SCP-008 Discovery

SCP-008 was first discovered in 1962 by a small team of Foundation operatives investigating reports of a viral outbreak in a small village in the Gobi Desert. The team discovered a number of deceased villagers, all of whom had succumbed to the effects of the virus. Upon further investigation, they discovered that the virus had been created artificially, and had been deliberately spread by an unknown party.

Further investigation led the team to a nearby laboratory, which had been abandoned for some time. Inside, they found a number of research documents and notes that provided more information on the virus. It soon became clear that the virus, which would later be designated as SCP-008, had been created as a bioweapon by an unknown group or individual.

The research notes indicated that SCP-008 had been created through a combination of genetic engineering and artificial selection. The virus was designed to be highly contagious, with a rapid onset of symptoms that would quickly incapacitate its victims. Once infected, individuals would experience fever, vomiting, and seizures, followed by a period of catatonia. After a few hours, the victim would reanimate as an aggressive, zombie-like creature, driven solely by a need to spread the virus to others.

Further investigation revealed that the laboratory had been destroyed by an unknown party, likely in an attempt to cover up the creation of the virus. The team managed to recover a number of samples of SCP-008, as well as some of the research notes, before destroying the laboratory themselves.

In the years since its discovery, the Foundation has made significant efforts to contain and study SCP-008. The virus is classified as a Keter-class object, due to its highly contagious nature and the difficulty of containing it. The Foundation has established several secure facilities specifically for the study and containment of SCP-008, including a dedicated research site in Siberia.

Research into SCP-008 has revealed that the virus is highly adaptable, and can infect a wide range of species, including humans, primates, and many other mammals. It is also highly resistant to most forms of treatment, including antibiotics and antiviral drugs. While the virus can be destroyed through extreme heat or radiation, such measures are often impractical or impossible to implement in a real-world scenario.

The potential threat posed by SCP-008 has led the Foundation to establish strict containment procedures, including a prohibition on all research related to the creation or enhancement of infectious agents. All individuals known to have been exposed to SCP-008 are to be terminated immediately, and all samples of the virus are to be stored in secure, airtight containers.

Despite the Foundation's best efforts, there have been several breaches involving SCP-008 over the years. In each case, the infected individuals were quickly contained and terminated, but these incidents serve as a reminder of the potential danger posed by the virus. As such, ongoing research into SCP-008 is considered a high-priority task for the Foundation, in order to better understand the virus and to develop more effective containment and treatment protocols.