Item #: The Object Contained Within SCP-4706

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: The Baltic Savings & Loan Bank of Manhattan, as well as all adjacent properties, have been seized and quarantined in order to affect containment of 'The Object Within SCP-4706'. No attempts to access, explore, or research this quarantined zone will be approved until and unless effective countermeasures against the anomaly within can be developed.

Information about 'The Object Contained Within SCP-4706' is stored within an encrypted, high-availability database in the RAISA wing of the Foundation's site with the greatest number of employees. Access to this database as well as access to the approved viewing room requires approval from employees classified with high rank as well as employees who are members of RAISA's governing board.

After viewing has concluded, personnel are to speak all of the digits used in our base number system. The attendant AIC will acknowledge this effort and then prompt for repetition of these digits. If this repetition is not carried out in a timely manner, neural neutralization will occur.

Description: The Object Contained Within SCP-4706 is a highly contagious cognitohazard of an unknown origin that affects the ability to comprehend numbers. Those affected by this cognitohazard have their conceptual and perceptual understanding of any given number permanently destroyed. Due to this unique effect, acknowledgment of symptoms often leads to the rampant spread of this effect.

Any level of communication with either a carrier or infected media is sufficient for transmission; even the subconscious use of numbers with direct reference to an infected subject is capable of spreading the effect. Estimating height or weight, reading numbers embroidered or printed on clothing, recalling information an infected subject refers to or implies, and a number of other potential non-verbal triggers may transmit the condition between a host and any number of test subjects.

As of the last update to this article, no means of reversing the effects of the anomaly or retraining an infected subject has been discovered, including the use of both targeted and broad amnestics.

Discovery Log:

DATELINE: After the death of Princess Diana but prior to the premiere of the Howard Stern Radio Show.

The Baltic Savings & Loan Bank branch located within Manhattan, New York began making a number of bizarre commodities trades at a time shortly after the market opened for the day. While these behaviors were flagged as atypical they were not deemed illegal or suspicious until [EXPUNGED] hours later when they had escalated to include amounts well in excess of the bank's total funds. Attempts to contact the bank's local office were unsuccessful. A Foundation asset within the banking industry attempted to visit Baltic Savings in person in order to qualify suspicions. After doing so, they referred the matter for immediate investigation.

An MTF unit colloquially referred to by the name 'Bank Robbers' was assigned to this matter. Upon their arrival, the asset was waiting inside the bank and was retrieved unharmed. At this time, the MTF was warned of a possible cognitohazard and a quarantine was requested. Agents were advised the quarantine also contained them for the time being and it was suggested they investigate until extraction could be attempted. External communications were severed as well as all utilities for the building.

[The associated bodycam footage has been transcribed, summarized, and then destroyed in order to protect expungements. Agents Jacobs, Rosario, and Higgins assigned.]

Camera opens with MTF Lead Agent Jacobs reviewing the rest of his team and performing equipment checks. They agree to head to the lobby, and upon reaching the top of the stairs, the cameras pan to reveal [EXPUNGED] people in various positions throughout the room, fixated on pieces of paper and wearing expressions of fear or worry.

Agent Jacobs approaches the teller counter where a woman in a light blue blouse is scrawling frantically. Jacobs attempts to secure her attention and he is unable to do so. The woman changes her position such that her scribbling becomes visible. She appears bewildered and is muttering something incoherent.

The camera then turns to the counter to view a deposit slip on the counter partially filled in, and the woman is drawing her pen over the slip in a large circular pattern. The pattern of wear is such that her pen has pushed through the paper and began to run a groove into the counter beneath.

Jacobs: "Nothing special." Jacobs removes the deposit slit from the counter and it tears. He holds it up and shows it to the rest of the team.

Unindentified Woman: "What's my account number? I can't…remember what comes next…" The woman stops scrawling only long enough to speak, then resumes.

The MTF searches the lobby and takes an inventory of those infected. MTF Rosario notes [EXPUNGED] subjects were near-catatonic and [EXPUNGED] subjects were responsive but incoherent. Jacobs gives the order to move out and search the upper suites.

The camera regards a darkened hallway. There is no visible movement from anywhere down the hall. The floor is littered with papers and upturned banker's boxes. Balance sheets, statements, purchase orders, and other financial records are accounted as the MTF walks down the hall. The contents of these documents appear inconsistent and amorphous but the MTF does not appear to notice.

Rosario: "What do you think of these, chief? I can't make anything of this out." He hands the paper to Jacobs who takes it and looks it over.

Jacobs: "Not sure. Just looks like a pretty standard purch-…" Agent Jacobs trails off. Partially formed attempts at sound can be heard before MTF Agent Higgins rips the paper out of his hand and throws it away.

Higgins: "Snap out of it! If you drop your guard for just [EXPUNGED] we might get our shit pushed in. I'm not going to lose you to a bank statement, so snap out of it." The other respond with an affirmative nod.

Rosario: Whispering to Jacobs, "Hey, do you remember how many of us there were when we came in? I know his face and I know yours but something seems off here. I don't know if there were [EXPUNGED] or [EXPUNGED] of us and it's really freaking me out. What if…what if he's…"

Higgins: "You guys alright?"

Jacobs: "I can't…I can't. I can see that there is…I can see you but. But how many? I…" Agent Jacobs holds his hand up and raises [EXPUNGED] fingers. A partially formed sound can be heard as the agent is attempting to speak.

Soon after, Agent Rosario attempts to repeat the experiment by holding out [EXPUNGED] fingers on his left hand and [EXPUNGED] fingers on his right. He appears to make an effort to speak but is unable to form coherent words.

Higgins puts his hand on the doorknob to a door labeled as 'Executive Suite'. As he pushes the door open, a bright light pours out of the interior well in excess of normal illumination, temporarily blinding the camera. Higgins enters the room and the door closes behind him.

Rosario: "Maybe we should just sit tight for extraction. Wait. For Higgins. I…I don't feel very good." Agent Rosario slides against the wall until he is sitting.

Agent Jacobs places his hand on the door at the end of the hall. A low, deep grumble is heard reverberating through the wall. Jacobs stumbles backward and falls into a sitting position and remains stationary.

Jacobs: "Hey Rosario?"

Rosario: "Yeah?"

Jacobs: "Where are we?"

Rosario: "Baltic Bank. Manhattan."

Jacobs: "What's the address?"

Rosario: There is a lengthy pause. "I…I can't…There's…If I…"

Jacobs: I know. I can't either. It's like I'm dreaming but the…I…What comes next? What's the…

Agents Rosario and Jacobs intermittently open their mouths in an attempt to speak but fail to produce words. This continues until the bodycam runs out of power [EXPUNGED] hours later.

[End Log]

Video Log Amendment:
A partial video log was recovered in several segments from Agent Higgins' bodycam. The camera itself was recovered just outside of the 'Executive Suite' identified in the previous video log although the body of Agent Higgins has yet to be recovered.

A majority of the footage was corrupted due to magnetic interference but a significant segment was recoverable and has been transcribed. As with other footage in this file, the original has been destroyed in order to protect expungements and minimize the risk of infection.

Footage fades in after substantial interference. Usable video resumes just as Agent Higgins approaches the Executive Suite door and opens it. The agent is immediately lifted off of the ground and pulled at what appears to be a high rate of speed into the suite, as the door grows smaller by perspective. Higgins screams and his arms flail and the camera is washed out by white light and intermittent static.

Approximately [EXPUNGED] seconds later, a collision is heard followed by the commencement of a low, rhythmic, thrum. Higgins appears to climb to his feet standing on an unknown surface that reacts to his shoes as if it were solid. He attempts to survey his surroundings but it is a featureless and white void. Shortly thereafter, magnetic interference shorts out the record.

The camera resumes an unknown amount of time later with Agent Higgins walking in an unidentified direction. In the distance, [EXPUNGED] small but distinct dots are seen. These grow in size as Higgins approaches them. [EXPUNGED] of the unidentified objects grow in size at a rate faster than the others as they rush to meet the agent. The bodycam has difficulty focusing on the entities which appear as an indefinite mass of rapidly rising, falling, expanding, and collapsing pylons.

As the entities encroach upon Agent Higgins he attempts to back-peddle and escape but he is unable to. Through unknown means, the entities restrain and drag Higgins despite his protests. Static interference gradually intensifies until the feed is lost.

Bodycam footage resumes as Agent Higgins appears to be released from the grip of the entities. Before him is a large mass of writhing and undulating pylons comparable to the apparent size of Earth's moon. Entities similar to the ones which restrained Agent Higgins continuously merge with and split off from this central entity at a steady rate, entering and leaving from somewhere off-camera. The rhythmic thrumming noise previously detected has substantially increased in volume.

Higgins: "What do you want?"

After a short delay, the central mass moves slightly closer as it restructures itself. Specific pylons are pushed up, distinctly visible from the rest of the entity in a pattern of unknown relevance. These pylons remain in place for short intervals before returning to the mass and being replaced with another set of pylons in a different array.

Higgins: "What does this mean? What do you want me to see?" The smaller entities vibrate and undulate with apparent agitation when Higgins speaks.

The large mass rearranges itself again, extending large blocks of pylons out of its body and into roughly geometric formations. It begins to slowly rotate as it shows all facets to Higgins.

Higgins: "I don't understand. Can…can you speak? Do you know my language?" The smaller entities again agitate as the MTF Agent speaks and several more of these beings pour out of the large mass at once.

The central entity rearranges yet again into a contiguous block with intermittent pylons depressed or absent. It appears to draw nearer to Agent Higgins yet again.

Higgins: "It's…that's binary! I recognize! The machines where I come from use the same thing and if you could just-"

The thrumming noise which had been steady to this point dramatically increases in frequency and energy as the large mass reorients again forming [EXPUNGED] [EXPUNGED] and [EXPUNGED]. Agent Higgins collapses onto his side apparently gripping his ears or holding his head.

Higgins: "I don't…I don't understand…"

The thrumming dramatically increases yet again, producing reverberations such that the bodycam's housing breaks down and the device fails.

[End Log]