:01:25.210 --> 01:01:29.450
The creature in the bathroom is a massive
pile of ambulatory skin folds.

01:01:29.450 --> 01:01:34.339
The skin flaps have grown so large and cumbersome
that the derelict within can barely move.

01:01:34.339 --> 01:01:38.809
They sprout all over his body, covering him
so that he looks more like some kind of alien

01:01:38.809 --> 01:01:40.950
sea cucumber now than any human.

01:01:40.950 --> 01:01:45.390
The landlord stumbles backwards, screaming
in terror at the sight, unable to comprehend

01:01:45.390 --> 01:01:46.770
what he’s looking at.

01:01:46.770 --> 01:01:51.260
Improbably, the creature reacts to the noise
and a ripple of movement spreads across its

01:01:51.260 --> 01:01:52.260
surface.

01:01:52.260 --> 01:01:55.059
It starts to move, despite not having any
legs.

01:01:55.059 --> 01:01:59.430
The landlord is so terrified that he doesn’t
notice the glass bottle that suddenly drops

01:01:59.430 --> 01:02:04.230
from between the creature’s skin folds as
it starts to move toward him – the same

01:02:04.230 --> 01:02:08.180
bottle, still with three fingers of liquid
inside.

01:02:08.180 --> 01:02:10.180
How could something like this happen?

01:02:10.180 --> 01:02:14.690
What parasite or disease did the derelict
contract from the miracle bottle he found.

01:02:14.690 --> 01:02:19.320
Sadly, this never ending bottle isn’t a
boon, but a curse, and the man who found it

01:02:19.320 --> 01:02:27.200
that night became just another victim of what
the SCP Foundation has classified as SCP-420.

01:02:27.200 --> 01:02:31.570
SCP-420 looks like a perfectly ordinary bottle
of a certain popular libation, even to the

01:02:31.570 --> 01:02:34.240
point that it bears the label of a common
brand.

01:02:34.240 --> 01:02:40.849
The bottle always contains a small amount
of a mysterious liquid known as SCP-420-1.

01:02:40.849 --> 01:02:45.829
If this liquid is poured out, SCP-420 will
always replenish itself.

01:02:45.829 --> 01:02:51.400
When SCP-420-1 is potent, it is physically,
chemically, and molecularly indistinguishable

01:02:51.400 --> 01:02:55.390
from ordinary whiskey – although drinking
will have an effect far greater than even

01:02:55.390 --> 01:02:57.089
the strongest liquor.

01:02:57.089 --> 01:03:04.241
When SCP-420-1 is poured out of SCP-420, though,
it undergoes a strange transformation, eventually

01:03:04.241 --> 01:03:09.090
losing its potency and changing until it is
indistinguishable physically, chemically,

01:03:09.090 --> 01:03:12.069
or molecularly from urine.

01:03:12.069 --> 01:03:18.220
Consuming potent SCP-420-1 instigates a bizarre
physical transformation, called SCP-420-2,

01:03:18.220 --> 01:03:21.119
in six stages.

01:03:21.119 --> 01:03:26.260
In stage one, beginning 12 hours after consumption,
the subject will start to have difficulty

01:03:26.260 --> 01:03:31.140
speaking, resulting in slurred speech that
is not consistent with normal alcohol inebriation.

01:03:31.140 --> 01:03:35.680
Their fingernails, toenails, and hair will
start to grow at an accelerated rate, but

01:03:35.680 --> 01:03:38.030
also become brittle and prone to breakage.

01:03:38.030 --> 01:03:42.359
Nail breakage to the quick often leads to
bleeding and infection.

01:03:42.359 --> 01:03:47.930
The Foundation has had some success in curing
SCP-420-2 if it is caught when still in stage

01:03:47.930 --> 01:03:52.630
one, treating it as if it is an aggressive
form of cancer with radiation and chemotherapy

01:03:52.630 --> 01:03:59.819
as well as a constant intravenous supply of
formula 420-a09t-t174b.

01:03:59.819 --> 01:04:04.670
Victims thus treated have a 73% recovery rate
but a 21% fatality rate.

01:04:04.670 --> 01:04:10.220
From phase 2 onward, this protocol can slow
the spread of SCP-420-2 but will not stop

01:04:10.220 --> 01:04:11.900
it entirely.

01:04:11.900 --> 01:04:16.410
In stage two, beginning one to two weeks after
stage one, the subject’s skin begins to

01:04:16.410 --> 01:04:21.180
show similar properties to those exhibited
by hair and fingernails in stage one, becoming

01:04:21.180 --> 01:04:23.630
dry, brittle, and prone to cracking.

01:04:23.630 --> 01:04:28.700
As old skin flakes off, the subject’s new
skin begins to grow at an accelerated rate,

01:04:28.700 --> 01:04:32.710
eventually forming thick leathery folds all
over the subject’s body.

01:04:32.710 --> 01:04:37.010
Skin flaps growing inside the mouth interfere
with speech and eventually render subjects

01:04:37.010 --> 01:04:40.540
mute, but do not appear to impede breathing
or eating.

01:04:40.540 --> 01:04:45.750
Indeed, subjects in stage two exhibit a renewed
interest in eating, possibly because the subject’s

01:04:45.750 --> 01:04:50.310
body requires additional nutrients and calories
to build the increasingly heavy armor of thickened,

01:04:50.310 --> 01:04:51.789
calloused skin.

01:04:51.789 --> 01:04:55.500
Stage two subjects will eat anything that
they can get their hands on and many die after

01:04:55.500 --> 01:04:58.869
attempting to eat poisonous or inedible objects.

01:04:58.869 --> 01:05:04.640
In stage 3, beginning three to six weeks after
stage 2, nerves in the skin layer grow uncontrollably,

01:05:04.640 --> 01:05:07.720
but no longer connect to the victim’s central
nervous system.

01:05:07.720 --> 01:05:12.400
Genetic testing of the skin in this stage
reveals that its DNA has become so mutated

01:05:12.400 --> 01:05:15.430
that it can no longer be classified as human.

01:05:15.430 --> 01:05:20.470
It is, in fact, a separate and very inhuman
organism that almost acts as a parasite growing

01:05:20.470 --> 01:05:21.940
from the human host.

01:05:21.940 --> 01:05:26.410
The skin may develop tumor-like growths, which
appear to be analogous to human muscle and

01:05:26.410 --> 01:05:28.000
secretory cells.

01:05:28.000 --> 01:05:31.460
Hair and fingernails sprout randomly from
the mass of skin.

01:05:31.460 --> 01:05:37.430
By stage 4, beginning 3 to 7 days after stage
3, the skin has become a mass of thick, leathery

01:05:37.430 --> 01:05:41.990
folds completely covering the human host to
the point that they disappear completely.

01:05:41.990 --> 01:05:45.859
The skin begins to exhibit random twitching
movements as though it is indeed a living

01:05:45.859 --> 01:05:50.900
organism finally coming into its own as a
lifeform and testing out its new body.

01:05:50.900 --> 01:05:55.030
The human subject within the skin continues
to eat, although brain scans reveal that they

01:05:55.030 --> 01:05:57.609
are no longer in control of their mouth.

01:05:57.609 --> 01:06:02.670
Instead, the skin entity forces the mouth
to move by moving the attached skin.

01:06:02.670 --> 01:06:07.119
Small holes begin to form in the skin, eventually
growing into narrow tunnels or “throats”

01:06:07.119 --> 01:06:10.599
that lead back to the now trapped body of
the helpless subject.

01:06:10.599 --> 01:06:14.761
The subject is still consumed with a ravenous
hunger and will eat anything that they can

01:06:14.761 --> 01:06:16.530
get in their mouth.

01:06:16.530 --> 01:06:21.700
In stage five, beginning one to two days after
stage 4, the skin begins to move in patterns

01:06:21.700 --> 01:06:24.000
indicating rudimentary intelligence.

01:06:24.000 --> 01:06:28.950
The skin, although still attached to the original
subject, is now completely and distinctly

01:06:28.950 --> 01:06:31.359
non-human – it is its own organism.

01:06:31.359 --> 01:06:36.000
It can move of its own accord, dragging the
trapped host along for the ride, and it moves

01:06:36.000 --> 01:06:39.660
and feeds much in the manner of an extremely
large amoeba.

01:06:39.660 --> 01:06:44.230
It feeds by excreting a digestive enzyme onto
foodstuffs and then enveloping the nutrients

01:06:44.230 --> 01:06:48.180
with its skin folds, again like an amoeba
surrounding its food.

01:06:48.180 --> 01:06:50.539
The food is taken into the “throats.”

01:06:50.539 --> 01:06:54.240
These tunnels connecting the outside of the
skin to the now completely subsumed host are

01:06:54.240 --> 01:06:59.140
now directly connected to the host’s circulatory
system and function as additional mouths – they

01:06:59.140 --> 01:07:02.940
can consume nutrients which are moved down
their length by bristly hairs and further

01:07:02.940 --> 01:07:07.990
broken down by grinding keratinous plates
before being taken into the host’s body.

01:07:07.990 --> 01:07:12.640
Most hosts will remain in stage five indefinitely,
although there still remains a much more dangerous

01:07:12.640 --> 01:07:15.030
stage six yet to come.

01:07:15.030 --> 01:07:22.240
At this time, it’s unknown what factor triggers
SCP-420-2 to develop into stage six.

01:07:22.240 --> 01:07:25.990
Little information about stage six is available
at this time, although it is known that it

01:07:25.990 --> 01:07:30.720
involves even more accelerated skin and keratin
growth, resulting in a sudden increase in

01:07:30.720 --> 01:07:33.170
size and mass.

01:07:33.170 --> 01:07:37.480
Perhaps the most terrifying part of the entire
transformation is that the host remains alive

01:07:37.480 --> 01:07:43.470
for the duration of the process and sometimes
even after SCP-420-2 has settled comfortably

01:07:43.470 --> 01:07:45.650
into its new life at stage five.

01:07:45.650 --> 01:07:50.060
Mercifully, most hosts will have completely
succumbed to insanity by this point, although

01:07:50.060 --> 01:07:55.140
some are shown by brain scans to still be
self-aware and quite calm, perhaps fading

01:07:55.140 --> 01:07:59.340
into a zen-like state as they accept the inevitability
of their fate.

01:07:59.340 --> 01:08:04.859
SCP-420 is contained in a storage locker at
an undisclosed site maintained by the Foundation

01:08:04.859 --> 01:08:09.690
and it is only to be removed from this locker
by SCP staff with level 3 clearance or higher.

01:08:09.690 --> 01:08:14.089
It has been given the Safe class, because,
despite the horrifying nature of its effects,

01:08:14.089 --> 01:08:16.640
at least it doesn’t move anywhere.

01:08:16.640 --> 01:08:22.780
Samples of SCP-420-1 not in use for testing
should be stored in the container marked "SCP-420-1-decon"

01:08:22.780 --> 01:08:31.009
in locker 1014-420 until they lose potency,
at which time they can be disposed of as biohazardous

01:08:31.009 --> 01:08:32.640
liquid waste.

01:08:32.640 --> 01:08:38.409
Victims infected with SCP-420-2 are not contagious
and should be contained in standard solitary

01:08:38.409 --> 01:08:40.299
D-class secure confinement.

01:08:40.299 --> 01:08:43.620
On reaching phase 3, subjects should receive
double rations.

01:08:43.620 --> 01:08:48.350
Due to the extreme danger of Phase 6, any
subjects who reach phase 4 should be closely

01:08:48.350 --> 01:08:52.279
monitored for signs that the condition may
be advancing further, in which case they are

01:08:52.279 --> 01:08:55.400
to be immediately destroyed by incineration.

01:08:55.400 --> 01:09:00.100
Knowing the fate that befalls victims of SCP-420
should make anyone think twice about drinking

01:09:00.100 --> 01:09:03.250
out of a random bottle that you just find
in the street.

01:09:03.250 --> 01:09:06.489
Though personally, I think that’s just common
sense…

01:09:06.489 --> 01:09:09.100
A young woman steps onto her bathroom scale.

01:09:09.100 --> 01:09:13.250
She holds her breath and squeezes her eyes
shut, afraid to see the results as she listens

01:09:13.250 --> 01:09:14.420
to the dial spinning.

01:09:14.420 --> 01:09:18.660
When it slows to a stop, she opens her eyes
and looks down.

01:09:18.660 --> 01:09:20.280
She balks at the result.

01:09:20.280 --> 01:09:21.540
150 pounds!

01:09:21.540 --> 01:09:23.980
That’s unacceptable in her eyes.

01:09:23.980 --> 01:09:27.410
She steps off the scale and examines her reflection
in the full-length mirror.

01:09:27.410 --> 01:09:31.830
In truth, her weight is far from out of control,
but when she looks at herself she can’t

01:09:31.830 --> 01:09:36.449
help but see flaws – the subtle ring of
pudge around her middle, the way her butt

01:09:36.449 --> 01:09:40.880
sticks out just a little too far for her liking,
the very faint thickness around her cheeks

01:09:40.880 --> 01:09:43.930
and chin that hint at her history of snacking.

01:09:43.930 --> 01:09:46.320
As she leaves the bathroom, she reflects on
her situation.

01:09:46.320 --> 01:09:48.430
Of course, she’s gaining weight.

01:09:48.430 --> 01:09:49.670
How could it be any other way?

01:09:49.670 --> 01:09:53.859
For the last two years, she’s been in lock-down
during a pandemic and she’s barely left

01:09:53.859 --> 01:09:54.989
her apartment.

01:09:54.989 --> 01:09:59.080
She let her gym membership lapse and instead
of cycling to work, she’s instead taken

01:09:59.080 --> 01:10:00.940
the easy way out by just driving.

01:10:00.940 --> 01:10:04.970
And it’s not like she gets much exercise
in her free time either.

01:10:04.970 --> 01:10:09.239
During these last two years of isolation,
she’s mostly stayed in and watched television.

01:10:09.239 --> 01:10:13.800
She’s discovered a particular love for trashy
daytime talk shows and court dramas.

01:10:13.800 --> 01:10:17.090
Intellectually, she knows that they’re the
equivalent of junk food, but, at the same

01:10:17.090 --> 01:10:20.600
time, there is a certain mindless charm to
them.

01:10:20.600 --> 01:10:24.640
She would be embarrassed to admit it to any
of her friends, but she does enjoy just turning

01:10:24.640 --> 01:10:29.690
off her brain and absorbing some silly talk
show about professional stunt dwarves or Satan-worshipping

01:10:29.690 --> 01:10:31.330
furry juggalos.

01:10:31.330 --> 01:10:34.690
That sort of entertainment has been a boon
to get her through the tough times.

01:10:34.690 --> 01:10:37.340
Nevertheless, it’s time to make a change.

01:10:37.340 --> 01:10:40.230
She promises herself that she’s going to
get into shape.

01:10:40.230 --> 01:10:43.710
Today, instead of vegging on the couch, she’s
going to make an effort.

01:10:43.710 --> 01:10:48.190
She’s going to go out and get some exercise
and, she tells herself, she’s going to watch

01:10:48.190 --> 01:10:51.260
those extra pounds melt away right before
her eyes.

01:10:51.260 --> 01:10:53.719
She hopes that her old gym clothes will still
fit her.

01:10:53.719 --> 01:10:58.040
After all, she’s definitely put on some
extra weight since her last trip to the gym.

01:10:58.040 --> 01:11:01.840
After rummaging through her drawers, she finds
what she’s looking for – her spandex gym

01:11:01.840 --> 01:11:03.250
shorts and sports bra.

01:11:03.250 --> 01:11:07.050
She quickly changes her clothes and is relieved
to see that, although they might be a little

01:11:07.050 --> 01:11:09.730
snugger than she would like, they still fit
her pretty well.

01:11:09.730 --> 01:11:10.850
That’s a good sign!

01:11:10.850 --> 01:11:14.850
She probably won’t even have to work very
hard to get herself down to her ideal weight.

01:11:14.850 --> 01:11:17.610
“It’s all a matter of willpower,” she
tells herself.

01:11:17.610 --> 01:11:21.200
“I was fit before, so that means I should
be able to do it again.

01:11:21.200 --> 01:11:23.040
All I have to do is avoid temptation.

01:11:23.040 --> 01:11:27.370
I’ll just have to make sure I stay active
instead of watching trash TV all day.

01:11:27.370 --> 01:11:29.940
After all, I don’t want to rot my brain
too much.”

01:11:29.940 --> 01:11:34.060
On the first day, she actually does an admirable
job of sticking to her plan.

01:11:34.060 --> 01:11:37.780
She cycles to work, enjoying the fresh air
and the reassuring post-workout burn in her

01:11:37.780 --> 01:11:41.200
legs that let her know that she’s making
progress.

01:11:41.200 --> 01:11:46.770
She throws away all the junk food in her refrigerator
and goes shopping for healthy fruits and vegetables.

01:11:46.770 --> 01:11:50.449
And, most important of all, she limits her
television time.

01:11:50.449 --> 01:11:55.071
She knows that trashy TV is probably her biggest
addiction, even more than junk food, so she

01:11:55.071 --> 01:11:57.210
needs to be careful of that.

01:11:57.210 --> 01:12:00.480
On the second day, though, she notices something
strange.

01:12:00.480 --> 01:12:04.679
She starts off with a simple, healthy breakfast
– just some granola and a glass of juice.

01:12:04.679 --> 01:12:08.760
It’s barely enough to satisfy her, but she
knows that she has to make sacrifices if she

01:12:08.760 --> 01:12:11.450
expects to actually lose any weight.

01:12:11.450 --> 01:12:14.360
After breakfast, she decides to go out for
a jog.

01:12:14.360 --> 01:12:17.460
As she’s out on the street, she’s overcome
with sudden hunger.

01:12:17.460 --> 01:12:19.620
Of course, that’s to be expected.

01:12:19.620 --> 01:12:23.409
She’s on a diet now, so it’s going to
take some time to adjust to these smaller

01:12:23.409 --> 01:12:24.520
meals.

01:12:24.520 --> 01:12:27.150
She puts her hand to her rumbling stomach
and grimaces.

01:12:27.150 --> 01:12:29.030
She’s never felt THIS hungry before!

01:12:29.030 --> 01:12:32.760
If she didn’t know better, she would think
that she hadn’t eaten for a week with the

01:12:32.760 --> 01:12:34.909
amount of pain that she’s feeling.

01:12:34.909 --> 01:12:38.580
In fact, she’s actually starting to feel
a little woozy and she has to lean against

01:12:38.580 --> 01:12:40.630
a light post to keep from fainting.

01:12:40.630 --> 01:12:42.560
She shakes her head to clear her thoughts.

01:12:42.560 --> 01:12:47.580
Okay, she thinks, I must have misjudged how
many calories I need to get me through a morning.

01:12:47.580 --> 01:12:49.620
Her eyes stray to a nearby coffee shop.

01:12:49.620 --> 01:12:50.620
She sighs in relief.

01:12:50.620 --> 01:12:54.651
She thinks to herself: I’ll just pop in
there and get myself a small snack, just a

01:12:54.651 --> 01:12:57.010
little something to keep my blood sugar up.

01:12:57.010 --> 01:13:00.120
She walks into the café and gets in line.

01:13:00.120 --> 01:13:04.500
As she waits, she can’t help but stare at
the rows of pastries on display under the

01:13:04.500 --> 01:13:05.500
glass.

01:13:05.500 --> 01:13:08.949
They all look delicious and she is REALLY
hungry.

01:13:08.949 --> 01:13:12.639
She fully intends to only get a bagel with
a little smear of cream cheese, but when she

01:13:12.639 --> 01:13:16.190
gets to the counter she finds herself ordering
way too much food.

01:13:16.190 --> 01:13:19.810
“I’d like two scones, three danishes,
and a bear claw,” she says.

01:13:19.810 --> 01:13:22.632
“Also a large super raspberry Frappuccino
with extra syrup and whip cream!”

01:13:22.632 --> 01:13:27.500
The words just tumble out of her mouth almost
as if it’s not her saying them, but rather

01:13:27.500 --> 01:13:29.420
some other voice speaking through her mouth…

01:13:29.420 --> 01:13:30.420
“What the!?

01:13:30.420 --> 01:13:31.760
I didn’t say that!”

01:13:31.760 --> 01:13:33.230
she stammers.

01:13:33.230 --> 01:13:37.050
The clerk behind the counter eyes her strangely
and the young woman feels too embarrassed

01:13:37.050 --> 01:13:38.820
to protest further.

01:13:38.820 --> 01:13:42.840
She steps aside and waits for her order, pondering
the strange event that just happened.

01:13:42.840 --> 01:13:43.969
Is she possessed?

01:13:43.969 --> 01:13:47.950
She’s not a superstitious person, but she
can’t think of any other explanation for

01:13:47.950 --> 01:13:49.239
what just happened.

01:13:49.239 --> 01:13:53.140
She can admit to herself that she has broken
down and lost to temptation over a tasty snack

01:13:53.140 --> 01:13:54.989
in the past, but this?

01:13:54.989 --> 01:13:56.179
This is ridiculous.

01:13:56.179 --> 01:14:00.780
Eventually, when the clerk hands her the order,
she rationalizes the whole thing away.

01:14:00.780 --> 01:14:04.120
“I must just be having a hunger hallucination,”
she says to herself.

01:14:04.120 --> 01:14:08.460
“Obviously, I need to be a little more careful
about not being so strict about my diet.

01:14:08.460 --> 01:14:12.710
I’m sure if I just eat sensibly, I won’t
have an experience like that again.”

01:14:12.710 --> 01:14:16.380
Her stomach grumbles again, reminding her
of the original reason why she stepped into

01:14:16.380 --> 01:14:17.730
this coffee shop.

01:14:17.730 --> 01:14:20.980
She retreats to a table in the corner and
tears open the bag.

01:14:20.980 --> 01:14:24.890
She wolves down her pastries with gusto and
slurps at her rich, creamy drink.

01:14:24.890 --> 01:14:27.989
When she’s finished, she sighs in satisfaction…

01:14:27.989 --> 01:14:32.300
although the uncomfortable full feeling in
her belly reminds her of her predicament.

01:14:32.300 --> 01:14:36.550
She only meant to eat enough to keep her from
fainting, but instead, she’s eating herself

01:14:36.550 --> 01:14:37.550
silly.

01:14:37.550 --> 01:14:39.300
And it’s only day two of the diet!

01:14:39.300 --> 01:14:41.090
This does not bode well.

01:14:41.090 --> 01:14:42.640
“Okay,” she tells herself.

01:14:42.640 --> 01:14:44.070
“This is my last cheat!

01:14:44.070 --> 01:14:47.469
From now on, I’m going to be serious about
this diet.”

01:14:47.469 --> 01:14:51.200
She stands up and leaves the café, ready
to complete the rest of her jog.

01:14:51.200 --> 01:14:54.429
But then something even stranger happens…

01:14:54.429 --> 01:14:57.409
On the television, the matriarch of the family
is furious.

01:14:57.409 --> 01:15:00.711
She has forbidden her daughter from marrying
the gardener because she believes that he

01:15:00.711 --> 01:15:02.940
is too low class for her high-borne daughter.

01:15:02.940 --> 01:15:06.790
But what she doesn’t realize is that her
daughter is in love and that she is determined

01:15:06.790 --> 01:15:08.070
to make it work.

01:15:08.070 --> 01:15:11.750
The daughter and the gardener have eloped
and the matriarch is hiring a private detective

01:15:11.750 --> 01:15:12.960
to track them down.

01:15:12.960 --> 01:15:16.949
Meanwhile, the matriarch’s long-lost twin
brother, whom she thought died in a plane

01:15:16.949 --> 01:15:19.989
crash in the tropics, has actually been alive
the entire time.

01:15:19.989 --> 01:15:24.120
He has been in a South American hospital,
recovering from amnesia, but now he returns

01:15:24.120 --> 01:15:28.159
to the family estate, ready to claim his share
of the inheritance.

01:15:28.159 --> 01:15:32.130
These events are all noted by the family’s
shady lawyer, who has big plans to usurp the

01:15:32.130 --> 01:15:34.179
family fortune himself.

01:15:34.179 --> 01:15:37.620
Unbeknownst to the family, he is actually
secretly working for their mortal enemies

01:15:37.620 --> 01:15:38.910
and business rivals to destroy them!

01:15:38.910 --> 01:15:43.000
The young woman laughs, shoving a handful
of potato chips into her mouth.

01:15:43.000 --> 01:15:45.490
“Oh man, I wouldn’t want to be in their
shoes now!

01:15:45.490 --> 01:15:48.120
That lawyer is playing them all like fiddles!”

01:15:48.120 --> 01:15:51.620
Suddenly, she startles, as if she’s just
waking up.

01:15:51.620 --> 01:15:52.620
Where is she?

01:15:52.620 --> 01:15:54.090
Wasn’t she just in that coffee shop?

01:15:54.090 --> 01:15:55.600
How is it that she’s at home?

01:15:55.600 --> 01:15:58.340
And why is she eating potato chips?

01:15:58.340 --> 01:16:01.680
She was sure that she threw out all the junk
food in the house; she must have bought a

01:16:01.680 --> 01:16:05.390
bag on her way back home from jogging, but
she literally cannot remember it!

01:16:05.390 --> 01:16:08.780
And what is she doing now, watching television
and eating junk food?

01:16:08.780 --> 01:16:12.340
In disgust, she grabs the remote and shuts
off the TV.

01:16:12.340 --> 01:16:16.150
She was supposed to be jogging and instead
she’s sitting at home and watching stupid

01:16:16.150 --> 01:16:17.650
soap operas!

01:16:17.650 --> 01:16:20.139
The thing that worries her the most is her
apparent black-out.

01:16:20.139 --> 01:16:23.790
She remembers nothing about her trip home
from the coffee shop, although the evidence

01:16:23.790 --> 01:16:27.659
of the potato chip bag indicates that she
must have stopped at a convenience store or

01:16:27.659 --> 01:16:29.490
supermarket on the way home.

01:16:29.490 --> 01:16:31.590
How could she forget something like that?

01:16:31.590 --> 01:16:36.310
“I really must be having a blood sugar issue,”
she tells herself reassuringly, even though

01:16:36.310 --> 01:16:39.199
deep down she knows that can’t be the case.

01:16:39.199 --> 01:16:43.390
She had the blackout AFTER eating the pastries
at the coffee shop, so that can’t be the

01:16:43.390 --> 01:16:44.390
cause.

01:16:44.390 --> 01:16:47.060
But she really doesn’t want to think about
that, so she puts it out of her head with

01:16:47.060 --> 01:16:50.199
a renewed promise to commit to her exercise
and fitness program.

01:16:50.199 --> 01:16:54.230
Over the next few days, she makes a valiant
effort to keep her promise.

01:16:54.230 --> 01:16:57.190
She cycles when she can, she jogs when she
remembers.

01:16:57.190 --> 01:16:59.620
And yet, the blackouts continue.

01:16:59.620 --> 01:17:03.650
And no matter where she is when she loses
her memory, she always recovers in the same

01:17:03.650 --> 01:17:07.990
place: back home on her couch, always in the
middle of eating some fatty junk food, always

01:17:07.990 --> 01:17:09.720
staring at the television set.

01:17:09.720 --> 01:17:13.970
Sure, she’s always had an unhealthy television
habit and she knows that trashy talk shows

01:17:13.970 --> 01:17:16.460
and silly soap operas are her biggest weakness….

01:17:16.460 --> 01:17:19.660
But it doesn’t make any sense that she would
be seeking them out when she’s in some kind

01:17:19.660 --> 01:17:21.480
of fugue state, right?

01:17:21.480 --> 01:17:25.159
As the weeks roll by, the young woman finds
that her weight keeps rising.

01:17:25.159 --> 01:17:29.670
When she steps onto the bathroom scale, she’s
shocked to see that the dial points to 200

01:17:29.670 --> 01:17:30.670
pounds.

01:17:30.670 --> 01:17:33.010
She’s doing everything right, she thinks,
how is that possible?

01:17:33.010 --> 01:17:36.969
How is it possible that she’s ballooned
up an extra 50 pounds since deciding to slim

01:17:36.969 --> 01:17:37.969
down?

01:17:37.969 --> 01:17:39.310
She can’t fit into her old gym clothes anymore.

01:17:39.310 --> 01:17:43.750
She can barely tug the spandex shorts up her
thighs and, even if she could, she’s afraid

01:17:43.750 --> 01:17:45.230
that they’re going to split apart.

01:17:45.230 --> 01:17:48.540
In desperation, she switches to an old stretchy
sweatsuit.

01:17:48.540 --> 01:17:51.520
It’s the only thing that she owns that still
fits her.

01:17:51.520 --> 01:17:55.070
“This is just a temporary set-back,” she
tells herself as she stares at her bloated

01:17:55.070 --> 01:17:56.680
reflection in the bathroom mirror.

01:17:56.680 --> 01:17:58.469
“I just have to work harder.”

01:17:58.469 --> 01:18:00.140
And she does.

01:18:00.140 --> 01:18:01.469
Or does she?

01:18:01.469 --> 01:18:05.080
When she goes to ride her bike, she finds
that it’s no longer strong enough to support

01:18:05.080 --> 01:18:06.080
her weight.

01:18:06.080 --> 01:18:09.150
She can’t perch on the seat comfortably
and the steel body frame starts to creak when

01:18:09.150 --> 01:18:11.170
she rests her full weight upon it.

01:18:11.170 --> 01:18:12.480
She steels her resolve.

01:18:12.480 --> 01:18:15.949
Sure, it might be embarrassing to go out in
public wearing an ill-fitting sweatsuit and

01:18:15.949 --> 01:18:19.889
riding a bike groaning under her bulk, but
she really has no choice.

01:18:19.889 --> 01:18:22.390
This time, she’s going to do it!

01:18:22.390 --> 01:18:24.570
And she probably did ride her bike to work,
right?

01:18:24.570 --> 01:18:25.840
She’s not sure.

01:18:25.840 --> 01:18:30.000
The next thing that she knows, she’s back
at home, spread across the couch, basking

01:18:30.000 --> 01:18:32.790
in the comforting glow of the television.

01:18:32.790 --> 01:18:37.199
The floor is covered in empty bags and cartons,
and her face is slathered with crumbs and

01:18:37.199 --> 01:18:38.199
sauce.

01:18:38.199 --> 01:18:41.630
The last thing that she remembers is that
she was just about to go for a bike ride…

01:18:41.630 --> 01:18:45.600
but now she’s back at home and it looks
like she just completely ruined her diet!

01:18:45.600 --> 01:18:48.840
She lifts her arm with some effort and stares
at her watch.

01:18:48.840 --> 01:18:50.730
She’s lost almost a whole day…

01:18:50.730 --> 01:18:52.810
That’s the longest blackout yet!

01:18:52.810 --> 01:18:56.620
She must have gone out cycling and made her
way home, where she decided to reward herself

01:18:56.620 --> 01:18:58.580
for her strenuous efforts with a little snack.

01:18:58.580 --> 01:19:01.020
That’s the only logical explanation.

01:19:01.020 --> 01:19:05.050
She tries to reassure herself that maybe she’s
past the worst of it, but she finds that these

01:19:05.050 --> 01:19:07.750
mysterious black-outs keep happening.

01:19:07.750 --> 01:19:11.650
They happen while she’s at work, while she’s
at the gym, while she’s out cycling… but

01:19:11.650 --> 01:19:16.860
she always comes to in the same place: sitting
on her sofa at home, in front of the TV, surrounded

01:19:16.860 --> 01:19:18.909
by the debris of a massive meal.

01:19:18.909 --> 01:19:22.900
Again, she wonders if maybe she’s having
some sort of reaction to her new low calorie

01:19:22.900 --> 01:19:23.900
diet?

01:19:23.900 --> 01:19:26.580
Maybe she’s been cutting back so far on
her food intake that she’s starting to have

01:19:26.580 --> 01:19:27.909
fainting spells?

01:19:27.909 --> 01:19:30.270
Maybe her diet food is tainted in some way?

01:19:30.270 --> 01:19:32.920
But that doesn’t explain why she keeps gaining
weight.

01:19:32.920 --> 01:19:34.650
The scale in her bathroom doesn’t lie.

01:19:34.650 --> 01:19:39.210
It keeps reporting higher and higher numbers
and as much as she tries to reassure herself

01:19:39.210 --> 01:19:43.370
that it must just be broken, her ever-tightening
clothes and ever-widening reflection tell

01:19:43.370 --> 01:19:44.370
her otherwise.

01:19:44.370 --> 01:19:48.219
Her trips to the gym become less and less
frequent, as she finds that other patrons

01:19:48.219 --> 01:19:50.210
have started to stare and whisper about her.

01:19:50.210 --> 01:19:52.810
Are they laughing at her for not being able
to control her weight?

01:19:52.810 --> 01:19:56.460
Are they whispering about how her new flab
is spilling from the confines of her sweat

01:19:56.460 --> 01:19:57.460
suit?

01:19:57.460 --> 01:20:00.060
She can’t even run on the treadmill for
more than a few minutes without being completely

01:20:00.060 --> 01:20:03.469
winded and she’s too wide to balance on
her bike now.

01:20:03.469 --> 01:20:07.280
The young woman has grown absolutely massive
to the point that she completely fills the

01:20:07.280 --> 01:20:08.280
whole couch.

01:20:08.280 --> 01:20:11.080
She chews her way through yet another bag
of potato chips.

01:20:11.080 --> 01:20:14.180
Her eyes never straying from the ever-chattering
television set.

01:20:14.180 --> 01:20:17.980
She barely moves from this spot, her tremendous
girth sinking into a permanent groove in the

01:20:17.980 --> 01:20:20.980
cushions as the couch springs groan.

01:20:20.980 --> 01:20:24.800
She barely notices, however, because she’s
much too intent on enjoying herself.

01:20:24.800 --> 01:20:29.820
She loves to eat and every bite brings her
untold joy, her taste buds tingling with delight.

01:20:29.820 --> 01:20:35.080
She is constantly full, so much so that she
feels slightly sick, so bloated that she feels

01:20:35.080 --> 01:20:40.210
like she might just burst, but she’s powerless
to resist the siren call of junk food.

01:20:40.210 --> 01:20:44.120
She scarfs down entire boxes of cookies and
cartons of ice cream without a thought, having

01:20:44.120 --> 01:20:47.210
turned into the very definition of a mindless
eater.

01:20:47.210 --> 01:20:51.620
Only occasionally does she rouse herself from
this stupor of gorging to reach for her telephone

01:20:51.620 --> 01:20:57.700
to order more take-out or more grocery delivery,
always choosing the most calorie-laden options.

01:20:57.700 --> 01:21:01.920
Other than eating, her attention is completely
devoted to her television set.

01:21:01.920 --> 01:21:06.000
She watches a constant stream of daytime talk
shows, laughing along with the studio audience

01:21:06.000 --> 01:21:10.360
as the hosts parade out an assortment of society’s
biggest freaks.

01:21:10.360 --> 01:21:13.699
Sometimes she’ll switch the channel to watch
soap operas, becoming so wrapped up in the

01:21:13.699 --> 01:21:18.290
ridiculous plot twists and melodramatic acting
that she completely forgets the passage of

01:21:18.290 --> 01:21:19.290
time.

01:21:19.290 --> 01:21:23.659
Her bicycle stands propped against the wall
in the hallway, completely forgotten and untouched

01:21:23.659 --> 01:21:25.210
now for months.

01:21:25.210 --> 01:21:29.260
At this point, all thoughts of losing weight
have utterly evaporated and all that she cares

01:21:29.260 --> 01:21:33.920
about is satisfying her appetites for junk
food and junk television.

01:21:33.920 --> 01:21:38.370
One day, she suddenly shakes her head and
looks down at herself in horror, as if seeing

01:21:38.370 --> 01:21:39.970
herself for the first time.

01:21:39.970 --> 01:21:40.970
“What the?!”

01:21:40.970 --> 01:21:42.050
she says in disbelief.

01:21:42.050 --> 01:21:46.130
She drops her half-eaten carton of ice cream
and grabs at her fleshy middle with her hands

01:21:46.130 --> 01:21:49.900
as if to make sure that it’s all her and
not some kind of crazy dream.

01:21:49.900 --> 01:21:54.340
Her hands sink deep into her new flesh and
she realizes to her shock that indeed she

01:21:54.340 --> 01:21:56.320
has eaten herself into morbid obesity.

01:21:56.320 --> 01:21:57.960
“How is this possible?

01:21:57.960 --> 01:21:59.750
I can’t be this big!

01:21:59.750 --> 01:22:01.230
I was only…

01:22:01.230 --> 01:22:02.230
only…”

01:22:02.230 --> 01:22:06.500
Her words trail off as the sound of an organ
sting from the soap opera on TV diverts her

01:22:06.500 --> 01:22:07.700
attention.

01:22:07.700 --> 01:22:11.409
Within seconds, her eyes have glazed over
and her hands move to pick up the dropped

01:22:11.409 --> 01:22:12.940
carton of ice cream.

01:22:12.940 --> 01:22:17.920
Her worries about her growing size forgotten,
she’s now only concerned with watching until

01:22:17.920 --> 01:22:20.060
the next commercial break.

01:22:20.060 --> 01:22:24.470
It might seem unbelievable that someone could
undergo such a startling physical and mental

01:22:24.470 --> 01:22:28.460
transformation, but what that young woman
experienced has led to her being classified

01:22:28.460 --> 01:22:31.390
by the foundation as SCP-2611.

01:22:31.390 --> 01:22:37.400
SCP-2611 is, as you might have expected, a
young woman currently weighing approximately

01:22:37.400 --> 01:22:38.550
500 pounds.

01:22:38.550 --> 01:22:42.760
Her mobility is limited due to her weight,
although SCP staff encourage her to take light

01:22:42.760 --> 01:22:47.909
exercise whenever possible in hopes of preventing
her mobility from deteriorating further.

01:22:47.909 --> 01:22:52.080
She also suffers from several health issues
related to her weight and lifestyle, including

01:22:52.080 --> 01:22:55.489
diabetes, for which she is receiving treatment
by foundation personnel.

01:22:55.489 --> 01:22:59.460
Her awareness of her situation and surroundings
is severely limited, as she spends most of

01:22:59.460 --> 01:23:03.639
her time in a stupor, but when she is lucid
she believes that she is in a special facility

01:23:03.639 --> 01:23:06.230
receiving treatment for her weight problem.

01:23:06.230 --> 01:23:13.630
In reality, SCP-2611 is under observation
because of SCP-2611-1.

01:23:13.630 --> 01:23:21.030
SCP-2611-1 is a mass of sentient fat located
on SCP-2611’s left side.

01:23:21.030 --> 01:23:27.080
SCP-2611-1 has become integrated with several
of SCP-2611’s vital organs, making it too

01:23:27.080 --> 01:23:33.760
dangerous to attempt to remove SCP-2611-1
via liposuction or other means.

01:23:33.760 --> 01:23:39.290
SCP-2611-1 has gradually exerted increasing
control over the mind and actions of its host,

01:23:39.290 --> 01:23:45.159
to the point that SCP-2611 is only fully conscious
for one to two hours daily.

01:23:45.159 --> 01:23:51.600
The rest of the time, SCP-2611-1 is fully
in control of its host’s behavior.

01:23:51.600 --> 01:23:57.930
Prior to coming to the SCP facility, SCP-2611-1
influenced its host to consume massive amounts

01:23:57.930 --> 01:24:02.719
of calories, leading to the mysterious and
sudden weight gain that we observed earlier.

01:24:02.719 --> 01:24:08.410
This was possibly an attempt by SCP-2611-1
to increase its own size and influence, but

01:24:08.410 --> 01:24:14.030
as of yet its reasons – as well as how it
exerts control over its host – are unknown.

01:24:14.030 --> 01:24:19.860
When in control, SCP-2611-1 can speak through
its host, communicating in standard American

01:24:19.860 --> 01:24:21.120
English.

01:24:21.120 --> 01:24:25.511
SCP-2611’s access to food has been limited
since her arrival at the Foundation, so as

01:24:25.511 --> 01:24:29.010
to prevent her weight gain from accelerating
to dangerous levels.

01:24:29.010 --> 01:24:34.929
Other than eating, SCP-2611-1’s main interest
appears to be daytime television.

01:24:34.929 --> 01:24:40.659
Attempts to communicate with SCP-2611-1 have
so far met with little success due to the

01:24:40.659 --> 01:24:44.219
anomaly’s limited attention span for anything
other than the minutiae of daytime television.

01:24:44.219 --> 01:24:50.619
In a conversation with one researcher, however,
SCP-2611-1 let slip that it preferred daytime

01:24:50.619 --> 01:24:55.580
television to the programming watched by “that
other guy,” suggesting that it lived inside

01:24:55.580 --> 01:25:01.050
a different host before it eventually took
up residence within the body of SCP-2611.

01:25:01.050 --> 01:25:06.489
At another point, while in the middle of a
conversation about a court drama, SCP-2611-1

01:25:06.489 --> 01:25:08.239
suddenly announced “Kill it.

01:25:08.239 --> 01:25:09.239
Kill it now.

01:25:09.239 --> 01:25:10.869
I don’t care if I die!”

01:25:10.869 --> 01:25:15.869
Staff believe that this might not have been
SCP-2611-1 at all, but rather the voice of

01:25:15.869 --> 01:25:21.980
SCP-2611 trying to break through the hypnotic
control of her parasite to call for help.

01:25:21.980 --> 01:25:27.600
At this time, no drastic action is recommended
until further observations can be made.

01:25:27.600 --> 01:25:32.199
SCP-2611 -1 does not appear to be contagious
and the way that it bonds with a host is unknown,

01:25:32.199 --> 01:25:35.239
so it is currently classified as safe.

01:25:35.239 --> 01:25:40.300
At the moment, SCP-2611-1 is the only known
instance of its kind.

01:25:40.300 --> 01:25:45.150
However, considering rising levels of obesity
worldwide, it is not unfathomable to think

01:25:45.150 --> 01:25:49.179
that there could be countless other instances
influencing the behavior of other hosts to

01:25:49.179 --> 01:25:51.860
dedicate their lives to consuming food and
television.

01:25:51.860 --> 01:25:52.860
Who knows?

01:25:52.860 --> 01:25:56.710
It’s not like most of us would need that
much convincing.

01:25:56.710 --> 01:26:01.580
You and your friends exit a club and step
on to the darkened city street.

01:26:01.580 --> 01:26:05.630
Everyone is in a happy and joyful mood, it’s
been a great night, one that you’ll be reminiscing

01:26:05.630 --> 01:26:07.869
about with your friends for years.

01:26:07.869 --> 01:26:12.100
As you walk and laugh together, you don’t
notice the large man standing in front of

01:26:12.100 --> 01:26:14.770
you and almost run straight into him.

01:26:14.770 --> 01:26:19.550
You offer a quick apology and move to go around
the man, but he steps in front of you, blocking

01:26:19.550 --> 01:26:20.770
your path.

01:26:20.770 --> 01:26:24.730
All of your friends grow quiet, and you finally
take a good look at the man.

01:26:24.730 --> 01:26:26.530
The man towers over you.

01:26:26.530 --> 01:26:31.800
He is huge, with giant elaborate tattoos wrapped
around his bulging muscles, that it looks

01:26:31.800 --> 01:26:37.150
like he may have gotten to cover up the numerous
white patches of skin that are missing pigmentation.

01:26:37.150 --> 01:26:40.830
His face though, is bright red, and filled
with rage.

01:26:40.830 --> 01:26:45.110
The man begins screaming at you, asking why
you ran into him and calling you horrible

01:26:45.110 --> 01:26:46.110
names.

01:26:46.110 --> 01:26:50.910
Again you try to apologize but the man just
keeps yelling as if he can’t even hear you.

01:26:50.910 --> 01:26:55.180
He pushes you hard in the chest and you fall
back into one of your friends.

01:26:55.180 --> 01:26:59.010
Another steps forward in an attempt to diffuse
the situation, but the man punches him in

01:26:59.010 --> 01:27:01.420
the face, breaking his jaw.

01:27:01.420 --> 01:27:06.010
A melee ensues, though it could more accurately
be described as a massacre.

01:27:06.010 --> 01:27:11.000
The man has gone ballistic, and punches, kicks,
and bites your entire group of friends.

01:27:11.000 --> 01:27:15.890
His strength seems unreal, even for someone
as big and muscular as him.

01:27:15.890 --> 01:27:20.219
A large bouncer runs over in an attempt to
break up the fight, but even he is no match

01:27:20.219 --> 01:27:21.969
for this tattooed giant.

01:27:21.969 --> 01:27:26.730
You’ve been on the ground since he shoved
you, watching this insanity play out, but

01:27:26.730 --> 01:27:30.960
now with everyone else lying on the ground
bloodied and bruised, he turns his attention

01:27:30.960 --> 01:27:32.500
back on you.

01:27:32.500 --> 01:27:35.950
You try to scramble back to your feet but
he’s upon you in an instant.

01:27:35.950 --> 01:27:41.000
He picks you up over his head, and tosses
you into some trash cans, knocking you unconscious.

01:27:41.000 --> 01:27:43.770
You open your eyes to see the man standing
over you.

01:27:43.770 --> 01:27:47.580
You can feel the blood from numerous cuts
on your face running down into your eyes and

01:27:47.580 --> 01:27:48.580
mouth.

01:27:48.580 --> 01:27:52.820
The man picks you up with one hand and holds
you by the throat against the wall.

01:27:52.820 --> 01:27:58.000
He’s still in a rage, breathing hard through
clenched teeth, bits of white foaming in the

01:27:58.000 --> 01:28:02.020
corners of his mouth as he brings up his other
hand and curls his fingers into a fist.

01:28:02.020 --> 01:28:05.090
All you can think is “is this it?

01:28:05.090 --> 01:28:06.780
But then you notice something.

01:28:06.780 --> 01:28:11.650
The tattoo that snakes down the man’s arm
all the way to his hand… is moving.

01:28:11.650 --> 01:28:17.000
The long, serpentine dragon is writhing and
slithering as if it’s alive.

01:28:17.000 --> 01:28:18.210
Is this really happening?

01:28:18.210 --> 01:28:21.179
Or just a result of the concussive trauma
you’ve received?

01:28:21.179 --> 01:28:25.639
There’s no time to consider it further though,
as the man pulls back and throws a punch right

01:28:25.639 --> 01:28:27.000
into your face.

01:28:27.000 --> 01:28:31.449
You can feel your nose flatten and break from
the impact, which understandably distracts

01:28:31.449 --> 01:28:34.159
you from the bizarre occurrence that follows.

01:28:34.159 --> 01:28:38.650
Right as the man’s bloodied fist makes contact
with your face, the dragon on his arm seems

01:28:38.650 --> 01:28:41.940
to “swim” off of his skin and onto yours.

01:28:41.940 --> 01:28:46.550
Like a snake moving through water, it glides
off his fist onto your face before sliding

01:28:46.550 --> 01:28:48.770
down your neck onto your body.

01:28:48.770 --> 01:28:52.550
There is a searing pain as it moves, like
you’re being poked with needles over and

01:28:52.550 --> 01:28:53.650
over.

01:28:53.650 --> 01:28:57.710
You scream from the pain, blood from your
broken nose pouring out of your mouth.

01:28:57.710 --> 01:29:00.420
The man drops you to the ground and steps
back.

01:29:00.420 --> 01:29:05.909
He no longer looks to be in a rage and instead
looks confused.

01:29:05.909 --> 01:29:09.880
He looks down at his skin to find that the
tattoo… is completely gone.

01:29:09.880 --> 01:29:15.710
A look of unbridled joy comes over his face
and he turns and runs away into the night,

01:29:15.710 --> 01:29:18.290
laughing with glee as he does so.

01:29:18.290 --> 01:29:23.070
You are left whimpering in pain, curled up
in a ball in the pile of trash where he left

01:29:23.070 --> 01:29:27.280
you, the dragon tattoo now covering your entire
body.

01:29:27.280 --> 01:29:31.690
As you have probably already guessed, this
is no normal tattoo.

01:29:31.690 --> 01:29:39.170
No, this is an anomalous creature that is
known to the SCP Foundation as SCP-021, but

01:29:39.170 --> 01:29:41.429
it also has another name…

01:29:41.429 --> 01:29:43.510
The Skin Worm.

01:29:43.510 --> 01:29:48.830
SCP-021 is an obligate parasite that uses
the human body as a host.

01:29:48.830 --> 01:29:53.600
Its visual appearance is in the form of a
large, elaborate tattoo of an oriental style

01:29:53.600 --> 01:29:57.710
dragon, which covers roughly one square meter
of its host’s skin.

01:29:57.710 --> 01:30:02.620
What makes this tattoo truly unique, is that
it is fully animated, and moves on the host's

01:30:02.620 --> 01:30:07.700
body just as a real animal would, though in
2-D like a cartoon playing out in real time

01:30:07.700 --> 01:30:09.080
on their skin.

01:30:09.080 --> 01:30:13.630
The movement of the tattoo causes horrendous
pain for the host, and has been described

01:30:13.630 --> 01:30:18.239
as feeling like thousands of tiny needles
are stabbing at them all at once, as if a

01:30:18.239 --> 01:30:22.950
fresh image is being constantly tattooed on
their skin, while at the same time, a tattoo

01:30:22.950 --> 01:30:25.239
removal process is happening.

01:30:25.239 --> 01:30:29.969
While the tattoo organism is able to move,
it seems to prefer spending most of its time

01:30:29.969 --> 01:30:34.020
on its host’s torso, though it has been
seen to move around to other parts of the

01:30:34.020 --> 01:30:36.030
body on occasion.

01:30:36.030 --> 01:30:41.270
As SCP-021 moves around on the surface of
its host’s body, it appears to feed on the

01:30:41.270 --> 01:30:42.550
pigments in the skin.

01:30:42.550 --> 01:30:47.850
It’s favored meal seems to be other tattoos,
which it will seek out and devour, though

01:30:47.850 --> 01:30:52.260
if none are present or if it has eaten all
of the tattoos on its host, it will begin

01:30:52.260 --> 01:30:55.429
consuming the melanin from the skin instead.

01:30:55.429 --> 01:31:00.710
Melanin is a naturally occurring pigment found
in human’s skin, and after SCP-021 sucks

01:31:00.710 --> 01:31:05.550
it from its host, it will leave them with
permanent skin damage and patches of unpigmented

01:31:05.550 --> 01:31:10.080
skin that appear similar to that of skin condition
vitiligo.

01:31:10.080 --> 01:31:14.570
The feeding itself does not appear to cause
the host any pain, and the pigments, whether

01:31:14.570 --> 01:31:19.530
they are from another tattoo or the natural
ones in the skin, will simply disappear as

01:31:19.530 --> 01:31:21.420
021 “eats” them.

01:31:21.420 --> 01:31:26.490
The pace at which SCP-021 feeds will vary,
but it has been observed as being able to

01:31:26.490 --> 01:31:30.489
clear over half a square meter of skin in
roughly one hour.

01:31:30.489 --> 01:31:35.320
One way to prevent SCP-021 from eating all
of the melanin present on a human is to quickly

01:31:35.320 --> 01:31:40.780
add new tattoos of fruits or small animals,
as a way to continually distract it from turning

01:31:40.780 --> 01:31:42.320
to the melanin.

01:31:42.320 --> 01:31:46.989
Thus far, outside of motion, the organism
has displayed no elevated intelligence or

01:31:46.989 --> 01:31:48.730
the ability to communicate.

01:31:48.730 --> 01:31:51.860
It simply moves… and feeds.

01:31:51.860 --> 01:31:58.270
SCP-021 is not permanently affixed to the
skin of any one host, and in fact can be transferred

01:31:58.270 --> 01:32:01.570
back and forth between hosts multiple times.

01:32:01.570 --> 01:32:06.199
The only way to transfer the organism is through
physical contact, though skin to skin contact

01:32:06.199 --> 01:32:09.889
does not guarantee that the organism will
take to a new host.

01:32:09.889 --> 01:32:13.770
In the event that it does, the dragon tattoo
appears to “swim” across the touching

01:32:13.770 --> 01:32:17.869
skin and will affix itself to the new human
host.

01:32:17.869 --> 01:32:22.360
Skin to skin contact in the… erm… romantic
sense, has been shown to be the most reliable

01:32:22.360 --> 01:32:27.989
method of transfer from one host to another,
with a 93 percent rate of successful transmission.

01:32:27.989 --> 01:32:32.310
However, as you can imagine, the tattooing
sensation that comes along with any movement

01:32:32.310 --> 01:32:38.830
of SCP-021 means that this particular transfer
is extremely painful for all parties involved,

01:32:38.830 --> 01:32:42.900
and the Foundation has deemed that despite
its high success rate, it should only be used

01:32:42.900 --> 01:32:45.760
when absolutely necessary.

01:32:45.760 --> 01:32:50.510
Contact between two open wounds has been shown
to be an only slightly less effective method,

01:32:50.510 --> 01:32:55.869
and has become the default means transferring
when the SCP Foundation wants to move SCP-021

01:32:55.869 --> 01:32:58.199
from one host to another.

01:32:58.199 --> 01:33:01.800
Transferring the organism from a deceased
host to a living one is possible, though more

01:33:01.800 --> 01:33:02.929
complicated.

01:33:02.929 --> 01:33:07.930
SCP-021 appears not to mind when its host
organism is no longer alive, continuing to

01:33:07.930 --> 01:33:12.360
feed on whatever pigments are available to
it, and does not seem to suffer any ill effect

01:33:12.360 --> 01:33:14.330
from the condition of its host.

01:33:14.330 --> 01:33:19.400
It is as yet unknown whether SCP-021 could
be transferred to another species.

01:33:19.400 --> 01:33:24.030
So far, the organism has only been willing
to move from human to human, though research

01:33:24.030 --> 01:33:25.850
into the question is ongoing.

01:33:25.850 --> 01:33:31.060
It’s theorized that if SCP-021 is able to
exist on a non-human animal, that it would

01:33:31.060 --> 01:33:34.730
only occur in the rarest of circumstances.

01:33:34.730 --> 01:33:40.820
Unlike most parasites, SCP-021 does offer
some small, but tangible benefits to its host

01:33:40.820 --> 01:33:41.820
human.

01:33:41.820 --> 01:33:46.201
In addition to hosts of the organism appearing
to have an improved immune system, research

01:33:46.201 --> 01:33:51.070
has also shown that the presence of 021 will
increase its host’s release and reuptake

01:33:51.070 --> 01:33:54.590
of epinephrine, better known as adrenaline.

01:33:54.590 --> 01:33:58.650
It will also decrease the buildup of lactic
acid, which is what builds up in the muscles

01:33:58.650 --> 01:34:02.400
during activity and causes burning sensations
and soreness.

01:34:02.400 --> 01:34:08.250
Combined, these benefits from SCP-021 provide
its host with increased strength and confidence,

01:34:08.250 --> 01:34:12.060
as well as give a heightened pain tolerance
during stressful situations.

01:34:12.060 --> 01:34:17.510
Not surprisingly, the host of SCP-021 also
displays a high level of aggression, though

01:34:17.510 --> 01:34:21.560
whether this comes from their elevated hormone
levels or simply because the organism causes

01:34:21.560 --> 01:34:25.900
them to be in constant pain is still an unanswered
question.

01:34:25.900 --> 01:34:30.130
The amount of time that this symbiotic relationship
can be sustained is typically limited to how

01:34:30.130 --> 01:34:34.960
long the host can tolerate the unceasing pain
of the tattoo moving about their body.

01:34:34.960 --> 01:34:40.550
The persistent agony that a host of SCP-021
endures has led to multiple hosts having taken

01:34:40.550 --> 01:34:46.570
their own lives, and in a few rare cases,
they have also succumbed to fatal skin infections.

01:34:46.570 --> 01:34:50.540
Though these were likely the result of open
wounds caused by the host scratching at their

01:34:50.540 --> 01:34:54.780
own skin, rather than anything directly attributable
to the organism.

01:34:54.780 --> 01:35:01.239
SCP-021 is currently contained on the body
of a D-Class personnel, D-139, who is housed

01:35:01.239 --> 01:35:06.260
in standard detention cell 217-A, and the
relative ease with which it can be kept on

01:35:06.260 --> 01:35:11.040
a human subject’s body has led to it receiving
the Safe classification.

01:35:11.040 --> 01:35:15.810
Only D-Class personnel are eligible to be
a host to SCP-021, and currently operating

01:35:15.810 --> 01:35:21.080
procedure is to allow the organism to live
on the same host’s body until they expire.

01:35:21.080 --> 01:35:27.730
The exact nature of what SCP-021 is as well
as its origins remain a mystery to the Foundation.

01:35:27.730 --> 01:35:31.510
Attempts have been made to trace the path
of its transmission from before its time in

01:35:31.510 --> 01:35:35.960
containment, and it is hypothesized that the
organism could be many hundreds of years old,

01:35:35.960 --> 01:35:37.350
if not older.

01:35:37.350 --> 01:35:42.710
As evidenced by its low SCP number, 021 is
one of the oldest SCPs that the Foundation

01:35:42.710 --> 01:35:48.469
keeps contained, and it has proven to be a
very useful educational tool for new and upcoming

01:35:48.469 --> 01:35:53.179
researchers, as they study this bizarre creature
and its existence that occurs entirely within

01:35:53.179 --> 01:35:54.730
two dimensions.

01:35:54.730 --> 01:35:59.890
A man is lying in a hospital bed and it is
clear that he is not doing well.

01:35:59.890 --> 01:36:04.650
A group of doctors buzz around him performing
various tests, checking his vital signs again

01:36:04.650 --> 01:36:05.940
and again.

01:36:05.940 --> 01:36:10.409
The man feels weak and a little disoriented,
and the looks on the various doctors’ faces

01:36:10.409 --> 01:36:15.659
tells him all he needs to know - something
is very wrong with him.

01:36:15.659 --> 01:36:19.170
Finally there is a break in the commotion
and the doctors stop prodding at him and peering

01:36:19.170 --> 01:36:21.810
into his eyes with a bright, blinding light.

01:36:21.810 --> 01:36:24.989
All of the doctors and nurses leave the room
except for one.

01:36:24.989 --> 01:36:29.270
The doctor steps towards the man and tells
him that he has some bad news.

01:36:29.270 --> 01:36:34.300
“You see…” before the doctor can finish,
someone else emerges from the shadows in the

01:36:34.300 --> 01:36:36.670
corner of the room and taps him on the shoulder.

01:36:36.670 --> 01:36:38.420
“I’ll handle this.”

01:36:38.420 --> 01:36:42.199
The man hadn’t noticed this person, but
he can see now that he’s dressed in a suit,

01:36:42.199 --> 01:36:46.650
and unlike the doctors, he doesn’t have
any identifying items like a name tag or badge.

01:36:46.650 --> 01:36:49.300
Maybe he’s some kind of professor?

01:36:49.300 --> 01:36:53.159
Or a renowned surgeon who is going to tell
him how they will make him better.

01:36:53.159 --> 01:36:56.780
The doctor steps back from the bed but the
man in the suit tells the doctor that it would

01:36:56.780 --> 01:37:01.070
be best if he and the patient could be left
alone… “just for a moment of course.”

01:37:01.070 --> 01:37:04.030
The doctor nods in agreement and leaves the
room.

01:37:04.030 --> 01:37:07.510
The man in the suit waits until the door is
closed behind him to continue.

01:37:07.510 --> 01:37:10.530
He tells the sick man that “he has a rare
condition.

01:37:10.530 --> 01:37:11.530
Quite rare.

01:37:11.530 --> 01:37:15.040
So rare, in fact, that you’re the only person
to ever have it.

01:37:15.040 --> 01:37:17.449
The only recorded case in history.”

01:37:17.449 --> 01:37:21.239
The man in the suit sits down on the bed next
to the man and takes his hand, lifting it

01:37:21.239 --> 01:37:23.010
up, examining it.

01:37:23.010 --> 01:37:24.770
The man’s hand is an odd color.

01:37:24.770 --> 01:37:29.139
It has a slight green tint to it, and the
skin itself appears to be taking on a fibrous

01:37:29.139 --> 01:37:30.489
quality.

01:37:30.489 --> 01:37:35.841
The sick man feels very tired, but he manages
to whisper, “are you a doctor?

01:37:35.841 --> 01:37:36.860
Are you going to help me?”

01:37:36.860 --> 01:37:41.900
The man in the suit responds, “yes, I’m
a doctor… of sorts.

01:37:41.900 --> 01:37:43.860
A doctor and a researcher.

01:37:43.860 --> 01:37:49.389
I work for a very important organization,
and I specialize in cases just like yours.

01:37:49.389 --> 01:37:54.330
Well not exactly like yours, you’re unique,
quite special, in fact.”

01:37:54.330 --> 01:37:57.719
The sick man offers a weak smile, “I’m
very lucky.”

01:37:57.719 --> 01:38:00.270
“Oh yes, very lucky indeed.

01:38:00.270 --> 01:38:03.850
Well not because of your condition of course,
but because I am here.

01:38:03.850 --> 01:38:08.030
You see, if it’s alright with you, we’d
like for you to come with us, to come stay

01:38:08.030 --> 01:38:10.119
at one of our facilities for a while.

01:38:10.119 --> 01:38:13.969
We can’t promise that we’ll be able to
figure out exactly what’s happening, or

01:38:13.969 --> 01:38:14.969
why.

01:38:14.969 --> 01:38:18.380
But if we can, we have a much better chance
of figuring out how to cure it.

01:38:18.380 --> 01:38:21.100
To cure you, so you can go back to a normal
life.”

01:38:21.100 --> 01:38:25.060
“Do I have much of a choice?” the sick
man asks.

01:38:25.060 --> 01:38:26.150
“Of course you do!

01:38:26.150 --> 01:38:27.679
It’s completely up to you.

01:38:27.679 --> 01:38:32.239
I think this would be your best course of
action, your best by far in fact, but we can’t

01:38:32.239 --> 01:38:34.639
force you to do anything you don’t want
to do.”

01:38:34.639 --> 01:38:39.889
The sick man looks down at his greenish hand
again, turning it over in front of his face.

01:38:39.889 --> 01:38:42.670
Examining the small growths that seem to be
sprouting from his skin.

01:38:42.670 --> 01:38:44.599
“When do we leave?”

01:38:44.599 --> 01:38:48.469
“Right now!” the man in the suit tells
him, “the nurses will come get you ready

01:38:48.469 --> 01:38:50.420
and then we’ll be on our way.”

01:38:50.420 --> 01:38:53.760
The man in the suit leaves the room and closes
the door behind him.

01:38:53.760 --> 01:38:57.270
Standing next to the door in the hallway are
a pair of men wearing tactical uniforms like

01:38:57.270 --> 01:38:58.530
a SWAT team.

01:38:58.530 --> 01:39:02.060
The man in the suit tells them that luckily
they won’t be needed today, “this one

01:39:02.060 --> 01:39:03.760
is coming easy.”

01:39:03.760 --> 01:39:07.469
The sick man lies on a bed but now he is in
a new room.

01:39:07.469 --> 01:39:12.360
This one is even more sterile than the hospital,
with cold, concrete walls, and harsh fluorescent

01:39:12.360 --> 01:39:13.360
lights.

01:39:13.360 --> 01:39:17.420
Just like in the hospital, he’s surrounded
by a seemingly never ending cast of doctors,

01:39:17.420 --> 01:39:19.060
nurses, and researchers.

01:39:19.060 --> 01:39:24.130
They too poke and prod at him, take samples,
and administer all kinds of tests.

01:39:24.130 --> 01:39:27.550
As time goes on, the man’s condition only
grows worse.

01:39:27.550 --> 01:39:31.450
It seems there’s nothing that they can do
to stop his condition from advancing.The green

01:39:31.450 --> 01:39:35.770
color spreads across his body and his skin
soon becomes woody and stiff.

01:39:35.770 --> 01:39:40.080
If he sits in one place for too long without
moving, tiny fibers emerge from his skin,

01:39:40.080 --> 01:39:42.130
like probing roots looking for soil.

01:39:42.130 --> 01:39:45.489
All the while the man grows weaker and more
fragile.

01:39:45.489 --> 01:39:49.260
Even the slightest movement seems to cause
him great pain.

01:39:49.260 --> 01:39:52.510
The doctor who originally brought the man
to the facility gathers with a small group

01:39:52.510 --> 01:39:55.310
in the observation room next to the man’s
containment cell.

01:39:55.310 --> 01:39:59.130
They discuss the results of a recent test
which showed that much of the melanin in his

01:39:59.130 --> 01:40:03.510
skin has somehow been replaced with chlorophyll,
and that the fibrous quality of his skin is

01:40:03.510 --> 01:40:06.700
being caused by the appearance of cellulose
around his cells.

01:40:06.700 --> 01:40:11.800
In other words, he isn’t just starting to
look like a plant, he’s truly becoming a

01:40:11.800 --> 01:40:12.800
plant.

01:40:12.800 --> 01:40:15.520
And there doesn’t seem to be anything they
can do to stop it.

01:40:15.520 --> 01:40:19.270
Try as they might, they haven’t found a
single clue as to what is causing the man’s

01:40:19.270 --> 01:40:21.020
condition, or how to treat it.

01:40:21.020 --> 01:40:23.640
The man, though, seems strangely at peace
with his fate.

01:40:23.640 --> 01:40:27.630
He’s told that they’re going to allow
him to live, whether that be as a man or as

01:40:27.630 --> 01:40:31.800
a plant in containment for as long as he can
stay alive, and that he will be well taken

01:40:31.800 --> 01:40:35.599
care of to make the whole process as comfortable
for him as possible.

01:40:35.599 --> 01:40:39.050
Even though they failed to find a cure for
his anomalous disease, they will do everything

01:40:39.050 --> 01:40:42.190
in their power to make sure he doesn’t suffer.

01:40:42.190 --> 01:40:45.100
A tragic yet familiar tale for the SCP Foundation.

01:40:45.100 --> 01:40:50.460
A normal person is subjected to an abnormal
situation that completely changes their life,

01:40:50.460 --> 01:40:52.040
and not for the better.

01:40:52.040 --> 01:40:55.400
At least in this situation, the Foundation
appears to have shown a rare glimpse of their

01:40:55.400 --> 01:41:00.449
own humanity, opting to make this safe class
anomaly’s existence as painless as possible

01:41:00.449 --> 01:41:04.750
rather than force it to endure a lifetime
of painful tests and studies.

01:41:04.750 --> 01:41:07.640
Or at least, that’s what you’ve been led
to believe.

01:41:07.640 --> 01:41:13.119
Unfortunately, everything you’ve just seen
about SCP-1500… is a lie.

01:41:13.119 --> 01:41:18.540
Those with Level 3 Clearance though, can learn
the truth, which is that SCP-1500 is actually

01:41:18.540 --> 01:41:23.090
an extremely dangerous anomaly, whose true
identity must be hidden from even the majority

01:41:23.090 --> 01:41:27.000
of the Foundation for reasons you’ll soon
learn.

01:41:27.000 --> 01:41:31.599
SCP-1500 is not a man suffering from a condition
that causes him to slowly transform into a

01:41:31.599 --> 01:41:37.110
plant-like being, but is actually a greenish-gray,
smooth skinned humanoid with no facial features

01:41:37.110 --> 01:41:38.110
at all.

01:41:38.110 --> 01:41:41.659
It’s limbs are long and multi-jointed, and
its abdomen is highly distended.

01:41:41.659 --> 01:41:47.620
The skin is exceptionally durable and tough,
and though SCP-1500 has no visible sense organs

01:41:47.620 --> 01:41:52.760
like ears or a nose, it still appears to possess
senses that are roughly equivalent to an average

01:41:52.760 --> 01:41:53.760
human’s.

01:41:53.760 --> 01:41:57.620
The entity is incapable of speech, owing to
its lack of a mouth, and it has not shown

01:41:57.620 --> 01:42:00.650
a need to eat, breathe, or sleep at all.

01:42:00.650 --> 01:42:06.530
In addition to the strange appearance of SCP-1500,
its primary anomalous effect is the impact

01:42:06.530 --> 01:42:10.460
it has on any human that comes within its
line of sight, or rather what would be its

01:42:10.460 --> 01:42:12.880
line of sight if it had any eyes.

01:42:12.880 --> 01:42:17.270
Those that do find that they will soon begin
experiencing headaches, nausea, and an overwhelming

01:42:17.270 --> 01:42:18.880
sense of dread.

01:42:18.880 --> 01:42:22.480
These symptoms will increase over the next
several minutes, with the headaches becoming

01:42:22.480 --> 01:42:27.590
more and more debilitating, and the feelings
of nausea and fear growing until eventually,

01:42:27.590 --> 01:42:29.810
the subject passes out.

01:42:29.810 --> 01:42:34.360
They will remain unconscious for roughly 15
seconds, after which they will awaken, and

01:42:34.360 --> 01:42:39.550
claim to have no memory of ever being exposed
to SCP-1500.

01:42:39.550 --> 01:42:43.159
But something else strange also happens to
the subject after waking.

01:42:43.159 --> 01:42:48.130
When asked to describe the creature known
as SCP-1500, they will no longer remark on

01:42:48.130 --> 01:42:50.719
its faceless head or long twisted limbs.

01:42:50.719 --> 01:42:55.199
Instead, they will describe the creature as
being an average looking caucasian male.

01:42:55.199 --> 01:42:58.340
Even stranger, is that to them it now has
a name…

01:42:58.340 --> 01:43:00.210
Zachary Callahan.

01:43:00.210 --> 01:43:05.400
In further interviews with subjects exposed
to SCP-1500, it became clear that many of

01:43:05.400 --> 01:43:10.460
their memories had been reshaped to now include
the entity in its human looking, Zachary Callahan

01:43:10.460 --> 01:43:11.460
form.

01:43:11.460 --> 01:43:15.521
They would often describe him as a close friend
from childhood or early adulthood, and one

01:43:15.521 --> 01:43:17.969
that played a significant role in their lives.

01:43:17.969 --> 01:43:21.980
They also claim that they are perfectly capable
of communicating with Zachary Callahan, able

01:43:21.980 --> 01:43:26.380
to carry on conversations with him, while
all the observing researchers will see is

01:43:26.380 --> 01:43:30.810
an apparently one-sided conversation between
the subject and the featureless gray skinned

01:43:30.810 --> 01:43:32.180
creature.

01:43:32.180 --> 01:43:35.460
While Foundation personnel have found that
they are able to remove the false memories

01:43:35.460 --> 01:43:39.190
from the subject’s minds through the use
of amnestics, they have yet to be able to

01:43:39.190 --> 01:43:45.040
reverse the effect that causes the subject
sees SCP-1500 as a human being, and everyone

01:43:45.040 --> 01:43:50.270
who has been exposed continues to see the
entity as Zachary Callahan forever more.

01:43:50.270 --> 01:43:54.750
It is still unknown what kind of long term
effects this exposure may have or how dangerous

01:43:54.750 --> 01:43:58.190
to their mental or physical health it will
turn out to be.

01:43:58.190 --> 01:44:03.590
Even more concerning, is that evidence has
emerged that SCP-1500 may be able to affect

01:44:03.590 --> 01:44:06.150
more than just those in its immediate presence.

01:44:06.150 --> 01:44:10.730
Recently, a United States Senator was giving
a televised speech on a rather uninteresting

01:44:10.730 --> 01:44:11.730
topic.

01:44:11.730 --> 01:44:16.210
The speech started out normal enough, but
then the senator began to relay an anecdote

01:44:16.210 --> 01:44:18.719
about a childhood fishing trip he had taken
with a friend.

01:44:18.719 --> 01:44:22.570
You won’t be surprised to learn that according
to the senator, the friend’s name was none

01:44:22.570 --> 01:44:26.080
other than Zachary Callahan.

01:44:26.080 --> 01:44:28.960
Investigations into the senator’s background
concluded that there was no person by that

01:44:28.960 --> 01:44:31.970
name of the appropriate age in the area where
he grew up.

01:44:31.970 --> 01:44:36.300
It was also discovered the senator had suffered
an especially bad migraine at a dinner party

01:44:36.300 --> 01:44:38.480
the week before the speech.

01:44:38.480 --> 01:44:43.300
Further research into SCP-1500’s memory
altering effects have also revealed that they

01:44:43.300 --> 01:44:46.699
might just be more intrusive than first believed.

01:44:46.699 --> 01:44:51.770
Rather than simply appearing as an old friend,
subjects exposed to 1500 have begun to report

01:44:51.770 --> 01:44:55.900
that Zachary Callahan actually played a much
more prominent role in their lives, either

01:44:55.900 --> 01:45:00.790
as a close relative, a parental figure, or
even a former lover.

01:45:00.790 --> 01:45:05.080
In each of these cases, the subjects described
their feelings for Zachary Callahan as ones

01:45:05.080 --> 01:45:09.280
of adoration, and that he made them feel protected
and loved.

01:45:09.280 --> 01:45:14.760
Most troubling of all, is a recent addendum
to the SCP-1500 file, which describes the

01:45:14.760 --> 01:45:17.679
very latest research on the anomaly and its
effects.

01:45:17.679 --> 01:45:22.800
It is now estimated that as many as 23,000
people all across the world have been affected

01:45:22.800 --> 01:45:27.300
by the creature, with the idea of Zachary
Callahan implanted into their memories.

01:45:27.300 --> 01:45:31.510
It is unknown why it is trying to spread its
influence so far and wide, but one clue that

01:45:31.510 --> 01:45:36.020
may point to a nefarious purpose is that it
seems to be disproportionately targeting political

01:45:36.020 --> 01:45:40.989
and military figures, as well as SCP Foundation
personnel.

01:45:40.989 --> 01:45:47.540
Following these new developments, classification
of SCP-1500 to keter was requested and granted.

01:45:47.540 --> 01:45:52.949
Due to the risk that SCP-1500 poses through
its anomalous effects, and its powerful ability

01:45:52.949 --> 01:45:57.520
to influence those in positions of great power,
it is permanently kept in a modified humanoid

01:45:57.520 --> 01:46:00.070
containment cell at Site-17.

01:46:00.070 --> 01:46:04.210
No personnel are allowed to enter into its
containment chamber under any circumstances,

01:46:04.210 --> 01:46:06.530
nor are there security cameras in its cell.

01:46:06.530 --> 01:46:10.719
A false containment document describing a
human male with an anomalous plant-like effect

01:46:10.719 --> 01:46:17.070
was placed in the database in order to deter
further investigation into the real SCP-1500,

01:46:17.070 --> 01:46:21.090
and any personnel who experience painful,
persistent headaches are immediately transferred

01:46:21.090 --> 01:46:26.800
away from Site-17, while any who attempt to
breach containment are immediately terminated.

01:46:26.800 --> 01:46:31.739
Is SCP-1500 planting the seeds for something
big by infiltrating the minds of some of the

01:46:31.739 --> 01:46:33.340
most influential people on earth?

01:46:33.340 --> 01:46:37.280
Or is it merely looking for a connection as
it takes on a form that it wishes it could

01:46:37.280 --> 01:46:41.670
have in the only way it can, inside an imagination.

01:46:41.670 --> 01:46:44.409
Perhaps one day, we will know the answer.

01:46:44.409 --> 01:46:50.080
the car screeches to a halt the door swings
open and the doctor tumbles out he lands on

01:46:50.080 --> 01:46:53.949
his hands and knees in the dirt and throws
up the few remaining drops of stomach acid

01:46:53.949 --> 01:46:58.949
left in his system he's put his hand in something
sticky he can feel an insect wriggling under

01:46:58.949 --> 01:47:04.659
his palm behind him the door slams and a pair
of boots walk around to his side of the car

01:47:04.659 --> 01:47:09.790
the translator accompanying him does not offer
a hand to help him up it had been a long car

01:47:09.790 --> 01:47:15.750
journey with many similar stops fortunately
this was the last the doctor gingerly gets

01:47:15.750 --> 01:47:19.889
to his feet and takes in his surroundings
he finds himself in a small village hidden

01:47:19.889 --> 01:47:25.550
amongst thick trees he's not sure what time
it is anymore the flights time zones and car

01:47:25.550 --> 01:47:30.980
journeys wrought havoc on his circadian rhythms
he knows he is in china somewhere very remote

01:47:30.980 --> 01:47:35.199
and very rural he tried to look it up with
the maps on his phone during the journey but

01:47:35.199 --> 01:47:40.410
he'd lost signal a long time ago one thing
is clear however it is the middle of the night

01:47:40.410 --> 01:47:46.199
the car's headlights are the only light source
in the village no one comes out to greet them

01:47:46.199 --> 01:47:50.610
the doctor brushes himself off and turns to
his translator the man nods towards a small

01:47:50.610 --> 01:47:55.409
hut near the back of the village just beyond
the headlight's reach his translator is a

01:47:55.409 --> 01:48:01.239
man of few words both ironic and deeply unhelpful
the doctor does not know a word of mandarin

01:48:01.239 --> 01:48:06.849
himself in silence the two men approach the
hut the doctor reaches out to knock but his

01:48:06.849 --> 01:48:12.920
translator has already pushed the door open
inside there's just the dim light of a lamp

01:48:12.920 --> 01:48:17.050
almost everything is covered in shadow it
is almost dark enough that they can't see

01:48:17.050 --> 01:48:23.300
the cobwebs almost silken strings drape themselves
over every surface wall and item in the little

01:48:23.300 --> 01:48:27.630
hut it's impossible in places to even see
what item of furniture is hiding beneath all

01:48:27.630 --> 01:48:32.480
of the webs the translator reaches out to
touch one of the webs in fascination but the

01:48:32.480 --> 01:48:36.599
doctor grabs his hand shaking his head he
hands the translator a face mask and a pair

01:48:36.599 --> 01:48:41.050
of disposable gloves annoyed the translator
takes them but does not put them straight

01:48:41.050 --> 01:48:46.489
on choosing instead to walk deeper into the
hut after a second the doctor follows only

01:48:46.489 --> 01:48:51.700
he can't help the feeling that something's
not right something's missing here says the

01:48:51.700 --> 01:48:56.280
translator it is the first word he said in
hours he's standing behind a little curtain

01:48:56.280 --> 01:49:01.380
looking down at something as the doctor joins
him there and almost wretches from the stench

01:49:01.380 --> 01:49:06.630
lying in the bed is an emaciated man he looks
like he hasn't eaten in days his wrists and

01:49:06.630 --> 01:49:11.401
ankles are bound tightly to the bed so tightly
in fact that his circulation has been cut

01:49:11.401 --> 01:49:17.139
off the doctor can see right away the telltale
signs of gangrene spreading across his palms

01:49:17.139 --> 01:49:22.460
but they're too late the man isn't moving
his bony chest isn't rising or falling worst

01:49:22.460 --> 01:49:26.930
of all he must have been dead for a while
now there are sheets of spider webs draped

01:49:26.930 --> 01:49:32.390
over his sallow skin like some kind of deathly
funeral shroud the translator mutters something

01:49:32.390 --> 01:49:37.099
in mandarin it doesn't take a phd to pick
up on the evident frustration in his voice

01:49:37.099 --> 01:49:41.429
a whole night of driving out to the middle
of nowhere for nothing the translator kicks

01:49:41.429 --> 01:49:45.460
over a wooden stool the sound is muffled by
the thick layer of cobwebs as he storms out

01:49:45.460 --> 01:49:51.889
of the hut but something is wrong here the
doctor can't walk out just yet toxicology

01:49:51.889 --> 01:49:58.580
that's his field poisons toxins infections
bites but that's the thing there are no bites

01:49:58.580 --> 01:50:03.400
anywhere on this man's body head to toe under
the layer of spider silk there are no welts

01:50:03.400 --> 01:50:08.660
bruises or puncture marks the only darkened
veins standing out are on his fingertips as

01:50:08.660 --> 01:50:13.830
they rot away from stagnant blood nothing
to do with poisons but there's something else

01:50:13.830 --> 01:50:21.469
too a hut holding a dead body full of spiders
webs but yet no spiders a scream fills the

01:50:21.469 --> 01:50:25.980
hut the bed rocks violently the doctor looks
down in horror to see the dead man is not

01:50:25.980 --> 01:50:30.420
as dead as he'd appeared he thrashes this
way and that straining against the ties on

01:50:30.420 --> 01:50:35.210
his limbs the doctor calls out for the translator
who appears at his side almost immediately

01:50:35.210 --> 01:50:39.260
the translator shouts something in mandarin
trying to be heard over the dying man's screams

01:50:39.260 --> 01:50:43.699
but it's no use the man throws his head this
way in fact trying to bash his chin into his

01:50:43.699 --> 01:50:49.159
own chest or hit the top of his skull against
the nearest wall it is no use the man opens

01:50:49.159 --> 01:50:53.239
cloudy eyes that stare wildly around the room
searching for something anything that could

01:50:53.239 --> 01:50:58.090
help him break free from his restraints without
thinking the doctor grabs the man's head and

01:50:58.090 --> 01:51:03.970
holds it steady he peers into the man's weeping
eyes bizarre if he didn't know better he'd

01:51:03.970 --> 01:51:08.239
say they almost looked as if they had spiders
webs built up beneath the eyelids clouding

01:51:08.239 --> 01:51:13.510
out the man's windows to see the world small
silvery balls of thick liquid gather in the

01:51:13.510 --> 01:51:18.130
corners of them too dense too murky to be
tears from somewhere beneath the haze the

01:51:18.130 --> 01:51:24.210
man's pupils find the doctors in an instant
his body falls still it is almost as if he

01:51:24.210 --> 01:51:30.270
relaxed completely a guttural murmur comes
from the man's throat the doctor looks to

01:51:30.270 --> 01:51:35.679
the translator for help free me the doctor
looks down at his patient this is the part

01:51:35.679 --> 01:51:40.719
of medicine he had always hated the most at
what point do you let someone go at what point

01:51:40.719 --> 01:51:45.000
do you say it's too late is it even right
for him to make that decision looking at the

01:51:45.000 --> 01:51:49.610
man lying in front of him a wave of sadness
washes over him his initial assessment had

01:51:49.610 --> 01:51:53.719
been right it is too late even if he could
treat the gangrene in the man's limbs with

01:51:53.719 --> 01:51:59.230
amputation there's still starvation and dehydration
to deal with and then the apparent venom from

01:51:59.230 --> 01:52:05.290
the spiders except there are no signs of venom
perhaps it isn't too late after all with the

01:52:05.290 --> 01:52:09.790
right treatment there may be a chance to the
man's wrist snaps becoming a loose glove of

01:52:09.790 --> 01:52:13.929
broken bone that's easily pulled from the
restraint a foul stench of exposed rotten

01:52:13.929 --> 01:52:18.889
flesh hits the doctor like a slap in the face
he reels back in horror as the man pulls his

01:52:18.889 --> 01:52:25.110
other decimated hand free too unbound by his
bed the man lets out an animalistic roar sitting

01:52:25.110 --> 01:52:29.530
up in the bed he tips his head back and starts
pounding at it with what is left of his hands

01:52:29.530 --> 01:52:34.770
jagged wrist bones barely housed by paper
thin skin slam repeatedly into his forehead

01:52:34.770 --> 01:52:39.440
harder and harder with each hit the doctor
is frozen to the spot staring as the man smashes

01:52:39.440 --> 01:52:46.150
his own head skin splits revealing white bone
bone cracks then with one last effort that

01:52:46.150 --> 01:52:50.849
seems to take every remaining morsel of the
man's energy he turns and crunches his fractured

01:52:50.849 --> 01:52:55.929
skull against the wall caving the front half
of his head in like a deflated basketball

01:52:55.929 --> 01:53:02.909
silence more terrifying than any sound fills
the hut the doctor stares at the body an almost

01:53:02.909 --> 01:53:07.619
comical image pops into his head the head
looks like just a red plastic bag that someone

01:53:07.619 --> 01:53:14.389
had left on the floor full of shards of broken
pottery he almost smiles but then the spiders

01:53:14.389 --> 01:53:21.260
appear just one at first then 10 then a stream
then an eruption spewing out of the gaps in

01:53:21.260 --> 01:53:26.060
the man's head like water shooting out of
a collapsing dam the tiny pink spiders flood

01:53:26.060 --> 01:53:29.989
the room shooting up the walls into every
crack and crevice writhing and rippling around

01:53:29.989 --> 01:53:34.829
their feet that breaks the doctor's paralysis
he and the translator sprint for the door

01:53:34.829 --> 01:53:38.580
they crash through it and cover the length
of the village in seconds grabbing the door

01:53:38.580 --> 01:53:43.449
handles they haul themselves up into the 4x4
the translator slams it into reverse and almost

01:53:43.449 --> 01:53:47.660
crashes into a tree as he turns them around
and back onto the dirt trail they drive all

01:53:47.660 --> 01:53:51.760
through the night not talking the doctor gets
control of his breathing but his heart does

01:53:51.760 --> 01:53:57.750
not stop hammering the whole time he cannot
shake the images that fill his head spiders

01:53:57.750 --> 01:54:04.100
tiny pink spiders everywhere the sun is just
rising when the driver suddenly pulls over

01:54:04.100 --> 01:54:09.719
sharply his eyes are wide his face deathly
pale he doesn't say a word as he sits forward

01:54:09.719 --> 01:54:15.500
reaches down the back of his shirt and pulls
out one tiny pink spider the doctor yells

01:54:15.500 --> 01:54:19.579
in shock and hurriedly grabs a sample pot
for the man to throw the spider into the two

01:54:19.579 --> 01:54:23.100
men sit there in the front of the car in the
warm morning light staring through the glass

01:54:23.100 --> 01:54:29.070
at the arachnid it looks soft that's the most
bizarre thing about it rather than having

01:54:29.070 --> 01:54:34.730
a hard dark exoskeleton like other spiders
this one looks fleshy no that's not quite

01:54:34.730 --> 01:54:40.210
right it looks fatty looks squishy like parts
of the body that get exposed in traumatic

01:54:40.210 --> 01:54:46.659
crashes wrinkles and folds of pink mushy cells
with fatty deposits except it cannot be made

01:54:46.659 --> 01:54:52.100
from those kinds of things it's a spider as
they watch the spider seems to recognize their

01:54:52.100 --> 01:54:56.980
attention stands up on its back four legs
and raises the remaining ones in the air it

01:54:56.980 --> 01:55:02.159
looks almost as if it is doing some kind of
mating dance for them it turns its back to

01:55:02.159 --> 01:55:07.030
them revealing a pattern of brightly colored
dots across its abdomen the doctor drags his

01:55:07.030 --> 01:55:13.099
eyes away from the dance the sun is gone night
has fallen again his stomach stabs at him

01:55:13.099 --> 01:55:19.040
in hunger but that can't be right it was sunrise
only a few seconds ago the headache had started

01:55:19.040 --> 01:55:24.239
as he sat down on his flight now five hours
in and somewhere over an ocean he knows he

01:55:24.239 --> 01:55:28.199
is not going to sleep tonight he can't get
the image of all those spiders out of his

01:55:28.199 --> 01:55:35.810
mind he needs to report this and he will definitely
but not yet a spider crawls up the seat in

01:55:35.810 --> 01:55:41.370
front of him his heart stops and he sits back
violently in his seat eyes wide on the floor

01:55:41.370 --> 01:55:48.679
of the plane pink spiders everywhere they're
not real they're not real just his imagination

01:55:48.679 --> 01:55:54.199
he needs some rest that's what he needs he'll
fly home wait for the headache to pass then

01:55:54.199 --> 01:55:59.760
he can call someone but right now he just
feels too groggy to do any of that the adrenaline

01:55:59.760 --> 01:56:04.100
of his hallucination passes as quickly as
it had come he can feel the glass pot in his

01:56:04.100 --> 01:56:09.349
pocket tapping occasionally begging for his
attention his head aches he runs a hand through

01:56:09.349 --> 01:56:15.500
his hair that can't be is he really growing
gray hairs already in frustration he reaches

01:56:15.500 --> 01:56:22.199
up and taps at his forehead much to his surprise
the headache disappears almost instantaneously

01:56:22.199 --> 01:56:27.679
if anything it feels good he sits there for
several minutes drumming a couple of fingers

01:56:27.679 --> 01:56:33.060
against his forehead and before he knows it
he's fast asleep all his fears and anxieties

01:56:33.060 --> 01:56:38.730
long behind him only they are not behind him
once he touches down he goes straight home

01:56:38.730 --> 01:56:44.690
to his apartment no spiders to be seen why
not shouldn't there be more spiders he certainly

01:56:44.690 --> 01:56:49.500
wants more spiders his headache comes back
he drinks water takes a medicine goes for

01:56:49.500 --> 01:56:54.239
a nap and turns off all of the lights but
nothing seems to work even the tapping stops

01:56:54.239 --> 01:57:00.470
working more spiders a call lights up his
phone screen an international number he takes

01:57:00.470 --> 01:57:06.639
a long time to answer it it's his translator
the man's voice is shrill panicked far beyond

01:57:06.639 --> 01:57:10.560
what the doctor had ever heard before even
when they'd been running from the spiders

01:57:10.560 --> 01:57:15.000
the translator is not making much sense his
words are slurred and his sentences stop and

01:57:15.000 --> 01:57:19.710
start seemingly at random none of it makes
sense the doctor turns the volume on his phone

01:57:19.710 --> 01:57:25.410
down it's too loud for his headache way too
loud government knows should have worn gloves

01:57:25.410 --> 01:57:31.260
too late the pain the pleasure using a hammer
none of it makes any sense the doctor looks

01:57:31.260 --> 01:57:36.659
down at his phone screen the call is gone
his phone is dead hadn't it been on full a

01:57:36.659 --> 01:57:42.699
moment ago what time is it and where are the
spiders he punches himself in the head a smile

01:57:42.699 --> 01:57:50.159
spreads across his face he's in bed now something
red around him his pillow it is soaked red

01:57:50.159 --> 01:57:55.650
could that be from his head the sample pot
sits on his bedside table only now it's empty

01:57:55.650 --> 01:58:00.880
how did that happen wasn't he standing in
the kitchen a moment ago he's losing time

01:58:00.880 --> 01:58:06.760
he runs a hand through his hair webbing clings
between his fingers he sits under his desk

01:58:06.760 --> 01:58:12.949
with a hammer in his hand euphoria washing
over his body just once more eight more times

01:58:12.949 --> 01:58:17.719
he hits the hammer against his forehead endorphins
flood every cell of his body so powerful he

01:58:17.719 --> 01:58:22.540
almost passes out as the pleasure chemicals
crawl inside of him oozing silk through the

01:58:22.540 --> 01:58:29.699
pores of his skin webs hang all over his apartment
now just one more hit eight more hits that

01:58:29.699 --> 01:58:36.960
feeling it's just so his wrists his ankles
how many limbs four not enough that light

01:58:36.960 --> 01:58:42.829
where is he figures crowd around him it is
hard to see them something's in his eye everything

01:58:42.829 --> 01:58:50.170
looks blurry and far away the pain the pain
is back his head someone please he screams

01:58:50.170 --> 01:58:55.640
and pulls against the bindings on his limbs
the pain it's it's impossible he needs to

01:58:55.640 --> 01:59:00.849
make it stop just one hit just one more hit
from the hammer that'll be enough something

01:59:00.849 --> 01:59:05.349
is behind his eye he can feel it something
crawling on the back of his eyeball but that

01:59:05.349 --> 01:59:10.700
doesn't matter none of it matters except getting
his pain to stop no more headaches just one

01:59:10.700 --> 01:59:16.659
more hit that's all he needs the hospital
staff have never seen anything like this before

01:59:16.659 --> 01:59:19.989
they're out of their depth here in the dead
of night they arrange for the doctor to be

01:59:19.989 --> 01:59:23.780
transferred to a specialist facility in the
back of an ambulance it is a challenge to

01:59:23.780 --> 01:59:27.760
get him out of his bed as the spider's web
secreting from his skin have all but tied

01:59:27.760 --> 01:59:33.410
him to the linen as fate would have it a drunk
driver gives the doctor his final wish not

01:59:33.410 --> 01:59:37.570
seeing a red light the driver plows full speed
into the side of the ambulance sending it

01:59:37.570 --> 01:59:43.179
spinning off the road and down a hill killing
everyone inside including the doctor when

01:59:43.179 --> 01:59:46.690
police arrive at the scene in the early hours
of the morning they find the driver sitting

01:59:46.690 --> 01:59:51.429
on his own staring at some small insect by
the wreckage the driver is unharmed by the

01:59:51.429 --> 01:59:55.680
incident his only complaint as he spends the
following night in police custody is that

01:59:55.680 --> 02:00:00.739
he feels a mild headache coming on anyone
experiencing that headache is likely already

02:00:00.739 --> 02:00:06.099
too far gone from their exposure to scp-630
an anomalous species of cognito hazardous

02:00:06.099 --> 02:00:12.270
arachnids nicknamed intrusive arachnid thoughts
unconfirmed reports of mysterious spider colonies

02:00:12.270 --> 02:00:17.349
have been springing up across asia particularly
in rural china for several decades in connection

02:00:17.349 --> 02:00:23.070
with this anomaly in 1972 the population of
an unnamed town in the anhui province were

02:00:23.070 --> 02:00:27.820
found to have been almost entirely wiped out
an entire town of corpses each with their

02:00:27.820 --> 02:00:34.690
heads caved in brain matter missing with 106
dead with 23 injured this case is to this

02:00:34.690 --> 02:00:41.400
day the deadliest confirmed scp-632 breach
strange as it may be physiologically speaking

02:00:41.400 --> 02:00:48.371
scp-632 could be considered their bodies are
squishy in texture bright pink and are in

02:00:48.371 --> 02:00:53.179
fact made up of human tissue brain tissue
to be exact coated in a layer of protective

02:00:53.179 --> 02:00:59.579
fat as happened to our unfortunate doctor
scp-632 reproduces parasitically within the

02:00:59.579 --> 02:01:06.429
human skull the exact mechanics of this process
remain unclear it is believed that scp-632

02:01:06.429 --> 02:01:10.600
infects its human host through a selection
of sensory triggers those infected have each

02:01:10.600 --> 02:01:16.440
testified to having been exposed to the following
firstly viewing the pattern on scp-632's abdomen

02:01:16.440 --> 02:01:21.540
exposed during the dance that the spiders
often do under observation secondly making

02:01:21.540 --> 02:01:27.810
physical contact with scp-632 and lastly through
exposure to as yet unidentified chemical compound

02:01:27.810 --> 02:01:34.179
secreted by the older scp-632 instances this
is where luck was not on our doctor's side

02:01:34.179 --> 02:01:38.210
he was smart enough to wear gloves during
his encounter with scp-632 in china which

02:01:38.210 --> 02:01:42.841
may have been enough to protect him from being
infected however upon his arrival as he fell

02:01:42.841 --> 02:01:49.570
out of the car his hand landed directly in
an scp-632 web housing a solitary live spider

02:01:49.570 --> 02:01:54.510
if he had remembered his car sickness tablets
this could have all been avoided within three

02:01:54.510 --> 02:02:00.310
hours of initial exposure to scp-632 the subject
will start to experience mild headaches followed

02:02:00.310 --> 02:02:05.540
by an uncanny sensation that their skin is
growing silk during this period mri scans

02:02:05.540 --> 02:02:10.530
have found that small filament-like structures
start to form within the host's brain tissue

02:02:10.530 --> 02:02:14.290
as these filaments multiply and spread throughout
the brain the subjects report developing an

02:02:14.290 --> 02:02:19.469
obsession with spiders the brain tissue steadily
deteriorates leading to changes in personality

02:02:19.469 --> 02:02:25.260
and mood as well as irrational behavior over
the coming days the headaches grow more severe

02:02:25.260 --> 02:02:29.599
as the filament cells press against the blood
vessels lining the inside of the skull subjects

02:02:29.599 --> 02:02:33.790
find that they can relieve this sensation
by tapping or hitting their forehead replacing

02:02:33.790 --> 02:02:38.949
it with a pleasurable feeling as the filaments
release endorphins upon impact this is part

02:02:38.949 --> 02:02:45.460
of the sinister final act of scp-632's reproduction
after six to seven days as the host's headaches

02:02:45.460 --> 02:02:50.300
worsen they find they have to hit their skull
harder and harder to alleviate the pain and

02:02:50.300 --> 02:02:55.220
get that chemical high eventually driven mad
by the pain inside their head they cracked

02:02:55.220 --> 02:03:00.360
through their own skull at this point all
the gestating spiders that have been forming

02:03:00.360 --> 02:03:05.219
within the filaments in their brain estimated
to number between 80 and 200 can escape through

02:03:05.219 --> 02:03:09.900
the opening because of its unique containment
difficulties caused by its cognitohazardous

02:03:09.900 --> 02:03:15.739
properties scp-632 has been given the euclid
object class there is currently one live colony

02:03:15.739 --> 02:03:21.690
of scp-632 stored in the biological containment
wing of site-52 the colony is housed in a

02:03:21.690 --> 02:03:26.380
small enclosure measured 20 centimeters by
40 centimeters by 20 centimeters and sustained

02:03:26.380 --> 02:03:30.860
on a diet of insects and water supplied through
a vacuum chute all personnel that work in

02:03:30.860 --> 02:03:37.639
proximity to scp-632 are regularly screened
physical contact with any scp-632 is strictly

02:03:37.639 --> 02:03:41.550
prohibited and all personnel are required
to wear protective equipment and respirators

02:03:41.550 --> 02:03:46.260
at all times while handling live or deceased
specimens they keep a close eye on anyone

02:03:46.260 --> 02:03:51.510
developing any symptoms especially headaches
the feeling of silk on the skin or intrusive

02:03:51.510 --> 02:03:52.510
arachnid thoughts

02:03:52.510 --> 02:03:57.889
It’s never a nice feeling waking up lying
amongst shards of broken glass in the middle

02:03:57.889 --> 02:04:03.270
of the road. The dawn sky above the Biker
looks almost peaceful; it's as if nothing

02:04:03.270 --> 02:04:08.340
had gone wrong at all, as if everything is
right in the world. But slowly, the throbbing

02:04:08.340 --> 02:04:12.750
pain washes into his helmeted head, and the
sound of the traffic surrounding him rises

02:04:12.750 --> 02:04:14.290
in his ears.

02:04:14.290 --> 02:04:18.780
A sea of onlookers gathers around as the cars
blast their horns. Through the cracked visor

02:04:18.780 --> 02:04:23.239
of his helmet, the biker can see concerned
faces, people calling emergency services,

02:04:23.239 --> 02:04:28.400
and a few women crying. His paramedic bike
is toppled on its side about 40 feet from

02:04:28.400 --> 02:04:32.909
him. There are long black tire marks running
up to where it lies, smoking slightly on its

02:04:32.909 --> 02:04:34.270
side.

02:04:34.270 --> 02:04:39.699
With a groan, the Biker sits himself up and
shakes his head; bad idea. Looking around,

02:04:39.699 --> 02:04:44.440
though, it seems he's the only one injured.
His bike had gone into the front of a car

02:04:44.440 --> 02:04:48.429
at the junction. The occupants of the car
stand by nervously, offering him whatever

02:04:48.429 --> 02:04:53.920
little assistance they can. But there's no
time for that, the Biker suddenly realizes!

02:04:53.920 --> 02:04:59.110
He looks down at his watch frantically. It's
12:03pm. There's not enough time. He rushes

02:04:59.110 --> 02:05:03.440
over to the bike as fast as he can and lifts
it back upright. A couple of onlookers try

02:05:03.440 --> 02:05:08.290
to grab his arms, trying to sit down to rest,
but he can’t. There’s no time!

02:05:08.290 --> 02:05:13.021
He has three minutes to get to Saint Mary's
Hospital in Central London. Right now, he's

02:05:13.021 --> 02:05:16.980
at the junction outside Baker Street station.
He can still make it on time if he gets on

02:05:16.980 --> 02:05:20.929
his bike and goes now.
The biker swings his leg onto the bike and

02:05:20.929 --> 02:05:25.140
kicks it into life. He takes a deep gulp and
looks over his shoulder at the box on the

02:05:25.140 --> 02:05:30.210
back of his bike. He can't risk opening it
here; the damage may already be done. But

02:05:30.210 --> 02:05:35.130
if the heart is still alive in that box, it
is the only chance that a 10-year-old boy

02:05:35.130 --> 02:05:39.830
has for a normal life. If he doesn't get to
the hospital in the next three minutes, his

02:05:39.830 --> 02:05:44.240
life could be over.
The school children stand in a circle, looking

02:05:44.240 --> 02:05:47.099
down at the dead bird with a morbid fascination.

02:05:47.099 --> 02:05:49.179
"Do you think it's alive?"

02:05:49.179 --> 02:05:50.920
"Nah, no way."

02:05:50.920 --> 02:05:55.160
The Boy in the middle of the group goes to
pick up a stick. With an air of false confidence,

02:05:55.160 --> 02:06:00.650
he walks up to the bird and gives it a prod.
It makes a squelching noise. The other kids

02:06:00.650 --> 02:06:05.020
all reel in shock, making retching noises
and laughing about it. It's only when their

02:06:05.020 --> 02:06:09.560
teacher comes out to call them inside that
the group disperses, leaving the animal carcass

02:06:09.560 --> 02:06:14.420
alone, sitting at the edge of the playground,
outside the view of boring adults.

02:06:14.420 --> 02:06:19.210
Each passing day, the kids wander over to
the bird's body. It's kind of the best biology

02:06:19.210 --> 02:06:24.790
lesson they've ever had as they watch the
animal slowly decompose. At first, its body

02:06:24.790 --> 02:06:30.869
just shrinks, goes flat almost. The feathers
start falling out, and it loses all of its

02:06:30.869 --> 02:06:36.590
color. Then it starts to get puffy; different
parts of its flesh bulge out in weird places,

02:06:36.590 --> 02:06:40.180
as if they're being inflated like a balloon
animal at someone’s birthday party.

02:06:40.180 --> 02:06:45.309
But then the maggots come. There are only
a couple of tiny white crawling wrigglers

02:06:45.309 --> 02:06:50.949
in the bird's body at first, but a couple
of days after that, it's infested with them.

02:06:50.949 --> 02:06:54.159
The creepy crawlies wriggle all over the body.

02:06:54.159 --> 02:06:58.679
But as the Boy looks down at the dead bird,
he spots something very peculiar, something

02:06:58.679 --> 02:07:03.929
they haven't seen in a biology class before.
There's a red maggot, wriggling and crawling

02:07:03.929 --> 02:07:08.429
in amongst the rest of the creepy crawlies.
It squirms like the rest of them, but even

02:07:08.429 --> 02:07:12.360
over the course of the school day, it quickly
grows larger than any of the others.

02:07:12.360 --> 02:07:15.849
What do you think it is? the Boy stares at
it.

02:07:15.849 --> 02:07:17.059
It looks like a worm.

02:07:17.059 --> 02:07:23.199
And a worm is exactly what it was. The next
day, when the kids return, they see that the

02:07:23.199 --> 02:07:28.290
red maggot is now much larger than any of
the others feasting on the bird. With a slightly

02:07:28.290 --> 02:07:33.550
translucent body, cherry-red coloring, and
small white speckles on its skin, it looks

02:07:33.550 --> 02:07:38.469
unlike anything they've ever seen before.
Actually, not unlike anything they've seen

02:07:38.469 --> 02:07:44.099
before, it looks exactly like something that
all the kids recognize very well. In fact,

02:07:44.099 --> 02:07:48.099
one of the kids has a bag of them right now
that he's chewing on.

02:07:48.099 --> 02:07:49.989
A candied worm.

02:07:49.989 --> 02:07:54.159
The kids stare in curiosity, first at the
bag of candy that their friend has in his

02:07:54.159 --> 02:07:59.530
hand, and then down at the worm slowly eating
its way through the decomposing bird. As far

02:07:59.530 --> 02:08:04.851
as their eyes can tell, the two things are
exactly the same. Except, of course, that

02:08:04.851 --> 02:08:08.290
the one eating the bird seems to be alive.

02:08:08.290 --> 02:08:12.780
Kids being kids, the next thing that happened
was sort of inevitable.

02:08:12.780 --> 02:08:15.199
One dares the Boy to eat it.

02:08:15.199 --> 02:08:19.530
He almost retches in disgust. There is no
way he’s even touching it.

02:08:19.530 --> 02:08:24.320
And then… Another one of the children throws
down the poison chalice and dares him.

02:08:24.320 --> 02:08:28.860
The Boy stands there nervously. He knows that
he is not allowed to eat worms. That had been

02:08:28.860 --> 02:08:33.310
a lesson ingrained in him from a very young
age. But his mother isn't here right now,

02:08:33.310 --> 02:08:37.710
and this thing doesn't look like any kind
of worm that he's seen before. It almost looks

02:08:37.710 --> 02:08:39.070
a bit tasty.

02:08:39.070 --> 02:08:43.690
In exchange for eating the worm, another one
of the children promises he’ll give him

02:08:43.690 --> 02:08:44.989
five English pounds.

02:08:44.989 --> 02:08:49.619
The kids around the circle gasp. That's a
lot of money. None of them have even got two

02:08:49.619 --> 02:08:54.140
pounds on them, let alone five. Think of all
the sweets you could buy with that kinda money.

02:08:54.140 --> 02:09:00.310
But the Boy is adamant. He puffs his chest
out, he stands up tall, and he nods firmly.

02:09:00.310 --> 02:09:03.079
Five pounds, or he wouldn't do it.

02:09:03.079 --> 02:09:08.260
After some intense schoolyard debate, the
deal is sealed.

02:09:08.260 --> 02:09:12.470
As the boy lies in bed that night, staring
at the ceiling and grumbling, he knows that

02:09:12.470 --> 02:09:15.940
he is not happy about what his friends have
done to him today. He is going to get them

02:09:15.940 --> 02:09:17.750
back for this.

02:09:17.750 --> 02:09:22.500
Only he's getting a bit of a tummy ache. "Getting"
is the wrong word. He's had a tummy ache for

02:09:22.500 --> 02:09:27.929
most of the evening. What he's experiencing
now is heartburn. It feels as if something

02:09:27.929 --> 02:09:32.540
is crawling in his chest. The Boy just ignores
it. It's probably just his worries about the

02:09:32.540 --> 02:09:36.420
worm inside of him. He chewed it up really
well; there's no way that it's still alive

02:09:36.420 --> 02:09:38.310
in him. Surely.

02:09:38.310 --> 02:09:43.219
His uneasy sleep is punctuated by rotten dreams.
Dreams in which he finds himself lying on

02:09:43.219 --> 02:09:47.650
the floor, and his playground lying on the
ground at school, unable to move as people

02:09:47.650 --> 02:09:52.510
gather around him to poke him with a stick.
He feels his skin covered with maggots - They

02:09:52.510 --> 02:09:57.460
even crawl across the surface of his eyes.
In his chest, there's a searing pain.

02:09:57.460 --> 02:10:02.770
The Boy wakes with a start as he feels his
heart pounding, thudding against his ribs.

02:10:02.770 --> 02:10:07.449
It’s agonizing. Adrenaline courses through
him as he sweats off his face. Crying out

02:10:07.449 --> 02:10:12.500
for his mom, the boy lies there in bed, feeling
the heart attacking his system.

02:10:12.500 --> 02:10:16.659
When you decide to become a surgeon, you have
to accept that you're not going to get very

02:10:16.659 --> 02:10:21.239
much sleep most nights. In fact, it's more
than that. You have to not only accept that

02:10:21.239 --> 02:10:25.510
you won't get much sleep most nights, but
you also have to be at your absolute best

02:10:25.510 --> 02:10:28.960
when you've had no sleep, and it's the middle
of the night.

02:10:28.960 --> 02:10:32.960
With over 40 years under his belt, the Surgeon
doesn't even need coffee anymore, even when

02:10:32.960 --> 02:10:37.639
the junior doctor offers it to him as he strides
toward the operating theater. Instead, he

02:10:37.639 --> 02:10:41.370
asks them to fill him in on the situation
- who is his patient, what's going on, what

02:10:41.370 --> 02:10:43.020
needs to be done?

02:10:43.020 --> 02:10:46.790
The doctor accompanying him reads the notes
in a calm but hurried voice. They haven't

02:10:46.790 --> 02:10:51.820
got much time on this one at all. At any moment,
the Boy's heart could give out. The Surgeon

02:10:51.820 --> 02:10:56.290
asks what's wrong with the organ, and the
doctor looks at his notes in apparent confusion.

02:10:56.290 --> 02:11:01.460
Apparently, over the course of the night,
the Soy has suffered a 72% reduction in the

02:11:01.460 --> 02:11:03.060
mass of his heart.

02:11:03.060 --> 02:11:07.050
The Surgeon stops just on the other side of
the door. He doesn't want to have this conversation

02:11:07.050 --> 02:11:10.750
in front of his whole team. He whispers to
the doctor in a terse voice.

02:11:10.750 --> 02:11:15.060
"What kind of infection does this boy have
that his heart has undergone that rapid of

02:11:15.060 --> 02:11:16.060
a deterioration?"

02:11:16.060 --> 02:11:20.989
"It's not an infection at all, sir. It's...
well, sir, it's a worm."

02:11:20.989 --> 02:11:25.520
The doctor holds out a sheet to him. The Surgeon
takes it from him. He looks down at the X-ray

02:11:25.520 --> 02:11:30.489
to see a scan of the boy's chest cavity. It
doesn't look so bad - there is a hole in the

02:11:30.489 --> 02:11:33.880
heart for sure, but the Surgeon has encountered
worse in his career.

02:11:33.880 --> 02:11:36.739
"This was taken when the boy was first admitted."

02:11:36.739 --> 02:11:39.280
The doctor hands the Surgeon a second X-ray.

02:11:39.280 --> 02:11:42.619
"And this was taken just one hour later."

02:11:42.619 --> 02:11:47.389
It is barely recognizable as a human heart.
There seems to be a mass growing in the cavity

02:11:47.389 --> 02:11:52.780
that was left by the heart. And there, infecting
all of the boy's organs, was the shape of

02:11:52.780 --> 02:11:55.989
a worm.
The Biker weaves his way through the traffic

02:11:55.989 --> 02:12:00.619
down Marylebone Road, eyes darting frantically
in all directions. He may have a concussion,

02:12:00.619 --> 02:12:04.850
and he may not be allowed to drive at all
right now. In fact, he knows he definitely

02:12:04.850 --> 02:12:10.099
isn't. But he is under strict instructions:
this heart needs to get to St Mary's Hospital

02:12:10.099 --> 02:12:11.830
before it's too late.

02:12:11.830 --> 02:12:16.170
The bike careens around the corner and skids
to a halt outside the emergency doors. An

02:12:16.170 --> 02:12:19.260
ambulance team in front of him is trying to
help an old lady out of the back of their

02:12:19.260 --> 02:12:23.239
vehicle, but the Biker doesn't have time for
them. He grabs the organ box from the back

02:12:23.239 --> 02:12:26.309
of the bike and races into the building.

02:12:26.309 --> 02:12:30.190
It takes all of his remaining concentration
to navigate through the maze of hospital corridors

02:12:30.190 --> 02:12:34.449
on his way to the operating theater. On a
better day, he would be able to do this with

02:12:34.449 --> 02:12:39.500
no problem, but with his head injury, he can
see the lights starting to blur all around

02:12:39.500 --> 02:12:40.510
him.

02:12:40.510 --> 02:12:47.329
Ward 6, Ward 7, Ward 7A, Ward 7B. He runs
as fast as his heavy boots will allow him,

02:12:47.329 --> 02:12:51.150
feeling that energy draining from his system.
He can't look at his watch; he can't check

02:12:51.150 --> 02:12:54.790
the time. He just has to find this Boy.

02:12:54.790 --> 02:12:58.580
Operating Theatre. There, right up ahead of
him, just a couple of hundred feet.

02:12:58.580 --> 02:13:02.120
There's a doctor waiting outside the door
who looks up at the sound of his footsteps.

02:13:02.120 --> 02:13:06.760
The Biker rips his helmet off and holds out
the box with the heart in it, panting heavily.

02:13:06.760 --> 02:13:09.679
It's the moment of truth: is he too late?

02:13:09.679 --> 02:13:14.170
The doctor looks shell-shocked, not at the
biker's arrival but clearly at something else

02:13:14.170 --> 02:13:19.340
she's just seen. The man starts to explain
but runs out of words and instead beckons

02:13:19.340 --> 02:13:23.699
the Biker to follow him into the observation
room. There, the two of them stand looking

02:13:23.699 --> 02:13:27.329
through the glass at the little boy lying
on the operating table with the surgeon standing

02:13:27.329 --> 02:13:28.440
over him.

02:13:28.440 --> 02:13:31.930
There’s something in the air. The Biker
sniffs, confused.

02:13:31.930 --> 02:13:37.699
“Can anyone else smell sugar?”
Next time you open a packet of candied worms,

02:13:37.699 --> 02:13:42.239
take a second to look through the little creepy
crawlies in the bag. Perhaps poke a couple

02:13:42.239 --> 02:13:46.940
of them just to see if any of them are moving.
You can never be too careful.

02:13:46.940 --> 02:13:50.050
If you had told the parents of that young
boy on the night when their son woke up with

02:13:50.050 --> 02:13:54.559
heart palpitations telling stories of eating
a worm at school that the only health concerns

02:13:54.559 --> 02:13:59.070
he would have going forward were mild diabetes
and a slightly raised level of blood sugar,

02:13:59.070 --> 02:14:01.760
I'm sure they would have been thrilled to
hear it.

02:14:01.760 --> 02:14:07.679
You see, SCP-839, commonly referred to within
the Foundation as "candied worms", is much

02:14:07.679 --> 02:14:13.211
scarier on the surface than it is underneath.
Not only does this SCP resemble your usual

02:14:13.211 --> 02:14:18.260
candy worm, but its body is actually composed
of sugar flavorings and colorings roughly

02:14:18.260 --> 02:14:22.489
equivalent to what you would find in most
convenience store candy aisles. Each instance

02:14:22.489 --> 02:14:27.409
even has a small raised bit of writing near
the tail specifying which flavor it is.

02:14:27.409 --> 02:14:31.219
While the origins of these worms are yet to
be determined, cases have sprung up across

02:14:31.219 --> 02:14:36.989
much of the Western world, with higher numbers
reported in areas with higher levels of diabetes.

02:14:36.989 --> 02:14:42.420
There seems to be a parallel between high
sugar diets and the presence of SCP-839. Whether

02:14:42.420 --> 02:14:46.550
they are of man-made or other origins is yet
to be determined.

02:14:46.550 --> 02:14:52.520
That is not to say the SCP-839 cannot survive
outside of human populations. This SCP in

02:14:52.520 --> 02:14:57.579
the wild primarily feeds on decomposing organic
matter and is capable of sustaining itself

02:14:57.579 --> 02:15:00.349
on a purely vegetarian diet.

02:15:00.349 --> 02:15:06.659
However, when ingested into the human body,
SCP-839 will target specific organs and burrow

02:15:06.659 --> 02:15:12.140
its way towards them. The organ in question
depends on which color candied worm the SCP

02:15:12.140 --> 02:15:17.159
instance is. For example, the red cherry-flavored
candied worms will burrow towards the heart

02:15:17.159 --> 02:15:23.140
and consume that, while the blue raspberry
ones will instead feed on the human's kidney.

02:15:23.140 --> 02:15:27.949
One would expect the health consequences of
this feeding to be severe. However, as the

02:15:27.949 --> 02:15:33.280
SCP feeds, it will also change its own shape
and chemical composition until the worm itself

02:15:33.280 --> 02:15:38.719
becomes a substitute organ for the one that
it is consuming. However, this substitute

02:15:38.719 --> 02:15:44.449
organ is not a perfect replacement, as other
health consequences are derived from its presence.

02:15:44.449 --> 02:15:50.950
For example, the green apple-flavored SCP-839-3
targets the eye and replaces it with a jelly-green

02:15:50.950 --> 02:15:56.190
version of the human eye. While this eye is
mostly capable of sight, subjects have reported

02:15:56.190 --> 02:16:00.829
mild hallucinations and blurriness of vision,
as well as a greenish tint to how they see

02:16:00.829 --> 02:16:02.550
the world.

02:16:02.550 --> 02:16:08.119
Fortunately for the Foundation, SCP-839 reproduces
sexually, meaning that individual instances

02:16:08.119 --> 02:16:13.639
require a partner in order to have offspring.
This has made containment of this SCP much

02:16:13.639 --> 02:16:17.860
more feasible, though they are a relatively
low-priority entity in the broader scope of

02:16:17.860 --> 02:16:23.449
the Foundation. There are no known cases as
of yet of any SCP-839 infections leading to

02:16:23.449 --> 02:16:25.910
death or serious chronic illness.

02:16:25.910 --> 02:16:30.230
Therefore, any instances that are captured
by the Foundation are sent to Storage Site

02:16:30.230 --> 02:16:35.710
839-1, where they are kept in a glass housing
and regularly fed a diet of plant matter each

02:16:35.710 --> 02:16:40.580
day. Here, their reproductive activity can
be closely monitored and controlled based

02:16:40.580 --> 02:16:42.880
on what research is needed.

02:16:42.880 --> 02:16:47.910
Those infected with SCP-839 instances can
continue to live long and healthy lives, with

02:16:47.910 --> 02:16:53.030
only minor health complications arising. Therefore,
the Foundation is comfortable allowing a reasonable

02:16:53.030 --> 02:16:56.280
number of cases to go unexamined in the world.

02:16:56.280 --> 02:17:00.800
So like I said, for next time you open up
a bag of candied worms, maybe just give them

02:17:00.800 --> 02:17:05.530
a quick poke. You could be saving yourself
a trip to the hospital and a lifetime dependence

02:17:05.530 --> 02:17:06.859
on insulin.

02:17:06.859 --> 02:17:12.870
The boy screams as his body transforms. His
bones warp and twist, as feathers emerge from

02:17:12.870 --> 02:17:19.290
his pores, and his skull sharpens into a long,
hard beak. He’s in a living nightmare - And

02:17:19.290 --> 02:17:24.750
who could have guessed it all started with
an innocent attempt to play hooky?

02:17:24.750 --> 02:17:29.120
It's an ordinary Monday morning, and all over
town, children are waking up and reluctantly

02:17:29.120 --> 02:17:33.530
dragging themselves out of bed for school.
Some are oversleeping, hitting the snooze

02:17:33.530 --> 02:17:37.760
on their alarms, and getting a bit of extra
shuteye before their exhausted parents notice,

02:17:37.760 --> 02:17:41.910
wake them up, and rush to get them to school
before the first-morning bell.

02:17:41.910 --> 02:17:47.000
In one particular bedroom, a young boy is
awake but still in bed, brainstorming as fast

02:17:47.000 --> 02:17:52.360
as he can. He is determined to skip school
today, however he can. He usually doesn't

02:17:52.360 --> 02:17:57.450
mind school very much, but today all he can
think about is the math test he didn't study

02:17:57.450 --> 02:18:01.859
for, and the mean classmate who likes to knock
his books out of his hands. But he can't just

02:18:01.859 --> 02:18:06.160
ask to skip school for no reason! He has to
come up with a plan.

02:18:06.160 --> 02:18:10.210
He runs to the bathroom, splashing hot water
in his face to give him a flushed appearance

02:18:10.210 --> 02:18:15.260
and a warm forehead. Then, he hops back into
bed and begins to loudly cough and sniffle,

02:18:15.260 --> 02:18:19.420
until his mother comes to check on him. He
complains that he doesn't feel well enough

02:18:19.420 --> 02:18:24.700
to go to school, and sure enough, when his
mother feels his forehead, it is hot to the

02:18:24.700 --> 02:18:28.700
touch. She agrees to let him stay home from
school for the day, provided he stays in bed

02:18:28.700 --> 02:18:34.000
and gets plenty of rest. He promises that
he will, and she leaves to go to work.

02:18:34.000 --> 02:18:37.490
On her way to work, the boy's mother remembers
that there isn't much for him to eat while

02:18:37.490 --> 02:18:41.570
he's home alone all day. At least, there isn't
much that he would want to eat while he's

02:18:41.570 --> 02:18:45.580
sick. She decides that she can be a little
bit late to work for the sake of her son's

02:18:45.580 --> 02:18:50.450
health, and pulls into a nearby grocery store.
She rushes out of her car and into the store,

02:18:50.450 --> 02:18:54.750
making a beeline for the soup aisle. She reaches
for her usual go-to brand of chicken noodle

02:18:54.750 --> 02:19:00.330
soup, but finds the shelf completely bare.
That's right! It's flu season. Of course,

02:19:00.330 --> 02:19:01.330
the soup is sold out.

02:19:01.330 --> 02:19:02.330
She starts to reach for chicken and rice instead,
when she spots a colorful label on the top

02:19:02.330 --> 02:19:03.330
shelf, depicting a chicken, vegetables, and
noodles. She stands on her tiptoes, just barely

02:19:03.330 --> 02:19:04.330
reaching the lone can. It's not a brand she's
ever heard of before, not a label she's ever

02:19:04.330 --> 02:19:05.330
seen, but it's chicken noodle soup. There's
not really a way to get it wrong. She takes

02:19:05.330 --> 02:19:06.330
the can over to the self-checkout machine,
not wanting to waste time standing in line.

02:19:06.330 --> 02:19:07.330
She scans the barcode, and the machine's screen
suddenly freezes.

02:19:07.330 --> 02:19:08.330
Oh great, this is exactly what she needs.
A sick kid at home, one can of chicken noodle

02:19:08.330 --> 02:19:11.531
soup left at the store, and the machine won't
even scan it. She smacks the side of the machine

02:19:11.531 --> 02:19:17.400
in frustration, and the screen reads: Invalid
code, transaction canceled. With a heavy sigh,

02:19:17.400 --> 02:19:22.519
she glances over her shoulder. No one is watching.
She tried to pay for the can, to do the right

02:19:22.519 --> 02:19:26.330
thing. But the machine wouldn't let her. So,
she grabs the can and runs out of the store

02:19:26.330 --> 02:19:28.660
before anyone can spot her.

02:19:28.660 --> 02:19:32.700
While his mother is out, the boy is at home
raiding the pantry for snacks to sate his

02:19:32.700 --> 02:19:37.530
not-at-all-sick appetite. He fills up on oreos
and toaster pastries, cheesy crackers, and

02:19:37.530 --> 02:19:42.030
chips. When he hears his mother's car pulling
into the driveway, he quickly wipes the crumbs

02:19:42.030 --> 02:19:46.480
from his face and jumps back into bed, just
in time for his mother to find him there,

02:19:46.480 --> 02:19:50.470
resting like he promised he would. She gives
him a kiss on the forehead, and tells him

02:19:50.470 --> 02:19:53.910
that she will heat up some chicken noodle
soup for him to eat. She's in a hurry to make

02:19:53.910 --> 02:19:57.580
it to work, though, so she'll need to leave
it in the microwave for him.

02:19:57.580 --> 02:20:01.540
She pours the contents of the soup into a
bowl, adds a bit of water, and pops the bowl

02:20:01.540 --> 02:20:05.990
into the microwave for a few minutes. She
calls up to her son, letting him know that

02:20:05.990 --> 02:20:10.540
the soup will be ready when the microwave
dings. Then, she rushes out the door and heads

02:20:10.540 --> 02:20:14.830
to work for the day, confident that her son
will be fine through her shift. If he happens

02:20:14.830 --> 02:20:17.920
to need anything, he can call her and let
her know.

02:20:17.920 --> 02:20:21.680
The boy hears the microwave ding, but his
stomach is too full from his rummage through

02:20:21.680 --> 02:20:26.790
the pantry for him to want any of the soup,
in spite of its heavenly aroma. Instead, he

02:20:26.790 --> 02:20:30.700
creeps into the living room and sits down
to play video games until his eyes start to

02:20:30.700 --> 02:20:35.590
hurt. As he boots up his gaming system, he
thinks for a moment that he can hear a strange

02:20:35.590 --> 02:20:41.010
noise coming from the kitchen, a soft clucking
sound like the chickens he saw on his grandparents'

02:20:41.010 --> 02:20:45.300
farm. But he quickly forgets about the sound
as the screen lights up, and he disappears

02:20:45.300 --> 02:20:47.840
into the world of his favorite game.

02:20:47.840 --> 02:20:52.640
He plays for hours, until the grumbling of
his stomach interrupts his concentration.

02:20:52.640 --> 02:20:57.350
He is suddenly very hungry, and remembers
the soup his mother left in the microwave!

02:20:57.350 --> 02:21:02.030
It is certainly cold and unappealing by now,
but he can just reheat it first! He punches

02:21:02.030 --> 02:21:06.830
the buttons on the microwave, and waits for
the soup to be ready. Again, he can hear strange

02:21:06.830 --> 02:21:12.229
noises coming from the microwave, but he doesn't
think anything of it. The microwave dings,

02:21:12.229 --> 02:21:16.479
and he pulls out the bowl of soup, grabs a
spoon, and digs in.

02:21:16.479 --> 02:21:20.720
A little while later, the boy's mother pulls
into the driveway in a panic. She left work

02:21:20.720 --> 02:21:25.120
early when her phone rang with a call from
her son. She answered, asking what was wrong,

02:21:25.120 --> 02:21:29.720
but he wouldn't answer her. All she could
hear on the other end was rustling, heavy

02:21:29.720 --> 02:21:31.760
breathing, and some pained grunting.

02:21:31.760 --> 02:21:36.660
Fearing the worst, she drove back as fast
as she could, running several red lights along

02:21:36.660 --> 02:21:40.780
the way. Now, she fumbles with her keys as
she unlocks the door, terrified of what she

02:21:40.780 --> 02:21:45.240
will find. She grips her phone in her other
hand, thumb hovering over the buttons, ready

02:21:45.240 --> 02:21:50.160
to dial 9-1-1 if the situation calls for it.
She pushes the front door open, calling her

02:21:50.160 --> 02:21:56.320
son's name. He doesn't answer, and her stomach
drops. Suddenly, she hears the loud THUD of

02:21:56.320 --> 02:22:00.730
something heavy being knocked to the ground.
Something is terribly wrong here, and even

02:22:00.730 --> 02:22:05.399
though she might find her worst nightmare,
she has to face whatever is waiting for her

02:22:05.399 --> 02:22:06.399
inside.

02:22:06.399 --> 02:22:10.149
She runs into the kitchen, and finds it a
mess. The bowl of soup is shattered on the

02:22:10.149 --> 02:22:15.430
floor, congealed, cold soup pooling on the
tile. The kitchen table is turned over on

02:22:15.430 --> 02:22:21.521
its side, the kitchen chairs are in disarray.
But the strangest sight is the dozens of tiny,

02:22:21.521 --> 02:22:26.649
white, fluffy things on the floor, counters,
and furniture. She picks one up for a closer

02:22:26.649 --> 02:22:34.141
look, and finds herself even more confused
than before. It's a feather. They're all feathers.

02:22:34.141 --> 02:22:39.320
She calls her son's name again, praying for
a response. This time, she receives one, though

02:22:39.320 --> 02:22:44.000
not the one she hopes for. She hears the sound
of shuffling footsteps up above, followed

02:22:44.000 --> 02:22:48.750
by a strangled sound like a scream caught
in someone's throat. She sprints up the stairs

02:22:48.750 --> 02:22:53.630
as fast as her legs can carry her, throwing
open the door to her son's bedroom. There,

02:22:53.630 --> 02:22:59.360
she finds him. But this is not the bright-eyed
boy that she left behind when she left for

02:22:59.360 --> 02:23:00.360
work.

02:23:00.360 --> 02:23:03.649
His arms are covered with a thick layer of
white feathers, the same feathers that are

02:23:03.649 --> 02:23:08.450
beginning to poke through the skin of his
face. The top of his head has elongated into

02:23:08.450 --> 02:23:13.170
a floppy comb of excess skin, the same sort
of excess skin that is wobbling below his

02:23:13.170 --> 02:23:19.700
chin. And his mouth...it doesn't look like
a mouth anymore. It's pointed, and hard, and

02:23:19.700 --> 02:23:25.840
his lips click together when he speaks, or
rather, clucks. His bare feet are scaly and

02:23:25.840 --> 02:23:30.490
red, with claws protruding from his toes.
He flaps his wings frantically, eyes wide

02:23:30.490 --> 02:23:35.810
and wild, clucking and running back and forth
across the room. When he looks at her, she

02:23:35.810 --> 02:23:42.910
does not see recognition in his gaze. Her
son, her beloved boy, has turned into a chicken.

02:23:42.910 --> 02:23:47.060
Unable to do anything else, the mother calls
an ambulance. At first, the paramedics that

02:23:47.060 --> 02:23:51.120
arrive on the scene think the call was some
sort of elaborate prank, but when they set

02:23:51.120 --> 02:23:56.470
eyes on the boy, they agree that something
truly bizarre is going on. They speed to the

02:23:56.470 --> 02:24:01.800
hospital with the chicken boy in tow, but
sadly are unable to save his life. The mother

02:24:01.800 --> 02:24:07.060
turns over the can of mysterious soup to the
authorities, who launch a formal investigation.

02:24:07.060 --> 02:24:11.500
Unfortunately, they are unable to trace the
can to any store, nor are they able to verify

02:24:11.500 --> 02:24:16.250
the existence of the company name on its label.
Employees of the grocery store where she found

02:24:16.250 --> 02:24:20.240
the can insist that they have never seen it
in their lives.

02:24:20.240 --> 02:24:24.240
Several weeks after this incident occurred,
the SCP Foundation conducted a raid on a New

02:24:24.240 --> 02:24:29.660
York office of Marshall, Carter, and Dark.
For those of you unfamiliar with the organization,

02:24:29.660 --> 02:24:34.660
and that is most of the general population
by design, Marshall, Carter, and Dark, Ltd.

02:24:34.660 --> 02:24:40.950
is an extremely powerful multinational corporation
founded by three individuals with those surnames,

02:24:40.950 --> 02:24:46.250
specializing in the acquisition and sale of
anomalous items, entities, and experiences.

02:24:46.250 --> 02:24:51.220
To put it simply, they run the largest anomalous
black market in the world, and are the crime

02:24:51.220 --> 02:24:53.850
bosses of the paranormal world.

02:24:53.850 --> 02:24:58.660
During this particular raid, SCP Foundation
operatives recovered seventeen different unusual

02:24:58.660 --> 02:25:03.290
items. Among the items discovered was a shipping
crate, recently delivered by the Federal Postal

02:25:03.290 --> 02:25:08.529
Service from an invalid return address. This
crate contained one hundred and three cans

02:25:08.529 --> 02:25:15.100
of SCP-2057, as well as a copy of a letter
written to one of the company's associates.

02:25:15.100 --> 02:25:19.710
So far, the letter has not been traced to
an address. It reads:

02:25:19.710 --> 02:25:21.160
"Dear Cyrus,

02:25:21.160 --> 02:25:25.630
Maria has told me of the unfortunate circumstances
that have befallen your children. I had hoped

02:25:25.630 --> 02:25:30.260
to hear about the improvement of their conditions
soon. As their godfather, I am extremely distressed

02:25:30.260 --> 02:25:35.550
to hear this. Having experienced a child suffering
from the measles myself, I know how terrifying

02:25:35.550 --> 02:25:40.080
it can be when it seems as if they are getting
worse. Recently, we received a shipment of

02:25:40.080 --> 02:25:42.630
something that I hope can help your family.

02:25:42.630 --> 02:25:47.450
There is a crate in the storage area marked
with 'Wondertainment - Discontinued Item.'

02:25:47.450 --> 02:25:51.920
It will not be there long, as it goes to auction
next week. I will leave a key under the photo

02:25:51.920 --> 02:25:58.000
of your family on your desk. Follow the instructions
exactly. Do not, under any circumstances,

02:25:58.000 --> 02:26:02.430
do anything different than what is directed
on the can. Destroy this message as soon as

02:26:02.430 --> 02:26:06.050
possible. I do not want any of this to come
back on us.

02:26:06.050 --> 02:26:08.150
Be careful, my friend.

02:26:08.150 --> 02:26:09.590
~Williams"

02:26:09.590 --> 02:26:16.540
SCP-2057 consists of ninety-two 318 ml cans
of condensed chicken noodle soup. Each can

02:26:16.540 --> 02:26:21.430
is covered with a brightly-colored label depicting
images of noodles, a cartoon chicken, and

02:26:21.430 --> 02:26:26.980
dancing vegetables. In addition to this inviting
imagery, each label is emblazoned with the

02:26:26.980 --> 02:26:32.930
text: "Dr. Wondertainment's Ultralicious Chicken
Noodle Soup For Kids!" Each can has a pull-top

02:26:32.930 --> 02:26:37.870
lid for easy opening, and is printed with
a set of nutrition facts, ingredients, and

02:26:37.870 --> 02:26:43.311
instructions for heating.

02:26:43.311 --> 02:26:50.420
The Nutrition Facts are as follows: Calories,
95, Fat, 3.17g, Carbohydrates, 2.2g, Protein,

02:26:50.420 --> 02:26:57.750
13.48g, Vitamin W, 2.00g, and Mother's Love,
10.00g. The SCP Foundation attempted to analyze

02:26:57.750 --> 02:27:02.689
the contents of the soup in order to compare
it to the posted nutrition facts. The Calories,

02:27:02.689 --> 02:27:07.990
Fat, Carbohydrates, and Protein were found
to be accurately reported. Vitamin W was present

02:27:07.990 --> 02:27:12.439
in the reported amount as well, though it
was not a compound that the Foundation scientists

02:27:12.439 --> 02:27:18.060
had ever encountered before. Mother's Love,
as it is an intangible concept, was not able

02:27:18.060 --> 02:27:22.030
to be identified or measured in the analyzed
soup samples.

02:27:22.030 --> 02:27:27.490
The Ingredients are listed as: "Ultralicious™
chicken stock, enriched Chinese egg noodles,

02:27:27.490 --> 02:27:32.830
finest cooked chicken breast, "farm fresh
carrots, crispy-crunchy celery, sweet Vidalia

02:27:32.830 --> 02:27:39.040
onions, no paint thinner, fresh mountain spring
water, Vitamin W™. Contains less than 2%

02:27:39.040 --> 02:27:43.960
of the following ingredients: a pinch of salt,
a smidgen of chicken fat, sprinkle of spice

02:27:43.960 --> 02:27:48.710
extracted from rare plants, a dash of high-quality
unicorn tears."

02:27:48.710 --> 02:27:54.380
The Instructions for Heating read: "Hey, Kids!
Feeling sick, icky, or downright yucky? Just

02:27:54.380 --> 02:27:59.420
pop open a can of Dr Wondertainment's Ultralicious™
Chicken Noodle Soup For Kids™! Place contents

02:27:59.420 --> 02:28:04.859
of the can in a medium sized soup pot, add
a can of water, stir, and heat! Watch as the

02:28:04.859 --> 02:28:09.800
fun begins! Eat hearty, and you'll feel better
and ready to play with Dr Wondertainment toys

02:28:09.800 --> 02:28:11.290
in no time!"

02:28:11.290 --> 02:28:15.651
All of this is relatively straightforward,
give or take a few unusual ingredients. Someone

02:28:15.651 --> 02:28:19.729
taking only a quick look might mistake a can
of this soup for any other chicken noodle

02:28:19.729 --> 02:28:25.540
soup. However, it does have something that
most ordinary canned soup does not: a warning

02:28:25.540 --> 02:28:26.610
label.

02:28:26.610 --> 02:28:30.859
"Dr Wondertainment's Ultralicious™ Chicken
Noodle Soup For Kids™! is intended to be

02:28:30.859 --> 02:28:35.720
eaten while it is hot, to make you feel better
in no time at all! Do not consume after it

02:28:35.720 --> 02:28:42.061
has become cold. Do not reheat. By purchasing
from Dr. Wondertainment you agree to not hold

02:28:42.061 --> 02:28:46.620
Dr. Wondertainment or any of Dr. Wondertainment's
affiliates accountable for injuries or damages

02:28:46.620 --> 02:28:51.340
incurred by your product. Thank you for purchasing
from Dr. Wondertainment."

02:28:51.340 --> 02:28:57.040
So, what exactly is in a can of Dr. Wondertainment's
Ultralicious Chicken Noodle Soup for Kids?

02:28:57.040 --> 02:29:01.540
Well, when the SCP Foundation first opened
a can to take a look, they found that it was

02:29:01.540 --> 02:29:05.660
filled with condensed chicken broth, and a
mass of egg noodles shaped like an egg. When

02:29:05.660 --> 02:29:09.640
water was added, and the contents of the can
were heated to a temperature of 70 degrees

02:29:09.640 --> 02:29:15.689
Celsius, the noodle-based egg hatched. Inside
was a small domesticated chicken made up of

02:29:15.689 --> 02:29:19.950
egg noodles, carrot, celery, onion, and cooked
chicken breast.

02:29:19.950 --> 02:29:26.950
For simplicity's sake, this chicken noodle
soup chicken is referred to as SCP-2057-1.

02:29:26.950 --> 02:29:32.149
As the Foundation researchers continued to
heat the broth to a higher temperature, SCP-2057-1

02:29:32.149 --> 02:29:38.660
began to move around, make audible chirping
sounds, and eat the broth. As it ate, it grew

02:29:38.660 --> 02:29:45.470
larger and larger until it reached a mass
of 85g, and resembled a miniature adult chicken.

02:29:45.470 --> 02:29:52.920
At a temperature between 35 and 70 degrees
C, SCP-2057-1 behaved much like an ordinary

02:29:52.920 --> 02:29:57.700
chicken. It continued to behave normally even
as it was consumed or cut apart, apparently

02:29:57.700 --> 02:30:04.439
feeling no pain or awareness of its situation.
Dissection of SCP-2057-1 revealed that its

02:30:04.439 --> 02:30:09.149
insides were made up of soup ingredients,
including celery and onion bones, cooked chicken

02:30:09.149 --> 02:30:13.710
breast muscles, carrot beak and legs, and
chicken broth blood.

02:30:13.710 --> 02:30:20.080
When SCP-2057-1's temperature dropped below
35 degrees C, it stopped moving and collapsed

02:30:20.080 --> 02:30:26.990
into the soup. At a temperature below 20 degrees
C, it became congealed and unappetizing. With

02:30:26.990 --> 02:30:31.140
these observations completed, the Foundation
then attempted to measure the effects of this

02:30:31.140 --> 02:30:35.090
unusual chicken soup on a person that ingested
it.

02:30:35.090 --> 02:30:39.490
When test subjects were fed samples of the
soup at a temperature between 35 and 70 degrees

02:30:39.490 --> 02:30:44.770
C, they had a very positive experience. The
soup's taste was described as "excellent,"

02:30:44.770 --> 02:30:49.400
"delicious," and "homey." Though the meal
caused a bit of psychological distress due

02:30:49.400 --> 02:30:53.689
to the soup chicken's realistic appearance
and behavior, it improved every test subject's

02:30:53.689 --> 02:30:58.490
physical well-being. This especially applied
to test subjects with a case of influenza,

02:30:58.490 --> 02:31:05.479
measles, or the common cold. Following consumption
of SCP-2057, each subject with a diagnosed

02:31:05.479 --> 02:31:10.500
illness of this kind reported immediate relief
from their symptoms, including fever, aches

02:31:10.500 --> 02:31:13.279
and pains, cough, and congestion.

02:31:13.279 --> 02:31:18.500
With this positive (if a bit disturbing) effect
documented, the Foundation next set out to

02:31:18.500 --> 02:31:23.562
determine what would happen if they let the
soup get cold before it was eaten. Test subjects

02:31:23.562 --> 02:31:27.580
served this version of the soup had a far
worse experience, describing the taste of

02:31:27.580 --> 02:31:34.550
their meal as "bland," "disgusting," and "repulsive."
67% of the test subjects experienced cramps,

02:31:34.550 --> 02:31:40.240
chills, and diarrhea following their consumption
of the soup, and 62% found themselves making

02:31:40.240 --> 02:31:45.750
involuntary clucking noises, as well as experiencing
a strong aversion to poultry products.

02:31:45.750 --> 02:31:50.180
Again, several test subjects were deliberately
selected based on their cases of influenza,

02:31:50.180 --> 02:31:55.330
measles, and the common cold. These test subjects
immediately began to develop troubling symptoms

02:31:55.330 --> 02:31:59.490
including the growth of pin feathers on their
forearms, loosened excess skin on their heads

02:31:59.490 --> 02:32:04.710
and under their chins, a change in their ability
to walk normally, and distressing hallucinations

02:32:04.710 --> 02:32:08.460
of being hung upside-down by the ankles.

02:32:08.460 --> 02:32:12.430
Following these two rounds of testing, the
research team decided to see why exactly the

02:32:12.430 --> 02:32:18.729
warning label advised against reheating the
soup. D-Class 45782 was selected as the test

02:32:18.729 --> 02:32:22.689
subject for this particular experiment, and
was instructed to reheat a bowl of cooled

02:32:22.689 --> 02:32:28.970
SCP-2057-1 in a microwave on high for two
minutes and thirty seconds. Then, he was to

02:32:28.970 --> 02:32:34.420
consume the reheated soup and report his experience
to a camera placed in the room with him. As

02:32:34.420 --> 02:32:40.590
instructed, D-45782 microwaved the bowl of
soup. As it heated in the microwave, it emitted

02:32:40.590 --> 02:32:44.279
unintelligible vocalizations in a deep voice.

02:32:44.279 --> 02:32:49.660
After removing the bowl from the microwave,
D-45782 noted that it was gelatinous-looking,

02:32:49.660 --> 02:32:54.450
with blackened burnt bits around the edges.
He took three bites of the disgusting, hot-and-cold,

02:32:54.450 --> 02:32:58.990
at the same time mixture before spitting it
out onto the floor and refusing to eat another

02:32:58.990 --> 02:33:06.090
bite. Fifteen minutes after tasting the reheated
soup, D-45872 began to exhibit significant

02:33:06.090 --> 02:33:12.529
distress, clucking angrily into the camera.
Five minutes later, D-45872 became more difficult

02:33:12.529 --> 02:33:17.520
to understand, clucks and other chicken-like
vocalizations making up most of his attempted

02:33:17.520 --> 02:33:18.520
speech.

02:33:18.520 --> 02:33:22.671
He began scratching vigorously at his arms
to the point of drawing blood. Loose skin

02:33:22.671 --> 02:33:27.760
could be seen gathering on the top of his
head and under his neck. Six minutes later,

02:33:27.760 --> 02:33:33.689
D-45872 had lost the ability to speak. Large
white pin feathers had sprouted from his arms,

02:33:33.689 --> 02:33:38.069
covering the skin, and smaller white feathers
were beginning to sprout from his face.

02:33:38.069 --> 02:33:44.029
After sixteen more minutes passed, D-45872
began attacking other objects in the room,

02:33:44.029 --> 02:33:47.620
attempting to destroy the microwave, knocking
the bowl of soup to the floor, and flipping

02:33:47.620 --> 02:33:53.430
over a table and chair. He had grown feathers
over 67% of his skin, and his face had begun

02:33:53.430 --> 02:33:58.810
to change drastically. His nasal area was
elongated and hardened, joining with his lower

02:33:58.810 --> 02:34:04.390
jaw in an appendage resembling a bird's beak.
His upper lip had disappeared into his nasal

02:34:04.390 --> 02:34:11.930
cavity. Only five minutes later, D-45872 suddenly
stopped moving, and collapsed to the floor.

02:34:11.930 --> 02:34:13.140
Dead.

02:34:13.140 --> 02:34:18.540
Following D-45872's death, an autopsy was
performed. These were the findings:

02:34:18.540 --> 02:34:23.880
"Autopsy revealed D-45782's cause of death
was due to extreme and sudden physical change

02:34:23.880 --> 02:34:29.450
of internal organs, resulting in shock and
cardiac arrest. 93% of the subject's skin

02:34:29.450 --> 02:34:34.110
was covered in feathers. Physical changes
in the face resulted in a beak-like alteration

02:34:34.110 --> 02:34:38.490
of the nose and mouth. Loose skin under the
neck and on the top of the head resemble a

02:34:38.490 --> 02:34:44.110
wattle and comb. Subject's lower legs were
found to be covered in thick, scaly skin with

02:34:44.110 --> 02:34:49.380
the toes of the subject's feet ending in small
rounded claws. The subject and instance of

02:34:49.380 --> 02:34:55.210
SCP-2057-1 were incinerated after testing
and autopsy."

02:34:55.210 --> 02:35:01.430
Whenever not being used for approved experimentation,
all cans of SCP-2057 must be stored in a standard

02:35:01.430 --> 02:35:06.800
large-volume storage locker in Containment
Area-27, and kept at a temperature of 25 degrees

02:35:06.800 --> 02:35:13.160
Celsius. Because SCP-2057 is in limited supply,
all experiments must first be approved by

02:35:13.160 --> 02:35:19.210
at least two personnel with 2-1103 clearance,
as well as receiving the go-ahead from Dr.

02:35:19.210 --> 02:35:20.210
Applegate.

02:35:20.210 --> 02:35:25.130
There are still forty-one cans of Dr. Wondertainment's
Chicken Soup unaccounted for, and the Foundation

02:35:25.130 --> 02:35:30.220
has been unable to track them down so far.
Who knows where they ended up? Maybe at another

02:35:30.220 --> 02:35:35.850
office of Marshall, Carter, and Dark. Or maybe,
just maybe, one made its way onto the shelves

02:35:35.850 --> 02:35:41.420
at your local grocery store. Best to be careful
out there. When you're feeling sick, hungry,

02:35:41.420 --> 02:35:45.250
or in need of a little pick-me-up, there's
nothing quite like a steaming hot bowl of

02:35:45.250 --> 02:35:49.609
chicken noodle soup. Just make sure to read
the label carefully, and always follow the

02:35:49.609 --> 02:35:54.160
printed instructions. If you decide to ignore
them, you might just find that your chickens

02:35:54.160 --> 02:36:08.720
have come home to roost. After all, as the
saying goes, you are what you eat.