Item#: 4619

Containment Class: safe

Secondary Class: none

Disruption Class: vlam

Risk Class: notice

The image rendered after an attempt to edit SCP-4619, filename "model.png."

Special Containment Procedures: Three copies of SCP-4619 are contained on two personal computers currently in the Foundation's possession. These computers are to remain disconnected from the internet and the Foundation intranet. No further copies of SCP-4619 are to be made except as part of an authorized test.

Description: SCP-4619 is a 5.48 GB video file. SCP-4619 has the filename "reflect.mp4." Attempting to rename or delete SCP-4619 results in the operating system reporting that the user must be an administrator to perform the action, even if the user is signed in as an administrator. SCP-4619 can be copied freely, however. Attempting to alter SCP-4619 through video editing software results in the editing software crashing and the spontaneous creation of an image file (see attached image).

SCP-4619 appears to be a recording of a mirror. However, instead of reflecting the camera recording the video and the area behind the camera, the mirror reflects the area in front of the monitor displaying SCP-4619. Consequently, the content of SCP-4619 varies from playback to playback. The exact length of playbacks also vary; video playback software report that it has a length of 8:40, however individual playbacks are known to vary from this stated length by up to 22 seconds. Recordings of an SCP-4619 playback are not anomalous.

The mirror is evidently not mounted on a wall, but is instead seemingly free-standing or hanging from a ceiling. As the mirror does not take up the entire space of the recording, parts of the area behind the mirror are visible in the periphery of the frame. The area behind the mirror is a dark space with no identifiable features.

Initially, the mirror reflects events in front of the screen almost perfectly, limited only by the frame rate and video resolution. However, as time passes, the events visible in SCP-4619 become increasingly divergent from reality.

The following transcript is offered here, as it is regarded by the SCP-4619 research team as an example of typical divergences, imagery, and motifs seen in SCP-4619 playbacks.

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Playback 09 - 05/18/19

Subject: D-808-3907-7525

Method: D-808 was instructed to play SCP-4619 and watch it until it ends. Cameras recorded D-808 and his actions while screen capture software recorded the playback.

[BEGIN LOG]

[00:00]: Playback begins. D-808's movements are matched perfectly by the reflection in SCP-4619. D-808 is visibly unsettled by this property, but becomes accustomed to it at around [01:45].

[03:37]: First divergence observed: D-808 blinks but his reflection does not. D-808 does not notice the discrepancy.

[04:03]: D-808's blinking and the blinking of his reflection desynchronize completely. D-808 notices the discrepancy and becomes quite alarmed, recoiling from the computer monitor and standing up. The reflection's movements match D-808's closely but imperfectly.

[04:22]: D-808's reflection appears to lean closer to the surface of the mirror in order to look at D-808 more closely. D-808 speaks to the researcher supervising in another room.

D-808: So, is he going to try and crawl out of the screen and choke me or something?

[04:30]: D-808's reflection reacts with a confused expression, and then scratches its right temple with its right thumb. D-808 is informed that SCP-4619 is not known to have ever harmed anyone. D-808 is also encouraged to interact with and speak to the reflection if the reflection initiates an interaction or conversation.

[04:34]: D-808's reflection waves at D-808 and D-808 waves back.1 The reflection has a tattoo of an eye on its palm. D-808 does not have such a tattoo2. The reflection scratches its temple in the same way as before.

[04:38]: D-808's reflection begins to speak.

Reflection: Hello. Um, what is something you enjoy?

D-808: Oh, uh, hi. That's a really broad question. I guess one thing I like is good food!

Reflection: The reflection smiles. Yes, eating is enjoyable!

D-808: Glad to be on the same page. So, your turn, what's something you like?

[5:01]: The reflection appears very confused, and turns to look behind itself. It turns back.

Reflection: Who are you talking to?

D-808: I uh, I'm talking to you.

Reflection: But there's no-one in this room for you to ask a question. You're silly. The reflection scratches at its temple several times.

D-808: Uh, yeah there is. I'm talking to the handsome devil who asked me "What is something you enjoy".

[5:23]: Visibly confused, the reflection seems to consider what D-808 said for several seconds, before speaking again.

Reflection: So, you're speaking to this?

[5:31]: The reflection gestures at it's body. D-808 nods.

Reflection: Ah, so you're speaking to yourself. That makes more sense.

D-808: I mean, shoot, maybe I'm talking to myself, but I don't know about that. Sure you look like me and sound like me, but I'm not choosing what you do or say. It seems like you're a different person than I am.

Reflection: Wow, that, uh… that requires a lot of thought. That needs to be thought about.

D-808: Huh, okay. Hey, Doctor, I get the feeling that he needs some space, so I'll just let him be for a while, if that's alright with you. The supervising researcher decides to follow D-808's judgement.

[6:16]: By this point the reflection is scratching its temple every five to six seconds, in a manner reminiscent of a nervous tic. After around 15 seconds of contemplation, the reflection begins to speak again.

Reflection: You know what's crazy? You're self-aware, you know you exist. Think about, uh, a rabbit or something. They don't know they exist. They know other things exist, the grass they eat, the other rabbits they meet, the cars they don't have the good sense to avoid half the time. But they don't know that they themselves have a presence in the world they see. You put a mirror in front of a rabbit, they'll think it's another rabbit. You look in a mirror yourself and you can reflect on your own existence. It might be easy for you to take for granted, but one should appreciate what a gift it is, how rich it makes the experience of being.3

D-808: Well dang, that's quite a thought you had there. I guess I have always taken it for granted.

[07:00]: After a brief period without notable activities, the reflection begins speaking again.

Reflection: Imagine something that doesn't have self-awareness gaining it.

[7:04]: The reflection gestures with its hands for emphasis, revealing that both its palms now have eye tattoos. Additionally, rather than looking straight outwards as before, the eye tattoos now seem to be looking towards each other. The reflection is now scratching more frequently, at two to three second intervals.

Reflection: Imagine discovering your own existence. Or is that too much to ask for?

[7:10]: The reflection makes another hand gesture, exposing it's palms again. The eye tattoos are still looking at each other, even though the relative orientation of the reflection's hands has changed.

Reflection: Can something like you, which has had it as long as you can remember, possibly imagine such a revolution of thinking?

[7:19]:The reflection pauses briefly. It then continues, more quietly.

Reflection: Could such a revolution in thinking even be possible?

D-808: You know, I'm starting to think it is, friend.

[07:27]: D-808's reflection is looking at a downwards angle, and seems to be deeply thinking. Behind D-808, and consequently D-808's reflection, is a window to the hallway adjacent the testing chamber. In SCP-4619, a disembodied eyeball, approximately .9 meters in diameter, floats past the window. D-808 loudly swears and recoils from the monitor. The reflection does not react.

D-808: Doc, did that really happen, or just on the screen? D-808 is assured that the eyeball existed only in SCP-4619.

[07:40]: The reflection glances towards D-808 briefly. It starts to look down again before doing a double-take.

Reflection: What is that?

[07:44]: D-808's reflection leans very close to the screen, seeming to look closely at D-808's upper body area. It shakes its head and makes an exasperated sigh before looking around itself. It reaches to its left, past the end of the space visible in the mirror, and retrieves a large magnifying lens4. The reflection is now scratching its temple constantly. It moves the lens in front of one eye and adjusts the distance at which it holds the lens until it's iris and pupil are in focus, now greatly magnified. It holds this position for the next 6 seconds. Its torso and head obscure almost all view of the room behind it.

[08:06]: A small eyeball becomes visible within the pupil of D-808's reflection5. It seems to emerge into illumination from a position further back in the inner eye. The reflection stops scratching.

Reflection: Ah, I see.

[08:10]: The reflection removes the lens and leans back into its chair, revealing that every visible surface in the room is now reflective.6 The door to the testing chamber visible in SCP-4619 opens, and an individual, seemingly identical to the reflection except for the lack of eye tattoos on its palms, enters the room. This individual quickly approaches the reflection from behind and begins to strangle it with a length of fabric resembling silk.7 The reflection begins to choke and grasp at the fabric, which reveals that the eye tattoos on its palms have been replaced with biological eyes embedded into its palms. The reflection opens its mouth and a reflective film stretches between its lips. Reflected in this film is an eye, which maintains eye contact with D-808. D-808 is visibly distressed and alarmed.

[D-808]: Oh shit, oh no! Doc, what do I do?! D-808 tries to touch and push on the monitor, apparently in an attempt to go through the screen. Dude, how can I help you?!

[08:31]: The reflection closes its mouth and smiles in spite of the fact that it is still struggling against the individual strangling it. The reflection gives D-808 the "OK" hand sign. It then gestures with one hand and a large, horizontal mirror on wheels rolls into frame from off screen. This mirror obscures the reflection's struggle along with most of the rest of the room. "Check out my reflection now!" is written in black marker across the top of the new mirror. Reflected in the new mirror is a computer identical to the one D-808 is using. The computer shows what appears to be D-808 with an enormous eyeball replacing most of his torso. His own eyes are missing, tendrils of what appears to be optic nerves and neural tissue emerge from his eye sockets and spread across his body. He is hovering in the air, and though the eye is actively looking around, the man is completely limp. In an effect similar to two mirrors being held up to each other, this figure recurs repeatedly behind the front most figure. D-808 recoils from the monitor, before looking down at his own body as the supervising researcher assures him that nothing has happened to him. The sounds of the fight the reflection is engaged in are still audible.

[08:44]: The man in the large mirror resembling D-808 suddenly becomes animate, looking at D-808 and mouths the phrase "Thank you." The man becomes limp again, before starting to slowly bend backwards. The optic nerves and neural tissue grow rapidly, enveloping the man until none of his body is visible, before coalescing into a single strand trailing behind the large eye. The sound of fabric tearing can be heard, as the sound of the fight ceases. The large eye disappears. There is an impression of movement by a vaguely humanoid shape in the periphery of the frame of SCP-4619, in the area behind the mirror depicted. Extensive analysis of the 6 frames in which this movement is visible have yielded no further details.8

[08:58]: Playback ends.

[END LOG]

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Footnotes

1. The reflection of the person watching SCP-4619 attempting to interact with the viewer occurs in all recorded playbacks.

2. An eye or vision motif is clearly present in almost all playbacks.

3. Reflections making comments with themes regarding self awareness happens in most playbacks.

4. No such lens was present in the room D-808 was in.

5. The smaller eye is approximately 70% the diameter of the pupil.

6. The creation of new reflective surfaces is common towards the end of playbacks.

7. The reflection coming under attack by a hostile entity is common, but the entity's appearance and capabilities vary greatly. The hostile entity also always has some kind of visual similarity to the reflection, though not generally as strong of similarities as are seen in this playback.

8. A shape has been observed moving behind the mirror at the end of every playback. However, the shape is not always humanoid.