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Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be stored in a standard containment locker at Site-30. Readings of the object are to be recorded twice daily, using instruments capable of appropriate magnification where needed, and any unexpected changes in reading are to be reported to the Ethics Committee for further investigation.
Should SCP-XXXX's reading exceed a level of high risk, as determined by personnel with Level 3/XXXX clearance, the procedures outlined in Document XXXX-49 are to be enacted as necessary.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a standard Liquid-in-glass lab thermometer which measures within a range of -30°C to 120°C. The only observable difference between it and ordinary thermometers of its brand is its accuracy to the third decimal place (0.001). SCP-XXXX's reading is unaffected by the temperature of the surface it is in contact with. Instead, it is specifically influenced when an individual under employment of the Foundation acts upon certain decisions, in most cases ones considered ethically important by an average civilian.
The following is a list of events that have been confirmed to trigger a response in SCP-XXXX:
- Termination of a D-Class personnel: reading increased by 0.01°C.
- Removal of a citizen from a museum which had been under attack by a local extremist group: reading decreased by 0.005°C.
- [REDACTED]1: reading increased by 0.005°C.
- Acceptance of a $100,000 bribe by former Researcher Harrison: reading increased by 0.005°C.2
- Acquisition of a D-Class personnel through Protocol 12: reading increased by 0.005°C.
An XXXX-01 event occurs each time the reading of SCP-XXXX increases to a multiple of 10 for the first time. These events are typically non-anomalous in nature, but would ordinarily have a low probability of occuring. XXXX-01 events always cause damage to Foundation assets, the exent to which have been observed as increasing with each XXXX-01 event.
The following is a list of recorded XXXX-01 events from 02/10/2018 to 08/24/2018:
- 10°C: Unclear, although consequences were most likely minimal.
- 20°C: Researcher Carroll's home was robbed, resulting in an approximate $10,000 value in items and cash lost.
- 30°C: Agent Zhao, who had previously displayed above-average physical health conditions, was diagnosed with lung cancer, despite having never consumed tobacco at any point in his life.
- 40°C: Site-31 was attacked by an armed terrorist group, and the resulting firefight caused █ casualties. Newly acquired D-Class personnel demonstrated no knowledge about the Foundation when interviewed.
- 50°C: A malfunction in the airlock of SCP-3646's containment chamber occured, three days after the last maintenance inspection, during which no faults were discovered. ██ casualties were caused before containment was restored.
- 60°C: A fire started as a result of an accident in Site-25's cafeteria area, which spread to several SCP containment chambers due to the exceptionally slow speed at which the site's security teams reacted. No casualties were suffered, although it cost an estimated $100,000 to repair containment chambers and restore containment.
- 70°C: Earthquake that measures 8.0 on the Richter magnitude scale struck the area in which Site-47 is located, the epicenter being within one kilometer of the site. This caused stuctural damage to the site as well as several breaches of containment. ███ civilian casualties and ███ Foundation casualties were caused.
- 80°C: Former Site Director ███████ of Site-██ was revealed to be an undercover Agent of the Chaos Insugency, who had managed to remain undiscovered despite the strict requisites imposed on potential Site Directors through unknown means. She aided Insurgency troops in an assault on Site-██ after opening the containment chambers of numerous anomalies on site and escaping with several safe-class objects.
- 90°C: [DATA EXPUNGED]. Communication with Site-██ has been lost since 08/24/2018.
Test Log XXXX-13:
The following experiments were conducted with the intention of determining specifics about SCP-XXXX's anomalous properties.
| Test performed | Change in reading | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Trolley Problem is presented to Researcher █████ using D-Class personnel. Researcher █████ chooses to pull the lever, resulting in the termination of the D-Class personnel on the side track. | Reading increased by 0.01°C. | None. |
| Repeat of the test above, except Researcher █████ makes the opposite choice. | Reading increased by 0.05°C. | Further testing of this type suspended to prevent unecessary increase in reading. |
| Researcher ████ consumes approximately 25mg of cannabis while located in Guangzhou, China, where marijuana is not de-criminalized. | No change observed. | None. |
| Researcher ███ terminates D-3013 in the Idaho section of Yellowstone National Park, where one cannot be tried for murder for legal reasons. | Reading increased by 0.01°C. | Proposal to adjust regulations where Foundation sites exist rejected. |
| Agent █████ submits a written resignation, which is then accepted. He proceeds to terminate D-2029. | Reading increased by 0.01°C. | Agent █████ has since been restored to his former position. |
| [DATA EXPUNGED]. Assessment of Site-██'s amnestics supply determined this to be a deliberately-conducted test. | Reading increased by 1.03°C, 1°C higher than expected from the D-Class terminations. | This only accounts for one of the several unexpected increases in reading recorded. |
Addendum XXXX-01:
Attention towards SCP-XXXX was first drawn when Foundation analysis programs noticed news reports containing sensitive information about the █████ government of ███████, including details about a nearly-successful attempt to assassinate ████ ███, the leader of the █████ government.3 Further investigation led to the discovery of the object, which had been mailed to Mr. ███'s home. SCP-XXXX was retrieved from the home of Mr. ███, who was administered Class-C amnestics, on 10/13/2017. At this point, an armed revolution had started with unknown external support, and efforts to suppress it by the █████ government had proven ineffective. The reading of SCP-XXXX was uninfluenced by the Foundation until 12/26/2017, the date of the █████ government's eventual collapse. The anomaly was observed during this time, and hypotheses about its properties were made and later confirmed.
The following note, carefully printed on lined refill paper, was found along with the object, presumably attatched to it when sent:
Hello Mr. ████,
I never knew that leaders like you still existed in this world before that accident in Humanities class. What I found out after some more research definitely shocked me, at the least. To think that people lived under such conditions even today and that all you're doing with your role of leadership is making it worse? I was, and still am, outraged. Your government denies its people any semblance of justice or equality-but I guess it's no use making accusations against the commiter of the crime.
I've never considered myself anything like a hero. I did my best at school, tried to live a decent life, and never showed anyone what I could do. But sometimes, knowing you can, there's just no way you can refuse to help. After 1█ years of purposelessly existing, it's about time I did something for the greater good.
The thing's simple, really. Like any regular thermometer, it measures. It would of course be a bit lame if that's all it did, and I'll leave the rest for you to find out yourself. Is this an attempt to get you to right your wrongs? I don't know. All I know is that I loaded this thing with what's pretty much a summary of my sense of ethics to end your brutal tyranny, and that that's going to happen no matter what. Don't bother trying to trick the thing. Don't bother looking for me either; I'm not dumb enough to have not considered these things.
However this turns out from here, at least I will have helped improve people's lives, and that's all that I really care about.
James █████4
Addendum XXXX-02:
As of 08/19/2019, Mr. ████ has been restored to power in a new government with Foundation assistance. Those involved in the ███████ revolution have been amnesticised. Media coverage of this event was minimal, and no further incidents have been reported.
