Item #: SCP-3931

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: All non essential Foundation operations are to cease, effective immediately. Proposals for the neutralization of SCP-3931 are no longer being accepted.

All Foundation outposts should follow standard abandon-in-place XK procedures.

Description: SCP-3931 is an ongoing thaumaturgical ritual capable of targeting all living organisms in the observable universe. The effects of SCP-3931 are believed to be fatal and catastrophic at this time. The origin of SCP-3931 and related thaumaturgical rites remain inconclusive.

A timeline of events relating to SCP-3931 has been compiled below.

Date
Event

05/10/2024
The Global Occult Coalition discovers SCP-3931. D.C al Fine claims that efforts to destroy the anomaly via counter rituals failed. Emergency communications ensue between the Council of 108 and O5 Command.

06/10/2024
Foundation and GOC thaumaturgical specialists determine the nature of SCP-3931: it targets organisms which are stationary and eliminates them via cremation. Though the workings of such a ritual are not yet fully understood, the Foundation Thaumaturgy Department reports that SCP-3931 is actively undergoing an activation period and is 95% likely to fully execute on 14/10/2024. Research into a means to halt SCP-3931 begins.

07/10/2024
Positive-aligned GOIs are informed of the situation and aid is requested. The GOC still refuses to elaborate on the discovery of SCP-3931, and thus O5-2 and O5-7 propose to launch an investigation into the GOC. The motion passes unanimously and a provisional task force is assembled by 17:45.

08/10/2024
The US DOD PENTAGRAM sector and The British Supernatural Intelligence Service1 offer assistance. Other GOIs who were contacted the previous day have either not replied or are unable to help. Meanwhile, Foundation investigations have begun and several insiders at the GOC are contacted.

09/10/2024
Investigations reveal that SCP-3931 was developed by the GOC. D.C al Fine confirms this; the GOC intended to use a related ritual as a weapon to eliminate selected targets such as reality benders. An error in testing resulted in the current situation, where an incorrect incantation was performed and SCP-3931 manifested. O5 Command and MI666 Directors express anger but eventually agree to cooperate with the GOC under the interests of averting a K-Class Scenario.

10/10/2024
PENTAGRAM Director Rowan Barichello leaks information regarding SCP-3931. Several Groups of Interest express their concerns, some begin to panic and others take the situation as an opportunity to wreak havoc. Director Barichello intends to disband Veil Operations (and thus, the International Veil Agreement) by issuing emergency broadcasts across the United States. GOC intervention via assassination succeeds and the situation is deemed clear at 14:29. GOC-Foundation research teams are still unable to develop a method of neutralizing SCP-3931. After much internal debate, the Foundation and GOC agree to contact the Serpent's Hand for help.

11/10/2024
Several governments are informed of the current SCP-3931 situation by numerous GOIs. Only two nations agree not to inform their citizens of the situation at hand. O5-11 announces that the Veil is at a critical state; InfoSec efforts are hindered by several nations. Attempts to shut down social media and telephone lines only prolong the inevitable Broken Masquerade Scenario. Although the Veil is soon lifted, the public at large still remains sceptical. At this time, SCP-3931 documentation is declassified for all Foundation personnel. Neutralization proposals are opened to all levels of staff but efforts to halt SCP-3931 are still largely unsuccessful. Despite previously being calm, global panic ensues after a PENTAGRAM information leak occurs at the US Pentagon. The information not only defines thaumaturgy and discusses the properties of SCP-3931, but it also reveals several GOIs and anomalies to the international community, including the Foundation itself. Social media is restored some time after 22:00 per requests from several anomalous and non-anomalous entities.

12/10/2024
O5-6 is asked to appear to the public in London to quell the fear of the impending XK Scenario. The event is a failure. MI666 later announces that it is no longer able to support the Foundation due to the rise of anomalous groups in the nation2. Site-01's Contingency Sector indicates that several developing nations are at a critical state. A nuclear standoff between the US and North Korea3 begins some time after 21:00 but the situation resolves itself with minimal intervention. At 23:52, O5-13 states that the situation has been averted. The public is not informed of this.

13/10/2024
O5-2 announces on the newly verified Foundation Twitter account that no further efforts to stop SCP-3931 would be made. Public outcry worsens; the GOC refuses to make a public statement. Walkathons and hiking trails are setup by remaining authorities as a means to survive after full activation of SCP-3931. By continuously walking, it is believed that individuals can prolong their death4. Contact is finally established with the Serpent's Hand, who refuses to help the Foundation unless O5 Command agrees to grant them, as well as several anomalies, amnesty. Debate amongst the O5 Council is lengthy, and by the time a consensus is made, remaining Serpent's Hand members have already evacuated to the Wanderer's Library. Approximately an hour later, at 16:17, all Foundation personnel are given the option to abandon their posts.

14/10/2024
Foundation sites initiate abandon-in-place procedures and all sites are locked down by 06:00. Following this, Site-01 becomes the only active Foundation site, with the exception of orbital and lunar sites5. A letter addressed to the O5 Council from Wilson's Wildlife Solutions arrives at Site-19, but there are no personnel remaining at the location. The O5 Council spends the next three hours attempting to establish communications with Tim Wilson to no avail. Remaining Foundation staff are invited to Site-01. See Addendum for further information.

Addendum: Aftermath

On 14/10/2024, a final meeting was organized at Site-01 with all remaining Foundation staff. Due to a major loss in personnel and resources, no plan was put in place to survive the expected XK Scenario.

However, no casualties were reported. With staff in disarray, the remnants of the Thaumaturgy Department immediately conducted analysis of SCP-3931 - it had activated as expected, but did not affect any organisms on earth. By 16/10/2024, the GOC similarly reported no casualties.

The following address was given by O5-1 shortly thereafter:

[O5-1 sighs.]

I don't know what to say really.

I suppose I'll start with an explanation. In all honesty, I have no idea why we're not dead yet. Nobody really knows for sure. Right now, we think it's because the, uh, parameters of 3931 are pretty unclear. It just kills anyone who is stationary, but doesn't specify anything beyond that. Technically, we're constantly moving thanks to the earth's rotation and orbit. The origins of 3931, while kind of vague, date a long way back. Those who made the spell probably didn't think, or didn't know, about orbits, so yeah, kudos to science. We usually try to maintain normalcy but I think this time normalcy saved our asses.

With that out of the way I just… I just want to say that I'm sorry. O5-12 actually suggested that this might happen but at the time we couldn't risk having 3931 activate. We have all lost friends, colleagues and even family, because we— because I have failed you all. I knew there was a chance this whole thing with 3931 would flop but I was still so absorbed, trying to stop it. I was too blinded by my own tunnel vision to fully realize just how bad things had gotten around the world.

We could have kept things under wraps. Everyone - supposedly - would have passed away peacefully without even knowing that 3931 existed. If we had kept this whole thing a secret, most of you here wouldn't have met the Council today. Most of you wouldn't even be here at Site-01 right now; you'd probably be having drinks with your friends, or maybe going for a date with that researcher you've liked for a while, or maybe you'd be with your kids at home. Instead, we failed in one of our most valued operations: informational security.

I wish I had some grand speech or amazing plan to rebuild and put us back up there but I don't. I really don't. What do we even do now? Sure, 3931 didn't kill everyone but it sure as hell did a great job of ending the world. Just being aware of an XK level threat was enough to ruin everything.

[O5-1 clears their throat. Paper can be heard rustling for a moment.]

I don't know what the hell happens next, but we'll try to do what we've always done.

And hopefully, the next XK threat will actually destroy us, ahead of our own self-destruction.

Footnotes

1. Informally known as MI666.

2. GOI Diplomats from Site-48 establish contact several hours later, thanking the organization on the O5 Council's behalf.

3. The conflict began after US PENTAGRAM officials used North Korea as a scapegoat for the creation of SCP-3931.

4. In some regions, bicycles are offered. The use of vehicles is also suggested by numerous organizations and individuals, however, most populaces are unable to use roadways or have no way to access fuel supply at this point in time.

5. Due to the severity of the situation, the Department of Astronomy was unable to retrieve personnel who were deployed at these sites. O5-5 later expresses her gratitude to those stationed at these locations.