Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX can only be contained through a specialized operation designated Procedure Sisyphus. A rotating team of five Security Clearance Level 3 or above researchers is to ensure the completion of Procedure Sisyphus once every month.
Procedure Sisyphus is an ever-expanding list of seemingly nonsensical tasks that must be completed in sequence approximately once a month to ensure the containment of SCP-XXXX. It is imperative that the sequence of tasks that comprises Procedure Sisyphus is never altered or interrupted in any way, except after the completion of an instance of Procedure Sisyphus. Any personnel who is found to have altered the sequence of Procedure Sisyphus before its completion will be immediately reassigned.
Once an instance of Procedure Sisyphus has been completed, an additional step must be added to the list of tasks that comprises it. This additional task can only be inserted at the end of the current lists of tasks. The order of the tasks that must be completed in each instance of Procedure Sisyphus, once they have been added, can never be changed.
The full list of tasks in Procedure Sisyphus at present can be found in Addendum XXXX-A.
Additional Containment Procedures: Due to the unknown nature of the spread of SCP-XXXX among staff, no individuals are to enter or exit Site-109 for any reason. Furthermore, supplies entering Site-109 must be received in a manner that does not require physical contact.
Description: SCP-XXXX is the designation for the widespread belief held among Foundation staff located at Site-109 that Procedure Sisyphus must be completed monthly.
At this time approximately 10% 43% 92% of Foundation staff working at Site-109 have reported feelings of dread at the thought of Procedure Sisyphus not being completed, despite the understanding that the procedure objectively accomplishes nothing. Additionally, affected individuals have failed to describe what will occur if Procedure Sisyphus is not completed. Despite this, failure to complete the procedure results in symptoms of intense anxiety among affected individuals.
The first known reference to Procedure Sisyphus occurred on July 6th, 2019, where an unidentified individual updated the Special Containment Procedures of this file from a terminal within Site-109 with the current version. At the time of the edit, this file was completely empty.
Symptoms of SCP-XXXX influence began manifesting in staff members immediately following this event, resulting in SCP-XXXX's classification and the quarantine of Site-109. Efforts to identify the cause of SCP-XXXX and reduce its influence are ongoing.
At this time, Site-109 is the only location where SCP-XXXX influence is present and no information has surfaced that shows SCP-XXXX is capable of spreading outside of Site-109 at this time.
Addendum XXXX-A:
The following is a comprehensive list of tasks that comprise Procedure Sisyphus, any unauthorized attempt to edit this list will result in your reassignment
| Stand in one spot for two minutes |
| Say the word dog aloud at any volume |
| Clap both hands together one time |
| Drop a paperback book on the ground from a height above one foot |
| Lie down flat on one's back for any amount of time, then turn over and lay flat on one's stomach before standing |
| Drink a glass of water no less than 8 ounces in volume |
| Watch the first 10 minutes of the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
| Hum the melody of the Happy Birthday song in an enthusiastic fashion |
| Draw three triangles on a piece of printer paper with any writing implement |
| Place one AAA battery into a colander |
| Eat any quantity of any cereal, provided the cereal was placed in the container it is eaten from after some quantity of nonspecific milk has been added to the same container |
| Roll a roughly spherical stone along the ground for any distance |
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To: Site Director Corinth
From: Site Director Homer
Subject: SCP-XXXX
Director Corinth,
Unfortunate circumstances require me to ask you for a copy of all information you have pertaining to SCP-XXXX and its spread.
This morning one of my researchers, who was familiar with SCP-XXXX, appears to have come under its influence. This individual has been placed in isolation, however, if the measures you have implemented over at Site-109 are as good as I am led to believe that won't prevent much of anything.
I can only hope that you found something that can prevent us from needing to implement a procedure of our own
-Site Director Homer, Site-47
To: Site Director Corinth
From: Site Director Faete
Subject: SCP-XXXX
Corinth,
Explain to me how just two days ago, the only reference to SCP-XXXX or your Assinine Procedure Sisyphus was a group of researchers discussing the subject in the breakroom, and today at least half my site is busy scheduling a single game of hopscotch.
The worst part is even I feel like that's a priority, and chances are I'll be involved in figuring out what they do next.
Follow the quarantine procedures that your people made up, and tell me how to fix this mess as soon as possible.
-Site Director Faete, Site-52
To: Site Director Homer, Site Director Faete
From: Site Director Corinth
Subject: Our Problem
Site Directors Homer and Faete,
Considering both of you have come to me with a related issue, one of which I may or may not have a solution, I have chosen to continue our correspondence as a group (Both of you have access to each other's previous emails to me for context's sake).
Despite Director Faete's assertions, I can personally attest that Site-109's quarantine has not been broken in any way that my records can identify. So unless there has been an extremely miraculous oversight in our isolation protocols SCP-XXXX spreads its influence in a completely different way than our efforts have accounted for.
I have removed the SCP-XXXX file from the foundation database temporarily for reasons I'll explain soon, and I highly encourage that both of you to prevent any individuals or information of any kind from leaving your sites save for our interactions with each other.
I believe I am close to some form of a solution, however, I need you to give me time
-Site Director Corinth, Site-109
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To: Site Director Corinth, Site Director Faete
From: Site Director Homer
Subject: Developments
Director Corinth,
I sincerely hope that your escapade does not take a terribly long time, the situation here at Site-47 has gotten worse. We went from one affected individual to the entire medical team treating them, then to most of the site.
The only contact patient zero had with anyone else on site was the ability to converse with the medical staff, and even then most of that conversation amounted to the individual in question inquiring about Procedure Sisyphus.
While this isn't the most dangerous of afflictions, I believe I speak for the rest of my staff when I say that a solution to this problem would be best if it arrived sooner rather than later.
-Site Director Homer, Site-47
To: Site Director Homer, Site Director Faete
From: Site Director Corinth
Subject: Results
Gentlemen,
I believe that after thorough investigations here at Site-109, my hypothesis has proven to be correct.
Out of all the staff members I was able to survey, not one of them claimed to have been affected before they were already aware of Procedure Sisyphus. This stands to reason, after all, how can you crave something that you aren't aware exists?
Secondly, as far as I am aware, both of your sites became affected only after at least one person became privy to information surrounding SCP-XXXX and Procedure Sisyphus. Additionally, the spread of SCP-XXXX correlated with the spread of information reguarding Procedure Sisyphus as you have both described in your emails.
All these pieces of information point to the concept of Procedure Sisyphus being some form of a meme that affects those that are aware of its existence.
I have elected to inform the 05 of the current situation and advised them to purge any backups of SCP-XXXX's documentation they might possess. What happens from this point on is up to them
-Site Director Corinth, Site-109
To: Site Director Corinth, Site Director Homer
From: Site Director Faete
Subject: Are you insane
To the late Director Corinth,
Surely the thought that they might just "terminate" us all to remove any chance of SCP-XXXX spreading must have crossed your mind while you chose to put the situation in someone else's hands without asking either of us?
The Ethics Committee can only go so far Corinth, and I don't doubt that your decision has brought about something far worse than playing hopscotch once a month.
God help us,
-Site Director Faete, Site 52
To:Site Director Corinth, Site Director Faete
From: Site Director Homer
Subject: Second of Opinion
Director Corinth,
Considering the circumstances, I am inclined to agree with the point Director Faete has raised. While our main priority should be containment of SCP-XXXX at this time, I would never have made the choice to achieve that if it meant the possibility of the safety of my staff members coming into question.
We are all aware of the methods that are at the disposal of the 05, they are our direct superiors after all, why you chose to involve them directly at the slightest bit of evidence supporting your theory.
Hopefully they chose to resolve this matter in a way that is proportionate to the actual danger that SCP-XXXX poses
-Site Director Homer, Site-47
To: Site Director Homer, Site Director Faete
From: Site Director Corinth
Subject: End of this matter
Site Directors Homer and Faete,
Yes, I am fully aware of the possibilities that my choice has opened up. No, I don't think I have made the wrong decision.
My job is to Secure, Contain, and Protect the general population from anomalies. Has it occurred to either of you what could happen if one person managed to spread the concept of Procedure Sisyphus outside of our sites, intentionally or otherwise, to the rest of society?
It would mean the end of the veil as everyone succumbs to ensuring that someone does a handstand every month. What happens when Procedure Sisyphus grows past the point of feasible execution? At this time Site-109 has dedicated 10 hours every month to complete this Procedure, eventually, that number will reach 20 or 30 or a hundred.
Despite the relatively benign nature of SCP-XXXX at face value compared to some of the other anomalies we have come into contact with over the course of our career, it is an anomaly regardless. That means that it cannot be allowed to run its course further than it already has.
No matter what you believe, the matter will ultimately fall on the judgment of the 05 council now.
This is my final response
-Site Director Corinth, Site-109
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Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Neutralized
Special Containment Procedures: Following the events of Incident XXXX-A SCP-XXXX is considered neutralized resulting in a lack of containment protocols being necessary. Should the info hazard that caused SCP-XXXX resurge, or an SCP-XXXX case is identified, destruction all references to said info hazard is considered a delta level priority.
Description: SCP-XXXX was a memetic disease that caused fixation or devotion to an unknown concept, which in itself propagated SCP-XXXX through knowledge of it. Prior to its neutralization, SCP-XXXX gained influence over the majority of foundation staff located at Sites 109, 47, and 52.
Following the neutralization of SCP-XXXX, all three sites that were previously affected by SCP-XXXX are considered decommissioned, and all foundation staff previously located at these sites are [data expunged].
Incident XXXX-A: [data expunged]
Lovely Critics: 
JustBixby, 
AnActualCrow, 
Elunerazim, 
etoisle (for helping me count)
