YosherDosher

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be kept in a large steel chamber with a ceiling made of feet of bullet proof glass to allow for sunlight and cameras on every corner, being constantly monitored. No attempt will be made to move SCP-XXXX under any circumstances. No personnel are to be in the containment area or direct eye contact with the anomaly unless absolutely necessary.
Any entry into the chamber requires 3 D-Class personnel. One to do the task necessary, and two to restrain and remove the first if/when eye contact occurs. If this happens, the personnel are to be given a maximum of 3 weeks to deal with any personal affairs before they are put down. If the facility needs to be relocated for any reason, the containment chamber for SCP-XXXX is to be sealed and buried. All other orders are to be overridden by this.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a hangman’s tree (SCP-XXXX-1) with a man (SCP-XXXX-2) hung on the largest of its outlying branches. It’s the only tree in an open and almost perfectly flat plane located in Ireland. Despite being an estimated 300 years old, the tree stays alive and healthy even when deprived of essential resources. The only damage found on the tree is a single hole with a nailed rusted into it, irremovable by all known means.
A sheet of parchment recovered by the Foundation contains cryptic information about SCP-XXXX. It was eventually found to be anomalous when the room containing the parchment was vaporized in a containment breach, while the parchment remained intact. It was soon after designated SCP-XXXX-3. The information about SCP-XXXX-2 that has been recorded and used as a reference for the containment procedures. Beyond invulnerability, SCP-XXXX-3 has no further anomalous qualities, and it is currently being studied.
Vines have obscured SCP-XXXX-2 to the point that all that can be seen are the spots of exposed flesh and his intact, open eyes as seen through the gaps in the vines. Analysis has shown that the man, despite the visible rotting, is alive. Aside from the visible damage SCP-XXX-2 is a perfectly healthy adult male of undetermined age.
Any attempt to destroy, cut down, or uproot SCP-XXX-1 or cut down the hanging man from it are unsuccessful, reflecting the damage that would’ve been given back onto its inflictor, often with disastrous consequences. The facility was built around the tree, the walls of the chamber dug half a mile into the ground to accommodate for the tree’s roots.
SCP-XXXX is extremely dangerous to be near, due to the hanging man’s tendency to drive insane anyone who looks into his eyes. According to human and animal tests, once subjects have made eye contact, the subject experiences a major IQ boost up to a level of 500 points and acquisition of knowledge that they couldn't possibly know. in humans and even, in rare cases, limited sentience in animal subjects. At the same time, the subjects slowly deteriorate into madness and become highly aggressive and hostile.
Although modern tests are never allowed to go over 3 weeks, the earliest subjects went into fits of uncontrollable rage and managed to get into SCP-XXXX’s chamber and cause small amounts of damage to SCP-XXXX-1 with whatever they could find. No studies have been able to explain how this damage is possible despite the tree’s apparent invulnerability. At exactly 4 months after eye contact, both human and animal subjects had some sort of revelation that causes humans to ramble about figuring something out. When questioned about it they all refused to comply. Within a day, the subjects fall into a deep state of depression before ultimately taking their own life.

SCP-XXXX-3: To all yee who find this tree, dare you not cut it down, for your own sake. And to those who find the man hung upon it, if you can call him a man, dare you not cut him down, for the sake of all who now live, for breath still fills his lungs. This man hath been hung for his crimes against our world. Resist your urges and your sympathy and look not into his eyes, for eyes are the window to the soul, and he will blacken yours. For those who have read this too late and have already gazed upon this beast’s beady eyes, I’m truly sorry, you are doomed to suffer with knowledge, then suffer further in the beyond. But soon such suffering will bother you not, you will prefer it in fact, to what awaits you as you continue. To those who try to contain this, know that your task come with a cost. For the the tree shall fall and the beast will return, stronger than all seven sons. It will bringing destruction in its wake. So be warned, He must not be found, but if the tree rots, god help us all.

Contact Log:
[BEGINS RECORDING]
[MARCH 23rd 2005]

<microphone tapping>

Gardener: Is the interpreter on?

Agent: Yes sir, it is.

Gardener: Alright, thank you.
Hello, my name is Doctor Gardener. My plan to record the 6 months after contact has been approved and I have volunteered as the subject. On this day every month, I will record my experiences after contact with this SCP-XXXX. I have done extensive research on all parts of this specimen and am aware that this experiment will end in my death. I will continue to record these logs, even if I am tied down and forced to do so.

<door opens>

Agent: Sir, are you ready?

Gardener: Yes, I’ll be right there.
<chair slides>
<door closes>

[APRIL 23rd 2005]

Gardener: One month later and I feel no different. I’m constant taking new tests. I’m being told that my IQ is steadily rising. I don’t feel much smarter, although I’ve gotten a bit better at keeping intelligent conversations, although I was pretty good at it before. I’ve insisted that despite my containment, I continue my research. My higher ups have agreed, although I must be under 24 hour surveillance.

Agent: Sir, it’s time for your tests.

Gardener: Alright, Agents.

Agent: Sir, I’m the only one- nevermind, just come with me.

[MAY 23rd 2005]

Gardener: It’s getting quite lonely in here. My only company is the security cameras and my brother Ryane. It’s amazing, I have the best luck! I haven’t seen him in ten years and here he is to keep me company. It’s been great catching up— … What’s that? … Yes i understand tha— … no, no he isn’t down yet… they’re trying their hardest, I— … yes… yes I’ll make sure of it. Let me take off your vines Ryane. The only reason you stay up there is to… yes, I understand. Yes, I will never see your return, I know…

Agent: Sir, it’s time to do your testing.

Gardener: Can Ryane come with me?

Agent: Sure, sir… Ryane, sir.

[JUNE 23rd 2005]

Gardener: They’ve taken my research… I fear this is my very last log that I’ll have with my research. I’m told that I now have an IQ of two-hundred-fifty, meaning I don’t have much time left… they’ve started striking out certain things I say on record… they call it a “cognitohazard.” I don’t see how, I’m only saying things like ████████████████████████████ or ██████████████████████████████████████████. Everyone seems shocked when I say these things, as if it’s some huge revelation, while it seems like common knowledge to me. Although, I suspect I didn’t know these things before. I just wish they didn’t cut my research… cut… cut… cut, cut, cut…

<clattering>

Agent: Sir, it’s time for the tests- Sir, what are you doing? Please turn around, Sir.

<mumbling>

Agent: What’s that in you hand? Is that your— Doctor Gardener, put the dinner knife down. You can’t do anything with it, so just put it down.

<mumbling>

Agent: Sir, what are you saying?

Gardener: CUT!

<running>

<radio cut in>
Agent: Sir he’s headed for SCP-XXXX’s containment cell and he is armed. I think he’s going to try to cut it down, just like the rest. Be careful not to strike the tree in any way when you restrain him. At the moment, he’s the only person the tree won’t harm.
<radio cuts out>

[JULY 23rd 2005]

Agent Oak: Hello, this is Agent Oak, this is the fourth log in the Contact logs, designation L-375. I will be questioning the Doctor.
Doctor Gardener, on the screen in front of you, you see an image of SCP-XXXX. Is there anything notable about it and that you feel you should mention?
<silence>
Why are you moving you head around like, that, its a flat image, you're not going to get a better angle.

Gardener: They won't stop following me.

Agent Oak: What won't stop following you?

Gardener: The eyes, they watch me, no matter where I move.

Agent Oak: Doctor, that is a still image on a sheet of paper, its eyes aren't moving.

<silence>
Gardener: You, know you’re going to die, don’t you?

Agent Oak: Excuse me?

Gardener: We are all going to die…

Agent Oak: Do you know something? Are you ready to tell us what you’ve figured out?

Gardener: Yes… I think I am, before I didn’t want to tell anyone, but maybe I can save some lives. He is coming, we have all seen that he is, but fear blinds us, for we know it’s something we cannot contain… he will fall and he will ████████████████████████████.

Agent Oak: What’s that? That’s impossible.

Gardener: You don’t believe me?

Agent Oak: Oh, um.. Yes, sir, of course I believe you.

Gardener: You don’t BELIEVE ME!
HE WILL FALL AND HE WILL ██████████████████████████.
HE WILL FALL AND HE WILL ██████████████████████████.
HE WILL FALL AND HE WILL ██████████████████████████.
HE WILL FALL AND HE WILL ██████████████████████████.

<banging>
<shattering glass>

Agent Oak: Restrain him, we can’t let him terminate, we can still learn things, he might open up yet.

[AUGUST 23rd 2005]

<muffled screaming>

Agent Oak: Hello, this is the 5th log in the Contact logs, designation L-375. We have managed to extend his life a month past the normal cycle by completely restraining his hands and feet and putting him in a padded room. He has not stopped screaming ever since the last log. We have tried to get him to say something new. I’ve since the last log I’ve had 3 separate memory wipes from questioning him. I only know of the last log through reading the transcript, even I don’t know what “He” will do, although it’s clearly something the Foundation doesn’t want us to know about. The only contact with him that I can remember is seeing him through the glass behind me. There is a guard shift every 5 hours, followed by a memory wipe after every one.
The screaming is starting to get to the staff. There’s talk of putting him out of his misery, but the O5s won't even consider it. Honestly, I… wait a second…
<silence>
The screaming stopped.

<chair sliding>
<muffled speaking>

Agent Oak: Wait, what did he just say?

<snap>

Agent Oak: OH GOD!
<puking>

Agent Oak: HE JUST… how is that even possible, he’s restrained! … He… snapped his own neck, he didn’t use his hands, he just jerked his head and… oh god…

<door opening>

Agent Oak: YOU! You were a guard in there, what did he say before he… you know.

Agent: He just said, “you cannot contain him,” sir.

[END OF LOG]