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Info
SCP-8236: Empathokinetic Mood Ring
Author:ExtinctionFox
Image:Filename: Moodring2.jpg
Author: Alkivar
License: Public Domain
Source Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moodring2.jpg
SCP-8236 with stored anguish (black), disgust (dark brown), and confusion (dark green).
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-8236 is to remain stored in a padded safe-class containment locker; no additional action for the containment of the item is required due to the relatively inert nature of its anomalous properties.
SCP-8236 is safe to handle as long as it does not slide onto an individual's fingers. If for any reason this does occur, or if an SCP-8236-A instance escapes containment during testing, the individual wearing SCP-8236 is to be carefully subdued and their anomalous properties neutralised via removal of the ring.
If SCP-8236-A demonstrates hazardous behaviour towards others1, they may be directly terminated and SCP-8236 is to be retrieved.
Description: SCP-8236 is a silver mood ring with an embedded faux gemstone; the colour of the latter material is variable but in a "default" state, is perfectly transparent.
The primary anomalous properties of SCP-8236 activate when the ring is worn on an individual's finger; such a person is termed "SCP-8236-A" until the ring is removed from them. During this period, SCP-8236 displays a certain degree of empathokinesis2 and can "extract" emotional states from SCP-8236-A and "store" those emotions inside its gemstone. This will change the colour and opacity of the jewel in selected areas with a marbling effect - different colours correlate to a specific emotional spectrum that has been captured, and the intensity of these emotions proportionally increases their opacity as reflected in the gemstone. If SCP-8236 harvests an emotion, SCP-8236-A will internally experience and externally demonstrate less of that emotion, proportional to the "quantity" taken.
SCP-8236 is also capable of "releasing" collected emotions upon SCP-8236-A, influencing the individual's mental state as a result. Note that SCP-8236 cannot directly influence the thoughts of SCP-8236-A, instead manipulating the emotional context behind them3. The emotions released by SCP-8236 invariably often cause SCP-8236-A to act in a way misaligned with Foundation goals - typically, escaping the custody of the SCP Foundation and breaching SCP-8236 from containment. For these reasons, SCP-8236 is believed to host or even be a sapient intelligence.
Notably, many emotional states have opposites: "contentedness" can be considered the inverse of "misery", for example. This is significant because a "neutral" individual is not necessarily displaying no emotion; rather, they may be at a near-perfect interval between two opposing emotions. This enables SCP-8236 to cancel out contrasting emotions or, for example, create disgust in SCP-8236-A while storing pleasure in itself. Positive and negative emotions stored within SCP-8236 can be distinguished by their shade: a positive instance of an emotional spectrum will have a brighter or even reflective tint, whereas negative emotions are represented by darker, duller hues.
Addendum 8236.1: Notable Testing Logs
Test ID: #8236-1
SCP-8236-A: D-4378
Emotions extracted: Boredom, confusion, apathy.
Emotions implanted: Anger, terror.
Outcome: Immediately after putting on SCP-8236, D-4378 hurried toward the observation window of the testing chamber before hitting it with their fists in an attempt to break it, with an expression of hatred and desperation. D-4378 continued this behaviour for twenty minutes, shouting obscenities and displaying symptoms of severe stress. SCP-8236-A eventually stopped their assault and looked around in apparent confusion, which was then taken by SCP-8236 to leave D-4378 in a perfectly neutral state.
Notes: The anger and terror were the only emotions left in SCP-8236 after its retrieval; SCP-8236 gradually "spent" them in their entirety whilst retrieving the subject's natural emotions.
Test ID: #8236-2
SCP-8236-A: D-1526
Emotions extracted: Angst, uncertainty.
Emotions implanted: Boredom, confusion, apathy.
Outcome: D-1526, initially apprehensive about the test due to their past experiences with Foundation experimentation, quickly adopted a state of carelessness and ennui. They slumped against the wall in the corner of the testing chamber with their arms crossed, staring at the floor. During this time, the colour on the gemstone of SCP-8236 gradually shifted from a dull greenish-grey to a dark orange.
Notes: The colour change was presumably from SCP-8236 getting rid of excess emotion collected from the previous test in an attempt to free up "space" within itself. It used this additional emotional storage to obtain D-1526's angst and uncertainty - likely in order to manipulate its victims in the future.
Test ID: #8236-4
SCP-8236-A: D-2827
Emotions extracted: Hate.
Emotions implanted: Love, hate.
Outcome: Since their acquisition by the Foundation, D-2827 has demonstrated significant noncompliance and has attempted insurrection against the SCP Foundation on two occasions, injuring personnel in both. After threatening the attending researcher, D-2827 was ordered to don SCP-8236 under threat of termination - immediately after wearing the ring, D-2827's expression softened and they started weeping, explaining in a gentle voice that "[SCP-8236] made me realise I want to change". D-2827 offered to embrace an observing guard as a symbol of recompense; this was promptly rejected, upon which D-2827 shrieked unintelligibly and bolted towards the guard. D-2827 was non-fatally shot and is currently recovering.
Notes: SCP-8236 appears to have extracted enough hate to cause the levels of this emotion to go into the "negatives", i.e. turn into its opposite: love - it then used this new emotional state in an attempt to deceive nearby personnel of the non-hostility of SCP-8236-A and when this failed, utilised the collected hatred to cause D-2827 to attempt an attack on the attending guard.
Test ID: #8236-7
SCP-8236-A: D-5217
Emotions extracted: Surprise, shock.
Emotions implanted: None.
Outcome: D-5217 displayed a completely neutral attitude when prompted with various questions and statements and continued to stand still in the centre of the testing chamber, offering no resistance when SCP-8236 was removed.
Notes: The lack of instilled emotions in SCP-8236-A can be considered suspicious; testing to proceed with caution.
Test ID: #8236-8
SCP-8236-A: D-6627
Emotions extracted: Sorrow, despair.
Emotions implanted: None.
Outcome: Initially suffering from grief regarding the loss of their friend who was a fellow D-Class, D-6627 displayed total lack of discernible emotion when SCP-8236 was applied. When the ring was taken off, D-6627 resumed their prior emotional status.
Notes: See above test.
Test ID: #8236-13
SCP-8236-A: D-3570
Emotions extracted: None.
Emotions implanted: Surprise, shock, sorrow, despair, infatuation, bliss, jealousy, pride, annoyance… [10 further entries collapsed].
Outcome: After collecting various emotions from the previous tests and completely filling its gemstone with a myriad of colours, SCP-8236 rapidly lost all colouration and transfigured to a perfectly clear substance. All emotions had apparently been imposed upon SCP-8236-A at once, causing an epileptic seizure whilst D-3570 attempted to express the large range of conflicting emotions4 they received. The seizure lasted for three minutes and whilst not fatal, caused D-3570 to have moderate difficulty expressing emotions in the following weeks.
Notes: The abnormal behaviour of the above tests can be inferred to be SCP-8236 trying to save emotions for use in this test in an attempt to deliver maximum harm to SCP-8236-A. Testing to cease if this behaviour continues.
Addendum 8236.2: Incident 8236.1
During the 16th round of testing with SCP-8236, D-7521 was instructed to wear SCP-8236 on their finger; the anomaly promptly began siphoning the emotions of D-7521 and left them in a perfectly mundane state as seen previously. However, Dr. Ash, the observing researcher, quickly noted an oddity in SCP-8236: the colour of its gemstone had transfigured to an "indescribable" hue, replacing the expected grey colour of "numbness" that D-7521 had explained they were feeling prior to the test.
This new colour represented an anomalous, pretermemetic5 emotion termed SCP-8236-α that negated the possibility of direct description, yet when SCP-8236 implanted it in D-7521, attending personnel could find themselves able to replicate it. Dr. Ash was subject to the memetic component of the new emotion, and after other staff confirmed the relative lack of memetic virulency, attempted to describe SCP-8236-α using the following descriptors:
- "It was like remembering the future6. Or maybe diving into the past."
- "It gave me a sensation of vertigo, but not in a physical way. And it wasn't a bad thing, either"
- "After that, I just feel like there's something greater out there. Far above us."
Dr. Ash also commented:
"What if we've been thinking about it wrong all this time? What if it isn't malicious - it just doesn't understand human emotions? Perhaps SCP-8236 experiences a different set of emotional states - and SCP-8236-α was one of those that it wanted to share?"
Due to his newfound ability to experience SCP-8236-α at will, and because of the potential for emotional virulency when interacting with others, Dr. Ash is to remain in indefinite memetic quarantine.