SCP-1090 by The SCP Foundation Lyrics
Item #: SCP-1090
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: The item is currently kept in a generic headphone case and can be safely stored alongside similarly contained items. Storage near non-anomalous listening-devices is not recommended. The item may only be removed for approved testing.
Description: SCP-1090 has the appearance of a set of cordless headphones. Two irregularly shaped, highly polished stones (superficially resembling black basalt) are attached in place of conventional earpieces. The headband is white, with flexible joints allowing for size adjustment. A blue dot marked with a white "L" and a red dot marked with a white "R" are visible on the swivel joints at either end, presumably indicating "left" and "right".
It is unclear how the stones have been fused to the rest of the device, and both headband and earpieces have proven resistant to conventional cutting tools. Results from radiography of the object have been inconclusive.
When a subject places SCP-1090 over the ears in the fashion of conventional headphones, they report hearing music or distinctive sounds. This "music" ranges from simple melodies to paranormal auditory experiences. The device has no anomalous effect on individuals who simply touch or handle it; reports indicate that the stones remain oddly cool to the touch.
Testing suggests that the longer an individual is exposed to SCP-1090, the more unusual and lasting the psychological and sensory after-effects. The upper-limit of exposure before permanent psychological and sensory damage has yet to be determined; new researchers are cautioned to increase the time of exposure by no more than seconds (see Dr. Rhys for a proposed algorithm).
As the sounds reported are so far unique to the subject wearing the device, researchers are encouraged to review Experiment Logs Series 1 for details.
-close
Note: Series 1 Logs describe the initial series of experiments conducted by Dr. S█████. For ongoing experiments, and data contributed by other researchers, see Series 2.
Log 01/02/██
Subject/s: D-Class female; age 22
Procedure: Subject seated in a sound-proof room and instructed to place SCP-1090 over her ears, removing it when signalled by a red light.
Duration: Two minutes.
Results:
Subject looked surprised upon placing the device over her ears, but made no attempt to remove it. She appeared to be focusing intently, and failed to react to the flashing red light until ten additional seconds had passed. Subject seemed ill-at-ease when questioned about the experience; possibly simple nervousness.
Subject described clear and pervasive music, which seemed to “be playing before I put them on… it sounded like the middle of the song.” The “song” was described as a children’s choir, singing in a foreign language. “It was probably, like, Asian or something. Kind of creepy, actually.”
Log 01/02-08/██
Subject/s: D-0886 (male; 38), D-0423 (male; 24), D-1002 (female; 31), and junior researcher M██
Procedure: Each subject seated in a sound-proof room and instructed to place SCP-1090 over his/her ears, removing it when signalled by a red light. In the case of D-1002, a loud bell tone was substituted for the light.
Duration: Two minutes.
Results:
D-0886: Reported hearing guitars playing several melodies at once. “Weird shit. Like Hendrix in a fucking mirror house.”
D-0423: Heard a low sustained note, “Like a stringed bass”, followed by a melody he described as a poor bass solo. “But… played badly on purpose, you know?” Subject seemed fixated on this idea, and would have prolonged the interview for several hours to explain himself.
D-1002: Though subject had been informed that a tone would sound to signal the end of the test, she was unresponsive to the sound, despite its loud volume. After an additional fifteen seconds, the red light was flashed, and she removed the device. Subject appeared dazed, and did not respond to questioning until nearly fifteen minutes had passed.
Subject eventually reported: “I think it was my cat… it sounded just like my cat. He was singing a song to me. About fish.”
Note: As none of the subjects testing the item have been physically harmed, we've given M██ permission to try it out. -Dr. S█████
Junior researcher M██: "It was just… woodpeckers. Pecking. Like, at least twenty woodpeckers."
Log 02/04/██
Subject/s: Dr. S█████
Procedure: As of 2/03/██, the D-Class subjects of previous tests have shown no immediate or cumulative signs of injury. Dr. S█████ volunteered herself as a test subject, and the original experiment was replicated without incident.
Duration: Two minutes
Results:
Subject reported a low, sustained drone for the first thirty seconds, which slowly increased in volume. This was reportedly accompanied by a sense of expectancy— "Like something important was about to happen". The subject expressed doubt that she would have removed the device in those first seconds, even if instructed to do so. She described the droning sound eventually diverging into a series of random notes, resembling electronic music.
"It was like normal music, I guess… with distinct notes and pauses. But it's hard to describe the sound of— no, I wouldn't really call it dread. I know dread, okay? It felt a little unsettling, like I wasn't supposed to be listening in… but at the same time, I knew if I kept listening… I don't know. I'm being vague."
Dr. S█████ reported than the "music" faded into silence, immediately before the two minute light flashed. She has expressed interest in repeating the experiment.
Log 02/05/██
Subject/s: D-███ ([REDACTED]), D-2101 (male; 22), D-4040 (male; 56)
Procedure: Subject is seated in a room (not sound-proof) and instructed to place the object over their ears; flashing red light signals removal.
Duration: Eight minutes
Results:
D-███: After the first two minutes, the subject was seen to raise both hands and press them over the earpieces. The subject's description of the [REDACTED].
D-2101: Subject displayed a reaction similar to D-1002, failing to respond to the flashing light for nearly three minutes, and remaining in a complacent and insensible state for close to an hour after the test's conclusion. Subject reported hearing "wind-chimes", not localized in the earpieces, but "some really close, and some really far away… too far away to hear. There must have been hundreds of them."
D-4040: Subject displayed growing unease while wearing the device, and removed it promptly when the light flashed. When asked to describe his experience, subject refused to say more than, "It was brown."
Addendum: D-███ was recently terminated while [REDACTED]. An overseeing agent alerted us that, ten hours before recorded time of death, D-███ made several requests to use SCP-1090. When this request was denied, D-███ displayed considerable emotional distress.
Addendum 02/08/██: Both D-2101 and D-4040 have reported nearly identical symptoms to research personnel; it must be noted that neither subject has been allowed contact with the other since the end of their respective tests. Both report that the "music" they heard while wearing SCP-1090 has been playing continuously "in their heads". Unlike normal instances of cognitive itch, they claim the sounds are changing, and growing progressively louder.
Note: As the primary psychiatric consultant for this research team, it is my request that no further experimentation take place until a "safe range" of exposure is determined. -Dr. Rhys
UPDATE 02/24/██
A series of experiments to determine the "safe range" of exposure to SCP-1090 were performed over the course of one week, achieving consistent results when replicated. Six (6) minutes and thirty (30) seconds has been established as the "safe range" of exposure, with a buffer of approximately twenty seconds. All D-class personnel involved in testing have been placed under thirty-day observation; scheduled terminations postponed as necessary.
Addendum: D-2101 and D-4040, subjects of preceding experiments, continued to complain of "loud music"; both were observed to have trouble sleeping, and spoke loudly in interviews, as if compensating for poor hearing. All subjects of the Safe Range tests who were exposed to the device for more than seven minutes have since reported nearly identical symptoms.
Addendum: D-4040 was found deceased after a violent altercation with D-3██; witness accounts, while their reliability is questionable, all made some reference to D-4040's symptoms. All similarly-afflicted subjects have been restricted from D-class common areas.
See Incident Report 1090-1.
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: The item is currently kept in a generic headphone case and can be safely stored alongside similarly contained items. Storage near non-anomalous listening-devices is not recommended. The item may only be removed for approved testing.
Description: SCP-1090 has the appearance of a set of cordless headphones. Two irregularly shaped, highly polished stones (superficially resembling black basalt) are attached in place of conventional earpieces. The headband is white, with flexible joints allowing for size adjustment. A blue dot marked with a white "L" and a red dot marked with a white "R" are visible on the swivel joints at either end, presumably indicating "left" and "right".
It is unclear how the stones have been fused to the rest of the device, and both headband and earpieces have proven resistant to conventional cutting tools. Results from radiography of the object have been inconclusive.
When a subject places SCP-1090 over the ears in the fashion of conventional headphones, they report hearing music or distinctive sounds. This "music" ranges from simple melodies to paranormal auditory experiences. The device has no anomalous effect on individuals who simply touch or handle it; reports indicate that the stones remain oddly cool to the touch.
Testing suggests that the longer an individual is exposed to SCP-1090, the more unusual and lasting the psychological and sensory after-effects. The upper-limit of exposure before permanent psychological and sensory damage has yet to be determined; new researchers are cautioned to increase the time of exposure by no more than seconds (see Dr. Rhys for a proposed algorithm).
As the sounds reported are so far unique to the subject wearing the device, researchers are encouraged to review Experiment Logs Series 1 for details.
-close
Note: Series 1 Logs describe the initial series of experiments conducted by Dr. S█████. For ongoing experiments, and data contributed by other researchers, see Series 2.
Log 01/02/██
Subject/s: D-Class female; age 22
Procedure: Subject seated in a sound-proof room and instructed to place SCP-1090 over her ears, removing it when signalled by a red light.
Duration: Two minutes.
Results:
Subject looked surprised upon placing the device over her ears, but made no attempt to remove it. She appeared to be focusing intently, and failed to react to the flashing red light until ten additional seconds had passed. Subject seemed ill-at-ease when questioned about the experience; possibly simple nervousness.
Subject described clear and pervasive music, which seemed to “be playing before I put them on… it sounded like the middle of the song.” The “song” was described as a children’s choir, singing in a foreign language. “It was probably, like, Asian or something. Kind of creepy, actually.”
Log 01/02-08/██
Subject/s: D-0886 (male; 38), D-0423 (male; 24), D-1002 (female; 31), and junior researcher M██
Procedure: Each subject seated in a sound-proof room and instructed to place SCP-1090 over his/her ears, removing it when signalled by a red light. In the case of D-1002, a loud bell tone was substituted for the light.
Duration: Two minutes.
Results:
D-0886: Reported hearing guitars playing several melodies at once. “Weird shit. Like Hendrix in a fucking mirror house.”
D-0423: Heard a low sustained note, “Like a stringed bass”, followed by a melody he described as a poor bass solo. “But… played badly on purpose, you know?” Subject seemed fixated on this idea, and would have prolonged the interview for several hours to explain himself.
D-1002: Though subject had been informed that a tone would sound to signal the end of the test, she was unresponsive to the sound, despite its loud volume. After an additional fifteen seconds, the red light was flashed, and she removed the device. Subject appeared dazed, and did not respond to questioning until nearly fifteen minutes had passed.
Subject eventually reported: “I think it was my cat… it sounded just like my cat. He was singing a song to me. About fish.”
Note: As none of the subjects testing the item have been physically harmed, we've given M██ permission to try it out. -Dr. S█████
Junior researcher M██: "It was just… woodpeckers. Pecking. Like, at least twenty woodpeckers."
Log 02/04/██
Subject/s: Dr. S█████
Procedure: As of 2/03/██, the D-Class subjects of previous tests have shown no immediate or cumulative signs of injury. Dr. S█████ volunteered herself as a test subject, and the original experiment was replicated without incident.
Duration: Two minutes
Results:
Subject reported a low, sustained drone for the first thirty seconds, which slowly increased in volume. This was reportedly accompanied by a sense of expectancy— "Like something important was about to happen". The subject expressed doubt that she would have removed the device in those first seconds, even if instructed to do so. She described the droning sound eventually diverging into a series of random notes, resembling electronic music.
"It was like normal music, I guess… with distinct notes and pauses. But it's hard to describe the sound of— no, I wouldn't really call it dread. I know dread, okay? It felt a little unsettling, like I wasn't supposed to be listening in… but at the same time, I knew if I kept listening… I don't know. I'm being vague."
Dr. S█████ reported than the "music" faded into silence, immediately before the two minute light flashed. She has expressed interest in repeating the experiment.
Log 02/05/██
Subject/s: D-███ ([REDACTED]), D-2101 (male; 22), D-4040 (male; 56)
Procedure: Subject is seated in a room (not sound-proof) and instructed to place the object over their ears; flashing red light signals removal.
Duration: Eight minutes
Results:
D-███: After the first two minutes, the subject was seen to raise both hands and press them over the earpieces. The subject's description of the [REDACTED].
D-2101: Subject displayed a reaction similar to D-1002, failing to respond to the flashing light for nearly three minutes, and remaining in a complacent and insensible state for close to an hour after the test's conclusion. Subject reported hearing "wind-chimes", not localized in the earpieces, but "some really close, and some really far away… too far away to hear. There must have been hundreds of them."
D-4040: Subject displayed growing unease while wearing the device, and removed it promptly when the light flashed. When asked to describe his experience, subject refused to say more than, "It was brown."
Addendum: D-███ was recently terminated while [REDACTED]. An overseeing agent alerted us that, ten hours before recorded time of death, D-███ made several requests to use SCP-1090. When this request was denied, D-███ displayed considerable emotional distress.
Addendum 02/08/██: Both D-2101 and D-4040 have reported nearly identical symptoms to research personnel; it must be noted that neither subject has been allowed contact with the other since the end of their respective tests. Both report that the "music" they heard while wearing SCP-1090 has been playing continuously "in their heads". Unlike normal instances of cognitive itch, they claim the sounds are changing, and growing progressively louder.
Note: As the primary psychiatric consultant for this research team, it is my request that no further experimentation take place until a "safe range" of exposure is determined. -Dr. Rhys
UPDATE 02/24/██
A series of experiments to determine the "safe range" of exposure to SCP-1090 were performed over the course of one week, achieving consistent results when replicated. Six (6) minutes and thirty (30) seconds has been established as the "safe range" of exposure, with a buffer of approximately twenty seconds. All D-class personnel involved in testing have been placed under thirty-day observation; scheduled terminations postponed as necessary.
Addendum: D-2101 and D-4040, subjects of preceding experiments, continued to complain of "loud music"; both were observed to have trouble sleeping, and spoke loudly in interviews, as if compensating for poor hearing. All subjects of the Safe Range tests who were exposed to the device for more than seven minutes have since reported nearly identical symptoms.
Addendum: D-4040 was found deceased after a violent altercation with D-3██; witness accounts, while their reliability is questionable, all made some reference to D-4040's symptoms. All similarly-afflicted subjects have been restricted from D-class common areas.
See Incident Report 1090-1.