SCP-3773

rating: +221+x

Item #: SCP-3773

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3773-14 is contained in a small animal containment cell on sub-level 13 of Site-87. Enrichment activities with SCP-3773-14 are to be carried out by containment staff at least three times per day. SCP-3773-14's diet does not differ substantially from a non-anomalous feline's; however, all manifestations of SCP-3773-14 are lactose intolerant. Outside materials, such as pet brushes and toys, are to be fully decontaminated prior to their introduction to SCP-3773-14, to prevent a possible repeat of incident 3773-13.

In the event of SCP-3773-14's death, SCP-3773 is to be kept in storage for no more than sixty days; a new cat is to be introduced to SCP-3773 and designated SCP-3773-15, with the containment procedures appropriately updated when SCP-3773's anomalous effects manifest.

Description: SCP-3773 is a collar made of linen rope. Chemical analysis of SCP-3773 has shown that the fibers of linen contain hairs from at least 200 distinct domesticated felines; the oldest specimen of hair identified dates to approximately 2025BCE. A pair of brass clasps have been added to SCP-3773, possibly due to the wear of the original binding mechanism. SCP-3773 exhibits a mild cognitohazard; if an individual interacts with SCP-3773 with the intent to destroy it, they will place it down on the nearest safe surface and disregard it until they are out of sight of SCP-3773.

SCP-3773's anomalous properties manifest when it is affixed to the neck of a member of the species Felis catus, designated SCP-3773-#. SCP-3773 cannot be removed until the death of the SCP-3773-# instance, and its dimensions will grow and shrink so that SCP-3773 is always fit close to the skin of the SCP-3773-# instance, without causing discomfort. The SCP-3773-# instance will begin to show biological changes consistent with felines that have worn SCP-3773 in the past whose DNA has come into contact with SCP-3773.1 It is estimated that SCP-3773 can 'store' the biological information of at least eighteen different cats at a time.

SCP-3773-# instances show a capability to alter themselves to have traits of several different felines, seemingly at will. Fur color, eye color, length and presence of a tail, and biological sex are all variable in SCP-3773-# instances; however, all instances of SCP-3773-# are uniformly lactose intolerant, even if the felines SCP-3773-# takes the form of were not. These shifts in form are accompanied by changes in behavior, including preference in food, changes in responses to stimuli such as petting and high-pitched noises, and responding to different names. Litters birthed by SCP-3773-# will have offspring genetically identical to felines currently 'stored' in SCP-3773.

The default 'form' of SCP-3773-# instances seems to be a chimeric mixture of all genetic information currently present in SCP-3773; fur will often appear to be in a patchwork pattern, eye colors are often heterochromatic, and in some cases, several tails, all functional, can appear.

Addendum: Incident 3773-13: Dr. Cassandra Pike, a parazoologist at Site-87, was given permission to bring items that belonged to her cat for the purposes of enriching SCP-3773-14, including a hairbrush, toy mice, and a 'dingle ball'. Dr. Pike's cat died in August 2015 under unknown circumstances. Dr. Pike was allowed to interact with SCP-3773-14 for the purposes of studying behavior.

In January of 2016, the following audio was recorded in Site-87's containment wing:

Dr. Jacob Kola: Hey, Cassie. Here to play with Mongrel?2

Dr. Cassandra Pike: Today's my last day with them, actually— for a while, at least. Flying out to Oregon to help Dr. Hendricks get acclimated with his new job.

Dr. Kola: Go right in.

(Sound of a buzzer, followed by the containment airlock opening, followed by approximately seventy seconds of silence, before in-cell intercom is buzzed.)

Dr. Pike: Jake, you have to see this, right now.

Dr. Kola: What's the matter?

Dr. Pike: 3773-14, Mongrel, whatever you want to call it… it looks just like my cat. My dead cat. (Dr. Pike sounds shaken) It looks just like Oliver. Sounds like him, too.

Dr. Kola: That's impossible. Your cat was never in contact with 3773, it couldn't have gotten its genetic signature.

Dr. Pike: Then why… why does it look like my cat? What the fuck?

Dr. Kola: There have to be millions of tortoiseshell cats out there, Cassandra. Calm down.

(Several seconds of silence)

Dr. Pike: How physically detailed are the things that 3773 makes?

Dr. Kola: Why do you ask?

Dr. Pike: Oliver had a rib that never healed right when I got him; some jackass kicked him or something. Made a big bump in his right side, under the skin. I want to see if it's there.

Dr. Kola: Go ahead.

Dr. Pike: Hey, hey Ollie. Oliver. Come here, Ollie. Oh my god, Jake, it came when I called his name. Come here, come to momma, come here…

(Ten seconds of nonsensical noises from Dr. Pike, showing affection to SCP-3773-14, before ceasing suddenly)

Dr. Pike: Oh my god. It's there. The bump's there. His little broken rib. (Dr. Pike begins crying.) What the hell, Jake. What the hell.

Subsequent testing showed that exposure to any feline DNA, not necessarily felines that have worn SCP-3773, has a potential chance of SCP-3773 cataloging it. To date, three felines have been cataloged in SCP-3773 in this manner, including Dr. Pike's own cat.

Addendum: Following Dr. Pike's return from Oregon in February 2016, her work with SCP-3773-14 resumed. SCP-3773-14 would often take the form of Dr. Pike's deceased cat, much to her distress. For the purposes of this document, this form of SCP-3773-14 is designated SCP-3773-14A.

Dr. Pike requested a full-time assignment to SCP-3773-14's research staff for a period of three months, suspending two other non time-sensitive projects. This request was approved by Dr. Adam Larrsenn, current head of cryptozoological and parazoological studies at Site-87. However, Dr. Pike's behavior turned highly abnormal after one week of study; Dr. Pike spent increasing amounts of time with SCP-3773-14, and at one point, fell asleep in SCP-3773-14's cell, risking the containment of two other anomalous items stored on the same level. For this, Dr. Pike was reprimanded, but did not have her clearance rescinded.

The following conversation is recorded to have taken place between Dr. Pike and her significant other, Dr. Claude Mattings, at 1:12 AM on March 19th, 2016:

Dr. Mattings: Cassandra, where are you going? It's the middle of the night.

Dr. Pike: I'm just going out to the Meijer.3 I have a craving for Twinkies, and they're the only place in town that's open this late.

Dr. Mattings: Going to the grocery store doesn't require a security pass, Cass.

Dr. Pike: Signing out with the night receptionist does.

Dr. Mattings:…the elevator to the surface is that way. You're heading down to containment again, aren't you?

Dr. Pike: What the hell do you want from me, Claude? That's my cat down there. You remember what I did when he died. He was the only good thing in my life for a long time, and… I have a chance to see him again. To say goodbye.

Dr. Mattings: What do I want from you? I want you to get to the infirmary ASAP. You've clearly been affected by something.

Dr. Pike: What do you mean?

Dr. Mattings: This obsession you have, this worship of something that looks like your dead cat… it's not natural, hon. I think you've been whammied.4

Dr. Pike: I haven't been whammied, Claude. You know what one looks like. It doesn't look like this! I… I just want to say goodbye to Ollie. Okay? That's all.

Dr. Mattings: There's an easy way to test it, then. Five words.

Dr. Pike: Seriously? Fine, say them.

Dr. Mattings: Does the Black Moon howl?

At this point, Dr. Pike's vocal patterns radically change, and the recording picks up the presence of metal shaking against metal in a musical manner.

Dr. Pike: It never stopped the sun from smiling. She wore a smile to rival its brightness before her beloved passed into the Duat, but her heart grew heavy and hardened. She deserves another chance to say goodbye, just as you gave her another chance.

Dr. Mattings: What. The. Fuck?

Dr. Pike's vocal patterns return to normal, and she appears ignorant of the above.

Dr. Pike: Satisfied?

Dr. Mattings runs for the security alarm and summons agents to Dr. Pike's location.

Following this, Dr. Pike was restricted to a low-level humanoid containment cell for a period of at least three months as an anti-cognitohazardous treatment was developed for SCP-3773's anomaly.

Dr. Pike's security clearance for SCP-3773 has been rescinded.

Addendum: Interview with Dr. Pike: The following interview was conducted one month into Dr. Pike's isolation for cognitohazard treatment.

Dr. West: Dr. Harold West, beginning interview with Cassandra Pike. Cognitohazard test. Does the Black Moon howl?

Dr. Pike: It never stopped the sun from smiling.5

Dr. West: Cognitohazard still present. According to Dr. Breaker, that response is consistent with a cognitohazard originating from Egypt, last seen in—

Dr. Pike: (Sighing) This is all over a cat.

Dr. West: Pardon?

Dr. Pike: All I wanted to do was… tell what was the one good thing in my life for a good five years that I loved him.

Dr. West: I can arrange for Dr. Mattings to visit.

Dr. Pike: (Laughs) I mean other than him! He… when I came to Sloth's Pit, this site, do you remember what happened?

Dr. West: The Cold Storage incident. Everyone remembers.

Dr. Pike: When I was holed up at home trying to recover, when the site was being repaired, I kept seeing this cat in my backyard. He kept on coming to the door, asking for food, begging like Oliver Twist. He always wanted more. He came into my room one day, and… he just stayed.

Then… Oliver just vanished one day. I let him out, and he never came back. I found him in some hedges a few days later, and… (Dr. Pike's voice grows tense) God, Harry, I'm a wreck.

Dr. West: Have you been taking your medication?

Dr. Pike: Daily. They're giving me too big of a dose; can you see about adjusting it? I'm supposed to take half of what I get, and they keep urging me to take the whole thing.

Dr. West: Of course, Cassandra. (Dr. West stays silent for several seconds, before sighing) Speaking candidly? Everyone knows everyone here. And most of us are concerned about you, and what's going on. 3773 is one of the few items here that's a proper skip, and to see it affect a researcher like this…

Dr. Pike: What if there's no hazard?

Dr. West: The Five-Word Test disproves that quite soundly. It's a near-failproof cognitohazard detection meme.

Dr. Pike: You heard the recording. Did that sound like me? (Dr. Pike pauses.) I think I got whammied, but not in the cognitohazard way. I think that something messed with me to get me in here.

Dr. West: Why would this force have a motive to do that?

Dr. Pike: …because it wants me to be alone. So I can finally do what I want.

Following this, Dr. Pike became unresponsive to questions. Dr. West concluded the interview.

Addendum: Video Log: The following is a transcript of a video recording taken in Dr. Pike's observation cell on June 3rd, 2016.

22:05: Camera malfunction. Video restored three minutes later. Audio unavailable for the duration.

22:08: Dr. Pike stirs in her sleep, and sits up to face the door to her chamber.

22:09: Door to the containment chamber opens into a white light. The exterior cameras of Dr. Pike's cell show the door closed.

22:11: A pair of felines emerge from the light; one of them resembles SCP-3773-14A, the other is an unknown entity resembling a black house cat with a tail approximately .5 meters long, a golden mask on its face, and luminescent eyes. Video resolution is poor, but the latter entity appears to be wearing SCP-3773, while the former is not.

22:12: SCP-3773-14A jumps on Dr. Pike's bed and begins interacting with her affectionately. Dr. Pike is seen to be crying and hugging SCP-3773-14A. Dr. Pike appears to be addressing the unknown 3773-# entity.

22:30: Between the two timestamps, Dr. Pike and SCP-3773-14A are seen interacting and playing, with the unknown 3773-# entity producing strands of rope and balls from behind itself for SCP-3773-14A and Dr. Pike to play with. At 22:30, SCP-3773-14A jumps off of Dr. Pike, and makes it way to the door. Dr. Pike walks after it, picking it up and kissing it on the forehead.

22:34: Both SCP-3773-14A and the unknown SCP-3773-# entity depart, with the door closing behind them. Dr. Pike returns to her bed and sleeps, and is seen holding something in her left hand.

Upon review of the footage the next morning, footage SCP-3773-14's cell was inspected, and showed it sleeping in the corner of its cell. Following this incident, SCP-3773-14 has not assumed the form of Dr. Pike's former cat.

Dr. Pike herself was interviewed by a member of site security following this:

Agent Nicholas Ewell: Do you remember this incident?

Dr. Pike: …I remember it, but I can't believe it happened. Then I woke up with you all at my door and cat hair on my clothes.

Agent Ewell: Does the Black Moon howl?

Dr. Pike: [DATA EXPUNGED]

Agent Ewell: Cognitohazard seems to be absent, if it was there in the first place; we're still going to keep you under observation for the duration. Do you know what this… entity that was with your cat was?

Dr. Pike: …I think I have some idea, but you're going to have to run it by the mythology department on sublevel 5 for me to be positive. She kept on making toys for me to play with him; she even gave me one of his favorite balls. I actually managed to say goodbye to him. Do you know how good closure feels, Agent Ewell?

Agent Ewell: No comment.

Dr. Pike: It felt good. Oliver's not the first cat I had, but he's probably one of the best. I was… kind of lost, between losing him and my tiff with Claude; now, I feel like I can take on anything.

Agent Ewell: Let's start with you taking on counseling. After observation is done and we're sure that the… for the sake of simplicity, the cognitohazard is out of your system, you're on psych leave, three months, by order of Director Weiss. You're not to come back to this zip code for any reason barring a major emergency until then. You have family?

Dr. Pike: Parents and brother in Ohio.

Agent Ewell: Good opportunity to visit them. You're gonna need to sign a memetic geas, of course.

Dr. Pike: Gag order. Right, can't blab to the folks. (Dr. Pike clears her throat.) Is that everything?

Agent Ewell: One last thing; the video showed you holding something in your hand when you went to sleep. What was it?

Dr. Pike: I have it right here, one moment.

SCP-3773-A designates a non-anomalous leather collar with a breakaway fastener, intended to be worn by housecats. A brass name plate reading Ubaste is affixed to it.

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