Do not edit other writers' sandboxes without permission.
Soooo… my first proposed SCP. Any and all criticism would be very welcome. I'm pretty happy with it myself, but being a newcomer, and having never written one before, I'm not quite dumb enough to just post it without getting some feedback from others first.
So, without further ado…
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe
Special containment procedures: As SCP-XXXX is completely inert unless activated by opening it, it requires no special procedures other than a custom-made steel band that fits around SCP-XXXX to prevent accidental exposure to the contents of SCP-XXXX. Foundation personnel on site wishing to access SCP-XXXX for research purposes may do so, but looking into it for extended periods of time is not recommended.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a wooden box. Its length is 26cm, its width is 14 cm, and its height is 6 cm. It weighs 2,883 grams, making it considerably heavier than it should be. The wood is birch. It has been given a linseed oil finish. It is completely unadorned, save for two brass hinges that have been polished to a high gleam. The box opens exactly down the middle, and it is not possible to distinguish between the two sections in any way, as even the wood grain patterns in both sections are identical to the microscopic level.
The box opens at the slightest pressure, with the hinges offering no resistance, and the lid – that is to say, whichever section is being manipulated – is so light as to feel almost weightless, despite the considerable weight of the entire box itself. Experiments have shown that even blowing lightly on SCP-XXXX at an appropriate angle is enough to open it. Despite this sensitivity and the item’s considerable weight, when gripped from the top section and held up, the lower section remains closed unless pressure to open it is applied. Personnel handling SCP-XXXX should be careful, as the likelihood of an accidental opening is very high due to the sensitivity of the mechanism. Recommended handling procedure is to retain the steel band around the box until the intent is for the box to opened.
The box opens into two sections. One section always has a photograph taped to it. If removed, a new photograph will appear in its place once the box has been completely closed and opened again. To date, ███ photographs have been recovered from SCP-XXXX. All of them are black and white, and depict scenes during wartime in different countries throughout the World War II era. Tests of the photographs confirm that they have been developed with techniques, paper stock and chemicals appropriate for the era, and the photographs themselves appear appropriately worn and aged for artifacts dating from that time period.
Examples of subject matter include combat photography, soldiers resting and tending to their wounded after a battle, pictures taken during leave, civilians watching soldiers maneuver, and officers making plans over maps. Many of the pictures also depict typical wartime atrocities, such as the murder of POWs, rape and abuse of the civilian population, [DATA REDACTED], looting, etc. Participants from all sides of the conflict are present in the photos, and all of them appear to be candid photographs, taken in the moment. Exhaustive interviews with war veterans that have been identified from the pictures have confirmed that the photographs appear to be accurate representations of actual moments in our history, but no cameraman has been confirmed to have been present during those moments. There is no evidence that any of the photographs recovered from SCP-XXXX are anything other than genuine documents of actual events.
SCP-XXXX’s second anomalous property is a more dramatic one.
The other section of the box appears to have an exceptionally clear mirror on its bottom. However, it is not a mirror; rather, there is a hole through the other section, and on the other side of that hole is a perfect duplicate of, as far as we can ascertain, everything that is on this side of it, including the person who has opened the box.
All actions taken are performed on the other side as well, perfectly synchronized. It is not known whether this is a form of a spatial warp, or even a portal to another reality. Attempts to explore the other side are blocked by the very fact that everything that happens on our side also happens on the other side – for instance, a length of optical fiber connected to a camera cannot penetrate to the other side, as it is blocked by an optical fiber that is being inserted into our side from the other side with equal force. Experiments with liquids and gases have yielded identical results. Interestingly, audio from the other side can be heard, even though vibrations in the air should be canceled out in the same manner as other forces.
Various theories about the nature of SCP-XXXX abound. One popular hypothesis is that the box contains a spatial warp that causes the space beyond the hole in the box to literally be the same as the space we occupy. Another suggests that it is an instance of many-worlds interpretation, in which we are seeing a parallel reality that is either completely identical to ours, or distinct in a way that is not detectable. In the latter case, the consequences of that distinction might eventually affect what we see of the other reality and cause the two realities to lose their apparent synchronization.
Anything placed in the box disappears without a trace when the box is closed. Experiments with wireless cameras that transmit an image from inside the box have been unsuccessful, as the signal (and, presumably, the camera) disappears the instant the box is fully closed. Experiments with live mice have had an identical result.
The entities immediately visible beyond the hole are considered to be non-hostile, as their motivations and reactions are completely identical with ours. However, prolonged exposure (typically, in excess of ten minutes) to the reality beyond the hole in SCP-XXXX has produced unsettling results and one fatality (see Experiment Log XXXX-1, Experiment Log XXXX-2, and Experiment Log XXXX-3).
Well, technically, two fatalities. Just saying. – Dr. ██████
