SCP-5073 instance mixed into milk

Item #: SCP-5073

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: Foundation analytic assets are to monitor for reports of individuals deceased as the result of 'internal' or 'spontaneous' explosions. These are to be investigated for potential association with SCP-5073 and given appropriate cover stories if confirmed as anomalous.

Foundation assets embedded within the distribution chain for powdered hot chocolate mixes are to monitor shipments for instances of SCP-5073. Instances of SCP-5073 discovered are to be either incinerated or sent to Site-66 for analysis at the discretion of Researcher Tarrant.

Description: SCP-5073 is a series of anomalous packets of powdered hot chocolate mix. Instances of SCP-5073 outwardly resemble packets sold under legitimate brands, with no discernible differences save for tactile sensations of slight stickiness and mild warmth. SCP-5073 instances are found packaged alongside conventional packets of hot chocolate mix, with no more than one instance per box or package. SCP-5073 instances have only been found in the Western Hemisphere during winter, with a distribution pattern of one per one million units of hot chocolate mix.

SCP-5073 instances contain1 cocoa powder visually identical to that of the brands SCP-5073 instances resemble, though the individual granules of the powder have been registered as both unusually durable and slightly warm. When mixed into milk2, the powder does not actually dissolve but remains suspended below the surface and not readily visible. The powder granules proceed to exude liquid with compositional similarities to chocolate, which colors and flavors the milk and leaves it visually identical to typical hot chocolate.

This resulting composition is regarded by individuals as atypically appealing when imbibed, often described in terms of an "explosive burst of sweetness" that regardless never discomfits or overwhelms. Though it does not possess addictive properties, individuals tend to be driven to drink a sufficient amount to use up the entire SCP-5073 packet.

Within two to three hours of consumption of SCP-5073, the intact granules suspend themselves at concentration above the LEL3 for cocoa dust and rub up against each other with sufficient intensity to produce friction based ignition. The dust explosion that ensues invariably possesses sufficient force to blow a human apart and do considerable damage to their surroundings.

Though the liquid produced by SCP-5073 remains, shortly after an individual has expired due to consumption of SCP-5073, the SCP-5073 packet and any powder left within it disappears, and there is typically more of an individual's mass missing than can be accounted for by the dust explosion.

History: Foundation assets embedded in police and emergency services took notice reports of individuals exploding beginning in December 20██ and conducted an immediate investigation, isolating the cause to anomalous hot chocolate shortly thereafter. Deaths associated with SCP-5073 ceased one week later. No intact instances of SCP-5073 were recovered, and after six months without further incident SCP-5073 was declared Neutralized.

Excerpt from Research Log 5073-1

Excerpt from Research Log 5073-1

Researcher Tarrant here, being informal because this is going to be short. After all, we don't have any physical evidence of this anomaly at all whatsoever besides trace amounts of ridiculously sweet liquid and the corpses it leaves behind. Pieces of corpses, rather. And yet everyone's convinced we've figured it out.

Forensics was able to piece together it was a dust explosion, yes. Eyewitness accounts have indicated the cocoa dust was in packets identical to brand name ones, yes. Thus the idea goes that some murderous anomalous prankster slipped self-igniting cocoa powder in with the regular stuff, making it sweet enough that the hapless victim would definitely drink enough of it to explode. And now people have stopped exploding, probably because the prankster got tired of it, so it's all well and good.

I don't think that's it. It's way too elaborate a method to just to get someone to explode, and yes anomalies aren't supposed to make sense but if we go with the idea this was engineered by someone, then yes there has to be a certain degree of sense. And there is no sense in this method being used just to make people explode.

More than that, there are discrepancies.

Would a prankster really get bored, just like that, and stop so abruptly? They wouldn't be exploding people to begin with if they were worried about the Foundation starting its investigation. There has to be some external factor. It was stupid warm that January (thanks climate change), maybe that's why? Less people drinking hot cocoa, less to meet… some kind of quota?

People think the packets going missing was the prankster slipping in to cover their tracks, but if they can do something like that they wouldn't use such a roundabout method to begin with. And finally… what's left of the corpses. How exploded they are covers it up well, but I've examined the bits where there's more meat and bone missing than there should be.

People think I'm seeing things, but I'm sure of it.

There are tiny bite marks.

SCP-5073 incidents began again one year after its initial classification, continuing on through February. Instances have been recovered intact and sent to Researcher Tarrant at Site-66 for analysis.

Additionally, there has been a surge of social media posts concerning sightings of tiny brown spiders in areas where SCP-5073 incidents have occurred.

Footnotes

1. Marshmallows and other such toppings are never found in SCP-5073 instances even when advertised; this can be used to identify SCP-5073 instances imitating particular brands

2. SCP-5073 powder remains inert if not ingested, ingested as is, or when mixed into liquid besides milk

3. Lower explosive limit