Written by Ceswwi
Item #: SCP-9686
Object Class: Safe
An SCP-9686 instance, recovered from the abandoned SERCO factory.
Special Containment Procedures:
All SCP-9686 instances are contained at Site-15. Any possible new instances must be transported to Site-15 in the future. Containment rooms require a manual power turn-off key accessible from outside the anomaly’s effective range.
All testing personnel must remain at least 20 meters from SCP-9686 during testing, unless specifically authorized by the Site Director. Personnel must not remain within SCP-9686’s effective range for extended periods.
Each SCP-9686 instance must be stored individually in reinforced wooden containment boxes lined with impact-dampening cotton padding. Instances are highly susceptible to rupture from minimal mechanical stress; therefore, any applied pressure to containment units is strictly prohibited.
After the 9686-T7, any new incidents involving the breakage of SCP-9686 instances during testing must be reported to the Site Directorate immediately. Personnel responsible for such incidents will face formal disciplinary action.
Description:
SCP-9686 is a standard 220V AC, 120 Watt light bulb that dims all light sources within a 20-meter effective range when activated. There are currently 27 22 SCP-9686 instances. The SCP has a ‘SERCO’ brand mark corresponding to its place of discovery. Its internal filament consists of an unidentified material distinct from tungsten, showing an irregular structure. Physical pressure exceeding █.█ Pa causes the filament to liquify immediately, making sample recovery impossible.
SCP-9686 instances were recovered from an abandoned factory in Turkey following the 19██ coup. The factory was owned by SERCO, a now-defunct corporation with documented ties to anomalous manufacturing. The entire staff disappeared after the company declared bankruptcy in 19██. See Exploration Log 9686 for further details.
Exposure to SCP-9686’s effective range induces aggression, amnesia, and temporary paranoia in subjects. Upon exiting the area, aggression and paranoia subside within ten seconds, and subjects report no memory of their experiences within the 20-meter zone.
When activated, SCP-9686 disrupts remote signals within its effective range. Continuous exposure to the bulb’s darkness for ten hours results in the disappearance of affected personnel, leaving no trace. See SCP-9686-T2 for further details.
▼ Close Exploration Log
Exploration Log 9686-EL1
Exploration conducted by Mobile Task Force Zeta-9 “Mole Rats”. The squad of four was split into two. One team was tasked with cutting the electrical current and reconnecting to the other group.
[Thirty minutes into exploration.]
Footsteps over concrete.
Z9 A1: "Place is empty… too empty. Something’s off."
Z9 A2: "Yeah. I don’t like this."
Z9 A1: "…My light’s on, right?"
Z9 A2: "Mine too… Why is it so dark over there?"
Z9 A1: "Check the power, ██."
Z9 A2: "It has power. Maybe the bulbs over there are broken. This is an old factory after all. And don't call me a ██."
[Two minutes of unprofessional dialogue deleted per Site Director’s request.]
Z9 A3: "Panel’s here. Ready to cut on your go."
Z9 A2: "I think I’m gonna step forward."
Z9 A1: "Don’t… wait! I'm coming with you."
[Four boot noises can be heard before a static noise floods the radio channels.]
Z9 A1 (distorted): "The fuck is-?!"
[~60 seconds of signal loss]
[After a minute. Unable to contact with the rest of the team, A3 and A4 cut the power of the main building. The moment power drops, the static dies.]
Z9 A1: "What the fuck?!"
[Scuffle noises from A1 and A2's radio.]
Z9 A2: "Hey! I didn’t even touch you!"
[Twenty-three of unprofessional dialogue deleted per Site Director’s request.]
Z9 A1: "…What happened in here? This place… My flashlight actually lights up the place now."
Z9 A2: "Yeah…"
[End of the log.]
Addendum Exploration Log 9686-1 Electrical current was restored after Exploration Log 9686-EL1 for verification purposes. All observed light sources continued to exhibit anomalous behavior upon power reactivation, resulting in significantly reduced visibility compared to during the power outage. 27 SCP-9686 instances were found and classified as SCP’s.
Addendum Exploration Log 9686-2: Review of recovered footage indicates that Agents A1 and A2 exhibited hostile behavior toward each other while within SCP-9686’s effective range. Agent A2 made repeated attempts to damage Agent A1’s eyes. Both agents reported no recollection of these actions after leaving the affected area.
▼ Close Test Logs
Test Log SCP-9686-T1
Date: ██/██/2007
Researcher: Dr. Birdwhistle
Purpose: Observation of events inside the effective range.
Personnel: D-6218, D-9274
Procedure: SCP-9686 was connected to the power circuit with two D-class subjects positioned within the effective range.
Results: Ambient light extinguished immediately upon connection. Subjects verbally acknowledged loss of visibility. Approximately 36 seconds later, sounds of physical altercation were audible. Power was manually cut after 90 seconds. Upon restoration of light, both subjects were found with minor injuries. Neither subject could recall the nature of their interaction during exposure.
Researcher’s Note: The filament of SCP-9686 needs further investigation. Its composition appears to differ from that of standard tungsten filaments.
— Dr. Birdwhistle
Test Log SCP-9686-T2
Date: ██/██/2008
Researcher: Dr. A. M. Winters
Purpose: Observe what happens when the number of people affected by the effective field is one person.
Personnel: D-44712
Procedure: SCP-9686 connected to the power circuit with one D-class subject positioned within the effective range.
Results: Ambient light was extinguished immediately upon connection. At the 47-minute mark, a relay malfunction in the facility’s main power room caused a partial lockdown of the ██ wing. Manual power could not be shut off during this period. SCP-9686’s effect also disrupted remote electronic signals within the effective range, rendering backup remote shutoff equipment non-functional.
Repairs were completed 10 hours and 14 minutes after the malfunction. D-44712 was not present in the containment area when secure power was restored. No remains were found. The cause of disappearance remains undetermined.
Researcher’s Note: The anomalous properties of this object, particularly the filament composition and the events observed today, have not been fully understood yet and call for further study. I am therefore formally requesting assignment as Lead Researcher on SCP-9686.
— Dr. A. M. Winters
[O5 authorization granted. Dr. A. M. Winters was assigned as Lead Researcher, SCP-9686.]
Test Log SCP-9686-T3
Date: ██/██/2008
Researcher: Dr. A. M. Winters
Purpose: Extract the filament that makes the bulb anomalous.
Personnel: D-6347
Procedure: One SCP-9686 instance was broken to extract the filament while not plugged.
Results: Once the SCP-9686 was broken, the internal filament immediately liquefied into a gallium-like substance that evaporated in less than five seconds, making the analysis impossible.
Researcher’s Note: There must be another way to extract the filament. I require further authorization to extract it.
— Dr. A. M. Winters
[ Full authorization was given to Dr. Winters to extract the filament and find the cause of the anomaly by the Site Directorate. ]
Test Log SCP-9686-T4
Date: ██/██/2008
Researcher: Dr. A. M. Winters
Purpose: Extract the filament that makes the bulb anomalous.
Personnel: D-85692
Procedure: One SCP-9686 instance was broken to extract the filament while plugged into the circuit.
Results: Once the SCP-9686 was broken, the dimming effect subsided immediately. The filament inside liquefied and then gathered on the two opposite poles of the bulb’s internal electrical current. The liquid spilled onto D-85692’s hands before evaporating, leaving 2nd degree burns and causing prolonged paranoia in the subject. D-85692 has reported that they didn’t remember how they broke the bulb.
Researcher’s Note: The fact that the bulb’s filament liquifies immediately after experiencing even the slightest pressure and causes burns is interesting. This narrows it down. I’ll make sure to find what it is.
— Dr. A. M. Winters
Note: Dr. Winters’ old diary indicates that this was the time she started repeatedly entering SCP-9686’s containment chamber during her off-hours without informing any personnel. See Diary Entry 9686-D2 for further details.
Test Log SCP-9686-T5
Date: ██/██/2008
Researcher: Dr. A. M. Winters
Purpose: Extract the filament that makes the bulb anomalous.
Personnel: D-2136
Procedure: SCP-9686 was placed under a sealed vacuum chamber, and its glass shell was removed using the ████ method.
Results: The filament inside is still liquified. The filament’s liquid form was collected into two testing tubes, but one of the liquids inside the tubes disappeared as soon as it saw sunlight, and the other one was rendered unanalyzable due to most chemicals being untestable under an absolute vacuum.
Researcher’s Note: Results are inconsistent with any known material behavior. The substance evaporates upon exposure to sunlight and resists analysis under even vacuum conditions. This isn’t possible. It just evaporates whatever I do.
— Dr. A. M. Winters
Test Log SCP-9686-T6
Date: ██/██/2008
Researcher: Dr. A. M. Winters
Purpose: Extract the filament that makes the bulb anomalous.
Personnel: D-08934
Procedure: D-08934 connected the bulb to a private socket. This way, SCP-9686 was given 110 VDC electricity instead of 220V AC.
Results: The bulb’s anomalous effective range grew larger even though the dimming area didn’t grow. The bulb exploded after three minutes. D-08934’s face and arms were burned by the evaporating liquid.
Researcher’s Note: I am truly in shock, honestly.
— Dr. A. M. Winters
Test Log SCP-9686-T7
Date: ██/██/2009
Researcher: Dr. A. M. Winters
Purpose: Extract the filament that makes the bulb anomalous.
Personnel: D-80927
Procedure: SCP-9686 was connected to the power circuit. D-80927 was instructed to remain within the effective range and attempt to physically break the bulb while it was active, using heat-resistant gloves.
Results: When the D-80927 squeezed the bulb, the filament liquefied inside the glass casing, and the effects stopped. When D-80927 released the bulb, it ruptured and caused a small-scale explosion from the pressure built inside it.
[Researcher’s Note has been classified following a formal warning issued to Dr. A. M. Winters by the Site Directorate regarding unauthorized containment entries, conduct during testing, and reckless testing of anomalies. See Diary Entry 9686-D7 for further details.]
▼ Close Diary Entries
The following diary entries were submitted by Dr. Ashley Monroe Winters alongside her formal transfer request. The grammar in Dr. Winters’ diary entries remains untouched to preserve the emotion.
9686-D1
This was written right after SCP-9686-T2.
Date: ██/██/2008
“Hello there, Diary! Well- i’ve got some things to write here today! Im not much of a social Im not exactly the most social person so i don’t really have any friends to tell this. But i got a promotion today! From now on, im a normal researcher and i’ll be studying on a newly discovered SCP called SCP-9686! This is going to be my chane to prove myself to those bastards who always look down on me! My first test is scheduled today, weeeee!”
There are doodles of stick men and a light bulb on the left side of the page. The same entry follows:
“So, i actually saw the SCP. Normally, the tungsten filament inside a light bulb heats up and emits heat alongside light. But this bulb just makes everything dark and makes people agressive. I think i can understand what causes these effects if i learn what filament it’s made of.”
9686-D2
This was written before SCP-9686-T3.
Date: ██/██/2008
"So i know this sounds crazy but i entered the test chamber unauthorized. Well, it wasn’t technically unauthorized. I just wanted to see the chamber once. I mean, we’ll have the test in half-an-hour. Must clean everything up as the lead researcher, eh? I promise i won’t do it again!"
9686-D3
This was written before SCP-9686-T3.
Date: ██/██/2008
“So, yes, im the lead researcher, right? Today, i failed the test. I couldn’t understand it. I don’t understand it. I must study the filament if i want to learn about the bulb. I personally think the filament isn’t from our earth. Maybe it’s a weird amalgam? Or i don’t know, an undiscovered element from the outer space? Either way, i need to work more on it.”
A doodle of a light bulb is present in between the paragraphs.
"Also, after the test… i was just sitting at the cafeteria. I heard one of the older researchers talking behind my back… It must be about me. Or maybe not- okay im not exactly sure but it was definitely about me. He talked about a researcher who failed her first test. I failed- right? I don’t care about it but it honestly made me feel bad. Maybe i should study the bulb closer myself again."
9686-D4
This was written two days after SCP-9686-T4.
Date: ██/██/2008
"Fucking light bulb and it’s filament. It looks like people and life is trying to annoy the shit out of me nowadays. Seriously… Is everybody trying to get a rise out of me? Im just trying to work and understand the anomaly! It’s not- not even my fault that it’s so resistant to my studies!"
A sad face on the right side.
“It’s all their fault, honestly. They don’t give me the time i need… Actually, i have an idea. I AM the lead research now. I can just- enter the chamber whenever i want! It’s my fucking project, not theirs! Maybe im just thinking too much… No, im not. I’ll study it myself. I will find it.”
9686-D5
This was written in between SCP-9686-T4 and SCP-9686-T5.
Date: ██/██/2008
“I feel a lot more tired this week… i don’t know why or how. I just- always find myself at the containment chamber. I had a meeting today and i just somehow ended up at the goddamned bulb’s door. I don’t even remember how! I feel like nobody wants to be friends with me anymore, honestly? Im better. I got promoted earlier than them. Im better than them, they are jealous. I will make them see it. If i have to Anyways, i’ll just go to sleep now.”
A drawing of a chibi-style girl sleeping at the corner of the page.
9686-D6
This was written after SCP-9686-T5.
Date: ██/██/2008
“Nothing works… i can’t- i just… I can’t find any answers! Why? What the fuck, man! Hell if i know, what if they are trying to* sabotague sabotage my study? I won’t let them! I am the lead researcher of this project now, im better than them! You know what? If i have to enter that chamber again and again, then so be it! These tests are both underfunded and underrated! I will personally make sure they, I succeed!”
9686-D7
This was written after SCP-9686-T7.
Date: ██/██/2009
“Im fucking going insane with this shit. That damn director said i was too reckless on my tests! He doesn’t know shit, i do. I have to understand what the bulb is made of. As if they do anything properly! They issued a warning on me! I feel like i don’t have any mouth and i must scream right now!”
Seemingly hours later, Dr. Winters wrote another diary entry.
"I just had my night tea… This situation is really getting on my nerves. Maybe i should go back and read my own test logs and diary. I feel like there is something seriously wrong here."
9686-D8
This was written days after 9686-D7.
Date: ██/██/2009
“Okay… I did read my previous entries and … Who the fuck is this person? I didn’t use to swear or curse… Maybe the bulb has been manipulating me. Or am i at the wrong here? I don’t know… I don’t know anything. Maybe i should… seek help.”
9686-D9
This was written a month after 9686-D8.
Date: ██/██/2009
“Maybe i don’t need that ugly bulb. Do i really need to know about the filament? It’s an anomaly for god’s sake. I’ll try… to overcome whatever this is. I won’t let an anomaly control me, man. Maybe should give Dr. ██ a call and erase that bulb thing from my life as much as possible.”
A doodle of Dr. Ashley and Dr. ██ can be seen at the left side of the entry.
9686-D10
This was written three months after 9686-D9.
Date: ██/██/2009
“I tried to minimize the presence of SCP-9686 in my life as much as possible. Everything i see reminds me of those goddamn bulbs. I think i may seriously need help. I may need a consultant. Or i i can leave the project. Would they even let me take a transfer?”
This was the last entry before Dr. Winters’ request of transfer to SCP-███.
9686-D11
This was written three months after 9686-D10.
Date: ██/██/2010
“This is it. I’ll request a transfer. I can’t just get the bulb off of my mind. Fuck this. Im really tired. I want to sleep, take a good night’s sleep. Everytime i walk around, i always find myself at SCP-9686’s doorstep. I don’t want this. I feel cornered.”
Just below the entry, there was a small note saying;
“Trust me, I tried.”
Addendum-9686-1: Following the events of failed testing and personal issues, Dr. Winters has requested a transfer to another SCP project. O5 council has accepted the proposal for a transfer. Dr. Winters has been transferred to SCP-██. Dr. Winters has been replaced with Dr. Cook.
Addendum 9686-2: Dr. Cook formally proposed reclassifying SCP-9686 from Safe to Euclid, citing concerns regarding potential long-term psychological effects on personnel. Proposal denied by O5 Council. Reason: SCP-9686’s anomalous properties are only activated upon connection to a power circuit. Disconnection renders all effects inert. The Council has ruled that Dr. Winters’ psychological deterioration was the result of personal vulnerabilities rather than a direct anomalous effect.