SCP-904 | A Short Poem (SCP Orientation)

SCP-904 is an object classified as Euclid, discovered scratched into a bathroom wall within the literature department of a university after reports emerged regarding unusual behavior and speech difficulties among approximately 300 students and staff. The Foundation's Mobile Task Force Ada-10 was dispatched to contain the entity once its viral nature became apparent, successfully transporting it to Site despite the fact that all three Class D personnel involved in the transport were infected merely through visual contact. Upon containment, strict protocols dictate that SCP-904 must be inscribed on ordinary typing paper and stored in a secure, locked vault away from recording devices when not under active observation or study, with handling restricted to Class D personnel who lack backgrounds in literature, writing, or art. The entity presents a memetic hazard primarily affecting individuals with a specific creative mindset, causing an infection that manifests as an uncontrollable tendency to use end rhymes in all speech. Exposure to the text multiple times or close proximity after a single reading can refine this poetic form into complex structures like iambic pentameter and more fitting rhymes. The duration of this infection varies significantly; while some individuals recover within ten minutes and others remain affected for up to 24 hours, those with professional backgrounds in poetry or the arts often struggle to lose the infection. In rare cases, the condition does not subside and instead induces severe hallucinations where subjects feel trapped in cages or coffins, experience extreme depression, or believe their bodies are no longer their own. The consequences of this memetic infection can escalate from a linguistic quirk to a deadly situation if the infected individual attempts to use non-rhyming words, as demonstrated when a Class D personnel successfully used the word "ninth" despite having no rhymes in the English language, leading to data expungement. Researchers are strongly discouraged from conducting similar experiments after cleaning crews requested such tests, highlighting the potential lethality of forcing an infected subject to break their compulsion. The infection can also lead to a state where individuals feel possessed or unable to express their thoughts, often resulting in self-termination, which underscores the necessity for researchers to exercise extreme discretion when deciding who is permitted to view the object. In the event that containment is breached, the situation would quickly devolve into a disaster involving what are termed "suicidal poets," emphasizing the severe psychological and physical risks associated with the entity. The video concludes by noting that this specific orientation covers only SCP-904, directing viewers who missed previous content to watch the segment on SCP-903 regarding the Tunnel of Infinite Possibility or to view the complete playlist for a full course on these anomalous entities. Ultimately, the summary serves as a warning about the unpredictable and potentially fatal nature of memetic hazards that target the creative mind, reinforcing the Foundation's cautious approach to containing such unique threats.