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Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: Daily checks of each SCP-XXXX instance must be performed via a Foundation device¹. Each instance’s Tweets and Followers page must be combed for any non-anomalous Twitter users following or retweeting an SCP-XXXX instance. In the event that a non-anomalous user has engaged with an SCP-XXXX instance, the user is to be located, brought into Foundation custody, treated with Class-A amenestics and subsequently released.²

Any previously unknown instances of SCP-XXXX discovered during these checks are to be recorded in Document XXXX-01.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a text-based software anomaly within social media website Twitter.com. The anomaly manifests as a number of accounts dedicated to 1960s’ popular music, in particular The Beatles. The accounts’ posts (Tweets) are timestamped no later that ██/██/1964. Analysis by Foundation technicians has indicated that these dates are accurate.

The timeline in which SCP-XXXX instances ostensibly post appears to be exactly transposed to the present day. Upon its discovery on ██/██/2019, Tweets were dated to 1963 within a few days of the corresponding date in 2019 date. Real-time monitoring of SCP-XXXX instances showed that a Tweet timestamped at 00:04 UTC on 23/11/1963³ manifested at exactly 00:04 UTC on 23/11/2019.

SCP-XXXX instances do not indicate any explicit awareness of media, culture or world events occurring after the dates of their Tweets. However, their communication style is highly anachronistic. Slang and dialect are reminiscent of that used by non-anomalous Twitter ‘stan’ accounts, accounts dedicated to a certain public figure (usually musical acts). Notably, instances use the term ‘stan’, a slang term referring to an obsessive fan, to refer to themselves, though the song which originated the term was not released until 36 years after SCP-XXXX’s ‘current’ Tweets.

As of █/██/2020, a total of 79 SCP-XXXX instances have been discovered by the Foundation. These can be divided into 3 broad categories:

SCP-XXXX-1-1 through -66: ‘Stans’ of The Beatles.
SCP-XXXX-2-1 through -13: ‘Stans’ of The Rolling Stones.

Though other acts of the era are discussed and apparently enjoyed by SCP-XXXX instances, each has a clear ‘allegiance’ which is usually expressed via profile picture, description and overall content of Tweets.
SCP-XXXX instaces are to some extent self-containing, as they appear to be unwilling or unable to interact with non-anomalous Twitter accounts, though interact with each other freely. Non-anomalous accounts are likewise unable to send direct messages to, or reply to tweets made by, SCP-XXXX instances⁴. Attempts to reply to Tweets produced by instances will return an error messaging stating ‘This Tweet has been deleted.’, although refreshing the page will show that this is not the case. Direct messages sent to an instance will either simply fail or, in the event that an instance shares their username with a non-anomalous user, will be redirected to the non-anomalous user’s inbox.

Following or retweeting instances is possible, and ‘quoting’ (wherein one user shares another user’s Tweet, adding their own commentary) allows a degree of communication with SCP-XXXX instances. However, instances have thus far appeared reluctant to communicate with non-anomalous users (as yet not displaying overt hostility). Any non-anomalous user attempting to ask an instance a direct question will usually find themselves blocked.

SCP-XXXX came to Foundation attention on ██/██/2019, when SCP-XXXX-1-1 quoted a Tweet made by the official account of British music magazine NME, linking to a feature on The Rolling Stones. SCP-XXXX-1-1’s commentary stated: “the beatles outsold”.

+ Examples of Tweets made by SCP-XXXX instances

Instance: SCP-XXXX-1-23
Timestamp: 19:48 UTC 29/01/1964
Description: An photograph of John Lennon wearing glasses taken in 1963. Caption supplied by SCP-XXXX-1-23 was “buddy holly is shaking”.
Notes: Use of the present tense in reference to Buddy Holly (d. 1959) was noted.

Instance: SCP-XXXX-1-42
Timestamp: 04:03 UTC 12/03/1964
Description: “m*ck j*gger do be looking kinda fresh doe”, followed by what is commonly known as the ‘thinking emoji’.
Notes: Based on observation of non-anomalous ‘stan’ accounts, the censorship appears to be tongue-in-cheek. Though SCP-XXXX instances do occasionally refer to the supposed rivalry between the Beatles and Rolling Stones, SCP-XXXX-1 and -2 instances are cordial towards each other. Overt hostility between SCP-XXXX instances is extremely rare.

Instance: SCP-XXXX-2-6
Timestamp: 17:35 UTC 11/05/1964
Description: “martha & the vandellas are the best colored group tbh… diana ross WHOM”
Notes: This Tweet was notable in that it attracted the attention of a non-anomalous Twitter user, @████████, who quoted the Tweet objecting to SCP-XXXX-2-6’s use of the word ‘colored’, now considered an offensive term although permissible in 1964. The Tweet received over ███ retweets prior to Foundation intervention. @████████ was successfully located and amnesticized.

Addendum XXXX-A: On ██/██/1964, SCP-XXXX-1-19 posted an image that it claimed depicted itself. The image appeared as a black-and-white photograph of a young human female dressed in clothes concurrent with early 1960s’ fashion. The quality was consistent with scanned photographs from a similar era and the camera held by SCP-XXXX-1-19 (the photograph appeared to be taken in a mirror) was also period-appropriate. SCP-XXXX-1-19’s included commentary was “felt cute today, might delete later”.

Researcher ██████, who was performing SCP-XXXX’s daily checks on ██/██/2020, identified the image as depicting her maternal aunt, C██████ H█████. Further checks using photographs known to depict C██████ H█████ have demonstrated a plausible link.

Police records show that H████’s body was found buried in a forest in █████, CA, on █/██/1961. The cause of death appeared to be strangulation and the body also bore signs of sexual assault. H████ was 15 years of age at the time. A culprit for the murder was never found.

Researcher ██████ testified that her aunt had been a fan of contemporary popular music⁵ and kept an extensive record collection. After further interrogation, Researcher ██████ admitted to running a personal Twitter account dedicated to K-pop⁶. Tweets from this account display a remarkably similar tone to those produced by SCP-XXXX.

Research into whether other SCP-XXXX instances are linked to murder cases is ongoing. However, research possibilities are currently limited, as no other SCP-XXXX instance has posted a self-portait, and only limited personal information is volunteered.

Footnotes

1. Although SCP-XXXX can be viewed using any device capable of accessing the internet, the use of Foundation hardware is mandated for security purposes.

2. This procedure has a 9█% success rate.

3. A still from the Zapruder film captioned with “WIG”.

4. This was tested both on Foundation and non-Foundation devices. For further details, see Test Log XXXX-01.

5. It should be noted that the murder took place prior to Researcher ██████’s birth and this testimony was based on the assertions of older relatives. Researcher ██████ is now C██████ H█████’s only living relative.

6. Korean pop.