Dr H
rating: 0+x
blackhourglass1.jpg

SCP-####

Item #: SCP-####

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-#### and Dr. Elijah Licht are to be contained in a humanoid habitation cell in the isolation wing of Site-19. Requests for amenities made by Dr. Licht are to be granted within reason. No organism larger than 3 mm is to be within 10 m the containment cell outside of testing.

Description: SCP-#### creates a temporal anomaly altering the flow of time experienced by macroscopic life larger than 3 mm within a radius of approximately 10 m. SCP-#### is a polyhedron resembling an hourglass in shape and is 18 cm tall and 9 cm at its widest point. Its outer layer is comprised of a black, metallic substance of unknown origin. The inner composition is currently unknown.

SCP-#### will activate when an organism larger than 3 mm comes within 10 m of the object for more than 5 seconds. Upon activation, SCP-#### will emit several clicks, followed by a low droning sound and other mechanical noises before rapidly expanding to approximately twice its normal dimensions and partially exposing the interior of the rectangular prism at its center. While active, SCP-#### will emit a luminous blue light.

Any creature within 10 m of SCP-#### while it is active will leap forward in time, reappearing in a location where they will exist in the future and aging accordingly. SCP-#### will remain active for a period of 5 seconds after initial activation. After this period ends, SCP-#### will contract and return to its inert state.

SCP-#### has proved impossible to move farther than 1 m from Dr. Licht, regardless of how much force is applied. It is currently unknown if it is possible to remove SCP-#### without physically damaging Dr. Licht.

Recovery: Foundation staff present reported seeing a bright flash of blue light and hearing a loud explosion originating from a point approximately 100 m above Site-19 on 08-07-2008. SCP-#### was then discovered to have crashed through the roof of the facility. Salvaged surveillance and satellite footage show what appeared to be a brief instance of extreme gravitational lensing1at the anomaly's epicenter.

SCP-#### landed roughly 2m from research staff Dr. Elijah Licht, Dr. Dustin Foster, and research assistant Olivia Brooks. Dr. Licht was nearest to the impact and suffered minor scrapes and bruising. The object was then observed to slowly move through the air and position itself 1m from Dr. Licht. 5 seconds later, SCP-#### activated, causing Dr. Foster and Brooks to disappear. Remains with genetic matches to theirs were discovered in Site-19's personnel mortuary. The remains were unmarked and showed advanced stages of decay. After examining the crash site to confirm it was not hazardous, Dr. Licht and SCP-#### were escorted by an armed on-site containment team to a standard humanoid containment cell to await examination.

Addendum ####-01: Recorded Interview-1

At the request of Dr. Licht, he has been provided with a qualified staff psychologist to discuss his mental state.

The following is a transcript of an interview conducted by Dr. David Lachman remotely with Dr. Licht one month after the recovery of SCP-####:

[BEGIN LOG]

Dr. Lachman: Hello Dr. Licht, how are you doing today?

Dr. Licht: If I'm being honest, not well.

Dr. Lachman: Well that's understandable. I assume the enforced isolation due to your, well, condition- has been difficult.

Dr. Licht: Well yes, I suppose I am beginning to miss my family and friends. Being stuck in what is essentially solitary confinement has been somewhat taxing. However, that's not the only thing that's been weighing on me.

Dr. Lachman: Okay, in that case, what's the matter?

Dr. Licht: …Have you seen what this thing has done?

Dr. Lachman: Well, no-

Dr. Licht: I was shown photos shortly after they found the bodies. They wanted to know if I could describe what happened. As far as I was concerned, one second they were there, and the next they weren't. I didn't know until later what happened…I don't know if you can imagine what they looked like. They were just…gone. And yet, for some reason, I'm still here.

Dr. Lachman: Do you feel guilty for their deaths?

Dr. Licht: No, it's just…why? Why am I still here?

Dr. Lachman: I understand what you must be feeling-

Dr. Licht: Can you? Can you understand what it was like to see the bodies of the people you called friends turned to little more than bones and yet you walk away with little more than scratches? Can you understand the confusion when trying to understand why they died and you didn't? Can you understand what it's like to be locked up, alone with those thoughts, without even the comfort of work or others to distract you? [pauses] I know…people die everyday, especially in our line of work. But I knew them. I'd worked with them for years. I knew they had family, ambitions, futures. But that's all meaningless now. Their deaths were pointless.

[Dr. Lachman is silent]

Dr. Licht: I apologize-

Dr. Lachman: No- it's fine. If anything, I'm glad you could share that…Would you like to continue discussing it?

Dr. Licht: I'd like to change the subject, if it's all the same to you.

Dr. Lachman: Well then, [clears throat] I hear you've been looking for a way to remove SCP-####.

Dr. Licht: [nods] No matter what I try though, the damn thing won't budge. I've considered asking for the amputation of a limb…just as a last resort. If what I hope happens, and it stays hovering by the limb, I might be able to get my life back…

Dr. Lachman: I don't think amputation will be necessary- I'm sure if you and the research team work together you will find a way to remove #### without bodily harm.

Dr. Licht: But what if I can't? What if this is how it's going to be forever?

Dr. Lachman: I can't provide assurance that won't be the case…

[silence for 11 seconds]

Dr. Licht: I used to dream of making a difference you know. That's why I came here, I wanted to help people, to make a difference in the lives of others. But I suppose none of that matters now. I'm probably going to be stuck in this cell for the rest of my life. I just- I want this thing gone. I want things to go back to the way they were.

Dr. Lachman: I realize this is little consolation, but perhaps trying to regain some sense of control or normalcy would be best thing for you right now. Maybe you could begin working with the research team to examine ####. If anything, it could accelerate your progress to finding a way to remove #### that doesn't involve amputation.

Dr. Licht: You really think there's a way to remove this thing?

Dr. Lachman: I think it's too early to be giving up hope.

[END LOG]

Dr. Lachman recommends routine interviews for the purpose of psychological evaluation.

Addendum ####-02: Several tests have been conducted with D-class personnel, all of which have had the subject vanish upon activation of SCP-####. Remains have been consistently found at facilities primarily used for the disposal of diseased D-class personnel. Upon examination, the remains of subjects affected by SCP-#### have been shown to have aged between 350 to 400 years after time of death.

Addendum ####-03: Incident Regarding ####-A

During an undocumented independent examination, Dr. Licht discovered SCP-#### possessed a hexagonal depressible point at the center of its top. This point has been designated ####-A. On 09-17-2008, Dr. Licht made unsupervised contact with ####-A. Surveillance showed SCP-#### activating at a faster rate than had been previously observed. Dr. Licht then proceeded to teleport the full length of the containment cell.

Addendum ####-04: Extratemporality

It has been determined that SCP-#### possesses a secondary function which allows an individual to exist and move outside the normal flow of time. Results of extended testing conducted on 09-20-2008 have confirmed that SCP-#### will not activate its normal anomalous effect while creating an extratemporal event.

Addendum ####-05: Recorded Interview-2

The following is a transcript of a remote interview conducted on 10-22-2008.

[BEGIN LOG]

Dr. Lachman: Hello again Elijah, how have you been?

Dr. Licht: Better.

Dr. Lachman: Well that's good to hear. Today, I'd like to start off by asking you about your first experience using ####-A.

[Dr. Licht is silent]

Dr. Lachman: We don't have to talk about it if you don't want, I just think it's time we addressed-

Dr. Licht: No, it's fine. I knew I was going to have to talk about it eventually. [pauses] I was in there for what felt like days, so you can imagine my surprise when they told me no time had passed at all. I was still in my containment cell…but there wasn’t any light or sound. The only light source I could see was the blue glow coming from the center of ####, and even that was just barely bright enough to illuminate the walls of the room. It didn't take me long to realize that I was the only thing still affected by gravity as well. [breathes deeply] I waited…for a sign…something resembling an afterlife…anything. I cursed myself. I was too eager, too desperate, too hopeful. I suppose that's when it hit me. Nothing…no one…was coming to help me. In a strange way, [chuckles] that was what made me realize that if I was going to die, I wasn't going to let it be there, like that. I found myself thinking that I wasn't just going to sit there and do nothing. That’s when I decided to contact ####-A again. As soon as I did, the room filled with light, and everything was back to normal.

Dr. Lachman: [takes notes] Considering that experience, has it been hard using ####-A again?

Dr. Licht: I'm starting to get used to the feeling…

Dr. Lachman: Well, in any case, this discovery you've made could prove very useful.

Dr. Licht: What do you mean?

Dr. Lachman: Just think of the data you could collect, the things you could observe while time is stopped. By utilizing ####-A, you could be invaluable to the Foundation, to the work we do. Isn't that something you want?

Dr. Licht: Before all of this happened, I would’ve been excited by that…but I can't. Every time I'm in there, Lachman, I can hear them. They scream at me, ridiculing me for using the very thing that killed them. I know they’re just in my head, but still, they’re right.

Dr. Lachman: I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have suggested something so grand while you were still mourning over your colleagues. I suppose I was just getting ahead of myself. Will you at least consider what I said though?

Dr. Licht: [appears to think for a moment] Alright, fine. As thanks to a friend, I’ll keep it in mind.

Dr. Lachman: Friend?

Dr. Licht: Not many people, especially here, would put up with what I’ve been going through for this long. So yeah, friend.

[END LOG]

Addendum ####-06: Recorded Interview-3

Site-19 suffered a large scale containment failure unrelated to SCP-#### on 01-13-2009 resulting in loss of containment for multiple Keter and Euclid class objects. During the containment failure, Dr. Licht utilized SCP-####-A's effect to move site personnel to secure areas, as well as re-contain several anomalies. These actions resulted in no loss of life for site personnel. On-site security personnel and MTF Epsilon-11 were subsequently able to restore containment integrity.

The following is a transcript of an interview conducted by Dr. Lachman remotely with Dr. Licht following the containment breach on 01-13-2009.

[BEGIN LOG]

Dr. Lachman: Hello Elijah, I'm glad to see you're doing alright.

Dr. Licht: Same to you Lachman.

Dr. Lachman: So I assume you know what this interview is going to be about.

Dr. Licht: The containment breach?

Dr. Lachman: That's correct.

Dr. Licht: Well I figured. Look, I just did what I thought was right at the time. I've worked for years with these people. I mean…I couldn't just do nothing.

Dr. Lachman: Well, it seems to me that you were put into a situation that forced you to have a breakthrough.

Dr. Licht: I wouldn't call it that. I was still reluctant to use ####-A, even if it was for a good reason…I'm not proud of that.

Dr. Lachman: And why is that?

Dr. Licht: Because as much as I don't want to, I understand what you mean. I understand that I shouldn't feel guilty about what happened to Foster and Brooks, and I definitely shouldn't feel guilty about using ####-A, but the fact remains that I do. I nearly panicked and ran away that day, but I did what I did because I didn't want the deaths of anymore people on my conscience. I was just being selfish…

Dr. Lachman: …If you truly insist on it, you are justified that your actions were only in self interest. However, you have been given something special Elijah, the ability to prevent what happened to your colleagues from happening again. [puts down pen and clipboard] You'll have to pardon me for perhaps being overly symbolic, but to me, #### has always been somewhat of a physical manifestation of your unfortunate circumstance. But just as with any tragedy, you can decide to allow this thing to consume you or to allow yourself to continue living. Just as you decided that you weren't going to resign yourself to sit in the darkness forever when you first used ####-A, and when you decided to act as you did during the containment breach. You could have simply escaped, but instead you chose help the others. I believe that means something.

Dr. Licht: [exhales] …Sometimes I wish you weren't so good at your job. And while that whole symbolism bit was somewhat of a stretch, perhaps you're more right than I've been willing to admit. I've spent so long lamenting over the fact that I was in this situation, that I suppose I stopped looking for ways out. I still can't quite forgive myself, as irrational as that may be…but maybe I have a reason to still be here, and maybe I can start learning to accept this thing. [gestures at SCP-####]

Dr. Lachman: That's the spirit. Regardless of what you decide to do next, I'm glad to see you've made such great progress.

Dr. Licht: Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm still being contained as an anomaly. Even if I wanted to resume research on things other than ####, it's unlikely I'd ever be let out of my cell.

Dr. Lachman: Perhaps I could help with that.

Dr. Licht: You'd do that?

Dr. Lachman: Of course. I can't promise much, but I'll see what I can do.

Dr. Licht: [chuckles] You're a good man Lachman. If they let me out of here I'll make sure to thank you in person, from as close as I can get at least.

Dr. Lachman: I'll look forward to it.

[END LOG]

Addendum ####-07: [REDACTED]

[INPUT LEVEL 5/#### SECURITY CREDENTIALS]


(List Pages Magic)


[CREDENTIALS APPROVED]

Item #: SCP-####

Object Class: Thaumiel

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-#### and Dr. Elijah Licht are to be contained in a humanoid habitation cell in the isolation wing of Site-19. Requests for amenities are to be granted within reason. No organism larger than 3 mm is to be within 10 m the containment cell outside of testing. ##blue | In the event that Site-19's containment integrity fails, Dr. Licht is to be notified along with appropriate MTFs. The doors to SCP-XXXX and Dr. Licht's cell are to be opened in tandem with the alarm being tripped.(or something)

Description: In the event of a large scale containment failure at Site-19, SCP-####'s extratemporal effect is to be utilized. During extratemporality, Dr. Licht is to transport all staff present to a secure bunker located beneath Site-19.

Once personnel safety is secured, Dr. Licht is to return anomalies outside of containment which can be physically interacted with to their cells. Due to the risk involved, inflicting damage to anomalies during extratemporality is prohibited. As of March 5, 2021, SCP-#### and Dr. Licht have reduced personnel casualties at Site-19 by 91 percent.

rating: 0+x