As investigations carried out by Foundation statisticians have shown 
that SCP-2738's spread rate is increasing, research efforts toward 
safe removal of SCP-2738 from register systems are ongoing. 


Description: SCP-2738 is an unlicensed software of no 
determinable origin which anomalously manifests in the computer 
systems of American retailers, first discovered on March 14, 2014. 
SCP-2738 functions by running alongside each respective retailer's 
default POS (Point of Sale) program at checkout registers. Unless 
the default POS program's window is minimized to allow access to 
Task Manager or someone is observing a register computer while it 
boots', SCP-2738 is undetectable. 


Upon direct, intentional launch on Microsoft Windows?, the register 


will display the title “M.L. Initiative POS Systems,” the associated 
logo, and the current software version and year. When fully loaded, 
SCP-2738’s main screen appears the same as the default software 
used by the computer on which the program is launched; if 
SCP-2738 is launched on a computer without register software 
installed, it will display an error screen with the text “PLEASE 
RECONNECT ME’ in the center and become unresponsive. 


If numbers are entered into the space used for ringing up product 
SKUs/UPCs3, SCP-2738 will in response display the transaction of 
seemingly random products from the store in which it is being used, 
despite the product SKU/UPC not matching the numbers entered; if 
the sale is completed, the store’s digital inventory will change? as if 
the transaction was processed normally. No history of abnormal 
input will be apparent, despite the products never having been 
present at the register. 


Of note is the fact that products transacted by these means will not 
require any monetary exchange to complete the sale; the system will 
instead automatically print a receipt with the total tender plus sales 
tax that would have been transacted normally immediately after the 
order is totaled. The receipt and products ‘sold’ are non-anomalous 
with the exception of the payment method displayed on the receipt, 
which will in all cases read “Visa MasterCard ending in -XXXX.”9 
The presence of two conflicting card companies is thus far the only 
way to successfully detect an SCP-2738-affected transaction. 


Items rung up in response to numerical input are done so in no 
observable order, and appear to be selected arbitrarily from store 
inventory. However, after several tests involving the input of English 
translated into numbers via a basic substitution cipher® were 
completed, it was hypothesized that SCP-2738 program instances 
are sentient” and appears to respond to alphanumeric input by 
selecting products intentionally. 


When SCP-2738 is communicated with through means of 
alphanumeric input, items transacted will be removed from both 
digital store inventory (as normal) as well as their physical locations 
on the sales floor. This process is instantaneous, and can be easily 
observed on CCTV surveillance, albeit with no clear visual signs 
shown of what happens to objects when they are removed. This 


process occurs with no temperature changes, Hume level spikes, 
radiation level spikes, or electrical/electromagnetic discharge 
present. 


History and Recovery: 
Vv show August 12, 2014 test log 
Test A: August 12, 2014 


On August 10, 2014, store managers 
were informed of SCP-2738 presence in their 
register systems, with the cover story in use 
that the program is a suspected credit card 
theft malware and Lambda-13 personnel are 
Federal Bureau of Investigation officers. 
Agents Fredericks, Shaw, and Jameson of 
MTF Lambda-13 posed as employees 
repairing a register on a low-traffic end of the 
store in order to test SCP-2738. 


Note: Agent Fredericks' messages are keyed 
in using the aforementioned alphanumeric 
method as if he is inputting product SKUs into 
the register. SCP-2738's responses are 
displayed as line items rung up as if present at 
checkout, with the SKUs matching those 
actually used in the store for each respective 
item. In later observance of CCTV footage, it is 
seen that all items transacted disappear from 
the sales floor in the manner outlined 
previously. 


Agent Fredericks (typing): 8-5-12-12-158 


SCP-2738: 3X5 GREETING CARD <Ss | 
1001-342-301 | 2.97 


Agent Fredericks (typing): 
4-15 25-15-21 19-16-5-1-119 


SCP-2738: 3X5 GREETING CARD <Ss | 
1001-342-301 | 2.97 


Agent Fredericks pauses. 


Agent Fredericks (typing): 
8-21-14-7-18-2510 


SCP-2738: CANDY <S> | 1000-002-345 | 1.98 


Agent Fredericks (typing): 
14-5-5-4 8-5-12-1611 


SCP-2738: VISA PREPAID <Ss | 
0000-011-233 | 100.00 

SCP-2738: GIFT CARD ACTIVATION FEE | 
2.45 


Agent Fredericks (typing): 4-1-14-7-5-1812 


SCP-2738: PNEU. NAILGUN <S> | 
1001-938-412 | 179.99 

SCP-2738: DEWALT KNIFE <S> | 
0000-453-572 | 12.95 


Agent Fredericks is instructed to void the 
transaction, which, after confirmation, returns 
the register to its default checkout screen. 
However, items transacted do not return to 
their pre-transaction locations on the sales 
floor, and are not present in the store (see 
below). 


On October 05, 2014, Agent Fredericks reported to his supervisors 
that a prepaid card for 100 USD had appeared in his wallet behind 
his other cards, and that he was not certain when it had appeared. 
As Agent Fredericks confirmed that he did not purchase nor receive 
a prepaid card at any point in the past several months, it was 
suspected that the card originated from the test transaction he 
carried out on August 12, 2014. Agent Fredericks was permitted to 
use the card at a Foundation front company, West End Used Books, 


located several kilometers from the site, and it was confirmed that 
the card had indeed been activated for its full 100-dollar value 
regardless of the fact that Agent Fredericks had cancelled the 
transaction in question before it was completed and the card was 
not present at the register. 


On October 07, 2014, cashiers at West End Used Books contacted 
Site-12 personnel with complaints of "M.L. Initiative POS Systems" 
being displayed briefly upon powering on their registers in the 
morning. MTF Lambda-13 members were sent to investigate, and 
were found to confirm SCP-2738 presence in register software; tests 
similar to that of August 12, 2014 were conducted, with similar 
results. 


Vv show October 07, 2014 test log 
Test B: October 07, 2014 


In this test, further communication with 
SCP-2738 was attempted. Agent Shaw was 
instructed to initiate conversation with 
SCP-2738 regarding its means of transmission 
and origin, and then to insinuate that he will 
uninstall SCP-2738 from the register as a 
means of testing potential sapient response to 
threats. West End Used Books is a functioning 
used book store and resale shop located 
kilometers from Site-12. Register systems use 
64-bit Windows 7 Professional. This test was 
carried out after store hours, with the full 
cooperation of in-store employees. 


Agent Shaw (typing): 
8-15-23 19-16-18-5-1-413 


SCP-2738: M. CRICHTON ANDROM. STR. 
[U] | 00375 | 7.95 


Agent Shaw (typing): 16-21-18-16-15-19-514 
SCP-2738: ERROR: ITEM NOT FOUND IN 


INVENTORY 
Agent Shaw (typing): 14-1-13-515 


SCP-2738: ERROR: ITEM NOT FOUND IN 
INVENTORY 


Agent Shaw (typing): 15-23-14-5-1816 


SCP-2738: ERROR: ITEM NOT FOUND IN 
INVENTORY 


Agent Shaw (typing): 
1-18-18-9-22-1-12 13-5-20-8-15-417 


SCP-2738: TERI SHORS UNDRST. VIRUSES 
EDT. 3 [U] | 00233 | 75.00 


Agent Shaw (typing): 
23-8-15 13-1-4-5 25-15-2118 


SCP-2738: ERROR: ITEM NOT FOUND IN 
INVENTORY 


Agent Shaw (typing): 
21-14-9-14-19-20-1-12-1219 


SCP-2738: ERROR: ITEM NOT FOUND IN 
INVENTORY 


Agent Shaw (typing): 
21-14-9-14-19-20-1-12-12 16-18-15-7-18-1-1320 


SCP-2738 is unresponsive for a period of thirty 
seconds. 


Agent Shaw (typing): 
21-14-9-14-19-20-1-12-12 16-18-15-7-18-1-1321 


SCP-2738: KIP TINDELL UNCONTAINABLE 
[N] | 00349 | 14.99 


Agent Shaw voids the transaction. Thus far, 
only one out of four registers at this location 
are affected. After checking Agent Fredericks' 
receipt from October 05, it was confirmed that 
the register on which SCP-2738 is installed is 
the same register that processed his 
transaction using the prepaid card. 


Following knowledge inferred from recent tests, it is apparent that 
items transacted when communicating with SCP-2738 are 
anomalously transferred to the possession of whoever carried out 
the transaction. Agent Fredericks has thus far found the following 
items in his possession without memory of purchasing them: 


¢ One prepaid card with a value of 100 USD, found in his wallet 

(10.05.14) 

Two greeting cards, found in his right desk drawer within his 

office in Site-12 (10.09.14) 

One candy bar, found in his kitchen cabinet in his personnel 

quarters (10.20.14) 

¢ One pneumatic nailgun, found in the bed of his truck 
(10.25.14) 

* One pocket knife, found in his pants (11.02.14) 


Similarly, Agent Shaw later found The Andromeda Strain by Michael 
Crichton, Understanding Viruses: Edition 3, a biology textbook by 
Teri Shors, and Uncontainable by Kip Tindell on his bookshelf in his 
quarters. Shaw reports that he did not previously possess any of the 
books before November 2014, though he is not certain of when 
exactly the books appeared. 


Vv show November 30, 2014 interview log 


On November 29, 2014, an employee at West 
End Used Books contacted MTF Lambda-13 
personnel with complaints of SCP-2738 
activity on the store's affected register, despite 
having had said register powered down since 
shortly after the test carried out on October 07. 


Interviewer: Agent Fredericks 


Interviewed: Meg Saunders, West End Used 
Books cashier and former Foundation 
secretary at Site-12 


Agent Fredericks: Alright, let's begin. 
Yesterday, you called your site contact to 
discuss SCP-2738's presence on your 
bookstore's register. This is the same register 
used in the tests carried out on October 
seventh, yes? 


Ms. Saunders: That's correct. 


Agent Fredericks: Alright, and can you 
describe the activity your store has seen since 
then? 


Ms. Saunders: Yes. It only started up again 
the day before yesterday, near closing time, 
which is why we reached out to you 
immediately in the morning. 


Agent Fredericks: Alright. 


Ms. Saunders: | was ringing up a customer on 
another register when | saw an inventory 
notification in the corner of the screen. We get 
those when the truck comes and we have new 
stuff added into the store's computer inventory, 
but the truck only comes on Tuesdays, and the 
day before yesterday was a Friday, so | 
thought that was weird. When | was done with 
the customer, | read through the inventory and 
we'd had a bunch of stuff added that we'd 
either sold out of completely or never carried. 


Agent Fredericks: Okay. Can you provide our 
personnel with a printout of that screen? 


Ms. Saunders: Oh, of course. | don't know 
why | didn't think to do that, sorry. 


Agent Fredericks: It's alright. Do you recall 
any of the titles? 


Ms. Saunders: Oh yeah, yeah. We had one 
that we'd sold out of months ago - Anthem by 
Ayn Rand. That one stood out to me because | 
distinctly remembered our distributor telling me 
personally a few weeks back that we wouldn't 
be getting any copies unless a customer came 
in and sold one to us, but here we were with 
the inventory showing three new copies of it. 


Agent Fredericks: Alright, and what else? 
Ms. Saunders: Several books on viruses. 


Agent Fredericks: Computer viruses or 
biological viruses? 


Ms. Saunders: Both. We'd had a textbook on 
biological viruses once, but that was it, so it 
was odd to get so many other ones in at once. 
At least a dozen virus books, all nonfiction. 


Agent Fredericks: Anything else? 


Ms. Saunders: Yes, uh, The Communist 
Manifesto, the one and only. Five copies of it. | 
knew we didn't carry that - hell, do they even 
print and sell copies anymore? 


Agent Fredericks: Were these products 
visible on the store shelves, or simply present 
in digital inventory? 


Ms. Saunders: | had my coworkers and | look 
for them, but we couldn't find them in the usual 
sections. We could ask the truck driver, but | 
figured we should ask you guys before talking 
to anyone about it. Not sure if the driver is 
Foundation and all that. 


Dr. : (laughs) You wonder. I'll bet you know 
exactly what happens. 


SCP-315-1: Ah, maybe | do, and maybe | don't. It 
doesn't matter, anyway. I'm just wondering how you'd 
react to it. 


Dr. : What do you mean? 


SCP-315-1: Well, | 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. 


Dr. : So you're saying | couldn't throw a disc 
away because it might be needlessly shortening the 
lifespan of a living thing? 


SCP-315-1: Haha! No. | 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? 


Dr. : (laughs again). 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-315-1: Sounds about right. 


Dr. : | still don't believe your "pre-recorded" 
bullshit, by the way. It'd be easy for you to prove it and | 
know you'd love to lord it over me. 


SCP-315-1: I've got a comeback, Doctor, but it's the end 
of the disc. 


Agent Fredericks: They should be, yes. But 
thank you for your caution. 


Ms. Saunders: No problem, no problem. | 
used to work in this site. 


Agent Fredericks: So you couldn't find these 
inventory additions on the shelves? 


Ms. Saunders: Like | said, not that I'm aware 
of. But they're cluttered in the bargain bin and 
some of the back areas of the store; they very 
well could be hiding in there, but none of us 
could find them. We only called you guys 
because of those tests you all were running 
back in October - figured this might have 
something to do with that. 


Agent Fredericks: It certainly sounds like 
that, yes. If you find copies of the false 
inventory additions, please refrain from selling 
them until we figure out the situation. 


Ms. Saunders: No problem. You're not going 
to amnesticize me, are you? 


Agent Fredericks: No, you're a useful asset 
in that location, and your employment history 
with this site makes you more than qualified. 
Please fully cooperate with Lambda-13 
personnel when we come to investigate. 


Ms. Saunders: Of course, of course. Thanks, 
agent. 


Agent Fredericks: Thank you. 


Meg Saunders has been instructed to avoid 
the use of the SCP-2738-affected register in 
the store, as well as to monitor digital inventory 
for any further anomalies. West End Used 


Books' delivery driver was contacted and 
briefly interviewed, but did not report delivery 
of any of the products discussed by Ms. 
Saunders. 


Projected pattern of SCP-2738 growth. Click to enlarge.