SCP-1042
Ghost Stone
Special Containment Procedures
SCP-1042 is to be contained in a standard EM shielded anomalous materials storage locker. When testing, precautions with equipment should be taken as the object has been noted to affect electrical devices.
Description
SCP-1042 is a standard brick used in foundation construction, typical of homes built in the Victorian era. Analysis has shown that SCP-1042 has similar composition to those made in ███████ during ██████, though closer inspection shows an unusual latticework structure on a molecular level. When introduced to low level electromagnetic fields or struck with a ferrous object, 3-dimensional visual and auditory "projections" of past events appear. These projections are frequently accompanied by the entity designated SCP-1042-1.
History:
The Historical Society of ███████████████ had taken ownership of a local mansion, the site of a notorious murder, and was giving guided "ghost tours" of the grounds. The original owner of the house, Mr. ████████ ███████████, the town's "land baron," was accused of murdering a maidservant in 18██ but was acquitted of the charges. After the trial, ███████████'s wife removed herself and their children from the area, and he became a recluse before finally committing suicide in the house 3 years later. Since then, owners and staff reported seeing multiple apparitions in and around the manor of the original family and staff, images of themselves performing mundane tasks (labelled by tour-guides as "doppelgängers"), and sightings of "The Black Monk" (now believed to be SCP-1042-1). Frequency of these sightings tended to increase during thunderstorms. In 19██, an electrician wiring the house to the town's new electrical grid scraped a screwdriver across the exposed blocks of the cellar, and was greeted with the image of the house's original owner murdering the maid in a reenactment of the 18██ event. The apparitions showed no acknowledgement of the electrician and faded after approximately 5 minutes.
Procurement:
Posing as safety inspectors, Foundation agents were able to procure SCP-1042 using "foundation maintenance" as a cover story. The brick was located using a standard electro-magnetic field meter. Agents replaced it with a duplicate of equal proportions, as well as structurally bolstering the foundations of the building to avoid arousing suspicion.
In experiments with SCP-1042, it has been determined that sights and sounds of people or objects moving around the object are recorded for later playback. It does not appear to record inactivity, only motion. Playback of events varies in fidelity; most images are transparent and have a blurred effect, audio has noticeable interference described by observers as "metallic scraping" or "stone grinding on stone". When a low-level current is applied to the block, the effects gain much in clarity. Recorded events can be projected by introducing an EM field, or by striking or scraping the block with a steel or iron object; specific events can be chosen for playback by altering the strength of the EM field, the force of the strike, or a combination of both.
The following is a selection of the more notable tests with SCP-1042. The full testing log is available as document SCP-1042-L1