Dark Candles

The Dark Candles are hazardous items, classed as 1f.

Location
The remaining instances of the Dark Candles are to be kept in an airtight box, 6cm high, 20cm wide, and 10cm long. This is in turn to be kept submerged in water, contained within a dark room of the Secure Storage area of Hazard Zone 1. Personnel without at least Level 4 Clearance are not to enter the containment area.

Attributes
When unused or while burning, these items are unremarkable tallow-based candles. It is possible to destroy them, though destroying an active sample causes the same effects as letting it go out naturally. In a laboratory environment, combustion lasts 109 minutes, 28 seconds. Chemical analysis has provided no anomalous results, though use of tallow has declined in favour of paraffin or stearin, indicating that they are from before the ninteenth century (Paraffin first having been distilled in 1830).

If one is allowed to burn out, it will do so rapidly. Following this, all light in the previously illuminated area will cease to exist, regardless of whether it was the prevalent light source. Lights disabled are no longer usable, damaged physically to prevent illumination.

Addendum:

Testing Log CCC-01a Setup: Three 10,000,000 candle-power incandescent flashlights pointed at the items. Result: As the Dark Candle extinguished, all illumination failed. Examination revealed their filaments to have degraded and fallen apart.

Testing Log CCC-01b Setup: Four LED televisions surrounding the candle Result: All televisions failed. Examination revealed their circuitry to have burnt out.

Testing Log CCC-01c Setup: 80 specimens of Lampyris Noctiluca, the common European glowworm, placed around candle. Result: All glowworms stopped emitting light at the same time. Examination revealed them all to have died, their abdomens rupturing.

Testing Log CCC-02 Setup: A flashlight was set to begin illumination 0.1 seconds after the candle extinguished. Result: Flashlight turned on as normal.

Testing Log CCC-05 Setup: An instance of the candle allowed to burn in the open, during the daytime. Result: Apparent eclipse lasting 145 seconds, which then passed. Stars were still observable during this event.

''Note: Who the [EXPLETIVE] allowed this? Bring him to my office. Now. -Dr. McGregor ''