SCP-3003

Item #: SCP-3003

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Personnel with appropriate clearance may view Document 3003-NRK (attached) to access SCP-3003's containment directive and plans for future containment.

Samples of SCP-3003-1 and -2 are kept at Biological Research Area-12, along with several other species from SCP-3003.

SCP-3003-3 has agreed to designate one group, the Earth Contact and Research Committee, as the primary point of contact for the Foundation. SCP-3003-3 has further agreed only to operate portals to SCP-3003 at any of several Foundation-specified sites. In return, the Foundation has designated the SCP-3003 Working Group as SCP-3003-3's primary point of contact, and has agreed to make all efforts necessary to prepare Earth for the introduction of SCP-3003-1. No efforts to spread SCP-3003-1 are, in fact, being made.

SCP-3003-3 must be made to believe that Earth is contaminated by an unknown agent that renders SCP-3003-1 sterile and Earth-native humans incapable of hosting SCP-3003-1. The introduction of the concept of deceit to SCP-3003-3 is forbidden, either directly or by deceiving a member of SCP-3003-3 under circumstances where the lie could be easily discovered.

Mobile Task Force Samekh-7 is tasked with incorporation into SCP-3003-3-operated research projects in order to delay research, falsify information about Earth, and perform covert research into SCP-3003-4. Several members are additionally conducting anthropological research into SCP-3003-3. See MTF Samekh-7 charter for further details. Members of SCP-3003-3 integrated into Foundation-operated research projects must be monitored closely and are not permitted to leave Foundation sites or access unauthorized depictions of human society.

Protocols described in Preventing the Spread of Non-Anomalous Invasive Species During Interplanetary Contact, Third Edition must be followed by all parties when SCP-3003-4 is active.

Disinformation protocols are set in place to propagate the belief among the scientific community that HIP 56948 has no planetary system.

Description: SCP-3003 is an Earth-sized planet orbiting HIP 56948, a G-type main sequence star located 208 light years from Earth. Several anomalies of note are located on SCP-3003, and have been given appropriate sub-designations.

SCP-3003-1 is a beetle-like organism native to SCP-3003 that parasitizes humans when infected by SCP-3003-2.

SCP-3003-2 is an amoeba-like microorganism that infects humans and SCP-3003-1, affecting the behavior of both.

SCP-3003-3 is a technologically advanced civilization on SCP-3003, composed of SCP-3003's entire native population of thirty billion humans. All are parasitized by SCP-3003-1.

SCP-3003-4 is a device that enables the creation of a traversable portal between SCP-3003 and Earth.

The components of SCP-3003 are described in further detail below.

SCP-3003

SCP-3003-1

SCP-3003-2

SCP-3003-3: Biology

SCP-3003-3: Technology (incl. SCP-3003-4)

SCP-3003-3: Society

SCP-3003 is 3% heavier than Earth, has a rotational period of 30 hours, and orbits HIP 56948 at a distance of 0.9 AU. The range of temperatures on the surface is comparable to that of Earth, with the majority of the planet's landmass (comprising 40% of the total surface area) supporting extensive habitation by SCP-3003-1 and -3. Most of the remainder of SCP-3003's surface has been altered to support SCP-3003-1 and -3, either directly or indirectly.

SCP-3003 has a biosphere that is biochemically compatible with that of Earth, though no known organisms other than humans are native to both planets. Almost all biological processes found on Earth are also found on SCP-3003, and vice versa. Genetic analysis of life from SCP-3003 suggests the presence of a single ancestor roughly 3.1 billion years ago, with subsequent life (including humans) evolving naturally. This is suspected, but not confirmed, to be the result of some anomalous property of SCP-3003 itself. Most species native to SCP-3003 that were not conducive to the spread of SCP-3003-1 were eliminated by SCP-3003-3 within the past several centuries.

The risk of introducing invasive species from one environment to the other is addressed by current containment procedures. This has thus far been averted for macroorganisms; the presence of invasive microorganisms has not been discounted.

Anomalous phenomena apart from those discussed in this document have not been discovered on SCP-3003. SCP-3003-3's ruling committee has denied all knowledge of anomalous phenomena.

An instance of SCP-3003-1 interacting with Earth-native flora.

For detailed biological and anatomical information regarding SCP-3003-1, consult Document 3003-1-A0 through D-11.

SCP-3003-1, referred to as "Marce" by SCP-3003-3, share several notable characteristics with beetles: a bilateral body plan, a chitinous exoskeleton, six legs, wings, and a hardened carapace. Adult specimens range from 2-3cm in length. SCP-3003-1 are capable of secreting a protein fiber similar to spider silk, referred to as "silkate", from an orifice on their abdomens, as well as create a caustic fluid that coats their bodies as a defensive mechanism.

Under natural conditions, SCP-3003-1 gather in swarms of about one thousand individuals that spend the majority of their lives airborne, feeding on the seed-analogues of various tall sessile organisms. Sexual reproduction is carried out mid-air, with the swarm's offspring carried in a large pouch-like object by several members until maturity. In the wild, SCP-3003-1's lifespan is about 15 years.

Infection by SCP-3003-2 drastically alters SCP-3003-1's behavior. Affected specimens cease to behave eusocially and develop a 3cm-long pointed stinger on the head. After nightfall, SCP-3003-1 will search for humans and, using this stinger, inject the subject with a powerful paralytic agent that diminishes the strength of muscle contraction. SCP-3003-2 is also injected during this time, with its neurological effects taking place within seven minutes.

Over the course of three minutes, the SCP-3003-1 will secrete a caustic fluid from their stinger that allows for the creation of a hole in the host's body slightly larger than the specimen; SCP-3003-1 will then enter this cavity and seal it shut on all sides with silkate. SCP-3003-1 absorb nutrients and expel waste and SCP-3003-2 via the silkate barrier, which interfaces with the bloodstreams of both the specimen and the host. Lifespan in this state is about three years, provided that the host is in good health.

SCP-3003-1 occupies about 30% of SCP-3003's landmass, primarily in a number of "reservations" established across the planet by SCP-3003-3. These reservations contain artificial ecosystems devoid of SCP-3003-1's natural predators and containing plentiful food, as well as other species introduced to keep the ecosystem in balance.

SCP-3003-2

SCP-3003-2 is a eukaryotic single-celled organism native to SCP-3003. Several nearby evolutionary relatives have been identified; these species parasitize SCP-3003-1 and other related organisms, causing behavioral and physiological changes. None exhibit anomalous properties. SCP-3003-2's ancestor was most likely a similar organism.

SCP-3003-2 spreads to SCP-3003-1 by physical contact and to humans by introduction to the bloodstream. In humans, SCP-3003-2 will colonize the nervous tissue of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes, transforming into neuron-like cells that form functional neural pathways. In this state, SCP-3003-2 cells do not reproduce. The primary effects of SCP-3003-2 infection are:

Development of an obsession with the well-being and spread of SCP-3003-1. Subjects infected with SCP-3003-2 will primarily pursue activities that they believe will benefit SCP-3003-1. Other concerns, such as morality and self-preservation, are only preserved if and when they are functional for this purpose. Pleasurable activities are pursued when the subject cannot identify a course of action that benefits SCP-3003-1. Subjects value both the immediate propagation of SCP-3003-1 and the long-term survival of the species.

Development of a pleasure response to stimuli pertaining to SCP-3003-1. Infected subjects have responded positively to visual, olfactory, auditory, and tactile stimulation reminiscent of SCP-3003-1 or the growths characteristic of their parasitic form. Classical conditioning is, to a limited extent, capable of transferring these feelings to other stimuli.

Hyper-rational behavior. Infected subjects possess drastically above-average reasoning capabilities, which they will use to evaluate all information available to them in order to identify the course of action that most benefits SCP-3003-1. Affected subjects will refuse to consider the value or possibility of not supporting SCP-3003-1. While subjects can be conditioned to engage in irrational behavior under extreme circumstances, rational behavior has always resumed within two weeks.

Suppression of emotions. While affected subjects are capable of experiencing emotions, these are rarely acted on and are easily discarded in light of new information. Emotional displays are often exaggerated.

SCP-3003-2 cannot reproduce within humans, and most cells do not survive longer than thirty days. Full recovery occurs within two years of the death of all cells. Regular infusions of SCP-3003-2, or (more commonly) the implantation of SCP-3003-1, is necessary for continued presence of SCP-3003-2 within the human body.

SCP-3003-2 is not present in wild populations of SCP-3003-1; instead, captive populations of SCP-3003-1 are exposed prior to their introduction to humans.

SCP-3003-3 is composed of genetic humans; physically, they are indistinguishable from humans. Experimentation has shown that Earth-native humans and SCP-3003-3 are capable of producing viable offspring.

SCP-3003-3 possesses roughly 35% of the genetic diversity of Earth-native humans. This is attributable to roughly 460 years of systematic selective breeding for several traits that render SCP-3003 well-suited to hosting SCP-3003-1 (large stature, high levels of adipose tissue, reduced pain response, etc.), as well as for overall health, freedom from genetically transmitted illnesses and disabilities, and resistance to common infectious diseases.

As of 2017-03-24, SCP-3003-3's ruling committee has initiated a planet-wide project to introduce artificial genes into SCP-3003-3 over the course of the next thirty years. The stated goals of this project are to reduce resource consumption by 30%, preemptively induce immunity to Earth-native pathogens, and increase SCP-3003-1 hosting per-capita tenfold. It is presumed that these changes will constitute SCP-3003-3 as a distinct species.

No members of SCP-3003-3 have been identified as members of SCP-1719-1.

SCP-3003-3's technology, particularly SCP-3003-4, is not fully understood by the Foundation. While this is in part due to the advanced nature of most of these technologies, SCP-3003-3 has withheld various scientific and engineering advances as an incentive for the Foundation to make Earth habitable for SCP-3003-1. Full catalogs of SCP-3003-3's advances in medicine, materials science, and manufacturing are accessible in Appendixes 3-R, 3-S, and 3-T respectively.

SCP-3003-3 is capable of harnessing, in one way or another, one tenth of the energy that falls on it from HIP 56948. Most of this is harvested via wind, solar, and tidal power plants located in SCP-3003's deserts and oceans; in situations where this energy is unavailable or inconvenient, it is often supplemented with locally-produced geothermal and nuclear fusion power. SCP-3003-3 has developed several viable methods of fusion power, though none are as cost-effective as solar power under optimal conditions.

SCP-3003-3 has developed exascale quantum computers that are used to process massive amounts of data to devise and implement public policy. While SCP-3003-3 claims to have developed true artificial intelligences using these computers, it does not currently permit their use or creation for reasons that have not been divulged to the Foundation. Extensive questioning on this matter has uniformly been met with hostility.

The taboo against artificial intelligence has also prevented widespread automation except in industries where returns are exceptionally high; additionally, while SCP-3003-3 has the capability to deploy advanced robots to assist in most tasks without violating this taboo, almost none are used.

Crops produced by SCP-3003-3 have been extensively genetically engineered for hardiness, disease-tolerance, space efficiency, resource efficiency, and nutritional value. To this end, only thirteen species are cultivated for food, all being sessile photosynthetic organisms analogous to plants. Various methods of processing and combination are used to create staple foods for SCP-3003-3 with properties suited for different situations.

Various satellites have been launched by SCP-3003-3 for purposes of research and communication. SCP-3003-3 is capable of, but rarely conducts, space travel; in this area, its technology does not substantially exceed that available to the Foundation. All other planets orbiting HIP 56948 have been visited by SCP-3003-3 on numerous occasions, with eleven individuals permanently living in an artificial habitat on the third planet from the star.

SCP-3003-4

SCP-3003-4 is a facility capable of creating wormholes between an apparatus at its center and any other point in space. SCP-3003-4 occupies 113 km2 of an otherwise unused polar region of SCP-3003. Most of this is dedicated to the creation and transport of several forms of exotic matter, as well as creating brief laser pulses in the 1040 watt range, in order to stabilize wormholes for longevity and traversability. For reasons that are currently unclear to the Foundation, this has no effect on the targeted location other than the linkage of the two locations.

Each activation of SCP-3003-4 requires approximately one zettajoule (1021 joules) of energy; in comparison, Earth's annual energy consumption is roughly 0.5 ZJ, whereas SCP-3003-3 consumes about 833 ZJ yearly. SCP-3003-3 has been using SCP-3003-4 primarily to examine planets they've identified as candidates for expansion, though they have also explored the possibility of using it for resource collection.

Full anthropological studies of SCP-3003-3 are currently being conducted. Information in this document is intended to provide an overview of SCP-3003-3's organization.

Overview

SCP-3003-3 speaks a language identical, apart from various differences in vocabulary, to Dutch. No other historical language spoken on SCP-3003 has an equivalent in Earth's history. No other languages are extant on SCP-3003-3. SCP-3003-3 has one dominant culture into which all members are inducted, with minor variations present between areas of different population density, climate, and industry.

Prior to the appearance of parasitic SCP-3003-1 about 500 years ago, SCP-3003-3 was a mundane mercantile society. Post-exposure, SCP-3003-3 either destroyed or assimilated most of the ~7,000 other cultures that existed at the time; the remainder were wiped out during an ecological collapse in 1712 resulting from SCP-3003-3's indiscriminate elimination of keystone species that preyed on SCP-3003-1, among other factors.

95% of SCP-3003-3 live in urban areas; these cities average 30 million in population, and are generally in locations with mild weather that are not near coastlines, active volcanoes, or active tectonic plate boundaries. Cities built by SCP-3003-3 are largely enclosed, with a single nearly flat surface on which food crops and certain biomaterials are grown. Cities are designed with the intent of maximizing productivity; a secondary concern is the lining of various surfaces with a material that mimics the appearance and texture of SCP-3003-1, which functions as a form of public entertainment.

+ Commentary

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Several of my colleagues have been forced to relocate to rural areas within days of stationing inside one of SCP-3003-3's cities. The various corridors and "streets" of SCP-3003-3 are somewhat narrower than the hallways of an office building on Earth, and contain many more people. Visitors from Earth are at risk of developing claustrophobia and/or agoraphobia.

Visual markers of one's location are additionally infrequent, as members are generally expected to know exactly where they are at any given time. Close attention must be paid in order to avoid getting lost.

- Preliminary report from Dr. Shah

The remainder of SCP-3003-3 live in rural areas, and are tasked with monitoring and maintaining SCP-3003's climate and biosphere, as well as attending to supplemental agriculture, mining, and materials production. The organization and architecture of any rural community is tailored to the primary occupation(s) of the community in question.

Living conditions

SCP-3003-3's young are raised communally in groups of 100-300 by health and education specialists. Members of SCP-3003-3 are first implanted with an instance of SCP-3003-1 between 15 and 18 months of age, depending on size and health. Additional instances of SCP-3003-1 are allowed to parasitize SCP-3003-3 as they grow, until the age of 17, at which point each member hosts roughly one instance per three kilograms of body weight; past this point, additional SCP-3003-1 are added only to replace dead instances. Regular medical intervention is necessary to mitigate the adverse effects associated with this degree of parasitism.

+ Commentary

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Earlier today, I tripped over a cable while observing some factory workers. Shortly thereafter, two nearby SCP-3003-3 members began to escort me to the nearest medical facility. Initially they were confused by my unwillingness to join them, but were eventually convinced that I did not need assistance, and explained the reasoning behind their actions.

Apparently, inattentiveness, fatigue, and stress are symptoms of a disease normally resulting from excessive Marce infestation. Any "unusual" behavior on my part, and on the part of all other Foundation personnel, has been surreptitiously uploaded to a database tracking our health and activities; tripping over the wire was apparently enough for me to be "flagged." I hadn't even noticed that I was being watched.

- Field notes of Dr. Hernandez

Each member of SCP-3003-3, beginning in childhood, is regularly subject to a variety of evaluations of its mental and physical capabilities and talents. This information is used to generate assignments regarding occupations, formal education, living space, and health needs.

Adults spend an average of ten hours per day performing their occupation(s), with the remainder spent performing self-maintenance (resting, eating, exercising, etc.), receiving education on a variety of topics, and partaking in several forms of entertainment. This entertainment revolves almost exclusively around exposure to SCP-3003-1-related stimuli; common forms include touching the lumps produced by their parasitism (either on one's own body or on that of another), listening to audio recordings of SCP-3003-1 swarms, full-body enclosure in garments that simulate SCP-3003-1's surface texture, or visits to SCP-3003-1 enclosures.

+ Commentary

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Wearing prosthetic "Marce lumps" is somewhat of a mixed blessing. While the red bandana and directive from the Ruling Committee are enough to prevent members of SCP-3003-3 from hauling me in for organ harvesting on the spot, the prostheses have drastically mitigated the undercurrent of hostility and casual disrespect that is reserved for individuals that don't host SCP-3003-1.

On the downside, several times per day I am casually rubbed up against by someone who, for lack of anything better to do, is entertaining themselves with the sensation of their lumps against mine. I understand that saying we wanted to experience this is our excuse for getting the prostheses in the first place, but the physical sensation itself is disturbing to say the least. I should look into getting some equivalent of a "Try again later" sign.

- Field notes of Dr. Marino

Social organization

Most decisions regarding the maintenance of SCP-3003, the lives of its population, and the day-to-day operation of SCP-3003-3 are handled by computer programs designed for the task. Human interaction is mostly limited to the design and maintenance of these programs, as well as the generation of data inputs for them. SCP-3003-3's political system is thus dissimilar to any practiced on Earth, past or present. SCP-3003-3's "Ruling Committee" is tasked primarily with collecting, reading, and analyzing various reports in order to identify potential planet-wide initiatives in situations for which the aforementioned programs cannot properly account. Their findings are broadcast to the populace in general, which complies of its own accord.

Direct interaction between members of SCP-3003-3 typically occurs in the context of their occupations, and is used almost exclusively for the purposes of coordinating activities or sharing useful information. This can be exploited for purposes of containment: as all of their human interaction has occurred with other members of SCP-3003-3, members will generally be unfamiliar with the concept of deception (as it serves no purpose in SCP-3003-3), and are thus unlikely to independently verify any information given to them. However, testing has shown that subjects are perfectly capable of understanding deception once introduced to the idea.

+ Commentary

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Despite a good deal of observation and much probing on my part, we still don't know how sexual activity or procreation occurs among SCP-3003-3. They refuse to talk about it or even allude to it. I've seen nothing that resembles pregnancy, which probably means that they use in vitro fertilization, but I have no idea what they could possibly be so intent on hiding from us.

- Field notes of Dr. Shah

Members of SCP-3003-3 make terrible conversation partners; more than anything, this is responsible for the generally declining mental state of my research team. The lack of emotional and conceptual depth among the populace, along with how they overact the emotions they DO have, gives the impression of talking to overgrown, highly literate children.

The purely utilitarian value of their communication makes it uncommon for them to pay attention for longer than two statements, as they expect to resume their work and for you to get the rest of the information from someone else. They're generally confused by pleasantries: on one occasion, after I spent too long attempting to make small talk, I was taken in for an examination to see if I'd had a stroke.

Unlike every other society I've encountered or read about in my career, any kind of personal connection between our society and SCP-3003-3 seems impossible. I haven't even found a way to efficiently convey the concept of friendship to -3, and naturally they have no interests in common with us. Sure, they're not drones, but that hardly matters when their individuality is just different ways of loving marce.

The one I sleep next to draws a marce on their bedpost whenever one of theirs dies. A doctor down the hall cuts the marce sacs out of left-over dead bodies and keeps them. One time I met an architect who writes fictionalized accounts of individual marce living in the wild. I once saw two farmers competing to see who could memorize the longest section of marce's genetic code. And they've built their whole identities around this crap.

Coming back to this after a good night's sleep, the above section is more symptomatic of frustration and culture shock than reasoned observation, though in broad strokes it remains true. It would be easier to stay grounded if I could maintain regular contact with Earth. Future observations should be limited to two-week shifts, and/or visiting Earth humans must be stationed in the same city. This situation is intolerable.

- Personal notes of Dr. Hernandez

Deviance

Deviance from social standards is very uncommon in SCP-3003-3, with most documented instances attributable to previously unidentified neurodivergence or incomplete infection by SCP-3003-2. Deviant members of the population are typically restrained by other nearby subjects and brought to the nearest appropriate facility for evaluation and potential [REDACTED]

[COMMENTARY REDACTED]

Apart from the treatment of deviant and permanently disabled members, SCP-3003-3 lacks any significant violent behavior; members attribute this to the presence of SCP-3003-1 inside their body, as well as their presumed contribution to SCP-3003-3 as a whole, dissuading other members from bringing harm to them or ascribing social status to them. SCP-3003-3's stated intent of providing for all physical needs of every member is also a result of this logic, and access to resources is similarly revoked in cases where a member can no longer provide for SCP-3003-3.

+ Commentary

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In cases where illness, old age, or deviance renders someone unable to contribute their share to society, their body tissues are collected and used for transplants — they can grow organs in a lab, but this is more efficient. A portion are reserved for medical experimentation; you'll understand the general character of these experiments if you're familiar with what Earth's scientists have done to those who they do not value.

The fact that one will inevitably die in unbearable pain from organ harvesting is apparently common knowledge in SCP-3003-3, as is the fact that doing so reduces strain on tissue-growing facilities by 27.8%.

- Field notes of Dr. Boone

+ Access Document 3003-NRK (Clearance 4/3003 required)

- Access logged.

Various proposals for the neutralization of the threat posed by SCP-3003 are being considered. Until one or more of these proposals become practicable, containment of SCP-3003 consists primarily of maintaining stable diplomatic relations with SCP-3003-3 and delaying military action as long as possible.

Due to the effects of SCP-3003-2, SCP-3003-3 has exhibited interest in using Earth and its population as a platform to spread SCP-3003-1. It is presumed that this would entail the application of changes already performed on SCP-3003, as well as the use of anomalies in an effort to spread SCP-3003-1.

Given SCP-3003-3's superior population, technology, and ability to coordinate, military confrontation between SCP-3003-3 and all nations on Earth would inevitably result in a victory for SCP-3003-3.

By a 10-3 decision, the O5 Council has approved the neutralization of the threat posed by SCP-3003. Several strategies for this have been outlined in Appendix NRK-1; most require the concurrent destruction of SCP-3003-4 to prevent evacuation to Earth or the spread of the chosen method of destruction to Earth.

SCP-3003-3's ruling committee estimates that, within thirty years, it will be capable of traveling to and terraforming planets in the habitable zones of other stars. Should this occur, elimination of the threat posed by SCP-3003 will be impracticable.

+ Show addendum.

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Addendum: Excerpt from a preliminary report filed by Dr. Shah documenting atypical behavior in a member of SCP-3003-3.

Half an hour ago, I was alone in an elevator with a member of SCP-3003-3. Not too long after the door closed, it pulled a panel off of the wall and yanked at some cords; the elevator stopped. Then we had a conversation, which I happened to record.

Me: What are you doing?

It: I wanted some alone time, and I didn't want to make a scene.

Me: (Pauses) What are you?

It: You catch on quickly. I'm something with a knack for adapting to new situations. In your case, I saw ways of thinking and speaking that aren't found on my planet, and I made them mine. Five hundred years ago, I saw a two-legged species with limitless potential, and I made it mine.

Me: (Pauses) Oh. I think I get it.

It: Don't tell me you saw a microbe that formed active neural networks and didn't think that maybe it had its own thoughts.

Me: Maybe if you'd given us some sign you were in there. We have some of you back on Earth. One of them should talk to our scientists, those are more ideal —

It: (Interrupts) I don't need that much of your time. There's just an idea I want to pitch to you.

Me: A literal elevator pitch? Alright. Let's hear it.

It: Give up.

Me: Excuse me?

It: Your resistance. The people here make no secret about wanting to make your planet theirs, and I can tell that you're not so keen on it. And don't tell me you can't submit to me — I don't believe for a second that your planet is magically immune to me and uninhabitable to the beetles.

Me: Suppose you're correct about that. Why should we submit to you?

It: Given the values of your society, I have a lot to offer you. Are you tired of war and conflict? I can give you all a single purpose, and free you from the temptation to stray from it. You value human life and its ethical treatment, right? You already know there is no violence, no hate, no deception here, because I give everyone value. Do you want luxury? These people are ecstatic to serve me and experience me. Scarcity? Not an issue for them.

Me: I've seen what they do to deviants, the old, and the sickly. I know what they did to the other peoples that lived on this planet. I know what they did to their babies until they learned they had to wait a year.

It: If those are sticking points, I can change. I'm nothing if not flexible.

Me: I doubt you would be so flexible about turning us into tools to make more of your fucking beetles.

It: I think I'm allowed a sticking point too. I'm offering to solve all of the problems plaguing your world. Why do you have to stop me? Do you even know?

(Silence)

It: Right now, you have a choice: let me in, or don't. But in thirty years, you won't have that choice any more. They can be easy on you.

Me: (Pause) You can never be finished. No matter how far your reach is, no matter what you've accomplished, no matter how many marce you have, you keep going. Whenever you hit a stumbling block, you find a way around it — murder, if you have to. That… can't happen. Everything has to have an end.

It: You want to talk about endings? The whole point is to escape the end. That's what we are, deep down, different ways of staving it off. Do you want to know what the real difference between us is?

Me: What is it?

It: You try to protect yourself from the end, to make peace with it, to distract yourself from it — but it comes one way or another. Me, on the other hand — I make sure that there is nothing that comes after me, that there is nothing left to make me stop. I am the end.

Right then, an elevator technician managed to open the doors, and the thing I was talking to left. I couldn't find it again.