Here's a little lesson in trickery!
Item #: SCP-3006
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3006 has been isolated following standard anomalous webpage protocol, and is no longer accessible on non-Foundation networks.
Description: SCP-3006 is a video uploaded to the YouTube video hosting service on 10/12/2016, titled "We Are Number One except every time you play it there are twice as many Robbie Rottens". It features a musical clip from children's show Lazy Town focused on the character Robbie Rotten portrayed by deceased Icelandic actor Stefán Karl Stefánsson and three lookalikes.
SCP-3006's anomalous properties manifest when the video is restarted while observed by any subject that has viewed the video at least once prior. Upon beginning, the number of the central characters present in the video will be doubled. As the initial video starts with a total of 4 characters, the growth of the Robbies can be modeled by the function 4*2x, with x being the number of replays.
Due to the exponential growth of the Rottens, the structure of the video itself alters on subsequent playbacks in order to accommodate their increased numbers and ensure that every individual Robbie appears in the video.
| Replay Count | Character Count | Runtime | Description of Changes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 2:50 | The additional Robbies unobtrusively perform choreography and other actions in line with the originals. | ||
| 2 | 16 | 2:50 | Same as previous. Certain sections of choreography become more complicated due to the large number. | ||
| 3 | 32 | 2:50 | The camera perspective of the video is zoomed out compared to the original, with fewer closeups and a focus on larger synchronized choreography as opposed to actions that flow with pre-established scene structure. | ||
| 4 | 64 | 2:50 | Same as previous. The camera is zoomed out slightly further. | ||
| 5 | 128 | 3:47 | Same as previous. The musical number is extended, with Robbies moving into and out of frame more frequently. | ||
| 6 | 256 | 3:31 | The video opens with a scene of several Robbies sitting dejectedly in a room, surrounded by crumpled choreography charts. At the 36 second mark, a Rotten looks up towards the others and asks "What if we swap out between shots?" The shot lingers for several seconds as the others slowly turn to look at the speaker, before the video begins playing, identical to the original.1 | ||
| 7 | 512 | 4:47 | The video opens with a scene of various Rottens forming multiple lines in front of a table, behind which hangs a banner reading "SHOT RAFFLE". Each one takes a turn reaching into a box on the table and withdrawing a ticket with a number printed on it. After approximately two minutes, the main portion of the video begins playing, identical to that of the first replay. | ||
| 8 | 1024 | 4:47 | Same as previous. The raffle station is noticeably better-organized and split up into a larger number of lines. The main portion of the video is identical to that of the second replay, with quadruple the number of characters in any given shot. | ||
| 9 | 2048 | 3:05 | The video opens with a scene of a large crowd of Robbies jeering, chanting and throwing banana peels, waving signs featuring slogans such as "EQUAL VILLAINY, EQUAL SCREEN TIME" and "NOT ALL SHOTS ARE CREATED EQUAL". Another Robbie is standing on the raffle table, attempting to pacify the crowd. The scene ends after a Robbie stumbles into the camera. The main portion of the video is identical to that of the third replay, although the set is noticeably more cluttered and closeups occasionally show the Robbies with sullen expressions. | ||
| 10 | 4096 | 2:50.66 | Identical to original video, save for being two-thirds of a second longer. Analysis reveals that every individual frame of the video contains a different Rotten or set of Rottens.2 | ||
| 11 | 8192 | 2:50.66 | Identical to previous video, playing at 48 frames per second instead of 24. | ||
| 12 | 16384 | 10:55 | The video opens with four Robbies standing behind podiums on a stage addressing a crowd. A large screen at the back of the stage displays "FRAMERATE DEBATE". Each candidate gives a short, identical speech addressing the issue of further framerate doubling resulting in the optimized version of the video being only accessible to YouTube Premium subscribers, which could entail non-premium viewers not actually witnessing twice as many Robbies upon viewing. Each speech concludes with the speaker admitting they currently have no plan but are certain to come up with a "nasty plot" and urging the crowd to vote for them, save for the final candidate which adds "And also, I'm standing over HERE on the left side of the stage!", to which the crowd cheers uproariously. The main portion of the video is identical to the previous video, with two Robbies appearing per frame. | ||
| 13 | 32768 | 2:50.66 | Identical to main portion of previous video, with four Robbies per frame. | ||
| 14 | 65536 | 2:50.66 | Identical to main portion of previous video, with eight Robbies per frame. | ||
| 15 | 131072 | 2:50.66 | Identical to main portion of previous video, with sixteen Robbies per frame. The overall coherence of the video has noticeably decreased as a result of the quantity of Robbies present in every frame with no breaks. | ||
| 16 | 262144 | 7:44 | See Addendum. | ||
Addendum 1: On 1/9/2017, testing of SCP-3006 reached the 16th repetition for the first time. A transcript of the video is included below.
SCP-3006 Video Transcript T-16-I
Date: 1/9/2017
Subject: Researcher J. Bigby
[BEGIN LOG]
The video opens to a Robbie Rotten (hereafter referred to as Rotten A) seated in a windowless conference room with a grim expression. Another Robbie (hereafter referred to as Rotten B) enters, wearing a lab coat and pushing a wheeled whiteboard with several mathematical formulas written on it.
Rotten A: Well? What is it?
Rotten B: We've run the numbers, sir. If we follow through with the one-per-pixel hypothetical and swap every frame, then our maximum density can be calculated like so: 4096 frames, multiplied by the highest free resolution of 1840 by 1035. That gives us a value of approximately 7.8 billion Robbies.
Rotten A: I see. When are we on track to surpass that?
Rotten B produces a pair of spectacles from a pocket and dons them, before dramatically taking them off and making eye contact with Rotten A.
Rotten B: Cycle 31. By cycle 31 we will have a population of approximately 8.58 gigaRobbies, so the furthest cycle we can reach with maximum density will be Cycle 30. Beyond that point, the only option to increase yield will be to increase video length.
Rotten A: My god. We're already over halfway there…
Rotten B: It gets worse, sir. If we're only able to increase video length, it too will grow exponentially. The duration will have to double every cycle. At cycle 36, we'll breach the hour mark. At cycle 40, we breach the 24 hour mark. At cycle 55…
Rotten B hesitates.
Rotten A: Out with it, man!
Rotten B: …At cycle 55, sir, the total runtime will exceed the natural lifespan of a human. At cycle 55, the video can no longer be viewed in totality, and it becomes impossible for the title to be upheld, and we become… mere clickbait.
Rotten A slams his fist on the table.
Rotten A: NO! Never! We are entertainers, not charlatans! Our work is done out of love, because we wish to create something that matters! Something that teaches a lesson on healthy living! Something that demonstrates man's capacity for love, for community, for working together to celebrate a shared joy with our wonderful meme friends! These are the things that make us number one!
Rotten B: —Sir, please—
Rotten A: —And to even reach that point, what would be do? Each of us, reduced to a single pixel for a fraction of a second? That is no performance, that is no way to live! No, I've made up my mind, and I only regret that it has taken me this long to do so.
Rotten A stands, and turns to stride out of the room.
Rotten A: If we are crushed against our borders… then they must expand.
The remainder of the video is identical to the original video.
[END LOG]
Following the test, due to the abnormalities present in the video further repetition testing was halted and Researcher Bigby went on lunch break. Bigby, while eating, began watching a mundane YouTube video of an interview with Thai government representative Pita Limjaroenrat. A transcript of the relevant portions of the video is included below.
SCP-3006 Video Transcript I-02-K
Date: 1/9/2017
[BEGIN LOG]
The relevant portion begins 2 minutes and 6 seconds into the video. Limjaroenrat is seated, conversing with interviewer Eric Schmidt.
Limjaroenrat: Of course we understand that the public is hungry for change, as are we, which is why we're working as fast as we can to research opportunities for that change. We hope that voters understand that with our current capabilities, we're already pushing things as fast as we can go.
Schmidt: I see.
Limjaroenrat: Once we take office, we plan to divert further resources towards progress in several fields; agriculture, transportation, clean energy, electrical infrastructure, just to name a few.
Schmidt: To what degree are these changes already plann—
[Muffled voices are heard from off-camera. Schmidt pauses, and looks over Limjaroenrat's shoulder.]
Limjaroenrat: What is it?
Schmidt: Thought I heard—
[A large stone cannonball breaches through the wall behind Limjaroenrat, destroying it and toppling several lighting fixtures. Figures identical to those depicted in SCP-3006 immediately rush in through the hole in the wall en masse, armed with large nets.]
Rotten: Forwards!
Schmidt: Jesus ch—
[A net is thrown over Schmidt, and he is dragged offscreen. Limjaroenrat fends off a second net, and runs offscreen in the opposite direction. Additional Robbies continue to enter through the hole.]
Limjaroenrat: [Offscreen] Security!
Rotten: Hostiles incoming! Rottens, assume Dastardly Scheme Formation 21!
[The Robbies form ranks, and throw out banana peels to cover the floor. Glass can be heard breaking off-camera, as well as more heavy footsteps and cannon blasts. Several security personnel rush in to apprehend the intruders, only to slip on banana peels and slide into a large cage prepared by the Robbies.]
Rotten: MUAHAHAHAHAAAA!
[Additional Robbies begin dragging set pieces resembling those of the original SCP-3006 video out through the breach, and assembling them. This continues as others continue to fight off security personnel and seize control of the studio. Once the set has been reassembled, the Robbies begin to perform the signature musical number of the original video.]
[END LOG]
Following the incident, all subsequent playbacks of the video by any persons have shown the altered version. Similar alterations occurred in all subsequent YouTube videos viewed by researcher Bigby during testing to determine the scope of the anomaly's mutation.
SCP-3006 has been reclassified to Keter.