Per 
Item #: SCP-4564
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-4564 must be kept in a 5x5x5m locked room, currently in Site-██. Due to the objects’ secondary anomalous properties it is recommended that the Site Administrator(s) keep SCP-4564 away from main corridors, to avoid awkward incidents (incident record under construction). It is also recommended that separate instances of SCP-4564 are kept apart (see Addendum 4564.1).
Description: SCP-4564 is a collection of books on the study of languages, labelled:
The Encyclopaedia Satannica
Volume [Arabic number designating the volume number]
[description of language family/origin that said volume covers]
The pages, when read, contain textually small but content-wise huge descriptions of different languages and how to “use” them. Thus far, the Foundation has contained 112 123 copies of SCP-4564, of which 27 28 different “originals” (see Addendum 4564.1) can be found.
SCP-4564 was first brought to the Foundation’s attention after a large number of reports of people coming out of comas and suddenly being able to speak a new language fluently, while having however lost the ability to speak their mother tongue. After a dispatch team recovered the Foundation’s first copy - “Volume 5 - Terran Languages, Europe.” - on a nightstand in [DATA EXPUNGED], the Republic of Karelia, Russian Federation, instances have been discovered in seemingly random places, however they are all places where books would be kept.
Dispatch Team Butterfly Twelve leader ████ has been put on temporary leave after reading Volume Five multiple times and suffering from ‘a banging headache’.
SCP-4564’s anomalous properties are as follows - opening a volume and reading below the title causes a cognitive shift, causing the subject to lose the ability to speak the tongue they use the most often and become fluent in the language stated in the title. SCP-4564 has also shown the ability to detect what language the next reader uses most and changes its text based on this.
The aforementioned effects can cause adverse effects to the subject - nausea, confusion, memory loss of up to a day, loss of consciousness and, on rare occasions, becoming comatose are among the effects. Reading a page, however, has not proven to be seriously dangerous and, as per Addendum 4564.2, use of 4564 for translation and communication by staff is allowed when approved by a member of staff with security clearance of level three (3) or higher, however use of books describing extra-terrestrial languages requires approval by a member of staff holding a security clearance of level four (4) or higher, as alien languages are often damaging to the brain, body and vocal chords to speak.
The objects will also manipulate a subjects senses when within 10m of an instance to encourage them to read a volume. This is a serious concern as a member of a team re-containing an instance of SCP-008 was distracted as he entered SCP-4564’s room, indirectly causing a loss of ██ personnel and 3 D-Class personnel. Reclassification to Euclid, however, has not been brought into consideration, as the objects do not make any attempt to breach containment, active or passive.
Classification as an info/cognito hazard is yet to be passed, as its effects appear to fit in neither category.
Further effects are described in the addendums.
Addendum 4564.1: Volumes of SCP-4564 have shown themselves to ‘share’ data while in direct physical contact with each other, and have been known to move towards each other in order to achieve this. Visual examinations show titles of copies to be indecipherable during the transfer of this data, and one participating instance to gain pages, and the other to lose them, until eventually the latter instance becomes an empty cover, and the former becoming much larger. Examination of the inside of copies in this between-state has ranging results, however the examiner spoke incoherently, thereafter 10% of subjects experienced a fatal seizure, and 90% turned comatose.
Addendum 4564.2: The O5 Command has permitted the use of instances of SCP-4564 to aid translation and communication. Use of Medieval French in the “Historical Languages of Europe” volume in order to communicate with SCP-049 more efficiently, however, are not allowed, as SCP-049 [DATA EXPUNGED] the late Dr. ███ when this was attempted.
Addendum 4564.3: Yes, while SCP-4564 is likely to be of extra-terrestrial origin, we are not going to assume anything until we find solid evidence. Therefore, testing with sentient extra-terrestrial SCPs has been permitted, in order to further understand the origin of these objects, so please stop thinking you’ve had a genius breakthrough and breaking down the door to Dr. █████’s office to tell her you think that 4564 might be extra-terrestrial or sentient or both, she has enough on her plate and doesn’t have the time nor funds to be fixing that door.
Oh come on, that only happened twice and one time Junior Researcher ███████ was under the influence of SCP-420-J as prescribed by the on-site physician.
You know how I feel about 420-J don’t you, ████?
Okay sorry! Chill! [EXPLETIVE DELETED].
Addendum 4564.4: The O5 Command has banned use of SCP-4564 as a translator for Minecraft Enchantment Tables due to fatal pronunciation errors causing the death of Senior Researcher ████. All those involved have been reprimanded and Minecraft has been blocked from all foundation computers and phones on the Site.
