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rating: +3
Item #: SCP-584-KO
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-584-KO is to be placed inside an acrylic box with a thickness of 1 cm in a Level 4 5 special security containment room at the deep containment sector of Site-██ Site-120. At least two armed personnel must be stationed in front of SCP-584-KO's containment room to prevent unauthorised access. All personnel involved in the containment of SCP-584-KO must engage in social interaction with their family or acquaintances at least once a week and undergo psychological evaluation every Sunday. All experiments involving SCP-584-KO are prohibited. Access to the containment room is allowed only with approval from the O5 Council while wearing DF-45 gear and under video surveillance. If it is determined that a person entering the room is attempting to activate the object, DF-45 must be activated to terminate the individual. As of 26/██/20██, Mobile Task Force Nu-21 ("Heimdall") is to be stationed near the containment room to prevent theft. MTF Nu-21 personnel are to be equipped with Level 3 combat armour and UW-P30 rifles, with at least 10 personnel on standby at all times in a designated area.
Description: SCP-584-KO is a steel box with a red circular plastic button on top. Next to the button, the phrase "Press this button when you want to end it all" is written. An inscription is engraved at the bottom of the box (see Addendum 584).
The interior of SCP-584-KO consists of various mechanical components. Inside are mechanisms such as a power cutoff switch linked to the button and a Graviton-based Photon permeation-type Stasis field generator (GPS), which receives power from a Type-1 perpetual motion device whose mechanism is not yet understood. Inside the stasis field is a shimmering spherical object with a radius of 3cm. Hypotheses regarding the matter's identity as dark matter clumps or spatial distortion have been proposed. However, it has been identified as a case of vacuum decay in a metastable quantum state.
SCP-584-KO is designed so that pressing the button severs the power line connecting the perpetual motion device to the GPS. This deactivates the GPS and causes the stasis field to collapse, resulting in the containment failure of the true vacuum inside. Any matter that comes into contact with the energy shell surrounding the true vacuum undergoes a chain collapse reaction, releasing all potential energy and transforming it into a true vacuum. This vacuum bubble is expected to expand at the speed of light, triggering an XK-Class end-of-the-world scenario.
SCP-584-KO is also equipped with a Reality Augmented-type Self-protection device (RAS), which induces psychological effects. When a person intending to use the object approaches the object, they experience a hallucination of themselves speaking to them from behind. The hallucinated version of themselves attempts to explain the device and persuade them not to press the button. If the individual succeeds in persuading the hallucination, they gain authorisation to activate SCP-584-KO. If someone without such authorisation attempts to use the device, it does not activate. Attempts to harm the hallucination result in physical retaliation and any injuries inflicted by the hallucination are physically sustained by the subject.
In additional tests using RAS-equipped replicas, a survey conducted among informed subjects showed that 20% stated they would use the object, 32% stated they would not, and 48% were undecided. In follow-up experiments, 2.1% actually obtained authorisation via RAS and used the object; 1.1% obtained authorisation but chose not to use it; 21.5% were persuaded by the hallucination not to use it; 32.1% had no intent to use it from the beginning; 37.9% were indifferent; and 5.3% attempted to steal the object. All participants were administered Class-C amnestics after the experiments.
Following the theft attempt 584-21, research has begun based on recovered design schematics. RAS analysis has been completed, while research on the GPS and other components is ongoing. Investigation and pursuit of PoI-116291 ("The Philosopher") are currently underway.
Addendum 584
We all wish this despicable and filthy world would disappear. Voilà! Here is the button to destroy this world!
However, I want to ask you a question: "Do you TRULY want to destroy the world?"
Maybe you could happily press the button, or maybe not. Or, maybe you could use this bomb as a threat. You are free to choose whatever. But be warned, whatever you choose, YOU are responsible.
I am a Philosopher. After three days of intensive debate with my closest acquaintance over whether a human is born good or evil, we have decided to see who is right using their respective art pieces. This is the result. I bet the world on the possibility that humans are born inherently good.
You may think I am crazy, claiming such an abhorrent weapon of mass destruction as art and, moreover, presenting this as proof of inherent good.
The proof is that this machine was not activated. If humanity can lay down all the evil they carry and face this conundrum of who they really are, can they do the ultimate evil? Is that your true essence?
If you press this, that will prove me wrong. However, I know you wouldn't. I believe you are good.
Are We Cool Yet?