 The library is warm and dark. Outside it is a summer night, warrants and humidity linger in the air from earlier in the day. A storm is predicted for the week ahead, but the sky is clear for now. The library has been closed for several hours. You shut the front door quietly behind you and make your way out of the foyer. The floor is a carpet, soft and thick, muffling each of your footsteps for you. The collective gaze of several security cameras is trained upon the door, but for tonight, they are blind. A wooden door leads from the foyer into the library proper. It swings open smoothly without so much as a groan. On any other night, it would creak loudly. You move deeper into the library. A stray book lies on the floor, shrouded in the darkness. Your foot hits it. You trip. Not enough to fall, but enough to throw you off your balance. You reach out and grab a bookshelf. Your hand, searching for a place to grasp, hits another book and sends it falling to the floor, where it hits the carpet with a thud that echoes all around the room. You freeze. The echo fades. The library returns to silence. If someone were here, they definitely wouldn't notice that. You decide that you are alone and continue walking normally now. You arrive at the librarian's desk, climb over it, take a seat at one of the two computers and boot it up. A login prompt appears. You withdraw a notebook from your pocket and enter the details on the first page. The login is successful. The rest of the notebook is built with instructions, combinations of buttons to press, commands to enter. You open two different terminals, enter a series of commands, watch lines of text you don't understand flicker past your eyes. Eventually, as the notebook demands, you take a USB drive from your pocket and gently push it into the computer. The screen goes black as it thinks about what it needs to do. A long tense moment passes. The file for SCP-3984 lights up the room as the page loads, burning your eyes and grown used to the darkness. You wind and blink and wait for your eyes to adjust. You exhale relief that the instructions you were given worked, but it's a feeling that you cut short. You're here to solve a mystery that you've lived with your entire life. A mystery that no one else seems to want to solve or even acknowledge. A mystery that's been around for twenty-four years, and you hope, you have to hope, that this file will hold at least some answers. It's the only place left to look. The file begins with a note from one of the researchers. Reading from the top seems like a good way to start. Notice to all personnel, Omega K is a thing. It's happened. We have to live with it now. Despite speculation, no matter how prevalent said speculation is, we do not know for sure whether or not we caused Omega K, whether any of our SCPs caused it, or whether any of them can fix it. We do not know whether it is related to the Foundation at all. What we do know is that it now defines our lives. The SCP Foundation does not destroy anomalies. It contains them. That is our purpose. Omega K is an anomaly, and we will contain it. We will not end it. We will not put things back as certain individuals are asking. That is not our purpose. This is not our battle. However, we will contain it. Or at least try to. So if any of you are expecting my research team to come up with some magical solution to end Omega K, stop expecting that. We will treat the symptoms, but not cure the disease. Omega K is here, and it's not going away, so grow up and move on. You are professionals. Act like it. It's not like this is going to kill you. Dr. Emily Young Dr. Emily Young, a name you've been trying to avoid for the past 20 years. You met Young last year, and suffice it to say that she is of very little use for research purposes. You'll get no benefit from talking to her. This document really is the last place you can look. Item Number SCP-3984 Object Class Keter Special Containment Procedures Containment of SCP-3984 revolves around inducing death in affected animals. As this is not currently possible, SCP-3984 can be considered uncontained. Research efforts must be directed into the development of alternative methods of inducing death. Research into reversing the effects of Omega K, or its origin, is prohibited. Prohibited? Unusual. What was Young up to? Description SCP-3984 refers to a phenomenon in which any living organisms in the Kingdom Animalia under Cavalier-Smith taxonomy, including humans, are unable to die. The Kingdom Animalia under Cavalier-Smith taxonomy includes all animals, but not bacteria, fungi, algae, or plants. Currently, all known life forms in the Kingdom Animalia are under the effects of SCP-3984. This satisfies the criterion for an Omega K class end-of-death scenario. The source or origin of the prevalence of SCP-3984 as such is referred to as an Omega K. The exact nature of Omega K is currently under debate. This document pertains only to SCP-3984 and its effects, not its origin. Omega K occurred on 12 September 2020 at approximately 1402 GMT, a time which has been derived from the last globally recorded human death. Since that time, SCP-3984 has been present in every living creature thus tested. As a result, mortality rates have dropped to zero. SCP-3984 appears to only extend to the ability to die. SCP-3984 does not grant a healing effect, does not prevent aging, does not prevent conception or pregnancy, and does not prevent subjects from sustaining injury. In the long term, SCP-3984 presents a major threat to societal structure as the population is expected to expand exponentially. Current models estimate that overpopulation will begin to lead to excessive scarcity to the point of widespread starvation in the early 2040s. Additionally, while population growth is a considerable concern for humans in the long term, a much larger, short term concern is presented by animals with R-selected evolutionary strategies. Animals living in unstable environments are generally characterized by an R-selected evolutionary strategy, which consists of producing many cheap offspring of which few are expected to survive. Compared to K-selected evolutionary strategy, which consists of producing a single, more expensive offspring which is expected to survive for the maximum lifespan of its species. Worldwide efforts should be focused on generating sufficient resources for the planet to be able to cope with the increased population. Talks with governments around the world to determine strategies for managing population growth for both humans and animals is underway. Foundation efforts should be focused on the development of alternative and or artificial solutions to replace death. The extent to which SCP-3984 constitutes conventional immortality is the subject of ongoing research, which is led by Dr. Young as per request. For example, does it prevent aging and injury? Is there a healing factor? Does it simply remove an assailant's ability to kill? Experimental logs and a theory on the mechanism of SCP-3984 is presented below. Experiment Log 0-1 Date? September 14, 2020 Experimenter? Dr. Emily Young. Subject? D-1190 Procedure? D-1190 was asphyxiated by manual strangulation from D-9981. As a result, D-1190 struggled initially but stopped resisting after several minutes of strangulation. D-9981 was told to maintain grip for a further 10 minutes. D-1190 recovered shortly afterwards with no lasting damage. Experiment Log 0-2 Date? September 14, 2020 Procedure? Dr. Emily Young. Subject? D-6812 Procedure? D-6812 was asphyxiated by D-9981, tying a belt around his neck. Results? D-6812 initially resisted affixiation despite instructions otherwise but stopped after several minutes of strangulation. D-9981 was told to keep the belt in position for a further 10 minutes. D-6812 recovered with mild but permanent damage to several muscular ligaments in his neck. D-6812 was admitted to the Site-06 Medical Ward but did not make any further recovery. Experiment Log 0-3 Date? September 15, 2020 Experimenter? Dr. Emily Young. Experiment D-1190 Procedure? D-1190 was placed in a vacuum sealed chamber from which the air was ventilated. Results? D-1190 began to asphyxiate several minutes into the test, visibly struggling for air, and collapsed against the wall of the chamber after less than a minute, remaining conscious. Subject was left overnight, after which air was released back into the chamber. D-1190 was admitted to the Site-06 Medical Ward with acute cerebral hypoxia and burst blood vessels in the eyes. Subject physically recovered within three days but remained in a vegetative state for several weeks. Upon awakening, D-1190 displayed symptoms of permanently impaired motor and speech skills as well as widespread paralysis. November 2, 2020 One month after waking up, D-1190 has not shown any signs of further recovery. It appears that the anomalous nature of the healing effect extends only to the fatal injuries or ailments. D-1190 remains effectively useless as D-class. Under usual circumstances, I'd recommend termination. Dr. Emily Young. Subject log 04 Date September 17, 2020 Experimenter Dr. Emily Young Subject D-8833 Procedure D-8833 had cuts made on her wrist and ankles, and over the course of six hours was drained of an estimated 80% of her blood. Remote blood was retained and reintroduced to the body the following day via intravenous drip. Results In much the same manner as the previous experiment, D-8833 was successfully resurrected but has suffered injuries consistent with prolonged loss of oxygen to the brain. In this instance, symptoms included loss of sensation in the left half of the body and loss of understanding of any subject more complex in naming animals. Note that D-8833 remained conscious despite not having a significant volume of blood. The logs continue in much the same fashion, with some unfortunate D-class being exposed to something that would normally kill them. Poison, starvation, explosion, whatever. You scroll down, looking for one in particular. The old scroll wheel clicks loudly, twenty times with each movement of your finger. A series of loud clicks that echo through the silence of the library. You stop at Experiment 10. Experiment log 10 Date October 11, 2020 Experimenter Dr. Emily Young Subject D-11424 Procedure D-11424 was decapitated with a steel-bladed guillotine. Results Head was cleanly removed. D-11424 remained conscious during and after the operation. D-11424 was made to breathe, which failed, and D-11424 began to show signs of suffocation and significant blood loss. Although D-11424 was admitted to the Site-06 Medic Award, the injury was deemed irreparable. Both head and body were placed in the cold storage. You smile, lifting your hand that touched a raised scar that forms a ring around your neck and the tiny bumps from age-old stitches. Irreparable. You keep scrolling. Experiment log 20 Date November 5, 2025 Experimenter Dr. Emily Young Subject D-10273 Procedure One round from a standard-issued security handgun was fired into the forehead of D-10273 by Dr. Young. Results Subject sustained major head injury and was admitted to Site-06 Medic Award with severe brain damage and blood loss. December 28, 2025 After almost two months under medical care, D-10273 is made a full recovery, albeit with major memory loss of both recent and earlier history. Subject remembers basic skills, such as how to eat and speak, but does not recall any personal details. Experiment log 21 Date December 31, 2025 Experimenter Dr. Emily Young Stand In Dr. Joyce Michaels Subject Dr. Emily Young Procedure Dr. Young self-administered a single bullet to the head from a security handgun in much the same manner as the previous test. Results Subject sustained major head injury and was admitted to Site-06 Medic Award. Bullet had pierced a temporal lobe, frontal lobe, and brainstem, the latter of which appears to have disconnected Dr. Young's brain from her body. She is unable to communicate or perform any motor functions. Note, as Dr. Young is incapable of performing further research, she has been removed from the SCP-3984 research team. She will undergo a psychological review pending on her recovery. In the meantime, I will be assuming control of research. Dr. Joyce Michaels Note, Dr. Young had neglected to maintain a log of specific research intentions for each experiment. Despite this, we have been able to narrow down the source of the immortality to the brain. Subsequent experiments should focus on this. We can consider the rest of the body to be mortal. Dr. Michaels Michaels isn't wrong. You've seen someone in a car crash, their body mangled beyond recognition, limbs in places they shouldn't be, and blood everywhere that they should. But that should-be corpse still found the energy to call for help, to scream in pain. You don't imagine they ever stopped. Young hasn't changed much since his experiment. You couldn't tell whether or not she recognized you. Experiment Log 22 Date February 2, 2026 Experimenter Dr. Joyce Michaels Subject D-373A Amel Macaca-Molata Or Reese's Macaque Purpose to confirm or deny the above assumption Procedure D-373A was given a standard lethal injection dose. A standard lethal injection dose consists of injections with the following substances with three-minute gas between injections. 1. 5g Sodial Theopentyl to induce unconsciousness 2. 100mg Panceronium Bromide to stop breathing 3. 3.9g Potassium Chloride to stop the heart Results Primary injection was unable to cause D-373A to become unconscious. However, its vocalizations became slower and panic-like symptoms were noted. Secondary injection saw widespread muscular relaxation and induced breathing difficulty. Tertiary injection quickly induced cardiac arrest through which D-373A remained conscious and visibly panicked throughout despite severe muscular relaxation. After 12 hours, when the administered drugs were declared to be no longer actively causing symptoms in the subject, D-373A was admitted to the Site-06 Medical Ward with acute cerebral hypoxia from the lack of blood flow. Note that D-373A remained conscious throughout the experiment. 25th of February, 2026 With medical attention from Site-06, D-373A had made a full recovery with no permanent side effects. Note, it is interesting to observe that sedation was unable to induce unconsciousness in the subject. It might be not that the brain is immortal, but that it is impossible to cause one to become unconscious. Dr. Joyce Michaels Experiment Log 23 Date February 7th, 2026 Experimenter Dr. Joyce Michaels Subject D-374A Female macaque mulata or Reese's macaque Purpose to confirm or deny the above assumption that it is not possible to cause the brain to become unconscious. Procedure Over the course of five days, D-374A was injected with a mild sedative, a strong sedative, a mild local anesthetic, a mild general anesthetic, Class C amnestics. Results D-374A responded positively to the mild sedative. Doses were insufficient to cause sleep. Local and general anesthetic and amnestics. D-374A had no response to the strong sedative. In fact, no effect of the sedative was observed, despite the weak sedative showing a positive drowsiness response. Note, sedation, at least to the point of unconsciousness, is not an option for future experiments. This supports the above assumption. Dr. Joyce Michaels Experiment Log 24 Date February 19th, 2026 Experimenter Dr. Joyce Michaels Subject D-390A A Female macaque mulata or Reese's macaque Purpose to establish that the effects of SCP-3984 hold even when the brain no longer conventionally exists. Procedure After being restrained, the skull of D-390A was surgically opened from the top down to the neck. Connection to the spinal column was severed, and the brain was removed. As damage to neurons and other brain cells are not at risk, the brain was separated into individual cells through a combination of chemical disaggregation and mechanical trituration, with a blender. Individual brain cells were then suspended in a saline solution. The resulting mixture, referred to as Solution 3984-24, was placed through a series of tests to determine its electrical activity. Results Electrical signals persisted throughout the brain cells suspended in solution, as would be expected for a healthy human brain. Leading to the conclusion that SCP-3984 affects the individual cell to the brain itself. Despite this, it was not possible to determine whether or not D-390A remained conscious as the MRI scan was inconclusive on account of the not brain-shaped nature of the solution and randomization of cell locations. Results of Solution 3984-24 are available upon request. You've seen enough test logs, none of them contain the information you're looking for. You know that at some point they'll be one where they reconnect D-11424 severed head, but beyond that, none of them interest you. You scroll right down to the bottom of the page. Summary of Research For a research orchestrated by Dr. Emily Young and Dr. Joyce Michaels, overall, SCP-3984 can be characterized by inability for the brain to become unconscious. The current theory proposes that SCP-3984 does not represent immortality as such, but rather an inability for the brain to lose function. The amount of function is not retained so long as the brain itself remains operable. See experiment 03. Exist in all your idiots, you're alone again. Shit. You knew that you'd never be able to get as deep as you needed to. Level 5 access? That's O5 impersonation. Impossible. What were you thinking? The computer screen illuminates your face, and you're suddenly keenly, acutely aware that you are the most visible object in the room. The silence builds so loud. There is something stirring in the darkness. There are shapes all around you, people, barely visible, clad in black, guns raised, pointed at you. Two of them, four, no, six, more than you can count, slowly advancing. You drop down and crouch behind the librarian's desk, under the computer monitor, with your back pressed against the front wooden panel. A single shot rings out, tearing through the silence. You're aware of splinters of wood blinding as the bullet tears through the desk. Something shoots out of your chest, right in the middle. Your breath stops. The black figures come around the back of the librarian's desk from both sides. They converge, closer and closer. It's now that you wish you could die.