Item#: 9448
Level2
Containment Class:
keter
Secondary Class:
none
Disruption Class:
vlam
Risk Class:
notice
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-9448 is to be kept in its containment chamber at all times. The door to the chamber must be locked to prevent access to the active D-Class being restrained, as well as to SCP-9448 itself. The door to the chamber is to be locked behind a keycard door that can only be accessed by a member with, at minimum, restricted access.
There are to be no light sources in the containment room other than SCP-9448. There are also to be no windows into the adjacent observation room. There is to be one camera placed in the far corner of the room, facing the wall opposite the active D-Class, monitoring the active light level from a camera feed in the adjacent observation room.
Attached to the host is a tube from the ceiling running along the wall to the restraint for the host. Running through the tube is sustenance for the active D-Class to maintain the necessary physical and mental state. The access point for the tube can be accessed from the observation room.
After the light level in the room drops below the specified threshold, expiration of the active D-Class (signified "host") is imminent. At this time, the security detail is to be prepped for the transfer protocol.
Under the guidance of Dr. Maxwell, two guards will retrieve the next selected D-Class (signified "replacement") and transport them to the outside of the chamber. The guards provided will be trained with 100 hours of simulation within a replica room to conduct this transfer without sight. On retrieval of the replacement, a device forcing their eyes to remain open will be fastened to their head, a central IV line will be inserted, and an NG tube will be placed. The replacement will have their hands and feet bound to prevent attempts at escaping. The guards will be blindfolded with three layers of cloth and a blackout helmet placed onto their heads to prevent any possibility of sight during host replacement.
Upon bringing the replacement into the chamber, they will seat the replacement in the provided chair next to the host. The guards will latch and restrain the replacement into the chair, connecting the tube from the ceiling to their NG tube, permanently sealing the replacement to their chair. On completion of restraining the replacement, the guards will await instruction from the control room that the room has gone completely dark, signifying the completion of SCP-9448 cycle. During this time, the host will scream and thrash with agony, with varied additional reactions that vary among the hosts, such as hallucinations, verbal interactions with an invisible entity, or severe psychosis related symptoms. With acknowledgement of total darkness and cessation of signs of life from the host, the guards will unhook and remove the now deceased host from their restraints and remove them from the room, locking the replacement within the confines of the chamber.
The guards will be administered short-term amnestics for mental stability due to the psychological impact of the death of the host during the transfer. This procedure will be documented as a success upon observation of light within the room from SCP-9448 at sunrise the following day, signifying the completion of containment. With successful containment, the replacement is classified as the host, replacing the previous host; continue to monitor the host’s state until the light level drops below the specified threshold again.
Description: SCP-9448 is an orange, tall taper candle. It burns with a scent of strong vanilla, which resides in a white porcelain candlestick, housed at Site-81. When first reformed, the anomaly stands at 30.48 cm upon reforming and relighting, and burns at a rate of .3463 cm daily when not being observed by the host, rounded to .35 cm for ease, lasting exactly 88 days.
When the host is observing the anomaly, it slows its burning rate significantly. If the host does nothing but observe the anomaly, it would burn for one full year from the day it is relit. Under natural conditions, however, it would be impossible to achieve this number due to human bodily functions, as well as the anomalous effects of SCP-9448 prior to the host's death.
SCP-9448 has no outwardly anomalous effects except on the host, other than its extremely slow burning rate and inability to be extinguished through various means; further descriptions of these attempts are listed in the addenda 9448-4. It can only affect one person at a time, deemed “the host” of the anomaly. The host is determined by the person who actively observes it as it goes out. Upon sunrise, the following morning, the wax of SCP-9448 will reform into its original shape and relight, starting the timer for the new host.
Upon completion of the cycle, signified by the anomaly completely burning out, the active host will die; the means of their death is determined by the amount of time the host observed the candle to slow its rate of burning. The longer the host observed the anomaly, the more graphic and anomalous the deaths become.
Not observing the anomaly at all/fleeting glances toward the anomaly
- Stage 1 - Duration of burning: 88 days
The host becomes highly exhausted to the point of an inability to remain awake and falls into a state of comatose, starting 10 hours before the completion of SCP-9448's cycle. Within their coma, they suffer a sudden and irreversible cardiac event that ceases all function of their heart, leading to instantaneous death.
Observing the anomaly irregularly
- Stage 2 - Duration of burning: Extended to 3-6 months
The host will suddenly go blind 5 minutes before the completion of SCP-9448’s cycle. The host will also lose all mechanical function and begin to convulse as they fall into a seizure. During which they will foam at the mouth before falling into a motionless state. At this time, their lungs will rapidly fill with blood and foam, suffocating the host.
Observing SCP-9448 regularly/devoting time to observing it burn
- Stage 3 - Duration of burning: Extended to 6-9 months
At 24 hours before the completion of SCP-9448’s cycle, the host will complain of hearing voices and seeing shadows move out of the corner of their eyes. When asked to describe, the host specified that the voices are largely incoherent, and the shadows can never be viewed directly, but are always just out of sight. At 10 minutes to the completion of SCP-9448's cycle, the host will become entirely catatonic, unable to move, as the object's anomalous effects cause the host’s body to enter an intense hyperactive state, wherein the host’s body will begin to cannibalize its muscles and skin. Active brain scans of the host show that while catatonic, they are entirely aware and alive throughout this process. In the host's final moments, the catatonia will cease, and their motor function will be briefly regained, starting at their vocal cords. The host will scream in agony, followed by a plea to what is described as a shadow forming in the center of their vision. Descriptions of the shadow vary from host to host. From pleas of the host, the shadow is presumed to speak one final time, and upon hearing its words, the host will immediately cease all cerebral function as their brain stem is instantaneously severed by an unknown force. All attempts at forcing the D-Class into relaying those final words have been met with failure. No shadows or alterations in light level are recorded within the chamber.
Observing the anomaly from ignition to completion
- Stage 4 - Duration of burning extended to 1 year.
Stage 4.1 - After one full week of doing nothing but observing the anomaly burn, the host will develop an extreme desire to divert or close their eyes to cease all contact with it. After one month, hallucinations begin pulling at the edges of their vision, described as yelling in an attempt to pull the host's attention away from the anomaly.
Stage 4.2 - Nearing 3 months, the hallucinations worsen, beginning to manifest visually within the host’s field of view, making futile attempts at pulling the host's vision away from the object. They are described as reaching out to physically pull the host's eyes away from it. Observations from active brain scans, however, do indicate there is no physical interaction on the host while these manifestations occur.
Stage 4.3 - Nearing 6 months, the host develops a form of fascination with the anomaly. The muscular function of any appendage below the neck entirely ceases; subsequently, any ticks, nervous coping mechanisms, or self-soothing exercises the host was able to perform in their restraints cease. Active brain scans show that the host's brain is in a constant state of hyperactivity, coupled with a lack of sleep, which causes the brain to begin consuming itself in a form of “relief.” Note this level of self-consumption would be entirely life-altering to the point of comatose or death, but it appears that at this level, SCP-9448 keeps the host not only alive, but aware and functioning enough to be able to speak ,and to some degree, think. According to the host, the hallucinations are now able to interact with the environment and communicate with one another. Supposedly casting shadows within the room. Observations of the wall where the camera in the room is angled to see show no significant change in light level that a shadow in the room would cause. Cerebral function begins to show signs of deterioration at this time, due to the host's brain's self-consumption, manifesting in incessant rambling, speaking directly to the hallucinations, dementia, perceptual reality shifts, and extreme depersonalization.
Stage 4.4 - Nearing 9 months, hallucinations end, and the anomaly now “speaks to” the host. The host regains sudden and immediate full cerebral function, but only to hold “conversations” with the anomaly itself. In between the “conversations,” the host continues to rapidly digress mentally: their only moments of lucidity are when “conversing” with the anomaly, now no longer having any desire to look away from it. These “conversations” seem to start by ranging from topics that one would hold with friends, lovers, parents, rivals, or those that the Foundation has identified from the host's past.
Stage 4.5 - Nearing 1 year, the “conversations” evolve into deep, philosophical questions upon the meaning of life, the purpose of humans in our relation to all life on Earth, how we fit in the universe, and if our existence is a burden to “the light that burns inside all living beings.” It is worth noting that the previous phrase is consistent between all hosts that make it to this point. Any following “conversations” with SCP-9448 exclusively surround the topic of time. The time they wasted, what they could have done instead, running through a seemingly infinite amount of possibilities, at the end of every string of thoughts, the host seemingly waits for a response back from SCP-9448. There is no noise coming from the room when the host is not talking, except for labored breathing from the host, and there is no noticeable change in light level in the room that could be interpreted as a response.
Stage 4.6 - On the 51st week, the hallucinations seem to brutally return, as the host seemingly argues with multiple invisible shadows and SCP-9448 itself. No arguments from this point on are coherent, and any attempts at deciphering meaning from them are fruitless. The host begins to fear for their life, pleading to the anomaly. Their pleas include things like the argument that “they have done everything right” and “What more do you want from me?” The host’s emotional state is constantly fluctuating between panic, mania, and severe depression up to their final day. On the final day, the host enters a catatonic state, sitting motionless, blankly staring at the flame of the anomaly. This state of catatonia remains until the final minute of the host's life, and subsequently the final minute of the cycle. During this final minute, every symptom possible seems to hit the patient at once. Violent seizures occur, and even though the host is restrained, they tense and thrash with enough force to tear their muscles, tendons, and bones. The host’s internal organs rapidly fail and break down at a cellular level. Causing the epithelial lining protecting the esophagus, stomach, and intestines to deteriorate, its acidic contents rapidly dissolve the gastrointestinal tract. This leads to severe and intense vomiting and bloody diarrhea. The object seems to enhance the acidic quality of the host during this event anomalously, causing further erosion of all internal organs, including the skin, melting the host from the inside. These effects anomalously only alter the patient from the neck down, allowing their head, brain, and eyes to remain transfixed on the flame. The host screams in agony as they begin to "melt." Through this grueling process, the host is awake and conscious, and making every effort not to lose sight of the anomaly at any point. The host finally passes as their brain ruptures from within their skulls, ending their life. It is in these final moments of the host’s suffering that the camera inside the chamber of SCP-9448, discrepancies can be seen in the form of shadows cast upon the wall. These alterations are slight and hardly noticeable; it is unclear if they are caused by the flickering of the now-dying flame or are some anomalous force cast by the anomaly. Despite the trauma, the host’s eyes remain perfectly intact throughout this event.
Autopsies: Autopsies on what’s left of the now deceased hosts show a seared, inverted engraving of SCP-9448’s flame on the back of their eyes. The engraving chars through the host’s optic nerves and macula, permanently scarring the detached eye.
It is unclear to the Foundation what exactly the anomalous side effects of SCP-9448 are, what side effects are caused by the extreme isolation, prolonged viewing of one object, and the lack of sensations other than the strong smell of vanilla. It is noted that the constant viewing of SCP-9448 allows the host to survive largely unaffected by the normal effects of extreme, extended sleep deprivation, but only when consistently viewing SCP-9448.
The researchers tasked with managing the containment of SCP-9448 understand the barbarity of the current containment procedures, but have deemed it to be the most effective method of containing it currently. Efforts to find an alternative are being considered, but due to more pressing concerns, have been pushed to the back of the list of priorities in Site-81.
Initial Recovery
On June 26th, 2007, the Foundation got notice of a supposed “crazed cult leader” that had been detained by local law enforcement. The reports claimed that an “off-the-map” village had been discovered when the "cult leader" eventually stumbled into the nearest town. Supposedly, the cult, with the exception of the leader, had all been wiped out and buried in a mass grave with bodies dating back to 1990.
The Foundation took notice of the reports as the “cult leader” claimed that the deaths had all been caused by “the candle.” He claimed “The Candle” had betrayed him and his people, and that "they had done everything right", yet "The Candle" would still take him. Upon reaching the site of the village, a small collection of seemingly poorly built houses and a church, the Foundation discovered the mass grave, where they were able to make a count of 62 bodies buried at the location, some seeming to be as recent as the past 3 months, with potential remains of others scattered near the mass burial.
Upon exploring the worn-down church in the village, the Foundation came across what they believed the cult leader was referencing by “The Candle.” On the pulpit of the church was a standard pillar-style candle. It had a deep red coloration and was seated upon a golden offering plate, likely used while the church was still in commission. It had about .18 cm of wax left and was burning at what appeared to be a significantly slow pace.
The recovery team members took the offering plate and SCP-9448 out of the building and were attempting to lock it in the back of a mock patrol car for transportation to the nearest Foundation site when one of the members of the recovery team, who was actively securing it in the back, claimed the candle ran out of wax and burned out entirely. It was later determined that at this exact time, the “cult leader,” who had moments prior gone catatonic, died in the custody of police by “rapid muscle deterioration”, screams, pleas to an entity not visible to the officers on scene, and finally followed by an instantaneous severing of his brain stem. (This death would now be classified as a stage 3 death from the anomaly) SCP-9448 was brought to Site-81 for further inspection. The police were administered amnestics, and the foundation wiped all records of the cult leader’s arrest as well as the village as a whole.
Once in a containment room at Site-81, a camera was placed in the room to observe the anomaly for further surveillance, and the retrieval team member who witnessed the candle go out was tested for potential anomalous effects, where none were found. Upon sunrise the following day, June 23, the anomaly was observed through the security camera to reform, the wax in the offering plate re-shaping into the original pillar-style candle before it had burned out. The anomaly was now burning at what appeared to be a fairly slow pace once again.
Initial Recovery
.
Incident Report - Dr. Simon
On the morning of September 19, 2007, exactly 88 days after the initial relighting of the anomaly, Dr.Simon was observing the candle as it was nearing burning out. After about thirty minutes of observing the candle through the camera placed in the room and taking notes on its state every 5 minutes through audio recordings, the candle simply burned out. Its wax pooled at the bottom of the offering plate as the flame died out. Dr. Simon waited in the observation room for another 26 minutes to see if it would have any additional reaction; the only noted change was a hardening of the wax as it cooled.
After waiting in the room for a bit longer, two other researchers entered the room to speak with Dr. Simon, informing him that the transportation unit member who originally witnessed the flame extinguish had passed out and then died due to a heart attack in his unconscious state while on temporary leave due to recent lightheadedness. (Now classified as a stage 1 death from the anomaly)
At this point, Dr.Simon, as well as the other researchers, concluded via consistencies surrounding the deaths of the “cult leader” and the containment team agent related to the anomaly time of completion. Realizing that observing it as it goes out is what links a person to it, and subsequently, had placed a timer on Dr. Simon's life. After taking a week off to think, Dr. Simon requested the use of amnestics to forget about the incident entirely and was placed on indefinite leave to spend time with his family.
Incident Report - Dr. Simon
.
Initial Containment
Over the next two months, the Foundation prepped for a D-Class to take the place as the next host of the anomaly following Dr. Simons' death. On the day of Dr. Simons' 88th day, a D-Class was sent into the containment room and instructed to observe the candle as it burned out.
The Foundation would allow the D-Class access to entertainment in the room as well as three meals a day. The D-Class would not be allowed to directly interact with the anomaly, as it was placed on a podium in the corner of the room. Once SCP-9448 was nearing its cycle completion and the D-Class was soon to die, security personnel would escort them out of the room and into a private room. At this same time, another set of security personnel would send a new D-Class into the room to observe the candle as it burned out. Upon the re-ignition of the candle the following sunrise, containment was considered a success.
Initial Containment
.
Testing
The foundation attempted multiple tests on SCP-9448 over the course of the next few cycles. These tests would be run over its “safe period.” Attempts were made to alter its shape, size, burn rate, or even extinguish it entirely. Some attempts to attempt to alter the relationship between the host and the anomaly were also made.
Test 9448-1
Subject
SCP-9448
Protocol
Researchers will attempt to extinguish the flame using various methods, such as a spray bottle, pouring water from a large container onto the anomaly, and fully submerging the anomaly.
Results
Despite the various attempts from researchers, the anomaly did not seem to be affected by any form of dousing the flame. Whether it was sprayed, doused, or submerged, it would simply continue burning. Even while fully submerged, the flame did not alter in size, shape, or change the rate of the burn, even when submerged for 24 hours.
Test 9448-2
Subject
SCP-9448
Protocol
Researchers will attempt to completely cut off oxygen to the anomaly by placing it in a vacuum chamber on site. After placing it in the vacuum chamber, it is to be sealed and monitored through a camera also in the chamber, as well as checked for any alterations once removed.
Results
Despite being placed in the vacuum chamber and having all oxygen stripped from its container, it continued to burn. Its flame once again did not change in size or shape, and there was no alteration in the rate of burn, whether while in the vacuum chamber or once removed.
Test 9448-3
Subject
SCP-9448
Protocol
Researchers will attempt to extinguish the anomaly by various methods, such as blowing on it, using an industrial fan to attempt to blow it out, and finally placing it where natural wind would cause it to extinguish.
Results
Despite researchers blowing on the object, placing it in front of an industrial fan, and even allowing it to be placed outside, all in an attempt to extinguish the anomaly before the 88 days of its natural cycle, these attempts were all met with failure. There was once again no change in size and shape, and there was no alteration in burn speed.
Test 9448-4
Subject
SCP-9448's host
Protocol
Researchers will give amnestics to the new host of the anomaly; they will also prepare a new D-Class to take their place on the 88th day should the anomalous properties continue.
Results
Once the host had been established, they were given amnestics to forget about the anomaly entirely. They were barred from interacting with any other testing and were monitored for 88 days, during which no anomalous effects were observed. Regular health and mental checks were conducted on the host, to which no noticeable changes were observed. On the 88th day at the end of the cycle, the host experienced a class 1 death, and a new D-Class was prepped and observed the anomaly burning out in the event that the anomalous properties continue. Upon sunrise the next day, SCP-9448 relit, and the cycle continued as normal.
Test 9448-5
Subject
SCP-9448
Protocol
Researchers will attempt to cut pieces from the wax body of the anomaly using a scalpel, use a metal sheet to completely sever it wax body both horizontally and vertically, and finally use a D-Class to simply touch the anomaly with their hands.
Results
In researchers' attempts to use a scalpel to slice small pieces off of the anomaly's wax body, the anomaly would seem to form around the scalpel. Researchers documented that there was zero friction, as if they were not cutting through anything at all. Once a cut was made, that should have taken a piece off, there would simply be no change in it. Upping the measures, researchers took a larger metal sheet and attempted to completely sever the anomaly in half, both vertically and horizontally. Both of these attempts were met with a similar result to the scalpel; there was no friction, and despite being visually completely severed, the candle continued to burn as normal, and the wax body seemed to ignore the metal sheet entirely. Finally, when a D-Class was ordered to touch the object gently, having no knowledge of what it was and simply believing it to be a candle, the D-Class was actually able to touch and interact with it somewhat normally. He gently touched its waxy body, and it would rock in its place. When instructed to knock it over, however, the D-Class's hand phased through it, similar to the scalpel and sheet of metal. When the D-Class was instructed to pick it up gently, they were able to; however, when instructed to attempt to crush it in their hand, it then phased through the D-Class's hand, falling to the ground, unharmed and unaltered.
These results seem to indicate that the anomaly has some inherent knowledge of the intent of the interactions it has. If the intent is not to harm or alter it in any way, it will allow itself to be touched, moved, or even held. However, if the intent changes to attempt to alter it, it then seems to act defensively and makes whatever is going to cause the change simply phase through it.
Test 9448-6
Subject
SCP-9448's host
Protocol
Researchers will take a class IV D-Class that has been made host, and subject them to lethal injection, prepping another
D-Class to take their place as the next host in the event of
the anomaly extinguishes early upon the death of the host.
Results
The researchers had the potential new host observe the anomaly as the final, lethal dose was given to the active host. The candle burned normally until around 2 seconds before the brain death of the host. Reported by the new host watching the anomaly, it was in these two seconds that the flame grew in size significantly, to the point that the new host referred to it as a "fireball." The flame was large enough and hot enough to melt the rest of the unburned wax in the final 2 seconds prior to the active host's brain death.
Test 9448-7
Subject
SCP-9448's replacement
Protocol
Researchers will attempt to tie the "host" status to a nonsentient creature; in the case of the tests, this was a stray cat and a stray dog. This will be performed in tandem with standard containment procedures to prevent potential risks of failure leading to a containment breach.
Results
During the designation of a new host, another group of personnel held a stray cat up to also observe the anomaly as it extinguished. By measuring the burning rate of the candle when the cat observed it afterwards, it was deemed not to be the host, and the host had been transferred to the D-Class who observed it extinguish instead. During the next cycle, this test was repeated with a stray dog to see if the anomaly simply "chose" the person instead of the cat during the first test; however, the same results were obtained. Researchers deemed it was possible that SCP-9448 happened to "choose" the person as the host both times, and this test could result in a transfer of the host to a non-sentient animal; it was deemed unnecessary to continue trying.
Testing
.
Inconsistencies
Over the next cycles of SCP-9448, a few inconsistencies were noted by research staff, specifically with the length of time that it burned before burning out.
After instructing the active host to observe the anomaly for 20 minutes daily. This resulted in it burning at a slower rate while being actively observed by the host. When another D-class was sent into the room and instructed to observe the anomaly, no change in burning rate was observed.
Since this discovery, the host was instructed to continue observing the anomaly actively for 20 minutes a day, eventually pushing his life span to 142 days. The host’s death, however, was now less peaceful, being classed as stage 2, as shown above.
Inconsistencies
.
False Positives
After more cycles of SCP-9448, the Foundation continued to instruct the host to observe the candle more and more per day. The foundation managed to extend the candle and subsequently, the host's lifespan up to 232 days, which resulted in a death classified as stage 3, specified above.
The D-Class that was able to reach this length of time by becoming what appeared to be obsessed with the anomaly to some extent, actively ignoring and arguing with the visions it saw in favor of continuing to observe it. The obsession did not reach the point of ignoring meals or other human functions to observe the anomaly.
Due to the nature of D-Class being death row inmates, often of which means violent criminals, they can be hazardous to work with, which can lead to complications. While transferring an active host out of the room and transferring in the new D-Class to take their place, the D-Class lashed out and fought with the armed personnel to the point of forced submission by the security detail. It was at this point that the host had died, and SCP-9448 burned out, without a new host.
Researchers continued to closely monitor the now burnt-out SCP-9448 in an attempt to diagnose any new anomalous effects, but none appeared. The following sunrise, when the anomaly would normally reform and re-ignite, it failed to. The wax stayed pooled at the bottom, now entirely cooled on the offering plate.
After waiting for the next sunrise and continuing testing and observation of the anomaly, the Foundation had deemed this as an "accidental success,” and then changed SCP-XXXX’s classification to “neutralized.”
False Positives
.
Bloodline
On October 19, 2011, the Foundation received a report from one of its watchdog programs about an old woman who was placed into a psychological facility for the elderly in ███████. The woman was found in her home by a neighbor, mumbling incoherently about “a candle.” Her family all lived together in the home and had all died within 3 months of each other by what appeared to be heart attacks, even those that were otherwise entirely healthy. The list of dead family members included:
- The woman’s husband
- The woman's only child, her daughter
- The woman’s son-in-law
The woman claimed that a candle in her home was the cause as it kept coming back, even when she knew it should’ve burned out by then, and do to the mental stress of her family's untimely death, and the proximity of them all, she was placed into the care of ███████. Once the Foundation got wind of the event, they went to the elderly facility and provided the woman with amnestics, as well as sending a recovery team to the woman's house to retrieve the new instance of SCP-9448.
SCP-9448 now takes the form of a new candle, the orange, tall taper candle from the description. The previous instance of SCP-9448 was now disposed of as common waste, as it was confirmed to show no more anomalous effects.
Bloodline
.
Procedure
It was at this point that researchers began implementing stricter rules on the host. It started with the host being instructed to observe the anomaly far more frequently throughout the day, from half an hour to multiple hours a day. If the host failed to comply, they were punished by various means, such as skipped meals, stripping of the little furniture in the room, and then the stripping of entertainment.
This was met with backlash and rebellion from the hosts. Due to this rebellion, as well as the anomalous effects prior to the death of the host during a stage 3 instance, researchers decided it would be easier to simply restrain the hosts and force them to observe the anomaly, in order to delay the amount of time between hosts, subsequently lowering the amount of D-Class that would die due to SCP-9448.
The restrictions and protocol continued to progress and advance until you have the active containment procedures listed above. The Foundation has had zero incidents since implementing the most recent containment procedures.
Procedure
.
Barbarism
The following is an audio recording between the lead researcher for SCP-9448, Dr. Ian Maxwell and his second, Dr. Olivia Kolumn.
Proof of Diagnostics Before Host Transition Process for SCP-9448
Date: January 12, 2021
Subject: Ethics of SCP-9448 host transition
Team Lead: Dr. Ian Maxwell
Team Members: Dr. Olivia Kolumn
[BEGIN AUDIO LOG]
Dr. Maxwell: Tapes rolling Kolumn, this is Dr. Ian Maxwell head of research and containment of SCP-9448. This audio log is proof of final diagnostic checks before the transition of hosts for SCP-9448. Kolumn, hand me that paper, would you?
(A few seconds pass with no answer from Kolumn.)
Dr. Maxwell: Doctor Kolumn.
Dr. Kolumn: Sorry, excuse me sir.
Dr. Maxwell: The diagnostics paper Kolumn.
Dr. Kolumn: Yes, sorry.
(Papers rustle seemingly between the two)
Dr. Maxwell: It's okay Kolumn. (Sigh) Vitals?
Dr. Kolumn: Stable.
Dr. Maxwell: IV, NG?
Dr. Kolumn: Disconnected due to impending transition.
Dr. Maxwell: Good. Light level?
(No response from Dr. Kolumn.)
Dr. Maxwell: Doctor Kolumn, light level please.
Dr. Kolumn: I'm sorry Doctor, this is just hard, I mean it's fucking barbaric, they're still people.
Dr. Maxwell: This is your sixth host transition Kolumn, you have to get used to it. They were death row inmates, they were going to die anyway.
Dr. Kolumn: By lethal injection, a quick painless death. Now what, they go sit and stare at that, (The sound of Dr. Kolumn choking on her words can be heard) that thing. They're gonna sit in that chair for the next year of their life, suffering the whole time, then they die so cruelly that we have to give the damn guards amnestics afterwards.
Dr. Maxwell: I don't enjoy it either Kolumn, but it's just us on the research team now; it's up to us to find a new way and we aren't gonna get any help. The Foundation is perfectly happy to keep throwing one D-Class a year at the thing for eternity. You saw what happens when we were more lax.
Dr. Kolumn: I know, that poor woman.
Dr. Maxwell: Exactly. Look, we've got about two hours before we have to have one ready to go for the team, we'll look through the files and pick one with some real heinous shit, okay?
Dr. Kolumn: Does it make a difference?
Dr. Maxwell: Does it feel like it does?
Dr. Kolumn: I think so.
Dr. Maxwell: Then it does. Alright, light levels please Kolumn?
Dr. Kolumn: Diminishing, estimated time till completion, four hours. Time to completion based off of reigniton, four hours.
Dr. Maxwell: Thank you Doctor, ending the log.
[END AUDIO LOG]
Barbarism