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SCP-8059: IBM Chronoscope

Author: BobDeblonde

Co-Authors: DrRichardMortis

Thanks for checking out my first work! If you have any suggestions or feedback, please leave a comment or send a PM; I am always looking to improve.

Item#: 8059

Containment Class: esoteric

Secondary Class: thaumiel

Disruption Class: vlam

Risk Class: notice

Special Containment Procedures: Sub Level 3 of Site 223 is to be guarded at all times by at least one Level 2 security officer and monitored for tachyon interference 24/7. In case of unauthorized entry, the Director of Temporal Research1 and the Site Director2 must be notified immediately and the suspect held for questioning. Usage is restricted to Level 2 personnel or personnel with 2-8059 clearance. No food or drink is allowed within the containment area.

Discovery: During the renovation of Provisional Site 2233, an earthquake caused serious plumbing damage to the newly finished Temporal Research Wing.4 Ground penetrating radar detected large empty spaces beneath the site, and an exploration crew was tasked to gain access to these caverns. Upon reentry to the site they found 15 previously unknown basement levels with fully furnished offices and laboratories. All rooms were non-anomalous except for residual tachyon radiation, which emanated from the location of 8059 on Sub Level 3.

Central Processing Unit for SCP-8059

Description: SCP-8059 is a collection of anomalously connected computer equipment, currently located underneath the Temporal Research Wing at Site 223. The anomaly resembles an early 60's IBM 1401 Mainframe (SCP-8059-A) with an attached Kodak Instamatic 8mm Film Projector (SCP-8059-B). When discovered, 8059-A was partially waterlogged due to a burst pipe, damaging part of the mainframe, as well as several recovered documents. To date ~80% of the machine seems to function.

8059-A has a placard containing the name "IBM Chronoscope".5 Documents recovered during the object's discovery include typical IBM order forms and an IBM order receipt for one Chronoscope, made out to South Creek Prototyping (a Foundation shell company) dated ██/██/████.6 This shell company did not exist at the time of discovery, and there are no Foundation records of this purchase. While 8059-A externally resembles a typical mainframe computer; the interior anomalously re-configures itself whenever not directly observed. Examples include clockwork machinery, electrical wiring, [DATA EXPUNGED], human neural tissue, etc. This unstable element of 8059-A's inner workings unfortunately makes repairs almost impossible.

8059-B has been modified to accept standard IBM magnetic tape instead of 8mm film, playing the tape contents as a movie. 8059-B turns on automatically when magnetic tape from 8059-A is inserted. Along the side is a play/pause button and slider labeled "Playback Speed" with 6 options. Testing has shown that the speeds correspond as follows:

Playback Speed
Time Elapsed

Slider set to x1
Normal Speed

Slider set to x2
1 Hour/Minute

Slider set to x4
1 Day/Minute

Slider set to x8
1 Week/Minute

Slider set to x16
1 Year/Minute

When inserting a blank IBM 80-Column punch card into 8059-A, the machine will turn on. By using the punch card printer included on all 1401 models, the user can choose a single date, event, and change to make. Once the selections have been made, the machine will spool a roll of magnetic tape and begin transcribing data. After a variable amount of time, the spool will be ejected with a label containing the date chosen and change requested. Inserting this spool into 8059-B will start a playback of past events, starting from the beginning of the date chosen. The projection will continue until the chosen event starts, upon which the selected change will occur. 8059-B will continue to play an alternate recollection of events based on the change made, until the current date is reached. Any information related to temporal technology is redacted from the projection.

Note from the Department of Temporal Research:

All tapes generated by 8059 must be surrendered to Archives after testing. Our goal is to understand how 8059 works, not use it to make alternate history documentaries for the breakroom. To request a copy of a previously created tape, make a formal request through SCiPNET like everyone else.

Addendum A:

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Classified Level 4-8059Close Report

On July 23, 1987, the automated containment alarm for SCP-8059 was tripped due to detection of a controlled tachyon burst and subsequent CCTV blackout within Sub Level 3. Security was scrambled to SCP-8059, and upon arrival found a floppy disk partially hidden underneath the central console of 8059-A. The disk was addressed to Site Director Darryl Combs and contained an O5 authorization code and an email. After memetic testing came back negative and the code verified for authenticity the disk was delivered. Below is a copy of its contents.

Confidential Memorandum

Classified Level 4-8059

Received July 23, 1987

From:
overwatch.command@scp.int, dcombs@scp.int

To:
dcombs@scp.int

Subject:
FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: Containment Breach

Darryl,

I'm going to keep things simple; lord knows you're about to have enough on your plate. Exactly 38 years from the day this memo arrives you are going to go into 8059's binder and pull out an IBM order form. On this form you will order exactly ONE IBM Chronoscope. You are going to email this form to IBM. You will then wait for Site 223 to disappear.

It's the only way we've found to close the loop. Every time Site 223 is created to try and fix that damn nexus, 8059 shows up. If you don't send 8059 back the timeline breaks, and everyone has a very bad day. I got the exact same memo when I was site director, and you'll have to send the same one too. I have the O5's on my ass about this, so don't fuck it up. See you in a bit.

Ps: The whole site won't disappear by the way, just everything underground. Minor structural damage, I promise.

Darryl Combs, Director of Site 223-2

Secure, Contain, Protect