Undated photograph of the Glendale Homestead, with several artificially produced SCP-5280 beehives. Unable to determine identity or context of human entities.

Item #: SCP-5280

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: The remaining land containing the Glendale Homestead has been purchased through a Foundation front organization specializing in rural real estate sale. As the Glendale Homestead is located within a considerably populated region, an inconspicuous low-level containment system consisting of era appropriate barbed wire fencing surrounding the property has been approved.

Hives containing SCP-5280 instances have been removed from the property when possible and placed into Site-68's provisional apiary department. Hives affixed to structurally weakened areas within the farmhouse are to remain in their current position in order to prevent structural decay. A permanent, skeleton crew of Site-68 apiculturists have been placed within the Glendale property for the purpose of colony maintenance and general care.

Description: SCP-5280 is an anomalous modification of Apis mellifera (Western honey bee) commonly associated with Daevite horticulture1. SCP-5280 possesses several key, anomalous distinctions in comparison to baseline A. mellifera.

Cold Weather Acclimation — Specimens of SCP-5280 are able to survive in significantly colder climates than baseline A. mellifera. This would have allowed for an expanded range which includes territory claimed by the Daevite Empire in Siberia.

Hive Creation — Hives produced by SCP-5280 (when not provided with artificial beehives) are typically large scale and display advanced architecture. If allowed to develop extensive hives, SCP-5280 frequently produce structures similar to Daevite temples or other culturally significant items.

Horticulture Pollination — The majority of Daevite horticulture cannot naturally reproduce, and requires an external pollinator. However, most nonanomalous organisms are not capable of performing this task; only manual labor and SCP-5280 are able to successfully pollinate anomalous Daevite plants.

Plant Alteration — Plants which have not previously been modified by Daevite horticulture or SCP-5280 will become modified upon extended interaction with SCP-52802. These changes are generally non-anomalous and prepare plants for further modification with Daevite horticulture. Already modified plants are occasionally modified; the distinction for this is unknown.

There are two currently extant colonies of SCP-5280. The first is the original population, located at the Glendale Homestead in ██████, UK. The second is an offshoot colony of the first, which was removed from the Glendale Homestead and transplanted into the Site-68 apiary. The original population was allowed to remain at the Glendale Homestead out of concerns over the cultural and historical research significance of the hive, which is in the shape of a Daevite temple.

SCP-5280 typically behaves identically to baseline A. mellifera. However, when an instance of SCP-5280 encounters another Hymenoptera hive, the entire colony will behave aggressively and attack the other hive. However, SCP-5280 is typically unable to effectively defend itself, and the SCP-5280 hive will be destroyed in either the attack or the Hymenoptera counterattack.

Details of how SCP-5280 was created are unknown, but it is strongly believed that SCP-140-A3 was the original creator of the Glendale Homestead. If this is the case, then SCP-5280 was created prior to the printing of SCP-140, and may represent an alternative attempt at restoring Daevite culture.

The exact story behind the recreation of SCP-5280 is very unclear. Photographic evidence believed to represent early progress in the modification of SCP-5280 has been found at the Glendale Homestead, but this evidence shows cohabitation with baseline humanity. If SCP-140-A cohabitated the Glendale Homestead with nonanomalous humanity, this would have been uncharacteristic of its regular behavior patterns.

Addendum 5280.1 — SCP-140 Excerpt

The following is an excerpt from SCP-140, which describes usage of SCP-5280 during the Daevite civilization and SCP-140-A's attempts at re-establishing a colony at the Glendale Homestead. The below section appeared during the expansion of SCP-140 caused by a 2003 containment breach.

The Little Priestesses4, were of course, crucial to the maintenance of the Empire. Without them, so much of our many great works would not have been possible. Our gardens were not like the rest of the world: they produce our weapons and armies. And who tends to the gardens but the Little Priestesses.

Why the names? They modeled their homes after our own religion. If you were to cut a hive open, you would find inside the exact nature of one of our temples. The queen sat at the front, just as where an Empress or one of her heirs would go where she attends worship. I myself have sat in those seats many times in the past myself, like a little bee.

They mimicked us in so many ways, I have to admit now. The matriarchy, the weapons, the organization. It is funny how we had this little mirror in of the whole of the Empire in a single hive. It encapsulated our culture, our lives, our buildings, the religion. The backbone of our civilization, as it were.

They were always one of the first things brought with us to a new place, so when you saw the blood roses drip, you knew this would be a new home. They would go out, do whatever it is bees do, and then you would begin to see the landscape change in response, turning and folding in on itself to glorious new creations. The Great Works would follow soon after that.

I think that is why my first attempts at bringing the glory of the Empire back were through the Little Priestesses. At the time, it seemed like the most logical place to begin. But there were too many external factors in that plan — turncoat allies, a sour location, bad memories resurfacing — that caused it to all collapse in the end. So be it.

Addendum 5280.2 — Testing Log

In order to test the plant alteration properties of SCP-5280, various species were exposed to SCP-5280 and allowed to develop modifications.

Input: Twelve blooming Rosa chinesis (Chinese rose) specimens in a flower bed.

Output: Each rose began to secrete a thick sap visually and tactically identical to human blood out of the thorns. The chemical makeup of this sap made for quality fertilizer. Ritual testing indicated that the sap could be used in place of human blood for various occult purposes described in SCP-140.

Input: One Larix decidua (European larch) tree.

Output: Parts of the tree naturally began to grow into the shape of humanoid body parts without external molding. The process of modification was slow and took upwards of three years for body parts to become completely modified.

All parts of the tree were otherwise nonanomalous, and did not animate. Limbs could not be successfully used for more advanced Daevite horticulture.

Input: One Citrus reticulata (Mandarin orange) tree.

Output: No change was initially externally visible. Mandarins produced from the tree were radically altered on the interior.

Each mandarin had a singular seed at the center of the fruit, rather than the typical variance found in mandarins. Each of these seed was rudimentarily sculpted into the shape of a unique female head, typically adorned in royal regalia.

When planted, each seed produced a C. rendicula tree with similar seeds, but with features associated with the daeva emphasized and distorted. By the third generation, none of the faces were recognizable as human.

Notes: The following test was intended to allow SCP-5280 to modify a large amount of material. SCP-5280 was exposed to the below material for a full year.

Input: Approximately thirty Buxus sempervirens (European box), unaltered and installed in the Site-68 topiary.

Output: All of the B. sempervirens specimens were altered into a singular, expansive scene, consisting of multiple humanoid figures and buildings. Figures are divided into two groups: daeva (who are in various poses of distress) and soldiers (who are attacking the daeva). The altered topiary is of significant artistic skill, with detail not possible under nonanomalous means.

Based on information from SCP-140, this scene is believed to represent the daeva genocide of 2██ BCE led by Chinese general Qin Kai. This was the initially given end date for the Daevite civilization upon creation of SCP-140.

Notes: The following test was conducted after the discovery of Prunus persica (peach) seeds in the dirt of the Glendale Homestead, which caused a hypothesized connection to SCP-3925.

Input: One instance of SCP-392.

Output: Head produced by SCP-392 instance was capable of human speech. Additionally, unlike other heads produced by SCP-392, the head was missing eyes and auditory ossicles. Head murmured several statements in Low Daevic before suddenly expiring due to various malformations. Translations follow.

Oh! Oh! For the glory of the Empire! Glory above all else, even truth!

Turn back, turn back, my Highness.

Better to cherish and honor the past than blaspheme against it.

What's this but a stain upon the fabric! We cannot wash it out, but it'll never do to stain the rest of it to make it even.

Our legacy is one of failure. We cannot avoid it, no matter how much we try. Look beyond the past, my daughter, or you will see it again and again and again.

Footnotes

1. The Daevite civilization had a strong tradition of growing and modifying plants to gain anomalous traits. See SCP-392 and SCP-3399 for examples.

2. This is commonly, but not exclusively, pollination, and includes any form of physical contact.

3. SCP-140-A is a wealthy individual with unknown connections to the Daevite civilization, who was initially responsible for the creation of all SCP-140 instances. They are suspected to be the author of SCP-140.

4. Name used in SCP-140 to refer to SCP-5280.

5. Anomalous P. persica specimens which produce male human heads instead of fruit.