WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:00.269 --> 00:00:02.550 Air travel used to be an event. 00:00:02.550 --> 00:00:06.700 People climbed aboard planes in their best dress, their finest suit, sat in seats with 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:11.660 plenty of legroom and really relished the opportunity to soar through the sky from destination 00:00:11.660 --> 00:00:13.070 to destination. 00:00:13.070 --> 00:00:17.490 Now, flying has become, ironically, pedestrian. 00:00:17.490 --> 00:00:22.160 Sure, some people still take it seriously and revel in the miracle of flight, but most 00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:25.300 treat it the same as riding a greyhound bus. 00:00:25.300 --> 00:00:30.290 For the businessman, with his carefully packed carry-on and phone loaded with news podcasts 00:00:30.290 --> 00:00:34.270 to pass the time, that is exactly how it feels. 00:00:34.270 --> 00:00:38.520 Flying is a chore, one he wishes he didn't have to deal with. 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:40.610 But sadly, he has no choice. 00:00:40.610 --> 00:00:44.629 Not if he wants to keep being the most valuable employee at his job, the one who never says 00:00:44.629 --> 00:00:47.020 no to a request from the boss. 00:00:47.020 --> 00:00:51.609 He's garnered a reputation as a "real team player," which really means "guy who's up 00:00:51.609 --> 00:00:56.489 for anything the company requests, no matter how boring, annoying, or exhausting." 00:00:56.489 --> 00:01:00.989 It's gotten him pretty far, and now that he's up for a promotion that would double his salary, 00:01:00.989 --> 00:01:03.280 he's certainly not going to give up the habit now. 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:08.390 So, here he is, stepping out of his taxi at the international airport, ready to hop on 00:01:08.390 --> 00:01:14.130 the longest flight of his life: twenty hours, nonstop, to Australia for a conference. 00:01:14.130 --> 00:01:17.890 No one else wanted to deal with the jet lag, the leg cramps, the claustrophobia. 00:01:17.890 --> 00:01:22.890 So, of course, the helpful-to-a-fault businessman volunteered. 00:01:22.890 --> 00:01:27.340 He rolls his small suitcase, precisely measured to meet the size standards for a carry-on, 00:01:27.340 --> 00:01:31.610 because he can't risk the airline misplacing his checked bag and stranding him at the conference 00:01:31.610 --> 00:01:34.660 with no suits, and walks into the airport. 00:01:34.660 --> 00:01:39.170 He's done this routine dozens of times before, every time pretty much the same. 00:01:39.170 --> 00:01:43.840 He has it down to a science, as quick and convenient as possible to minimize stress 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:45.740 and make the journey go smoothly. 00:01:45.740 --> 00:01:50.380 He prints his boarding pass, drinks the dregs of his morning coffee and tosses the cup, 00:01:50.380 --> 00:01:52.299 and heads to the pre-check line. 00:01:52.299 --> 00:01:55.530 No waiting in long security check lines for this guy! 00:01:55.530 --> 00:01:58.729 Wait a second...why is the pre-check line blocked off? 00:01:58.729 --> 00:02:02.899 No...there is no pre-check available at this airport?! 00:02:02.899 --> 00:02:07.070 The businessman lets out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment as he 00:02:07.070 --> 00:02:08.720 gathers his thoughts. 00:02:08.720 --> 00:02:09.720 This is fine. 00:02:09.720 --> 00:02:10.720 This is fine. 00:02:10.720 --> 00:02:13.270 He can just go through the regular security line this time. 00:02:13.270 --> 00:02:14.569 What's the worst that could happen? 00:02:14.569 --> 00:02:18.071 It's not like he's running late, he's got plenty of time to make the flight, watch a 00:02:18.071 --> 00:02:22.349 few bad movies, get some sleep, and wake up on the other side of the world. 00:02:22.349 --> 00:02:26.410 Resigned to his fate, the businessman joins the security check line for ordinary joe's 00:02:26.410 --> 00:02:28.480 who didn't bother to spring for pre-check. 00:02:28.480 --> 00:02:29.980 This is fine. 00:02:29.980 --> 00:02:31.580 This is fine. 00:02:31.580 --> 00:02:34.129 The day is still going mostly according to plan. 00:02:34.129 --> 00:02:35.849 Or so he thinks... 00:02:35.849 --> 00:02:40.120 As the line inches along, the businessman spots more trouble up ahead. 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:41.120 Oh, great. 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:43.500 They're putting in a new body scanner, right now. 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:46.440 He can see the...engineer? 00:02:46.440 --> 00:02:48.800 Whatever the title is, finishing the setup. 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:50.520 No wonder the line is so long! 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:54.150 This is the cherry on top of a deeply irritating sundae. 00:02:54.150 --> 00:02:59.280 But it's too late to turn back now, not without risking his promotion, or even his job. 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:01.629 Better just try to shrug it off and keep going. 00:03:01.629 --> 00:03:03.500 Maybe he'll get a candy bar when he reaches his gate. 00:03:03.500 --> 00:03:06.890 A little treat always helps ease the stress of travel. 00:03:06.890 --> 00:03:10.530 The line is moving at a steadier pace now, and the businessman can feel the tension in 00:03:10.530 --> 00:03:13.640 his chest easing up, his muscles loosening. 00:03:13.640 --> 00:03:15.900 Here we go, this is more like it. 00:03:15.900 --> 00:03:19.849 He slips his shoes off and holds them in his hands, standing in line in his socks. 00:03:19.849 --> 00:03:24.310 He might look a little silly, but it's the most efficient way to get through security. 00:03:24.310 --> 00:03:27.849 After what feels like an eternity, it's his turn to go through the security checkpoint. 00:03:27.849 --> 00:03:33.020 With a self-satisfied smile, he places his shoes in a bin next to his carry-on bag, and 00:03:33.020 --> 00:03:35.390 drops them both on the conveyor belt. 00:03:35.390 --> 00:03:39.849 One of the TSA agents waves him on, beckoning him to step into the body scanner. 00:03:39.849 --> 00:03:43.680 He assumes the position, hands over his head, and waits for the cue to step through to the 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:44.680 other side. 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:47.010 But the cue doesn't come. 00:03:47.010 --> 00:03:51.450 The TSA agent holds up a hand, gesturing for the businessman to stay where he is. 00:03:51.450 --> 00:03:56.550 He tries to ask about what could be causing the hold-up, but no one answers him. 00:03:56.550 --> 00:03:58.959 Must be a malfunction with the machine. 00:03:58.959 --> 00:03:59.959 Perfect. 00:03:59.959 --> 00:04:01.879 He lets out another heavy sigh. 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:05.370 Then, just behind his right ear, he hears a voice. 00:04:05.370 --> 00:04:07.319 "Rough day, buddy?" 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:11.640 The businessman glances over his shoulder, expecting to see a TSA agent standing there. 00:04:11.640 --> 00:04:13.040 But there's no one. 00:04:13.040 --> 00:04:16.970 Has the stress of the worst day he's ever had at the airport driven him to hallucinate?! 00:04:16.970 --> 00:04:19.479 He hears it again: "Hey, buddy, you there? 00:04:19.479 --> 00:04:22.610 Sounds like a rough day." 00:04:22.610 --> 00:04:23.900 "Um." 00:04:23.900 --> 00:04:26.000 Maybe there's a speaker embedded in the scanner somewhere? 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:27.419 For some reason? 00:04:27.419 --> 00:04:31.190 "Just been kind of stressful, I'll feel better when I get on my flight." 00:04:31.190 --> 00:04:32.190 "Oh, you're traveling! 00:04:32.190 --> 00:04:33.440 That's fun, that's fun. 00:04:33.440 --> 00:04:34.949 Where to?" 00:04:34.949 --> 00:04:36.370 "Australia. 00:04:36.370 --> 00:04:40.490 It's for this work thing, I'm not especially excited about it but. 00:04:40.490 --> 00:04:42.060 The boss will love it, so..." 00:04:42.060 --> 00:04:44.449 "Hah, I heard that my friend. 00:04:44.449 --> 00:04:47.410 Say, could you do me a favor?" 00:04:47.410 --> 00:04:48.410 "Um. 00:04:48.410 --> 00:04:49.410 I guess so?" 00:04:49.410 --> 00:04:50.410 "Could you tell me where I am? 00:04:50.410 --> 00:04:52.500 I just woke up, and I can't see anything. 00:04:52.500 --> 00:04:53.590 Can't really feel anything. 00:04:53.590 --> 00:04:54.590 It's all just...darkness. 00:04:54.590 --> 00:04:57.259 And it's kind of freaking me out, here." 00:04:57.259 --> 00:05:00.820 The businessman scans the area, but no one appears to be paying attention. 00:05:00.820 --> 00:05:02.870 No one seems to hear the voice. 00:05:02.870 --> 00:05:05.680 Is that because it's lost in the din of airport chatter? 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:07.660 Or because it's all in his head? 00:05:07.660 --> 00:05:09.550 "We're at the airport." 00:05:09.550 --> 00:05:10.550 "Airport?! 00:05:10.550 --> 00:05:14.820 How did I get to the airport...listen, buddy, I need you to help me get out of here. 00:05:14.820 --> 00:05:15.820 My wife, my daughter, they'll be looking for me. 00:05:15.820 --> 00:05:19.970 I don't know how long I've been gone, I need to get home... 00:05:19.970 --> 00:05:22.210 Can you help me?" 00:05:22.210 --> 00:05:25.280 Privately, the businessman thinks that he really doesn't have time for this. 00:05:25.280 --> 00:05:32.210 But out loud, he says, "Sure...it's just that I don't know where you actually are? 00:05:32.210 --> 00:05:34.699 Or how you're talking to me through this scanner thing?" 00:05:34.699 --> 00:05:35.830 "What do you mean? 00:05:35.830 --> 00:05:36.830 I'm right here. 00:05:36.830 --> 00:05:37.830 I'm talking out of my mouth. 00:05:37.830 --> 00:05:40.280 I'm not- what the hell are you talking about?" 00:05:40.280 --> 00:05:43.150 The businessman is beginning to lose his patience. 00:05:43.150 --> 00:05:45.870 Something about this situation is just not right. 00:05:45.870 --> 00:05:49.240 No one should be talking to him through the broken security scanner, the TSA should be 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:52.310 letting him through, and he should be sitting at his gate right now! 00:05:52.310 --> 00:05:54.759 His built-up grievances spill out through his mouth. 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:56.410 "I don't have time for this!" 00:05:56.410 --> 00:05:57.410 He shouts. 00:05:57.410 --> 00:05:59.690 A TSA agent turns to look at him. 00:05:59.690 --> 00:06:02.990 "I promise sir, we're working to fix the issue as fast as we can. 00:06:02.990 --> 00:06:03.990 There's no need to shout." 00:06:03.990 --> 00:06:05.150 She says. 00:06:05.150 --> 00:06:09.210 The voice in the scanner was speaking in a hushed tone before, a conspiratorial whisper, 00:06:09.210 --> 00:06:11.830 but now it's growing louder, more desperate. 00:06:11.830 --> 00:06:14.080 "You've got to help me, please. 00:06:14.080 --> 00:06:16.850 My family, I need to get to my family. 00:06:16.850 --> 00:06:17.850 Why can't I see? 00:06:17.850 --> 00:06:18.850 Why can't I move? 00:06:18.850 --> 00:06:19.850 It hurts. 00:06:19.850 --> 00:06:20.850 It hurts! 00:06:20.850 --> 00:06:22.230 DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND YOU IDIOT? 00:06:22.230 --> 00:06:23.230 IT HURTS!" 00:06:23.230 --> 00:06:25.490 These words are shouted directly into the businessman's ear. 00:06:25.490 --> 00:06:27.419 He covers his ears, stumbling out of the scanner. 00:06:27.419 --> 00:06:29.819 "Stop, just stop, stop yelling at me!" 00:06:29.819 --> 00:06:34.240 Several TSA agents rush over to inspect the businessman, steadying him and gently guiding 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:35.639 his hands away from his ears. 00:06:35.639 --> 00:06:40.310 They ask him if he's feeling alright, if they need to call someone for him. 00:06:40.310 --> 00:06:44.740 The businessman snaps, shouting that the scanner is broken, and he can hear a voice inside, 00:06:44.740 --> 00:06:46.930 and something is very, very wrong. 00:06:46.930 --> 00:06:51.710 Well, unfortunately for the businessman, he looks more than a little suspicious now, and 00:06:51.710 --> 00:06:56.500 one security officer pulls him aside, leading him to a small nearby room for a chat. 00:06:56.500 --> 00:07:00.640 All the while, the businessman insists that the scanner was talking to him, and that he 00:07:00.640 --> 00:07:01.640 is not crazy. 00:07:01.640 --> 00:07:05.479 He won't be leaving that interrogation room anytime soon. 00:07:05.479 --> 00:07:09.070 Unfortunately for the businessman, he will not be making that flight to Australia. 00:07:09.070 --> 00:07:13.270 Meanwhile, the scanner is causing interference with the other technology at the checkpoint. 00:07:13.270 --> 00:07:16.880 The agents are scrambling to solve the problem, to keep the line moving while their colleague 00:07:16.880 --> 00:07:20.030 addresses an apparent mental health crisis nearby. 00:07:20.030 --> 00:07:24.390 The line keeps moving, and more impatient passengers walk through the scanner. 00:07:24.390 --> 00:07:28.560 Just like the businessman before them, they can hear that voice, whispering hushed pleas 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:30.590 that turn into anguished shouts. 00:07:30.590 --> 00:07:37.350 The same male voice, over and over again, begging for answers, begging for help. 00:07:37.350 --> 00:07:41.520 Someone deeply distressed is speaking through the scanner, and no one can figure out why. 00:07:41.520 --> 00:07:45.220 One elderly woman breaks down in tears as the voice angrily swears at her. 00:07:45.220 --> 00:07:47.860 A little girl screams in terror at the sudden sound. 00:07:47.860 --> 00:07:52.470 A man tries to argue with the voice, the two shouting over each other with increasing fervor. 00:07:52.470 --> 00:07:56.599 Soon, the voice grows loud enough that the TSA agents can't ignore it. 00:07:56.599 --> 00:08:00.199 Much to the dismay of the passengers that haven't made it through yet, they close down 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:01.199 the line. 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:03.819 Slowly, one TSA agent approaches the scanner. 00:08:03.819 --> 00:08:05.560 "Hello?" She calls out. 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:10.250 She feels silly doing it, there's no way someone is using the scanner as a communication device. 00:08:10.250 --> 00:08:12.120 The technology doesn't work like that. 00:08:12.120 --> 00:08:15.270 But then, clear as a bell, she hears the response. 00:08:15.270 --> 00:08:16.270 "Hello? 00:08:16.270 --> 00:08:20.590 Are you going to help me, or do I need to keep screaming for someone to LISTEN!" 00:08:20.590 --> 00:08:24.430 No doubt about it, that is a person, a very distressed person. 00:08:24.430 --> 00:08:27.430 "How are you speaking to me right now, sir?" 00:08:27.430 --> 00:08:29.340 "With my MOUTH! 00:08:29.340 --> 00:08:31.870 What are you, stupid? 00:08:31.870 --> 00:08:34.480 I don't want any trouble, please, just let me go or I'm gonna lose it! 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:35.480 I just want to go home! 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:37.120 What is this, some kind of kidnapping thing? 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:38.890 Did you drug me?" 00:08:38.890 --> 00:08:42.529 "Sir, please, we can't help you if you don't tell us how you're speaking through the machine-" 00:08:42.529 --> 00:08:44.510 "There's no goddamn machine! 00:08:44.510 --> 00:08:46.000 There's just me! 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:47.000 Just me! 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:48.000 ME!" 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:52.089 The voice begins to sob in frustration, and the TSA agent feels a sudden wave of inexplicable 00:08:52.089 --> 00:08:53.550 nausea sweep through her body. 00:08:53.550 --> 00:08:55.420 There is no speaking on the machine. 00:08:55.420 --> 00:08:57.230 Nowhere for a voice to emanate from. 00:08:57.230 --> 00:09:01.600 There's only one solution in sight: They need to take this thing apart. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:03.810 Something is very, very wrong with it. 00:09:03.810 --> 00:09:06.740 She calls over several of her colleagues, and they begin to fiddle with the machine's 00:09:06.740 --> 00:09:09.850 outer shell, attempting to loosen and remove it. 00:09:09.850 --> 00:09:14.010 As they do, a bloodcurdling scream rips through the air. 00:09:14.010 --> 00:09:15.010 "STOP! 00:09:15.010 --> 00:09:16.010 PLEASE! 00:09:16.010 --> 00:09:17.010 STOP! 00:09:17.010 --> 00:09:19.220 WHATEVER YOU WANT, I'LL DO IT JUST STOP! 00:09:19.220 --> 00:09:20.220 PLEASE!" 00:09:20.220 --> 00:09:23.070 She signals for the others to stop what they're doing, and the screaming ceases. 00:09:23.070 --> 00:09:26.630 When the voice speaks again, it sounds defeated, exhausted. 00:09:26.630 --> 00:09:29.570 "What do you want from me? 00:09:29.570 --> 00:09:30.570 Is it money? 00:09:30.570 --> 00:09:35.750 I don't have much, but if you let me go I'll give you whatever I can. 00:09:35.750 --> 00:09:39.220 Please...my daughter just turned five...I just want to see her again..." 00:09:39.220 --> 00:09:41.529 There was the sound of sobbing again. 00:09:41.529 --> 00:09:45.940 Somehow, when they tried to open the machine, it hurt the man speaking through it. 00:09:45.940 --> 00:09:48.300 This just gets weirder and weirder. 00:09:48.300 --> 00:09:52.459 Meanwhile, the interrogator in the nearby room receives word that the businessman is 00:09:52.459 --> 00:09:54.600 not, in fact, having a mental health crisis. 00:09:54.600 --> 00:09:59.000 He really did hear someone speaking through the scanner, someone that everyone can now 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:00.010 hear. 00:10:00.010 --> 00:10:04.380 Whoever the mysterious man is, he will not listen to anyone, will not explain where he 00:10:04.380 --> 00:10:06.510 is or how he got there. 00:10:06.510 --> 00:10:12.990 He claims that he was having an ordinary day, lost consciousness, and woke up in total darkness. 00:10:12.990 --> 00:10:18.120 By the time the businessman is released, however, he has already missed his flight to Australia. 00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:19.120 That does it. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:21.660 That is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. 00:10:21.660 --> 00:10:26.200 He marches back over to the body scanner, shoving TSA agents out of the way as he goes. 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:30.060 He begins kicking at the scanner, shouting a stream of curses and epithets at the one 00:10:30.060 --> 00:10:34.240 who caused him to miss his very important flight, the one who may have cost him his 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:35.240 promotion. 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:37.070 Man or machine, it doesn't matter! 00:10:37.070 --> 00:10:39.850 This thing is his enemy now. 00:10:39.850 --> 00:10:44.040 The disembodied voice returns the shouts in kind, warning the businessman to back off, 00:10:44.040 --> 00:10:46.300 or he may not like what comes next. 00:10:46.300 --> 00:10:47.950 "I'm warning you..." 00:10:47.950 --> 00:10:51.460 The businessman laughs derisively, egging on the voice inside the scanner. 00:10:51.460 --> 00:10:52.460 "Oh yeah? 00:10:52.460 --> 00:10:53.460 What are you gonna do?" 00:10:53.460 --> 00:10:58.720 The businessman soon gets his answer, though he won't live to understand what it meant. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:03.660 As the voice screams, louder than anyone has heard it be so far, the businessman collapses 00:11:03.660 --> 00:11:04.660 to the ground. 00:11:04.660 --> 00:11:08.440 His body convulses, and his eyes roll back. 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:09.540 A seizure! 00:11:09.540 --> 00:11:13.490 The TSA agents attempt to interfere, but as they approach the scanner, they too collapse 00:11:13.490 --> 00:11:14.660 to the ground. 00:11:14.660 --> 00:11:16.500 Some are seizing, others are just unconscious. 00:11:16.500 --> 00:11:21.519 They don't know it, but all of them are suffering from extreme radiation poisoning. 00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:26.010 The crowd of passengers waiting to go through security breaks apart, people scattering every 00:11:26.010 --> 00:11:29.060 which way in search of help, or a quick exit. 00:11:29.060 --> 00:11:33.750 In the next 48 hours, everyone who collapsed will be dead. 00:11:33.750 --> 00:11:37.399 After two more weeks, several of the bystanders will be dead too. 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:42.660 All because of the one faulty scanner, and the strange voice speaking from inside. 00:11:42.660 --> 00:11:46.310 Before the story can make the news, it is suppressed by SCP Foundation agents embedded 00:11:46.310 --> 00:11:47.459 in the media. 00:11:47.459 --> 00:11:51.800 All living witnesses are given amnestics, and the airport is temporarily closed. 00:11:51.800 --> 00:11:56.100 The cover story is an attempted terrorist attack, and people are all too quick to eat 00:11:56.100 --> 00:11:57.100 it up. 00:11:57.100 --> 00:12:01.290 No one will ever know the truth of what happened, or the nature of the device that would become 00:12:01.290 --> 00:12:04.420 known as SCP-1966. 00:12:04.420 --> 00:12:10.720 SCP-1966 is a backscatter X-ray device built by a redacted Engineering Group sometime in 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:11.840 the 2000s. 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:15.790 It is approximately 3m x 4m x 4m in size. 00:12:15.790 --> 00:12:20.300 It was purchased by the American Transportation Security Administration for use in an International 00:12:20.300 --> 00:12:21.440 Airport. 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:26.330 Passive scans of SCP-1966 reveal no discernible difference between the internal structure 00:12:26.330 --> 00:12:29.860 of this scanner and other body scanners with the same design. 00:12:29.860 --> 00:12:32.690 However, it is no ordinary scanner. 00:12:32.690 --> 00:12:37.389 Shortly after the scanner was placed in its designated airport, it began to emit the sound 00:12:37.389 --> 00:12:40.459 of a human male voice. 00:12:40.459 --> 00:12:44.110 So far, the Foundation has been unable to determine where the voice originates from 00:12:44.110 --> 00:12:45.990 within the structure of the scanner. 00:12:45.990 --> 00:12:51.579 The voice responds to speech and other auditory stimuli in the vicinity of SCP-1966, and appears 00:12:51.579 --> 00:12:55.230 to belong to a sentient consciousness that resides within the scanner. 00:12:55.230 --> 00:12:59.470 It will continue to speak whether or not it is connected to a power source. 00:12:59.470 --> 00:13:04.740 In conversations with Foundation staff, SCP-1966 has claimed to be an insurance salesman from 00:13:04.740 --> 00:13:10.870 London, Ontario by the name of Mr. J. It remembers being at its daughter's fifth birthday party, 00:13:10.870 --> 00:13:15.930 which coincidentally occurred the day before the scanner was placed at the airport. 00:13:15.930 --> 00:13:19.079 After the party, it reports becoming blind and unconscious. 00:13:19.079 --> 00:13:25.720 According to SCP-1966, it cannot see, or experience any other senses other than hearing, the feeling 00:13:25.720 --> 00:13:30.470 of pain when the scanner is tampered with, and a sense of vibrations in the vicinity. 00:13:30.470 --> 00:13:34.660 It also appears to know when it is being moved, and when someone is attempting to open its 00:13:34.660 --> 00:13:35.660 outer casing. 00:13:35.660 --> 00:13:42.170 When the casing is interfered with, it tends to respond by saying "ouch!" and "stop that!" 00:13:42.170 --> 00:13:48.000 In terms of the tone of conversation, SCP-1966 can be friendly, or it can be angry to the 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.320 point of being verbally abusive. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:56.850 Whenever SCP-1966 becomes especially upset, it begins to emit a higher level of ionizing 00:13:56.850 --> 00:14:01.610 radiation, with levels sometimes spiking to the point of causing immediate fatalities, 00:14:01.610 --> 00:14:04.930 as well as delayed deaths that occur within two weeks of exposure. 00:14:04.930 --> 00:14:12.010 In order to minimize casualties, it is important that SCP-1966 be kept calm. 00:14:12.010 --> 00:14:16.690 To this end, Protocol Psi-1966-A was developed. 00:14:16.690 --> 00:14:21.000 This protocol set a series of rules for Foundation staff to keep in mind while interacting with 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:22.490 SCP-1966. 00:14:22.490 --> 00:14:28.779 First, the entity must always be referred to by the name it gave, Mr. J. 00:14:28.779 --> 00:14:34.440 If SCP-1966 makes any claims about its memories or identity, they must be accepted without 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:36.490 argument or contradiction. 00:14:36.490 --> 00:14:41.910 Personnel should never reference the Foundation, SCP-1966's current form, its acquisition and 00:14:41.910 --> 00:14:44.660 history, or where it is being contained. 00:14:44.660 --> 00:14:50.139 If SCP-1966 expresses any self-destructive urges or sentiments, the on-site director 00:14:50.139 --> 00:14:52.360 must immediately be notified. 00:14:52.360 --> 00:14:56.290 Junior staff are not considered qualified to handle this scenario, and swift intervention 00:14:56.290 --> 00:15:01.519 is necessary to prevent any needless radiation poisoning or casualties. 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:06.970 If SCP-1966 asks where it is, or expresses concern about its environment, it should be 00:15:06.970 --> 00:15:11.030 told that it is currently in the long-term care ward of a Toronto hospital, and that 00:15:11.030 --> 00:15:14.040 it suffered brain trauma during a car accident. 00:15:14.040 --> 00:15:18.779 If it asks to speak to its wife or daughter, the only approved response is "You know you 00:15:18.779 --> 00:15:20.680 can't talk to them now." 00:15:20.680 --> 00:15:25.720 This is in reference to the cover story provided to SCP-1966, which is that its wife and daughter 00:15:25.720 --> 00:15:27.839 died in the same car accident. 00:15:27.839 --> 00:15:33.339 However, stating this plainly will exacerbate the entity's stress levels and may prove dangerous, 00:15:33.339 --> 00:15:38.029 so a gentle reminder and correction is preferable. 00:15:38.029 --> 00:15:42.519 Approximately a year after bringing SCP-1966 into custody, the Foundation tracked down 00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:47.290 a Mr. J, a London, Ontario-based insurance salesman with a wife and daughter. 00:15:47.290 --> 00:15:51.779 When interviewed under the guise of a survey, his memories and opinions matched those of 00:15:51.779 --> 00:15:56.220 SCP-1966 up until the date it was first placed in the airport. 00:15:56.220 --> 00:16:02.339 He was then observed for three years, but nothing anomalous about the man was ever detected. 00:16:02.339 --> 00:16:07.470 For all intents and purposes, he is a perfectly ordinary, unexceptional man. 00:16:07.470 --> 00:16:13.019 The most unusual thing about Mr. J is that he has, as far as the Foundation can ascertain, 00:16:13.019 --> 00:16:15.540 never had contact with SCP-1966. 00:16:15.540 --> 00:16:24.029 In fact, he has never even set foot in the airport where SCP-1966 was previously in use. 00:16:24.029 --> 00:16:29.250 Somehow, SCP-1966 has developed an imprint of Mr. J's consciousness, but how exactly 00:16:29.250 --> 00:16:32.670 that occurred is beyond my understanding. 00:16:32.670 --> 00:16:37.209 SCP-1966 must be kept in a dedicated bunker 2 km underground. 00:16:37.209 --> 00:16:42.290 The bunker must have 10m thick reinforced concrete walls with an additional 1m of radiation 00:16:42.290 --> 00:16:47.089 shielding, in order to prevent any radiation from leaking into the surrounding environment. 00:16:47.089 --> 00:16:52.050 To further reduce this risk, the location of its bunker must be at least 100 km away 00:16:52.050 --> 00:16:56.899 from any major cities or population-dense areas, as well as Foundation sites. 00:16:56.899 --> 00:17:02.790 The current location of SCP-1966's bunker is classified, and provided only to those 00:17:02.790 --> 00:17:04.819 who have received special clearance. 00:17:04.819 --> 00:17:11.079 The monitoring station for SCP-1966 must be permanently manned by at least 5 Foundation 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:14.370 staff with level 2 clearance or higher. 00:17:14.370 --> 00:17:19.569 The on-site director for the bunker must have level 4 clearance, and be a certified psychologist. 00:17:19.569 --> 00:17:25.089 No one may interact with SCP-1966 without the approval of this on-site director, and 00:17:25.089 --> 00:17:31.929 any interaction with SCP-1966 must conform to protocol Psi-1966-A. 00:17:31.929 --> 00:17:36.260 The tale of SCP-1966 has been difficult for me to shake. 00:17:36.260 --> 00:17:41.141 It is far from the most bizarre anomaly I have researched, or the most dangerous, but 00:17:41.141 --> 00:17:43.330 there is a compelling tragedy to it. 00:17:43.330 --> 00:17:48.530 A machine, built only to assist with airport security, found itself suddenly cursed with 00:17:48.530 --> 00:17:51.300 a consciousness that was not its own. 00:17:51.300 --> 00:17:56.150 Nothing in the world will convince SCP-1966 that it is not a Canadian family man. 00:17:56.150 --> 00:18:01.170 Its mind is always occupied by thoughts and memories of a life it will never be able to 00:18:01.170 --> 00:18:02.170 live. 00:18:02.170 --> 00:18:06.650 A life that, no matter how real and personal it feels, never belonged to it in the first 00:18:06.650 --> 00:18:08.100 place. 00:18:08.100 --> 00:18:11.420 Can any of us be certain we are not suffering from the same folly? 00:18:11.420 --> 00:18:18.100 How can we be sure that our memories, our names, our very identities, are our own? 00:18:18.100 --> 00:18:24.100 The notion of self is a fragile thing, and SCP-1966 serves as an unsettling reminder 00:18:24.100 --> 00:18:28.830 that, no matter how secure we feel about who we are, outside observers may be able to see 00:18:28.830 --> 00:18:33.030 truths about us that we can never hope to comprehend. 00:18:33.030 --> 00:18:37.700 I never expected to feel quite so existential over an X-ray scanner. 00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:42.180 Check out the Dr. Bob Patreon and become a junior researcher today! 00:18:42.180 --> 00:18:47.540 Now go and watch another entry from the files of Dr. Bob, like "SCP-5150 - Anomalous Dental 00:18:47.540 --> 00:18:48.119 Office."