Item #: SCP-3819
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3819 and a single copy of SCP-3819-1 are to be stored within a secure storage locker at Site-73 and removed only for testing.
Testing of any of the 'trials' stipulated in SCP-3819-1 beyond the 'Seventh Trial' is expressly forbidden. Any instances of SCP-3819-1 created during testing of SCP-3819 are to be incinerated once testing concludes.
Personnel working with SCP-3819 are subject to surveillance and will be met with disciplinary action if found personally attempting any 'trials' beyond the 'First Trial'.
Description: SCP-3819 is a golden box that outwardly resembles a larnax, a type of container used by ancient Aegean civilizations to store human remains. Forensic analysis has concluded SCP-3819 was created in the 20th century using contemporary means. SCP-3819 possesses no anomalous physical properties.
When SCP-3819 is opened, a copy of SCP-3819-1 will appear within it. Extensive testing has demonstrated this effect occurs instantaneously, with SCP-3819-1 not existing within the box until it is opened. A copy of SCP-3891 will always appear so long as the box is empty when opened, allowing for the production of theoretically infinite copies.
SCP-3819-1 is a standard sheet of modern printer paper with a message typed in Times New Roman font. Every copy of SCP-3819-1 is wholly identical in all properties. SCP-3819-1's text exhibits a minor anomalous effect upon being read or viewed, causing subjects to perceive its text as written in the language they are most fluent in.
SCP-3819-1's text details thirteen 'trials' to be completed by the subject in order to have the 'object of their greatest desire' appear within SCP-3819. Only the 'First Trial' is visible on a newly created copy of SCP-3819-1. Upon completion of the 'First Trial' by a subject, text describing the 'Second Trial' will appear below it. This effect will continue with all subsequent 'trials'; once a 'trial' is completed, the text describing the next 'trial' will appear beneath it. SCP-3819-1 has been shown to visibly lengthen as necessary to accommodate the additional text.
A copy of SCP-3819-1 will perceive any subject who reads it as a participant in its 'trials', appearing unable to recognize any distinctions between subjects. It will recognize any subject's completion of the latest 'trial' available regardless of individual progress. It has proven able to detect when a subject has completed one of its 'trials' regardless of distance.
Testing has confirmed that SCP-3819-1 possesses no cognitohazardous, compulsive, or memetic properties.
A transcript of the initial copy of SCP-3819-1 recovered is available below.
Hello!
If you're reading this, you've been given a rare opportunity, a most rare opportunity indeed! After all, it's not just every day that one is given the means to make their deepest desires come true! Desire, more intoxicating than the finest wine… don't pretend you do not possess it. Everyone wants something, and there is always something that everyone wants more than anything else. Without desire, humanity would not be humanity. Throughout the history of that very same humanity, so very many have sought to fulfill their desires, no matter the sacrifice. Alas, this world is far too cruel, and so very many fall short or are never given the opportunity to begin with. An unfulfilled desire is like a child killed before it can even begin to reach its potential… there is no greater tragedy.
This little box will change that.
I tell no lies, and make nothing but guarantees. Below my little message here are descriptions of thirteen trials you must take, thirteen trials that will push you to your very limits… but certainly not beyond them. Each and every one of them is more than doable, no matter the world's unfairness. You may see only one now, but once you complete the first, you will understand… and you will understand that I am telling you the truth about what this box offers.
If you fulfill the thirteen trials of this box, the object of your deepest desire will appear within it, no matter what it might be. Infinite riches? Infinite happiness? Infinite life? The object of one's desire can be anything and everything, and it can fit within even an box. No matter the depths of your desire, no matter how dark or deep or primal it may be, this box is guaranteed to fulfill it.
I swear to you that if you complete these challenges, that which you most desire will be in your grasp, and you will know the height of satisfaction.
Shall we begin?
Your first trial really is a simple one… you need only walk a thousand miles. It doesn't matter how long it takes. It doesn't matter where you go. Everything is and always will be up to you. If you are forced to fulfill your desire, it's not fulfilling your desire at all. To pursue one's own desires is the essence of freedom. You can even forget all about this little box as you go on your merry way. You won't forget what happens once you finish. The journey of a thousand miles shall begin with a thousand miles.
Well done, so very well done! You have taken the first step on your journey… well, quite a lot more than just a single step. You have proven that you are unwilling to give up on your dreams, that you will at least make an attempt, and that's more meaningful than anything. Now that you've started, now that you've proven something so little yet so big to yourself, you must keep going.
The second trial too is quite simple. You need merely climb a mountain. Once again, the choice is yours, and it always will be. Any mountain will do, no matter how small. Small beginnings can lead to greatness, you know. The mountain will be the first of many obstacles, and I know you can conquer it. I absolutely believe in you. Shout out to the world that the height of your desire is greater than any mere mountain!
Would you look at that! You have proven yourself more persistent and resilient than those around you! Not just anyone can walk a thousand miles! Not just anyone can climb a mountain! You have conquered the summit; you have conquered the first thing standing in the way of your desire! You can keep going, I know you can! With two trials down already, you must keep going!
This third trial will test you in ways you've never been tested before… but I know you can do it. Look at what you've already accomplished. You can do this. For your third trial, you must punch a shark.
Brave and clever though you are, I wouldn't be surprised if reading that made you do a double take. I assure you, it's far easier than it sounds, and as always is your choice. Even the smallest of sharks will do. Fish one up or go find a beached one or even boop one on the snout at an aquarium touch pool… it really is quite simple. To punch the selachian menace is show your willingness to fight for your desire, to say "I will punch even a shark to make my dreams come true!" to the world! You can do it! You can do anything it takes, I know it!
You have accomplished it my good friend, you have punched one of the world's most frightening creatures! Very very few can boast of having punched a shark! You have shown the strength of your desire! You have shown what you are willing to do for your desire! We're almost a third of the way to the finish line… I know you can do it. You have the ability to make your desire come true.
The fourth trial is another simple one, because you deserve a break after your shark punching. For the fourth trial, you need merely kill an animal. It can be any animal. It can be something as simple as an ant, or you could even go so far as to kill a cute little cat or dog. All you need to do is kill it. It can be painless, of course. You need to be willing to show that you can and will sacrifice for your desire. Besides, it is just an animal after all. Every day you eat the results of slaughtered animals… this one will die for something truly meaningful.
This one will die for your desire.
I knew you could do it! I always have had and always will have absolute faith in you! You've come so very far! We're nearly halfway there! It'd really be a shame to stop now, wouldn't it? We mustn't let that animal's sacrifice become meaningless. We shall make sure that it in death it accomplishes so much more than in life… and makes your desire come true.
Your fifth trial is quite simple, and surely no challenge at all after what you've faced. You need merely rid yourself of your most prized possession. The choice, as ever, is yours. You can sell it. I know that you even have the resolve to destroy it, if that's what you choose to do. You must be willing to discard what you have now to seize what you might have in the future. You must be willing to proclaim that what you currently treasure is nothing at all compared to the object of your desire!
You must get rid of the past and seize a future with your desire with your own two hands!
I knew you would come this far, I knew that someone as strong and as passionate as you would not falter or give up, but even so I am delighted! My expectations were sky high, and you're still performing beyond them! What you've rid yourself of must seem so small now, now that the object of your desire is so very close! It will pave the way for something far far more valuable!
Your sixth trial is another easy one, honestly. It's not that I don't believe in you, I promise! I just don't want to make things too hard for you… I don't want to make things unfair for you. You deserve your desire, I know it! For your sixth trial, all you need do is commit a crime. It can be as simple as a misdemeanor or as dramatic and awesome as a felony. You can even do a little jaywalk if you need a break! You must understand that the law serves only to constrain you and confine you, to keep you from your desire. You must learn to break away from its cycle.
If the law stands between you and your desire, it is the law that is in the wrong.
I knew you could do it, and I knew you could get away with it! You are not a criminal now, oh no. You are beyond something like evil, for desire is something more pure than it could ever be, and will always be right. Look what you've managed to accomplish, look what you've managed to do! You're more than halfway done! Your desire is nearly within your grasp! You can get it! You will get it! I know that you won't give up now!
Your seventh trial is where things start to get hard, but I know that you will manage to do it! No matter the challenge, you have proven that you will rise up to it! You have, can, and will prove your desire will conquer all! For your seventh trial, you will break your own hand. I assure you, it doesn't have to be painful. You may be on all the painkillers you wish. You must be willing to show your resolve. If you can do such a thing to yourself, you can do such a thing to anyone.
You can break every obstacle between you and your desire.
Look at this! Look at your resolve! Look at your courage and strength! There is no one else, not a single person in this world, that has come so far for their desire! You are greater than any hero or god! You are so close, I know you can feel it! You musn't stop now! You can't stop now! You have discarded that which you don't need, you have broken yourself for your desire! Your desire cannot be stopped, I am sure of it! It will not be stopped!
Your eighth trial is simple, honestly. It is something that one as strong as you can do easily. For your eighth trial, you need merely take the life of another human being. The choice is yours; you are in control. It needn't be someone you know. It needn't be painful. You can pick a criminal, or someone you know who is wasting their life and potential. A life is nothing before your desire. So many lives end in this cruel and unfair world meaninglessly every day.
This one shall end for your desire, and finally fulfill its true potential in doing so.
You have proven so much. You are, without a doubt, the single strongest person in this world. Others kill for hatred or money. You kill for the purest of feelings. You kill to make a dream come true that couldn't happen any other way. The person you've used to help you reach your desire will surely rest easy. Their life won't be a waste any longer. They are now part of the path to your desire.
The ninth trial is easy. After all, I'm sure killing that person was quite easy. You may have felt bad at the time, misplaced feelings of regret, but you feel better now, don't you? You're so close to your desire after all. For your ninth trial, all you need to do is cut off your broken hand and place it within the box. Easy and even painless, right? It's already useless to you after all. It won't help you attain your desire. Even though it's so easy, there's no one else that would sacrifice their flesh for their desire. Prove what fools they are.
If it won't help you attain your desire, it must be discarded.
Look at you! Look at how far you've come! You have shown courage no one else would! You have sacrificed that which cannot be taken back! You can't stop now! You mustn't stop now! Only a mere four trials left, and you've completed nine! Even with but one hand, I know you can achieve it! Your desire is so close to coming to fruition! So very very close!
I know I keep repeating myself, but this tenth trial is easy too. After all, you've already rewarded someone by using their life to attain your desire. If you've already sliced off your own flesh, it's child's play to slice off another person's, isn't it? For the tenth trial, you need merely bleed out an acquaintance into the box. Someone that you know the name of. Not even a friend. Not even family. Just someone who's had the good fortune to know who you are and be able to help you attain your desire. Fill the box with their blood until it overflows.
It will fuel your desire, and know greater purpose than ever before.
We are so close it's unbelievable, but I knew this day would come. I never once lost faith in you. I never once stopped believing in you. You've come farther than anyone else has. The lives you have taken will find greater purpose and meaning than ever before. If they didn't understand as they passed on to a better place, I'm sure they do now. They have aided the greatest and purest thing of all. They have become part of your desire. You mustn't let their sacrifices be in vain. You must keep going. It is your responsibility. It is your destiny.
I'm sure you must be annoyed at how often I say it, but the eleventh trial should be easy for you too. After all, what isn't easy before your desire, with what you've accomplished so far? For your eleventh trial, all you have to do is slice open a dear friend. I'm sure it will be easier than cutting off your hand. Slice them open before the box that will give you your desire, and decorate it with the insides of your friend. Their intestines and stomach and lungs and heart will fill the box, and fill your heart, and fulfill your desire.
After all, if they are your dear friend, they would want to help you fulfill your desire.
We're here. We're on the very cusp, the very precipice. You have done so very well. You have done so very much. You have come so very far. We're nearly at the end now. Envision it in your mind's eye. Envision your desire. It is closer than you can even imagine. You have given so many now greater purpose. You have proven that your desire is stronger than anything else. Your desire will conquer every obstacle. Your desire cannot and will not be stopped.
This second to last trial will pave the way for the final trial, and then your longest held desire will come true. For this twelfth trial, all you have to do is offer your family to the box, as many as you can. What do parents exist for if not to grant the wishes of their children? What does a partner exist for if they're not willing to support you? What does a child exist for if not to give their parents meaning? You've sacrificed so much and come so far, you can't stop now. This is your destiny, and your family will help answer it.
Offer them to the box, and cut them. Cut them starting at the tips of their toes, and the tips of their fingers, and keep on cutting them. Cut them and cut them and cut them and cut them and cut them and cut them and cut them and cut them and cut them until they're in enough pieces to fit in the box. And as you cut them, smile. You have to reassure them that it's alright, that they are helping to fulfill the most important thing of all, your desire.
Smile, because your desire is about to be fulfilled.
History:
SCP-3819 was recovered from the Texas estate of Jameson Marshall, CEO of the ███████ Corporation. Mr. Marshall held notable public reputation as a philanthropist and historical enthusiast, contributing significant funding to law enforcement and archeological expeditions to Viking and Roman sites. Recovered financial records indicate SCP-3819 was purchased by at private auction, presented to bidders as an authentic larnax.
Though no known anomalous activity had been associated with Mr. Marshall prior to the auction, from 4/5/20██ onward, reports of potential domestic altercation, unusual behavior, and missing persons in proximity to the Marshall estate began to be made to local police. Police records indicate these reports were not followed up on for several months, citing that officers were fully occupied with unspecified other investigations. However, on 7/19/20██, officers were dispatched to the Marshall estate in response to a home security alarm being tripped.
Upon entering the estate, the officers found ██ corpses arranged in a circle around SCP-3819. All of the corpses had been forcibly contorted into positions unnatural for the human body, and a plurality of the corpses were found to be missing some combination of external or internal anatomy. The deceased were principally found to be from a lower income bracket, many later identified as household employees. The body of Jameson Marshall was found off to the side of the circle, missing a left hand and both feet. While unable to determine the methodology via which his feet had been removed, forensics were able to determine that he had dragged himself away from SCP-3819 afterwards, prior to killing himself with a self inflicted gunshot.
The situation was deferred to the Foundation, with agents quickly dispatched to recover SCP-3819, administer amnestics, and develop a suitable cover story. It was discovered shortly after SCP-3819's retrieval that there was a single object within it, with preliminary analysis indicating that the object had spontaneously appeared internally.
Though testing negative for any anomalous properties, upon being fed to former food critic D-1780, the object was promptly declared "absolutely the best damn cheeseburger I've ever fucking had holy shit".
An autopsy conducted afterwards additionally found that Jameson Marshall had not eaten for several days prior to his death.
