Discussions about Foundation classification levels did not last long.
Soon, Brit and the others turned their full attention back to the file spread open before them. The dim light reflected off its aged pages, and as their eyes traced each line, expressions of unease crept onto their faces. That unease quickly transformed into shock, and then, inevitably, into fear.
[ Item #: SCP-096, codename: "The Shy Guy" ]
[ Object Class: Euclid ]
[ Description: SCP-096 is a humanoid creature measuring approximately 2.38 meters in height. The subject shows very little muscle mass, with preliminary analysis of body mass suggesting mild malnutrition. Arms are grossly out of proportion with the rest of the subject's body, with an approximate length of 1.5 meters each. Skin is mostly devoid of pigmentation, with no sign of any body hair.
SCP-096's jaw can open to four (4) times the norm of an average human. Other facial features remain similar to an average human, with the exception of the eyes, which are also devoid of pigmentation. It is not yet known whether SCP-096 is blind or not. It shows no signs of any higher brain functions and is not considered to be sapient.
SCP-096 is normally extremely docile, with pressure sensors inside its cell indicating it spends most of the day pacing by the eastern wall. However, when someone views SCP-096's face, whether it be directly, via video recording, or even a photograph, it will enter a stage of considerable emotional distress. SCP-096 will cover its face with its hands and begin screaming, crying, and babbling incoherently. Approximately one (1) to two (2) minutes after the first viewing, SCP-096 will begin running to the person who viewed its face (who will from this point on be referred to as SCP-096-1).
Documented speeds have varied from thirty-five (35) km/h to ███ km/h, and seem to depend on distance from SCP-096-1. At this point, no known material or method can impede SCP-096's progress. The actual position of SCP-096-1 does not seem to affect SCP-096's response; it seems to have an innate sense of SCP-096-1's location. Note: This reaction does not occur when viewing artistic depictions (see Document 096-1).
Upon arriving at SCP-096-1's location, SCP-096 will proceed to kill and [DATA EXPUNGED] SCP-096-1. 100% of cases have left no traces of SCP-096-1. SCP-096 will then sit down for several minutes before regaining its composure and becoming docile once again. It will then attempt to make its way back to its natural habitat, [DATA REDACTED]
Due to the possibility of a mass chain reaction, including breach of Foundation secrecy and large civilian loss of life, retrieval of the subject should be considered Alpha priority.
Dr. ███ has also petitioned for the immediate termination of SCP-096 (see Interview 096-1). The order is awaiting approval. Termination order has been approved, and is to be carried out by Dr. ███ on [DATA REDACTED]. See Incident-096-1-A. ]
As Brit's eyes reached the end of this section, a shiver crawled from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. The others felt it too, a cold, suffocating dread that seemed to bleed off the very pages of the file.
And yet, the worst was still to come. The supplemental records, written in smaller, hurried handwriting, detailed experiments and accident logs. It was here that true horror took shape.
The first record chronicled an experiment intended to determine the extent of SCP-096's abilities and gather reliable data on its physical appearance. The subject selected for the test was a convicted felon on death row, chosen for his artistic skill and reclassified as D-Class personnel.
The test was carried out at sea, in the depths of the Shimi Trench, where the D-Class subject was placed alone inside a reinforced submersible. At the same time, SCP-096 remained securely contained in a facility on the mainland, separated by thousands of kilometers.
The subject was instructed to sketch SCP-096 based on a series of photographs provided aboard the submersible. Trembling and pale, he complied, pushing past his mounting terror.
But the act of observation proved enough; SCP-096 transitioned instantly from a passive state to one of profound distress, then erupted into a frenzy. Alarms screamed throughout its containment site as the creature tore through reinforced barriers, annihilating security measures that had once been deemed impenetrable.
The entity bolted across land and sea, moving at escalating speeds that no pursuit team could match. Though evacuation protocols had been enacted, minimizing exposure to civilians, its advance was unstoppable.
As predicted, SCP-096 located the submersible in the trench, tore through the reinforced hull, and slaughtered the D-Class subject. When its rampage subsided, recovery teams managed to recontain the entity with minimal additional casualties. This experiment confirmed both its capabilities and the terrifying accuracy with which it can locate anyone who has viewed its visage.
The second record was even more harrowing.
On an otherwise ordinary day, without warning or provocation, Foundation-096 entered a state of uncontrollable distress. Its shrieks reverberated through its containment chamber moments before it obliterated its enclosure and launched into the wilderness, targeting an unknown individual.
The Foundation had no time to enact evacuation procedures. Civilians, drivers, and bystanders who caught even a glimpse of its face became immediate casualties. The massacre was indiscriminate and absolute.
The entity ultimately reached the remote home of a civilian, a man living in isolation. It slaughtered him, then his entire family. When its fury finally abated, recovery forces moved in, reestablishing containment.
But the nightmare did not end there.
A member of the retrieval team, equipped with specialized image-detection lenses, discovered a seemingly innocuous landscape photograph within the home. Embedded in the scenery, reduced to a mere four pixels, was the face of SCP-096. Even this trace image proved sufficient to trigger the entity's wrath once more.
Within hours, the soldier who had examined the photo was dead, torn apart by SCP-096, which returned to its cycle of killing and mourning before containment was restored.
The room fell silent as Brit closed the file, his knuckles white around its edges. A suffocating stillness clung to the air. The creature was no longer just a story, nor a line of text in a classified report. SCP-096 was a living, unstoppable nightmare, and even a single image was enough to seal one's fate.