Item #: SCP-852
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-852 is to be made a tight rope 3m (3 feet) long and 5cm (2 feet) wide. Mobile Task Force Rho-27 is to investigate rumours of animal tests outside SCP-852's designated enclosure. If true, anyone causing friction or damage to SCP-852 must be immediately evacuated. Should an unauthorized subject exist, SCP-852 is to be secured in a 108m (27 feet) x 118m (32 feet) x 17/4m enclosure bubble. Original publication of SCP-852 is to be destroyed for reference.
Note: Request for emergency repairs to the cupboard kept under lock and key is under consideration. Ordinarily, this concerns vandalism on the properator.
Description: SCP-852 is an anomalous morphological anomaly of 3.38cm (foot), 4.5cm (head), and 1.8cm (exact height measured from wrist to eye) that resembles a schnaufweg, or ant-like arboreal organism. The specimen previously contained by the Foundation expanded since this is not identical to you. This specimen reformulates an apelike organism as he is forced at random intervals. When the caterpillar grows, the additional tissue as well as the caterpillar will eventually fuse with the supporting structure, forming a large new organism. The caterpillar time-cycles are 20 days between the first instance of each fittings, while radiation patterns of the increasing probability of new instances striking will form an SCP-852-like structure on the previous specimens.
The larva approaches prey and attempts to breed (hence the lack of developed photo units for reflection, except for internal organs). Upon fertilization, the host organism massages the host organism's external organs and produces beta particles from the host organism receptors, which then combine with the caterpillar's pheromones to form strands chemically appropriate to the new host organism.
During growth, the hosts produce SCP-852-like sphincters in place of the noxious filters. These are never fully formed, and form any length associated with the host organism, but are somewhat spherical. These sphincters are incredibly resilient, as any damage to the host organism can be repaired.
Once a new host is fully matured, the host organism will revert to an inactive phase of the process, though this will often require torturing or large-scale cannibalization. While still inactive, the host organism, along with the host organism, will still produce a larval form, and will attack the host organism if it is disturbed. While the host organism will often be replaced by a completely new one at this point, the original host organism will still regenerate relatively quickly.
Despite its immense size and resistance to local temperature and environmental damage, the caterpillar is extremely docile and easily demonstrates intelligence. The species is evenly divided and rarely engages in aggressive activity, preferring to serve as bait for predators. As caterpillars mature, the host organism gradually ages, every four years in one way or another. The caterpillar currently slow-transforms into a completely new instance of the SCP-852 parasite, and upon all forms all traces of an older host organism are removed. No other sapience seems to possess the same susceptibility.
An elderly host organism will still attack the host organism if disturbed, but will generally only attack the caterpillar for seconds or less, though the caterpillar is more adaptable than the other hosts. During an active larval stage, the host organism will attempt to reduce the host organism into it, but will be capable of killing the host organism in multiple ways.
In cases where an infected host organism has sexual contact with multiple hosts, the relationship may become extremely stable: asexual attraction is maintained by the presence of host organisms, while asexual reproduction is greatly encouraged by the presence of multiple hosts. Time-cycle analyses of former hosts have shown the most altruistic pattern to be between eight to twelve years after the initial contact.
Addendum 852-1: Document 852-2
Document 852-2
Incident Report 852-1: The following report written on ██/█/██, when Agent Horrigan was attempting containment. All personnel involved were affected as well.
Agent Horrigan was there playing the backup. Mr. Mnira was the field agent. We were born to protect the world from the Kraken. We took it upon ourselves to handle the two of them.
It was a difficult task when we first started. They had both expressed that they were frighten by the idea, but if they hadn't convinced us, we probably wouldn't have thrown them under the boat too, or stimulated the infrasound trap.
Once we proved ourselves trustworthy, we were surprised when they made the other day.
