Mothcide


rating: +1+x

ITEM #: SCP-XXXX

LEVEL-

CONTAINMENT CLASS: EUCLID

DISRUPTION CLASS: EKHI


Assigned Site


Site-321

Site Director


Dir. Brunvand

Research Head


Dr. Barker

Assigned MTF


Phi-27

ITEM: SCP-XXXX

LEVEL-

CONTAINMENT
CLASS:
EUCLID

DISRUPTION
CLASS:
EKHI


Assigned Site


Site-321

Site Director


Dir. Brunvand

Research Head


Dr. Barker

Assigned MTF


Phi-27

Special Containment Procedures: Reported sightings of wild SCP-XXXX instances are to be redirected to Site-321. Investigations are to be conducted to confirm or deny these sightings and, if possible, capture the reported instance. Captured instances are to be transferred to Site-321 for processing.

Control and management of SCP-XXXX-W instances fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Anomalous Weapons Development, Site-321, and MTF Phi-27 ("Wizard Wranglers"). Other Departments, Facilities, and Mobile Task Forces can make requests to lease instances of SCP-XXXX-W, which must be approved by the Research Head of SCP-XXXX, the Director of Site-321, and the Regional Director of AWD.

SCP-XXXX-W instances, when not in service, are to be regularly checked for any issues that may hinder their operation. When not being leased out, SCP-XXXX-W instances are to be either contained in Bio-Containment Chambers or tasked with guarding Site-321.

Description: SCP-XXXX is an artificial species (Prometheum custodire) designed by Prometheus Labs, Inc., in the mid-1980s. SCP-XXXX instances are humanoid in appearance with some insectoid features and are covered in a thick coat of grey fur. SCP-XXXX possess a pair of wings in the place of arms, which usually reach wingspans of up to 3.5 meters. SCP-XXXX instances are generally around 0.8 meters in height.

SCP-XXXX possess the ability to passively siphon E.V.E.Elan-Vital Energy. A fundamental element of thaumaturgy. from those around it. Notably, SCP-XXXX instances only siphon enough to hinder the abilities of thaumaturges and others that may rely on E.V.E for their anomalous properties. SCP-XXXX seems to subsist on the E.V.E it absorbs, having never been seen eating or drinking. It is unknown how SCP-XXXX converts E.V.E into nutrients.

SCP-XXXX-W instances are SCP-XXXX that have undergone modifications by the Department of AWD. SCP-XXXX-W instances are notably larger than their non-modified counterparts, reaching heights of 1.6 meters and wingspans of 7 meters. The coats of SCP-XXXX-W instances are darker than SCP-XXXX instances. SCP-XXXX-W instances are noticeably more aggressive than SCP-XXXX instances.

The E.V.E-siphoning abilities of SCP-XXXX-W can now be activated and deactivated by SCP-XXXX-W. SCP-XXXX-W is capable of siphoning as much E.V.E as it desires, usually using this property to kill targets by fully exhausting them of E.V.E. The excess amount of E.V.E within the body of instances causes some amount of pain to them, but this can be alleviated by later extraction of the E.V.E.

SCP-XXXX-W instances are kept under Foundation control via CDHs.Control Device Harnesses. Developed by AWD engineers based on technology reverse-engineered from SCP-010, CDHs allow operators to remotely control the movements of organisms wearing it., which are surgically installed into their necks. The CDHs are controlled by specially trained operators at Site-321, who travel alongside SCP-XXXX-W instances as they are leased out.

Addendum.XXXX.1: Prometheus Labs Creation

Prometheus Labs, Inc. created the first known SCP-XXXX instances in 1986 in response to a recent string of armed robberies committed on Prometheus facilities. The following grant request was filed for the project:

GRANT REQUEST FOR THE DESIGN OF A GUARD ORGANISM TO SECURE PROMETHEUS FACILITIES

PROBLEM

In recent years, with the increasing amount of active thaumaturges in the world, Prometheus Labs has found it increasingly difficult to secure our facilities from magic-wielding individuals attempting to steal our project. As the field of thaumaturgy continues to be expanded by the general anomalous community, these thieves are capable of wielding continually more powerful spells to break into our facilities. The continued robbery of our technologies and designs before they are able to enter the market will only lead to our bankruptcy and must be dealt with swiftly and fully.

SOLUTION

The Biotechnology Division of Prometheus Labs has begun developing the framework for an artificial organism that could directly counteract the thaumaturgic abilities of these criminals.

All thaumaturgy, by definition, relies on Elan-Vital Energy, or EVE, to operate. Every thaumaturgic process requires the user to input at least a little bit of E.V.E from their reservoir to make it work. Lacking the proper amount of E.V.E to make a process work can wear out, or in some cases outright kill, a practitioner. E.V.E also functions as a sort of vitality of living things, having been found in trace amounts in every known living organism to date. Of course, some organisms have more E.V.E than others do, which is what allows them to conduct thaumaturgy in the first place, but it is still a common element in all known life.[1]

The organism the Biotech Division is designing - which we have tentatively named "MothGuard" - will have the ability to siphon E.V.E from its victims, removing their ability to generate enough E.V.E to conduct thaumaturgy. It will only remove enough E.V.E to inhibit their ability and not outright kill them. The organism will also have the ability to subsist on the E.V.E it takes from targets, removing any potential costs that may be incurred from purchasing food or water for the organisms.

BUSINESS CASE

The MothGuard will not be sold as a commercial product; instead, it will protect our pre-existing products. Installing MothGuards at Prometheus warehouses to guard our wares from potential robbers will greatly improve our overall profit margin, ensuring that any products we do make will hit the market on our own accords.

In the last year alone, Prometheus Labs has lost a projected $2,000,000 from lost, stolen, or damaged products. Having a dedicated, anti-thaumaturgic defence system such as this will protect Prometheus Labs from any further loss of this scale and magnitude.

USE OF FUNDING

We request $20 million USD grant toward designing and developing of these organisms. The funds will be used as follows:
(All prices are in USD.)

  • $2M for species design, broken down into:
    • $800k for 5 full-time bioengineering personnel for 12 months.
    • $1.2m for prototype design.
  • $17m for creation of artificial species using in-house incubators.
    • This figure also includes the costs of predicted failures during the incubation process.
  • $1m for construction of a proper housing unit.

A series of prototype MothGuards will be developed and deployed for testing in a select few Prometheus Labs facilities before being pushed out to all Prometheus facilities.

KNOWN ISSUES

Prometheus Labs' Biotechnology Division has, in the past, had a spotty record with creating artificial life. Of the 50 projects they have worked on involving artificial organisms, only 5 of them have resulted in viable lifeforms. As such, there is a very real chance that any organisms we make will end up stillborn, regardless of the effort we put in.

There also exists the issue of controlling the MothGuards. Currently, the plan is to raise them from birth to be obedient to individuals with certain characteristics (i.e individuals wearing Prometheus Labs uniforms), but we have no way of knowing if this method will prove viable or not.

The project proved to be a partial success. 53 SCP-XXXX specimens were created from 1986 to 1990. However, due to some issues in the training process of SCP-XXXX - instead of responding to all individuals wearing Prometheus Labs, Inc. uniforms, they responded solely to those who raised them - they were only ever utilized in the facility they were made at.

With the dissolution of the Prometheus Labs conglomerate in 1998, the Biotechnology Division of the organisation was purchased by and incorporated into the Foundation. During the process of moving assets, most of the extant instances of SCP-XXXX were lost, fleeing into the Appalachian mountain range their home facility was constructed in. By the time the Foundation had fully moved into the facility and rechristened it as Site-321, only one SCP-XXXX instance was left in containment. This instance eventually died during a containment breach in 2011.

Addendum.XXXX.2: Revival

In March of 2022, Dr. Henry Barker.Doctor Henry Barker, a Senior Engineer for AWD specializing in biotechnology. A former Prometheus Labs, Inc. employee, he was indirectly involved in the creation of SCP-XXXX. submitted a request for funds regarding an AWD Project:

Paraweaponry Proposal XXXX

Department of Anomalous Weapons Development
Compiled by Doctor Henry Barker


Anomalous Sciences Involved:
☐ Ontokinetics
☑ Thaumaturgy
☐ Psionics
☐ Theology
☐ Alchemy
☐ N/A
☐ Other (please state):

Personnel Involved:

  • Dr. Henry Barker
    • Project Lead
  • Dr. Ezra Everest
    • Administrative Backer
  • Dir. Bruno Brunvand

*Administrative Backer

Summary: PW-XXXX would be a continuation of SCP-XXXX, a Project conducted by Prometheus Labs in the latter half of the 1980s (for further information on the PL Project, please refer to GoIDOC-PL-3451). Design documents by Prometheus Labs will be evaluated and enhanced by AWD engineers to create new versions of SCP-XXXX for Foundation use. The main focuses in the edits to PL designs will be:

  • Strengthening the E.V.E-siphoning abilities of SCP-XXXX.
  • Increase the aggression of SCP-XXXX.
  • Make the absorbed E.V.E extractable.
  • Increase the size of SCP-XXXX.

During PL's creation of SCP-XXXX, they failed to maintain proper control of their instances. I wish to alleviate this issue by installing control devices directly into the bodies of the instances, allowing the Foundation full control of them.

Reasoning: While SCP-XXXX was constructed to protect the assets of PL, its anomalous properties can also be used in an offensive way. Very few modifications have to be made so SCP-XXXX can be deployed for fieldwork. The Foundation has always had a need for paraweaponry, but we need it now more than ever. With the assault by General Bowe and the recent attacks on our facilities, we need to further defend ourselves from further attacks of this scale. The art of thaumaturgy has become a common practice throughout most of the anomalous community, meaning that any hypothetical attackers would likely utilize thaumaturgy. Having a paraweapon designed specifically to counteract thaumaturges will prove invaluable in an attack such as this.

Status: APPROVED

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