Voss' Sandbox
pipe_organ.jpg
SCP-439 prior to containment.

Item #: SCP-439

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-439 is stored in chamber 103 at site ██. Chamber is to be furnished with one organist's bench. The floor is to be carpeted and the walls are to be padded, and the chamber is to be heavily sound-proofed on the outside. Chamber is mounted on hydraulic shock-absorbers and must be capable of withstanding earthquakes of at least 6.5 local magnitude ML with no significant effects inside. Chamber is to be kept locked, with at least two guard personnel standing watch. All music to be played on SCP-439 must be submitted for inspection and authorised, and any deviation from authorised music is subject to disciplinary measures at the discretion of Site ██ command. At least one guard must be present in the chamber when it is occupied by other personnel.

Warning: Works rich in tritones should not be played on SCP-439, and requests to play such works without sufficient justification will result in psychiatric evaluation and possible suspension from duty. Any attempt to damage or disassemble SCP-439 without authorization will be met with force by guard personnel. Should SCP-439 auto-operate, chamber 103 must not be opened until activity has ceased, and guard personnel must be rotated on a ten-minute basis.

Description:SCP-439 is an ornamented pipe organ believed to be from the early 18th century, although the pipes themselves are mostly of newer date. The pipes are of a lead-tin alloy, the stops, wind system and action appear to be made of cedar wood. The console has four keyboards, with stops ranging from 0.3m (1ft) to 9.75m (32ft).

Playing SCP-439 produces a number of psychological effects in listeners, though considerably weaker in the organist at the console: The mood of listeners is affected by the music played. Upbeat music will cause feelings of bliss or euphoria, while sinister or foreboding music will cause feelings of anxiety and depression. Tritones have caused abject despair and panic. Effects fade over a few minutes after conclusion of music or end of exposure, eventually ceasing completely.

Disassembly of SCP-439 (excluding removal of pipes) will lead to seismic tremors centered on the object, increasing in magnitude with further disassembly. Chamber 103 is capable of isolating these tremors from the rest of the site to a limited degree, allowing simple maintenance to take place. See I-439-01.

Additional: SCP-439 was found in █████████ Cathedral in the city of ███████, Germany. SCP removed with minor incidents (see I-439-01) and replaced with a replica. Witnesses given a class C amnesiac.

Addendum:

Incident I-439-01, ██/██/██: During disassembly of SCP-439 to facilitate transport to site ██, tremors become noticeable. When continuing disassembly of SCP-439 yields increasing tremors it is hastily reassembled, at which point tremors stop. SCP-439 transported to containment in partially assembled state. Minor damage to surrounding neighbourhood attributed to "freak geological event."

Incident I-439-02, ██/██/██: [DATA EXPUNGED]. Additional sound-proofing installed around chamber 103.

Incident I-439-03, ██/██/██: At ██:██ local, guards stationed outside chamber 103 report music coming from SCP-439. Chamber unoccupied at this time. Audible emanations outside the chamber indicate that SCP-439 is operating at volumes far exceeding operational capability. Chamber opened by Dr █████ wearing acoustic earmuffs, exposing several sections of site ██ to SCP-439's effects and causing damage to SCP-███ and minor containment breach of SCP-███. Symptoms of exposure later described as "nauseating despair," "overwhelming despair," "overwhelming sense of futility" and similar declamations by exposed personnel.

Six minutes after start of incident, SCP-439 ceases activity, allowing re-establishment of containment. Dr █████ and guardsmen ████ and █████ found outside chamber 103 in catatonic state. Guardsman █████ awakes three days later, but is grief-stricken and incoherent. Terminated after repeated failures to improve condition. Guardsman ████ and Dr █████ remain catatonic. Psychiatric evaluation of all exposed personnel ordered.
Investigation reveals that SCP-439's activity coincided with [DATA EXPUNGED]. The music in question is identified as ███████████, a funeral dirge by ███████.

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