A picture of SCP-3538 taken during testing.

Item #: SCP-3538

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3538 is to be contained within a standard anomalous objects locker. All personnel with a Level 2 clearance and above are allowed access to the entity. At least one personnel trained in Morse code is to be present during all tests involving SCP-3538. Use of SCP-3538 for climbing purposes is prohibited, following Incident-3538-1.

Description: SCP-3538 is an Asymmetric D Climbing Carabiner. SCP-3538 possesses a faded logo and the brand name 'Elliot Climbing Co.' on the left interior. SCP-3538 is capable of understanding human speech, despite not possessing any means of listening, and communicates via Morse Code, with an opening of the entity's hinge representing a dot or dash depending on the length of time the hinge is open.

When communicating, SCP-3538 will often express a desire to return to 'the glory days' and will request to be used for climbing purposes. Should an individual interacting with SCP-3538 inform it that they have previously engaged in climbing, the entity will recount tales and claims involving its prior owner. (See Interview Log-3538-A).

A brief list of claims made by SCP-3538 is included below:

Climbing Mt. Everest alone while blindfolded 3 times.

Climbing Mt. Roraima with only chalk1.

Saving an orphan, all by themselves, who was stranded in a one-kilometer deep ravine.

Climbing a one-hundred-meter Redwood to put a baby bird back in its nest.

Scaling a courthouse to save a stranded firefighter with a broken leg.

Addendum-3538-1:

SCP-3538 was found in Quinn, South Dakota after reports of a clicking noise in Badlands National Park was investigated by police. Foundation personnel planted within local police forces later found and identified the source of the clicking to be SCP-3538 sending out a Morse code SOS signal. Upon recovery, SCP-3538 told personnel its account of how it arrived at its location. (See Recovery Log below.)

+ Recovery

- Close Recovery

Recovery Log-3538

<Begin Log>

Agent Rees: What the hell is that noise?

Control: Could you describe the noise for us, please?

Agent Rees: Like a clicking sound.

[Four minutes recorded is silent except for footsteps and clicking]

Agent Rees: What the hell? Is that… is that a carabiner?

Control: Could you describe what it’s doing?

[The clicking is heard louder, presumably from Agent Rees picking it up.]

Agent Rees: It’s opening and closing in a pattern… the pattern almost looks like… Morse code. One second.

[Shuffling followed by typing is heard from Agent Rees]

Agent Rees: Aha! I got it okay so it's, dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot… SOS? Alright, okay, one minute, it changed up its pattern.

Control: Please translate and tell us what it’s communicated.

[Two and a half minutes pass by as Rees translates SCP-3538]

Agent Rees: 'Yes, now put me down you filthy animal'. Huh, not a very nice carabiner.

Control: Can you ask it how it got there?

Agent Rees: So how did you get down here exactly?

[Clicking is heard for five minutes followed by three minutes of silence before Agent Rees is heard talking again.]

Agent Rees: Okay, so let me get this straight. You were owned by the 'greatest climber alive' and that he was climbing to the top of this mountain to get a stranded princess. Then his rope got cut by an evil bandit to which your owner grabbed his arm, pulled him down with him but both of them fell and died. After all of this, a flood swept you over here and somehow managed to not bury you in the mud? During this entire time, you were sending an SOS signal?

[Clicking is again heard followed by silence.]

Agent Rees 'Yes, exactly,' Alright, let's get moving out then.

<End log>

Addendum-3538-2:

SCP-3538 was interviewed shortly after being contained to determine the entity's origins and legitimacy of previous claims.

+ Interview Log

- Close Interview Log

Interview Log-3538-A

Interviewed: SCP-3538

Interviewer: Dr. Baker

Foreword: Dr. Baker was chosen for the interview with SCP-3538 due to her past with both recreational and competitive rock wall climbing. For all purposes, this interview has been translated from the original Morse code SCP-3538 produces.

<Begin Log>

Dr. Baker: Hello SCP-3538.

SCP-3538: HELLO THERE ARE YOU HERE TO TALK WITH THE GREATEST CLIMBING CARABINER STOP

Dr. Baker: Um…Yes, I just have a couple questions to ask you.

SCP-3538: ASK AWAY STOP

Dr. Baker: So who was your previous owner?

SCP-3538: AHH HIS NAME WAS FRANKLIN HE WAS THE BEST CLIMBER TO EVER EXIST ONE TIME ME AND HIM BOTH CLIMBED UP MOUNT SAINT ELIAS WITH ONLY RATIONS AND AN EXTREMELY FRAYED ROPE STOP ONCE WE GOT THERE WE HELPED A LOST OLD MAN RETURN TO BASE CAMP AND HE GOT A SHINY MEDAL STOP

Dr. Baker: Mhm, so did Franklin know of your properties SCP-3538?

SCP-3538: YEAH HIM AND I WOULD TALK ALL THE TIME AND SHARE STORIES OF FAMILY FRIENDS OF OUR PAST HE WAS A NICE MAN STOP

Dr. Baker: I see, and how did Franklin react to your ability to communicate.

SCP-3538: HE TOLD ME I WAS AMAZING AND I WAS THE BEST CARABINER IN THE WORLD AND THE BEST CLIMBER SHOULD BE THE ONE TO HAVE ME SO HE KEPT ME FOR HIMSELF STOP

Dr. Baker: And did Franklin tell anyone of your anomalous properties?

SCP-3538: NO HE WAS WORRIED THEY WOULD GET JEALOUS OF MY AWESOME ABILITY SO HE KEPT ME WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES STOP

Dr. Baker: Alright, thank you for this interview SCP-3538.

SCP-3538: YOU ARE WELCOME STOP

<End Log>

Closing Statements: Research into the previous owner of SCP-3538 is currently pending.

Addendum-3538-3:

Below is a series of tests involving SCP-3538's practical applications:

+ Testing Log

- Testing Log

Testing Log-3538:

DATE:

10/8/2017

Foreword: Dr. Everwood, a self-proclaimed "climbing expert" was equipped with a standard climbing harness with SCP-3538 attached and instructed to scale a twenty-meter sheer cliff-face.

<Begin Log>

13:15:21- Dr. Everwood once instructed began ascension.

13:30:30- The subject requests a break at thirteen meters.

13:32:12- The subject resumes climbing.

13:40:57- The subject successfully reached the peak and began to descend.

13:42:30- SCP-3538 was removed from Dr. Everwood's harness and began to communicate, translation is as follows, "WHAT A WIMP FRANKLIN NEVER NEEDED A BREAK STOP BETTER OFF FRANKLIN WOULDNT HAVE EVEN BROKEN A SWEAT ON AN EASY CLIMB LIKE THIS STOP I DESERVE A BETTER CLIMBER STOP"

<End Log>

Addendum-3538-4:

Following several tests, SCP-3538 began displaying erratic behavior and attempted to communicate during an experiment, leading to an injury to a D-Class personnel. (See report below.)

+ Incident Report SCP-3538-1

- Close Incident Report SCP-3538-1

INCIDENT REPORT SCP-3538-1

DATE:

12/9/2017

NOTE:

During a routine test to check the use of SCP-3538 while climbing, the entity had open and closed while trying to relay a message.

<BEGIN LOG>

12:30:21- D-1824 is shown at the bottom of a cliff face looking up. Subject has on a climbing harness with SCP-3538 attached.

12:31:22- The subject ascends at Control's command.

1:03:01- At ten meters up the cliff face D-1824 vocalizes several distress calls. SCP-3538 had opened itself and had begun to rapidly click. D-1824 is instructed to stay put while Control begins to lower him.

1:07:34- At three and a half meters off ground SCP-3538 detached from D-1824's harness causing the subject to fall and suffer a fractured radius.

1:15:01- When questioned about the incident SCP-3538 only statement was 'BAD ROPE'.

<END LOG>

Addendum-3538-5:

Following Interview-3538-A, an investigation was launched into SCP-3538's previous owner. Though an individual matching the name and profile described by the entity, no evidence could be found to substantiate most of SCP-3538's claims. (See Interview Log-3538-B.)

+ Interview Log

- Close Interview Log

Interview Log-3538-B

Interviewed: SCP-3538

Interviewer: Dr. Baker

Foreword: After the initial investigation into the previous owner of SCP-3538, Franklin Day, it was revealed that he had been killed on his first climbing trip due to rope snapping twenty meters off the ground.

<Begin Log>

Dr. Baker: Hello, SCP-3538.

SCP-3538: HELLO AGAIN COME BACK TO HEAR MORE OF MY RIGHTEOUS TALES STOP

Dr. Baker: No, I have come to ask you a question about your previous owner.

SCP-3538: OF COURSE YOU MAY ASK ANY QUESTION ABOUT THE GREATEST CLIMBER KNOWN TO MANKIND STOP

Dr. Baker: We have reason to believe that your previous owner died on their first climb, could you tell us the truth about him?

SCP-3538: HIS FIRST CLIMB WAS UP MT. EVEREST TWENTY YEARS AGO AND HE LIVED THROUGH IT STOP

Dr. Baker: SCP-3538, please answer the question truthfully.

SCP-3538: LIES HE DIED ON HIS TWO HUNDRED THIRTY FIRST CLIMB HIS ROPE WAS CUT BY AN EVIL BANDIT STOP

Dr. Baker: SCP-3538, please tell us the truth, we have his Death Certificate.

SCP-3538 WELL IT IS WRONG HE WAS THE GREATEST CLIMBER ALIVE HE SAVED PEOPLE HE WAS THE BEST CLIMBER IN THE WORLD STOP

Dr. Baker: We're getting nowhere with this. SCP-3538, answer me truthfully.

[SCP-3538 stays silent]

Dr. Baker SCP-3538, answer the question.

SCP-3538: HE WAS SO YOUNG CAN YOU LET ME AND HIM DREAM

[SCP-3538 stays silent for the rest of the interview and refused to answer any further questions.]

<End Log>

Closing Statements In the week following Interview Log-3538-B, SCP-3538 was uncooperative with further testing. Despite the evidence provided for its owner's expiration SCP-3538 remains fervent in its claims.

Footnotes

1. Chalk is often used by climbers to help absorb sweat and improve grip.