Object #: SCP-507-FR
Threat Level: Yellow ● Green●
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: Instances of SCP-507-FR are contained at their original locations, at various spots in streets and parks of Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Rennes, as well as various other cities in France. See Addendum SCP-507-FR-12-b for a detailed list of their locations. SCP-507-FR must be monitored under the following procedures:
- 5% of instances (rounded down) of SCP-507-FR must be chosen for surveillance each day. That surveillance may be carried out in person, by an agent sent on location, or by camera.
- Agents may be assigned to watching for and reporting incidents that are potentially linked to instances of SCP-507-FR. They are allowed to take erasing and disinformation measures if necessary. Notably, C-Class amnestics must be administered to each and any individual involved in an incident and, if need be, to people who have been in contact and have exchanged information with them.
- In case of an augmentation of instances of SCP507-FR beyond a certain threshold (currently 410), additional instances may be delocalised for containment at Site-Kybian.
Description: SCP-507-FR is a collective designation for a group of objects (currently 358), referred to in the rest of the document as instances of SCP-507-FR, spread throughout thepublic spaces of several French cities (notably Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Lille, which concentrates 62,3% of instances).
Each instance of SCP-507-FR is a public bench with wrought-iron legs and wooden seat and backrest. The wood planks have an abnormally high thermal conductivity1. Usually, in its so-called "passive" state, the temperature of an instance is slightly higher than a normal wooden bench's, and its touch is less hard and rough. An anomalous influence effect induces users to find the instances of SCP-507-FR "comfortable" and "handy".
However, if at least two of the following conditions are met, the instance will switch to an "active" state:
- The sun has completely set below the skyline (as seen by someone sat on the bench)
- At least one individual is lying down on the bench
- At least one individual touching the bench has no proof of address and does not meet criteria for providing one, or has a residence but does no longer meet housing criteria.
As soon as less than two of these conditions are met, the instance returns to its passive state.
In its active state, the instance of SCP-507-FR induces users to think it uncomfortable. The wood that the seat and backrest are made of hardens and becomes rugged, creaky and likely to break into splinters. If it hasn't returned to its passive state within ten minutes, its temperature begins to quickly drop to 7°C.
Instances of SCP-507-FR have been supplied to the French Government by Marshall, Carter & Dark Ltd. (see Addendum 1) starting from September 2016, and subsequently installed from October 23rd, 2016, within the scope of several operation of street furniture modernization, which included non-anomalous equipment as well. For a complete chronology of events and incidents linked to SCP-507-FR, please refer to Addendum 2.
Addendum 1: Letter from Samuel Josse, spokesperson for Marshall, Carter & Dark Ltd., addressed to the French Government
Dear ████,
I have excellent news to give! We finished organizing the production line for the product you requested, and will be able to start supplying them as soon as the beginning of next month. Moreover, the benches work perfectly, and in exact conformity with your requirements. Let me tell you implementing legal conditions was no easy task! But we take pride in satisfying our clients, and are convinced you will be quite pleased your order.
I invite you to visit our premises so you may verify that the benches are in accordance to your expectations, make a final decision as to their appearance (we are aware of how much you care about highlighting your beautiful city by taking care of its public spaces) but also, I'm afraid, to renegotiate the price of rental (as paragraph 7 of our contract allows us). It seems indeed that the benches will require more maintenance as was initially anticipated, which very unfortunately leads us to raising the monthly tariff. I have no doubt you understand our situation.
With deepest sincerity and sentiment,
Samuel Josse.
Addendum 2: Chronological perspective of SCP-507-FR
For easier reading, Addenda 3 to 6 have been included at the relevant points.
Dates are in dd/mm/yyyy format
23/10/2016 - Installation of the first SCP-507-FR instance at the ██████ ███ █████████, in Paris. 87 more instances are the installed between the 24th of October and the 8th of November in various French cities.
11/11/2016 - Discovery of SCP-507-FR by the SCP Foundation, thanks to an infiltrated agent set up in a refuge in Lille.
12/11/2016 - The SCP Foundation contacts the French Government to obtain explanations before undertaking containment of SCP-507-FR instances. No answer is given.
14/11/2016 - Still no answer from the French Government. The source of SCP-507-FR is traced back to Marshall, Carter and Dark, Ltd. Containment of SCP-507-FR is Le confinement de SCP-507-FR postponed for lack of information on its functioning.
16/11/2016 - First incident proven to be linked to SCP-507-FR: death of Simon Lefèvre dur to severe hypothermia.
17/11/2016 - The French Government answers, citing its right to manage, including by exploiting and creating, anomalies on its territory.
18/11/2016 - Second incident proven t be linked to SCP-507-FR: death of Adélaïde Ndi due to severe hypothermia.
20/11/2016 - Publication in the independent newspaper ██ ██████ of an article about the death of Simon Lefèvre. No mention is made of anomalous phenomenon, and the article was thus not censored.
21/11/2016 - Third incident proven to be linked to SCP-507-FR, followed by eight others in the same week. Simultaneously, reports of the first sightings of graffiti and stickers on instances of SCP-507-FR and the non-anomalous, but visually identical, benches that were installed at the same time by the cities in question.
28/11/2016 - During the week, until 4th of December 2016, 13 incidents linked to SCP-507-FR are logged, bringing the death total to 24. It is presumed that this number is an underestimate; however, there is no supported conjecture as to the margin of difference. Two direct witnesses are found and interrogated.
05/12/2016 - 16 incidents caused by instances of SCP-507-FR in the week from the 5 to the 11 of December.
08/12/2016 - Representatives of the Administration of Paris, invited in various local and national media, congratulated themselves for the decrease in homeless people in the streets of Paris, giving the credit to vocational rehabilitation policies. No mention is made of the increase in deaths.
12/12/2016 - 19 incidents caused by instances of SCP-507-FR in the week from the 12 to the 18 of December. The containment operation for SCP-507-FR is ready to be deployed.
15/12/2016 - The SCP-507-FR recuperation operation, disguised as acts of destruction of public furniture by delinquent factions, starts. One (1) instance is acquired before an intervention of the GIGN★ cuts the operation off.
17/12/2016 - The French Government and several other European states (notably including the United Kingdom, Ireland and Swiss) contact the SCP Foundation, threatening to withdraw funds should a new attempt be made to contain SCP-507-FR. All such attempts are adjourned for an indefinite period.
18/12/2016 - Opening of negotiations with the French Government and Marshall, Carter & Dark, Ltd. about the containment of SCP-507-FR.
Note of 24/12/2016:
Good evening,
as the outcome of negotiations with Marshall, Carter & Dark and the French Government, partial containment measures have been implemented in situ. The SCP Foundation allows itself this special status for that anomaly because its effects are inconsequential and easily attributable to natural causes. By mutual agreement, the three organisations decided new conatinment procedures were optimal, the objects furthermore presenting a relatively low dangerous nature. The addendum 2 shows erroneous information pertaining to the incidents linked to SCP-507-FR, as it is difficult to guarantee the instances are the cause. Moreover, the relevance of other addenda is quastionable, as these present a biased vision in contradiction with the values of the SCP Foundation. This report will thus be adequately edited.
The O5 Council wishes you a merry Christmas.
O5-8.