an experiment
(drafted ca. 2018 as an exercise in SCP Foundation writing style.)
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Neutralised (formerly Safe)
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is to be kept in Low-Value Containment at Site-██, available for testing as requested. Following extensive testing which confirmed neutralisation of its anomalous properties, SCP-XXXX is now in permanent storage. No further containment procedures are considered necessary.
Description: SCP-XXXX refers to a 32-tooth carbide-tipped circular saw blade, 260 mm (10–1/4") in diameter, with a 16-mm (5/8") centre hole, nominally manufactured by ██████ Corporation of ████, Japan, and rated for general-purpose use and framing. It appears used though well-maintained, with minimal surface rust and resin/gum stains, and is otherwise visually unremarkable and indistinguishable from other artefacts of comparable make and manufacturer.
However, when mounted onto an appropriately sized saw arbour and imparted clockwise or anticlockwise rotation, SCP-XXXX exhibits two distinctive anomalous properties: i) it appears capable of cutting into and/or through any known material (“destructive”), and ii) all material cut away by the kerf of the saw blade regenerates within approximately 5–30 seconds of the cut being made (“regenerative”). The destructive ability of SCP-XXXX appears limited solely by the maximum depth of cut of the saw to which it is mounted, while the time to regeneration of the cut material appears to vary slightly according to its nature.
SCP-XXXX was acquired by the Foundation on April ██, 19██, following a series of anomalous events which took place at two industrial facilities in ████████████, a suburban town in the Moreton Bay region of Queensland, Australia.
SCP-XXXX was originally purchased by Blue Gum Timbers Pty Ltd, a timber yard and wood shop supplying mouldings and general millwork services in ████████████, Qld, sometime in early 19██. Its exact date of acquisition is unknown, as it was one of several objects of identical purpose and model ordered during this period from ██████████ Ltd, a well-regarded supplier used by most construction businesses in the area. Exhaustive research of the supply chain by Foundation personnel has failed to trace the origin of the anomalous properties of SCP-XXXX.
Addendum 1.1: Blue Gum Timbers
The regenerative property of SCP-XXXX was first noticed on November ██, 19██, by Joseph “Joey” Goodrum, 43, while using the blade in a portable circular saw to square off the edges of dimensional lumber prior to storage. Goodrum found that, despite seemingly accurate measurements prior to sawing, the cut material was always 3 to 4 mm “too long”, on both the work piece and waste piece. Although these reports were at first dismissed by Goodrum’s co-workers as either “banter” or incompetence on his part, subsequent use of the saw by other employees confirmed their veracity. Nevertheless, the saw remained in use, with workers simply instructed to cut their work 3–4 mm short of the desired measurement.
Sometime in mid-May 19██, Goodrum and several other workers found that SCP-XXXX was able to cut cleanly through materials which would otherwise damage even a carbide-tipped saw blade, including ferrous metals. (This anomalous property was also discovered serendipitously, when Goodrum cut through a piece of timber containing a large nail.) Records and statements obtained by Foundation personnel at Blue Gum after Incident XXXX found that extensive informal testing had been performed, with workers able to cut through wrought iron, mild steel, carbon steel, a large section of galvanised H-beam, the nose of an anvil, tempered glass (without shattering), a concrete wall, and the A-pillar of a ute[1]. During this time, SCP-XXXX was used with a wide range of machinery, including table, mitre, beam, and portable circular saws.
On June ██, 19██, David “Dave” Ruskin, 56, owner of Ruskin Fabrication Pty Ltd and a regular customer of Blue Gum Timbers, was visiting Blue Gum to take delivery of an order of custom mouldings. While having coffee with Blue Gum proprietor Hiroshi Satow, 64, and his son Gerrard “Gerry” Satow, 31, Ruskin overheard a discussion between Goodrum and two unidentified workers regarding the anomalous properties of SCP-XXXX. He moved from the office to the shop floor area under pretext of inspecting some millwork, and engaged Goodrum in conversation for several minutes. Due to the noise of the machinery, the tenor of this conversation was not perceived by the other workers, nor by the Satows.
According to a statement provided by Gerry Satow during a subsequent interview, Goodrum then moved to a mitre saw at the rear wall of the shop, unplugged it from mains power, and partially disassembled it to allow removal of SCP-XXXX, which he secreted under his work shirt. Whether by deception, coercion, or a simple financial transaction, Ruskin took possession of SCP-XXXX.
Following removal of SCP-XXXX, no further anomalous incidents occurred at Blue Gum Timbers. The property was damaged by fire in October 19██ (attributed by QFES and QPS investigators to improper disposal of sawdust), leading to the death of the younger Satow and two workers, and never reopened. Hiroshi Satow died in 19██ of natural causes. Goodrum died in 200█ of complications of alcoholic cirrhosis.
Addendum 1.2: Ruskin Fabrications
Following its acquisition by David Ruskin in June 19██ (see Addendum 1.1), SCP-XXXX was immediately placed in use at Ruskin Fabrication Pty Ltd, a family-owned production wood and metal shop, as the standard blade of a stationary contractor-type table saw (model ██████, manufactured by ██████████; hereafter SCP-XXXX-1). It remained in use at Ruskin Fabrication for ██ years, primarily for “difficult” jobs such as breaking down pallets (as it obviated the need for removal of nails) and cleaning up reclaimed railroad ties. It was also occasionally removed from SCP-XXXX-1 and used in mitre and radial arm saws to cut ferrous and non-ferrous metallic material, usually when dedicated metal-cutting implements were unavailable or out of order. As at Blue Gum Timbers, workers were simply told to cut their work short of the desired measurement. Workers were not instructed to take any precautions other than standard safety measures when using SCP-XXXX. Records show that both its destructive and regenerative properties, of which workers were not informed in advance and which were only infrequently called into question, were explained away as being “…some new multifunction saw… Japanese invention”.
Section A: Incident XXXX
On January ██, 19██, 23-year-old joiner Tim Wickers was engaged in repetitive cutting of dimensional material on SCP-XXXX-1 when, momentarily distracted by the score of a football game being broadcast over the shop radio, he placed his left hand in contact with SCP-XXXX. He immediately cried out in pain and was assisted by two colleagues: Marco “Marky” Michetti, 19, disengaged SCP-XXXX-1 by using the emergency stop switch, while Gregory “Greggo” Bana, 24, ran for help. Shop owner Ruskin and the designated first aider of the day, 52-year-old Michael Czermak, arrived shortly thereafter. Wickers had wrapped his injured hand in his shirt, which was stained with blood, as were SCP-XXXX and the timber he was cutting. When Czermak removed the makeshift bandage to examine the wound, he found Wickers’s hand to be completely uninjured. A scar approximately 70 mm long, not previously present, was faintly visible across the palm of the hand and the base of the first and second digits. Wickers expressed disbelief, insisting he had been injured and required medical attention. Given the visible blood, this was not denied by his colleagues, and Ruskin drove Wickers to nearby Caboolture Hospital for further care. Again, no injury was found on physical or radiographic examination. The surgeon on call believed the wound had been a superficial one, and tentatively recorded that “…the spinning blade [SCP-XXXX], red-hot after several hours of continuous use, must have cauterised the laceration instantly”. A tetanus booster was administered, and Wickers was cleared to return to work. A cursory investigation by the state Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) regulator was conducted and closed with the issuance of standard recommendations for attention to power-tool safety.
Over the following weeks, Bana began to exhibit concerning behaviour towards SCP-XXXX and Incident XXXX, allegedly telling colleagues that he was “fascinated” by Wickers’s injury and its “miraculous” healing, that SCP-XXXX must be “magical”, and “how come no one was talking about this”, as well as repeatedly questioning Wickers regarding Incident XXXX. Wickers, in turn, reported feeling “shaken” and “crook” for several days, and described the experience as “deeply confronting”. He quit his position on February █, and moved with his family to New South Wales the following month. Investigation by Foundation personnel found he subsequently attended college and retrained in network administration. As of 200█, Wickers lived in Broken Hill, NSW, and was employed as an IT consultant by a local mining concern. He is not under Foundation surveillance.
Further information on Bana is available in Addendum 1.2.2, Section B.
Section B: Incident XXXX
On April ██, 19██ (10 weeks after Incident XXXX), while breaking down sheets of plywood on SCP-XXXX-1, 24-year-old Gregory Bana sustained a serious injury which resulted in complete traumatic amputation of the second, third, and fourth digits of his right hand. (Whether this was intentional, in light of his previous behaviour towards SCP-XXXX, or a genuine occupational accident remains unclear; in the immediate aftermath of the incident and during multiple subsequent interviews by the WHS authority, Queensland Police Service [QPS] staff, and Foundation personnel, Bana strenuously denied any self-injurious intent.)
Bana was assisted by designated first aider William Walker, 46, and retrieved the severed digits from the floor himself. These were immediately placed in a polythene bag with ice by shop owner Ruskin, who then offered to drive Bana to nearby Caboolture Hospital; due to the presumed severity of the injury, Walker instead advised that emergency services be called. The ████████ Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade (QATB) attended the scene, arriving 23 minutes after the 0–0–0 call placed by Ruskin. Paramedics found the wound appropriately dressed and Bana emotionally distraught and complaining of pain. Methoxyflurane[2] was administered through an inhaler (“the green whistle”) for analgesia. The polythene bag containing the severed digits was surrendered by Ruskin, and Bana was transported to the Royal Brisbane Hospital without further treatment or examination, so as not to disturb haemostasis. Ruskin followed by car.
Upon arrival at the hospital, Bana was initially assessed as having a minor injury, as a nurse found no visible blood on the bandages and he reported no pain. However, QATB personnel reported that a traumatic amputation had unquestionably occurred, and produced the bag containing the severed digits as evidence.
Physical examination found the digit stumps to be completely covered with cicatricial tissue; there was no active bleeding, pain, or phantom sensation. Plain radiographs showed cleanly cut bone edges approximately 4 mm below the skin. When the severed digits were removed from ice for assessment of viability, their wound edges were equally found to be covered by skin and subcutaneous tissue. Re-implantation, although theoretically feasible, was deemed inadvisable by specialist hand surgeons.
SCP-XXXX was finally brought to Foundation attention by personnel embedded in the state WHS regulator during subsequent investigation of Incident XXXX. It was confiscated by QPS staff under the guise of forensic analysis and transferred to WHS, and then to Foundation custody at Site-██ for testing.
On questioning by Foundation agents, Bana was found to be exquisitely sensitive to manipulation and suggestion. He was told that heat from the saw blade had instantly cauterised his wound, as had happened with “his mate Greggo” months before, and made no further enquiries.
Ruskin died 10 months later of prostate cancer, and the business was wound down by his surviving sons. As of 200█, Bana was doing odd jobs in the construction industry, having found no steady employment after the closure of Ruskin Fabrication. He remains under Foundation surveillance.
The incident received no media attention, even in the local press, and administration of amnestics to the involved parties was considered unnecessary.
No explanation was recorded as to how an object with such a long history of anomalous behaviour could have escaped the notice of the Foundation. Embedded assets at WHS and QPS were questioned, and all reported complete unawareness of the previous incidents.
Addendum 1.2.3: Testing Logs
Section A: Inanimate Objects
Objective: Ascertain ability of SCP-XXXX to cut various inorganic and organic materials.
Subject: Wrought iron bar, approximately 22 mm diameter.
Procedure: SCP-XXXX placed in ██████-brand mitre saw (SCP-XXXX-2).
Results: Bisected cleanly. Material cut away by kerf of blade regenerated within 3 seconds.
Subject: Hardened steel I-beam.
Procedure: SCP-XXXX placed in ██████-brand beam saw (SCP-XXXX-3).
Results: Bisected cleanly. Material cut away by kerf of blade regenerated within 10 seconds.
Subject: Standard concrete breezeblock.
Procedure: SCP-XXXX placed in SCP-XXXX-2.
Results: Bisected cleanly. Material cut away by kerf of blade regenerated within 3 seconds.
Subject: Synthetic diamond block.
Procedure: SCP-XXXX placed in ██████-brand milling machine with appropriately sized saw arbour (SCP-XXXX-4). Subject clamped in machine vice.
Results: Bisected cleanly. Material cut away by kerf of blade regenerated within 3 seconds.
Section B: Animate Objects
Objective: Ascertain ability of SCP-XXXX to inflict damage on various living creatures, and investigate recovery thereof.
Subject: Mouse, laboratory (Mus musculus domesticus), one.
Procedure: SCP-XXXX placed in ██████-brand portable circular saw (SCP-XXXX-5). Partial-thickness cut made transversely across lumbar region while subject restrained and anaesthetised.
Results: Expected volume of blood loss. Tissue cut away by kerf of blade regenerated within 4 seconds. Upon waking from anaesthesia, subject showed no ill effects. Subject ambulated normally and retained sensitivity on all four paws.
Subject: Rat, Sprague-Dawley (Rattus norvegicus), one.
Procedure: SCP-XXXX placed in SCP-XXXX-5. Full-thickness cut made transversely across lumbar region while subject restrained and anaesthetised.
Results: Expected volume of blood loss. Tissue cut away by kerf of blade regenerated within 7 seconds.
Upon waking from anaesthesia, cranial half of subject was haemodynamically stable and appeared distressed but was able to crawl, drink, and eat. (Disconnection of digestive and excretory apparatus deemed inconsistent with long-term survival.) Cranial half of subject lived for ██ hours before succumbing. Caudal half of subject did not recover.
Subject: Rat, Sprague-Dawley (Rattus norvegicus), one.
Procedure: SCP-XXXX placed in SCP-XXXX-5. Full-thickness cut made longitudinally along sagittal plane while subject restrained. Anaesthesia not given.
Results: Blood loss catastrophic but recoverable. Tissue cut away by kerf of blade regenerated within 10 seconds. Halves of subject moved briefly but ineffectively during and after regeneration of cut tissue. Post-mortem revealed bisection of heart, which prevented effective circulation; prolonged survival may be possible if this is avoided by careful positioning and anaesthesia. Request for further testing submitted.
Note: Request for further testing approved by Dr ████████.
Subject: Rat, Sprague-Dawley (Rattus norvegicus), one.
Procedure: SCP-XXXX placed in SCP-XXXX-2 with zero-clearance insert. Foam wedge placed against flank of subject so as to displace contents of thoracic cavity. Full-thickness cut made longitudinally along sagittal plane while subject restrained and anaesthetised.
Results: [DATA EXPUNGED]
Section C: Requests for Further Testing
Requests for decapitation testing denied on grounds of futility.
“There is a wide range of methods of obtaining isolated head preparations at the disposal of the Foundation, all of them more elegant and already proven effective. This is not high on our list of priorities.” — Dr ████████
Requests for testing on subjects with non-bilateral symmetry denied on grounds of futility.
“We already know what the damn thing does. It’ll do the same to a jelly as it does to a rat.” — Dr ████████
Requests for testing on D-Class subjects denied pending ethics review.
“We already know what the damn thing does, full stop. That includes what it does to people.” — Dr ████████
Request for testing with SCP-682 approved.
“We’ve been through this, we already… Well now. Actually, that might be interesting.” — Dr ████████
SCP-XXXX was subsequently moved to Site-██ for testing with SCP-682.
Addendum 1.2.4: Incident XXXX
Testing with SCP-682 was scheduled to begin on December ██, 200█. SCP-XXXX was placed in a ██████-brand portable circular saw (SCP-XXXX-6) and SCP-682 was approached as per standard protocol. Upon engagement of the saw by Researcher ██████████, either the sound or vibration of the motor appeared to rouse SCP-682, precipitating a breach of containment. Site-██ personnel immediately responded; however, prior to their arrival, Researcher ██████████ was seen on security footage to be thrown approximately 7 m clear of SCP-682 and impact the ceiling and wall of the containment cell with great violence.
Researcher ██████████ sustained critical injuries and succumbed at the medical wing of Site-██ 3 days later. SCP-XXXX-6 was irreparably damaged on impact. While SCP-XXXX could be recovered by disassembly of SCP-XXXX-6, it was found to have shattered into multiple fragments of varying size. However, the carbide tips appeared undamaged. Researcher ██████ suggested that testing could continue under manual power alone, with the fragments held in vise-grips, while Researcher ██████████ instead advised attempting reconstruction of SCP-XXXX. The decision was made to obtain further guidance from Site Director █████.
Unbeknownst to Researcher ██████ and contradicting this decision, Researcher ██████████ then welded the fragments of SCP-XXXX back into as close as possible an approximation of SCP-XXXX, and performed subsequent grinding and sharpening operations as for a non-anomalous circular saw blade. The resulting artefact was able to cut through soft woods and non-ferrous metal, score hardwoods and ferrous metal, and injure skin and flesh — properties consistent with those of any non-anomalous carbide cutting tool.
Attempts at cutting or scoring materials which would be undamaged by non-anomalous carbide were unsuccessful, causing saw binding and progressive damage to the carbide tips. SCP-XXXX was thus deemed neutralized and returned to Site-██ for permanent storage. Whether neutralization was caused by the damage to SCP-XXXX or by the repair remains unknown.
Researcher ██████████ was reprimanded for his attempted repair, as Director █████ felt SCP-XXXX could have been of use to the Foundation even in its fragmented state if further testing (as suggested by Researcher ██████) had demonstrated preservation of anomalous properties.
SCP-682 was uninjured.
[1] RAISA Note: Australian slang for a pick-up truck or utility vehicle.
[2] Of note, this compound is known to have amnestic and neurotoxic properties.
