 Item number SCP-315. Object Class. Safe. Special Containment Procedures. Object does not require any special storage arrangements. However, it is currently kept in an opaque cardboard box, away from strong light or heat sources, under the assumption that this will slow the natural decay of any stored data on the object. Description. Object consists of a set of 95 standard 8.5 gigabyte recordable DVD format discs, arranged in a stack on a black plastic spindle. Examination of the label side of each disc reveals no manufacturer's name. Printed into each matte label is the title POC 1 slash 1. Beneath this, each disc carries a unique symbol or glyph. No two discs carry the same symbol. On examination of the data side of the disc, it can be seen that each disc has already been fully written with data. Placing the disc into a computer or DVD player reveals that it is a standard encoded video disc. Playing the disc results in one of two effects, depending on whether it is a previously watched disc or an unwatched one. If an unwatched disc is played in a DVD player, the video begins. The scene displayed is a well-furnished living room, with a chair in the center. Sitting in the chair is a Caucasian male, SCP-3151, appearing to be around 40 years old. SCP-3151 will then demonstrate the ability to react to and converse with anyone watching the video feed. SCP-3151 will respond to any questions put to him, appears to be able to see the environment outside of the video screen, and appears to enjoy discussions and debates with viewers. If a disc that has already been viewed is viewed again, the disc will simply repeat the footage that was seen the first time. SCP-3151 will not react to the viewer's actions, nor deviate at all from the previous viewing. A disc, once played, always contains the same footage, regardless of who is watching it. The only way to communicate with SCP-3151 is to insert a disc that has never been watched. Given that there are 95 discs, each containing three hours of video, it follows that SCP-3151 has an effective lifespan of 285 hours, or 11.8 days, not including footage that has already been watched. It should also be noted that SCP-315 is not the complete set of discs. Five others are known to exist. It is known that all missing discs have already been fully viewed. SCP-3151 is cognizant of the nature of his own existence. When questioned, he is aware that he is being displayed on a television screen or monitor, and can reliably identify the type, size, and color of the device on which he is shown. When directly asked about his specific nature, however, SCP-3151 will not give a straight answer, preferring to draw the viewer into a discussion or debate. It is not clear whether SCP-3151 is withholding information about his origin, or whether he is uncertain himself. He claims the former, stating that to tell us everything would, spoil the game. He neither demonstrates nor admits to any unhappiness with his situation, nor his short lifespan. SCP-3151 retains memory between discs. If one viewer interacts with an unwatched disc, then switches to another disc, SCP-3151 will recognize the viewer and refer to a previous conversation. SCP-3151 has even shown signs of developing a rapport and friendship, with those researchers who have spent a lot of time talking with him. Document 315A. A collection of relevant excerpts from interviews with SCP-3151. Recommended reading for familiarization with this subject. Interviewed. SCP-3151. Interviewer. Dr. Forward. Primary examination of SCP-315. Discovery of SCP-3151. Disc watched. One. Gliff. Data expunged. Begin log. Doctor. This is Dr. Preliminary investigation for possible classification of 315. Subject looks to be just a regular stack of DVDs. I'm going to take the first one and investigate it on a detached computer. Let's get a close-up on that symbol. Can you see that? It looks like data expunged. Doctor. Oh, it's a video disc. I'll just play it. 15 seconds of silence. It's just a man sitting there. SCP-3151. Hello? Doctor. Oh, he's talking. SCP-3151. Yes, I am. Doctor. I... what? SCP-3151. I am talking. You're right. End log. Interviewed. SCP-3151. Interviewer. Dr. Disc watched. Four. Gliff. Data expunged. Begin log. Doctor. Can you remember what we talked about last time? SCP-3151. Last time. On the last disc you mean? Doctor. That's what I meant. Yes. Is that how you measure time? Per disc. SCP-3151. No, not really. I measure it in minutes. Same as you. Doctor. Can you tell me what the time is now? Where you are? SCP-3151. Sure, it's pfft on pfft. Redacted times were consistent with actual time of interview. End log. Interviewed. SCP-3151. Interviewer. Dr. Forward. Doctor. First assigned to project. Given goal of establishing a psychological profile of SCP-3151 and to determine if possible its origin and nature. Disc watched. Seven. Gliff. Data expunged. Begin log. SCP-3151. Well then, try coming at it from a different angle. Doctor. Like what? SCP-3151. Well, for example, let's say that there's nothing at all paranormal or unusual about these discs. Let's say they're ordinary DVDs with ordinary unchanging video data on them. Doctor. Well, the video data does change. SCP-3151. Does it? Doctor. Yeah. When I talk, you know what I've said and make a relevant answer. When we play the disc again, it's that same answer, so it's permanently changed. SCP-3151. My point is that you can't tell it's changed if you don't know what was on it before. It could be that the disc always had that answer on it. Doctor. That's impossible. SCP-3151. Says the Foundation employee to the SCP. Doctor. For that to work, for the discs to all be pre-recorded, you'd have to know what I was going to say and do exactly years before I did it. SCP-3151. I suppose I would. I'd need to be a pretty decent psychic in Clairvoyant, though, or have some kind of future extrapolation device. That would be improbable, but not impossible from a mathematical standpoint. Doctor. Sufficiently improbable that I'd sooner believe the impossible. SCP-3151. Or how about this? I could be from the future. I know what you're going to say because I have the records you're making and can respond accordingly. Doctor. That makes no sense at all. It'd be unimaginably paradoxical. SCP-3151. Yeah, you're right, actually. The other problem, of course, is that I have very little motive to record 10 or so days' worth of video just to screw with some SCP employees. Doctor. So we've made no progress whatsoever. SCP-3151. Well, that's not entirely true. You've got some more ideas in your head about how these DVDs work, whether they're right or wrong. You have some new things to try and disprove. And log. Interviewed. SCP-3151. Interviewer. Doctor. Forward. Doctor. Fourth three hour conversation with SCP-3151. Disc watched. 11. Glyph. Data expunged. Begin log. SCP-3151. I wonder what would happen if you were to throw one of the discs away. Doctor. You wonder. I'll bet you know exactly what happens. SCP-3151. Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm just wondering how you'd react to it. Doctor. What do you mean? SCP-3151. Well, I was just thinking about our little discussions about what these discs are, whether I'm really a conscious entity with an unusual way of existing, or whether you're talking to an impossible tape recording. Doctor. So you're saying I couldn't throw a disc away because it might be needlessly shortening the lifespan of a living thing. SCP-3151. No. I mean it the other way. You couldn't throw a disc away because it might be a prediction. You'd have to know if the prediction was accurate, whether the person who recorded the disc knew that you would throw one away and knew exactly which one. And then, once you'd exhausted all the other discs, you'd have to find the last one. Because if they knew one disc was going to be discarded, mightn't that be the one they recorded an answer on? Doctor. Make your choice, adventurous stranger. Strike the bell and bide the danger. Or wonder, till it drives you mad. What would have followed if you had? SCP-3151. Sounds about right. Doctor. I still don't believe your pre-recorded bulls***, by the way. It'd be easy for you to prove it, and I know you'd love to lord it over me. SCP-3151. I've got a comeback, Doctor. But it's the end of the disc. End log. Addendum 31501. Experimented to see how SCP-3151 responds to basic video playback functions. Pause. Entire scene paused, including SCP-3151. When resumed, SCP-3151 was able to tell that he had been paused. SCP-3151 then demonstrated the ability to respond when resumed to questions that had been asked during the pause. Rewind. Entire scene rewound, including SCP-3151. When resumed, DVD played back SCP-3151's side of previous discussion. SCP-3151 did not respond to questioning until video had once again reached the furthest watched point. He then resumed normal conversation, and requested not to be rewound again. Fast forward. Whole scene fast forwarded, including SCP-3151, who sat still during sped-up play. SCP-3151 picked up conversation immediately afterward, and requested not to be fast forwarded again. Slow forward. SCP-3151 was able to react to conversation during slow play, but was slowed down himself. When normal playback resumed, he identified that he had been in slow motion, but noted that it made no perceivable difference to him. Addendum 31502. Attempted to copy one of the unwatched DVDs. Was unsuccessful. Disc contains some form of copy protection that nobody seems to be able to break. SCP-3151 showed awareness of this attempt when next consulted, and made reference to cheating. Addendum 31503. SCP-3151 made reference to discs possibly being pre-recorded. To attempt to disprove, played a disc out of sequence, i.e., played a disc from the middle of the pile, rather than in the top-to-bottom order previously used. No apparent effect. SCP-3151 was still able to tell the current real-world time, conversed normally, complimented researcher on guile. Addendum 31504. Further attempt to prove or disprove pre-recording theory. A pseudo-random number generator was used. Displayed number to television screen. SCP-3151 was able to read out the number. If video is pre-recorded, the algorithm used for event prediction is almost impossibly accurate. Seems far more likely that effect is due to some paranormal phenomenon in the discs themselves, although further suggestions to try and prove either hypothesis are encouraged. Dr. Pryd's note. I don't like this conclusion at all. Without the ability to copy the disc, though, I can think of no way to prove either one hypothesis or the other. There are more important things to worry about at the foundation, but this one keeps tugging at the back of my brain. Addendum 31505. Two DVD players set up in separate areas. One randomly selected unwatched DVD placed in each player. Both discs played simultaneously to two separate researchers. Each instance of SCP-3151 engaged in a separate conversation with each researcher. Both instances also showed awareness of the other conversation and were able to transfer a message from one researcher to another. Addendum 31506. Two DVD players set up in the same room, played to two researchers sitting side by side. Dual instances of SCP-3151 able to communicate both with researchers and with each other, creating a four-way conversation. When asked whether they were two separate entities or one entity controlling both instances, the SCP-3151s were either unable or unwilling to give an answer. Dr. Ward's note. This is driving me up the damn wall. I'm taking myself off this project for the moment. No psych evaluation required. I'm just getting stressed out trying to figure out how the damn discs work. Addendum 31507. Experiment undertaken to disprove the hypothesis that discs are manufactured in the future based on SCP conversation records. An unwatched disc was placed in a player, watched by Dr. and logged by researcher. Researcher was asked to periodically record conversations incorrectly, logging fabricated questions and answers for both Dr. and SCP-3151. All accurate records of the conversation, including the disc itself, were subsequently expunged and experiment participants induced to forget which parts of the record were fabricated. Inaccurate reports filed away as normal. Results. SCP-3151 continued normal conversation with subject, giving no fabricated answers or statements inappropriate to actual conversation. Dr. Ward's note. Couldn't stay away, but I at least have a decent reason for coming back. This proves that the discs are not scripted conversations of future origin derived from our records. It's not a huge breakthrough, but God, am I glad to have finally disproved something. Lesson complete. If you missed the previous orientation, go watch SCP-314, Motion Seeking Blade, right now. Or for the complete course, watch this playlist.