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Artistic depiction of SCP-6608

Special Containment Procedures: Due to the nature of SCP-6608, full containment is currently impossible. Foundation agents within police agencies, occult circles, online anomalous entity discussion forums, astronomy communities, and "creepy image" social media groups are constantly monitoring for any reported 'sightings' of SCP-6608. Foundation AI Starburst.aic is to monitor all communication channels for reports of spontaneous human combustion, which must be investigated to confirm if the individual had recently shown an interest in astronomy or astral photography, or had recently spent time stargazing.
Description: SCP-6608 is a cognitohazardous visual hallucination that primarily affects those who have a notable interest in astral photography or astronomy. The hallucination appears to manifest in the form of a hexapedal entity covered in an unidentified black fur-like substance. It possesses seven luminous eyes on what is presumed to be the head - five on the face and an additional two on stalk-like appendages protruding from the head.
Discovery: On 29/06/2018, SCP-6608 was discovered by Foundation agents present in medical facilities in San Francisco, California, after 24 year old Maria Valerio was checked in to the hospital by her housemates, Kayla Stephenson and Tanya Pierce. She was admitted for severe burns on her hands and forearms as well as signs of minor psychosis, including repeatedly speaking about dreams involving "stars, space, and darkness". After five days in the burn unit, during which hospital staff reported the victim's burns progressing despite any treatments, reports were filed with the local police and fire departments regarding a localized explosion in the victim's room and the victim going missing. Her hospital bed was found with severe burn marks on the sheets, and the metal warped where her hands had been gripping the bedrails. Amnestics were distributed to Valerio's housemates, as well as all persons who had interacted with her over the five-day period.
An investigation of her home after this event uncovered the attached photo, tagged as "some weird animal I saw while stargazing". Foundation agents discovered she had also posted it to social media, asking people to assist her in identifying the entity. The image metadata showed signs that it had been edited, and the team came to the conclusion that although she was convinced she had seen the entity, the photo itself was an artistic recreation. The photo was removed and credited as the results of Valerio's photo editing practice.
Foundation data analysts have been able to link four other disappearances to SCP-6608 manifestations. These took place in Bigfork, Montana, USA; Mykolaiv, Ukraine; Kgetlengriver, South Africa; and Pickering, Ontario, Canada. Currently, no correlation has been found between these locations.
On October 25, 2019, Researcher Nathan Pierrot of the Site-44 Anomalous Astronomy Department reported that he had experienced a hallucination while configuring Foundation telescopes. His reports of the hallucination matched the photo found in Valerio's home, and it was determined that he had witnessed an SCP-6608 manifestation. Pierrot was put under observation and regularly interviewed to determine the effects of exposure to SCP-6608.

STAGES 1 - 3

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STAGE
SYMPTOMS

1 ('Stargazing')
The victim experienced a strong compulsion1 to look into SCP-6608's "eyes". Once eye contact was made, the victim proceeded to Stage 2.

2 ('Starstruck')
The victim entered a catatonic state, rooted in place, unable to look away from SCP-6608. The victim appeared to experience vivid hallucinations during this stage. After roughly three minutes in this state, the victim proceeded to Stage 3.

Interviewed: Researcher Nathan Pierrot
Interviewer: Dr. Alexander Humboldt
Foreword: This interview takes place on day four of the third stage of the anomaly's effects.

Begin Log: 02/11/2019 08:00
Dr. Humboldt: Hello, Nathan. How are you feeling today?
Pierrot: I feel… okay. My eyes kind of hurt, though.
Dr. Humboldt: I see. And your vision?
Pierrot: It's a bit blurry. I think I'm just tired.
Dr. Humboldt: Do you mind if I check your eyes?
Pierrot: No, go ahead.
Dr. Humboldt performs a cursory eye examination.
Dr. Humboldt: Interesting. Along with your blurred vision, your eyes are noticeably red, and appear to be twitching rather erratically. This may not be good.
Pierrot: Not good? How 'not good' are we talking?
Dr. Humboldt: I'm not an ophthalmologist, but the symptoms don't look promising. We can send you to an on-site specialist to confirm it after the interview is over. For now, I need to ask you a few questions about your encounter with SCP-6608 on October 25th, 2019, at 18:22. Do you recall the details of this encounter?
Pierrot: Yeah. I was outside on Astral Anomaly Watch, just making some adjustments to the short-range telescope array. It was pretty overcast, so I figured I wouldn't get much of a chance to see anything. Boy, was I wrong.
Dr. Humboldt: And then?
Pierrot: Then, the stars came. It appeared. It was beautiful. It wanted me to look into its eyes. And I looked, and it showed me…
Dr. Humboldt: What did you see?
Pierrot: The stars, Alex. All of them. It showed me the universe, in all its unimaginable vastness. It was beautiful. But I also saw…
Pierrot pauses and appears to stare into the middle distance for several seconds.
Dr. Humboldt: Please, continue. What else did you see?
Pierrot: I saw the darkness between the stars. The holes in the universe where the stars used to be. It was so sad. I want to help them.
Dr. Humboldt: Them?
Pierrot: The stars. They're dying, Alex.
Dr. Humboldt: Can you explain that in more depth?
Pierrot: I can see them even now. We need to help them. They need more stars. We need to hold back that darkness…
Dr. Humboldt: Thank you, Nathan. I think this interview is over.
End Log

Post-Interview Note
The post-interview exam with an on-site ophthalmologist confirmed that Pierrot was suffering from the onset of photokeratitis2. He declined any treatment, and was quoted as saying, "I can see everything I need to see."

STAGE
SYMPTOMS

3 ('Starlight')
The victim regained consciousness and reported that he was no longer perceiving the entity. Over the next nine days, the victim suffered from the onset of photokeratitis, and had gone completely blind after thirteen days. Within 48 hours of complete blindness, the victim's eyes began to emit a faint light at all times, and the victim proceeded to Stage 4.

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STAGE 4

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Interviewed: Researcher Nathan Pierrot
Interviewer: Dr. Alexander Humboldt
Foreword: This interview takes place on day six of the fourth stage of the anomaly's effects. Roughly 12% of Pierrot's body is burned. He is completely blind, and his eyes are also constantly emitting a faint light.

Begin Log: 11/11/2019 11:00
Dr. Humboldt: Hello, Nathan. How are you feeling today?
Pierrot: I feel wonderful.
Dr. Humboldt: You have severe burns covering a significant portion of your skin, and you feel wonderful?
Pierrot: I've been to the stars. I have been one with them. Have you ever touched a star?
Dr. Humboldt: Nathan, you and I both know that the heat of even approaching a star is more than enough to cause great physical harm to a human body. Touching one would certainly kill you. Is that where these burns are coming from? From touching the stars?
Pierrot: Yes.
Dr. Humboldt: You do this in your dreams?
Pierrot: Yes.
Dr. Humboldt: And these burns are not causing you any significant distress?
Pierrot: No, their warmth is a comfort. Even if it did hurt me, it would be a small price to pay.
Dr. Humboldt: And what is it that you're paying for?
Pierrot: The right to speak to them. Touch them. Become one with them. We are all born of stardust, and only a lucky few get to return to whence we came.
Dr. Humboldt: A lucky few? I believe I've told you that there has only been one other confirmed case of SCP-6608 at this time.
Pierrot: Yes. Myself, Maria Valerio, Jonathan Harper, Yurij Savchuk, Jabulani Okeke, Olivia Brown3. And still others to come.
Dr. Humboldt: Where did you hear those names?
Pierrot: They told me. I visit them, out there, in my dreams. Others are older, and have names I could not hope to pronounce. Stars as old as the sky, older than earth, older than our galaxy. They have been our protectors for millennia, and now they need our help. I am honored to be chosen.
Dr. Humboldt: Chosen for what?
Pierrot: To join their ranks and fight against the darkness.
Dr. Humboldt: You keep talking about this "darkness" as though it's alive. Can you explain what it is?
Pierrot: Not in a way you could understand, no.
Dr. Humboldt: (Sarcastically) I'm glad that you have such faith in my intelligence, Nathan.
Pierrot: Not just you, Alex. Any of you. Anyone who hasn't seen it can never understand it. The vast emptiness. To look out and see….nothing. No stars. No light. No life. It's just….darkness. Cold, infinite darkness.
Dr. Humboldt: But it's alive? Intelligent?
Pierrot: Alive? Yes. Intelligent? That's harder to say. Is an ecosystem intelligent? A planet? Perhaps it'd be more accurate to think of it not as a being, but as a force. It spreads. It consumes. And nothing but darkness is left in its wake.
Dr. Humboldt: And the stars are somehow holding this force at bay?
Pierrot: Yes. A great web of light, spanning across planets, star systems, clusters, galaxies. They're all that stand between us and annihilation. But even their power is not infinite — all stars will eventually sputter out and die. They need more stars — more strands in the web — or the darkness will start to spill out, and it will devour everything and everyone.
Dr. Humboldt: And they need to kill humans in order to do this?
Pierrot: Come now, Alex, you're a scientist working for the damn Foundation, You know as well as I do that there are forces at work in the universe we can't possibly comprehend.
Dr. Humboldt: I suppose I can't quite argue with that.
Pierrot: I am not only going to die. I am going to transform — no, I am going to ascend. And I will shine on, adding my strength to theirs to keep light in the universe.
Dr. Humboldt: A bright future, some might say.
Pierrot: As brilliant as that pun was awful.
Dr. Humboldt: Well, I hope you'll be amenable to us continuing to monitor your progress.
Pierrot: We both know that nothing would change if I wasn't.
Dr. Humboldt: (Chuckling) Ain't that the truth.
END LOG

STAGE
SYMPTOMS

4 ('Starbright')
The victim began to experience unusually vivid dreams, invariably involving him approaching, conversing with, touching, and being consumed by stars. Second and third degree burns appeared on the victim's body when he experienced these dreams, but he did not appear to experience the pain response that these burns would normally cause. The victim also began to suffer psychologically, claiming that his vision had returned, as well as other impossible events. When roughly 90% of the victim's skin was burned, he proceeded to Stage 5.

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STAGE 5

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Interviewed: Researcher Nathan Pierrot
Interviewer: Dr. Alexander Humboldt
Foreword: This interview takes place on day 19 of the fourth stage of the anomaly's effects. Roughly 91% of Pierrot's body is burned. He is completely blind, and his eyes are also constantly emitting a faint light.

Begin Log: 14/12/2019 11:00
Pierrot: (Greeting Dr. Humboldt as soon as he comes in the door) Hello, Alex.
Dr. Humboldt pauses for a moment.
Dr. Humboldt: I see someone must have informed you we'd be doing another interview today?
Pierrot: No. I can see you.
Dr. Humboldt: Alex, that's not possible. You have been affected by photokeratitis to such a severe degree that the damage is irreversible. There's no way you can see me.
Pierrot: (Shrugging) Believe what you will. Nobody told me you'd be coming by today, and I can see just fine. Better than fine. I can see… everything.
Dr. Humboldt: Perhaps we can have the ophthalmologist check your eyes again, then. But that will have to wait; we have something much more important right now.
Pierrot: Hm? What's that?
Dr. Humboldt: Well, to put it plainly, we believe you may not have long to live. The burns on your skin —
Pierrot: Gifts from the stars…
Dr. Humboldt: — as I was saying, the burns on your skin have progressed to a level similar to Maria Valerio's when she underwent spontaneous human combustion. We are unsure if this is mere coincidence —
Pierrot: It's not. It's a sign that the time is near, Alex. You're not telling me anything I don't already know.
Dr. Humboldt: You're aware that you're likely going to die within the next few days?
Pierrot: I will live on for millennia, Alex. Just not in this form.
Dr. Humboldt: You truly believe you'll be reborn as a star?
Pierrot: Belief implies there's a possibility it may not happen, Alex. I know.
Dr. Humboldt: Well, if what you say is true, then I guess… thank you. For being willing to do this for them. For us.
Pierrot: (Smiling) Your thanks are appreciated, but not necessary. People have watched and worshipped the stars for thousands of years, and will continue to do so even as we grow and come closer to our celestial brothers and sisters. Even if not in name, I will be seen. I will be remembered.
Dr. Humboldt: Well, it's been nice knowing you, Nathan. I hope that what's about to come is worth it.
Pierrot: Goodbye, Alex. Tell them to watch the sky for me.
END LOG

STAGE
SYMPTOMS

5 ('Supernova')
This victim experienced severe physical discomfort focused in the stomach, diaphragm, lungs, and heart, as well as muscle spasms for roughly 100 seconds. Subsequently, he underwent spontaneous human combustion, emitting a flash of light in excess of 90,000 lux. No trace of the victim's physical body remained after this event, and thermal readings showed temperatures in excess of 4000K. This temperature increase lasted for less than one second, and was localized to within 2cm of the victim's body. The only evidence of this superheated state are the residual effects of extreme heat on anything that the victim was in physical contact with at the time of the explosion.

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THE FOLLOWING FILE IS LEVEL 4/6608 CLASSIFIED

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STAGE 6: A STAR IS BORN

Foundation personnel stationed within various space programs and astronomy groups have confirmed the appearance of a total of eight new stars within the last ten years. These stars have appeared suddenly, and outside any of the normal conditions necessary for a star to form. In addition, the stars appeared as though they had always been there; considering it would normally take several thousand years for the light of these stars to reach Earth4. Comparing the time tables of these star appearances and the Stage 5 events of the known victims of SCP-6608 has led to the conclusion that the effects of SCP-6608 are turning human beings into stars.
On December 14th, 2019, Pierrot's Stage 4 burns had covered 92% of his body. At 14:38, he complained of the onset of Stage 5 symptoms, and after 103 seconds, underwent spontaneous combustion, accompanied by a flash of light reading 92,000 lux and a temperature reading as high as 4071K.
At 15:52, Foundation astronomers reported the presence of a new star in the sky.
Addendum:
On December 21st, 2019, a series of radio signals were intercepted from deep space. Although a direct point of origin could not be determined, the contents of the messages within the signals have led researchers to conclude that it was generated by the star created from Pierrot's 'Supernova' event.

It's done. I am finally home with the other stars.

I did not suffer. I was not made to do this against my will. I chose this, and I am happy.

The Foundation says that you die in the dark so others can live in the light. We stars are not so different. Our deaths make the light, to hold back the darkness.

We are stars. We are light. We are life. And we shine on, brilliant and brave, throughout the universe.

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« SCP-6607 | SCP-6608 | SCP-6609 »

Footnotes
1. It is unclear if this compulsion is anomalous in nature or simply due to the subject's desire to view stars.
2. Blindness caused by exposure to bright light.
3. The last four names were all found to be linked to disappearances with circumstances that match SCP-6608 events.
4. The nearest star to appear was past VY Canis Majoris, which is approximately 4900 light years from Earth.