Item #: SCP-XXX “Babel Mouth”
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXX is to be kept in a completely soundproof room no larger than 5m x 5m x 3m at all times when not being interviewed. The containment facility's current arrangement has the subject's interview room (also soundproof) situated directly adjacent to its holding cell. If, for any reason, the subject must be transported outside of these environs, it should be firmly gagged and restrained in such a way that it cannot remove its gag, and all personnel responsible for such transportation must be wearing ear protection. In summary, under no circumstance whatsoever should anyone other than SCP-XXX's designated interviewer be able to hear any noise it makes.
SCP-XXX does not appear to require food, water or sleep, and has, on several occasions, been observed to survive for months without them. However, it appears to enjoy the respective sensations associated with them, and so they may be rationed as rewards for good behaviour. Any reasonable request for written literature should be approved. Except in controlled experiments, the subject should not be allowed access to interactive media, movies, music with lyrics or any form of entertainment containing spoken words.
Description: SCP-XXX appears to be a Caucasian human of indeterminate gender and age, although outward appearance suggests early twenties. It measures 6'7", possesses no body hair whatsoever and appears permanently emaciated and haggard, as if in the final stages of starvation and sleep deprivation, although it displays strength and dexterity incongruent with its outward physical appearance, roughly equivalent to adult human averages. Apart from its ambiguous gender and age and its gaunt appearance, the subject is largely unremarkable save its one distinguishing characteristic.
SCP-XXX displays the ability to perfectly reproduce the voice and vocal mannerisms of anyone who speaks to it, and, in fact, this is the only manner by which it has ever been observed to communicate (barring Addendum 550-1; see below). It has never spoken in its own voice, if, indeed, it possesses one. The effect does not seem to be mere mimicry, as the subject will often reproduce mannerisms, intonations, accents or specific use (or misuse) of words or phrases which have not been expressed by its conversational partner prior to their reproduction - on several occasions it has engaged in monologues of exceptional length in the voice of a person it has only just been presented with and has not yet heard speak. This ability understandably makes recording interview sessions slightly problematic. If the subject is presented with more than one interviewer, it will speak to each conversational partner in their own voice when it is addressing them, and in the voice of whomever it was last imitating if it is forced to address multiple interviewers at once.
The subject will occasionally, apparently simply for its own amusement, refuse to say anything other than repeating what its interviewer has just said to it. When questioned about its reasons for this, it simply says that it finds the reactions of its interviewers (in most cases, frustration) “really funny”.
It should be noted that while no causal link has been adequately confirmed, prolonged exposure to SCP-XXX (usually in the order of days or weeks) has correlated with an increased incidence of psychological issues in twelve percent (12%) of its interview staff, usually schizoaffective disorder, gender identity disorder, dissociative identity disorder, an array of formal thought disorders, aphasia or in at least three cases, a combination of the above. It is recommended that SCP-XXX's interview staff be rotated no less than once every week.
Addendum XXX-1: On 8-12-2007, on a hunch, Dr. Roberts placed a man suffering from congenital deafness, capable of communication only in standard American Sign Language (Amelsan), in the room with SCP-XXX. SCP-XXX engaged in a long conversation with its interviewer entirely in Amelsan, and was able to perfectly replicate his hand motions, even to the point of reproducing the slight hand trembling produced by the subject's delirium tremens and his slight, idiosyncratic inability to properly produce the sign for the letter “Q”. The subject later reported that he “felt like he was signing in front of a mirror”.
Addendum XXX-2: Further experimentation over the course of August 2007 has revealed that SCP-XXX cannot be fooled by impersonation of accents – it will always reproduce the “default”, native accent of its interviewer.
Addendum XXX-3: [DATA EXPUNGED]
Addendum XXX-4: As ordered unanimously by all O5 clearence personnel, in reference to the utterly disastrous effects and ensuing fiasco detailed in Addendum XXX-3, for both its own safety and the safety of others, SCP-550 must under absolutely no circumstances whatsoever be exposed to whale song.