Description: SCP-XXXX is the designation for an incorporeal being entity with the ability to experience the consciousness of sapient beings. SCP-XXXX is invisible to all forms of visual detection except for thermal imaging, which reveals SCP-XXXX to be roughly humanoid in shape. The entity cannot vocalize, but is capable of nonverbal communication. Since acquisition, SCP-XXXX has proven cooperative with Foundation inquiries into its nature to the best of its knowledge.
When in close proximity to sentient beings in emotional or physical pain, SCP-XXXX can possess the host's body and experience the subject's awareness for two (2) hours. Although the effect is voluntary, SCP-XXXX is captive to experiencing the host's consciousness for the allotted time once the effect is activated. SCP-XXXX cannot control the host's physical body in this state, nor does it report any influence over the subject's thoughts. When in the presence of multiple subjects, SCP-XXXX will automatically possess the individual in the greatest distress. Human subjects do not experience any detrimental effects during or following a possession, nor do they report any displacement of their suffering onto SCP-XXXX. Researchers have been unsuccessful in both determining the pain threshold to activate the effect and discerning the mechanism by which SCP-XXXX is able to objectively assess subjective sensations.
SCP-XXXX has the ability to manipulate objects in its environment up to [SOMETHING] kg in weigh. Although SCP-XXXX will not hesitate to communicate with Foundation operatives, it has not directly communicated with human beings in the past so as to not frighten them.
Personnel are to be warned that repeated possessions will compromise the integrity of the entity's psychological state. As of this writing, SCP-XXXX has reported symptoms of depression reminiscent of those seen in human beings, but continues to possess subjects when given the opportunity.
Annotated history of SCP-XXXX:
Location: Medford, Oregon 1944
Event timeline: Earliest recorded possession. SCP-XXXX reportedly befriended a Mrs. Angela Hartford, a local textile factory worker whose husband was serving in the Pacific Theater of World War II. SCP-XXXX claims to have been sympathized with Angela Hartford, whom it described as a "kindred spirit" and identified with her loneliness. SCP-XXXX would leave emotionally intimate letters for Hartford to find in the morning, to which she would leave written replies in inconspicuous locations so as to not arouse suspicion. The two continued their correspondence briefly before SCP-XXXX discovered Hartford had misconstrued the entity's identity as having been that of a male admirer with whom she was interested in pursuing a romantic affair. SCP-XXXX reportedly became distraught and departed from Oregon on [YADDA].
Location: Fresno, California 1959
Event timeline: SCP-XXXX reported to have placed lost posters for the kidnapped child of a local family in prominent locations. SCP-XXXX gauged the emotional reaction of police suspects by possessing each in turn, but was unsuccessful in locating a perpetrator. The entity reasons the kidnapper either was not a local, or did not feel sufficiently remorseful for SCP-XXXX to have experienced memories of the crime. SCP-XXXX claims this incident affected it deeply and departed after three (3) years of fruitless searching.
Location: Los Angeles, California 1965
Event timeline: SCP-XXXX claims to have become fixated on helping a suicidally depressed alcoholic named [YADDA], who was a formerly a prominent figure in the city's underground comedy scene. [YADDA] was reported have begun to self-medicate with alcohol and designer drugs after suffering a string of romantic and professional failures. During this time, SCP-XXXX would leave Alcoholics Anonymous pamphlets in strategic locations for the subject to find during his daily routine, as the subject was observed to have been prone to magical thinking in the past. This was ineffective and before SCP-XXXX could devise another strategy, [YADDA] purchased a 9mm handgun with the intent to kill himself. SCP-XXXX claimed to have possessed [YADDA] shortly afterwards so as to experience his final moments.
Location: Chinook, Montona 1966
Event timeline: SCP-XXXX reports to have become interested in the psychological climate of a grade school in rural Montona. The entity frequented the building during school hours and allowed itself to enter classrooms while they were in session to locate students in psychological distress. SCP-XXXX discovered that a select minority of students were being bullied by peers and habitually ignored by faculty and staff. SCP-XXXX reports to have been unsettled by the experience and as a result abstained from human contact for a two (2) year period.
Location: Haverhill, Massachussetts 1993
Event timeline: SCP-XXXX reported to have become obsessed with helping members of an eating disorder support group. SCP-XXXX allowed itself to possess each member in isolation to better gauge the extent of their issues, but their mental distress so affected SCP-XXXX it carved 'you are beautiful' seventy-nine (79) times with a sharp implement into the walls of the choir room where the meetings were held. The church was deemed condemned and closed down shortly afterwards. SCP-XXXX reportedly did not follow-through on the conditions of its targets for fear of having exacerbated their condition.
SCP-XXXX is a 31 year old Caucasian male of supposed American origin. The specimen identifies itself as "George [REDACTED]" and purports to have been born on a farm in rural Virginia, although no municipal records in probable counties of birth have turned up the [REDACTED] family name. SCP-XXXX passively emits a field of effect (designated the Goldmarck Effect) 10 m in diameter that alters the psychology of nearby human beings to conform to SCP-XXXX's worldview and/or mood at the time. The Goldmarck Effect has been observed to modify physiological function and brain structure to produce intended behavioral effects. The mechanism by which the field of effect induces spontaneous physiological changes without causing fatal harm the individual is currently unknown.
When initially brought into Foundation custody, SCP-XXXX identified himself as a moderately devout Protestant, which caused subjects in the vicinity of the anomalous effect to be more critical of institutions and to place greater import on personal views than external views. After learning of the Foundation's nature, SCP-XXXX suffered a crisis of faith which inadvertently revealed the specific nature of the individual's anomalous properties. Subjects in follow-up experiments reported chronic feelings of emptiness as well as displaying an extreme fear reaction in the presence of Foundation personnel. SCP-XXXX's emotional state deteriorated until the Goldmarck Effect began to adversely affect the mood and disposition of nearby personnel, possibly a result of SCP-XXXX's newly professed nihilism. Site director Dr. Goldmarck was subsequently called in to personally explain the Foundation's directive, as well as to authorize a considerably more comfortable holding arrangements. SCP-XXXX's mood has since improved considerably and has agreed to submit himself to testing to better gauge the effect and mechanism of the Goldmarck Effect.
As of [REDACTED], the Goldmarck Effect is understood to be a gestalt expression of SCP-XXXX's worldview, past experiences, philosophy of life, and mood at any given time (see experiment log).
Materials: SCP-XXXX was made to watch twelve hours of popular animated sitcom Family Guy in order to observe the effect of humorous but otherwise superficial entertainment
Effect: Exposed subjects reported a heightened mood and receptivity to jokes, often of a irreverent nature. This effect waned quickly as SCP-XXXX became desensitized to the show's brand of humor.
Materials: SCP-XXXX was asked to alternate watching popular comedy films such as The Hangover and 40-Year Old Virgin with R-rated horror films that depict disturbing content to gauge the effect of tonally dissonant media.
Effect: Generally, the Effect corresponded to the film playing at the time, but at three observed instances, the tonal shift caused a blending of effects resulting in strange reactions such as subjects spontaneously developing a morbid sense of humor, pantomiming comedic scenes in the dark, and expressing dissonant emotional reactions to news headlines read by head researcher [REDACTED].
Materials: None. Subjects were told to enter SCP-XXXX's holding cell while it was asleep.
Effect: Subjects reported experiencing intense and surreal imagery of variable nature. This was most a result of the specimen having been in REM sleep while the experiment was conducted.
Materials: SCP-XXXX was instructed to meditate for 15 minutes, following his breath and allowing his thoughts to rise and fall without judgement.
Effect: Subjects reported a lowering of what they described as "mental chatter", and greater contentment with their station in lives, although this effect did not persist for long following the end of the meditation session.
Materials: SCP-XXXX was provided reading materials related to Plato's Theory of Forms that posits abstract ideas/forms as having a more fundamental reality that than the reality we perceive through our senses.
Effect: Subjects began to identify with their idealized representations of such concepts as Love and Friendship, and expressed a dissatisfaction with the material world as being less "substantial" than what they were experiencing in their minds. The Effect appears to be able to transmit complex notions and ideas in an intuitive manner.
Materials: SCP-XXXX was asked to alternate reading an assortment of religious texts and atheist passages page-by-page.
Effect: No discernible effect. Subjects do not report a religious sense of self nor do they feel comfortable denying or affirming the existence of deities one way or another.
Addendum XXXX-01: As of this writing, SCP-XXXX's mental condition has once again begun to deteriorate. Foundation efforts to improve its mental state, such as beginning a new round of testing or new reading material, has been rebuffed. Personnel within the range of the Goldmarck Effect now report extreme feelings of loss and despair.
Addendum XXXX-02: SCP-XXXX attempted suicide at [REDACTED] this morning with a piece of glass after shattering its lavatory mirror. Foundation agents were forced to tranquilize SCP-XXXX from outside the range of its anomalous effect as exposed personnel were observed to lose all volition and enter a catatonic state. SCP-XXXX was relocated to a specially fitted ward until all sharp implements were removed from its holding cell.
Addendum XXXX-03: Possibly as a result of an unconscious defense mechanism, the Goldmarck Effect has been observed to extend in radius at a rate of [REDACTED] per day. Its mental condition has also failed to improve. Foundation personnel are strongly advised to not test the limits of the range of effect without proper supervision. SCP-XXXX has been relocated to an offsite warehouse until further notice.
SCP-XXXX is a footage reel in 1924 by unknown persons that depicts an aspiring writer's extramarital affair with an enigmatic woman referred to as "Anette". The physical case is labeled Annete, cher 1924, but the film itself does not list either any credits. Scenes were shot on location, primarily featuring scenic walkways and waterfront cafes in the Parisian Quarter, but no municipal records pertaining to the filming or release of SCP-XXXX have been recovered. SCP-XXXX's does not employ actors or scripts, instead depicting scenes of variable content as they occurred in real-time.
SCP-XXXX has been observed to become incrementally longer with the addition of new scenes during every playback, the plot significance of which tending to deviate wildly. Average length of new material is eight (8) minutes. When SCP-XXXX came into Foundation custody, its original runtime was recorded to have been 95 minutes, eventually accumulating an additional [TIME] in new scenes during subsequent viewings. Content of new scenes has varied, including but not limited to: new dialogue and digressive vignettes featuring both the protagonist/deuteragonist as well as ancillary characters, landscape panoramas, footage of real events from around the world happening either concurrently with the central narrative or preceding it, and scenes set in private residences that follow persons who are unaware that they are being recorded.
The Foundation has theorized that the entire body of SCP-XXXX, including even the most extraneous material, is inextricably linked to the figure of "Annette". The addition of new scenes has made it exceedingly difficult for researchers to arrive to a consensus on the true nature of the "Annette" figure, as new dialogue and additional characters will routinely contradict previous conceptions of her character. This effect is roughly analogous to the concept of a Koch snowflake, in that the more one views the film, the more information is revealed indefinitely. Thus, the precise nature of this overarching narrative and how it relates to the Annette figure is currently unknown and likely to be infinitely dense. Researchers have estimated that given SCP-XXXX's current rate of "expansion", the film's length would be able to depict every consecutive day in a year in approximately [HUGE NUMBER] viewings.
The following plot outline has been provided by Dr. [yadda] for the purpose of an examination into the exact nature SCP-XXXX's content. Dr. [blah] was present at the original viewing of SCP-XXXX and all viewings in between, and is most qualified to speak on its anomalous properties. Included is a condensed plot outline of the original version of SCP-XXXX, and conjectural notes on notable material thereafter.
Preface by Dr. [yadda]: Key scenes necessary for the viewer to develop an attachment to the Annette character have been left out, as well as any personalizing details that might lead a reader to identify with the protagonist and thereby become fixated on viewing the film. Hints as to the Annette figure's true nature are purposely left vague and unexplained in the film, but nevertheless, will not be repeated here so as to prevent idle speculation.
Where applicable, [three black bars] denote a significant jump in run time. Only the most essential skeleton of the plot has been preserved here.
SCP-XXXX begins with a rapid-cut sequence of [some big number] unrelated scenes taking place simultaneously all over 1924 Paris, including: a father holding the hand of his child in a crowd, the body of a dog decomposing in an alleyway, a man and woman engaged in intercourse, and the interior of a dimly lit bar. No sound is audible except for the voice of a young male, later revealed to be the protagonist (hereafter referred to as the Writer), recounting the feelings of loneliness and despondency that have haunted him since adolescence to an unknown person. The Writer explains that his recent move to the French countryside with his spouse into an old family farmhouse has only exacerbated his ennui, as well as hastening his falling out of love with his wife. He goes on to confess that in order to travel to Paris freely, he lied to his spouse by fabricating the story of an estranged relative he needed to reconcile with privately. The protagonist explains that, in truth, he fled the empty countryside of his home to expose himself to the life of the city, where he hopes to transcend his loneliness and write a story that will "perhaps touch the heart of my time".
—-
It becomes apparent the Annette figure has some interest in the Writer, but whether it is purely platonic can only be decided by the viewer. At the 30:00 mark, Annette and the Writer leave the cafe to walk alongside the Rue de bLAH. The scene is shot from an isometric view of the park from a considerable distance, although the Writer and Annette remain clearly audible. Anette confesses to the Writer that he is not like other men she has met in the city, to which the Writer does not reply for approximately forty-three (43) seconds as they silently walk along the Rue de AJFF. The distance of the shot prevents the viewer from being able to deduce the cause of this silence: whether the Writer is nervous by the encounter, flustered by the woman's admitted promiscuity, or rendered silent for some other reason is purely up to the viewer's interpretation. SCP-XXXX abounds with ambiguous scenes such as this.
—-
Annette and the Writer meet again the next day at [YADDA]. Over drinks, they talk and reminisce about past loves. The Writer, unwilling to sully his image as a vagrant artist, claims to have never been married. Anette appears to believe him and adds that she, too, has never had the patience "to love in only one place". The scene ends with Anette excusing herself to the bathroom, where she puts out a lit cigarette on her thigh.
—
The Writer becomes increasingly enamored with Anette, who does not appear to reciprocate his feelings. On the second night the Writer offers Anette a stay at his place of residence, she turns him down claiming that he is a liar and a fraud. He is devastated and shuts himself off in his room to begin his story, although it is not revealed to the viewer as to what exactly he is writing. A tracking shot from the Writer's work desk, through the room's walls and to the waterfront outside ends on a still frame of Anette peering up at the Writer's window for approximately four (4) minutes.
—
A scene of Anette cradling the body of a suicide by the [YADDA] river. No sound.
—
It is presumed the Writer has not seen Anette for some time. We see him walking to the most picturesque spots in Paris with a pad of paper and pencil in hand, ready to be inspired. He casts furtive glances into crowds. He eats alone and drinks alone. The pages remain blank. Interspersed throughout are scenes of Annette cavorting with unidentified men in Parisian bars.
—
A seemingly non sequitur sequence of scenes depicting a Bavarian father's abuse of his three children, as well as his tireless work building the village's first school.
—
A short scene of the Writer at the BLAH park, sitting at a bench by the YAH walkway and transfixed by something offscreen. He begins to write hurriedly in his notepad. It is not revealed to the viewer what has sparked this sudden flurry of inspiration (it's something that inspires him to create SCP-XXXX; he is going to make the center of his world, Anette, the center of the universe. His idealization will become reality)