SCP-1707
rating: +237+x

Item #: SCP-1707

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: Each SCP-1707 colony is to be kept in a monitored containment cell under Biosafety Level 3 conditions. A minimum of two (2) mature and stable colonies, hosted by domesticated pigs (Sus domesticus), are to be retained at all times. At least one (1) additional colony is to be maintained for the purpose of experimentation. Humans are not to be used to host SCP-1707 colonies without the approval of both the Senior Researcher and the Site Director.

In the event of a containment breach by an unhosted colony, all personnel save the duty biothreat recontainment team are to evacuate the area. A suitable host organism is to be used by the duty team to lure the colony back into containment. If a hosted colony breaches containment, standard protocols for the host species shall be in effect.

Under no circumstances are any SCP-1707 colonies to be terminated without explicit written approval from the Senior Researcher.

Description: SCP-1707 is a type of collective organism composed of a mass of creatures, individually designated SCP-1707-A, that resemble various different annelids and helminths. In particular, all SCP-1707-A specimens are between 5 and 30 mm in length and possess distinctive mouthparts (see attached image).

In isolation, SCP-1707 forms a flattened mass up to approximately 4-5 cm thick. A colony in this state will conserve movement until it detects a suitable host, at which time it will begin to move at up to 0.5 m/s towards its target.1 SCP-1707 colonies consistently prefer sapient targets. Studies to understand these mechanisms are ongoing.

The first few SCP-1707-A to contact the host's epidermis will administer a fast-acting paralytic agent via their mouthparts.2 Each SCP-1707-A creature will then seek out epidermal tissue to burrow through and consume before anchoring themselves in the host's dermal layer. The rest of the colony will follow suit, consuming approx 20 cm2 of skin per second until the target's entire epidermal layer has been replaced by a dense covering of SCP-1707. This process may only be interrupted by destruction of unattached portions of the colony.

When established on a host, SCP-1707 demonstrates no anomalous secondary effects. For the host, secondary physical effects of increased nutrition requirement and a higher chance of transdermal infection manifest as expected. These factors tend to lead to the host's lifespan being comparatively short. Under controlled conditions, however, hosted SCP-1707 colonies can be kept alive and healthy for an extended period.

Upon the death of a host, SCP-1707 enters its reproductive phase, rapidly consuming soft tissues of the corpse. During this stage, individual SCP-1707-A specimens will reproduce in a manner similar to that of known species they resemble, albeit at a greatly accelerated rate. The whole process leads to the colony roughly tripling in size. As such, the new iteration is capable of attaching itself to larger host organisms.

At the time of writing, several infestations are maintained:

SCP-1707-0 and SCP-1707-1: Two (2) domestic pigs
SCP-1707-2: One (1) white-tail deer
SCP-1707-3: One (1) Cape buffalo
SCP-1707-4: One (1) Norwegian rat
SCP-1707-5: One (1) human, formerly Agent ████ █████, infested by SCP-1707 during initial discovery and containment
SCP-1707-6-xxiv: One (1) human, D-class, infested subsequent to containment

There is no known way to cure or mitigate an SCP-1707 infestation. Any attempts at forced removal result in the death of the host within five (5) hours regardless of medical treatment. The reasons for this are a subject of ongoing study.3

Note: Due to the psychological effect of SCP-1707 infestation on a human host, any such hosts are to be continuously monitored to reduce the chance of unauthorized termination.

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