Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be placed in standard lead-plated containment safe at Site-23. The door is to remain securely locked at all times save for testing purposes.
All personnel assigned to work with SCP-XXXX are to be removed from duty immediately should they show any sign of the object’s effect. The vault is then to be examined for damage.
In the event of a containment breach, Site-23 is to be evacuated and all personnel to be examined for long-term damage due to the object's effects.
The object is only to be removed for testing purposes, and is only to be transported during its inactive phase.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a [REDACTED] brand wall clock, model number 73382-41-c with the word “SYNC” crudely scratched into the outside casing below the clock’s face. The object enters its active phase when the clock reads between 2:00pm and 3:00pm every day. Note that the object's mechanism to set the time is not functional, meaning that the object cannot be prevented from entering its active phase. Also note that the object functions even when the batteries powering the object are removed.
During SCP-XXXX’s active phase, the object randomly selects anywhere from one to twelve simple, commonly performed activities such as breathing or walking. As the phase progresses, said activities will gradually become synchronized with the ticking of SCP-XXXX's second hand. Typical intervals are either identical to or directly proportional to the tick.
Human or animal subjects exposed to the object experience a variety of effects, including:
- Changes in heart rate, breath rate, and other regulated bodily functions, often resulting in death via hypoxia or organ failure
- Uncomfortable sensations due to regulation of un-regulated bodily functions
- Instant death due to effects at the atomic and sub-atomic level
- Seizure or rapid brain deterioration
- Subconscious influence to preform a repetitive avtion
Note that lead is the only material found thus far capable of negating SCP-XXXX’s effects, hence the plating on the inside of its containment cell. A specialized test chamber has also been constructed in which SCP-XXXX can be tested without exposing the rest of Site-23 to the object.
Addendum: Test log XXXX-1
[The following is a series of tests to determine
SCP-XXXX’s effect on multiple factors and subjects.
Test XXXX-1
Subject-five D-class personnel
Procedure- All subjects are placed in the same chamber as Test XXXX-1, however, subjects were provided with a table, four chairs, and five ink pens. SCP-XXXX is positioned on the wall over the table.
Results- Following a brief scuffle between D-88392 and D-91123 over who would be seated in the remaining chair, no part of which was evidently effected by the object, all subjects picked up an ink pen and began clicking them in unison. No further effects were noted.
Test XXXX-3
Subject-Five unremarkable brown mice.
Procedure-All five subjects were placed in a cage, then placed in the test chamber with SCP-XXXX.
Effects-No effects were noted immediately, although upon closer examination all five subjects appeared to blink in unison every ten seconds.
Test-XXXX-7
Subject- Five metronomes placed on a table
Procedure- SCP-XXXX positioned on the wall above the table. The metronomes are started at random intervals and then left alone.
Effect- metronomes synchronize after ten seconds of contact, ticking once every second to the tick of the clock. Effect lasted for approx. fifteen minutes before dissipating.
Test-XXXX-12
Subject- Three other clocks, all set to slightly different time
Procedure- All clocks, including SCP-XXXX, are placed on the four walls of SCP-XXXX’s specialized testing chamber.
Effect- The three control clocks, starting at 2 o’clock, began to slow to match the time shown by SCP-XXXX. By the fifteen minute mark, all four clocks matched and continued to match for the duration of the active phase.
Test-XXXX-14
Subject- One large pendulum-driven clock, pendulum swinging once every .75 seconds
Procedure- Control clock is placed in the middle of the test chamber, SCP-XXXX hanging on the wall above it
Effect-Despite the multiple mechanical aspects of the clock that would require change to adjust the rate of the pendulums swing, the pendulum slowed to match the tick of the clock. The pendulum appeared to defy gravity for the .25 seconds longer it was in the air, suggesting that SCP-XXXX has the ability to effect the subject to a further extent than previously expected.
Test-XXXX-21
Subject- 45 D-class personnel, standing shoulder to shoulder in the test chamber.
Procedure- SCP-XXXX is placed on the wall on the south wall of the test chamber.
Effect- The test chamber violently exploded. Examination of the debris showed a complete lack of Carbon-14 atoms as should have been present in the remains. Current theory suggests that SCP-XXXX caused a spontaneous radioactive decay in all subjects causing an unprecedented release in energy.
Note: By order of O5-4 testing is suspended indefinitely. ]
**Addendum XXXX-2- Incident Report XXXX-1
[On 2/12/13 the door to SCP-XXXX's containment cell was destroyed. The effects on the surrounding area are recorded here.
Cafeteria- All personnel in the room picked up their beverages, took a drink, and set them back on the table in unison. This effect was recorded three times over the course of the active period.
Break Room- Similar effect as that recorded in the cafeteria, although rather than only occurring three times, it occurred once every two seconds until all subjects ran out of beverage. Subjects reportedly were confused afterwards.
Site 23 Chemical Testing Facility- A number of chemicals currently undergoing chemical reactions or otherwise bubbling all slowed the interval of their bubbling to gradually synchronize. This effect lasted for approx. 15 minutes until the bubbles gradually randomized once more.
Class-D Barracks, #37900-37950- It has been determined that the heart rates of all Class-D personnel fell to .5 bps, regardless of level of physical activity. All but 11 of the personnel within died of oxygen deprivation in the blood within the first ten minutes of this effect. The remaining 11 were asleep or at rest and their heart rates were low already, although most survivors reported feeling lightheaded. This is one of the only recorded instances of an effect lasting the full hour.
Other areas of the facility were outside of SCP-XXXX’s range of effect and experienced no ill effects.]
Item #: XXXX
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: Five breeding pairs of SCP-XXXX are to be kept within a containment cell with an interior simulating a deciduous forest similar to those found on the east coast of the United States. All unremarkable offspring of these pairs are to be euthanized. Wild populations of early-stage SCP-XXXX in forested areas are to be isolated and systematically exterminated via a neurotoxic gas delivered by aircraft over the infested area. Late-stage SCP-XXXX infestation may require quarantine and controlled burning. Those within the infested area are to be evacuated and administered a Class-B amnestic. Juvenile SCP-XXXX instances are to be exterminated under the Foundation front company "Johnson's Pest Removal." Cover story AJ-1151 ("Big Bugs") may be deployed.
Object Description: SCP-XXXX is a species of reptile with a genetic makeup dissimilar to all known species. The average adult specimen is 12-13 cm in length.
Instances of SCP-XXXX hatch from eggs and emerge without natural scales or claws, as they lack keratin and the ability to produce it. They appear amphibious in this aspect, although unlike amphibians, they have no protective epidermal layer or mucal membrane. Rather than teeth, SCP-XXXX has a beak-like structure that is an extension of the jaw bone. The jaw muscles are extremely powerful, capable of applying forces up to 600N/cm2. These powerful muscles are ineffective as a defense mechanism, thus, SCP-XXXX has no effective method of self-preservation until later in life.
SCP-XXXX females will, under normal circumstances, upon reaching adulthood, venture into a heavily populated area and build a nest in any available cool dark space. This nest is typically comprised of insulation, hair, and other discarded material. The female will then court a mate, and, upon finding one, invite it into the nest. The male, however, will not immediately impregnate the female.
At the same time, males of the species will usually find a convenient route into the nearest human dwelling and wait until most or all residents of said dwelling are sleeping, near sleep, or are otherwise incapacitated (E.g. intoxicated). At this point, SCP-XXXX will latch onto a toenail or fingernail of this individual and will remove it forcefully. SCP-XXXX will then escape by running on its hind legs at an average speed of nearly 20 km/h back to the nest carrying the acquired toenail/fingernail in its mouth. The blood drawn from the forceful removal of the nail is SCP-XXXX's only apparent source of food early in life. Males have been observed feeding briefly before attempting escape. Blood is stored in the beak, and is usually shared with the female upon returning to the nest. Once in the nest, the male will present the recovered nail to its mate at which point the female will excrete an adhesive from a gland at the base of the tail. It then attaches the nail to the male’s body. This process repeats until the male's back is covered in its entirety.
Scale set completion typically adheres to a loose pattern and progresses as follows:
- The initial offering to the female is typically removed from the largest available human, usually male, and is placed behind the head.
- Following the presentation of the first nail, SCP-XXXX will steal a series of smaller nails from infants and children, typically from the small toe or finger. These nails are placed in a frill around the initial nail and in stripes spanning the length of the body. They are the framework for later structure.
- Later scavenging missions consist of nails of progressively larger size, beginning with nails acquired from the youth of the area (placed nearer to the tail) until finally stealing exclusively nails from the big toe of male subjects (placed directly around the head mimicking a frill used for defensive tactics in other species)
- Once SCP-XXXX is fully protected with “scales”, it will venture into forested areas with the apparent intent of finding a set of claws. The size of these is not inherently important nor is the order in which they are acquired. SCP-XXXX acquires claws using a technique similar to that used on humans, utilizing the same motion used to remove nails.
- Once SCP-XXXX procures a full set of claws, it will begin to take on more adaptive tactics, such as attaching shards of glass and metal to its body or pressing stones and pebbles into its underbelly.
For a full list of non-nail objects known to be collected by SCP-XXXX, see Addendum XXXX-53-N
This is a list of the various objects known to be stolen by instances of SCP-XXXX and their use.
- Porcupine quills, placed behind and around the head, apparently to be used as a noise-making device or as an attempt to make SCP-XXXX appear larger.
- Shards of aluminum can, placed on the ridge of the spine, used for self-defense.
- Discarded human teeth, temporarily used in place of claws.
- Shreds of aluminum foil and other lustrous packing materials, attached to back the and tail, evidently to distract predators.
- Shards of crab and other crustacean shell, attached to various parts of the body, for use as armor.
- Other pieces of plastic, cardboard, or metal, scavenged from any available source, attached to head, for use as a helmet-like structure.
- Feathers, attached to various places on the body, used for rudimentary flight and gliding.
Once SCP-XXXX is evidently satisfied with its scale structure, it may return to the nest to mate. Immediately following mating, the pair will leave the nest and venture to the nearest wooded area and are capable of walking up to 100 km to accomplish this.
It is at this point that the late-stage effect of SCP-XXXX becomes active.
In late stages, the original biological portion of SCP-XXXX will begin to rapidly degenerate, corresponding to an increase in frequency of scavenging excursions. SCP-XXXX instances will begin “consuming” biomass such as needles from coniferous trees and leaves along with other non-organic detriment. This biomass gradually replaces the body tissue of instances, eventually eliminating this original portion entirely.
Despite the fact that, at this point, SCP-XXXX instances are composed entirely of foreign materials, it will still function normally. The instance is now functionally immortal as long as it continually consumes leaf matter or similar substances. Late-stage instances are immune to neurotoxins, naturally produced venom, synthetic poisons, and other similar types of poison.
Late-stage instances have been observed self-modifying their bodies in bizarre or poorly understood ways. Full documentation is available in Addendum XXXX-2-D
SCP-XXXX lay eggs approximately 1.5-3.0 cm in width with an outer shell approximately .5 cm thick. This shell contains little to no calcium carbonate and is instead composed mostly of iron and other metallic substances. Some of these substances are assumed to have been derived from the blood from which SCP-XXXX instances draw their nutrients. In addition to these, SCP-XXXX instances have been observed tearing apart aluminum cans and eating them in small portions, accounting for the rest of the metal. The eggs are extremely difficult to break, requiring a total approximate force of 750N/cm2 to crack their surface. Upon hatching, (eggs have an average gestation period of 13 months) the mother will stay with her offspring for a period of 48 hours, at which point she will abandon the nest and begin to progress into late-stage SCP-XXXX.
The following is a list of documented modifications made by late-stage instances of SCP-XXXX
- Circular structures fashioned from animal bone. Attached to the legs and used in a way comparable to wheels. Note that this was wholly ineffective, for multiple reasons, as a mode of transportation, and the instance reverted to its previous state shortly after.
- Three shoulder blades attached to a small twig. This structure was affixed to the head of the instance, and functioned effectively as a rotor, allowing the instance to ascend to an elevation of ~20m before breaking apart. The instance was unharmed upon landing. Note that there was no apparent mechanism for the rotation of the aforementioned rotor.
- A CD player. Affixed to the instances back with what appeared to be great difficulty. Player, despite being devoid of any mechanism to produce sound, was noted to repeat the songs of nearby birds for 3 days before ceasing function. The instance then forcibly removed and abandoned the player.
- 1 burned out halogen light bulb. Instance affixed bulb to head. Shortly after, the bulb lit up and flashed multiple times in succession before shattering. Later analysis shows that the flashes translate to "C-6-H-1-2-O-6" in Morse code The significance of this is unknown.
- Large quantities of gunpowder. Instance consumed this orally, an occurrence unique in nature. Instance then ran at high speeds into a the wall of a nearby building, igniting the gunpowder on impact. Instance detonated. Remains show no signs of anomaly.
- Several generic-brand cigarette lighters. Instance attached these to various, seemingly random, points on its body, ignited them all through unknown means, and ran into a nearby area of dry scrubland, resulting in a large fire. Instance caught fire after 10m and ceased movement completely at 25m. Remains show no anomalous properties.
- 1 tape recorder with a copy of a tape containing an audio adaptation of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451". Instance affixed player to back and continued normal function until reciting the entirety of the final chapter of the book word for word in an unidentified male voice. Note that the player was not turned on, nor did it contain batteries.
- 1 standard issue Glock pistol originating from the Site 48 armory. Note that the acquisition was purely accidental and occurred among the 10 contained instances of SCP-XXXX. Instance affixed the weapon to back. Note also that the gun was pointed behind SCP-XXXX. Once the object was reported missing and subsequently located by Senior Researcher Douglass, a team of three security guards entered the chamber to recover the weapon. Upon confrontation, the instance fired 12 shots in various directions through unknown means. No personnel were harmed and the weapon was confiscated without further incident. Note that the weapon was not loaded at the time.
- 1 syringe, containing approximately 5 grams of diamorphine. Syringe was observed to rapidly empty itself of all contents after being affixed to the underbelly of SCP-XXXX. Instance [REDACTED] and is currently presumed irretrievable.