theauthorislive

Item #: SCP-3873

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3873 is to be kept within a padlocked steel box in the Storage wing of Site-74. Viewing of SCP-3873 or testing of its anomalous properties requires permission from personnel O4 or above. Any change in the coloration, quality, size or expression of SCP-3873 by the attending researcher is to be immediately reported to the site director.

Description: SCP-3873 is a standard 210mm by 297mm sheet of blank white paper. Minor abrasions and tears are present at 55mm on the bottom x axis and 202mm on the left y axis. SCP-3873 contains a drawing of a Caucasian man approximately in his mid to late 40s with light, cropped, wavy hair, defined cheekbones, a roman nose and a cleft chin. This drawing and its subject will henceforth be referred to as SCP-3873-1. SCP-3873-1 appears to be wearing a light button up shirt though the buttons are not drawn. There is moderate pencil shading both on SCP-3873-1 itself and on the rest of SCP-3873. The side of SCP-3973 that does not contain the drawing of SCP-3873 is completely blank and shows no indentation to indicate that the other side has been drawn on; furthermore, the drawing of SCP-3973-1 is completely undetectable when viewed from the blank side of SCP-3873, even with the aid of back-lighting or other such aids normally effective in viewing marking on the other side of a piece of paper. SCP-3873-1 appears at irregular intervals with differing expressions indicating emotions ranging from joy to dejection. SCP-3873-1 has been known to react to events both in the wider world and specifically related to the SCP Foundation with a change in expression lasting for approximately 6-7 days after the event. In the days following the removal of the Berlin Wall SCP-3973 was noted by the attending researcher as having "a smirk seemingly indicating pride or bemusement". Similarly, following the death of O5 council member:██████████, SCP-3873-1 was noted to exhibit an expression "indicating wryness, nostalgia or fond remembrance tempered with sadness, looking like an old friend of the deceased at a funeral".

SCP-3873 was contained on August 20th ████████ after it was mailed in a non-anomalous manila envelope with no return address to a Foundation front business associated with Site-11. The envelope was covered in stamps indicating it had traveled through at least 14 nations in the western hemisphere before arriving into custody. The envelope also contained a list of sapient SCPs with brief instructions to present SCP-3873 to them. These instructions were followed by extensive details of highly classified foundation activities typically known only to O5 personnel, presumably to establish the credibility of the instructions; the activities referenced included but were not limited to: the precise details of Procedure 110-Montauk, the location of Site 1, and the amount of ████████████████████████.

Following O5 approval for an initial round of testing, SCP-3873 was presented to SCP-682, SCP-49 and SCP-29. SCP-682 indicated extreme disgust and loathing towards SCP-3873; when questioned on the source of their malice towards the individual SCP-682 responded with initial confusion followed by laughter and a refusal to answer further questions. SCP-49 reported that SCP-3873-1 was "the man who introduced us of course!", further explaining that SCP-3873-1 had initially discovered SCP-49 and reported it to the foundation. SCP-29 reacted with a variety of curses and epithets at SCP-3873-1 and after extreme coercive techniques explained that SCP-3873-1 had been the commander of the Foundation field unit responsible for SCP-29 initial containment and elimination of the thugee cult associated with it. Further rounds of testing yielded similar results with each of the other 12 SCPs listed in the initial note recognizing SCP-3873-1 as either a civilian or a member of foundation personnel instrumental in their initial containment. Comprehensive identity sweeps and interrogation of associated personnel revealed no evidence of SCP-3873-1 having ever collaborated with, or been a member of Foundation personnel. Research into whether this property of SCP-3873 is a cogitohazardous anomaly selectively affecting other anonymous specimens or a legitimate memory is ongoing

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