Item #: SCP-2979

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-2979's only remaining vector (SCP-2979-1) is to be kept in a secured containment locker at Site-162, placed within an opaque sleeve. Personnel are to avoid eye contact with SCP-2979-1. No photography or video is to be taken of SCP-2979 at any time. Eastwood Secondary School in Danvers, MA is to be watched for further anomalous activity until 01/01/17.

Persons affected by SCP-2979 must be treated with Class-F amnestics within one month of exposure.

Description: SCP-2979 is an infohazardous memetic infection which occurs upon perceiving (directly or indirectly) the name "Mr. [REDACTED]1". Any individual who is made aware of said name will recognize it as the name of their secondary school physics teacher. Hosts will have nonsensical and often contradictory memories fabricated around this teacher to support their belief. Initially, this is the only noticeable effect of SCP-2979. However, the condition progressively worsens over time as the host's memories continue to be altered (or entirely replaced) to include Mr. [REDACTED].

Due to the relationship between memory and personality, this consequently leads to a personality change within the host. The way in which this happens is unpredictable, and varies from person to person, but most subjects exhibit difficulty focusing and will over time become delusional and noticeably detached from reality. If left untreated, this leads to the restructuring of the affected person's subjective reality. The entirety of the process happens over the course of one month, after which the effects of SCP-2979 are irreversible.

SCP-2979-1 is the only remaining vector for SCP-2979 infection, as all other instances of the name have been destroyed. SCP-2979-1 is a black room sign which was recovered from Eastwood Secondary School in Danvers, MA. The sign reads "303B, Mr. [REDACTED]" in white raised lettering. The sign itself has no inherent anomalous qualities other than those imposed on it by SCP-2979. It remains unclear if any individual of this name was ever employed at the high school, as records of his existence, while present, are unreliable due to its naturally infohazardous properties. The current working theory is that Eastwood Secondary School is the origin point of SCP-2979, as it is the only known location of an outbreak. Luckily, Foundation recovery teams were able to contain the threat before it spread beyond the school.

Of note is that Mr. [REDACTED] himself, when described by infected individuals, appears fully aware that his identity is an infohazard. Interviews with people infected with SCP-2979 show that this fact causes Mr. [REDACTED] a great deal of emotional trauma.

Addendum: Provided below is a series of interview excerpts between Dr. Holloway and D-10380. Please note that D-10380 dropped out of high school in 10th grade and has never attended a physics class. D-10380 was exposed to SCP-2979-1 2 weeks prior to the interview.

Interview 10/17/15

hide

Dr. Holloway: Can you elaborate a bit on what he2 was like in class? What were you saying earlier about memorization?

D-10380: Ah, yeah. Well generally he only took me into class. Maybe it was because of all the fires he started, or how most of the other students were rambling and raving about how cool he was. Either way, it was an excuse to get some peace and quiet before the drive home. Because there was no space to talk to each other at home. He'd be there, but he'd never have time to get a word in between the creaking of the trees he planted and the sunshine seeping up through the carpet. He was usually good with home renovations but that one time he was sloppy. I mentioned we roomed together right?

Dr. Holloway: Yes. Do you by any chance remember specifically what he had you memorize?

D-10380: Oh boy, that was a long time ago. Funny thing is I still remember it like it was yesterday3. He'd say "repeat after me: Hey interviewer, I'm not sure if this will work but please help me. I'm on your side. I want this to stop."

Dr. Holloway: I see… and what made him say that?

D-10380: He said it was to "Get your attention. I'm trapped in here. I don't even know if I exist or not". Something like that. He likes to speak in riddles sometimes, I dunno.

Interview 10/19/15

hide

Dr. Holloway: I'll remind you that we'll be referring to your physics teacher with pronouns only. Now please, is there anything unusual about his name? Something that strikes you as odd?

D-10380: I guess I don't think about it much because I know the guy so well, but yeah. He's got that kind of name that swirls around your teeth when you say it.

Dr. Holloway: I don't understand.

D-10380: Like, it's the sort of name that looks like it'll trip your tongue up in a million different ways until you actually try, and it just all falls into place and you can feel it vibrating in your bones. It's one of those names you have to hear or see in order to say in the first place, you know the ones. The kind of name nobody can just come up with on their own. I just don't understand why you don't want anyone to actually say it. I mean, that's breaking federal law.

Dr. Holloway: Excuse me?

D-10380: Like, it's illegal to not say his name, right? Or are there exemptions? Oh! Yup, that's right. He told me once in class that it was only legal to not say his name during interviews. Yes, that's right. I don't know how I forgot. You're supposed to say his name when you greet people, though. It's always been like that, ever since graduation when they made us all run down the street. Good times. And it was only possible because of him and his valor during the harvest, even though he said it wasn't, all up on the podium with bags under his eyes going "Bill, you're not a high school student and I'm not a high school teacher. For the love of God do not tell the interviewer my name". But that was Mr. [REDACTED] for you.

Dr. Holloway: I suppose so. I know he'd always sing to himself around school wh-

D-10380: No he didn't.

Dr. Holloway: Yeah he did. He'd sing that one song, "Oh No There's Two of Them Now Please Make It Stop." Something like that. Really weird song, come to think of it.

D-10380: Well, he did say that, but that was during class before the navy stormed in to give him his award.

Dr. Holloway: When did he get an award? That sounds kinda ridiculous. The guy was a physics teacher, not a war hero. He was just… um… oh, I guess he did say that he was, um… we had a conversation about infohazards once.

D-10380: Okay, you lost me.

Dr. Holloway: He said he was one, and that the infection still hadn't gotten to my memories of 2979. We had this long talk about memory and…

Dr. Holloway is silent for a moment, then reaches for a small intercom on the table in front of him and presses a button on it, alerting outside guards.

Dr. Holloway: Um, this is Holloway. I need amnestics.

When he was retrieved, Dr. Holloway had no recollection of SCP-2979, and claimed it was a government conspiracy set up by the "Anti-Medal Collaborative." Both he and D-10380 were treated with Class-F amnestics and made a full recovery over the course of the next few weeks.

Footnotes

1. This name is composed of symbolic characters not found in any known system of graphemes and- when spoken- is pronounced with a combination of phonemes not found in any known language.

2. It had been agreed upon before the interview that Mr. [REDACTED] would only be referred to with pronouns. This was to avoid spread of SCP-2979.

3. D-10380 was interviewed one day prior to this, in which he explained that students in his science class mocked Mr. [REDACTED] so much that he never had an opportunity to speak.