Item#: 9191
Level1
Containment Class:
safe
Secondary Class:
thaumiel
Disruption Class:
vlam
Risk Class:
notice
SCP-9191-152, photographed when discovered in the collections of an antiquary.
Special Containment Procedures:
Most instances of SCP-9191 are to be stored within a standard storage locker at Site-67 with their alarm switches in the OFF position. All experimental proposals must be approved by a minimum of two personnel with Level 3 clearance and subsequently submitted to Dr. Messmer.
Exceptions include SCP-9191-46, SCP-9191-165, and SCP-9191-272, which are stored at Site-17, Site-19, and Site [REDACTED] respectively, with their alarm switches in the ON position. Each of these instances is to be contained within a specialized vacuum safe. Direct interaction or adjustment requires prior authorization from the Site Director.
Description:
SCP-9191 is a collection of mechanical alarm clocks with varied appearances, shapes and sizes.The diameters of discovered instances varied from 6.6 cm to 12.9 cm.. Instances are designated SCP-9191-X in the order of discovery. Each instance possesses a clock dial with an hour and minute hand, which function normally when the alarm switch is in the OFF position (i.e., the hour hand completes one revolution every twelve hours; the minute hand every hour). The displayed time, however, does not correspond to local temporal reality. Each instance also contains two adjustment knobs and an alarm switch on its rear surface. The alarm switch may take the form of either a button or lever, typically marked with an icon (e.g. ⏰) indicating its function.
When the alarm switch is in the OFF position, instances of SCP-9191 can be easily dismantled or destroyed. Components recovered in this state exhibit no anomalous properties and are indistinguishable from those of non-anomalous alarm clocks. If all components remain intact and are reassembled correctly, the object will regain anomalous functionality. Conversely, when the alarm switch is activated, instances become significantly more resistant to damage. Conventional disassembly is impossible; any fragments produced permanently lose anomalous properties.
An instance of SCP-9191 exhibits anomalous effects only when the alarm switch is in the ON position. Upon activation, the hour and minute hands cease movement until the switch is returned to the OFF position. While active, all personnel and objects within a spherical area centered on the instance enter a state designated SCP-9191(-X)-A, hereafter referred to as the “cycling routine.” Termination of this state occurs upon deactivation of the switch, at which point affected individuals report perceiving a ten-second auditory phenomenon described as moderate ringing. This sound does not originate from any physical source and appears to manifest solely within the perception of previously affected subjects. This characteristic provides a reliable method for confirming whether an alarm clock is an instance of SCP-9191.
Personnel affected by SCP-9191-X-A (designated SCP-9191-X-1) report experiencing life as though within a temporal loop. Objective time, however, continues to progress normally. This condition does not entail complete repetition of events, but instead results in the perception of existence as routine and largely unchanging. Significant deviations are absent, though minor progressions persist. For instance, an affected subject may retain an identical daily routine for decades while continuing to anticipate recurring events (e.g. a scheduled television program) or experience gradual personal developments (e.g. occupational promotion). Further details regarding this effect are documented in subsequent test logs.
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Within SCP-9191-A, apparent normalcy is maintained through alterations of physical laws and baseline reality. In the case of SCP-9191-1, residents of the affected town have continued normal daily activities since the 1850s, resulting in lifespans significantly exceeding known human limits. The mine currently under excavation appears to possess an inexhaustible supply of resources..This deduction was based on the size of the mine recorded in 1851, which was unable to sustain mining operations for such a long period of time according to geology. However, the measure result at present shows that the volume of mineral extraction corresponds to the actual conditions, so it is hard to decide whether the anomaly had affected this..
An additional cognitive effect manifests in affected individuals, rendering them incapable of perceiving discrepancies between affected and unaffected areas, or the existence of SCP-9191 instance itself. Experimental data indicates that even when informed directly of their condition, affected subjects disregard the information and rapidly forget it. SCP-9191-A also inhibits information transfer between affected and unaffected populations by diminishing affected individuals’ inclination to inquire about external events. Furthermore, subjects exhibit progressive memory degradation, particularly regarding temporally precise information. The severity of this effect correlates positively with the stability parameters of the active instance.
None of these effects are mitigated by an active Scranton Reality Anchor, and no Hume discrepancies are measurable via Kant Counter readings, indicating that the anomaly does not operate through reality warping.
An accessible analogy for understanding SCP-9191-A is to consider episodic series such as The Simpsons. SCP-9191-X-1, akin to a character in such series, follows a consistent pattern of behavior. While deviations may occur occasionally, any unusual circumstances are resolved before significant changes manifest.
However, this analogy may lead to misconceptions, particularly when dealing with instances where the stability value is set too high or too low.
When the alarm switch is in the OFF position, the two adjustment knobs on SCP-9191 instances are mechanically operable but do not actuate the clock hands. Rather, the knobs control parameters of the SCP-9191-A effect — specifically the spatial extent (radius) and the stability of the effect’s manifestation. When the alarm switch is set to ON, attempts to manipulate the knobs produce no measurable change; mechanical resistance is encountered and all documented attempts to rotate the knobs while the switch is ON have consistently failed.
All observed instances employ clockwise rotation to increase the controlled parameter. Counterclockwise rotation to the mechanical stop is defined as 0; each complete clockwise revolution increments the parameter by 1. The relationship between knob rotation and the controlled value is summarized in Table X below. Maximum allowable clockwise rotation varies between instances, most commonly permitting 3–5 full rotations per knob.
Knob 1:
Rotation Value (round)
1
2
3
4
5
Radius (m)
0.2
9.5
480
22000
1000000
The current data follows an exponential growth pattern approximately.
Knob 2: (Stability indicates the repetition strength within the affected area)
Rotation Value (round)
Stability (and Example)
1
Very Low & Long-Term Pattern e.g. The continuous dynastic changes throughout feudal history.
2
Low & Mid-Term Pattern e.g. Life proceeds normally for all residents in a secluded town, with no significant changes occurring.
3
Moderate & Short-Term Pattern e.g. Episodes of an episodic series.
4
High & Near-Certainty e.g. The daily routine of a common worker.
5
Very High & Repetitive Movement e.g. A hamster in a cage cycling between eating and sleeping.
The radius of the SCP-9191-A effect is considered an estimated value only, as its boundaries may expand or contract slightly to conform to the surrounding environment. In practice, the effect is consistently associated with a discrete area (e.g. a single building, enclosed space, or an entire settlement), within which the phenomenon persists. No distinct border has been observed; transitions into or out of the affected area occur gradually, without an observable threshold where anomalous behavior begins or ceases.
Due to these properties, unintentional identification of SCP-9191 instances is unlikely. Most instances of SCP-9191 have been discovered incidentally during unrelated anomaly investigations, or through follow-up inquiries into reports of abnormal environmental conditions. While the anomalous effects of SCP-9191 are well-documented, it is estimated that numerous instances — particularly those deactivated or exhibiting only minimal activity — remain undiscovered. This is assessed as an acceptable risk due to their negligible impact and the prohibitive resources required for comprehensive global identification. MTF Gamma-5 (“Red Herrings”) are concurrently tasked with the retrieval of reported newfound instances.
All attempts to determine the origin of SCP-9191 have been unsuccessful. It remains unknown whether the objects are of artificial manufacture or otherwise anomalously generated. The earliest verified activation of an SCP-9191 instance dates to the 17th century.
Addendum 9191.1: Discovery of SCP-9191-1
SCP-9191-1 was initially discovered during an investigation of the negative impact caused by an escaped hostile anomaly. One of the investigators was dispatched to ████ , a small town with a population of approximately 5000, and recorded what he seen in the town. Researchers were able to confirm the town wasn't attacked by the anomaly, but they also found something else strange: Residents in the town had some habits that obviously didn‘t belong to this era, which was sometimes completely out of sync with their living environment. Actually, they seemed to maintain some life patterns in The Gold Rush.More precisely, the condition exhibits the characteristics of a post–gold rush era..
After searching the archives about this town, another overlooked report written before was found, which also described the bizarre feature. A research team then started to look into the cause of the strange phenomenon. Nevertheless, no results were found eventually, and residents there had not normalized their life patterns either. Most of the residents had been living there for roughly a century, but neither did they show any sign of aging physiologically and psychologically, nor did their personalities or social classes changed greatly.
After the researchers withdrew, the foundation decided to monitor the town over the long term. For the next several decades, it is the town that bore the serial number SCP-9191. However, Dr.Messmer, one new research director, conducted another investigation to seek out the source of the anomaly thoroughly in 20█. During the investigation, most items in the town were checked, through which SCP-9191-1 was found. After SCP-9191-1 was removed from the town, the residents there returned to normal gradually, and the surveillance against it was cancelled three years later.
Interview to residents in ████ , former SCP-9191
- Interview to ██, a teenage girl in Grade 9
- Interview to ███, an adult men
Interviewer: Dr. Ronan Hale
Interviewee: ██
Foreword: The interview was disguised as an inquiry from HHS.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
[BEGIN LOG]
(Greetings and unrelated content omitted)
Dr. Hale: So, could you tell me about your daily routine? Like, when do you wake up or go to school?
██: Hmm… I usually get woken up by my dad around 7:00, and then I usually go for a jog outside for a bit. After that… // (Response omitted for brevity) // …and I go to bed around 10:30 PM.
Dr. Hale: Is that really your routine every day? No exceptions?
██: (Laughs) Of course not! We have weekends and holidays! And sometimes I go to my friend's house after school, so I probably won't be home until around 7:00 PM. Oh, and sometimes we have special activities at school, so those days definitely don’t follow the same routine.
Dr. Hale: Got it. How long has this routine been like this?
██: (Thinks for a moment) Well, I can't remember the exact time, but it must have been after I started high school, so it’s probably been around 3 years… Why do you ask?
Dr. Hale: (Smiles) It’s just a simple question, don’t worry. Let’s talk about your studies for a bit, okay? For example, what are you learning in math class right now?
██: It’s just functions and… (Response omitted for brevity)
Dr. Hale: Alright, what did you learn last year?
██: (Thinks for a moment) I… believe it was an easier version of this? I think I’ve forgotten a bit. I’m not very good at math.
Dr. Hale: (Smiles) Okay, no worries. Now, let’s just take a short break.
(After break)
Dr. Hale: So, could you tell me what you learned in math back in Grade 8? You can think about the textbooks you used.
██: Oh, of course! I learned about the rectangular coordinate system and… (Response omitted for brevity)
Dr. Hale: Last question, how do you feel about your life? Do you find it monotonous?
██: Not at all, definitely not monotonous.
Dr. Hale: Alright, that’s all. Thanks for your participation.
[END LOG]
Interviewer: Dr. Ronan Hale
Interviewee: ███
Foreword: The interview was disguised as an survey on the town's history and the current state.
[BEGIN LOG]
(Greetings and unrelated content omitted)
Dr. Hale: Let’s move on to the next topic. How much do you know about the gold mine beside the town?
███: (Laughs) Pretty much! I started working there when I was about 17 or 18 years old. I’d say most of the men in the town have done the same. You know, as long as you’re lucky, working there is definitely a good choice.
Dr. Hale: OK, has there been any development in the mine?
███: Sure, I’d say the biggest development has been in the machinery. It’s hard to imagine that so many people still rush to the mine for gold, like they did years ago. For example, the hydraulic drill—it’s incredibly powerful.
Dr. Hale: Do you remember any major events that have happened in the town over the years?
███: (Ponders for a long time) I’m not sure, actually. There doesn’t seem to be many special events in our small town… Maybe you could try the library for more information, instead of asking me.
Dr. Hale: Oh, it’s just a general survey, not a test. Just tell me what you remember. For example, when was the town established?
███: I think it was about 20 or 30 years ago if you’re asking about the "town." During the gold rush, there were people living here, but it wasn’t really a "town" yet, more like a place for the workers to stay.
Dr. Hale: Can you tell me the exact year?
███: Sorry, I can’t remember that well.
Dr. Hale: Alright, next question: How do you feel about the technological developments in your daily life?
███: Well, I’m not really familiar with the science stuff. I can only say it’s developing very quickly. It’s hard to imagine how I got by before without some of the things we have now.
Dr. Hale: Last question, about yourself—how do you feel about your life? Do you find it monotonous? This will help us understand the living conditions of the residents here better.
███: Sort of, maybe? There’s not much to look forward to while working in the mine.
Dr. Hale: That’s all. Thank you for your participation.
[END LOG]
Initial discovery of SCP-9191-1 (Action Log Excerpt)
Investigative Action Log 9191-29 (Excerpt)
Location: Town library
Date: 20█/█/█
(Local Time 16:00) A team of three investigators entered the library and began checking every item, starting with the lobby.
(16:04) One of the investigators entered archive room No.1.
(16:19) The investigator activated the alarm switch of SCP-9191-1, producing a ringing sound. Simultaneously, everyone in the town reported hearing the same sound, a phenomenon observed later. The investigator himself did not immediately recognize the anomaly and continued inspecting other items.
(16:21) The investigators reconvened, at which point the unusual ringing sound was acknowledged. They immediately secured SCP-9191-1 and transported it to Site-67.
After the discovery of SCP-9191-1, researchers quickly identified its superficial anomaly. Long-term observations of the town confirmed that the anomalous effects began to dissipate, ultimately confirming that SCP-9191-1 was the source of the phenomenon. Former SCP-9191 was then reclassified as neutralized.
According to the later interview with residents, none of them noticed SCP-9191-1 before, probably due to the anomaly effect that can significantly reduce its presence. ████ is merely a common town at present.
Addendum 9191.2: Test logs of SCP-9191-16 & SCP-9191-21
Addendum 9191.3: Update in 20█/█/█
Pursuant to resolution ██-9191-██-UT of O5 council, SCP-9191-46, SCP-9191-165 are respectively transported to Site-17 and Site-19, utilized for other anomalies' containment. For further particulars, refer to the table below.
Knob 1 Rotation
Knob 2 Rotation
Coverage Area
SCP
-9191
-46
2.53r
1.4r
Keter-level containment area of Site-17
SCP
-9191
-165
2.76r
1.66r
Entire containment area of Site-19
Two SCP-9191 instances are to be activated at a relatively stable period within the facility, in order to reduce the frequency of containment breach events. Their stability values are set at comparatively low levels to minimize the risk of unintended effects. Current data indicate a measurable decline in incident frequency at both sites.
Minimize SCiPNet Client
CONNECTING TO SITE-01 INTERNAL DATABASE…
VERIFYING CREDENTIALS…
VERIFIED.
YOU ARE LOGGED IN AS: Dr.████
> view SCP-9191 file <confidential>
LOADING…