Wittmann
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SCP-XXXX-01 before testing

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX-01 is to be kept in a locked safe, with at least 1.5 cubic meters of space inside. The safe is to be placed in an anechoic chamber, lined with fiberglass panels coated in fiberglass fabric to prevent any sound from propagating. The chamber is to be fitted with a platform made of high-strength non-reverberating wire, installed at least 2m above the base of the chamber. The safe must be rated fireproof up to 1200 degrees Celsius, and attached to the wire floor by heavy-duty restraining belts. Any personal coming into contact with SCP-XXXX-01 must wear EPA approved dual hearing protectors. The hearing protector is to be composed of disposable earplugs, covered by full sized earmuffs, for a combined Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of at least 60 decibels, of which each hearing protector must have an NRR of at least 19 decibels. Any experiments on SCP-XXXX-01 must be conducted in a soundproof room, and all intercoms are to be disabled in the facility for the duration of the tests. Audiovisual recording equipment is not permitted within 500m of SCP-XXXX-01, and all personal electronic devices are to be kept off, with the batteries removed, when inside of the facility.

Description:

SCP-XXXX was an anomalous sound wave pattern present in [REDACTED], Massachusetts between January 1978 and April 1979. SCP-XXXX is described as being similar to a low pitched buzzing sound, with some people describing it being similar to a chorus of de-tuned trumpets.
The Foundation became aware of the anomaly in March 1978 after 200 cases of Tinnitus were diagnosed in a town with a population of 819. A team of agents, led by Dr. ████████ were dispatched to acquire a recording of the anomaly. A recording was captured onto an Ampex tape, referred to as SCP-XXXX-01, dated “Anomalous Site 382 - 03/17/78”. The tape has a running time of three minutes and twenty seconds before abruptly ending, the tape has suffered burns to the exterior but the recording appears unaffected. SCP-XXXX-01 is currently stored in Facility ███. According to the equipment logs, the recording was taken with a Neumann U 497 Microphone.

Dr. ████████'s notes are as follows.

Experiment Log of: Dr. ████████, testing exposure of [REDACTED] townspeople to Anomalous Sound 382

Date: 03-15-1978 to ██-██-1978


Log Date: 3-15-1978
The Foundation has dispatched myself, a junior lab assistant, John █████ (21 years of age), and a member of security team ███, Sgt. Rogers █████. We arrived at roughly 17:30, taking up residence at the [REDACTED] Hotel. John Began setting up the recording equipment while I used the car phone to contact my director and inform him that we had arrived. I am operating under the guise of an Otolaryngologist from Boston General Hospital. I have a meeting with the doctor from the local clinic tomorrow at 11:00.


Log Date: 3-16-1978
Upon meeting the Doctor he appeared to be a man of smaller stature, no more then 175cm tall, and plump around the middle, he also appeared noticeably tired. Dr. Michael Kraus explained that the first case of Tinnitus was reported on the ██ of January, and by the end of the month over 70 cases had been diagnosed by himself before the end of the month. He seems to believe that it is being caused by air pollution from the newly opened factory, roughly 7km South of the hotel where we are staying. When I asked the Doctor if he had been suffering at all, he admitted to having trouble sleeping due to a ringing sound in his own ears.

At 20:15 tonight, John and I drove to the factory on the south side of town, a [DATA EXPUNDGED] plant. We took some photos, and returned to our hotel, with plans to take audio recordings tomorrow once our equipment is in order.


Log Date: 3-17-1978
John and I took readings of site 382 tonight, upon playback, John was unable to hear anything out of the ordinary, but I heard a ringing, albeit very a quiet one. I labelled this tape “Anomalous Site 382 - 03/17/78”.


Log Date: 3-22-1978
I went with John to take more audio recordings throughout the week, but have begun to develop headaches when near site 382, I have also noticed that I am able to hear the ringing throughout the day now, even when in my hotel room. A townsperson, ████ ████████,flung himself from his bedroom on the fourth floor his apartment building. He left a suicide note, according to the police, but it is being held as evidence for now, I will try and get a copy tomorrow. Tonight I sent John and Sgt. Rogers to take the recordings, I felt uncomfortable chancing another headache.


Log Date: 3-23-1978
I was able to gain access to that suicide note, it had the usual drivel, that he was sorry, he loved his wife, etc. But what stood out to me was that he mentioned a pulsing sound, that "the doctors can't help, nobody can make it stop". When I tried to speak to his wife about it, all she told me was that the doctors said he was suffering from an extreme case of tinnitus, but couldn't find an underlying cause. When John and Sgt. Rogers returned at 23:15 tonight with their recording, both claimed to have heard the sound. When they played it back for me, I felt like my head was on fire, the ringing sound was all around me.


Log Date: 4-03-1978
I'm not sleeping at all now, the ringing sound seems to be resonating from our room just as strongly as it was from the factory area. While John had originally not heard it at all, and then began hearing it near the factory, he could hear it in the room as well. While he was okay, it became impossible for me to focus in that room, and I had to transfer to a new one down the hall.


Log Date: 4-06-1978
I have begun to believe that site 382 isn't a single area, but affects wherever it's sound is replayed. Townspeople have begun to hear the sound from our room, as a result John and Sgt. Rogers have been forced to relocate to another room as well. Today, we decided to try playing the sound back in the boiler room under the building, hopefully the packed earth and underlying location will allow us to see if each playback of the sound creates a new site, or if it just becomes louder and expanded from the original site.


Log Date: 4-09-1978
I am renaming our original room site 382A and the boiler room site 382B, both are now propagating the sound at loud volumes. I have had to wear earmuffs at all times, but I feel like it's coming from inside my head, the earmuffs don't really help much. I can't focus at all, John will have to take over writing. I tried calling the clinic, but there was no answer, I'll send Sgt. Rogers to get the doctor for me tomorrow.

[NOTE - THIS APPEARS TO BE THE LAST LOG BY DR. ████████]


Log Date: 4-10-1978
I had to send Sgt. Rogers to the clinic today to get aid for Dr. ████████, the ringing is getting even worse, he can barely hear me when I speak to him, it seems to be blocking out all other sounds, I found him crying in bed this morning, he kept digging his face deeper into the mattress trying to block out the sound. I'm debating on whether or not to relocate him out of town. I hear it all the time now too, it's making it hard to sleep.

2340 Sgt. Rogers has yet to return, where the hell is he?

[ADDENDUM - Sgt. Rogers was [DATA EXPUNGED] by the extraction team on ██/██/████.]


Log Date: 4-11-1978
I went to the clinic myself today and it was cordoned off by a police line, I didn't see any police around though, it seems like half the town is missing, all the streets are empty, and the garbage hasn't been collected for what looks like two weeks. When I returned, to the hotel I found Dr. ████████ bleeding from the ears with a pair of scissors in his hands, he, god… I don't even want to write this.


Log Date: 4-12-1978
I did my best to clean up Dr. ████████'s wounds, but he's been unconscious since yesterday. The ringing won't stop for me either, I've got to get out of town, but Sgt. Rogers had the keys to the car.


Log Date: ██/██/████
The doctor is dead. It won't stop. I tried to burn the tapes. DO NOT BURN THE TAPES!


Log Date: ██/██/████
I can't take this anymore, I'm sorry █████, I love you.


ADDENDUM

Lab Technician John █████'s body was found by the extraction team, it was disposed of.

Dr. ████████'s body suffered severe lacerations to the ears and face, they appear self-inflicted, his body was disposed of.

SCP-XXXX-01 was retrieved by the extraction team, it appears to have suffered cosmetic damage due to heat exposure, the condition of the interior tape recording was unaffected.

SCP-XXXX dissipated in April 1979 for reasons still unknown, total casualties ███.