SCP-9303, once presented with sources of red lighting other than itself, will begin to pace around it. The purpose behind this behaviour is unknown.
SCP-9303
Item #: SCP-9303
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-9303 is to be housed in a modified containment chamber at Site-17. Site janitors are to dispose of collected dust in a chute fitted with an aerosolizer, where it will be intermittently dispersed in SCP-9303's chamber. To dilute methane buildup, inert gasses are to be circulated through small ventilation grates placed at the ceiling.
In the event SCP-9303 cannot be fed due to malfunctions or lack of dust, assigned containment personnel are to gather dust from neighbouring sites. This dust is to be manually inserted via hand into its containment chamber.
Fluorescent lights are only to be switched on during testing or maintenance. In the event of an emergency, high-power red LED's and thermal cameras are to be activated in the chamber. All staff assigned to SCP-9303 are to equip SCBA's before entering its chamber.
Description: SCP-9303 is a 1.83 m tall, thin humanoid with a large aluminium ventilation cover replacing the face. This cover filters the air that SCP-9303 breathes for dust and debris, which it relies on as its primary food source. While unhidden, SCP-9303 has a grey skin tone.
SCP-9303 hides itself inside ventilation shafts by removing and replacing ventilation covers with its own head, using an adhesive layer on its skin to scale walls and being able to blend its skin colour with the environment. Once SCP-9303 finishes feeding, it places the previous cover back and it maneuvers to a more secluded area to emit red bioluminescence from spots on its skin. This allows methane buildup to escape, which is a form of waste disposal.
SCP-9303 is passive and lacks any aggressive behaviour, although it is unknown whether or not SCP-9303 is sapient. SCP-9303, once presented with sources of red lighting other than itself, will begin to pace around it. The purpose behind this behaviour is unknown.
Discovery: SCP-9303 was found inside of a civilian office building in New York while employees were testing their security and safety measures. The fire alarm was activated as part of standard procedure, activating the exit signs and causing SCP-9303 to reveal itself. Field agents were soon dispatched, and all civilians present were amnesticized.
Addendum 9303-A: Visual Stimuli - Test Log 3
Previous tests regarding communication with SCP-9303 yielded no fruitful results and were removed to be archived.
TEST LOG
Item # Tested: SCP-9303
Description Of Test: To note SCP-9303's responses to certain visual stimuli.
Tested By: Dr. Alexis Hadley
RESULTS
Photo Shown
SCP-9303 Response
Observations
Pomeranian (Canis lupus familiaris)
SCP-9303 slowly reached out a hand to touch the photograph. It retreated to the corner of the room before it touched the photo.
Its hands were shaking.
Wasp Nest (Vespula vulgaris)
SCP-9303 noticed the photo and scaled the wall, blending in with the roof.
Reaction was immediate. It did not look back at the photo and kept its head away. Where would it have dealt with wasps before?
Black Rat (Rattus rattus)
SCP-9303 approached the photo, standing still for a few seconds before attempting to flick the photo with its fingers.
Interesting reaction. It did not hesitate.
American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana)
SCP-9303 stared from a distance before looking at its own hands. It subtly mimics the shape of holding a bug spray canister before walking to the corner of the room.
It could have picked this up as a context clue.
Rock Dove (Columba livia)
SCP-9303 slowly walked towards the photo. Once it got close to the photo, it hunched and stared at it. It then stood still for approximately 3 minutes before walking away.
Moved slowly, perhaps not wanting to scare it. Did not have much care for anything else, so why have such a reaction for birds? Further research regarding this response might prove useful.
Notes: N/A
Addendum 9303.B: Avian Fauna - Test Log 4
TEST LOG
Item # Tested: SCP-9303
Description Of Test: To note SCP-9303's behaviour toward avian fauna.
Tested By: Dr. Alexis Hadley
RESULTS
SCP-9303 was presented with several trained bird species within its chamber. It cautiously approached each, attempting to hold each one separately in its hands. When successful, SCP-9303 brought them close to its face. It then slowly released each bird as to not harm them via its adhesive skin.
This process repeated for each bird until the pattern broke when SCP-9303 picked up a grey parrot (Psitaccus erithacus). SCP-9303 held it close to its face but did not let it go. It caressed the bird and inspected its feathers closely and only let it go after it finished inspecting it.
Further testing was conducted with similar species; the behaviour was only replicated when SCP-9303 was introduced to grey parrot specimens.
Notes: Grey parrots produce a fine keratin powder to keep their feathers waterproof and soft. If SCP-9303 knows this then it perhaps wants to obtain this powder to feed off of it. An investigation into employees of the building where SCP-9303 was found yielded that only one active employee had a pet parrot. Perhaps it learnt through repetition from this civilian? Such an interesting creature.
Addendum 9303.C: Interview Log 1
The previously mentioned employee was at home the day SCP-9303 was found. An interview has been conducted and can be seen in the following log.
INTERVIEW LOG
Interviewed: Anthony Welles
Interviewer: Dr. Alexis Hadley
Foreword: This log has been edited to remove excessive stuttering from Mr. Welles responses due to concerns of readability.
BEGIN LOG
(Dr. Hadley produces a file as she starts recording.)
Dr. Hadley: 12th of May, 2011. It is currently 2 minutes past 6PM. Good afternoon, Mr. Welles.
Mr. Welles: Good afternoon, m–ma'am. So, may I ask what th-this interview is about? I understand that there must be a reason why I'm worth the armed guards, right?
Dr. Hadley: Yeah, we'll get to that. Calm down and relax. They're here for your safety, trust me. So, it is true that you own a parrot, yes?
Mr. Welles: That is … yeah. I do own a parrot. Grey parrot. His name is Maxwell.
Dr. Hadley: Maxwell's a beautiful bird. That reminds me, the current maintenance job you work, with the insurance company, do they have any policies against bringing pets to the office?
Mr. Welles: Yes, they … their policies are that if anyone else in the office is allergic to the animal or if … hold on, the th-thought slipped my m-mind, could we get back to that?
Dr. Hadley: That would be okay. Let's move on for now. Your bird, Maxwell, do you have any habits for maintaining him? I am sure he has to be well kept to look pretty, right?
Mr. Welles: You could say I'm like any good bird owner! H-Hah … right, so, what certain powder down birds like Maxwell does is they form this layer of keratin around their feathers; usually helps them with the environment they're from. I grind it up and feed that to my plants because they're rich in nitrogen. Although, why do y-you ask?
Dr. Hadley: That's great to know, Mr. Welles. The reason I'm asking is that that's not the only thing you do with that keratin, correct?
Mr. Welles: I don't u-understand what I'm … am I in trouble?
(Dr. Hadley opens the folder in front of her and reveals a photo of SCP-9303. Both stare quietly for a few seconds.)
Mr. Welles: Th–That's … uh, hah, wow.
Dr. Hadley: You see, Mr. Welles, I absolutely love solving puzzles. I would really appreciate it if you helped me out. Tell me everything you know about this creature. Start from the beginning.
Mr. Welles: Am I being interviewed or interrogated?
Dr. Hadley: I'll be your best friend, Anthony. As long as you're honest to me, then I'll be honest to you. Is that fair?
Mr. Welles: I'm just a little bit … l-lightheaded at the moment. Can I gather my th-thoughts before I talk?
(Dr. Hadley nods and a minute passes. Mr. Welles closes his eyes and takes deep breaths, wiping his face with his forearm before he continues speaking.)
Mr. Welles: I've already been caught in one lie. So, from the start … this thing wasn't always around. About a year ago or so, the building next ours burned … burnt down. Got renovated by the city. A few days after it burnt down, I was doing overtime, rewiring ceiling lights and stuff. I was above the panelling when I see this red light come out of nowhere. A red light above the ceiling is something I-I've never seen before, so I got closer to get a better look.
Dr. Hadley: And that is when you first made contact with it?
Mr. Welles: Yeah. I carried my ladder over and … I saw that thing. Ma'am, it nearly scared me out of my own skin, but it didn't i–immediately come to bite or hurt me … just hugged th–the wall, looking at me. Felt like we were looking at each other. It tilted its head at me as if it w-wondered what I was doing. So, yeah … I let it be. What if the government wanted to kill me for knowing about this things existence?
Dr. Hadley: They wouldn't do that. So, you saw it and did nothing. Is that really all that happened?
(Mr. Welles swallows the spit in his mouth before beginning to fidget with his fingers.)
Mr. Welles: Uhm … have you ever watched The Shape of Water, ma'am?
Dr. Hadley: Uh-huh. You empathized with it?
Mr. Welles: I didn't fall in love! Or anything like that … I felt sorry for it. Looking at its body, I saw skin and bones, like it didn't have a good meal in years. Like that one role Christian Bale had in 2004, that thin. I wondered what it was eating … all animals have to eat. Eventually, I did put two and two toge- … together. Grate for a head; it was siphoning the air to stay alive. If it was safe, then maybe I could do one good thing for the world and help it. I took the rest of my powder and blew it into its face when no one was looking. I did that every now and again when I knew where it was hiding … vent covers don't just appear out of thin air, you know? Next time we saw each other, it slowly walked across the ceiling towards me. In that moment, I was … I was a–afraid. That maybe I was the one in danger. Maybe it thought the same. It got closer, and closer … keeping its hands close to its chest, tilting its head around until it was right in front of me. I had some powder with me, so I slowly pulled it out and blew some of it into the air and it loved it. It twitched its head around like a bird and … it blew cold air onto my f-face.
Dr. Hadley: That is certainly quite the surprise. I didn't know you could befriend a creature like that, Mr. Welles.
Mr. Welles: I define friends as people who are there for me. He … that thing was a friend. I talked to it when no one could hear us. Told it secrets, showed it photos and videos. Maybe it was s-smart enough to understand me … gosh, I wish people understood me more often. It even found my missing hammer once. Oh, I remember … I remember taking a photo of it once and showing that to him … it. It didn't let me talk to it a few days after I did that. Made me feel like I upset it somehow. I … I never really gave it a name. One day, I was off, th-the next, it's just … gone. Ma'am, do you know where it … where it went?
(Dr. Hadley pauses for a moment. Her eyes dart to the camera before she clasps her hands together, looking back at Welles.)
Dr. Hadley: No. No, I don't. I'm sorry.
Mr. Welles: Please find out. I'm … I miss it.
Dr. Hadley: Don't worry, Mr. Welles. We will.
…
END LOG
Notes: Mr. Welles was amnesticized after the interview.
Addendum 9303.D: Samples - Test Log 5
An investigation into the history of the renovated building was carried out by field agents. The fire department which responded to the situation's records stated that the fire originated from underground maintenance tunnels which quickly spread via airducts to the main offices due to the buildup of dust, which subsequently spread all throughout the building. The report also indicated biological material at the origin point but was ultimately identified as waste.
MTF Zeta-9 (“Mole Rats”) were tasked to explore the maintenance tunnels underneath the building to locate the origin of the fire and to gather samples. The room wherein the fire originated appeared to be bricked off and had to be destroyed before being able to enter. The room was large, stained with smoke and soot, and contained several loose ventilation covers.
The following samples were collected at the origin point.
Sample Tested
Results
Swab of Soot
The following was detected on the swab: aluminium filings, soot, nitric acid, dead skin cells and textile fibres.
Swab of Vent Covers
Similar to the swab of soot, alongside faint traces of luciferin as well as an unknown biological substance.
Ventilation Cover
Typical aluminium alloy mixed with several other metals. Unidentifiable reddish stains alongside the frame.
Addendum 9303.E: Containment Breach Camera Feed
On ██/██/████, Site-17 suffered a site-wide containment breach. The following captured footage shows Dr. Hadley entering SCP-9303's chamber during the breach out of necessity for her own safety.
VIDEO LOG
Chamber Captured: SCP-9303
Time Code: 0422-0435-17
BEGIN PLAYBACK
(SCP-9303 holds itself up at the corner of the ceiling, blending in. The lights in the chamber turn on before Dr. Hadley enters with her hands in her pockets. The chamber door closes behind her as the blare of sirens become muffled. She fidgets with her equipped SCBA before she looks around for SCP-9303. SCP-9303 reveals itself upon seeing Dr. Hadley in the light. It continues to remain in the upper corner of the ceiling, staring down at Dr. Hadley as she begins speaking.)
Dr. Hadley: I guess you'll be all the company I've got for the next few hours, huh?
(SCP-9303 exhibits no reaction. Dr. Hadley walks to the wall left of SCP-9303's vision and sits down against it.)
Dr. Hadley: So … do you have any favourite books? Mine's Red Dragon by Thomas Harris …
(SCP-9303 begins to slowly lower itself from the wall, climbing down.)
Dr. Hadley: Tch … as if you have any … oh, speaking of, Anthony told me a lot about you. Things he apparently told you. Would you have considered him a friend? Must have been entertaining, right?
(It stands at the opposite side of the room where Dr. Hadley sits.)
Dr. Hadley: One thing I don't understand about what we talked about is the fact that he … he said he understood you. I don't get that. Lonely men like him need an outlet, I get it, but you …
(It begins to take slow steps forward.)
Dr. Hadley: What part of you isn't what we think you are? Can you tell me?
(It continues stepping forward as Dr. Hadley talks.)
Dr. Hadley: … You didn't just lose people you loved. You lost a home to call your own. I can only imagine how that feels.
(It suddenly stands still. Its hands begin to subtly shake.)
Dr. Hadley: Maybe it's stupid I'm talking to you like this. But, for some reason, I feel like … you … you know for certain that you don't fit in. You think I don't know what you're doing, but you'd be lying to yourself if you thought I didn't think there's more to you … maybe I'm projecting a bit. Am I right?
(Dr. Hadley notices its head looking down at the floor before it looks up towards her. She stays quiet before she stands up, placing a palm against the wall.)
Dr. Hadley: Do you need a hug?
(SCP-9303 shakes its head.)
Dr. Hadley: That's okay too. Oh, wait – your skin. I'm sorry, I—
(It snaps its fingers at Dr. Hadley, cutting her off. SCP-9303 points at the red lights above the chamber, which are inactive. Dr. Hadley nods before she pats her pockets, revealing a remote control. She points it at the observation room and presses down on a switch. The red lights turn on. SCP-9303 keeps staring at Dr. Hadley.)
Dr. Hadley: What now? The red lights are burning, I don't … burning. You don't mean that, do you?
(SCP-9303 steps closer to Dr. Hadley. Its skin begins to form red bioluminescent patches.)
Dr. Hadley: What are you doing?
(SCP-9303 approaches Dr. Hadley and gets on its knees. It hugs her around the waist. Dr. Hadley places a hand on top of its head, and the footage corrupts.)
…