Terratoma

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SCP-5454: Terratoma

Author: Mortos

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Item #: SCP-5454

Anomaly Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Software running on medical scanning equipment (Ultrasound, MRIs, CT Scanners, etc.) is to be modified to hide the presence of SCP-5454 and alert Foundation assets upon detection. People affected by SCP-5454 are to be treated by Foundation doctors until it is safe to release them.

Terminal patients are to be housed in a blast-resistant containment chamber until they expire.

Description: SCP-5454 is a disease affecting humans that behaves like, and superficially resembles, various types of cancer. Despite the nature of SCP-5454, affected people remain largely asymptomatic until the final stage of the disease. SCP-5454 progression follows a number of distinct phases.

SCP-5454 begins as microscopic particles in the chest and abdomen, centred around the celiac plexus.1 These particles break the surrounding tissue down into base elements, incorporating the material into their mass, though even at their largest size2 they remain undetectable by conventional scanning methods.

After four to six weeks the particles move through the body, congregating in a dense particulate cluster surrounding the celiac plexus. The cluster will then condense, forming a single central mass and one to six satellite masses. Affected people may feel slight vibrations in their chest as a result of this process.

Once the central mass has reached sufficient size3 it will ignite, forming a sphere of dense plasma. Despite the intense heat produced by this sphere, the surrounding tissue will not be significantly damaged; a brief sensation of heartburn may be felt during the initial ignition, but the heat generated cannot be detected on the surface of the body. The satellite masses will then orbit the central mass, temporarily displacing the surrounding tissue as they move.

This stage can last for between six months and five years, depending on the size of the central mass. During this stage, satellite masses remain active and tend to change over time. Additional smaller masses formed from the remaining particulate matter are common, and frequently enter the orbits of larger satellite masses. Collisions between these bodies have also been observed to occur, commonly resulting in a single larger mass, but occasionally leaving smaller fragmentary masses which take up new orbits around the centre.

The first major noticeable symptoms occur towards the end of the disease's process, in the form of fever and extreme hot flashes. This indicates that the central mass has become unstable. Two to five days following the onset of these symptoms, the central mass will detonate. This is invariably fatal, and typically results in significant damage to the surrounding environment.

A cause or trigger for the development of SCP-5454 has yet to be determined.

Incident 5454/01: On 10/02/2018 a patient suffering from SCP-5454 entered the terminal phase and was confined to a blast-resistant chamber as per containment procedures. He was still alive 11 days later.

X-rays revealed the presence of a number of unidentified metallic structures surrounding the central mass, and radio waves were detected emanating from both the structures and one of the satellite masses. The waves consist of large numbers of radio transmissions. Analysis of the transmissions have confirmed the presence of voices speaking in one or more unknown languages, along with what is believed to be compressed video data.

The patient has been designated SCP-5454-1. Attempts at translating the language and decoding the video format are ongoing.

Footnotes

1. Also known as the solar plexus.

2. 15-30μm

3. Typically 4-6cm.