Joshrogan

Jaws of Death

Item # SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is held in a large storage locker at Site-47
As per standard operating procedures for Site-47 the container is dual-locked by a mechanical key lock and a combination keypad lock. The key is never to be held by an operative who knows the keypad code and vice versa. This ensures that two members of staff are required to access SCP-XXXX

Though XXXX has lethal potential the parameters for "activation" are sufficiently narrow that the chances of accidental death and negligible

Description: SCP-XXXX is ostensibly a standard "Hurst ML-40" hydraulic power cutter. A separate petrol generator provides hydraulic compression, delivering approximately fifty-seven (57) kilo-newtons of shearing force between the blades. This is within the bounds of what would be considered typical for a tool of this model.

On arrival XXXX had some dirt and grime on its surface as a result of usage. It is a relatively new model and on inspection it was found to be structurally in good condition.

There is a large numeral "2" on one side of the body of XXXX, rendered in yellow paint by the previous owners

If the hydraulic cutter is used in its intended manner SCP-XXXX has the affect of causing the person using it to die approximately one week later.

The mechanism by which XXXX causes death is unknown. Testing is currently halted pending review of data already gathered.

Acquisition: Research operatives data-scanning found an internal email within the human resources department of The London Fire Brigade. Amongst other topics the email outlines above average rates of death of firefighters, at one of their metropolitan stations. The information gathered was sufficiently indicative of anomalous activity for Foundation operatives to investigate under the guise of being health and safety inspectors.

+ DOCUMENT-SCP-5555-A

Excerpt of internal email gathered from London Fire Brigade mail servers

…
I appreciate that it's a dangerous job but the attrition is way beyond average. The datasets that are made public only cover deaths “on the job”, which are on par with the mean for the city, but the number of off-duty deaths are at least four times what they are in any other borrough. They're dropping like flies! Staffing levels at the station are borderline at best and they aren't getting the recruits they need to fill the gaps. We've upped their allocation from the academy but at this rate that's not going to cut it, we need to start reassigning staff from other stations to cover the shortfall or some day there’s going to big a big incident and they're going to be swamped, and then the whole Brigade will be all over the front page
…

+ DOCUMENT-SCP-5555-B

Excerpt from report on deaths of station staff over a four month period – gathered from LFB file servers

…
17/4/2013 – J. Borden (36) – 11 years service – Heart attack

22/5/2013 – D. Austin (41) – 17 years service – Fall from roof

07/06/2013 – t. Marshall (26) – 4 years service – electrocution

09/06/2013 – f.Bruce (29) – 5 years service – road traffic accident

24/08/2013 – B. Davis (34) – 11 years service – drowning
…

Foundation operatives arrived at the site of the fire station and carried out informal interviews with the staff present. They stated that their purpose was to ascertain the morale and emotional state of the staff following the death of so many of their colleges, and to see what pastoral care London Fire Brigade could offer.

Document-SCP-5555-C: Extract from a report submitted by one of the interviewing operatives.

Much of what was said by the firemen etc, was irrelevant.
Initially they seemed cagey.
There were a few mentions of "bad luck".
Then someone said "curse".
It seemed that there was some superstition at the station.
Each of the staff who had died recently had apparently used a certain piece of equipment before they died.
Once I had this information I was able to question others more directly.
Apparently it's a hydraulic cutter, they use it for cutting people out of wrecked vehicles.
Many of the staff were reluctant or unwilling to use it.
The station has four cutters.
They have numbers painted on to identify them.
They were able to tell me which one the felt was "unlucky"; Number "2".
I told them we would take it away.
Pretended to pretend we thought it was faulty.
Winked.
Hinted we were removing it for morale.
They seemed happy to see it go.

Records are kept by the station regarding all call-outs the station makes, including the signing in and out of equipment. These records confirm that SCP-5555 was used on dates precisely one week before the death of a member of station staff.

The station chief was able to locate an order form and chit for the dispatch and delivery of three hydraulic cutters. He was unable to explain the presence of a fourth.
It is unclear at which point in the supply line a fourth cutter was introduced or by who.

Testing

Testing has confirmed that the anomalous property of SCP-5555 only occurs if it is used to save a life. If it's use by the subject was not instrumental in preventing death then there is no effect. As such the device may be used quite safely as a general heavy-work tool, though this is not generally permitted.

Testing of SCP-5555 was overseen by Dr. Hopkins
An overview of his initial findings follows.

03/11/13 D-7534 is given 5555 and instructed to cut through part of a door removed from a scrapped car. D-7534 is then placed under observation for a week
Result: D-7534 lives beyond a week with no ill effects

12/11/13: D-7534 is given 5555 and instructed to cut through the door of an intact car. D-7534 is then kept under observation got a week
Result: D-7534 lives beyond a week with no ill effects

20/11/13: D-7534 is given 5555 and instructed to cut through the door and roof of a locked car while D-2884 sits inside. D-7534 observed for a week
Result: D-7534 lives beyond a week.

Addendum 1:

The nature of this supposed anomaly requires a waiting time of a full week before any results can be obtained. The delay in progress is frustrating to say the least. I hereby request permission to carry out tests in parallel rather than waiting until each is completed to begin another. - Dr. Hopkins

25/11/13: a small fire is set within a car. D-7534 is instructed to cut through the door of the car and put out the fire with a small extinguisher
Result: No effect

26/11/13: D-2884 is bound inside a car, the doors are locked and welded, preventing him from escape. D-7316 is instructed to cut through the door and free D-2884
Result: No effect

27/11/13: D-5421 is rendered unconscious through sedation and placed inside a car. The car is then set on fire. D-9825 is instructed to cut through the door and rescue D-5421
Result: D-9825 dies one week later (tripped in the canteen and landed in a fork, succumbed to concurrent injuries)

28/11/13: D-7842 is bound inside of a car which is locked and welded. Car is set on fire. D-4211 is instructed to use the cutters to free and rescue D-7842
Result: D-4211 dies one week later (aneurism)

30/11/13: D-9077 is bound inside of a car which is locked and welded. D-9077 not sedated. Car is set on fire. D-8821 is instructed to cut into the car and rescue D-9077
D-8821 refuses to rescue D-9077. Stands watching the car burn becoming excited. Refuses to intervene even under threat of execution.
Testing assistant C uses 5555 to cut the car open and remove trapped D-class
Result: D-9077 dies from effects of smoke inhalation
D-8821 terminated on site
Testing assistant C dies one week later (fall down stairs)

01/11/13: D-class subject sealed in burning car. D-6467 uses SCP to rescue. D-6467 then observed in solitary confinement with only a bed. Meals delivered through hatch
Result: One week later D-6467 asphyxiates under his bedding, apparently by accident

2/11/13: Test repeated with burning car. Subject D-4442 uses cutters to rescue. Observed in empty confinement.
Result: Chokes to death one week later (small bone in fish pie)

At last! I had begun to believe I was wasting my time product testing a pedestrian power tool, but finally the anomaly is clear and the real learning can begin! - Dr. Hopkins

Further testing focused on attempts to determine the mechanism by which SCP-XXXX causes death

One of my associates suggested that perhaps the tool is sentient and has the ability to alter reality, or perhaps is the tool of some external reality altering force. One of my assistants suggested that the device was haunted by the ghost of a disgruntled fireman, invisibly tripping his erstwhile colleagues down the stairs. Possibly the cutter has some kind of telepathic ability to affect behaviour, causing death, like some kind of malicious placebo effect. Maybe we're dealing with something intra-dimensional, or extra-terrestrial?
My feeling is that a trade is made. It's very old fashioned, somewhat Old Testament. A life is saved and a life is taken. Payment is given for services rendered.

In the following months subjects were tested under a variety of conditions. Subjects and SCP-XXXX were then contained and monitored for EM, infra-red, microwave, x-ray, audio-visual, and mass spectrum readings, to determine how the two were bound

No insight was gained. Testing is currently halted and the research team have been reassigned

I agree that the magical death scissors are fascinating, yes. But D-class subjects don't grow on trees, and all those cars aren't cheap. And no new progress. I see no way in which further testing is profitable. It's not like there's any practical application for the thing. It's time to stop throwing good scrap after bad and move onto something else - Dr. Gregory

Addendum

The cutter itself was initially designated 5555-1. The petrol generator which powers it was 5555-2.
Testing has shown that 5555-2 can be used with alternate cutters in the same way without any effect
5555-1 can be used with any alternative petrol generator and it's lethal effect remains.
Following repeat tests it is apparent that the generator has no anomalous properties and can be replaced or repurposed as needed
5555-1 has been redesignated as 5555

Tarka

Item #: SCP-5???

Object Class: Safe

Description:
SCP-5??? Appears to be an animal of the mustelidae family, resembling a stoat or polecat.
Approximately 90 centimeters in length from nose to tail. Chestnut brown fur, a long body and short limbs.
SCP-5??? has been seen to move quickly but within the range of what would be expected for an animal of its type. Indeed outwardly 5??? appears to be an entirely normal mammal.
The anomaly which makes it interesting to the Foundation is its apparent ability to disappear completely through some unknown means.
Subject has never been observed to be aggressive, although observations have been minimal at this time

Acquisition:
The first sighting of SCP-5??? was reported on Foundation property, in the staff canteen of the UK-SW site in Devon, England.
Staff there were surprised and amused to see the animal but weren't quick enough to catch and remove the animal. SCP-5??? was seen a few more times over the following days before someone was able to shut it in a room from which it could not escape. Armed with a tablecloth, box and thick gloves staff opened the room with the intent of catching and removing the animal but found it absent.
At this time it is unknown how it escaped from the room; whether by teleportation, travel to another time or dimension, or by phasing through the walls

Containment protocol:
At this time subject is not contained, although it is believed to stll be on the site and has been observed since
As we do not currently know how SCP-5??? travels from place to place we are unsure of how to effectively contain it
It has never shown any aggressive or destructive behaviour, but if it is able to travel at will within the site there is the risk of it bypassing security measures and interacting with certain key SCPs present, and or chewing through various pieces of important wiring. As such containment of SCP-5??? is considered important but not priority

Addendum 1.0
The mechanism of SCP-5???s movement has been ascertained.
Subject was spotted in testing room C-3 where SCP-████ was being observed consuming [REDACTED]
SCP-5??? was approached by a member of testing staff where it was observed to “disappear”
Concurrent with testing protocol for SCP-████ room C-3 had its infrared cameras operating. On viewing the footage from the cameras 5??? could be seen within the room throughout. It entered with one of the science team observing and left with them too. It seems that the animal doesn't travel in any anomalous way, instead it's apparent ability is to become invisible to the eye, as some form of highly advanced camouflage. When cornered or trapped it simply becomes un-seeable and waits for an opportunity to sneak out.

This provides us with a simple plan for how to catch SCP-5???, Using heat sensors to locate it. Once caught containment should be no more difficult than containing any other small mammal, so long as all staff remember to close doors behind them

Addendum 1.5

SCP-5??? was captured in a net in the refectory. It was eating porridge oats at the time it was spotted and quickly vanished. Hand-held heat imaging devices were effective in locating it and it was taken to low level containment G for observation.

Addendum 2.0

SCP-5??? was sedated by means of gaseous anesthesia. Once unconscious the animal's camouflage ceased and it became entirely visible.
Iwas studied in hopes of discovering the mechanism by which it shield itself from view, in hopes that this technology could be replicated for further use.
Vivisection resulted in the death of SCP-5???. It may now be registered as deceased
Autopsy has been able to confirm that 5??? was an otter.

Russian Revolver

SCP-XXXX
Class - Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is currently held at Site-47.
It is kept a small padlocked gun case. The gun case is in turn kept inside a standard safe-item storage locker.
The codes to open both the locker and case are only known to Dr. Howard who is currently leading the research team.

SCP-XXXX is not to be removed from its case outside of a testing 'at any time'.

XXXX is a cognitohazard. It's anomalous effect is triggered on sight. Anyone viewing the SCP will be immediately effected, with potentially fatal consequences. Once the effect of XXXX has been concluded with an individual it will no longer have an effect over them.
For this reason testing will be carried out by a core team of researchers and assistants who have already survived the effects. The addition of new team members is only permitted following the death or reassignment of an existing team member.
Live observation by staff outside of the research team is forbidden, although video recordings of testing may be viewed without any anomalous effects

Description: SCP-XXXX is Nagant M1895 pistol. Markings on the weapon indicate that it is one of the earlier productions, made by Nagant in Imperial Russia between 1895 and 1898.

The M1895 was famed for its sturdiness and durability and SCP-XXXX appears to be in good condition despite its age, although there is some wear evident.

SCP-XXXX can be observed to contain one single round of ammunition. This appears always to be true.
Attempts to load any extra rounds have been unsuccessful, as have attempts to remove the round contained within the revolver wheel.
Once the gun is fired the single round within the gun appears to be intact and live. Attempts have been made to record the process with high-speed cameras but at this time it is unclear whether the expended round regenerates or is "replaced". In any event the phenomenon appears to be virtually instantaneous.

The effects of SCP-XXXX have two steps.

Upon first viewing the gun an observer will feel a sense of curiosity, generally describing the item as 'interesting'. They will feel a desire to see XXXX up close, finding the gun intriguing. They will pick up the gun and begin examining it with interest.

Secondarily, a subject having picked up and inspected the gun will proceed to cock it, spin the bullet wheel, and then fire the gun into their own temple.

In approximately 16.6% of cases this will result in the gun discharging, which is always fatal. In the remaining 83.3% of occasions the gun will not discharge and the subject will put the gun down. At this point the anomalous effect of XXXX is concluded and the subject will show no further curiosity around the gun

Acquisition: SCP-XXXX was discovered as part of a cache of illegal firearms seized during the search of a property owned by a suspected domestic terrorist.
Local law enforcement detained the man following threats made to local government officers.
Or arriving at his property police officers found limited bomb making materials and a selection of firearms, including SCP-XXXX.
Or locating the firearms the first officer into the room picked up XXXX, span the gun-wheel, put the barrel to his head and pulled the trigger. He was killed instantly.

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