PeppersGhost

SCP-1884 - Madame Rezarta and Her Amazing Palm Reader by PeppersGhost

Item #: SCP-1884

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-1884-A is to reside in a low-security residential chamber at Bio Site-59. Due to SCP-1884-A's physical disabilities, a Level-1 caretaker is to assist with SCP-1884-A's daily activities, such as feeding and dressing.

SCP-1884-B is to be kept in a standard containment chamber, also at Bio Site-59. As SCP-1884-B neither requires food nor produces biological waste material, typical weekly chamber cleaning is not necessary. However, SCP-1884-B requires bimonthly grooming to prevent accidental self-inflicted injury from its nails.

To ensure SCP-1884-A and SCP-1884-B's continued cooperation in testing, SCP-1884-A is permitted to enter SCP-1884-B's containment chamber once a week for no more than four hours. These sessions are to be overseen by a minimum of two security personnel and recorded for research purposes.

Description: SCP-1884-A is a blind female human of Albanian descent, aged 68 as of 03/11/████. SCP-1884-A has no hands; instead, its forearms are joined together where the wrist joints are typically located. There is extensive scarring on SCP-1884-A's body, primarily on the upper back. SCP-1884-A claims that its injuries were the result of poor treatment in captivity prior to containment. SCP-1884-A is proficient in Albanian, Cantonese, English, German, Japanese, Mandarin, and Modern Standard Arabic, and has rudimentary knowledge of Hindi, Portugese, Spanish, and Swahili.

SCP-1884-B is a single living organism composed of 932 hands attached at the wrist to a central mass of oblong flesh. 929 of the hands are identical, consistent in appearance with the hands of an elderly female and bearing genetic similarities with SCP-1884-A. The remaining 3 appendages appear to belong to an adolescent human male, an adult human female, and a Bengal tiger, respectively. SCP-1884-B's skin is of the same thickness as that of a human's, but substantially more durable and resistant to minor injury. Every 8 to 10 months, SCP-1884-B will moult, shedding its skin in a reptile-like manner. SCP-1884-B is docile if unprovoked; however, if one or more of its hands is intentionally severed/significantly damaged by an organism possessing hands or similar appendages, SCP-1884-B will retaliate by using its nails to sever its aggressor's hand (or equivalent thereof), which will then be integrated into its anatomy.

SCP-1884-A and SCP-1884-B share a strong telepathic connection. Anything felt by SCP-1884-A is also felt by SCP-1884-B, and vice versa. Extensive testing has shown that despite the mental link, SCP-1884-B is independently sapient and capable of interacting with Foundation personnel even when SCP-1884-A is heavily sedated or similarly incapacitated. The relationship between the two entities is symbiotic: SCP-1884-A uses SCP-1884-B in a manner comparable to a seeing eye dog, utilizing SCP-1884-B's sense of touch to form a mental image of its surroundings; likewise, SCP-1884-A shares auditory information with SCP-1884-B and acts as its mouthpiece, verbally relaying thoughts and requests.

SCP-1884 came to the Foundation's attention after attempting to check into a hotel in █████, United Arab Emirates, at 3:41 AM. According to the report written by local law enforcement, SCP-1884-A attempted to barter the jewelry it was carrying in exchange for lodging. When the receptionist declined the offer, SCP-1884-B entered through a nearby window and approached the receptionist aggressively, despite discouragement from SCP-1884-A. After the receptionist fled, SCP-1884-B reportedly stole a room key from the front desk. Foundation agents in the area intercepted the receptionist's emergency phone call and discovered SCP-1884-A and SCP-1884-B in a single-person hotel room. The two were recovered without incident.

+ Interview Log - SCP-1884-A

- Hide Interview Log

<Begin Log>

Dr. Hayfield: How long have you been connected to SCP-1884-B?

SCP-1884-A: As long as I can remember. Wherever I have been, Luana has been there with me, even if only in my mind.

Dr. Hayfield: Where did SCP-1884-B come from?

SCP-1884-A: When I was still very young, I asked my mother the same question. She would not tell me. She said she did not want to frighten me.

Dr. Hayfield: Have your blindness and physical abnormalities been present since birth?

SCP-1884-A: Yes. Luana has always been my eyes. She feels the ground so I can walk. She helps me hold things. In my old age, there have been times she has carried me. I am very grateful to her.

Dr. Hayfield: What were the events that led to the incident at the hotel?

SCP-1884-A: That may take some time to explain.

Dr. Hayfield: That's perfectly fine. Please proceed.

SCP-1884-A: When I was eight years old, men came to our house asking to buy me and Luana. My parents were upset. They always tried to hide us and keep us a secret, and they were worried the men would tell others. But my father still sent them away. It was the first day I had ever heard my older brothers cry. That night, a man with an upside-down face came to my room. Luana was still very small and could not fight him. He put a sock in my mouth and took us away. I never saw my family again.

SCP-1884-A: We were taken to America and forced to work in a place called 'Herman Fuller's Circus Of The Disquieting'. At first they made Luana and I part of their parade of freaks, but once I was grown they told us we needed our own act in order to "earn our keep." They dressed me in flowing clothes and jewelry and billed us as Madame Rezarta and Her Amazing Palm Reader. In our act, Luana would walk on the faces of volunteers, and I would make deductions about their appearance based on what she felt. "This one is African," "this one broke his nose as a child," "this one recently had an accident on a fishing trip." If I made an error in my guesses I went without dinner. If I made an error in my English I would be whipped. My English improved very quickly.

SCP-1884-A: As the years went by, the Circus grew. We began touring in other countries regularly, and I was forced to learn more languages. We visited New York, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Tokyo, Beijing, and more small cities than I can count. We were told how lucky we were to be part of the Circus, to be leading such glamorous lives. Glamorous lives! We were always underfed, we slept on the same foam mattress for thirty years, and not a week went by without me receiving abuse of some kind. Even when Luana tried to rebel, I was the one who was whipped. My skin is not as strong as Luana, and we both feel more pain when I am hurt. You see my arms? All these scars are from the Circus. I received this one when I misused the word 'competent'. This one, I confused a Roman nose with an Aquiline nose. And all these here are from when Luana first tried to help me escape in 1944. We never attempted escape again until that night two weeks ago.

SCP-1884-A: I had always discouraged Luana from trying to escape. Beyond my fear of being punished, I told myself that no matter how bad things were at the Circus, it would be worse in the outside world. I told her it would only be a matter of time until Luana was killed by some frightened person on the street. But the thought of leaving still passed through her mind frequently. Two weeks ago, when we had stopped on a deserted road between shows, Luana killed the guard outside our tent. She did it while I was asleep so I would not have to feel her do it. She must have done it without planning it ahead of time, because I never saw the idea in my mind. When she awoke me I was very frightened and almost would not leave, but I was afraid of what the man with the upside-down face—the Ringmaster's thug—would do to us if he found out Luana had become dangerous. So we fled. I could not run very far, and Luana had to carry me to civilization. I told her to wait outside while I tried to get us a room at the hotel, but she did not listen to me.

Dr. Hayfield: I see. I think that's all the information we need for today. Thank you for your cooperation.

SCP-1884-A: You are very welcome. I am very grateful to be here. Your people treat me very well. I wish I could be with Luana in person more often, but she is always with me in my mind.

<End Log>

Note: Subsequent investigations into 'Herman Fuller's Circus Of The Disquieting' have found no evidence that such a group exists.

+ Interview Log - SCP-1884-B

- Hide Interview Log

Foreword: With assistance from SCP-1884-A, Dr. Selman was able to teach SCP-1884-B to read Braille and communicate by signing letters of the alphabet. The following is a one-on-one interview between Dr. Selman and SCP-1884-B. Dr. Selman used a Braille printer for his queries, which have been romanized here for the sake of readability. SCP-1884-A was heavily sedated at the time the interview was being conducted in order to ensure the integrity of SCP-1884-B's replies.

<Begin Log>

Dr. Selman: What are you?

SCP-1884-B: HERE I AM SCP 1884 B.

Dr. Selman: What is your species called?

SCP-1884-B: I AM ONLY ONE. I AM LUANA.

Dr. Selman: What is your nature?

SCP-1884-B: QUESTION CONFUSING.

Dr. Selman: All right. How would you describe yourself?

SCP-1884-B: HAND THING.

Dr. Selman: How long have you known SCP-1884-A?

SCP-1884-B: OUR MINDS HAVE BEEN CONECTED [sic] EVER SINCE MY FIRST THOUGHT.

Dr. Selman: Where did you come from?

SCP-1884-B: ASK YOUR PARENTS.

Dr. Selman: Please remember that this is a serious interview. Where did you come from?

SCP-1884-B: I DON'T KNOW. BUT I REMEMBER IT WAS WET.

Dr. Selman: How would you describe your captivity in the Circus Of The Disquieting?

SCP-1884-B: (SCP-1884-B raises the middle finger of every hand not being used to support its weight)

Dr. Selman: Kindly expound on that. In words, if you would be so kind.

SCP-1884-B: WE WERE TREATED VERY BADLY. PUNISHED ALWAYS. THEY COULD NOT HURT ME. SO THEY HURT SISTER TO HURT ME. THEY ARE CROOKS. THEY ARE ALWAYS HURTING PEOPLE.

Dr. Selman: Who else did they hurt?

SCP-1884-B: OTHER ACTS. AND SOMETIMES PEANUT GALLERY. SISTER ALWAYS HEARD SCREAMING FROM OTHER TENTS LATE AT NIGHT. NO ONE WOULD TELL US WHY.

Dr. Selman: SCP-1884-A stated that you were the one who instigated your escape. What led you to make this decision?

SCP-1884-B: SHE WAS AFRAID TO TRY. BUT I WANTED A BETTER LIFE FOR HER. THEY HURT HER TOO MUCH FOR TOO LONG. AND THEN WE HAD THE PERFECT CHANCE.

Dr. Selman: I think that concludes our first interview. Thank you, SCP-1884-B.

SCP-1884-B: WAIT MAY I HAVE BRAILLE BOOKS PLEASE I AM LONELY AND BORED.

Dr. Selman: I will put in a request.

<End Log>

Note: SCP-1884-B was later provided a limited selection of literary classics. In subsequent interviews SCP-1884-A and SCP-1884-B noted their favorite works as Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights, respectively.