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| File image of SCP-461 on its glass pedestal base. |
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Item #: SCP-461
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-461 has no malevolent psychic pull of its own nor any means of self-locomotion, and requires minimal containment in the High Value Item Storage facility at Site 19. Standard positive-action safeguards are in place.
All future tests are to use D-Class personnel as per O5-██'s orders.
Description: SCP-461 is a 330mm (thirteen inch) sphere of fine quartz on a decorative glass pedestal. As a scrying stone, it is remarkably easy to use and even non-psychically adept persons are able to discern visions and usually sounds by focusing on the cloudy imperfections in the crystal. All materials testing show it to be perfectly ordinary polished quartz, of unremarkable composition.
Invariably the scene depicted is the current user of SCP-461 in some familiar surrounds (in the case of Foundation personnel it is usually Site 19). A few minutes of observation determines that the vision is of the current user in an alternative universe - Different people are President of the United States, Soviet Russia may or may not exist, etc. Within ten minutes of observation the vision shows an XK-class scenario breaking out in that alternative universe. Some users find the vision depicts a scene where the alternative universe copy of themselves have intimate familiarity with their destiny and openly lament their fate or engage in futile attempts to avoid the inevitable. Other times they stoically face their doom. On a few occasions, the the alternate universe copy looks to the heavens and says something to the effect of "If you are watching me, forgive me for what I must now do."
Passing one's hand over SCP-461 focuses the image, and one or two passes usually suffices to get the image sharp and clear enough for other observers to watch. Cameras just record an empty ball, which suggests that the mechanism is telepathic in some way.
SCP-461 does not seem to be limited in how far into the future it can retrieve visions from, except by the lifespan of the user and the amount of time the user was willing to sit watching SCP-461.
While valuable intelligence about XK-class scenarios has been obtained via experimentation with SCP-461, there have been doubts as to whether the information is worthwhile especially since viewing XK-class scenarios from alternate universes may have little bearing on universe in which we live. Personnel assigned to watch the desperate and unpleasant circumstances of their death and the death of their world usually begin to adopt a fatalistic attitude towards life after about three months of exposure.
O5-██ confiscated SCP-461 from the Site-19 break room and ordered further studies to use D-Class personnel in the role of watcher but does not recommend upgrading from "safe" classification. O5-██ went on record saying, "It's all in their heads. Just like pictures in a book. SCP-461 can't really hurt you."
Addendum 461-1:
SCP-461 was recovered in the deceased estate of one Madam █████ ███████, of ██ ██████████ ██████, Durban, South Africa.