Item #: SCP-454
Object Class: Safe/Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-454 is to be kept within storage locker ██ at Site 33 and should only be removed for research purposes.
Description: SCP-454 is a pad of A3-sized paper of a nondescript make, the front cover merely stating 'A3 Quality Smooth Artists Paper'. On the first sheet of paper the words "Be all my sins remember'd" are written in a calligraphic style. Every other page is blank.
Upon opening the pad and reading the aforementioned sentence, the subject is afflicted with a sense of extreme apathy, to the extent of avoiding the completion of a simple task requiring minimal effort, to stave off physical or mental trauma that would occur another day as a direct result of their inaction.
Additional Notes:
From the desk of Doctor Robert Rookwell…
SCP-454 was first brought to light when Assistant Researcher Daniels, a member of staff at Site 33, arrived on duty with a copious amount of art supplies he had purchased 'on a whim' as he travelled into work. Having shown no previous inclination towards any form of creative pursuits this behaviour was considered unusual, but not so much that it merited further attention.
Over the next fortnight Daniels would spend much of his free time sketching a multitude of objects; still-life, portraits, abstracts. The two pads he filled prior to using SCP-454 have not been deemed unusual and have since been returned.
Upon opening SCP-454, Daniels was heard to remark that it had already been used, launching into a ten minute tirade of seemingly unrelated miscellanea, after which he closed the pad, saying he'd do some more tomorrow. The next day, the same sentiment. Every day SCP-454 was in the possession of Daniels, it was not opened again and when asked, he stated he would "get around to it, maybe tomorrow."
After approximately a week of this behaviour, other unusual mannerisms became apparent; where once Daniels' memory was exceptional, it was becoming worse rapidly; where once he was highly motivated, almost every task was put off until the last minute. In short, he changed from a highly-motivated member of personnel to the site's biggest procrastinator.
During a routine psychological evaluation it transpired that Daniels had come to believe that every time he awoke, that he was essentially reborn, quite literally a new man for a new day, unwilling to waste time on what 'another version' of himself could do later on.
Further rounds of testing on D-class personnel both artistically-inclined and otherwise yielded similar results.
Note 03/02/2009:
Yes, yes, it's a fantastic prank, shuffling 454 in with the paperwork. But please remember we have quotas to meet, and I'm the one who decides what they are. I'm not going to tell you, but unmotivated staff are unproductive staff, and unproductive staff… unproductive staff are not as useful.
- Agent Kulzn