A non-anomalous copy of SCP-5624

Item#: SCP-5624

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-5624 is to be kept in a standard containment locker at Site-59. Experimentation is permitted with approval from Director Naismith. As of 5/20/21, SCP-5624 is not to be scanned with photographs under any circumstances.

Description: SCP-5624 is a 2 cm x 6 cm paper cutout depicting a small grayscale caricature of a man with glasses. Analysis of SCP-5624 has indicated that the image was made with an inkjet printer; however, inkjet copies of SCP-5624 do not possess the original anomalous effects.

When SCP-5624 is laid over another image with a computer scanner, the resulting scan will have altered the original image's content.

This effect is most prominent in comic strips, or any other image depicting at least two "characters." The presence of SCP-5624 will nullify any conflict between the characters, or introduce some new aspect of wholesomeness and gratitude. In order for this to occur, SCP-5624 must be superimposed in the image's negative space.

Recovery Log: SCP-5624 was brought to the Foundation's attention from the Tumblr webcomic "Mr. Goodtimes & the Quest for Multiversal Peace," a series of newspaper comic strips altered by SCP-5624. Following an investigation, the blog was shut down, the owner was amnesticized, and SCP-5624 was confiscated.

Addendum 1 — Examples of SCP-5624 alterations from the original website

Strip series
Original Content
SCP-5624 placement
Result

The Lockhorns
Leroy Lockhorn sits in his recliner. Loretta Lockhorn complains. Caption: "I call this sculpture: 'Disappointment in Repose.'"
The space directly to the right of Loretta.
Leroy and Loretta embrace, smiling and crying. Loretta speaks. Caption: "God, we're a mess, aren't we? But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin's father returns home during winter. Several sculptures of murdered snowmen are in the yard, while a snow-wizard sculpture laughs maniacally. Calvin's father thinks to himself: "I don't think they're assigning Calvin enough homework."
In the snow next to the family car.
Calvin and his father work together on a gorier snowman display. Calvin remarks: "Don't forget the entrails. Snowstradamus likes to make an example of his enemies." Calvin's father thinks to himself: "I don't know what I was missing!"

Garfield
Jon calls one of his dates on the telephone. Getting rejected, he hangs up the phone and sobs. Garfield thinks to himself: "Maybe the 407th call was overdoing it."
Central panel, behind Jon.
Jon says "…actually, never mind, I'm not interested." on the phone in the first panel. After hanging up, he hugs Garfield, saying "Who needs dating? I got all the love I need right here." Garfield smiles and thinks "Darn right you do."

Peanuts
Snoopy sits on top of his doghouse and pretends he's fighting the Red Baron in World War I.
In the sky next to Snoopy.
Snoopy shakes hands with an identical dog wearing a pickelhaube, narrating: "Having finally brokered peace with Kaiser Wilhelm II, our hero returns home with hope in his heart for a brighter future. The World rejoices at an end to the years of senseless bloodshed that have engulfed Europe. " In the background, Lucy can be seen allowing Charlie Brown to kick the football.

Addendum 2 — Examples of SCP-5624 alterations from Foundation experimentation

Image
Original Content
SCP-5624 placement
Result

A photocopy of Judith and Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi
Judith and a servant woman work together to decapitate Holofernes, who is sleeping, with a knife.
In the background.
A weeping and repentant Holofernes kneels to Judith, laying down his weapons at her feet (presumably to apologize for trying to destroy her hometown of Bethulia). Judith, also weeping, places a merciful hand on his shoulder.

A photocopy of a World War I propaganda poster
"DESTROY THIS MAD BRUTE" — a snarling ape wears a helmet labeled "MILITARISM" and brandishes a bloody club labeled "KULTUR" while carrying off a half-naked woman — "ENLIST — US ARMY"
In the background.
"BE NICE TO APES" — a smiling ape wears a helmet labeled "APE HAT" and holds a submarine sandwich while a half-naked woman combs his fur — "THEY'RE DOING THEIR BEST"

A photograph of D-59183 and D-29387, taken at Site-59 on 5/19/21, taken for the purpose of experimentation with SCP-5624.
As instructed, D-59183 and D-29387 stand next to each other in an empty room.
The space to the left of D-59183.
D-59183 is dead, and D-29387 kneels next to his corpse, sobbing. [See Addendum 3]

Addendum 3 - Moratorium on Photographic Testing

On 5/20/21, immediately following the scan of the photograph with SCP-5624, D-59183 was found dead in his cell. Cause of death was determined to be drowning in black ink. Despite confirmed reports of D-59813 having reported for other experiments two hours prior, the state of decomposition indicated that he had been dead for at least 17 hours — since the time the photograph was taken.

Date: 5/20/21

Interviewer: Researcher Charlton

Interviewed: D-29387

<begin log>

Charlton: We'd like to ask you a few questions regarding the photograph yesterday.

[D-29387 trembles at the mention of the photograph, remaining silent. His breathing becomes quicker.]

Charlton: If you do not cooperate with—

D-29387: Fuck off, you know what happened. You were there when the picture was taken.

Charlton: I was, but I was not in the picture. You were. We have reason to believe that what you saw, and what I saw, are two different things.

D-29387: So you think I'm insane?

Charlton: I don't have the right degree on my wall to make that decision. No judgments are being made here — all the same, you're not leaving this room until we have your version of events.

D-29387: Goddammit. Okay, fine. Where are we starting?

Charlton: Of the two of you who came into the photograph —

[D-29387 breaks down, sobbing.]

Charlton: …I suppose this means you're aware of what happened to D-59813.

D-29387: Brad.

Charlton: The names of D-class are confidential.

D-29387: He told me.

Charlton: Records indicate that the time you and D-59— Brad knew each other begun at the time of the shooting, and you had no contact prior. And yet — were you close?

D-29387: He's the only reason I made it out of there.

Charlton: The room where the photograph took place?

D-29387: No. The place we were pulled into. I thought you would have seen that part, at least.

Charlton: That's why we want to know what you saw.

D-29387: I'm not sure how much time went by. By the time we broke out, only an instant had passed — but I swear it was a few months, at least. Apparently some of the other people there were still waiting to get out of the lake on their own, once Mr. Goodtimes "approved" — Brad taught me how to fight my way out instead. He even tried to attack Goodtimes himself on the way out — didn't go too well, obviously.

Charlton: Can you tell me more about this "lake"?

[D-29387 hesitates.]

D-29387: …gimme a minute. I'm still raw from all this.

Charlton: Take your time. Maybe changing the subject would help - who was "Mr. Goodtimes?" Was he a man with glasses?

[D-29387 nods.]

Charlton: Did he look like a —

D-29387: Cartoon character. No anger in his voice, just said he was "here to help" and dragged us into his little lake — smiling the whole time. The lake was… cold. Wet. The ground was covered in this thick layer of black mud that stained our clothes. Sky was pure white. Smelled like newspaper and blood. No horizon, just more black and white. The mud felt solid beneath our feet, but the more we walked forward, the more it pulled us in, and the arms kept coming and…

[D-29387 hesitates, breaking into a cold sweat.]

…look, I never knew Brad before all this went down. But you work that hard to get out of the lake with someone for that long, and he's gonna be the brother you never knew you had. All the problems you had outside the lake don't matter no more, there's only the fight to escape — and all the dreams of what you'll do once you break out.

Though sometimes, when I put it that way, I feel we played right into Goodtimes's little lesson plan.

Charlton: Which is?

D-29387: "Be good to each other. Or die."

<End Log>