Item #: SCP-2390

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Cultural trends regarding subjects overseen by known SCP-2390-1 instances are to be monitored for sudden shifts towards disuse or unpopularity. Market fluctuations involving a sharp decrease in sales for previously popular products are to be investigated for SCP-2390-1 activity. Whenever possible, MTF Kappa-4 ("Trustbusters") is to be deployed to take members into custody. All captured SCP-2390-1 members are to be contained under heavy sedation until simultaneous amnestic therapy of all active members is possible. In the event that a member of SCP-2390-1 has become a public authority figure, members of Kappa-4 are authorized to contest the position in an attempt to remove SCP-2390-1 from it.

At no time are Foundation personnel to attempt to persuade members of SCP-2390-1 that their cause is false until amnestic therapy is possible.

Description: SCP-2390 designates a sudden mental affliction which causes affected persons to believe that they are members of a secret organization (hereby known as SCP-2390-1-XX) dedicated to the regulation of society in regards to a specific product, activity, or trend.1 SCP-2390 occurs at least once within a five year period and tends to affect an average of 15 people at a time. All affected persons will live within 50 km of each other, but often have no significant connection to each other or the focus of the resultant SCP-2390-1 prior to infection. All members of SCP-2390-1 are aware of the identity and location of every other conscious member at all times. Individuals belonging to the group are not a vector for infection2, and are capable of full rehabilitation through extensive amnestic therapy.

Once reaching a number of members between 13 and 21, SCP-2390-1 instances do not tend to grow further, but will attempt to infect another individual if the number of active members drops below the minimum number. This is accomplished by several members of SCP-2390-1 leaving objects and documents related to their focus, most often market figures and research data, within the vicinity of the infectee's living quarters.3 Infection will take place within several days regardless of the amount of time spent away from home and the infectee's awareness of the materials' presence.

The goal of SCP-2390-1 is invariably to restrict knowledge of or access to its focus. Interrogated members often state their motivation to be a perceived global threat to order precipitated by the object of their focus. When questioned, members have only proven capable of nonsense arguments, often citing qualities of the focus which they believe "the world is not ready for," without proof or any understanding of what the phrase entails. There is currently no evidence that the focus of any active SCP-2390-1 instance is capable of inciting global unrest of a social, political, or economic nature. When confronted with this repeatedly, members of SCP-2390-1 will become increasingly agitated, insisting that the true nature of its focus is dangerous, finally resulting in a sudden exclamation on the part of the SCP-2390-1 member, accompanied by a weak compulsion being experienced by subjects within a 10 meter radius to research the focus of the group, sufficiently strong to halt questioning. ██% of subjects affected will become members of SCP-2390-1 within one week. Requests to upgrade members of SCP-2390-1 to SCP-derivative Anomaly status based on this evidence are currently pending approval.

Members of SCP-2390-1 will either attempt to insert themselves into occupations that will put them in direct control of their focus, or change public opinion regarding it. SCP-2390-1 is shown to demonstrate extremely advanced strategic thinking in the placement of its members. Given time, members allowed to reach positions of influence are capable of causing significant shifts in cultural perception and economic flow.

Defunct SCP-2390-1 instances and related focuses

SCP-2390-1-HS: Hair scrunchies

SCP-2390-1-CB: Paintings of "The Crying Boy," by Bruno Amadio

SCP-2390-1-DW: Retiring in Florida

Active SCP-2390-1 removal operations

SCP-2390-1-CH: Chip pans

SCP-2390-1-OC: Predominantly orange clothing

SCP-2390-1-KN: ██████ brand knitting needles

SCP-2390-1-AA: SCP-2390-1 groups4

For a full list of Active and Defunct SCP-2390-1 instances, please refer to Document-2390-12

Addendum: Log 2390-1

The following is an excerpt of a recording of a meeting between three members of SCP-2390-1-TT (focus: tea towels). This recording was obtained via a hidden microphone planted on Mr. ██████ ████, the only member of SCP-2390-1 currently identified by the Foundation. The two other participants will be referred to as TT-1 and TT-2.

Display log

Hide log

BEGIN LOG

TT-1: "Gentlemen, thank you for coming on such short notice."

████: "Dispense with the small talk, Horus.5 You called us in to discuss a priority one emergency."

TT-1: "There's always time to be polite, Ouran."

TT-2: "…You're really scared, aren't you, Horus? Stop stalling. Just tell us the issue, and we'll see what can be done."

TT-1: "Fine. Just… have you taken your heart medication today, Plebius?"

████: "Horus!"

TT-1: "All right! Look at this!"(Sounds of a keyboard are heard, followed by gasps)

████: "Horus, if this is a joke, I don't appreciate-"

TT-1: "Why the hell would I joke about something like this? You can see it right there on the screen! Mrs. Tremaine from Bude is selling homemade tea towels on Etsy!"

TT-2: "But just last week we were celebrating the anniversary of Endemonidia's factory opening in Cornwall! I thought she had that entire region believing in ours and ours alone!"

████: "Obviously, she missed a few."

TT-1: "It gets worse."

TT-2: "How does it get worse?"

TT-1: "I… bought one. I know, I know, but I had to see just what we were up against. Look at the stitching."

TT-2: "It's… better than ours."

████: "How is that possible? We've been there for years! How can anyone even remember a time when tea towels were stitched like that! Did you talk, Horus?"

TT-1: "How dare you say that to me! I've been a part of this organization since founding while you just trot in from the cafes with a few squares of cloth in your pockets, you-"

TT-2: "Gentlemen! Don't you see what the towel is doing to you! Put your idiotic arguments behind you and figure out what were going to do about this before this little spat repeats itself on an international scale!"

TT-1: "He's right. He's… he's right, Ouran."

████: "I'm sorry about that, Horus. I was not, not myself. I can get to England before too long, get work in the Remnant House and cut off the bitch's supply of fabric."

TT-1: "That's a good idea, Ouran."

TT-2: "We need to remember why it is we do what we do. I think it's time and past that we replaced the space that Monty left vacant."

TT-1: "I agree, Plebius. My neighbor Danica was just telling me yesterday about her car repairs. I can get a small contingent together to recruit her."

████: "Alright. That's enough talk. I have a plane to catch."

END LOG

Addendum: Interview-2390-5

The following is the transcript of an interview between Dr. ███████ and a member of SCP-2390-1-AA, (███ █████, codename: Malachius), held four days after the group's voluntary entrance to containment. Despite the group's choice to enter containment, all members had denied any knowledge of SCP-2390-1-AA, and claimed that the existence of SCP-2390-1 groups was a groundless conspiracy.

Display log

Hide log

BEGIN LOG

Dr. ███████: Greetings, Mr. █████.

█████: Hello, doctor.

Dr. ███████: Have you decided to tell us anything about SC- er, Illuminitis?6

█████: I'll tell you again, doctor. Illuminitis isn't real. It's nothing but a fairy tale. Just a bad fairy tale.

Dr. ███████: Mr. █████, we have already confirmed you as a member of an Illuminitis-affected group, which we call SCP-2390-1-AA. You'll recall we told you that's why we offered to take you into custody.

█████: …All right. You got me. So how did you find out? Did somebody talk since we've been here?

Dr. ███████: No. I… did just tell you how we found you, correct?

█████: Sure, sure. But it's our job to protect people like you from Illuminitis. I can't just stop. Really, doctor, the less you know, the better.

Dr. ███████: But… you know we know about Illuminitis.

█████: Yes.

Dr. ███████: So… why can't you tell us anything about it?

█████: I… look, we protect you, right? We hold this world together. All of these groups wandering around, changing how people think, imagine what would happen if the public at large found out about them. They wouldn't understand, there'd be blind panic in the streets.

Dr. ███████: Yes, I do suppose people would find it harder to trust businesses and politicians.

█████: Hm? Oh, yes. That too, I suppose. But you aren't looking at the big picture. You can't see the big picture. That's why we're here.

Dr. ███████: So, why did you turn yourself in to our organization?

█████: We can't do anything. It would only spread the Illuminitis around. But you all… you're outsiders. Simple puppets like you won't spread the infection, but you can still work to contain the threat.

Dr. ███████: Why didn't you just tell us everything then? You know we knew that you were a part of SCP-2390-1 double A.

█████: I'm a part of what?

Dr. ███████: Our name for your Illuminitis-affected group. If you knew that we know, why can't you tell us anything?

█████: You just… you don't get it. You don't understand… the danger…

END LOG

Notes: Mr. █████ began demonstrating a stammer and noticeable facial tics similar to those developed by SCP-2390-1-RE member ████ ██████ shortly before Incident-2390-17. Dr. ███████ terminated the interview and the area surrounding the interview chamber was cleared for one hour.

Footnotes

1. Investigation of a connection between SCP-2390 and SCP-1659 is being investigated, due to similarity of function.

2. Unless provoked. See Incident-2390-17. Access restricted to Level 3/2390 and above.

3. Recovered materials possess no apparent cognitohazardous properties, and are incapable of spreading infection to any person aside from the intended infectee.

4. All members are currently voluntarily contained by the Foundation, but show complete resistance to amnestic-based removal of awareness of SCP-2390. This is the most recently created SCP-2390-1 group.

5. All members of SCP-2390-1 refer to each other in codename during meetings. These names appear to have no underlying logic behind their selection.

6. All members of SCP-2390-1-AA are incapable of recognizing SCP-2390 under any name aside from Illuminitis.