SCP-3481-1 in charging dock before testing.

Item #: SCP-3481

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: Both components of SCP-3481 are held in an anomalous object containment vault in Site-19. SCP-3481-2 must remain disconnected from SCP-3481-1 unless written permission from Dr. Teller is presented. SCP-3481-1 must be turned off while in storage. Personnel interacting with SCP-3481 outside of testing conditions must wear protective ear-wear. Anyone who hears noises from SCP-3481 outside of testing conditions is to immediately inform Dr. Teller and report for psychological evaluation.

Experimentation regarding track ~l%56taSYu is currently suspended under the orders of Dr. Teller (See Addendum 3481-A).

Description: SCP-3481-1 is a 2006 white iPod Nano with one hundred and forty-nine tracks. The track names appear to be random sequences of characters. Every track was performed by the band [EXPUNGED]. When asked about these tracks the band denied making them. SCP-3481-2 is a pair of red headphones with all identifying markings removed.

All attempts to access the data on SCP-3481-1 have failed. The device has no form of wireless communication, and no cable appears to fit into the headphone input, except for the audio cord for SCP-3481-2. This includes an exact replica of the SCP-3481-2 cable.

Each track begins with the words “Coming to you live from the ██████ music festival, how are you feeling today?”. Research shows that [EXPUNGED] never played at ██████.

Test subjects have difficulty describing any of the tracks (see Document 3481-T-1 for details). However, the majority of subjects used the words, “glorious”, “illustrious”, and [EXPUNGED].

After listening to any of the tracks on SCP-3481-1, subjects display great distress while hearing voices. When spoken to, subjects reflexively cover their ears and cower away from the speaker. In extreme cases, subjects have inserted objects into their ears to damage their tympanic membrane1. Subjects also refuse to speak, but will communicate via written word or gestures.

When a track is played at full volume and recorded by a machine, the secondary audio recording does not exhibit the properties of the original. Because of this, it is believed that the anomaly resides within SCP-3481-1 and SCP-3481-2, and does not reside within the tracks themselves. The secondary recordings consist entirely of white noise.

Document 3481-T-1

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<Begin Log>

D-5523 is a 32-year-old male. Subject was instructed to listen to track a%taH3$. When subject begins the track, he sits up straight, and does not blink during the entirety of the song. Tears form in his eyes after ten seconds, either from dehydration or from an emotional response. When the track concludes, subject sits still for fifteen seconds before slowly removing SCP-3481-2 and entering the interview room.

Interviewer: Can you —

Subject winces away from the Interviewer and covers his ears. He falls out of his chair and proceeds to enter the fetal position. Interviewer looks below the table at Subject.

Interviewer: Can you please retake your seat?

Subject does not respond. Interviewer takes a piece of paper, and begins to write. From now on, all responses were not spoken, but written on notes passed between Subject and Interviewer.

Interviewer: Do I scare you?

Subject notices the sign after a minute. He shakes his head in negative.

Interviewer: What's wrong?

Interviewer passes the paper to Subject along with a writing utensil.

Subject: your voice hurts

Interviewer and Subject return to their seats.

Interviewer: Can you be more specific?

Subject: your voice hurts to hear. cant be more specific

Interviewer: Ok. Can you describe the track for me?

Subject: it was good it was interesting it felt weird what do you mean? it sounded glori Glorious

Interviewer: What does Glorious mean?

Subject: its hard to describe

Interviewer: Can you describe any of the instruments used? Or maybe what genre of music it was? Do you remember any lyrics?

Subject: lyrics? instruments? thats a bad question.

Interviewer: How so?

Subject: you think you can explain this with words. this wasnt made for explaining. its something you gotta experience

Interviewer: So, you cannot describe anything about the track.

Subject: actually in the beginning i could hear Him say “coming to you live from the [EXPUNGED] music festival, how are you feeling today?”

Interviewer: Who said that?

Subject: [DATA EXPUNGED] its funny because i never liked music much, but im now officially a fan of His

Interviewer: The track must have made quite an impact on you.

Subject: thats not it. its more that i feel purified my ears feel cleansed and i dont want them to be dirty again. like all i want to hear is His voice, you know? like he’ll always take care of me.

<End Log>

Document 3481-T-33

Close Document

As part of Dr. Teller's testing of SCP-3481, he decided to investigate its effects on the hearing-impaired. Below is the transcript of his experiment.

<Begin Log>

Technician George Crucik, hereafter known as Subject, was born deaf. He was instructed to listen to track a%taH3$. Subject displays no abnormal behavior after the track begins. Once the track concludes, Subject begins to cry. He finishes after thirty seconds and walks into the interview room. The interviewer is holding up a sign that says, “How are you feeling?”. All responses were not spoken, but written on notes passed between Subject and Interviewer.

Subject: I’m feeling strange sad.

Interviewer: Can you elaborate?

Subject: I don’t know. What was I listening to?

Interviewer: A track from SCP-3481, which has previously caused subjects to feel pain when they hear someone speak. Could you hear anything?

Subject: Not like that. My memory’s fine and I’ve been on the other side of the glass for half of these tests. I mean what’s on the track? What was I supposed to hear?

Interviewer: Right now, I am interviewing you not vice-versa. Please answer the question.

Subject: Right. My bad. I guess I’m just curious. I couldn’t hear a thing. But I want to know what it was. I feel like I’m being left out of something.

Interviewer: Have you felt like this about other auditory experiences before?

Subject: Not since I was little.

Interviewer: Could this feeling be caused by SCP-3481?

Subject: It’s probably part of the anomaly. So you’ll probably give me an Amnesiac. And I’ll probably forget this. Which is probably good.

Interviewer: Do you want to forget?

Subject: Yes No Yes Maybe Yes I do. The feeling is getting worse. Like pressure pushing down on me. I want to hear it! I have this feeling that it’d be amazing divi I don’t know.

Interviewer: Glorious?

Subject cries silently as he writes his response.

Subject: Yes. That’s it. It’d sound glorious.

<End Log>

Subject was administered a Class-C Amnestic and returned to his position. However, the treatment was deemed ineffective, as he described similar feelings after presiding over a later test of SCP-3481. Dr. Teller concluded that the emotional response is part of the anomalous nature of SCP-3481. Subject was administered a Class-B Amnestic and has been reassigned to SCP-2927.

Addendum 3481-A

Close Addendum

During test 67, track ~l%56taSYu was played. Below is the transcript of the experiment, and the following interview.

<Begin Log>

D-7841 is a 21-year-old female. Subject was instructed to listen to track ~l%56taSYu. When subject begins the track, her body goes limp for the duration of the song. When the track concludes, subject sits up and shakes her head before moving into the interview room.

Interviewer holds up a sign that says “How do you feel?”

Subject: What’re you doing?

Interviewer: You can speak?

Subject: Yeah… what’d you take me for? A mute?

Interviewer: No. That was simply a part of testing protocol. How do you feel?

Subject: I feel a little disrespected.

Interviewer: Your sarcasm is not appreciated.

Subject: Whatever. I have a small headache. There.

Interviewer: Do you remember anything about what you heard?

Subject: Uh… Let me think… Some guy said “Thank you to all my fans”, and then started listing a bunch of names and places.

Interviewer: Can you tell me give me any specific names or locations?

Subject: Actually… I think… I think I remember them all.

Interviewer: How many are there?

Subject: Sixty-eight.

Subject becomes visibly distraught.

Subject: How… how do I remember th—

Interviewer gives Subject a sheet of paper and a writing utensil.

Interviewer: Can you please transcribe the list of names?

Subject slowly nods, and writes down sixty-six names, each paired with GPS coordinates with arc second resolution. When Subject reaches the sixty seventh name she stops writing.

Interviewer: Please continue writing.

Subject: Why… Why didn’t I notice… it… it..

Interviewer: There’s only two more to go. Please finish writing.

Subject writes her name, followed by GPS coordinates: [DATA REDACTED]. Subject’s hand begins to shake, presumably as an emotional reaction.

Subject: It said my name. How… how did it know my name…

Interviewer: This is the last one. Then we can move on.

Subject takes a deep breath and writes the name “Brandon Zike” and GPS coordinates: [DATA REDACTED].

Interviewer: Thank you. Now, do you recognize any of these names?

Subject silently points to her own name.

Interviewer: Any others?

Subject: No. Not any others.

Interviewer: Did the recording say anything else?

Subject: Yes. It said one more thing.

Interviewer: What was it?

Subject: He said… He said “I look forward to seeing you all at my next performance. Same place. You’ll know the time.”

<End Log>

After the interview, D-7841 was administered a Class-B amnestic.

Upon further examination, it was determined that the list consisted of the names of every test subject who has listened to any of the tracks on SCP-3481-1 and their location when track ~l%56taSYu was played, except for the last name and location. The last name was "Brandon Zike”, and his location was the correct GPS coordinates of SCP-███. Confirmation of the existence and true location of Brandon Zike is Priority 5.

Due to the sensitivity of information disseminated during the testing of track ~l%56taSYu, Dr. Teller has suspended all experiments involving track ~l%56taSYu until further notice.

Footnotes

1. Also known as the eardrum.