Joe4422

SCP-XXXX before acquisition.

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be stored in a containment unit measuring at least 30m x 30m x 30m, and positioned at least 15 meters away from the walls, floor and ceiling of the unit. Outside of testing, SCP-XXXX must be prevented from connecting to both wired and wireless telecommunications signals.

During testing, access to the containment unit is restricted to the test participants only.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a phone booth produced by the Bell System circa 1965, although any identifying information has been abraded. It was formerly located in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on █████ Avenue. City records indicate that SCP-XXXX was installed on July 26th, 1967, with no anomalous properties noted at that time. SCP-XXXX was discovered by the Foundation in 2007, after local hospitals began reporting an unusual amount of sudden-onset intellectual disability among adults.

SCP-XXXX-1 is a telephone dialer and receiver located within SCP-XXXX. Notably, the receiver has been fitted with a so-called “blue box”, hereafter referred to as SCP-XXXX-2. A blue box is a device that was used in the 1960s to 1980s to allow for free long-distance telephone calls; they were eventually rendered obsolete due to evolving technology. Despite this, SCP-XXXX-2 functions as intended, and SCP-XXXX-1 does not charge for phone calls made to any location. Calls made through SCP-XXXX-1, long-distance or otherwise, exhibit no anomalous properties apart from this.

The anomalous properties of SCP-XXXX manifest when an individual suffering from intense childhood trauma comes within fifteen meters of SCP-XXXX-1. At this point, it will begin to ring, and will not cease to do until the individual, hereafter referred to as the target, either answers the phone¹ or moves more than fifteen meters away from SCP-XXXX. If an individual other than the target answers the phone, they will only hear a dial tone; however, if the target answers, they will hear a voice², and immediately mentally regress to a childhood state.

In all known cases, the mental age of individuals affected by SCP-XXXX regresses to that at which they experienced childhood trauma; for long-term trauma, it regresses to the earliest instance. It should be noted that individuals with repressed memories of trauma will be targeted by SCP-XXXX, but will not regress upon answering the phone.

Note: image taken from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phone_booth_at_Trinity_and_Eastern,_2014_11_05_(15540883847).jpg

Footnotes

1. There is no anomalous effect compelling the target to do so.

2. Affected individuals refused to elaborate on its nature.