Patient Zero in what is believed to be late stages of SCP-4560 infection.

Item #: SCP-4560

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Currently three known vectors for SCP-4560 are contained within separate anomalous document containers at Site-64, Site-81, and Site-77 for reference and further study. All additional vectors discovered by Foundation operatives are to be documented and then immediately destroyed via incineration on site. All personnel handling SCP-4560 vectors are to observe standard visual and audio memetic precautions.

Civilians suspected of SCP-4560 infection are to be detained by Foundation operatives for a minimum of three months, at which point mid-stage symptoms should manifest. Those testing negative for infection are to be administered Class-B amnestics and released back into the general population. Those testing positive are to be terminated to prevent late-stage infection and the creation of additional SCP-4560 vectors.

Description: SCP-4560 is a memetic infection observed in those who identify as male, ages 15 to 45, preventing them from publicly expressing negative aspects1 of their life to others through written, verbal or somatic means. During the early stages of infection, symptoms are limited to a downplaying of negative events or emotions in their life. At this stage, infected individuals will often deflect events by comparing their situation to those they deem less fortunate.

As SCP-4560 infection progresses, infected individuals eventually lose the ability to publicly acknowledge negative events in any way, and will actively deny such events have occurred to them, often attempting to redirect the situation by focusing on their accomplishments to that point or other measures of success. Infected individuals at this stage will still maintain the ability to display minor negative emotions, however, this continues to diminish as infection progresses, with such emotion being replaced by an outward expression of positivity.

As SCP-4560 enters late-stage infection2, individuals not only are fully incapable of public acknowledgment of negative events or emotions occurring to themselves, but also those which occur to others. All interactions will be of an excessively optimistic nature, even in situations where such behavior is inappropriate. Additionally, at this stage of infection, the individual is capable of generating new vectors of SCP-4560. Such vectors have included:

Notes of encouragement.

Thank you emails.

Messages left on voice mail.

Should an uninfected male between the ages of 15 to 45 hear or view an SCP-4560 vector without appropriate visual or audio memetic protection, they will become a host of infection. At this point, the SCP-4560 vector will become inactive. It is currently unknown how many infected individuals remain uncontained in the general population.

SCP-4560 infected individuals observed in private appear to retain the ability to express negative emotions to themselves, though unable to record these feelings through written or verbal means. For this reason, it is believed that SCP-4560 infected individuals still retain the capacity for negative emotions and thoughts but are merely unable to express them. Currently, all attempts to cure infected individuals have resulted in failure, though the administration of amnestics has been noted to slow the course of infection.

Discovery: SCP-4560 was originally discovered by Foundation operatives in June 2005, following an outbreak in Portland, Oregon. Through the combined efforts of MTFs Beta-7 ("Maz Hatters"), Gamma-5 ("Red Herrings"), and Pi-1 ("City Slickers"), all infected individuals were contained and the believed Patient Zero identified as one Robert Hale.

Robert Hale was discovered dead within his apartment on June 28th, 2005, following suicide via hanging. Interviews with family and friends describe Hale as having dropped out of graduate school in January following a series of academic failures, and financial troubles. Hale's suicide note was identified as an SCP-4560 vector. A non-anomalous copy of this has been included below:

+ Show Hale's Suicide Note

- Hide Hale's Suicide Note

Everything is fine.

Footnotes

1. Such aspects include but are not limited to disease, financial troubles, minor inconveniences, and emotions such as frustration, anger, depression, and anxiety.

2. The time taken to reach this stage is highly variable between infected individuals, with a documented range of six months to four years.