Item#: SCP-9175
Level2
Containment Class:
safe
Secondary Class:
{$secondary-class}
Disruption Class:
dark
Risk Class:
caution
Item 9175-9.
Special Containment Procedures: The following items are contained within individually calibrated psychometric isolation vaults at Site-10:
- 7 pairs of binoculars (nonfunctional)
- 1 pair of binoculars (functional)
- 1 amateur telescope (nonfunctional)
Contact Dr. Richard Carter if you wish to perform or arrange a reading.
Description: SCP-9175 is an optical phenomenon of unknown nature that was visible exclusively from within the township of Lakeridge, Montana between 12:00 and 1:00 am on June 23rd of 2015. Unmagnified photographs and witness accounts of the phenomenon describe an exceptionally bright, abnormally slow meteor, which originated over Andromeda and proceeded south, crossing the entire night sky until it passed the horizon. No magnified photographs of the phenomenon are believed to exist. It is not believed that SCP-9175 will ever be visible again.
Thirteen individuals are believed to have observed SCP-9175 through binoculars. All of these individuals have refused to describe or discuss the phenomenon with anyone, under any circumstances. See reading log for further details.
Two individuals, Rodney Stephenson (age 52) and his son Jeremy (age 21), are believed to have observed the phenomenon through an amateur telescope. The day after observing SCP-9175, Jeremy Stephenson was seen digging a large hole in the center of the baseball diamond at Lakeridge Public School. Rodney Stephenson then voluntarily lay down in the hole and was buried alive. Despite the presence of multiple witnesses, this event was not reported to authorities. The whereabouts and status of Jeremy Stephenson are currently unknown.
SCP-9175.
Addendum 9175-1: The following are the results of psychometric readings on items 9175-1 through 10. Readings performed by Sara Suzuki, Justice Dubois, and Dr. Richard Carter. Moderate doses of Substance Theta used to facilitate readings.
OBJECT: Item 9175-1 (Binoculars)
CONDITION: Severely melted (cause unknown).
PRACTITIONER: S. Suzuki
REL. PERSONS: 1A, male, age 29. No behavioral changes observed. 1B, female, age 7. Symptoms of selective mutism emerged following incident; individual is not able to speak while outdoors. 1C, female, age 5. Shows signs of insecure attachment; connection to incident unclear.
READING: "I was falling through an enormous nothingness, and spinning. I couldn't tell up from down. I could hear someone singing in the distance, getting closer. It was very beautiful."
NOTES: Reader reported lingering symptoms of vertigo and agoraphobia following reading.
OBJECT: Item 9175-2 (Binoculars)
CONDITION: Main lenses removed.
PRACTITIONER: S. Suzuki
REL. PERSONS: 2A, male, age 15. 2B, female, age 19. Removed lenses were reportedly ground into a fine powder, which the individuals consumed by sprinkling on breakfast cereal over the course of several weeks. No other behavioral changes observed.
READING: "Every molecule of my body flew far apart from every other. They'd sometimes sent one another letters. At the end of every letter, they'd write how they'd like to get together more often, but they never did."
NOTES: Reader reported a transient compulsion to reestablish contact with estranged family members during reading.
OBJECT: Item 9175-3 (Binoculars)
CONDITION: One lens missing, remaining lenses badly scratched.
PRACTITIONER: S. Suzuki
REL. PERSONS: 3A, male, age 71 (unconfirmed). Disappeared on night of incident, whereabouts unknown. Item found on sidewalk outside residence.
READING: "I was digging a hole with a spade. The dirt I dug up would just float up and out of the hole no matter how deep it got, like it was weightless, so I just kept digging. It was very important to get closer to the center. I knew I would never leave the hole. Eventually, the walls caved in around me. I remember it being warm and soft, but I was sad I couldn't get any closer."
NOTES: Reader described experiencing a transient but intense desire to bury herself alive following reading.
OBJECT: Item 9175-4 (Binoculars)
CONDITION: Lenses covered with black acrylic paint.
PRACTITIONER: S. Suzuki
REL. PERSONS: 4A, male, age 50. Experienced a gradual loss of vision following the incident; claims that all objects now appear transparent to him. No damage to eyes or nervous system detected — symptoms believed to be psychosomatic.
READING: None, see below.
NOTES: Reader experienced a dissociative episode and was unable to communicate any impressions received from the object. Afterward, expressed strong doubt regarding existence of mundane physical things, describing them as "mostly nothing" and insisting that "everything is too far apart." Was given several days of leave to recover.
OBJECT: Item 9175-5 (Binoculars)
CONDITION: Encased in cube of nearly opaque plastic.
PRACTITIONER: J. Dubois
REL. PERSONS: 5A, female, 45 years old. Following incident, claims to experience intermittent but intense visual hallucinations. These occasionally disrupt her field of vision for up to a minute at a time but otherwise do not cause distress. Refuses to describe what she sees during these hallucinations. No other symptoms or changes observed.
READING: "I was making love to a beautiful woman, except sometimes I was myself and sometimes I was the woman and sometimes both. We started melting together, which was terribly painful but neither of us wanted to stop. In the end I was neither of us, and I was afraid."
NOTES: Reader reported experiencing intense, uncomfortable arousal during and immediately following reading.
OBJECT: Item 9175-6 (Binoculars)
CONDITION: Repeatedly crushed by motor vehicle. One lens missing.
PRACTITIONER: J. Dubois
REL. PERSONS: 6A, male, 10 years old. Displays symptoms of depression and anhedonia following incident. 6B, female, 62 years old. Died of heart attack three weeks after incident; connection to incident unclear.
READING: "I looked up at the sky and and watched the stars disappear one by one. For one thousand years I stood and screamed into the darkness. For one thousand years I sat and wept. For one thousand years I lay still and was silent."
NOTES: Reader expressed generalized distress, requested transfer to a different project following reading.
OBJECT: Item 9175-7 (Binoculars)
CONDITION: Broken in half at the center.
PRACTITIONER: R. Carter
REL. PERSONS: 7A, male, 96 years old. Died of injuries after falling from a ladder shortly after incident; was apparently trying to retrieve something from the attic of his home. A very old photo album was found near the body. Connection to incident unclear.
READING: "I was dancing with a girl in a high school gymnasium. We were young and laughing and spinning together; the room was crowded; the music was distant and strange. Everyone was so close together. Everyone was so beautiful. Where are they now? Why are they so far away?"
NOTES: Reader reported experiencing intense emotional distress related to the movements of galaxies during and following the reading.
OBJECT: Item 9175-8 (Binoculars)
CONDITION: Intact, functional.
PRACTITIONER: R. Carter
REL. PERSONS: 8A, male, age 24. 8B, female, age 26. Both individuals moved out of state three weeks after incident; item was found buried behind their property in a location marked by a blank headstone. No other behavioral changes observed.
READING: "I walked amongst the tombstones; I left flowers at my father's grave. He was buried alongside his fishing rod, and his favourite model airplane. What has passed by can never return. Thus, in mourning—"
NOTES: Reading interrupted. Reader attempted to destroy item 9175-8, forcing security staff to intervene. Afterward, wept uncontrollably for several hours.
OBJECT: Item 9175-9 (Telescope)
CONDITION: Intact but non-functional; lenses cannot be focused.
PRACTITIONER: S. Suzuki
REL. PERSONS: Rodney and Jeremy Stephenson (see above).
READING: "The light spoke to me as it passed. 'I love you,' it said, and we reached out for one another. It was so thin, so narrow. By a miracle, our fingertips barely grazed. Then it was gone. We will not meet again."
NOTES: The reader, who had returned after several days of leave, reported intense emotional distress but stated she would continue to participate in the project.
OBJECT: Item 9175-10 (Mortal remains of Rodney Stephenson)
CONDITION: Partially decomposed.
PRACTITIONERS: S. Suzuki, R. Carter
REL. PERSONS: Rodney Stephenson
READING: None, see below.
NOTES: While no impressions were obtained from the remains, Dr. Carter was able to briefly channel the spirit of the deceased. Interview follows.
Interviewer: Sara Suzuki
Interviewee: Rodney Stephenson (deceased)
Intermediary: Dr. Richard Carter
<TRANSCRIPT BEGINS>
Suzuki: Mr. Stephenson, is that you? Can you hear me? I'd like to ask some—
Stephenson: Gravity is just another word for love. That's why it's called falling. We have to come together. Nothing should ever move further apart.
Suzuki: On June 23rd, you and your son saw something through your telescope. Can you describe it?
Stephenson: (Beginning to cry) This universe is a tragedy. Always yearning to come together, always moving apart. Ma'am, did you know there are photons out there travelling forever through nothing? Moving as fast as it's possible to go, trying to reach something, but they'll never interact with another particle ever again? Everything that exists is moving away from them faster than anything can ever move. Do you ever think about that?
Suzuki: I … can't say I haven't, but. Mr. Stephenson, please, what did you see?
Stephenson: She said that she loves us and she's coming to see us. She said to stay together. Photons can't stay, they can never stop — never come back. We can stay. Earth loves us too. Go closer, toward center. Ground is — in the way.
Suzuki: Who is 'she?' Can you describe what you saw, Mr. Stephenson?
Stephenson: (Shaking head) Not — like that — further down —
Suzuki: Mr. Stephenson, please!
Dr. Carter: (Breathing heavily) Too late, I lost him. I think that's all we're going to get from this. Sorry, Sara.
Suzuki: I just wanted to know what it looked like.
<TRANSCRIPT ENDS>
Following interview, the remains of Rodney Stephenson were interred at Site-10, 50 meters underground.
Addendum 9175-2: The following message was delivered by post to Site-10 on June 23rd of 2016. Sender was listed as Jeremy Stephenson, although this could not be verified. Return address led to an unused PO box in New York; other attempts to trace the message have failed.
The Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies are currently moving toward one another at a speed of about 110 kilometres per second. It is considered likely that a collision will occur sometime within the next 10 billion years. Eventually, all galaxies within the local group will merge into this combined galaxy and all galaxies outside the local group will exit the observable universe. At that point, it will no longer be possible to to determine through observation that anything outside the local group ever existed.
Do you believe that galaxies can fall in love?
Text appears to be an excerpt from a book titled A Brief History of Forever, attributed to a William Summerton. The full text of the book, the identity of the author, and the whereabouts of Jeremy Stephenson are all presently under investigation by the SCP-9175 team.