AO(M)-1D6 is an Entropic phenomenon and cognitohazard in the A011C2 star system. It was discovered in ::0927.
While the anomaly is restricted to its planet of origin, it should be considered hazardous to life, and under no circumstances should you, the reader, visit any locations outlined in this document without extreme caution and an insulated third party to recover you or other individuals affected by this cognitohazard.
Anomaly Description
Anomalous Object (Memetic) 1D6 is an Entropic memetic cognitoviron associated with the fallen civilisation on A011C2d. Consumption of cultural materials within proximity to the planet activates 1D6's primary effect, which grows stronger with continued exposure.
1D6's primary effect is to induce 'research' into, and discussion of, a concept known as "it". What "it" may be is unknown, and further study is heavily discouraged by the nature of the anomaly.
The social vector allows this cognitoviron to spread between individuals, who then create a cycle of self-reinforcement between themselves. After some time, the primary effect branches into secondary comorbidities, such as dereliction of duties and social anxiety.
Comorbidities rapidly develop into failures to care for oneself, paranoia, and open hostility towards others. The cognitoviron, in deficit of external reinforcement, internally reinforces itself by inducing infected individuals to create media pertaining to their 'research'. The media is inert to all except the individual who created them.
Complete psychosis is eventually induced over the period of a month (estimated from salvaged medical data). Infected individuals break down completely, failing to care for themselves and becoming aggressive at the mere sight of another person. Starvation is the most common killer, alongside injuries from attacking others.
Containment
AO(M)-1D6 is entirely contained within the culture of A011C2d's extinct society and the planet it once occupied. A standard broad-wave warning buoy has been deployed in high orbit around the planet to warn wayward travellers of the cognitohazard.
A light research station provides a continuous reconnaissance vector and acts as a forward operating base for expeditions. Personnel are screened on a weekly basis for aberrations in their decision-making, as proximity to the planet while studying cultural media may trigger 1D6's primary effect.
Individuals infected with 1D6 are immediately quarantined. Depending on the severity of infection, they may be held in isolation for a period of time, restrained in a padded cell, or placed into a medical coma until the effects subside.
Efforts are made to make quarantine for conscious patients as comfortable as possible; food and drink are regularly provided to patient's taste, bedding is changed on a three-day basis, and entertainment is provided on request. Communication is limited to prevent spread; a basic voice recognition system processes and transcribes vocalisations while omitting content pertaining to 1D6.
Awakened individuals are, as of time of writing, observed to be immune to 1D6's effects and cannot be infected through any known vectors. This is a shared trait among a significant portion of catalogued cognitovirons; computer-based cognition is uniquely protected from this form of anomaly.
Notes
A011C2d is a particularly notable planet in that it behaves as a permanent Entropic Grid 'focus point'. Its star's position places the system at the centre of an intersection, and observations indicate that the intersection point is anchored within A011C2d, 'bending' the grid as it travels around its star. The effect gives rise to intense auroras on the ruined planet as plasma from its parent star is gently funnelled into its gravity well.
At some point in their history, the inhabitants of A011C2d became entirely obsessed with 1D6, eventually forgoing breeding, socialisation, and entertainment to research the anomaly. Their society eventually broke down into internal conflict as their infrastructure degraded and failed with nobody to maintain them; following a devastating war triggered by disagreements over the nature of 1D6, all died out within a generation.