Dr. Elena Rodriguez sat at her desk within the sterile confines of Site-44, poring over a stack of research papers and notes on anomalous biology. Her eyes flickered to the clock as it neared midnight—an unusual hour for an SCP Foundation employee to still be working, but Elena was determined to make sense of this new phenomenon.

"Elena?" A soft voice interrupted her concentration, and she looked up from her workstation to see Dr. James Milton standing in the doorway of her lab. "We need you in Director Richter's office immediately." His expression was grave, and Elena felt a chill run down her spine as she followed him through the corridors of Site-44.

"What's going on?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady as they walked down the dimly lit hallway. Dr. Milton didn't respond but instead led her into Director Richter's office, where several other researchers were already gathered around a large table covered in files and diagrams.

"Dr. Rodriguez," Director Richter began, his voice heavy with concern as he gestured for Elena to take a seat next to him. "We've received an urgent message from one of our field agents regarding a newly discovered SCP item with connections to the Backrooms." He paused, allowing the gravity of his words to sink in before continuing.

"The agent reported witnessing something truly horrifying," Dr. Milton interjected, his voice trembling slightly as he recounted what he'd heard from the field agent over a secure line. "It seems that when SCP-4038-1—the infected individuals—sleep, their tongues elongate and gain a degree of sentience."

"What?" Elena gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief as she listened to Dr. Milton's description of the gruesome phenomenon. "And what about the Backrooms connection?" She asked, her voice steady despite the rising sense of dread that filled the room.

Dr. Milton took a deep breath before continuing, his face pale with horror as he recounted further details from their field agent's report: "The infected individuals are drawn to other sleeping humans and use their elongated tongues to attack them, causing them to become SCP-4038-1 themselves. The Backrooms seem to play a role in this process, as the agent reported witnessing a massive Towering Event involving dozens of infected subjects."

"A Towering Event?" Elena repeated, her heart racing as she tried to comprehend the magnitude of what they were facing. "What does that have to do with our research here at Site-44?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly as she realized the implications of this new discovery.

Director Richter leaned forward in his chair and fixed Elena with a determined gaze. "We need you to lead a team into the Backrooms and investigate this phenomenon further," he said, his voice firm but compassionate. "Your expertise in anomalous biology is unparalleled, and we believe that you're the only researcher capable of understanding what's happening here."

Elena stared at Director Richter for a moment before nodding her head slowly. She knew that this mission would be dangerous and likely result in the loss of many lives, but she couldn't turn her back on this opportunity to uncover the truth about SCP-4038 and its connection to the Backrooms.

"I accept," she said firmly, meeting each pair of eyes in the room with a steady gaze. "Let's get started."