Link to article: SCP-8516.
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[[>]] [[module Rate]] [[/>]] **Item #:** SCP-8516 **Object Class:** Safe **Special Containment Procedures:** Each item of SCP-8516 is to be stored individually in a locked, opaque container when not actively under study. It is highly recommended that each container be housed in a separate containment chamber. Additional containment procedures are in place for the following items: * SCP-8516-3's containment chamber must be soundproofed to an apparent sound reduction index[[footnote]]See [https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso:16283:-1 ISO 16283].[[/footnote]] of no less than 45 and equipped with at least two Class 3 isolating headphones attached to a white noise generator. * SCP-8516-4's container must be housed in a chamber equipped with a supplemental high-efficiency ventilation system. Cameras and other recording devices may be permitted in the containment chambers subject to the discretion of the presiding researcher. However, any photographs or other recordings taken with such devices must be destroyed at the conclusion of each research session; under no circumstances may they be removed from the chamber. Foundation personnel are to limit their direct exposure to (at most) a single item of SCP-8516, as exposure to 2 or more items necessitates the administration of amnestics to the exposed party. **Update (21/08/2014):** Following the events of Incident I-8516-4 (See Addendum 3), in an attempt to reduce the accessibility of the full collection of SCP-8516 items by any single Foundation employee and mitigate the effectiveness of future attempts at social engineering, no more than 3 items of SCP-8516 may be housed simultaneously at any given Foundation facility. **Description:** SCP-8516 is a collection of 12 household objects of varying types and origins, a summary inventory of which may be found in Addendum 1. Research into the objects is still ongoing. However, to date, extensive testing on human subjects has failed to turn up evidence of measurable adverse effects resulting from contact with any single, isolated instance of SCP-8516. Indeed, individually, none of the objects display any apparent anomalous properties whatsoever. Collectively, however, they present a potent cognitohazard. Subjects exposed to more than one instance of SCP-8516 report a desire to seek out the rest of the collection, with the intensity of the effect increasing markedly the more items the subject views. This desire initially presents as no more than mild curiosity, but quickly progresses to an intense and all-consuming obsession with locating and examining the remaining items. The effect varies somewhat from individual to individual, but in general, subjects who have viewed more than 4 or 5 of the items can no longer be considered to be in full control of their actions and are to be treated with extreme caution. Subjects under the influence of SCP-8516 report a sense of something secret and deeply meaningful being gradually revealed to them. They become increasingly convinced that if they were allowed to examine the full set of objects, they would gain some kind of understanding or insight into an unspecified “truth” of immense significance. Subjects typically struggle to characterize the nature of this supposed insight, except in the vaguest of terms. The progressive intensity of the effect suggests that only in the objects’ combination or juxtaposition with each other do they carry any sort of perceived meaning.[[footnote]]It is for this reason that they have acquired the nickname "Kuleshov's Curios", in reference to the renowned Soviet film theorist and his [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuleshov_effect eponymous Effect].[[/footnote]] Descriptions of the objects, regardless of how detailed, appear to be insufficient to trigger the anomalous effect; subjects must generally examine the objects firsthand, although in many cases, detailed photographs suffice (SCP-8516-3, SCP-8516-4, and SCP-8516-10 being notable exceptions). The objects were recovered from the flat of a Parisian artist named Marcel Aubine in 1989, following his disappearance roughly two weeks prior. [[footnote]]There exists relatively little information about Aubine himself beyond his apparently unremarkable middle-class upbringing. The only child of a low-level bureaucrat in the Paris municipal government, he attended one of the lesser-known Marseille-area art schools, where he seems to have done little to distinguish himself. A few years later, following a handful of poorly reviewed showings in local galleries, he appears to have taken the meager proceeds from his parents’ estate (they were by this time both deceased) and left France. His whereabouts from that time up until his eventual return to Paris nearly a decade later are unknown.[[/footnote]] Upon Aubine’s failure to pay his already overdue rent, his landlord entered his flat, noticed signs of neglect, and contacted police. A source within the Paris Police Prefecture alerted Foundation personnel after hearing of odd behavior among the officers responsible for investigating the flat. After administering amnestics to the affected officers, Foundation field operatives seized the entire contents of the flat and transferred it to the nearest Foundation facility for study, where researchers were eventually able to isolate the objects responsible for the anomalous effect. Little is known about the origins of the objects. Apart from one or two, exactly how and where Aubine obtained them is unclear. Aubine was described by his few acquaintances as a prolific traveler; given the wide variation in the objects’ age and general area of origin, it is likely he acquired the majority of them in the course of his travels. Most seem to have been modified by Aubine to various extents while in his possession, but the exact ways in which they were modified—and more importantly, why—are matters of some debate. However, it is the question of how and when the SCP-8516 collection acquired its anomalous properties that has prompted the most speculation. Aubine’s increasingly reclusive and erratic behavior over the decade preceding his disappearance strongly suggests he was under its influence, but there is no clear evidence to indicate whether the objects were already anomalous when he found them or whether they became so while in his possession. If the latter, it would raise the possibility that Aubine’s alterations to the collection somehow prompted their unusual effects. Either way, one must grant the possibility that Aubine himself may have been anomalous in some way.[[footnote]]The possibility that Aubine’s flat was an anomalous location that imbued SCP-8516 with its effects cannot be ruled out. Out of an abundance of caution, the Foundation arranged to rent the flat in perpetuity on the condition that it be held empty, an agreement which held until the building’s eventual demolition in 1997.[[/footnote]] **Addendum 1:** Summary Inventory of SCP-8516 Items [[collapsible show="+ Table T-8516-1 " hide="- Table T-8516-1 "]] ||~ Item ||~ Summary Description || || SCP-8516-1 || A carved wooden duck decoy, painted to resemble a mallard drake. A receipt found among Aubine's effects indicates it was procured from a thrift store in Hackensack, New Jersey, in late 1971. || || SCP-8516-2 || A broken pocket watch of uncertain provenance. The case contains a distinctive dent, often described as being shaped like [REDACTED]. || || SCP-8516-3 || A 45 RPM vinyl recording of novelty songs for children, titled [REDACTED]. The record has a small scratch at approximately the halfway point, causing the needle to skip repeatedly when played on a portable turntable of the type known to have belonged to Aubine. Tests performed on unblemished copies of the record have confirmed they lack the anomalous properties of SCP-8516-3. || || SCP-8516-4 || An antique perfume bottle containing a small quantity of perfume. Consultation with experts in the field has resulted in the identification of some, but not all, of the constituent fragrance compounds. || || SCP-8516-5 || A large canvas reproduction of a painting depicting a seaside fishing village, painted in an impressionist style, artist unknown. The canvas has been embellished in a number of places with tempera and acrylic paints. || || SCP-8516-6 || A pair of pince-nez spectacles, of late 19th Century European design. Unusually, one lens corrects for myopia, the other for hyperopia. || || SCP-8516-7 || A sculpture of a snowman out of paraffin wax, 26 cm in height. Based on its attire and level of craftsmanship, it is speculated to have been constructed by an amateur as a seasonal decoration, though it is possible Aubine produced it himself. The figure is slightly melted, as if by placement in direct sunlight or in proximity to a heat source. || || SCP-8516-8 || A beaded macrame plant hanger containing a faux split-leaf philodendron (Monstera deliciosa) in a wicker basket. || || SCP-8516-9 || A midcentury swag lamp, 40cm in height, attached to a chain measuring 4.1m. The lamp is of amber-tinted blown glass with red vertical striations and is roughly spherical in shape. Openings at the top and bottom of the globe are capped with ornamental brass fittings. || || SCP-8516-10 || A stuffed toy animal, likely a tiger. Little of the original fabric covering remains; it has been carefully replaced by a patchwork of radically diverse textiles, including birchbark, ostrich leather, and one section of what is believed to be cloth woven from Aubine's own hair. || || SCP-8516-11 || A tangled mass of household cords and cabling, roughly 35cm x 20cm x 20cm. Components include multiple RJ11 telephone cords, coaxial cables, 14-gauge speaker wire, an RS-232 male-to-male serial port cable, and a string of small, low-wattage incandescent light bulbs. || || SCP-8516-12 || A large Bakelite hand mirror, dark brown in color, from which much of the silvering has corroded. || [[/collapsible]] **Addendum 2:** Interview with D-27178, 27/04/2011 [[collapsible show="+ Interview N-8516-59 " hide="- Interview N-8516-59 "]] [[div class="blockquote"]] **Interviewer:** Dr. K. Nishimura //The following is a partial transcript of an interview with D-27178, who was allowed to examine 4 of the SCP-8516 items over a period of two days.// **<Begin Log, 27/04/2011 1425>** **Dr. Nishimura:** Let's come back to that last item for a moment, the snowman. Can you describe for me your state of mind as you looked at it? **D-27178:** I've been trying, really I have, I-- **Dr. Nishimura:** Just do your best. Any small detail might help. **D-27178:** I’m not sure how to...there was just something about it. **Dr. Nishimura:** Can you expand on that? Were there perhaps parts of it you found more interesting than others? **D-27178:** No, it wasn't like that. It wasn't one little piece of it that...it was the whole thing, you know? Like maybe how sometimes, I don't know, you hear an old commercial, or you walk in a kitchen and it smells a certain way, and it'll just remind you of something. Like something you used to know, only you forgot somehow. And you don't even know what it was, you can't put your finger on it, just...you just know...it mattered. I don't know, I'm not explaining it right... **Dr. Nishimura:** You're doing just fine. This is very helpful. Perhaps you could-- **D-27178:** [becoming agitated] No! You don't get it. I can see you don't. There's something there, I can feel it. **Dr. Nishimura:** Something there? **D-27178:** It's right there, I've almost got it, just… If I could just take a look at a couple more of those things@@—@@I know there’s more, there's gotta be@@—@@If I could just see them, I bet-- **Dr. Nishimura:** I'm afraid that won't be possible. **D-27178:** All right. All right, but look, you need help, that's why I'm here, right? So let me help. I can tell you whatever you need to know, all you have to do is just let me see them, and-- **Dr. Nishimura:** I think we ought to pick this back up tomorrow, why don't we-- **D-27178:** [suddenly striking the table and raising his voice] Man, what the hell are you guys even doing here? Why'd you even sign up if you were just gonna sit around with your thumbs up your asses? Isn't it your job to find shit out? //Dr. Nishimura ends the session and calls for security personnel to intervene. Security personnel attempt to restrain D-27178.// **D-27178:** [yelling] Don't you want to know? How can you not want to know? **<End Log>** //D-27178 was administered a sedative followed by a course of Class B amnestics.// [[/div]] [[/collapsible]] **Addendum 3:** Excerpt from Incident Report IR-8516-4 [[collapsible show="+ Document IR-8516-4A " hide="- Document IR-8516-4A "]] At approximately 11:05 AM on 13/08/2014, security personnel stationed in the Memetic Hazards wing of Site-73 reported an unauthorized attempt to enter SCP-8516-5's containment chamber. Senior Researcher Karlsen had presented his credentials and a duly certified access requisition form for SCP-[REDACTED], housed in the same wing, at the security station and asked to be escorted to its containment chamber, as per protocol. Upon emerging from SCP-[REDACTED]'s chamber, Dr. Karlsen claimed he also needed to look in on SCP-8516-5, and asked if he might be allowed to quickly do so, as he was already in the area. When the escorting officer expressed reservations about allowing this, Dr. Karlsen apologized for what he termed his "lack of foresight" in not having secured the proper paperwork ahead of time, but asked that he be allowed into the containment room anyway, as he was due to spend the rest of the day in meetings and wouldn't be able to return until the following day. Upon the escorting officer's continued refusal, Dr. Karlsen became agitated and threatened disciplinary action if he was not accommodated. Security personnel then made the decision to detain Dr. Karlsen and notify the facility’s security incident response coordinator. A subsequent investigation revealed that Dr. Karlsen had, over a span of several days, employed a combination of legitimate research sessions, forged paperwork, and social engineering to gain access to several of the SCP-8516 items. The results of this investigation led directly to the heightened containment procedures currently in place for SCP-8516. Following is a partial transcript of Dr. Karlsen's interrogation during his initial detention: [[div class="blockquote"]] **<Begin Log, 13/08/2014 1109>** **Dr. Karlsen:** I really don't have time for this. I have a very important meeting due to start any moment. **Security Officer:** We'll do our best to be quick. Can you tell me why you needed access to SCP-8516-5's containment chamber, Dr. Karlsen? **Dr. Karlsen:** That information is classified. I'm sure you know that. Perhaps I should be asking you why you're trying to get classified information out of me. **Security Officer:** We're obligated to ask. But I'm told you didn't have a pass for the chamber. Would you care to explain-- **Dr. Karlsen:** Like I said, I just hadn't gotten to it yet. Who the hell do you think you are, treating me like this? //The door opens and Dr. Silva enters.// **Dr. Karlsen:** Enzo, thank God. Will you tell these people-- **Dr. Silva:** [to the Security Officer] May I have a moment with him? **Security Officer:** Of course. We'll be right outside. //The security officer exits the room.// **Dr. Karlsen:** Okay, look, I don't know what they told you, but-- **Dr. Silva:** Jens, what are you doing here? **Dr. Karlsen:** This is all completely ridiculous. I just wanted to make sure the box was sealed back up properly. The last one in there was Evgeny, you know what he's like, he doesn't always-- **Dr. Silva:** They said you were in to see SCP-[REDACTED]? It's not even under active study. Nobody's been in there in ages. **Dr. Karlsen:** Well, that's exactly why I felt like I ought to-- **Dr. Silva:** Just cut the shit, Jens. Just stop. You know I could get in trouble for even talking to you right now? I'm trying to help you. [sighs] How many? **Dr. Karlsen:** How many what? **Dr. Silva:** You know what. //There is a long pause.// **Dr. Silva:** Okay, you know what, I tried. //Dr. Silva gets up and begins to move toward the door.// **Dr. Karlsen:** Nine. **Dr. Silva:** [slowly sits back down] Jesus Christ, Jens. **Dr. Karlsen:** I know how it must look-- **Dr. Silva:** They'll pump you so full of amnestics you won't be able to remember your name. What were you thinking? **Dr. Karlsen:** Enzo, please, just listen. That's all I'm asking. How long have we known each other? Our kids go to school together, for Christ's sake. You owe me that much. **Dr. Silva:** Fine, okay. I'm listening. **Dr. Karlsen:** Thank you. [takes a deep breath] Enzo, the curios might be the most important things at this Site. They might be the most important things anywhere. Please, I’m begging you, you must let me see the others. **Dr. Silva:** [scoffs] How did I know you were going to say that? **Dr. Karlsen:** We were wrong about them. Completely wrong. They're remarkable, priceless even-- **Dr. Silva:** They're junk, Jens. Anomalous junk, but junk nonetheless. **Dr. Karlsen:** No! They are far more than that, Enzo. They are the key to everything. **Dr. Silva:** An ugly plant hanger isn't the key to anything, my friend. For god’s sake, use your head. Aubine was a failed artist, a nobody. Am I really to believe that his flea market odds and ends are that important? **Dr. Karlsen:** You misunderstand. The curios themselves are just things. Carefully selected blanks, each precisely altered by Aubine, like Michelangelo bringing forth his David from a block of marble. Works of genius, but just things. Tell me, Enzo, have you ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? A thousand tiny pieces, each one unremarkable on its own. Each just a jumble of lines and colors. But start fitting them together, and little by little, a picture emerges. **Dr. Silva:** And there it is. The big meaningful //something//. How many times have I heard— **Dr. Karlsen:** You promised to listen, Enzo. **Dr. Silva:** [sighs] You’re right. You’re right, I’m sorry. But please, Jens. Aubine, a genius? Aubine was a lunatic. If he wasn't crazy before the curios, he sure as hell was afterwards. **Dr. Karlsen:** Was he? You'll recall that they never found him. Why do you think that is? **Dr. Silva:** He was unstable and in debt. Probably jumped in the Seine or something. **Dr. Karlsen:** I don't think so. Not anymore. I think he discovered something. **Dr. Silva:** You’re saying he found out something that got him killed? **Dr. Karlsen:** I’m saying he might not be dead. **Dr. Silva:** [frustrated sigh] Enough with the games, Jens. Out with it. What are you trying to say? What is this supposed grand vision that Aubine constructed? **Dr. Karlsen:** Not Aubine. Aubine was a genius, that much is clear to me. But he merely created the pieces, he did not create the picture. As for what it is…I don't know, not exactly. And I'm certain I won't until I examine the last curio— **Dr. Silva:** Of course. I don’t know what I expected. **Dr. Karlsen:** —but I know it’s something beyond imagining, Enzo. Something that’s always been there, just outside our grasp. Until now. **Dr. Silva:** That’s the best you can do? Enjoy your amnestics, my friend. **Dr. Karlsen:** Please, give me a moment. Even with all the time I’ve devoted to studying the curios, even now that I’ve seen them with my own eyes, it’s difficult to put into words. But I will explain it the best way I know how. **Dr. Silva:** Very well. Go ahead. **Dr. Karlsen:** [pauses, thinking] It's late at night. You're tired. You're trying to get through some dry report before you fall asleep. You end up reading the same sentence over and over, trying to force it to make sense, but it's just words on a page. Then you wake up the next day, you pick it back up, and…[snaps] it makes perfect sense. You can't figure out why it was ever so confusing. Do you see? All the things that happen to us, the choices we make, the chaos and confusion of this world, we spend our whole lives trying to make sense of it, but...it's just words on a page. But now, Enzo, now... **Dr. Silva:** You're waking up, is that it? **Dr. Karlsen:** And you can too. We all can. **Dr. Silva:** You sound like a cultist, Jens. **Dr. Karlsen:** Perhaps, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Things in my life which once seemed arbitrary, senseless, to me, now seem…obvious. Inevitable. Like they couldn’t have happened any other way. The dog that ran away when I was 6, the first time I saw my wife, even that plane crash in the news last week, do you remember? Completely disparate events, yet all part of a whole. I can almost feel the connections between them, trace them with my mind… **Dr. Silva:** You don’t need the curios for that, Jens. A dose of LSD would do just as well. **Dr. Karlsen:** I can’t blame you for mocking me. I might have reacted the same way, before. But just consider for a moment: what would it mean if I’m right? If it's not all in my head? Even now, there are things…things I know, or think I know, that I can’t entirely explain. If we could see the full picture, all at once, as Aubine did…what would we be capable of then? What might we become? //There is a long pause.// **Dr. Silva:** [quietly] I can’t help you, you know. **Dr. Karlsen:** [sighs] I know, Enzo. Thank you for listening. You’re a good friend. [pauses] Please tell him that won’t be necessary. **Dr. Silva:** What won’t— //The Security Officer opens the door. Dr. Silva gets up to talk with him.// **Security Officer:** Dr. Silva, the incident response team will be here in a few minutes. Is everything all right? If you'd like, we can provide something to make Dr. Karlsen…a bit more cooperative. //Dr. Silva stares at Dr. Karlsen for a long moment.// **Security Officer:** Dr. Silva? **Dr. Silva:** No. No, that won't be necessary. I was just leaving. //Dr. Silva leaves the room.// **<End Log>** //After his debriefing by the incident response team, Dr. Karlsen was administered a course of Class C amnestics. Following his rehabilitation period, he was transferred to an alternate Foundation facility. Dr. Silva was issued a written warning for his breach of protocol.// [[/div]] [[/collapsible]] [[footnoteblock]] [[div class="footer-wikiwalk-nav"]] [[=]] << [[[SCP-8515]]] | SCP-8516 | [[[SCP-8517]]] >> [[/=]] [[/div]] [[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box]] [[include :scp-wiki:component:license-box-end]]