A confirmed instance of SCP-2227-1 (documented on ██/██/20██)

Item #: SCP-2227

Object Class: Euclid (Pending Containment)

Special Containment Procedures: Containment is currently limited to suppressing public knowledge of SCP-2227. Any broadcasts related to the entities are to be intercepted, and witnesses are to be administered Class-B amnestics after demanifestation. Agents under the guise of NYPD officers are to be posted in areas where SCP-2227-1 instances are likely to manifest. They are to monitor and document all activities of an SCP-2227-1 instance until it demanifests. Personnel are to refrain from making direct contact with the instance.

Containment efforts are currently focused on SCP-2227-A, believed to be the cause of all instances of SCP-2227-1.

Containment Protocol 2227-14 is scheduled, with the following procedures:

An area in which an instance of SCP-2227-1 is currently occupying will be closed off to the public under the guise of maintenance. During the shutdown, MTF Mu-13 (“Ghostbusters”) will occupy the area. Lead personnel (dubbed "A Units") will be instructed to monitor SCP-2227-A via live video. The other personnel (dubbed "B Units") will refrain from making direct contact with SCP-2227-1 instances.

Personnel assigned to containment will be informed on the location of SCP-2227-A (currently the ████ Street █████ ██████ Station). Contact the Project Lead for further information.

The site of provisional containment will be temporarily closed to the public, under the guise of renovation. During the shutdown, MTF Mu-13 ("Ghostbusters") will occupy the area. SCP-2227-A will be monitored remotely by Lead personnel (dubbed "A Units"), while Secondary personnel will be present on site (dubbed "B Units"). SCP-2227-A will be contained within a Temporary Incorporeal Humanoid Chamber (TIHC). B Units will have additional TIHCs on site, in the event of SCP-2227-1 instances manifesting.

The A Units and B Units are to contain SCP-2227-A and SCP-2227-1, respectively, in separate TIHCs. All entities are to be sent to Site-132 for further containment and observation.

Additional personnel are to rescue the instances found within the subway tunnels, as documented by Mr. George █████████. Contact the Project Lead for further information.

Description: SCP-2227 is a collective group of incorporeal humanoid entities that manifest within the various subway stations of the New York Metropolitan area. Each instance (hereby designated SCP-2227-1) is of variable appearance, but most commonly wears disordered clothing and a black knapsack. They most likely manifest in stations with express service, the most common being the ████ Street █████ ██████ Station and ████ Street Station. An SCP-2227-1 instance will demanifest whenever a subject makes direct contact with it.

Each instance is identified by an entity following it (hereby designated SCP-2227-A). SCP-2227-A is a black humanoid figure with variable attire and is estimated to be 1.7 meters tall. This entity can only be viewed via recorded video of SCP-2227-1 instances. Further information on SCP-2227-A requires 2227/3 Security Clearance.

An SCP-2227-1 instance initially manifests near the turnstiles of a station. In 80 percent of manifestations, the entity will jump over the turnstile or enter through the emergency door to gain access to the station. After it has successfully entered the station, SCP-2227-1 will panhandle.

After an undetermined period of time, (the shortest recorded time after manifestation being 30 minutes, and the longest recorded time being 56 days) the instance will be likely to propel itself into the path of an oncoming train. Upon contact with the train, the SCP-2227-1 instance will demanifest. Further manifestations of the same instance will always be within the station. Instances appear unable to exit the station; doing so results in demanifestation from the station, followed by re-manifestation in a nearby station.

Discovery: Anomalous activity was documented during ██/██/20██, inside the ██████ Avenue Station. An African-American male was seen at the station in distress, wearing a white dress shirt, black pleated pants, and holding a briefcase. The man took out a piece of paper from the briefcase, later revealed to be an eviction notice. He stared at the paper for several seconds before he crumpled and discarded it onto the railway. The man then produced a photograph from his wallet, and proceeded to look at it for approximately 2 minutes. The man was sobbing during this time.

Shortly before a train boarded the station, the man became severely deformed due to his limbs simultaneously stretching outward. His body contorted and began to collapse inward before demanifesting. Shortly afterward, an incorporeal entity resembling the person materialized in the station. It demanifested after making contact with a witness.

Contents recovered from the discarded paper and briefcase revealed the man to be George █████████, who presumably resided at [REDACTED]. The tenants and landlord at the retrieved address did not recall the existence of Mr. █████████, despite a lease agreement under his name. Members at Mr.█████████'s previous area of employment yielded similar results.

In the weeks following the event, reports of similar incorporeal entities within subway stations manifested, leading to the current classification of SCP-2227.

Addendum 2227-E-01: INFORMATION RESTRICTED TO LEVEL 3 PERSONNEL OR ABOVE

+ INPUT CREDENTIALS

- CREDENTIALS ACCEPTED

SCP-2227-A moves independently during periods of SCP-2227-1 activity. SCP-2227-A is noted to follow random persons within the station. While following said persons, the entity will produce what appears to be a small notepad and writing tool, and proceed to write in it. This is currently hypothesized to be a method of selection for new SCP-2227 instances. However, further observation of these persons have not led to any significant details.

It is also noted that prior to an SCP-2227-1 instance propelling itself in front of a train, SCP-2227-A expresses distress and anger towards the event. Recorded video shows that SCP-2227-A pulls SCP-2227-1 away from the train immediately before dematerialization.

Several instances of SCP-2227-1 have shown to possess bruises, cuts, and other mild to moderate physical injuries. In addition, SCP-2227-A has recently donned attire similar to what is found in an office environment. SCP-2227-A also monitors SCP-2227-1 instances more often during periods of activity. This scrutiny is also followed by SCP-2227-A taking money or perishables that SCP-2227-1 might have received. An SCP-2227-1 instance does not recognize this, and instead views the missing goods as lost.

Addendum 2227-E-02: INFORMATION RESTRICTED TO LEVEL 3 PERSONNEL OR ABOVE

+ INPUT CREDENTIALS

- CREDENTIALS ACCEPTED

The most recent incident including SCP-2227-A is as follows:

SCP-2227-A was seen trying to exit the █████ ██████ Station. It was physically unable to do so; attempts led to it being deterred by an unseen force. Two instances of SCP-2227-1 manifested near it shortly after.

Both instances attempted to throw SCP-2227-A over the turnstiles. SCP-2227-A became suspended in air, approximately two meters above said turnstiles. SCP-2227-A displayed distress. Both instances attempted to exit the station again with success. SCP-2227-A displayed what appeared to be hostility by flailing its limbs in the air.

Both instances are considered to no longer be anomalous; their interaction with persons in the station did not result in effects congruent with SCP-2227-1 instances. They were later identified to be George █████████ and Janet ██████, two persons noted to be missing, with the former being the cause of discovery for the SCP-2227 phenomenon. Both persons are scheduled for interview and reintroduction into the population following amnestic treatment.

Addendum 2227-E-03: The following are interviews of the aforementioned individuals (refer to Addendum 2227-E-02 for details), conducted by Junior Researcher Mark ████████.

+ Open Interview

- Close Interview

Foreward: The following interview is of Janet ██████. Prior to the interview, Mrs. ██████ was briefed on why she was held in custody. Mrs. ██████ was amnesticized after the interview and is awaiting reintroduction into the population.

<Begin Log>

Researcher: Good afternoon, Mrs. ██████. We're gonna ask you a few questions about the black figure you've seen recently.

Mrs. ██████: Of course.

Researcher: Would you mind explaining how you found it?

Mrs. ██████: Well, it actually found me. To make a long story short, I got my degree back in June, but I was struggling to make ends meet. It was only after I lost my night job that things started to appear.

Researcher: Elaborate on what was appearing.

Mrs. ██████: Sometimes, when I would wait by the train station, I'd see a black figure out of the corner of my eye. Never thought anything of it at first. It was always for a split second, and usually right before the train came to the station. I think I was just paranoid. There are these news reports of women being attacked on the train, and I thought I would be a target.

Researcher: I understand. Please go on.

Mrs. ██████: Right. That went on for about a week. But then one day, I saw it began to follow me. I was walking out the station, but it was just walking towards me. Almost crawling. I said nothing of it and walked faster, and that black thing kept up with me. No one noticed, I guess, because it was walking right through people. I eventually exited the station, and it vanished.

I tried reporting it to security, but they claimed that they didn't see anything.

Researcher: When did you first make contact with the entity?

Mrs. ██████: I'd say a few days later. At this time, I was getting off the train. It was maybe 11:00, or 12:00. Let's just say the station was empty. [pause] And then it came. It appeared right in front of me, just before I got to the exit. I didn't know what to do. I could've ran, or screamed, or done something. But it was just there. The figure reached out its hand to grab mine. And that was it. I was no longer in that station.

Researcher: And what happened after?

Mrs. ██████: I only remember appearing in another station. I was wearing different clothes. They were baggy, oversized, tattered, disgusting. Ugh, a fucking mess. I was also holding a tin can. That black figure appeared again, but only to offer me food or bring me to another station. And every time I'd try to touch someone, I'd appear somewhere else. I move towards the exit, and then I'm somewhere else. I try to talk to someone, I'm somewhere else. I go board a train, I appear somewhere else. I so much as go to a concession stand to buy a candy bar, I appear somewhere else.

Researcher: Anything else happened while you were manifesting between stations?

Mrs. ██████: [slumps shoulders] At one point, I considered ending it all. I had no idea what was going on. All I knew is that I was begging for change in a place I couldn't escape from. And that thing was behind it all. I jumped in front the 7 train. And then it appears again. And before I know it, I'm at another station.

One time I wanted to hit that thing. I'm pretty sure I did. But instead, I got a bruise on my face right where I would've hit it. I couldn't do anything. I didn't know what was going on. Even now, I don't know what happened while I was panhandling.

Researcher: Can you describe how you escaped from it?

Mrs. ██████: Barely. It was really foggy. I met a man, who looked just as shitty as I did. And he told me that he knew how to escape. Before I knew it, we were carrying that thing and threw it over the turnstile. The figure got stuck, and then we were finally able to escape the station. We ran out on the street, almost crying in joy.

Researcher: Mhm. Do you have anything else to add before we conclude the interview?

Mrs. ██████: [pause] Uhh. I remember the figure smiling? I don't know how, but it was. It looked sad, but then it smiled. It looked at us and I remember hearing 'good luck'.

<End Log>

Foreward: The following excerpt is an interview of George █████████. Prior to the interview, Mr. █████████ was briefed on why he was held in custody. Mr. █████████ was amnesticized after the interview and is awaiting reintroduction into the population.

<Begin Log>

Researcher: Can you tell us what you did while under the black figure?

Mr. █████████: Well, it's like I said. At first I was begging for change on the subway. Everyday, I was stuck in those stations, and everyday, there was just no way out. I, like Janet, considered jumping on the tracks. But I knew that wasn't the way to go. I had to find a way out. And so I figured maybe if I gather more pennies, I would get a break.

At some point, I realized that this was a job. The shadow man, black guy, whatever you call it. He was my boss. If I worked hard enough, maybe, just maybe, I can get a promotion.

One day, he came up to me. Tapped me on the shoulder. He pointed towards the end of the station and started walking. At first I stood still, right where I was. Then the figure stared right at me. No eyes or nothing, but I felt him staring right into me. So I followed.

We walked down the end of the station and into the tunnels. I'm not sure how long we walked down there. It must've felt like hours. Eventually, in all that darkness, we came to a door. The figure stood at the door for a second, then he leaned in real close, like he was about to whisper his greatest secret. Then that door opened. We walked inside.

When we stepped inside, it was just as dimly lit and stinky as the rest of the tunnels. Except there were a bunch of people. These people were just like me and Janet. Their clothes were torn and dirty, and it looked like they haven't showered in weeks. I remember their eyes. Their eyes were always wide open, and big. Very big. And every so often, a person would disappear, or reappear in this place. And every time, they would return with those huge, open eyes. They never moved, or spoke, and they were always different positions. Some standing, some sitting. A few of them looked like they were diving into a pool.

The figure pointed at me, then pointed at the people. He made this sort of motion with his fingers, which I guess meant to watch over them. So that was my new job. To watch these people.

I guess I was watching over these people for a few weeks. Maybe months. One day, the figure had come to me and motioned me to follow him again. We didn't walk long, since it was still within that room. He pointed to some pictures up on a wall. A lot of them were of various streets in the city. A few buildings. Some of them were of people in the subway.

He pointed at a few pictures of homeless people in the subways. He kept pointing between those pictures and to the people behind us. This told me that I was watching other homeless people like myself. And then he made emphasis on this one picture.

The picture was a figure just like him, except dark purple. Or blue. He kept pointing between that picture and a picture of a turnstile. He also pointed at another picture with a whole bunch of dark figures. Maybe they were people he knew. He stared at me for a moment. Then he left.

I didn't understand what he was trying to say at first. But eventually, I thought I understood. So I thought of a plan. Suppose I should say how I met Janet now?

Researcher: Of course.

Mr. █████████: Alright. I'm guessing for a few days I was watching the people again. I realized the figure wasn't around. People kept blinking in and out, but I was left without food or water. I looked around and had to leave. I followed the tracks in the tunnels until I came into a station. It was late at night, judging from how empty the station was. I walked through the station to find a stand, or something in the trash. But there was nothing. The stands were closed and the garbage was just that - garbage.

Eventually I find a homeless woman sitting by a bench. And thank god I did, because she had half a sandwich and a can of cola to split with me.

After some time, she had told me her name. Janet. We started talking to each other about our situations. She was working under the black figure, just like me. I told her everything I knew about him, and figured it would be best to escape the station with her.

So the plan went like this. Janet was going to jump in front of a train so that she could return to the place. I was going to tell him I found a way for him to quit his job, or escape this place. At least, based on what he showed me. He was going to take us with him, and at the last minute, we ditch him and escape.

Sometime later, he did just that. He summoned me and Janet to a turnstile at a station and motioned for us to help him. We picked him up and threw him over the turnstile, hoping he would teleport some place, just like us when we tried to escape. And while he was gone, we could make a run for it.

It did work. Neither of us really knew why the figure got stuck in the turnstile. He seemed frustrated at first, flipping like a fish. He especially looked at me.

Maybe he was working to survive, just like us. At the last second, he seemed to smile. And I thought I heard something from him. I still don't know what he said, since me and Janet made a run for it shortly after. But whatever he said, I hope it was for the best.

<End Log>