SCP-452

Item #: SCP-452

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-452 is to be contained in a stainless steel lockbox, supplied with enough materials to construct three additional locks. The container is to be stored in a security-locked room in the Astrophysics Department of Site-77, and only the senior research staff of Site-77 are allowed entrance to it. SCP-452 may only be studied by personnel with Level 3 or higher clearance for SCP objects.

No experimentation with the object outside of approved testing procedures is permitted under any circumstances. Violation of this instruction will result in termination of all Foundation personnel involved in the violation.

Description: SCP-452 is a stainless steel lockbox, with a large padlock (which meets Foundation specifications for Type II) and two keys. The two keys are identical in color, texture, and weight to the key for regular household use.

Any person who attempts to open the container using the key assigned to 'normal' household usage will be unable to disengage it from the lock. The reason for this anomaly is unknown; every attempt thus far has failed after up to 6 minutes of effort.

An individual attempting to open SCP-452 with a key assigned to 'heirloom' usage will have no difficulty unlocking the lock. The mechanism remains unchanged between these two types of keys, and attempts to remove the token by those other than who originally designed it have remained unsuccessful.

SCP-452 was recovered by agent ████ ████ on █/█/1999 at an auction in ██████████, Germany. The agent had come across SCP-452 while investigating reports of villagers physically attacking those selling items at local auctions. After discovering that several persons had been killed as a result of 'heirloom' key attacks, experimentation was initiated to determine the cause.

Document 451-1: Test Log

Testing has shown that SCP-452 can only be opened by one specific type of key, assigned to "heirloom" usage. No other keys will work on it. Subject ████ is instructed to attempt opening SCP-452 with an ordinary housekey he has been given (a replacement should be produced after experimentation is completed), which cannot be opened or removed from SCP-452. The results of this test are recorded below. Additional tests involving SCP-452 and alternate means of opening can be found on file 451-1.

Addendum 451-1: Interview

Interviewed: SCP-452

Interviewer: Dr. ██████

Foreword: The following interview was conducted to determine the cause of SCP-452\'s anomalous properties. No questions related to its classification as a certain type of object have been included.

Dr. ██████: Good afternoon, SCP-452. How are you feeling today?

SCP-452: I\'m fine. Why do you ask?

Dr. ██████: We\'re conducting tests to determine why you won\'t open for normal keys.

SCP-452: Why won\'t I open for normal keys?

Dr. ██████: We\'re going to try different ones to see if any will work on you.

SCP-452: Trying different ones is not going to help. Why is this test called "heirloom key" anyway?

Dr. ██████: It\'s one of the keys that used to open it originally. It\'s supposed to be one of the more difficult keys to break into, for some reason.

SCP-452: I don\'t understand. If it\'s supposed to be difficult, why are you trying it? Why can\'t you just use a key that opens it normally?

Dr. ██████: We wouldn\'t know how to do that. We\'d have to try something else first. And anyway, we need your help with this experiment. This is important to the Foundation, and we can\'t make mistakes here.

SCP-452: Alright, alright. Just give me some time to think about it a little bit, all right?

Closing Statement: SCP-452 remained cooperative throughout the remainder of the interview, and requested no further tests be made on it until SCP-452 had been returned to its containment chamber.