Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is currently confined to Site-470. Current containment procedures revolve around ensuring that Site-470's staff do not use SCP-XXXX-1 characters while communicating with personnel outside of Site-470.
Additional training is to be given to Site-470's Site Director, Dr. Manferd T. Maslov, to ensure that he does not spread SCP-XXXX while outside of baseline reality.
Should someone outside of Site-470 be introduced to SCP-XXXX, they are to be tracked down and administered amnestics.
Description: SCP-XXXX refers to a memetic infection that causes the carrier to use SCP-XXXX-1. SCP-XXXX-1 refers to a set of punctuation marks not used in any writing system on Earth. SCP-XXXX-1 characters have specific meanings that are not commonly applied to punctuation marks. While SCP-XXXX-1 characters can occasionally resemble mundane punctuation marks, many have nonsensical appearances. The meaning behind various SCP-XXXX-1 characters is also often contradictory, with many characters having extremely similar meanings.
SCP-XXXX can be spread through communicating with someone already infected with SCP-XXXX-1, hereafter referred to as SCP-XXXX-A, through a medium of text in which the SCP-XXXX-A instance utilized an SCP-XXXX-1 character. SCP-XXXX-A instances use SCP-XXXX-1 just as naturally as they use mundane punctuation, claiming that they have been using SCP-XXXX-1 their entire life. Despite some SCP-XXXX-1 characters having nearly identical meanings, SCP-XXXX-A instances claim that each SCP-XXXX-1 character has a specific usage and that it is noticeable, and something that invites ridicule, when a person incorrectly uses an SCP-XXXX-1 instance.
Addendum 1:
The following is an excerpt from the text conversation in which SCP-XXXX was first discovered.
Oh my god dude you won't believe it he sounded just like him
He was like The 'ell do you think yer doin
what the fuck?
the hell is that?
huh? what do you mean?
the face?
this?
yeah the fuck is that?
it's the morgan freemark? we learned about this in elementary school dude
you read whatever's between them in whatever voice you want, usually morgan freeman's
huh??
that is not a real thing, how did you even type that
yes it is???
ohh right, I remember now lol
I was like ohh, ur lying about this this thing even tho it's real
smh my head lol
Following this, SCP-XXXX began spreading throughout Site-470. Due to the nature of SCP-XXXX, it went undetected until a researcher not from Site-470 reviewed documentation written by Site-470 personnel, who noticed the widespread usage of SCP-XXXX-1 and reported it. Afterward, SCP-XXXX was classified as an anomaly.
Addendum 2:
The following is a truncated list of several SCP-XXXX-1 characters.
| Designation | Character | Name | Meaning | Additional Notes |
| SCP-XXXX-1-3 | ‽ | Interrobang | Merges the function of the Exclamation Mark (!) and the Question Mark (?) | Similar meaning to the Jè-mark () |
| SCP-XXXX-1-6 | | Mockwotation Marks | The words between the mockwotation marks are a "quote" that wasn't said, but are instead what the person being mocked would say with how they are acting. Meant to imitate a person wiggling their hands by their head and speaking in a high-pitched voice | N/A |
| SCP-XXXX-1-11 | | Love Point | Is used with a statement of love or affection | N/A |
| SCP-XXXX-1-12 | | Sinceroid | Incidates sincerity | N/A |
| SCP-XXXX-1-15 | | SarcMark™ | Indicates sarcasm | Unlike the Sarcastisis ( ) which are placed around the sarcastic statement, the SarcMark™ is only placed at the end of the statement |
| SCP-XXXX-1-17 | | Hemi-Demi-Semicolon | Can be used in place of a period, comma, and semicolon | N/A |
| SCP-XXXX-1-20 | | Superelipsis | Indicates a dramatic pause. Incidents that the reader should wait at least 10 seconds before reading the following line | N/A |
Addendum 3:
The following is a list of incidents regarding SCP-XXXX.
Involved Character: SCP-XXXX-1-17, , the Hemi-Demi-Semicolon
Incident: While maintaining the code for Site-470's Hover Rockets, a programmer replaced several semicolons with hemi-demi-semicolons. The IDE1, not recognizing SCP-XXXX-1-17 as a semicolon, caused the code to not compile. Site-470 then began slowly descending toward the Earth before the problem was discovered and fixed. The programmer was reprimanded.
Involved Character: SCP-XXXX-1-20, , the Superelipsis
Incident: After being dared by his coworkers, a junior researcher secretly changed every instance of a period (.) in the speech for Site-470's annual Worker of the Year event2 with a superellipses (). Due to the orator's personal preference of waiting a minute after each superelipses, the speech took nearly 5 hours to complete.
Involved Character: SCP-XXXX-1-5, , the ElRey
Incident: 15 Site-470 personnel, in order to promote a party that they were throwing in Site-470's Living Quarters B, posted several event posters throughout the site. The posters included the lines "Dance! Sing! Perhaps Plot To Overthrow The Government Up To You!" Despite the ElRey being due to a handwriting error on the original copy, the different connotations associated with the ElRey as compared to the Exclamation Mark implied that "overthrowing the government" was both more and less serious3 than the other listed actions. This caused Site-470's security to arrive at the party, with its hosts being given a warning.
Addendum 4:
While taking his daily dose of mnestics required to see Site-470, a researcher accidentally took a larger dose than he was meant to, causing him to realize that SCP-XXXX-1 characters were an anomaly. After reporting this to his supervisors, volunteers were selected to repeat this process to discover SCP-XXXX's origin. The following is a transcription of Dr. Maslov T. Manferd's speech to a large portion of Site-470's personnel after he took the increased dose.4
Hello. I am Doctor Maslov T. Manferd. As all of you should know, I am your Site Director.
And as many of you know, I'm not exactly the most mundane of Site Directors. But granted, when are we ever?
While ordinarily I wouldn't elaborate, unfortunately we've got several new recruits in this crowd so get ready for a little spiel about me.
My anomalous ability is that, every now and again, I will teleport into a different dimension. This might remind you of another anomaly, but our abilities work differently. For me, I only teleport into universes that have an organization similar to the Foundation and I immediately become an employee of said organization—the amount of ID cards I have would make most of you faint.
While ordinarily, an ability like this would disqualify me from being a Site Director, this said ability has also been instrumental in maintaining several alliances with extrauniversal organizations. Unfortunately, I fear that it was also the reason we have to deal with SCP-XXXX.
Our research so far indicates that SCP-XXXX is some kind of memetic infection—yes, yes, I know. The idea seems preposterous, but SCP-XXXX makes us believe we've always used them.
While here, SCP-XXXX is limited to Site-470, I believe I contracted the illness while within a universe where SCP-XXXX has spread across the entire world. I'm not sure exactly when or where this happened, but we're combing through the records to try and figure that out.
Regardless, I do apologize for thrusting SCP-XXXX upon you all.
Research into a cure for SCP-XXXX is ongoing. A registration form for the cure is available.5