CenterPiece

Item #: XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be stored in a safe-class standard containment unit on floor ██ of the primary containment facility at Site-21. Access to SCP-XXXX requires level-4 or higher security clearance. Handling or removal of the item from containment is recommended only in the case of a local breach or hostile infiltration of the Site-21 compound.

Under no circumstances are batteries, open circuitry, or wireless power transfer devices to be allowed on floor ██ or in the immediate vicinity of SCP-XXXX's containment unit.

As of 03/26/20██, testing of SCP-XXXX on human subjects has been discontinued indefinitely by the presiding researcher, Dr. Vega, due to the unintended deaths of D-4250 and Senior Researcher Carlisle. Two weeks after this announcement, Dr. Vega issued a directive extending this discontinuation to include all tests; this has similarly remained in effect since then. (See: Test Log XXXX-██)

Description: SCP-XXXX resembles a high-powered floodlight intended for use in riot control situations, utilizing physically impossible levels of extreme brightness as a combat deterrent. In design, SCP-XXXX is similar to the LRAD Soundcannon (Long Range Acoustic Device), an apparatus meant to subdue riots by projecting painfully high-volume sound waves at crowds of people. The anomalous object is assumed by researchers to have been designed in imitation of this device, only with light intensity as the primary deterrent.

The core of SCP-XXXX from which its light is emitted is composed of six internal panels, each bearing 450 to 500 bulbs, fitted for abnormally high voltage, arranged in a tight hexagonal pattern and surrounded by a half-meter thick heat-resistant titanium housing. A rotational mount placed at the bottom of the housing allows for the item to be attached to the top of a standard riot control vehicle.

At the back of the housing is a small, featureless port resembling an outlet. When any form of power storage is placed in direct contact with it and activated via a switch adjacent to the port, a high-energy beam is emitted from the front of SCP-XXXX; due to the specific placement of reflectors within the housing unit, this is projected as a highly concentrated and intense shaft of light. Upon activation, brightness originally resembles the normal luminous intensity of a spotlight, but increases exponentially until reaching a critical point at which it levels off, roughly at ███████ lumens/square meter. Although this brightness is comparable to that of [REDACTED], it appears to only affect those caught in the narrow area of projection.

While the general limit on man-made projectors of this size is approximately 100,000 lumens/square meter, it is presumed that SCP-XXXX is able to exceed this through its anomalous conversion of energy. If the power source holds at least 2 volts of electricity, approximately the output of a single AA battery, SCP-XXXX is able to reach its critical point of brightness, regardless of the nature of the source.
In order to test this hypothesis on larger scales, a 20██ study of SCP-XXXX's maximum illumination capacity was carried out in which the device was supplied 20% of the voltage produced by the power grid of █████, Ohio. The device reached the supposed critical point within 45 seconds, and sustained this luminous intensity for ████ days, after which the experiment was concluded due to local civilian concern over frequent power outages.

The primary effect of this intensity on organisms, and especially humans, is neurological. The intense heat and brightness produced by the device results in the evaporation of the cerebral-spinal fluid suspending the brain, deterioration of much of the spinal cord and brain stem, as well as the shrinking and lysis of a majority of brain cells due to severe dehydration. This secondary anomalous effect is inflicted almost entirely by way of photons and heat entering through the eyes, as the skull is able to block out most heat and luminosity.

The psychological and physical effects brought about by SCP-XXXX's deterioration of the subject's brain and body are not entirely understood by researchers; however, these effects appear to vary widely depending on the duration of one's exposure. Note that the exposure times listed below and their associated effects are estimates, based upon ██ total tests of D-class subjects conducted since 20██:

• 0-5 seconds: Subjects experience mild burns which often develop into permanent scars; some eye damage and insignificant brain damage; otherwise unscathed.
• 5-15 seconds: Subjects experience severe burns across a majority of the skin, leaving the outer layers shredded away, with permanent burn scars forming across all affected areas; all movement and touch following exposure is reported by subjects to be excruciatingly painful, and sleep of more than 30 minutes becomes nearly impossible without high-strength sleep aids provided by the Foundation. A residual, but piercingly loud ringing noise is reported by subjects to continue throughout and after exposure. Most subjects at this stage do not experience total blindness; however, vision becomes permanently flooded with light in a way that inflicts near-blindness, causing subjects extreme discomfort and rendering daily tasks impractical to perform without significant assistance. In addition, the eyelids of subjects are frayed off by heat exposure, making blinking or wetting the eyes impossible without the aid of eye drops and skin grafting.
• 15-30 seconds: Along with the above effects, subjects experience keen psychological damage; most regions of the brain are shrunk significantly by exposure, leaving all sensory organs incapable of sending or receiving most nerve information. High-level brain function and communication skills are severely inhibited. As reported by subjects, the internal ringing sensation of previous D-class personnel becomes a deafening roar of noise, produced by increased activity in the auditory cortex. Skin, bone, and muscle are fully deteriorated, leaving the subject with the texture of heated plastic, and an appearance consistent with that of SCP-███. Physical function is limited to slight motions of the fingers and eyes.
• >30 seconds: Beyond this threshold, communication attempts with subjects become unsustainable, and all physical function requiring muscle and bone ceases. To date, no information has been extracted from the ██ subjects of this nature, and all interrogation efforts have been canceled. Monitorization of brain activity, however, shows constant activation of the auditory cortex, and intermittent activation of the visual cortex. Through the limited, incremental jerks and movements of subjects, it is assumed by researchers that D-Class personnel of this nature experience consistent extreme pain and psychological discomfort.

SCP-XXXX was initially retrieved on ██/██/20██ by a Foundation agent working undercover within the Chicago Police Department. Following a string of violent robberies, three suspects held in police custody were hospitalized under suspicious circumstances for severe burn injuries, blindness, and permanent brain damage. All three were found unresponsive when questioned.

In the weeks following, SCP-XXXX was listed in police records as decommissioned on account of hazardous voltage levels; no description of the nature of SCP-XXXX was given, other than a listed voltage of "N/A". This prompted Agent P████ to recover the object prior to its disassembly and submit it to the Foundation for investigation.

Further inquiry into Chicago PD records has yielded little information regarding the origin of SCP-XXXX. However, an audit of a former engineer working as an independent contractor for the department revealed an assignment to riot control research and development at the time of Foundation intervention. This person of interest ended his contractual obligations early following the recovery of SCP-XXXX, and was found dead of [DATA EXPUNGED] in 20██.

Addendum XXXX-A: On 3/02/20██, Test XXXX-██ was approved and conducted by Senior Researcher Carlisle, on subject D-4250. This event resulted in the unintentional incapacitation and deaths of both individuals. The transcript of test log ██ follows below, captured by partly damaged microphones placed in the testing chamber:

[Researcher Carlisle enters with D-4250 and prepares to restrain subject to the testing chair, Researcher activates testing microphone]
Carlisle: ..and once it is activated you will feel mild discomfort and visual hallucinations. Under no circumstances will you attempt to remove the restraints, or—
[Researcher Carlisle is cut short as SCP-XXXX activates prematurely. The door to the testing chamber has locked, and frantic attempts to open it prove unsuccessful. Researcher begins hyperventilating and attempting to destroy the automatic lock on the chamber door]
D-4250: Oh fucking Christ, my skin is burning! What are you fucking doing, open the goddamn door, you greasy cunt!
[Researcher attempts to respond; D-4250 and Researcher Carlisle lose speaking ability, presumably due to the evaporation of saliva and destruction of skin cells in the mouth by SCP-XXXX. D-4250 and Researcher Carlisle vocalize solely through screams and shouting from this point forward.]
[At 9 seconds from activation, Dr. Vega, who was overseeing testing from outside the chamber, attempts to deactivate SCP-XXXX, and open the reinforced door of the testing chamber. Both attempts fail.]
[At 12 seconds from activation, the security team presiding over test-██ attempts to set up an explosive device to breach the testing chamber. Dr. Vega immediately orders staff not to attempt a breach.]
[Screams and sounds of struggle continue from the inside of the testing chamber for approximately 2 minutes; beyond this point, all vocalizations cease and both individuals are presumed fully incapacitated.]
[End of transcript.]

SCP-XXXX continued to draw power from the Site-21 generators for at least ██ hours. Upon deactivation, personnel entered to recover D-4250 and Senior Researcher Carlisle. Dr. Vega, upon entering the chamber, immediately recused himself and vomited on the floor outside the testing chamber, attributing the lapse in professionalism to the "rotten stench of boiling meat" present in the chamber. Both individuals were found alive and conscious.

After a medical examination by on-site staff, D-4250 and Research Carlisle were found to be entirely deprived of all senses, except for that of touch and physical pain, owing to the intact parietal lobe of the brain. Both individuals were determined to be unfit to support themselves or make any physical movements, and the entirety of the subjects' bodies were blackened with burn scars.

Two hours following recovery of subjects, Dr. Vega ordered the immediate termination of both D-4250 and Researcher Carlisle. Following a thorough investigation of Test XXXX-██, this action was retroactively approved by 05 Council. Cause of incident was determined to be a power outage originating from elsewhere in Site-21; SCP-XXXX, which was connected to the Site power supply at the time, was able to utilize backup generators to sustain critical luminosity.

Dr. Vega was cleared of liability for the events of test XXXX-██.

Addendum XXXX-B: On 05/17/20██, Dr. Vega was found unresponsive in his office by a team of medical staff, and subsequently pronounced dead by method of [DATA EXPUNGED] at 3:17 PM. The position of presiding office was thereafter assumed by Senior Researcher Gomez, who issued the immediate executive decision to maintain discontinuation of SCP-XXXX testing. This directive is effective indefinitely as of the publication of this report.

Addendum XXXX-C: Prior to the death of Dr. Vega, the group of researchers assigned to SCP-XXXX requested the 05 Council to authorize termination of all prior test subjects displaying no higher brain function. Up to the date of request, these individuals had been held in humanoid containment at Site-21 for further testing of exposure effects. As of the publication of this report, this request is pending approved.