【AI shorts】SCP-021 - Skin Wyrm 紋身之龍

Описание: Description: SCP-021 takes the form of a large and elaborate tattoo of a serpentine dragon in the oriental style, covering approximately 0.8 square meters of skin. This tattoo is fully animate within the confines of its host's skin and behaves largely as a normal animal would, albeit in only two dimensions. The tattoo's movement causes constant pain to its host, comparable and similar in character to simultaneous tattooing and tattoo removal on a large scale. The organism tends to spend most of its time on and near the torso. SCP-021 displays no intelligence beyond a basic pattern of feeding and locomotion, although actually measuring the intelligence of a two-dimensional life-form has proven impossible thus far.

SCP-021 appears to feed exclusively on pigments in the host's skin. This can include melanin, in which case the subject appears to be suffering from vitiligo. However, the organism shows a marked preference for other tattoos and will seek out and devour these before resorting to natural pigments. It should be noted that the feeding process itself, beyond the sensation of movement, is painless; normal tattoo ink simply vanishes as it is 'eaten'. The organism maintains a constant size, and no excretions have been observed. The organism is capable of clearing over 0.6 square meters of skin per hour. One may 'feed' SCP-021 by (quickly) tattooing fruits or small animals on the host.

SCP-021 can be transferred between hosts by various forms of physical contact, with differing rates of success. In the case of successful transfer, the organism simply 'swims' from one person to the other. Sexual intercourse appears to be the most reliable method of transfer, with a 93% rate of transmission. However, due to the severe pain involved, this is less than ideal. Contact between two open wounds is generally preferable. Transfer is more complicated in deceased subjects, though not unreasonably so; the organism suffers no ill effects from the death of its host and continues to consume pigments. Transmission between species is unknown; previous tests suggest it to be either impossible or exceedingly rare.

SCP-021 does confer some benefits to its host. The tattoo has been proven to accelerate the release and re-uptake of epinephrine and decrease lactic acid buildup, providing boosts of strength, confidence, and pain tolerance in stressful situations and reducing the usual after-effects of weakness and fatigue. In addition, the tattoo seems to have some beneficial effect on the host's immune system. Aggression profiles in hosts are generally higher than average, though whether this is a direct effect of the tattoo or simply a reaction to the constant pain remains to be seen.

The symbiotic relationship is usually limited by how long the host can tolerate such pain in everyday life. This has culminated in suicide in a number of subjects. In rare cases, hosts have also fallen victim to fatal skin infections.

SCP-021's origins and nature are a mystery. Tracing its transmission from host to host is hardly feasible within the confines of secrecy, and the organism could well be hundreds of years old, if not more. Nevertheless, SCP-021's captivity is one of the longest in the Foundation's history at nearly [DATA EXPUNGED] years, and has been very educational thus far. Current research focuses mainly on observing the characteristics of life in two dimensions.

描述：SCP-021表現為一幅巨大且精緻的中國龍紋身，覆蓋了大約0.8平方公分的皮膚。該紋身在其宿主的皮膚內表現為活體且行為舉止大致上與普通的動物相同，儘管牠只能在二維的平面上活動。該紋身在其宿主的皮膚上移動時會對宿主造成持續性的疼痛，疼痛程度與感覺就像是在同時經歷大規模的刺青與消除刺青的過程。該生物大多數的時間都待在宿主的身軀部分。SCP-021除了擁有基礎的感知能力與移動能力，並沒有表現出更高階的智慧；話雖如此，要測量一個生活於二維空間的生物的智慧程度至今仍被證實是不可能的。

SCP-021僅能食用在其宿主皮膚上的色素，包含黑色素；而這也造成其宿主通常患有白斑病。然而，該生物對其他紋身反而會比對普通的身體色素要更有興趣，牠會去尋找其他紋身並吃掉牠們。值得注意的是，牠進食的過程相較於牠移動時帶給宿主的感覺，是相對無痛的；普通的紋身會如同被「吃掉」一般的消失。該生物的大小始終維持不變，也沒有任何的代謝行為被觀察到。該生物能以每小時0,6平方公分的速度進食其皮膚上的色素。可透過(快速的)在宿主的皮膚紋上水果或小動物來飼餵SCP-021。

SCP-021能透過其宿主與他人的各式物理接觸來轉移至他人身上，並有著不同的成功率。在成功轉移的情況下，該生物會直接從其宿主的皮膚「游」到其他人的皮膚上。性行為被正實是成功率最高的轉移方式，有著高達93%的成功率。然而，基於其過程會產生劇烈的疼痛感，這種方法不會是最理想的。使兩處傷口接觸來進行轉移是被認為普遍可行的。 從已故的宿主身上轉移則更加複雜困難；雖然不甚合理，該生物不會受到其宿主過世的任何負面影響並會持續食用皮膚上的色素。不同種生物之間的轉移是未知的，但從先前的測試中顯示，要不是不可能，就是該過程極為罕見。

縱使有諸多不便，SCP-021確實會帶給其宿主不少好處。該紋身已被證實能加速腎上腺素的釋放與重新吸收、減少乳酸堆積，並提供充足的力氣、自信心、面對困境時的抗壓性與耐痛性和減少勞動過後所累積的虛弱與疲勞。此外，該紋身似乎會優化宿主的免疫系統。其宿主的體內抵抗能力將會高於平均值，但仍不確定這是否是該紋身的直接影響，抑或是持續的疼痛所造成的生理反應。

這樣的共生關係能持續多久通常取決於宿主對於這種每日持續的劇痛能堅持的時長。這樣的持續劇痛已經造成許多宿主的自殺。在某些罕見情況下，宿主也會死於致命的皮膚感染。

SCP-021的起源與生態仍是個未解之謎。要想從其寄宿過的宿主中，一個一個地追本溯源，會很大程度的動搖到基金會的保密政策；而且該生物可能已經存在了上百年，甚至更久。但是，SCP-021是基金會收容最悠久的項目之一，已經收容了將近[數據刪除]年，而且一直富含教育性。近期針對SCP-021的研究主要會聚焦在觀察二維生物的生活特性。