"SCP-9197 is an illness with a memetic effect that inflicts strong urges of suicide on any of its patients, as well as the urge to be seen doing so."
If any employee feels they can't handle overseeing SCP-9197-A instances, you are free to request a switch in positions. You won't be judged or punished by this choice.
Item #: SCP-9197
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: Instances of SCP-9197-A are to be kept in a padded cell and fitted with a straitjacket and muzzle. They are to be monitored 24 hours per day and any attempt at self-harm or suicide is to be immediately shut down by non-lethal methods. In the death of an SCP-9197-A instance, any and all witnesses are to be restrained with the same procedures described above. Any two instances are not allowed to be in the same room. Any attempt to kill or help SCP-9197-A instances will result in immediate termination.
Description: SCP-9197 is an illness with a memetic effect that inflicts strong urges of suicide on any of its patients(dubbed SCP-9197-A), as well as the urge to be seen doing so. SCP-9197 spreads if someone sees the death of an SCP-9197-A instance, both self-inflicted or by another individual. The illness can be first detected mere minutes after infection, however, it only takes full effect around 24 hours following initial exposure. SCP-9197 starts by inflicting depression on its host, eventually escalating to the point where they will try to either kill themselves or force someone to do so. As such, SCP-9197 is much harder to perceive in its initial stages, and affected individuals might go into society before the disease is detected. If this happens an AK-class end of the world scenario is probable, as incapacitating thousands of hosts of without witnessing a single death is unlikely.
After tests using different SCP-9197-A instances, only vision has been shown to successfully transmit SCP-9197 to witnesses, as blindfolding or simply making any watcher look away has shown to cause no effect, even if the body is seen afterwards or the witness is aware of the fact the instance has been killed. Video, reflections and blurred glass have all been shown to transmit the disease as well, with no differences being noticed. It is assumed as long as the witnesses can understand what they’re seeing, the disease will be transferred as tests show that if the death is not visually clear enough so that the watcher can’t discern what’s happening, they will not be infected. Due to these tests, the number of SCP-9197-A instances was greatly reduced from 52 hosts to 5.
No communication done with SCP-9197-A instances have resulted in any answers to what exactly makes the patients suicidal, nor as to why the patient feels the need to be seen.
Discovery: SCP-9197 was first observed when a D-Class attacked a Foundation guard, getting shot in self defense. The following day, the attacked guard committed suicide while on duty, being seen by various researchers who were promptly contained in Site-██. Its origins are not yet known.
The following are interviews done with an infected D-Class referred forward as SCP-9197-A-5.
Interviewer: Dr. Lionel Walker
Interviewee: SCP-9197-A-5
Foreword: Interview conducted 1 hour after exposure.<Begin Log>
Dr. Lionel Walker: How do you feel?
SCP-9197-A-5: I don’t feel anything. Do we really have to do this now?
Dr. Lionel Walker: Do you feel sad? Like nothing matters?
SCP-9197-A-5: I guess? I don’t really know, I’d rather not talk.
Dr. Lionel Walker: That’s OK. We’ll bring you back in around 3 hours.
<End Log>
Interviewer: Dr. Lionel Walker
Interviewee: SCP-9197-A-5
Foreword: Interview conducted 5 hours after exposure.<Begin Log>
Dr. Lionel Walker: How are you feeling? Do you feel worse?
(At this point SCP-9197-A-5 is crying with its face in its hands)
SCP-9197-A-5: Don't talk to me.
Dr. Lionel Walker: Hey, listen, I want to help you, but I need your cooperation. Tell me, what's wrong?
SCP-9197-A-5: Please, leave me alone, I just want you to go.
Dr. Lionel Walker: I can’t let you leave just yet. Tell me, are you in physical pain? Are you thinking of something that's making you feel like this?
SCP-9197-A-5: Why should I tell you anything? How will you help?
Dr. Lionel Walker: That’s what I’m trying to figure out. You need to explain yourself.
SCP-9197-A-5: I don’t want to, just leave me alone.
Dr. Lionel Walker: Fine, but you’ll be back here at the start of the next day.
<End Log>
Interviewer: Dr. Lionel Walker
Interviewee: SCP-9197-A-5
Foreword: Interview conducted 24 hours after exposure.<Begin Log>
(SCP-9197-A-5 is now in straitjacket and muzzle)
SCP-9197-A-5: Are you here to kill me?
Dr. Lionel Walker: I'm just here for an interview
SCP-9197-A-5: Why?! Can't you see me crying?! Please doctor, just kill me.
Dr. Lionel Walker: What’s making you feel so bad? Do you see something? Feel something?
SCP-9197-A-5: Why do you care? Why can't you just make it end?
Dr. Lionel Walker: You know I can’t do that.
SCP-9197-A-5: Are you going to ignore my pleading? Doctor, you need to see reason!
Dr. Lionel Walker: I'm not ignoring you. I'm just denying your requests.
SCP-9197-A-5: Please Doctor, have some sympathy for me.
Dr. Lionel Walker: This isn't going anywhere, you can take him away.
<End Log>
The following are interviews conducted with an infected researcher referred forward as SCP-9197-A-9.
Interviewer: Dr. Joan Scout
Interviewee: SCP-9197-A-9
Foreword: Interview conducted 6 hours after infection, interviewee is aware of SCP-9197.<Begin Log>
(SCP-9197-A-9 is crying)
Dr. Joan Scout: I can see you're feeling worse.
SCP-9197-A-9: No shit! If you really care about me just leave me alone, I'll be fine.
Dr. Joan Scout: You know that's just the illness talking, right?
SCP-9197-A-9: It isn't! I'm just feeling bad right now, I'll be better… just leave me alone, please.
Dr. Joan Scout: Please, why are you feeling like this?
SCP-9197-A-9: I just don't wanna talk to you. If you really are my friend, leave.
Dr. Joan Scout: I won't leave, I want to help you.
SCP-9197-A-9: I promise, I'll be better later, this is just a rough patch.
Dr. Joan Scout: We'll continue this another time, I need to think.
<End Log>
Interviewer: Dr. Joan Scout
Interviewee: SCP-9197-A-9
Foreword: Interview conducted 24 hours after infection<Begin Log>
(SCP-9197-A-9 is fully infected at this point.)
Dr. Joan Scout: Remember when we worked together? Do you think we're still friends?
SCP-9197-A-9: We are friends! And we help each other right? Can you help me?
Dr. Joan Scout: You know I can't kill you. I'd die too.
SCP-9197-A-9: Please, Joan, I can't do this! They'll just make me suffer for as long as I'm alive… you need to end this now!
Dr. Joan Scout: Can't you tell? This is the infection! How can't you understand that's what's making you feel like this?! I want my friend back..—
SCP-9197-A-9: Even if it is the infection, look at how I am! How I feel! Why can't you just let me die?!
Dr. Joan Scout: Oh God. I'm not able to do this.
<End Log>
Closing Statement: Dr. Scout requested to stop conducting SCP-9197 related interviews, being substituted by Dr. Walker.
As of ██-██-████ 5 instances of SCP-9197-A are alive. In case of terminal illness or any form of rapidly deteriorating health conditions, instances are to be terminated by a healthy D-class.
- Message to the ethics committee
From:
To:
CC:
Subject:
drscout@scp.int
ethics@scp.int
none
SCP-9197-A
I'm sorry, but what you're doing to these people is mental! I spend my day seeing people beg for me to shoot them, seeing them cry and plead to be killed. These were once my colleagues for Christ's sake! I'm begging you to let these people die, it's not their fault they're infected, and they certainly shouldn't go through whatever it is they are going through. These are still people! They aren't some hivemind or mind controlled peons! Please, they deserve better than this.
Dr. Scout
Foundation Researcher
Secure, Contain, Protect
From:
To:
CC:
Subject:
ethics@scp.int
drscout@scp.int
none
Re: SCP-9197-A
Sorry, but this will not be possible. The unknown nature of 9197's propagation makes it a risk not worth taking, as spreading through anything other than vision might have devastating effects. I don't need to remind you that any attempt to aid an instance of SCP-9197-A will result in immediate termination. If you can't handle it, switch with someone who can.
I formally deny this request on the behalf of the Ethics Committee. This is not to be discussed or suggested again. Doing so will result in unpaid suspension.
Dr. ██████
Member of Ethics Committee
Secure, Contain, Protect