SCP-3627 upon initial recovery

Item #: SCP-3627

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3627 is to be contained in a standard non-humanoid holding cell at Site ██. SCP-3627 is to be kept in a soundproof containment cell under constant video surveillance. Any recorded instances of unprompted anomalous behavior on the part of SCP-3627 are to be reported to a supervisor of Level 3 clearance or higher.

Description: SCP-3627 is a children’s music box approximately 23cm x 15cm x 8cm in size. The word “ACROBATS” is written on the front of SCP-3627, below which is a glass casing containing two acrobat figurines connected at the hands to a rotating axle. At the base of SCP-3627 is a small compartment with the phrase “DREAMY JASTERS” written in faded paint. No company or manufacturing labels are present on SCP-3627, and attempts to identify the origins of SCP-3627 have been unsuccessful.

The anomalous properties of SCP-3627 manifest when a human inserts an object into SCP-3627’s base compartment. Objects inserted by nonhuman entities have not triggered any anomalous phenomena. Upon the insertion of an object and the closing of the compartment, the two acrobat figurines within SCP-3627 will rotate around the central axle, and a series of chime-like sounds will be produced. The exact pattern of these sounds varies depending on the object inserted and the individual performing the insertion. A single iteration of the pattern will generally last between 5 and 15 seconds and will repeat for a period between 4 and 8 hours. Attempts to open the compartment door during this process using conventional means have been met with failure.

Subjects who have experienced the effects of SCP-3627 report vivid and emotionally charged dreams. Although the contents of these dreams vary widely between instances, certain similarities are always present.

Dreams invoked by SCP-3627 always exhibit some relation to the inserted object, whether it be directly, through the literal presence of the object in the dream, or indirectly, through an idea or experience that the subject associates with the object.

Despite the frequent presence of disturbing content within these dreams, subjects will ultimately view them as a positive experience, and will feel a sense of peace upon awakening.

Subjects who experience dreams invoked by SCP-3627 will lose any prior attachments to the inserted object, as well as any personal or abstract concepts associated with said object. This is the only known permanent effect of SCP-3627.

Upon the conclusion of the musical pattern, the object formerly inserted into SCP-3627 will no longer be present within the compartment. The location of inserted objects following their disappearance is currently unknown. In place of the object will be a 6cm x 6cm segment of paper containing a typed note.

Notes delivered by SCP-3627 are generally between 6 and 12 lines long, and are loosely formatted in iambic pentameter (see Addendum 3627.3) with an alternating rhyme scheme. While these notes are generally only produced after the insertion of an object and the completion of SCP-3627’s auditory process, the appearance of a note without the occurrence of these events has been observed on 1 2 occasions. The notes themselves are non-anomalous in their physical composition. However, the written contents of the notes indicate a level of sentience on the part of SCP-3627. The notes are always directed at the subject who most recently experienced SCP-3627 auditory effects, and generally provide cryptic analysis and advice regarding their relation to the inserted object (see Addendum 3627.2 for more information). SCP-3627 always uses plural pronouns when referring to itself within these notes, suggesting that multiple entities may be responsible for SCP-3627’s effects. SCP-3627 will occasionally reference its SCP status and its current location within Foundation custody, as well as knowledge of other SCPs and Foundation activities. SCP-3627’s level of knowledge regarding the Foundation is currently unknown, as is its means of accessing said knowledge.

Addendum 3627.1: Initial Discovery

SCP-3627 was discovered by Agent ██████ during a routine thrift shop sweep in ████████, Montana. Upon inspection, SCP-3627 produced the following note. No objects were inserted prior to the production of this message, and no auditory phenomena were observed.

Hello, Agent ██████, it seems you’ve found

An object that is worth being secured

Contained, and yes, protected for its sound

A wondrous tune that you have not yet heard

Just place a gift into our waiting grasp

A memory that haunts your waking mind

And in return we shall relax the clasp

That keeps it with your soul so intertwined

Your line of work is filled with those who need

the closure and the peace that we bestow

Bring those that are desiring of this deed

we’ll ease the pain and help them to let go

Upon realizing the note contained obvious allusions to the Foundation, Agent ██████ purchased the object and delivered it to containment personnel at Site ██

Addendum 3627.2: Experiment Logs

The following experiments detail the effects of SCP-3627 on certain individuals upon the insertion of certain objects. Information pertaining to the psychological and personal history of the subjects has been included, as it is believed to be pertinent to the resultant effects of SCP-3627.

+ Experiment 3627-A

- Close

Experiment 3627-A

Subject: D-2213

Inserted Object: Wedding ring belonging to Subject D-2213

Information of Note: Subject’s husband died in an automobile accident four months prior to Foundation recruitment. Psychiatric testing has revealed severe emotional trauma resulting from this event.

Results: Subject recalled dreaming of her wedding day. The dream was identical to her memories of her actual wedding day with the exception of the groom, who was motionless throughout the ceremony and appeared to be in an advanced state of decay. Neither the subject nor anyone else attending the ceremony were bothered by this. Upon being instructed to “kiss the bride”, the subject recalled the transfer of a warm, viscous, and malodorous fluid from the groom's mouth into her own. Subject was once again unphased, and swallowed the entirety of the fluid produced, recalling that it produced a “warm, comforting feeling” inside her. Following this exchange, the groom disappeared and was absent for the duration of the ceremony. Subject awoke shortly after cutting into the wedding cake.

Upon awakening, the subject was unbothered by the disappearance of her wedding ring. Subject reported a strong sense of closure regarding the death of her husband, stating that “I know he’ll always be a part of me and that he would want me to move on”. Long-term psychiatric analysis has confirmed a notable improvement in the subject’s mental health.

The note produced by SCP-3627 following this experiment is as follows:

No pain is like the bondage of two souls

Detached by cruel and unforgiving fate

But true pain is when one’s own grief controls

The life that still remains under its weight

We cannot say for sure if you will meet

Again upon a distant rising dawn

But if your memories are still complete

Your lover’s soul is never truly gone

+ Experiment 3627-B

- Close

Experiment 3627-B

Subject: D-4256

Inserted Object: Standard #2 Pencil

Information of Note: Subject enjoys drawing as a recreational hobby.

Results: Subject recalled dreaming of a windowless brick room lit by a single incandescent light bulb. The room bore a heavy resemblance to the basement of the subject’s childhood home. Subject recalled frantically scribbling on dozens of sheets of paper and taping them to the left wall of the room. Once finished, the scribblings formed the shape of a humanoid figure. The humanoid figure then emerged from the papers and became a three-dimensional being resembling the subject, although with slight differences in facial structure. Subject then recalled being assaulted by the figure and pressed against the wall, causing him to become a two dimensional being confined to the papers. Subject at this point entered an omniscient point of view, as he saw the figure exit the room through a previously nonexistent door which lead into the street of a suburban neighborhood. At this point, the passage of time appeared to increase in rate, as houses on either side of the street gradually decayed and were overgrown by plant life. The figure was seemingly unaffected by this process, and stood motionlessly in the street. After several minutes, the passage of time returned to a normal rate, and a mushroom cloud indicative of a nuclear detonation appeared in the distance. Subject awoke shortly after watching the figure slowly melt in the street and detecting a strong odor of burning paper.

Upon awakening, the subject showed little interest in drawing. Subject displays no displeasure toward drawing, and was able to draw upon instruction with the same level of skill as before, but stated that he “just didn’t feel any desire to do it anymore”. To date, the subject still has not partaken in drawing or any other visual artistic medium without being instructed to do so.

The note produced by SCP-3627 following this experiment is as follows:

The one and only noble goal of man

To leave one’s mark forever on the Earth

Is strived for through whatever means one can

Create a piece of true artistic worth

Alas, the subtle marks upon one’s soul

Cannot be cloned by any mortal hands

A life is better lived when short and whole

Than stretched across the ever shifting sands

+ Experiment 3627-C

- Close

Experiment 3627-C

Subject: Dr. █████

Inserted Object: Video recording device remotely connected to a viewing monitor.

Information of Note: Experiment aims to observe the destination of objects inserted into SCP-3627. Dr. █████, head of SCP-3627 experimentation, performed the insertion in order to gain a better idea of the dreaming process.

Results: Subject recalled dreaming of a hallway located in a foundation containment facility similar to site ██. The hallway was lined with containment cells containing numerous SCPs. Subject specifically recalled seeing SCP-███, SCP-████, SCP-████, and SCP-████, despite none of these SCPs being stored in the same facility in reality. Subject recalls being suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of dread, and sprinting through multiple corridors in an attempt to exit the facility. The layout of the building was nonsensical and labyrinthine, containing multiple unnecessary loops and dead ends. Upon locating an exit, the subject ran several hundred meters from the facility before gaining enough composure to look back. The facility was several hundred times larger than any active Foundation site, and had the same approximate dimensions as a human heart. The outside of the building was lined with several thousand containment cells, each containing an SCP. The facility began to beat at regular intervals, sending tremors through the surrounding area. Subject recalled losing balance from the force of the vibrations. The tremors slowly increased in magnitude until the surrounding land “shattered”, and the subject was left falling through a “black, swirling void”. Subject awoke shortly thereafter.

Upon awakening, subject destroyed all video footage received from the inserted recording device, stating that “some things are better left unexplained”. Subject later submitted a formal resignation, and was administered amnestics and released.

The note produced by SCP-3627 following this experiment is as follows:

The human’s sense of curiosity

Is what puts them above the animals

But there are things that man should best not see

That can’t be kept within foundation walls

The tortured minds of ancient horrors shriek

Their calls can shred the Earth and tear the skies

If their secrets you do persist to seek

Then you’re seeking your very own demise

Further experimentation on SCP-3627 has been discontinued indefinitely.

Addendum 3627.3: Incident Report █/█/20██

On █/█/20██, 87 days after experimentation on SCP-3627 was discontinued, SCP-3627 produced a pattern of tones without the prior insertion of an object. These tones could be heard outside of SCP-3627’s holding cell, and caused two D-Class personnel to fall unconscious (this was the first instance of SCP-3627 invoking REM sleep in multiple individuals at once). The pattern of tones was repeated for 2 minutes and 34 seconds, a notably shorter duration than those previously observed. Upon the conclusion of the pattern, both subjects awoke and immediately attempted to access the holding cell containing SCP-3627, first by attempting to guess the access code, then by repeatedly ramming into the cell. Their activity was eventually detected by the on-site security system, and armed Foundation personnel were dispatched to the area. Both subjects were successfully terminated before causing a containment breach. SCP-3627’s containment procedures have been updated accordingly.

The following note was found within SCP-3627 shortly after the incident.

We revealed ourselves to you

So that you would take us in

We did this because we knew

You had no short supply of sin

We thought we’d help you to let go

to ease the guilt and help you heal

but we were fools, for now we know

you have no guilt that you could feel

You really think you’re going good

with all that you collect

But then again, of course you would

Secure. Contain. Protect.