SCP-3191: No no no no no, listen, you don't 
have to... Are you still there? Can you hear 
me? Please, | can't - 


[End Log] 


Closing Statement: Subject's request to 
transfer to another project was approved. The 
unstable behavior displayed by the replica in 
spite of the subject's training may indicate that 
SCP-3191 uses its intimate knowledge of 
subjects to cause them emotional distress. 


SCP-3192: When the Bell Tolls 


Item #: SCP-3192 

Object Class: Safe Euclid 

Special Containment Procedures: 
+ Containment Version 1 


SCP-3192 is to be placed in a standard artifact 
containment cell. 


+ Containment Version 2 


SCP-3192 is to be placed in a standard artifact 
containment cell. A guard is to be posted in front of the 
cell at all times. 


+ Containment Version 3 


SCP-3192 is to be placed in a secure vault. Two guards 
are to be stationed by the vault at all times. Video 
surveillance is to be conducted 24/7. 


SCP-3192 is to be kept in an underground shelter capable of 
withstanding a high-grade "bunker buster" explosive; as of 1/1/2010, 
this means the shelter should be located at least 50m underground 
and its walls should be able to endure a force equivalent to 250 tons 
of TNT. The shelter should be reachable from the surface via code- 
activated lift, with guards stationed in visual range of the lift at all 
times. The containment site should be as isolated possible; Site 118 
in the Sonoran desert and Site 204 in Bhutan are ideal. 


All knowledge of SCP-3192 is to be restricted to employees with 
level 4 clearance. A plausible cover story on the dangers of 
interacting with the object under containment is to be disseminated 
to on-site personnel, all of whom should have at most level 3 


clearance. 


Description: SCP-3192 is an astronomical clock originally 
embedded within the gatehouse of the Hampton Court Palace in 
Richmond upon Thames. When any human subject stands directly 
in front of the clock for 3.5 seconds", the subject begins to 
experience an acute feeling of thirst and a hallucination of standing 
in the path of a hurricane; at the same time, the dials of the clock 
begin to move, with the final positions corresponding to the amount 
of time remaining until the subject's death. All recorded efforts to 
alter the date of death predicted by SCP-3192 have met with failure. 


A number of Foundation personnel volunteered to be exposed to 
SCP-3192 following discovery of its anomalous effects. After 
conducting follow-up interviews, the Ethics Committee 
recommended against using Foundation volunteers as test subjects, 
as most of the people who asked to be exposed to SCP-3192 have 
not benefited from the experience. 


+ Psychological Effects: Representative Cases 


Subject: Mr. Chaudhuri, a researcher in the 
Mathematics subdivision. 34 years old. 
SCP-3192 predicted time until death: 30 
years, 4 months, 8 days. 

Consequences: Immediately after exposure, 
subject wrote the number 11,047 
(corresponding to the number of days 
remaining until his death) on the blackboard in 
his office. Subject begins each day by 
decrementing this number by one. Subject 
appears to be in good humor, with work 
performance unaffected. 


Subject: Mr. Goldstein, deputy director of Site 
209. 31 years old. 

SCP-3192 predicted time until death: 63 
years, 5 months, 4 days. 

Consequences: Subject suffered a loss of 
morale post-exposure, resulting in 
substantially poorer work performance. 


Despite the apparently encouraging prediction 
that he would die at an advanced age, subject 
reported feeling as if he has been given a 
death sentence. 


Subject was ordered to report for counseling 
three times a week; however, no discernible 
improvement was observed after 15 months of 
sessions. 


Subject: Mrs. Graham, a secretary in the 
Astrophysical division. 54 years old. 
SCP-3192 predicted time until death: 2 
years, 9 days. 

Consequences: Mrs. Graham's colleagues 
report no changes in her daily behavior. A 
devout Baptist, Mrs. Graham has said she is 
looking forward to seeing her parents and 
deceased husband soon. 


Subject: O5- . 51 years old. 

SCP-3192 predicted time until death: 1 year, 
2 months, 32 days. 

Consequences: Subject resigned her post 
with the Foundation to focus on personal 
relationships. Over the coming months, subject 
took up gardening as a hobby, eventually 
supervising the construction of a shed on her 
property; the collapse of this shed caused 
subject's death. 


Attempts to terminate subjects prior to the date indicated by 
SCP-3192 will fail for what appear to be accidental reasons each 
time. It has been hypothesized that in causing certain events to 
occur, or not occur, SCP-3192 takes a path of least interference with 
reality. Debate over whether this hypothesis holds, and whether it 
can even be sufficiently formalized to be tested empirically, is 
ongoing. 


+ Termination Attempts: Representative Test Log 


SUPERVISOR: Dr. Hermann Braun. 
SUBJECT: D-6372, a 57-year-old Navajo 
male. 

SCP-3192 PREDICTED TIME OF DEATH: 
Approximately 27 years after beginning of 
testing. 


TERMINATION METHOD: Firing squad. 
RESULTS: All shots missed. 


TERMINATION METHOD: Firing squad, take 
two. 

RESULTS: All shots missed. Bullet ricochet 
injured two of the squad participants. 


TERMINATION METHOD: Remotely activated 
explosive. 

RESULTS: Explosive activated approximately 
90 seconds prematurely, killing seven 
Foundation personnel. Subject unharmed. 


TERMINATION METHOD: Subject was put 
into a 3000m? enclosure containing four 
Barbary lions (borrowed from a local zoo). The 
lions were kept without food for the ensuing 
500 hours. Subject's clothes were fumigated 
with the smell of raw meat. 

RESULTS: The lions sniffed the subject 
obsessively but made no attempts to consume 
him. 


TERMINATION METHOD: Thrown from 
airplane. 

RESULTS: Subject tangled up in the 
parachute of an amateur paraglider. The 
paraglider was in possession of a small 
backup parachute, which brought both men 
down to earth at a dangerous but not fatal 
speed. Multiple rib fractures were sustained. 
Subject's attempt to escape Foundation 
custody post-landing unsuccessful. 


SCP-3192 was discovered by Dr. Hermann Braun of the Division of 
Paranormal Investigations (DPI) of the Wehrmacht. The DPI 
regularly monitored communications between persons of interest, 
especially among members of Catholic splinter groups with an 
interest in the occult; Dr. Braun was the first to note an uptick of 
interest in St. Ignatius of Cordoba, who built SCP-3192 in the late 
16th century, and was moved to investigate. Ignatius was the 
disinherited son of a Spanish duke who joined the Franciscan order 
in his late twenties and undertook a pilgrimage to Jerusalem 
approximately a decade later. Several excerpts from his unpublished 
autobiography are preserved in the Vatican archives. 


+ Excerpt from the autobiography of St. Ignatius of Cordoba (translate 


... when | had spent a fortnight in the Judaean 
desert — when the sting of viper bites made 
the slightest movement painful beyond 
compare — when my thirst had turned into a 
ravenous beast — | had a vision of the LORD. 


It is to my everlasting shame that | cried out at 
His sight, weak being of flesh that | am. His 
eyes were balls of lightning; His hair writhed as 
a den of snakes; and out of His mouth came 
holy fire. Verily | say unto you, His anger was a 
sight to behold. But the LORD had great mercy 
on this sinner, for the terrible vision before my 
eyes disappeared, a great gathering whirlwind 
taking its place. 


And the voice of the LORD came to me out of 
the whirlwind. 


PLACE MY FEAR IN THEIR HEARTS, said 
the LORD 

FOR THEY SHALL DENY MY NAME 

MY TRUTH IS REVEALED FROM THE 
FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD 

MY LAW IS PERFECT, MY 
COMMANDMENTS PURE 

MY JUDGMENTS SWEETER THAN HONEY 


| AM CLOTHED IN SPLENDOR AND 
MAJESTY 

BUT THEY SHALL LAUGH ME TO SCORN 
LET HIM WHO HEARS UNDERSTAND: | AM 
NOT MOCKED 

WHAT THEY SOW, THEY SHALL REAP 


The words made no sound but branded 
themselves upon my soul. It was an 
experience unlike any other; and moaning 
silently, | prostrated myself on the ground 
before my Master. 


THEY SHALL ABANDON THE PATHS OF 
GOODNESS, said the LORD 

PROFESSING THEMSELVES TO BE WISE, 
THEY SHALL BECOME FOOLS 

THEIR HANDS ARE DEFILED WITH BLOOD 
WASTING AND DESTRUCTION ARE IN 
THEIR PATHS 

BUT MINE OWN WRATH IS REVEALED 
FROM THE HEAVENS 

TO ME BELONG VENGEANCE AND 
RECOMPENSE 

THEIR SOULS SHALL NOT KNOW PEACE 
FOR THE DAY OF THEIR CALAMITY IS AT 
HAND 

| SHALL GIVE THEM UP UNTO THEIR OWN 
STUBBORN HEARTS 


When the words stopped, my soul eased and 
a sigh escaped my lips. | opened my eyes 
slowly and saw that the whirlwind had 
disappeared — only the winds of sand 
fluttered about me. Instantly | knew what task 
the LORD had set for me; and | summoned 
what strength remained in my bones to set out 
of the desert. 


Shortly after his vision, Ignatius embarked back to Spain; SCP-3192 


was constructed approximately one month after his arrival in his 
hometown of Cordoba. Notably, no prior record exists of Ignatius 
having any expertise in clockworking. SCP-3192 changed hands 
several times over the following centuries before finally arriving at 
Hampton Court. 


The outbreak of World War II put a temporary halt to Dr. Braun's 
investigations. As a result, the properties of SCP-3192 were only 
catalogued in the late 1940s after the dismantling of DPI led to Dr. 
Braun coming into the employ of the Foundation. 


On 2/7/1954, all testing on SCP-3192 was ordered by O5- to 
cease immediately. 


+ Dr. Braun's Correspondence 


| demand O5-command reverse position on 
SCP-3192. There is much we do not know: 


* How does it behave about relativistic 

time dilation? 

Is cryopreservation death? 

Can people be resuscitated after the 

date of death predicted by SCP-3192? 

¢ What counts as a human being? We 
know it ignores macaques and great 
apes but what if we bring a brain- 
damaged human before it? 


Many experiments | need to run. 


Respectfully but disagreeably yours, 


Prof. Dr. Hermann Braun 

Research Head, Division ATF-L-3 

Ph.D. Theoretical Physics, University of 
Heidelberg 

M.S. Mathematics, Technical University of 
Berlin 

Doctor Honoris Causa, Queen Mary University 
of London 


Editor, Journal fur Reine und Angewandte 
Mathematik, 1926-1945, 

Deutsche Physik, 1933-1945, Arkiv for 
Matematik, Astronomi och Fysik, 1930-1945. 


Since lack of response to previous letter, | 
think | have not properly explained usefulness 
of this item. 


Plausible hypothesis is that SCP-3192 causes 
events to happen along "path of least 
resistance" — or, at least, it never strays too 
far from it. Furthermore: in case of termination 
attempt before predicted date, it begins doing 
this very "late in the game," usually when 
attempt is already in progress. If so, we could 
obtain advantage. For example, we could 
create device that kills subject before 
SCP-3192-predicted-time unless suitable 
chamber contains self-sustaining fusion 
reaction. You understand implications, yes? 


Take logic one step further. You remember our 
discussions about artificially generating black 
holes for 

? 
Concern was that miscalculations in the 
stabilization process might lead to uncontained 
expansion. But if we do this before SCP-3192- 
predicated-time for any test subject, it will not 
happen! 


Also: method by which this thing works might 
violate second law of thermodynamics. | am 
positively shimmering at the thought of new 
physics we could learn! | am also curious 
about what happen if we give it to Dr. Bright. 


Please, please — let us resume testing. 


Respectfully but disagreeably yours, 


Agent : | feel terrible, | haven't slept in four days and 
| wish | had never volunteered for this damn experiment. 


: | hadn't... 


Agent : | Know you [EXPLETIVE] well hadn't! | can 
hear you, | can hear those two brain donors, | can hear 

even though he is on the other end of the text feed. | 
can hear every damn person IN THIS DAMN BASE! 


: Calm down. 


Agent : You did not just tell me to calm down, how 
DARE you tell me to calm down. | swear, if one more 
person tells me, or even thinks at me, to be calm | will 
wring their [EXPLETIVE] NECKS! Some of the sick, sick 
things you guys think, | never knew | worked with such 
perverts! You know ? The guy running this place? 
He [REDACTED]. EVERY DAY! Why am |, meatball 
salad today, this isn't my, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! 


: We need to discuss your symptoms. 


Agent : Can | have a pen and paper? | need to write 
this down, | can't think straight to talk. 


*Pen and paper provided for Agent . Agent 
inserts pen a full inches into his ear. Interview 
terminated* 


<End Interview Segment> 


Interview #405-1 4-29: 
Interviewed: Agent (restrained). 


Interviewer: 
Foreword: Late Plateau stage. 
<Begin Log, > 


Agent : Get out, get the hell out, go away, all of you 


Prof. Dr. Hermann Braun 

Research Head, Division ATF-L-3 

Ph.D. Theoretical Physics, University of 
Heidelberg 

M.S. Mathematics, Technical University of 
Berlin 

Doctor Honoris Causa, Queen Mary University 
of London 

Editor, Journal fur Reine und Angewandte 
Mathematik, 1926-1945, 

Deutsche Physik, 1933-1945, Arkiv for 
Matematik, Astronomi och Fysik, 1930-1945. 


Request denied. Because it is impossible to 
tell if a person was always going to die on the 
date predicted by SCP-3192, or if it is the act 
of giving them the device that sets their death 
"in stone," the entire O-5 council is in 
agreement that under no circumstances 
should Dr. Bright be given the device, lest it 
force an XK-class end-of-the-world scenario 
(or higher) to ensure his demise. -O5- . 


Fine, forget about the Doctor. The effects of 
SCP-3192 have been tested 1,217 different 
times before your ban. End of world is 
nowhere in sight, is it? 


| regret that none of the members of O5 
council have scientific background at doctoral 
or professorial level. Perhaps that is why you 
are not in habit of thinking rigorously about 
risk. For God's sake, nuclear power could 
destroy world tomorrow; | am confident it will 
not, because of the careful experiments so 
many physicists have painstakingly performed 
over the past decades. All science is, at most 
basic level, inductive generalization from past 
observations. Now apply same logic to 
SCP-3192 and its safety record. 


All this, by the way, would have been 
abundantly clear to my former supervisors at 
DPI. 


Prof. Dr. Hermann Braun 

Research Head, Division ATF-L-3 

Ph.D. Theoretical Physics, University of 
Heidelberg 

M.S. Mathematics, Technical University of 
Berlin 

Doctor Honoris Causa, Queen Mary University 
of London 

Editor, Journal fur Reine und Angewandte 
Mathematik, 1926-1945, 

Deutsche Physik, 1933-1945, Arkiv fér 
Matematik, Astronomi och Fysik, 1930-1945. 


+ Summary of Incident 1973-JJ-E 


Foundation security personnel visited Dr. 
Braun's home on Sep. 8, 1973 after he failed 
to return from a prolonged vacation. Neighbors 
indicated they had not seen Dr. Braun in over 
a month. No useful evidence was found within 
the dwelling itself but a garbage bin nearby 
contained documents tracing Dr. Braun to a 
cabin in northern Vermont. 


The cabin was found to contain the remains of 
Dr. Braun as well as a cage holding Mr. 
Descheene, one of the subjects used by the 
Foundation for testing of SCP-3192 before the 
cessation of experiments approximately two 
decades earlier. Mr. Descheene recognized 
Dr. Braun during a visit to a grocery store in 
July of 1973, when he approached Dr. Braun 
and proceeded to berate him2. Mr. Descheene 
eventually attacked Dr. Braun before being 
restrained by store employees. After going to 
sleep in his bed the same night without 
noticing anything out of the ordinary, Mr.