SCP-785

Item #: SCP-785

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: The site of SCP-785 is to be kept in a state of permanent quarantine. The area must be kept clear of all forms of life and unspoiled by any means possible, including but not limited to:

SCP-785 is to be held at Site-45's Bio-Containment wing. Containment protocols are to match those with any other instances of the Ecmeline virus, as well as the procedures for all Keter-class entities.

Description: SCP-785 is a virus, presumably derived from Ecmeline, the World of Darkness's version of rabies. It spreads rapidly, subjecting any mammals to contraction of it. When the virus reaches its host's brainstem, it will induce a detonation in the brain all but identical to that produced by the Ecmeline virus. However, unlike Ecmeline, SCP-785 does not kill off its host within 1 week. Instead, in addition to making victims headless and limbless as with Ecmeline, SCP-785 also infects their spinal cord. This enables the virus to continue replicating itself into the thoracic cavity, which greatly increases its efficiency at spreading.

Once this process has reached thoracic cavities on average 4 to 5 persons (determined by their size), viral production will cease; however, like Ecmeline, SCP-785 will be found in their bodies until they are cremated or otherwise disposed of.

Eventually, if the first few hosts have survived the infection's early stages (the same as Ecmeline itself), they themselves will bring down with them numerous other animals of prey and scavengers; these animals will then proceed to infect both plants and organisms indigenous to the area as well as nearby areas. Though most viruses tend to spread slowly over time before reaching critical mass (such as with [DATA EXPUNGED], SCP-106's anomalous fungus), SCP-785 is unique in that it can produce up to an astronomical number of hosts in such a short period of time.

All subjects who contract SCP-785 eventually develop specialized mid-section structures surrounding their spinal fluid and internal organs (see schematic) which gives off a constant low "hum" similar to that produced by televisions being left on while they are turned off. These structures collapse if removed from their hosts' body cavities intact, though this is incapable of causing any harm as long instruments used for removal have proven to be safe for humans once removed.

When subjects reach 80% destruction (18 meters' depth), only parts of their bodies are left intact: 2 legs each from 2 different subjects, 2 arms from 1 subject each and a skull as large as normal for its size on top of its body cavity. The subjects act completely normally throughout this stage aside from their lower limbs having been reduced to 5 fingers and 7 toes each, respectively. No other limbs have been observed; however, no limbs have ever been removed before destruction occurs entirely between 80% and 95%, so it is unknown whether an entire limb is lost during the first stage or later stages of destruction.

Addendum 885-01: Recovered Experiment Log

23/02/1985, 12:00: Dr. ██████: "I\'d like to try something."

Dr. ██████: "I\'m going to go down into the test subjects and remove their limbs one by one, starting with the one closest to me."

Dr. ██████: "Once they\'re all gone, I\'m going to pull their bodies out and put the rest of them in the incinerator."

Dr. ██████: "This should get them to cannibalize each other, then we\'ll have a chance to test this thing out properly."

23/02/1985, 14:00: Dr. ██████: "I just got back from disposing of the last subject."

Dr. ██████: "Virus is reproducing at an alarming rate. I\'ve already got shells made from the remains of my subjects on here. We\'re going to need more shells."

Dr. ██████: "I\'ve also got a few shrews and birds that were near the subjects with them here. Seems like the virus\'s working pretty well on them too. They\'re making a mess of everything."

Dr. ██████: "Oh, and there\'s a few hundred other animals hunting around outside as well."

Dr. ██████: "I\'m going to pick up a rifle, but I don\'t know if I can shoot all of them before they get inside."

23/02/1985, 17:00: Dr. ██████: "I\'m still waiting for another test subject."

Dr. ██████: "If I do start shooting, I don\'t think these things are going to stop biting me. Maybe we should just let them in?"

Dr. ██████: "It\'d be best for everyone if this thing was contained before it spreads any further."

23/02/1985, 22:00: Dr. ██████: "The test subject died in front of me when I was pulling its limbs off."

Dr. ██████: "Why did it have to die? If I could\'ve just kept it alive for a bit longer…"

Dr. ██████: "I think it\'s time for me to get rid of this virus once and for all."