Notes Of A Dead Man Sequel (Notes - #3) by Clive Cooper (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📖

below -100°C, SCP-009 vaporizes into a gaseous phase similar to steam, though it still retains its red coloration when put under high pressure.

 

Examinations of the atomic structure of SCP-009 have proved inconclusive. Tests indicate that the subject is composed of the same combination of hydrogen and oxygen as normal water, leaving researchers to speculate that the source of the subject's abnormalities may be the atoms themselves. Dr. ██████ has suggested that the subject may have originated in or been altered by another reality in which the laws of physics are inverted.

 

This theory may have some merit in light of SCP-009's marked ability to "assimilate" natural water into its mass. If placed in physical contact with any aqueous solution (be it ice, salt water, or water vapor in air), SCP-009 will "spread" and contaminate any H2O in said solution, causing it to exhibit the subject's properties. Though this capacity is present in all phases, it has been observed to progress most slowly (and thus be most containable) in the liquid phase.

 

If the subject comes in contact with any biological source of heat, it begins a runaway reaction in which the living organism's bodily fluids are rapidly converted to SCP-009 and promptly frozen by their own body heat (because of their generally high core temperatures, mammals are particularly susceptible). Because SCP-009 produces heat while freezing (at the same rate mundane ice consumes heat while melting), the process is self-perpetuating until all available moisture is converted, or until it is halted by external interference.

Experiments on D-Class personnel have illustrated the process of conversion by the subject, which has been condensed down to a series of steps:

 

1. Initial Exposure: Subject is exposed to SCP-009, and it begins converting any water present on the exposed surface (usually skin) to exhibit its properties. Presence of mist, fog, snow, or other solid or vaporous water greatly accelerates this process.

 

2. Surface Conversion: A thin layer of frost forms on the exposed area as body heat and heat produced by SCP-009 raise its temperature above freezing. Progression to this step can take anywhere from five (5) minutes to one (1) hour, depending on victim's body temperature. At this stage, freezing has begun progressing through the initial layers of the epidermis and soon reaches live cells.

 

3. Deep Tissue Conversion: Exponential increase in temperature of SCP-009 causes expansion of ice crystals throughout the victim's body, resulting in widespread perforation of internal cell structure. Actual blood loss is minimal at this stage due to the crystals filling the puncture wounds, allowing subjects to remain alive and conscious for up to ██ hours.

 

4. [DATA EXPUNGED]

 

5. Death: Multiple organ failure and exsanguination via systemic crystallization.

 

Testing on D-Class personnel was discontinued as of 4/23/20██.

 

Addendum: Circumstances of Retrieval: Subject was found in ████, Alaska, on 11/05/19██. The Foundation became involved after reports were obtained from the native ████ Tribe, who came across the mangled bodies of a team of seal hunters which had apparently been ship-wrecked ██ kilometers from the village.

All victims were found encased in red ice. Cause of death recorded as internal bleeding. On victims whose features were sufficiently intact, expressions of panic and intense pain were observed. It is surmised that the low ambient temperatures in the area retarded the freezing process. This prolonged the time to total conversion by ██ hours, and allowed the victims to remain conscious until [DATA EXPUNGED].

 

Addendum: 12/16/20██

 

Super-cooling of SCP-009 for the purposes of experimentation is disallowed until further notice. Personnel are advised that liquid nitrogen is only to be used on the subject in controlled amounts, and only until temperatures have reached acceptable levels.

Related note: Possible application of SCP-009 in cold fusion research pending evaluation.

About the Serpent

Back at the end of the Qin Dynasty, when the first emperor of Han, Liu Bang, was but a local officer, it was rumored that a great serpent lurked in the lake of Fengxi. Arriving to investigate, he encountered a strange being with the body of a man and the head of a snake. Seeing that it was a monster, he pulled out his sword to slay it. Panicked, the being explained that he was no monster or demon, but a descendant of Fuxi and Nüwa, a remnant of the Xia Dynasty.

Upon closer examination, Liu found that the being wore the clothing of scholars and officials, adorned with a white jade belt, indeed a well-learned person. He hence asked the being about gods, kingdoms, kings, beasts and men. With stories, the serpent-man answered accordingly.

 

About the Gods

At the beginning, the world was like an egg. When Pangu cracked it, the Great Abyss was formed. The Great Abyss was called Guixu. The gods were drawn to it like insects flying into a fire. There, they fought and consumed each other; hence Guixu was also the tomb of gods. Two Great Dragons, of Yin and Yang, also lurked beneath and fed on the gods, one called Fuxi, the other Nüwa. The two Dragons mated and spawned nine offspring, and from the Nine Children, men were born. Hence men were the most distinguished among all beings.

Tens of thousands of years later, the two Dragons fought. Fuxi was shattered, and Nüwa was imprisoned in Taisui. The rule of men was broken, and the gods all cheered.

One Qilin among the gods had the shape of a deer and the face of a man, carrying large antlers with black and white patterns. Upon hearing the event, Qilin abandoned its form and fled to Saturn.

A faceless god witnessed this, and laughed at it: “How come you fear the two Dragons this much?”

Qilin answered: “Gods are the greediest and the most foolish of all beings, and men are descendants of the Dragons. Now that the two Dragons are both gone, the gods will surely feed upon the Nine Children and men. And when the Dragons return, they will surely consume all gods in turn. I only wish to avoid such disaster.”

The Faceless God said: “The two Dragons will fight and consume each other, just like the gods do. No need to be concerned with this.”

Qilin answered: “But one will surely remain between the two Dragons. And by then, we will all end up in its stomach.” And so it no longer responded to the Faceless God, and hid deep within the planet of Saturn.

 

About the Kingdoms

In ancient times, a war between the Xia Dynasty and a kingdom of apes was fought. The Lord of Apes summoned the king beast and the mother tree, with animals and plants of a thousand kinds under its control; the King of Xia commanded soldiers and chariots of iron and bronze, and harnessed great weapons that could wipe out cities.

Over fifty great wars were fought, with countless smaller battles. Wherever the fires of war reached, waters were vaporized and rocks were turned into sand. The savages who witnessed this all fled in terror as they thought of it as the wrath of gods.

The war continued like this for over a hundred years, until King Mang of Xia rode a wyrm to the great salty lake, and met with the Lord of Apes.

The King of Xia said: “The taming of beasts is the Way of the Dragon; the construction of machines is the Way of the Serpent. The Dragon and the Serpent are partners; hence the beasts and the machines originate from the same source. It is futile to continue the fight, so the war must end.”

The Lord of Apes asked: “If the war is to end, what should we do?”

The King of Xia said: “We can each rule one part of the land.”

The Lord of Apes asked: “But the land is limited, what if we conquered it all?”

The King of Xia pointed skyward and said: “The Milky Way is endless, and we can rule the stars.”

So the Lord of Apes agreed. It is then decided that the Kingdom of Apes shall have the West, as well as Mercury, Venus, and Mars; Xia shall rule the East, along with the Moon, Saturn, and Jupiter. The war hence ended.

Another few hundred years passed, Golden Crows, the sun spirits, caused ten suns to appear in the sky. The apes rested during the day and worked at night; the Xia people lived near waters and practiced agriculture. Hence both the Kingdom of Apes and Xia were greatly troubled. In addition, the Sun People, lead by Xihe and Dijun, revolted in the two kingdoms. They said: “We are the children of the suns.”

The Kingdom of Apes sought to suppress them, but was unsuccessful with the interference of the ten suns. The Sun People then stole their great treasure, and made the king beast, the mother tree, as well as the thousands of animals and plants wreck great havoc. The kingdom thus collapsed, leaving few survivors amongst the apes.

King Jie of Xia heard of the event. Terrified, he sent Scholar Yi to kill the ten suns with the Sword of Xuanyuan. Nine suns fell to the ground with only one crow escaped. But the fallen crows turned the land into a sea of fires, and Xia was doomed as well.

Therefore it was exclaimed that: “Alas! Back then, weren’t the Kingdom of Apes and Xia prosperous? Ordinary people would regard them as saints and gods, and they also regarded themselves as heavenly people. Their domains were not only this land, but the stars as well. Yet they are but ashes now.” And among the stars people now saw, sometimes strange blinking lights could be found. They were what was left of the two kingdoms.

 

 

 

About the Kings

The King of Ajia once called upon the Great Abyss, summoning the Three Lords of Death, and said: “I wish that I will not die.” The Lords of Death answered: “You may gamble with us.” Thus the king played cards with Yulü, competed in throwing with Yama, and engaged in a chess match with Kshitigarbha, with the royal blood, the citizens, and the animals under his rule as stakes.

The king lost. The Lords of Death hence took the souls of royalty, common people, and livestock. Disasters arose, plagues prevailed, and wars broke out. Less than one tenth of the people survived. The survivors revolted, killing the royalties and officials, and trapped the king in his court.

Terrified, the king called upon the Great Abyss once more. A faceless god answered him, and said: “You must first die, and will then return in three days. By consuming all blood, you shall live.” The king hanged himself in the court, and the whole kingdom cheered. They exposed his body in the wild, where it was fed upon by the crows.

Three days later, the whole city was lifeless. All were corpses, drained of blood. The god had sent its emissary. With a jade cup, the emissary held the blood of the city’s people, and presented it to the king. Attempting to drink it, the king grabbed the cup. But as his body was torn and broken from the crows, he dropped it by accident. The blood ran down and formed a river. The god sighed and said: “You cannot live and may not die.”

The King panicked, and asked for the blood once more. But his chance was lost. The Three Lords of Death laughed, then turned into