WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

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It is an average day at Site-43 of the SCP
Foundation, and a new Researcher has arrived

00:00:05.710 --> 00:00:07.790
for her first day at the site.

00:00:07.790 --> 00:00:12.320
She fills out an intimidating stack of onboarding
paperwork, takes a picture for her new ID

00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:14.350
badge, and meets her direct supervisor.

00:00:14.350 --> 00:00:17.529
"There's something you should probably know
about working at this site..."

00:00:17.529 --> 00:00:21.599
He begins, but an alarm sounds down the hall,
and he has to rush away to attend to it.

00:00:21.599 --> 00:00:22.599
"We'll finish this later.

00:00:22.599 --> 00:00:23.599
Don't move!"

00:00:23.599 --> 00:00:25.609
He calls to her, before he disappears from
sight.

00:00:25.609 --> 00:00:29.979
Then, she's left alone, twiddling her thumbs,
shifting from foot to foot, and looking at

00:00:29.979 --> 00:00:30.989
her new workplace.

00:00:30.989 --> 00:00:34.289
It looks like any other Foundation site, for
the most part.

00:00:34.289 --> 00:00:36.710
One unusual thing does catch her eye, though.

00:00:36.710 --> 00:00:40.579
There are mirrors everywhere, all along the
walls of the hallway, seemingly all the way

00:00:40.579 --> 00:00:43.079
down until the hallway bends out of sight.

00:00:43.079 --> 00:00:45.519
What could those possibly be for?

00:00:45.519 --> 00:00:49.199
As she runs through the possibilities in her
head, she hears the squeaking wheels of a

00:00:49.199 --> 00:00:50.730
mop cart coming toward her.

00:00:50.730 --> 00:00:55.220
A janitor is making his way across the floor,
mopping at the tiles as he goes.

00:00:55.220 --> 00:00:59.120
He has a pair of headphones covering his ears,
and she thinks about interrupting him to ask

00:00:59.120 --> 00:01:01.909
about the mirrors, but doesn't want to disturb
him.

00:01:01.909 --> 00:01:06.060
Then, she spots something, just behind the
janitor, reflected in the mirror, that makes

00:01:06.060 --> 00:01:07.420
her scream and drop her clipboard.

00:01:07.420 --> 00:01:12.700
There is a face, ashen and ghastly, like some
horrible phantom out of a scary story.

00:01:12.700 --> 00:01:16.740
She spins around, expecting to see the horrible
face lurking behind her, but there is nothing

00:01:16.740 --> 00:01:17.740
there.

00:01:17.740 --> 00:01:20.700
Whatever the thing is, it's just in the mirror.

00:01:20.700 --> 00:01:24.930
When her supervisor returns, he finds her
pale and sweating, her hands shaking.

00:01:24.930 --> 00:01:28.590
She stumbles over her words, trying to tell
him what she just saw.

00:01:28.590 --> 00:01:30.830
He laughs at her wide-eyed expression and
says.

00:01:30.830 --> 00:01:32.060
"Oh, don't worry.

00:01:32.060 --> 00:01:34.430
That's just Phillip and his constant companion."

00:01:34.430 --> 00:01:38.550
Then, he tells her all about SCP-5056.

00:01:38.550 --> 00:01:45.080
SCP-5056 is a hairless humanoid entity with
gray matte skin and three slash-like scars

00:01:45.080 --> 00:01:48.380
on its face resembling the placement of eyes
and a mouth.

00:01:48.380 --> 00:01:52.950
It does not have a physical, corporeal form,
at least on the visual spectrum, and can only

00:01:52.950 --> 00:01:54.630
be seen in reflective surfaces.

00:01:54.630 --> 00:01:59.510
It appears to prefer manifesting in glass,
especially mirrors and lenses.

00:01:59.510 --> 00:02:04.560
Any equipment or media that captures the entity's
image will begin to degrade on an atomic level.

00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:10.610
Though anyone can see SCP-5056 when it appears
in a reflective surface, only one person is

00:02:10.610 --> 00:02:18.240
able to hear it speak: Phillip E. Deering,
also referred to as SCP-5056-B. Phillip Deering

00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:23.470
is a white man with brown eyes and brown hair,
standing at 172 centimeters tall.

00:02:23.470 --> 00:02:29.390
He joined the staff of SCP Foundation Site-43
as a custodian in July of 1999, and for his

00:02:29.390 --> 00:02:32.630
first three years of service there was nothing
notable about him.

00:02:32.630 --> 00:02:36.830
He was a pleasant man, though occasionally
prone to bouts of depression, and was a reliable

00:02:36.830 --> 00:03:07.590
employee.

00:03:07.590 --> 00:03:13.140
Since the first day it appeared to him, SCP-5056
has followed Phillip everywhere he goes..

00:03:13.140 --> 00:03:17.220
It has not expressed interest in any other
people or entities, except for situations

00:03:17.220 --> 00:03:19.600
where it felt that Phillip was being threatened.

00:03:19.600 --> 00:03:23.100
It is aware of other entities, it simply does
not care about them.

00:03:23.100 --> 00:03:28.690
As for its behavior toward Phillip, SCP-5056
has historically behaved in a way opposite

00:03:28.690 --> 00:03:30.780
to Phillip's emotional needs.

00:03:30.780 --> 00:03:34.090
When Phillip is trying to sleep, it opens
its mouth scar and screams.

00:03:34.090 --> 00:03:38.240
It picks verbal fights with him when he is
overwhelmed or sad, including reminding him

00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:42.310
of estranged family members, awkward social
interactions, and personal failings.

00:03:42.310 --> 00:03:47.050
He has gotten used to his companion over the
years, even giving notes on its less-than-effective

00:03:47.050 --> 00:03:48.960
insults and encouraging creativity.

00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:54.330
He has even given the entity a nickname: Doug.

00:03:54.330 --> 00:03:59.120
SCP-5056 becomes enraged when separated from
Phillip, and if there is no available reflective

00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:04.120
surface upon which it can manifest and speak
to him, it will begin to act out.

00:04:04.120 --> 00:04:09.170
After nine seconds have passed without SCP-5056
having access to Phillip, it will begin to

00:04:09.170 --> 00:04:14.440
vibrate at an intense speed, and emit an endless
119 decibel sound that reverberates through

00:04:14.440 --> 00:04:16.989
the entirety of Site-43.

00:04:16.989 --> 00:04:21.779
As soon as Phillip is returned to 5056's line
of sight, both the sound and the vibrating

00:04:21.779 --> 00:04:23.659
will immediately stop.

00:04:23.659 --> 00:04:26.830
Staff in the area have been made aware of
the entity's presence, and its aggressive

00:04:26.830 --> 00:04:28.229
tendencies.

00:04:28.229 --> 00:04:32.539
Following an incident involving Dr. Bradbury,
who experienced immense psychological distress

00:04:32.539 --> 00:04:38.279
after SCP-5056 appeared in one of the lenses
of her eyeglasses that led to her eventual

00:04:38.279 --> 00:04:42.979
resignation, no one wearing glasses or any
other reflective eyewear is permitted to interact

00:04:42.979 --> 00:04:46.419
with Phillip or SCP-5056.

00:04:46.419 --> 00:04:51.680
Because SCP-5056 has no physical body, it
cannot be truly contained in a traditional

00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:52.680
sense.

00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:56.520
However, its location seems to be bound to
Phillip's, and therefore limiting Phillip's

00:04:56.520 --> 00:05:01.240
movements to Site-43 has provided the Foundation
with a workable solution.

00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:05.979
Aside from the issue with Dr. Bradbury, there
has only been one other notable incident involving

00:05:05.979 --> 00:05:08.610
SCP-5056 so far.

00:05:08.610 --> 00:05:14.569
On January 23, 2003, Dr. Falkirk decided to
perform an experiment that would prove Phillip

00:05:14.569 --> 00:05:19.030
was not necessary for the containment of SCP-5056.

00:05:19.030 --> 00:05:22.969
Phillip was sent into an observation room,
and instructed to turn on recording equipment.

00:05:22.969 --> 00:05:27.460
In the room, there was a steel table, a steel
chair, and a hand mirror.

00:05:27.460 --> 00:05:33.120
After Phillip sat down in the room, SCP-5056
warned him to "get out."

00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:36.449
He ignored it, and proceeded to talk with
Dr. Falkirk.

00:05:36.449 --> 00:05:40.210
Falkirk gave an order to initiate Phase 2
of the experiment, and Phillip began to have

00:05:40.210 --> 00:05:41.589
trouble breathing.

00:05:41.589 --> 00:05:44.050
After several seconds, he lost consciousness.

00:05:44.050 --> 00:05:50.249
Dr. Falkirk turned his, and his assistants'
attention to the mirror, where SCP-5056 was

00:05:50.249 --> 00:05:51.249
still present.

00:05:51.249 --> 00:05:54.870
It became enraged, yelling for Phillip, and
attacked Dr. Falkirk.

00:05:54.870 --> 00:05:59.050
Though the specific details of the attack
are lost from official records, he was subsequently

00:05:59.050 --> 00:06:03.159
given medical treatment for blood loss, facial
injuries, and the loss of his left eye.

00:06:03.159 --> 00:06:07.309
He has been under intensive psychological
care ever since.

00:06:07.309 --> 00:06:12.370
Though no one but Phillip is able to hear
a word SCP-5056 says, any recording device

00:06:12.370 --> 00:06:15.159
that he activates will pick up the entity's
voice.

00:06:15.159 --> 00:06:20.270
In order to give the research team a better
sense of SCP-5056's behavior, Phillip's uniform

00:06:20.270 --> 00:06:24.939
contains a microphone that is always on, and
always recording his conversations.

00:06:24.939 --> 00:06:28.449
It has, over the years, picked up everything
that passes between Phillip and the world

00:06:28.449 --> 00:06:33.340
around him, from his conversations with coworkers
to the tiny torments and verbal barbs from

00:06:33.340 --> 00:06:34.340
SCP-5056.

00:06:34.340 --> 00:06:40.439
In 2020, however, the microphone recorded
a series of events that would change Phillip,

00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:44.080
and his relationship to the anomaly in the
mirror, forever.

00:06:44.080 --> 00:06:47.550
Phillip was struggling with a sense of crushing
isolation, with the majority of his social

00:06:47.550 --> 00:06:51.960
interaction coming from Dr. Ngo and SCP-5056.

00:06:51.960 --> 00:06:56.499
The only bright spot in his days was the presence
of Chief Amelia Torosyan of the Janitorial

00:06:56.499 --> 00:07:00.520
and Maintenance Section, who would often visit
Phillip to chat while he was mopping.

00:07:00.520 --> 00:07:04.849
They spoke regularly for months, joking with
each other about work, Amelia asking questions

00:07:04.849 --> 00:07:09.370
about Phillip's life with 5056, all while
the entity needled Phillip about his apparent

00:07:09.370 --> 00:07:11.240
crush on Amelia.

00:07:11.240 --> 00:07:16.830
On September 9, 2020, however, Amelia confessed
something: she returned his feelings.

00:07:16.830 --> 00:07:19.740
The audio transcription from this day captured
this revelation:

00:07:19.740 --> 00:07:21.639
"I never really thought…

00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:23.009
I didn't think you…"

00:07:23.009 --> 00:07:24.009
Phillip began.

00:07:24.009 --> 00:07:25.009
"Really?

00:07:25.009 --> 00:07:26.009
Really."

00:07:26.009 --> 00:07:27.009
Amelia retorted.

00:07:27.009 --> 00:07:28.009
"Yeah, really."

00:07:28.009 --> 00:07:31.419
"Well, I mean, I didn't think you… either."

00:07:31.419 --> 00:07:32.569
She admitted.

00:07:32.569 --> 00:07:33.569
Phillip laughed at this.

00:07:33.569 --> 00:07:34.680
"Are you kidding?

00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:36.180
You have got to be kidding.

00:07:36.180 --> 00:07:37.319
I mean, you're…"

00:07:37.319 --> 00:07:41.279
A moment of silence passed between the two,
the air crackling with nervous excitement.

00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:42.460
"How long..."

00:07:42.460 --> 00:07:43.629
He began.

00:07:43.629 --> 00:07:45.229
She interrupted,
"Since I met you."

00:07:45.229 --> 00:07:47.189
He laughed again, a giddy sound.

00:07:47.189 --> 00:07:48.619
"You had that on speed-dial!"

00:07:48.619 --> 00:07:51.610
"Well, how long-" She started.

00:07:51.610 --> 00:07:53.030
This time, he interrupted.

00:07:53.030 --> 00:07:54.030
"Since I met you."

00:07:54.030 --> 00:07:58.080
They both laughed for a long time, before
falling silent once again.

00:07:58.080 --> 00:07:59.710
"What are you thinking about?"

00:07:59.710 --> 00:08:00.710
Amelia asked.

00:08:00.710 --> 00:08:01.979
"Can't you tell?"

00:08:01.979 --> 00:08:03.889
She shook her head.

00:08:03.889 --> 00:08:04.889
"No.

00:08:04.889 --> 00:08:07.050
Confusing me with your anxiety surrogate?

00:08:07.050 --> 00:08:08.610
He hasn't said a word tonight."

00:08:08.610 --> 00:08:10.180
Phillip smiled softly at this.

00:08:10.180 --> 00:08:12.560
"I must not have any anxieties right now."

00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:18.139
The two quickly developed a romantic relationship,
Phillip brushing off the doubts that SCP-5056

00:08:18.139 --> 00:08:20.369
tried to plant in his mind.

00:08:20.369 --> 00:08:26.099
On June, 11, 2021, Dr. Ngo conducted Phillip's
annual psychological review, and they discussed

00:08:26.099 --> 00:08:28.839
the notable changes in his demeanor and worldview.

00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:33.400
The audio from the session has been transcribed:
"Thanks for letting me do this a day early."

00:08:33.400 --> 00:08:34.400
Phillip began.

00:08:34.400 --> 00:08:36.870
"Well hey, I have a social engagement tomorrow."

00:08:36.870 --> 00:08:38.959
Dr. Ngo replied.

00:08:38.959 --> 00:08:40.270
Phillip laughed heartily at that.

00:08:40.270 --> 00:08:42.819
"You know, that might be the first time I've
heard you laugh?

00:08:42.819 --> 00:08:43.819
Let's talk about that."

00:08:43.819 --> 00:08:50.470
SCP-5056 started to speak, "Yes, let's talk
abo—" But Phillip cut it off.

00:08:50.470 --> 00:08:53.339
"About how humourless and morose I am?"

00:08:53.339 --> 00:08:55.340
The entity was stunned into silence.

00:08:55.340 --> 00:08:58.639
Dr. Ngo spoke up:
"Was he about to say that?

00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:00.310
Are you finishing his thoughts, now?

00:09:00.310 --> 00:09:01.310
"Why not?

00:09:01.310 --> 00:09:02.709
They used to be my thoughts."

00:09:02.709 --> 00:09:04.310
"What changed?"

00:09:04.310 --> 00:09:08.300
SCP-5056 spoke up again: "Nothing."

00:09:08.300 --> 00:09:09.300
Phillip disagreed.

00:09:09.300 --> 00:09:10.940
"A lot of things.

00:09:10.940 --> 00:09:15.029
Some of them because of Doug, some of them
because of me, some of them…"

00:09:15.029 --> 00:09:16.230
"Chief Torosyan."

00:09:16.230 --> 00:09:18.490
Dr. Ngo finished the thought for him.

00:09:18.490 --> 00:09:19.490
"Yeah.

00:09:19.490 --> 00:09:24.490
I guess I didn't really care about improving
myself until I had someone to improve for.

00:09:24.490 --> 00:09:28.880
Doug beat a lot of my flaws out of me… there
just wasn't enough room in my head for self-pity,

00:09:28.880 --> 00:09:34.470
or self-loathing, or even selfishness with
him nattering away in the background all day,

00:09:34.470 --> 00:09:35.560
every day.

00:09:35.560 --> 00:09:38.750
But Amy gave me something to actually work
toward.

00:09:38.750 --> 00:09:40.350
I actually…"

00:09:40.350 --> 00:09:45.230
This time, 5056 finished his thought:
"You stopped wasting your life."

00:09:45.230 --> 00:09:46.230
"Go on."

00:09:46.230 --> 00:09:47.610
Dr. Ngo encouraged.

00:09:47.610 --> 00:09:52.660
"…it feels strange to say, because this
has been a terrible year all over, but it's

00:09:52.660 --> 00:09:54.110
still meant so much to me..."

00:09:54.110 --> 00:09:57.399
Dr. Ngo nodded, "You achieved something."

00:09:57.399 --> 00:09:59.589
"I achieved something, and…

00:09:59.589 --> 00:10:01.100
I reached out.

00:10:01.100 --> 00:10:04.690
My life isn't one long, indifferently-narrated
one-man show anymore.

00:10:04.690 --> 00:10:07.560
Sure, I'm still stuck underground, but…

00:10:07.560 --> 00:10:09.319
I'm not alone down here anymore."

00:10:09.319 --> 00:10:15.740
SCP-5056 spoke up, giving one final thought:
"You were never alone, Philip.

00:10:15.740 --> 00:10:18.470
You will never, ever be alone.

00:10:18.470 --> 00:10:19.470
Never again."

00:10:19.470 --> 00:10:20.720
"What's he saying?

00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:21.720
Something spooky?"

00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:23.050
Dr. Ngo asked.

00:10:23.050 --> 00:10:24.199
Phillip shook his head.

00:10:24.199 --> 00:10:27.940
"It's phrased that way, but that's not how
I'm taking it."

00:10:27.940 --> 00:10:30.930
The next morning, Phillip prepared to take
a life-changing step.

00:10:30.930 --> 00:10:34.690
He stood in front of a mirror, dressed in
a tuxedo, and adjusted his bowtie.

00:10:34.690 --> 00:10:35.990
"How do I look, Doug?"

00:10:35.990 --> 00:10:36.990
He asked.

00:10:36.990 --> 00:10:41.430
"Because I can't see, with you in the mirror."

00:10:41.430 --> 00:10:44.399
SCP-5056 replied, "You're making a mistake."

00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:46.070
Phillip laughed it off.

00:10:46.070 --> 00:10:47.829
"Yeah, I've never been good at bowties.

00:10:47.829 --> 00:10:52.760
I'd use a clip-on, but Amy would never forgive
me and anyway it would clash with the tuxedo."

00:10:52.760 --> 00:10:57.509
SCP-5056 pushed further, refusing to let it
go.

00:10:57.509 --> 00:10:59.930
"You aren't ready for this."

00:10:59.930 --> 00:11:01.440
"I definitely am.

00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:05.279
But hey, if you have objections, feel free
to shout them out at the appropriate time.

00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:08.970
Nobody but me will hear you, but if you make
good points I'll be sure to pass them along."

00:11:08.970 --> 00:11:11.680
"You won't hold up your end."

00:11:11.680 --> 00:11:13.740
"I'd do anything for her."

00:11:13.740 --> 00:11:15.310
"You don't have the energy."

00:11:15.310 --> 00:11:17.170
"I've never felt this good.

00:11:17.170 --> 00:11:19.029
Are you even trying here, buddy?"

00:11:19.029 --> 00:11:21.230
"It won't change who you are."

00:11:21.230 --> 00:11:22.790
"It already has."

00:11:22.790 --> 00:11:25.459
"It won't fix you."

00:11:25.459 --> 00:11:27.480
Phillip laughed, pulling his bowtie tight.

00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:31.740
He turned away from the mirror, and toward
the next chapter of his life, with one final

00:11:31.740 --> 00:11:34.890
statement:
"I don't need to be fixed."

00:11:34.890 --> 00:11:40.279
As long as she had known him, Amelia Toyosyan
had demonstrated kindness, care, empathy,

00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:42.060
and curiosity toward Phillip.

00:11:42.060 --> 00:11:47.519
Unlike her colleagues, she was not put off
by the presence of SCP-5056, but approached

00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:52.050
it with an open mind and an appreciation for
the entirety of Phillip's self, the man beyond

00:11:52.050 --> 00:11:53.050
the anomaly.

00:11:53.050 --> 00:11:58.449
The two were married in Ipperwash Provincial
Park on June 12, 2021, and have been together

00:11:58.449 --> 00:11:59.610
ever since.

00:11:59.610 --> 00:12:05.750
Notably, Amelia has reported that SCP-5056
remains largely dormant in her presence, allowing

00:12:05.750 --> 00:12:09.060
the two to spend their time together without
interruption.

00:12:09.060 --> 00:12:12.550
Following Phillip's relationship with Amelia,
and the improvement to his mental state as

00:12:12.550 --> 00:12:18.120
well as changes to SCP-5056's behavior, the
Foundation conducted a review and reassessment

00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:19.459
of the anomaly.

00:12:19.459 --> 00:12:24.060
Several high-ranking Foundation staff wrote
down their changing thoughts on SCP-5056,

00:12:24.060 --> 00:12:26.970
and contributed them to the official revised
file.

00:12:26.970 --> 00:12:31.220
Amelia R. Torosyan, Chief of the Janitorial
and Maintenance Section and wife of Phillip

00:12:31.220 --> 00:12:32.329
Deering wrote:

00:12:32.329 --> 00:12:35.310
"I don't think anyone understood Doug when
he first manifested.

00:12:35.310 --> 00:12:40.060
They all thought he was an anomalous abuser,
a demon with a short fuse, existing just to

00:12:40.060 --> 00:12:41.420
get a rise out of someone.

00:12:41.420 --> 00:12:44.339
They tell me Phil was plenty risible back
then…

00:12:44.339 --> 00:12:47.790
introverted and absent-minded, the perfect
jumpscare target.

00:12:47.790 --> 00:12:51.580
But once he stopped being jumpy, Doug started
needling him about his low self-esteem.

00:12:51.580 --> 00:12:56.769
Once he started standing up for himself, Doug
made him worry about other people's needs.

00:12:56.769 --> 00:13:03.529
By the time I met him in 2019 Phil was considerate,
unflappable, and still absolutely miserable.

00:13:03.529 --> 00:13:05.779
That's when Doug started bugging him about
his love life.

00:13:05.779 --> 00:13:08.430
I don't think Doug is preying on Phil.

00:13:08.430 --> 00:13:10.279
I think he's trying to help."

00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:14.519
Dr. Harold R. Blank, Chair of the Archives
and Revision Section, contributed:

00:13:14.519 --> 00:13:17.759
"For the longest time, we thought Phil might
be anomalous as well.

00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:22.269
We even tossed around the idea of classing
him Thaumiel, which obviously didn't fly.

00:13:22.269 --> 00:13:26.519
At the very least we were pretty sure "Doug"
was an unconscious manifestation of his internal

00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:34.529
monologue, so we labelled it 5056-A and made
him 5056-B. After nearly two decades of observation,

00:13:34.529 --> 00:13:38.939
however, I can say with near-certainty that
there is nothing at all remarkable about Philip

00:13:38.939 --> 00:13:43.389
Eugene Deering beyond his unusual equanimity
in the face of enduring trauma.

00:13:43.389 --> 00:13:47.839
He's no longer considered an SCP object, and
his paranormal paramour has been reclassified

00:13:47.839 --> 00:13:55.209
as simply SCP-5056: a self-containing, incorporeal
emotional parasite requiring no containment

00:13:55.209 --> 00:13:59.269
because it voluntarily restricts itself to
the presence of a man who voluntarily restricts

00:13:59.269 --> 00:14:01.319
himself to a secure underground bunker!

00:14:01.319 --> 00:14:06.829
We're still not sure what will happen when
Phil dies, but my guess is 5056 gets one last

00:14:06.829 --> 00:14:09.139
class change — to "Neutralized."

00:14:09.139 --> 00:14:13.490
Dr. Melissa Bradbury, Chair of the Research
and Experimentation Section included:

00:14:13.490 --> 00:14:17.370
"No, I can't tell you what I saw, but I can
tell you what I felt.

00:14:17.370 --> 00:14:21.560
That's only after more than a decade of Foundation
psychotherapy, mind you; I was comatose for

00:14:21.560 --> 00:14:25.459
eleven months, and endured three years of
blurry vision because I couldn't put on a

00:14:25.459 --> 00:14:28.999
pair of specs or contact lenses without having
a panic attack.

00:14:28.999 --> 00:14:33.120
When that thing filled up my vision, it felt
like someone had gut-punched my brain.

00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:36.490
You know that late night experience where
you suddenly remember some stupid or embarrassing

00:14:36.490 --> 00:14:39.089
thing you did in your life, and it makes you
feel ashamed?

00:14:39.089 --> 00:14:42.970
Well, imagine if you suddenly thought of every
stupid or embarrassing thing you'd ever done.

00:14:42.970 --> 00:14:43.970
All at once.

00:14:43.970 --> 00:14:47.449
Like your conscience finally got fed up and
decided to go nuclear on you.

00:14:47.449 --> 00:14:50.259
No wonder Falkirk tore his eye out."

00:14:50.259 --> 00:14:54.760
Delfina M. Ibanez, Chief of the Pursuit and
Suppression Section had this to say:

00:14:54.760 --> 00:14:58.579
"When Blank said we should let Deering keep
playing janitor under his pet monster's watchful

00:14:58.579 --> 00:15:00.310
eye-scars, I was skeptical.

00:15:00.310 --> 00:15:04.050
I was Chief of Security and Containment, and
that sounded like the polar opposite of both

00:15:04.050 --> 00:15:05.050
concepts.

00:15:05.050 --> 00:15:06.660
I'm happy to say I was wrong.

00:15:06.660 --> 00:15:12.209
Deering has absolutely nil combat utility,
and without 5056 his disaster response priority

00:15:12.209 --> 00:15:16.600
would be somewhere just above the D-Class
— and we don't even have D-class at 43.

00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:20.410
But with 5056, he's practically an intruder
deterrent system!

00:15:20.410 --> 00:15:24.689
You know what they say: a friend is someone
who'll help you move, a best friend is someone

00:15:24.689 --> 00:15:26.170
who'll disintegrate your enemies' eyes."

00:15:26.170 --> 00:15:31.709
Dr. Nhung T. Ngo, Chair of the Psychology
and Parapsychology Section wrote:

00:15:31.709 --> 00:15:37.170
"SCP-5056 has co-opted JM64's negative thought
processes, externalizing his melancholy and

00:15:37.170 --> 00:15:38.249
self-doubt.

00:15:38.249 --> 00:15:42.680
His earliest psych evaluations suggested a
proclivity towards intrusive anxious thoughts;

00:15:42.680 --> 00:15:46.600
because these thoughts are now literally intrusive,
he can assess them much more rationally than

00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:49.029
he could without anomalous intervention.

00:15:49.029 --> 00:15:54.259
We still don't know what 5056 is, but I can
say this much: it is devoted to its opposite

00:15:54.259 --> 00:15:56.180
number, and wants to help him.

00:15:56.180 --> 00:16:00.850
It expresses affection in a grating, alien
manner, but there's no arguing with the results.

00:16:00.850 --> 00:16:04.459
It's taken nineteen years, but Deering has
finally made peace with himself.

00:16:04.459 --> 00:16:07.050
Of course, he's had a little extra help in
that regard."

00:16:07.050 --> 00:16:13.069
Finally, Dr. Polyxeni Mataxas, Chair of the
Spectrometry and Spectremetry Section said:

00:16:13.069 --> 00:16:15.529
"They've called this a "haunting" for nineteen
years.

00:16:15.529 --> 00:16:19.339
It's even entered the general terminology:
a Deering-Class Haunting denotes the stalking

00:16:19.339 --> 00:16:22.089
of a corporeal being by an incorporeal one.

00:16:22.089 --> 00:16:25.009
Nobody really thinks of 5056 as a ghost, however.

00:16:25.009 --> 00:16:26.009
Nobody but me.

00:16:26.009 --> 00:16:30.860
The materials handling disaster which created
"Doug" also annihilated at least two of our

00:16:30.860 --> 00:16:32.269
subjects in containment.

00:16:32.269 --> 00:16:37.370
The nature of those subjects is highly classified,
but I can say this much: they are intimately

00:16:37.370 --> 00:16:42.010
connected to the cycles of guilt and apathy
through which human society writ large regularly

00:16:42.010 --> 00:16:43.100
cycles.

00:16:43.100 --> 00:16:47.129
Is it too much of a stretch to suggest that
one of them, or a fragment of one of them,

00:16:47.129 --> 00:16:51.390
was reconstituted in that thaumaturgical soup
into Deering's inescapable conscience?

00:16:51.390 --> 00:16:55.040
If that's what happened, well, perhaps it
still doesn't make him all that different

00:16:55.040 --> 00:16:56.040
from the rest of us.

00:16:56.040 --> 00:17:00.269
We're all haunted by something, and we're
all haunting something ourselves.

00:17:00.269 --> 00:17:04.530
Our hopes and fears are just voices in our
heads that only we can hear.

00:17:04.530 --> 00:17:08.860
Everything we are is just the hallucination
of a hollow frame of meat and bone.

00:17:08.860 --> 00:17:13.290
So, what separates us from the thing on the
other side of the mirror?

00:17:13.290 --> 00:17:14.980
Three dimensions, and room to grow."

00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:20.860
Since the reassessment, the containment measures
for SCP-5056 have been updated.

00:17:20.860 --> 00:17:25.520
It is now considered to be self-containing,
with its position fixed to that of Phillip.

00:17:25.520 --> 00:17:29.530
Phillip is prohibited from leaving SCP Foundation
facilities without direction from Security

00:17:29.530 --> 00:17:34.140
Clearance Level 4+ personnel, and must carry
at least one reflective object on his person

00:17:34.140 --> 00:17:35.960
at all times.

00:17:35.960 --> 00:17:39.290
Any new or visiting staff must be briefed
by Phillip on the nature of SCP-5056.

00:17:39.290 --> 00:17:45.090
He is also required to undergo mental health
treatment, mainly exposure response prevention

00:17:45.090 --> 00:17:49.630
therapy, which allows him to respond to his
intrusive thoughts without acting on them.

00:17:49.630 --> 00:17:55.320
Though SCP-5056 once terrified Phillip, bringing
him endless distress, he has grown accustomed

00:17:55.320 --> 00:17:57.030
to its presence.

00:17:57.030 --> 00:18:02.110
Even when the things 5056 tells him are upsetting,
he considers them to be necessary reflections

00:18:02.110 --> 00:18:06.770
of his inner life, providing him with introspection
he has never been capable of on his own.

00:18:06.770 --> 00:18:11.220
Since Phillip's marriage, the entity has grown
more and more passive, appearing only to bring

00:18:11.220 --> 00:18:15.210
up areas that need improvement in the relationship,
reminding Phillip of ways he can be a better

00:18:15.210 --> 00:18:17.290
husband to Amelia.

00:18:17.290 --> 00:18:21.880
Just as Phillip has become more comfortable
with the presence of SCP-5056, so too has

00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:23.650
the rest of the Foundation staff.

00:18:23.650 --> 00:18:27.920
Perhaps, even if they're not entirely aware
of it, they recognize something of themselves

00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:29.040
in that dynamic.

00:18:29.040 --> 00:18:34.110
Don’t we all live with demons of our own,
constant companions whispering our insecurities

00:18:34.110 --> 00:18:37.280
back to us, reminding us of the ways in which
we fall short?

00:18:37.280 --> 00:18:44.210
They may not be as anomalous as SCP-5056,
but their hold on us can be just as powerful,

00:18:44.210 --> 00:18:45.820
just as destructive.

00:18:45.820 --> 00:18:50.870
The only way to contain them is to look them
in the face, learn to talk back, and decide,

00:18:50.870 --> 00:18:54.820
against all odds, to go after what we want
anyway.

00:18:54.820 --> 00:18:59.820
We may never be truly rid of them, never be
completely alone and without that gray shadow

00:18:59.820 --> 00:19:03.330
lurking at our side, but that’s okay.

00:19:03.330 --> 00:19:09.420
We can carry it with us, accepting that our
fears, our hurts, our nagging anxieties, are

00:19:09.420 --> 00:19:11.600
necessary parts of who we are.

00:19:11.600 --> 00:19:16.020
But we can also argue back against the voice
that tells us we’ll never be truly happy

00:19:16.020 --> 00:19:18.400
and say “yes I will.

00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:20.130
Because I deserve it.”

00:19:20.130 --> 00:19:25.440
Eventually, we might just believe it enough
for that voice to finally shut up.

00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:31.250
Now go and watch another entry from the files
of Dr Bob, like SCP-446 Human Mannequin for

00:19:31.250 --> 00:19:33.390
another haunting humanoid anomaly.

00:19:33.390 --> 00:19:37.390
And make sure you subscribe and turn on notifications,
so you don’t miss a single anomaly, as we

00:19:37.390 --> 00:19:39.850
delve further and further into the SCP Foundation’s
classified archives.