SCP-5852: "You've got teeth in your bugs."

Author: Cyvstvi.

Cyvstvi

"You've got teeth in your bugs." by Cyvstvi

Item #: SCP-5852

Anomaly Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Due to the random nature of SCP-5852, physical containment of all affected specimens is impossible.

It is unknown what causes SCP-5852 to manifest within members of Cicadoidea; therefore prevention within localised clusters of specimens is currently unfeasible.

To obfuscate the nature of SCP-5852, Cover Story 5852.1 "Tumorous Growth Disease" has been disseminated to national and local media in locations with sizable populations of Cicadoidea. This has, in-turn, been further disseminated by entomological experts to the point that "Cicada Mange" has become a recognised disease in Entomology.

Any reported instances of SCP-5852-1 located in the wild are to be immediately secured by MTF Lambda-12 (“Pest Control”) and contained within the Entomology Department of Site-21.

Amendment to Special Containment Procedures: At no point should research staff assigned to SCP-5852 make skin-to-skin contact with instances of SCP-5852-1.

Description: SCP-5852 is the designation given to the anomalous growth of human teeth in specimens of the Superfamily Cicadoidea. Specimens afflicted by SCP-5852 are designated SCP-5852-1.

Fig 1.1: Exemplar tooth extracted from an instance of SCP-5852-1.

This growth typically begins in the external structure of the specimen albeit internal onset growth has been observed in a selection of instances.

SCP-5852 appears to cause intense discomfort for the specimen as the anomalous teeth will displace the surrounding tissues to allow for its own growth. This may result in fatal injuries occurring in the specimen, especially if the resultant teeth emerge in the cardiovascular or nervous systems of the insect.

Instances of SCP-5852-1 will continue to anomalously grow teeth until the specimen's exoskeleton is entirely overwhelmed by the presence of teeth. At this point, instances of SCP-5852-1 will proceed to slough their entire exoskeleton in a process not dissimilar from moulting.1

This process will result in the death of the specimen due to the tooth-filled exoskeleton rupturing the soft, underdeveloped exoskeleton beneath.

Analysis was conducted on the condition of teeth resulting from SCP-5852 growth.

Tooth condition
Rate of occurrence in instances of SCP-5852-1

Discolouration
31.29%

Cavitation
28.65%

Tumoured
23.91%

Macrodontia2
5.42%

Microdontia3
4.92%

Gemination4
2.38%

Ectopic growth5
1.98%

Dental restoration
1.45%

Discovery: The first instances of SCP-5852-1 were discovered nesting in the roof of the Templeton Memorial Church located in Templeton, West Virginia. The Templeton Memorial Church was the site of a White-Level event.

Addendum: On 21/07/2012, Dr. Charles Greaves, senior researcher at Site-21, complained of a mild toothache in his canines and was submitted to the medical office. Extraction was conducted on the affected teeth, leading to the discovery of several juvenile instances of Magicicada cassinii6 burrowed inside his teeth.

Following this event, all staff at Site-21 were scheduled for a mandatory tooth examination. It was subsequently discovered that all staff assigned to SCP-5852 had numerous specimens of Cicadoidea burrowing inside of their teeth.

The extracted specimens later became afflicted with SCP-5852. Analysis conducted on these instances of SCP-5852-1 discovered that the developed teeth were exact copies of the teeth extracted from their previous hosts.

Direct handling of instances of SCP-5852-1 is now strictly forbidden.

Footnotes

1. Analysis of this moulted exoskeleton has found that it is wholly composed of hydroxyapatite, a naturally occurring calcium mineral found in tooth enamel.

2. Tooth that is larger in size than usual.

3. Tooth that is smaller in size than usual.

4. A developing tooth that has split into two different teeth.

5. Tooth's enamel has developed in an extraordinary position, typically the root.

6. More commonly known as the 17-year cicada or dwarf periodical cicada