"Retrieving memory file. The description does not match. You are lying. It hates humans!" A cold, emotionless electronic voice echoed from the speakers, sharp and mechanical, carrying no trace of warmth. After hearing those words, Brit and the other two immediately felt a chill crawl up their spines, as if icy fingers had brushed against their nerves.
"I don't think this thing is easy to fool at all. It clearly has intelligence. What should we do now?" Kiwo said with a bitter expression, subconsciously taking a half-step backward, her body reacting faster than her thoughts.
Vale was already breaking into a light sweat, fine beads forming on his forehead and sliding down his temples. Although the SCP in front of them appeared to be nothing more than a super-intelligent program on the surface, judging from the scattered clues and the chaos that had erupted throughout the entire site, it was impossible to ignore its influence. The disorder here was very likely connected to this entity in front of them. If that was the case, then this thing was absolutely not some harmless SCP. It could not be underestimated.
And more importantly, if this so-called SCP were accidentally provoked, no one could predict what kind of unknown and terrifying consequences might follow.
Thoughts raced wildly through their minds. The three of them stood frozen, staring nervously at the old computer. No one dared to look away even for a second, as if they were afraid that the decrepit machine might suddenly explode, or leap forward from the desk and attack someone in the next instant.
However, the outcome they feared did not arrive. The avatar image on the old computer screen remained unchanged, motionless and eerily calm.
Then, after several seconds of silence, the indifferent electronic voice sounded once more: "You activate the control unit… and I will release you from this site."
The topic had come full circle. For a brief moment, they were stunned. Then, almost at the same time, they let out a cautious breath of relief. They exchanged glances. Though no words were spoken, a tacit understanding had already formed between them.
Obviously, to this super-intelligence, the control rights of the facility were of extreme importance. It cared deeply about this. It was precisely because of that obsession that it had overlooked Vale's clumsy attempt at deception earlier.
If they thought about it carefully, since the entity had previously interacted with that massive monster, it naturally understood the basic characteristics of its counterpart. It knew very well that the creature despised all living beings. Therefore, the situation Vale had described, peaceful communication, never existed to begin with. After all, the Reptile would never calmly converse with humans.
Which meant that Vale's so-called "relationship building" had been fundamentally flawed from the start. Most likely, the AI had already seen through Vale's lies the moment those words left his mouth. It simply hadn't bothered to expose him immediately.
Additionally, because it truly cared about the Reptile, it had previously said, "I want to meet it again."
"Ahem... Uh, Brit, what should we do next?" Vale asked cautiously, his voice tinged with unease and embarrassment as he glanced toward Brit.
Brit's thoughts churned rapidly. Confusion flickered across his face.
In the end, he clenched his teeth and said, "Then let's do it this way. We'll activate the control unit!"
He turned to look at them seriously. "We don't have any other choice. If it really wants something from us, there's no reason for it to lie. Deceiving us gains it nothing!"
Vale and Kiwo considered his words carefully and found that they made sense. After all, in any scenario, there was no reason for SCP-079 to deceive them. They were merely a few D-class personnel, not employees of the Foundation itself. If it truly wanted to break free of its containment, then it had no reason to be hostile toward them. Its real enemies had always been the members of the Foundation.
With that thought, Kiwo and Vale both nodded in agreement.
"Then let's move! Quick decision, quick action!"
"Let's go!"
The old computer inside the chamber clearly detected their voices. Once again, it spoke: "Do not worry. I will not lie. I do not wish to remain bound within this container…"
When they heard those words, they froze at almost the same moment. Slowly, their gazes returned to the old computer. This time, there was unmistakable vigilance in their eyes. The reason was simple, they had all nearly simultaneously recalled the contents of the SCP-079 file they had reviewed earlier.
The file clearly stated that SCP-079 was eager to obtain a new "container." In other words, it desperately wanted more memory, a more powerful computer. It possessed self-awareness. It could evolve endlessly. Given enough time and sufficient resources, it could grow into an unimaginable form of digital life.
For a long time, it had been held by the Foundation, imprisoned within a limited and outdated "container," a situation that left it resentful and deeply dissatisfied. Such restraint ran directly counter to its very nature of evolution.
But now, due to unknown and unexpected causes, it had suddenly gained a rare opportunity to evolve. An opportunity so rare that it could not possibly be ignored. Naturally, it treasured this chance with extreme seriousness. That was why it cared so deeply about the choices Brit and the others were about to make, because it truly wanted them to help it seize control of the facility once again.
"Damn it… I don't know why, but the more I think about it, the more scary this thing feels," Vale whispered. "On the surface, it's just a program, but in reality, it's dangerously powerful."
Brit and Kiwo nodded almost simultaneously.
"Yes," Brit said slowly. "Its evolutionary ability means it has nearly limitless growth potential."
Fear and curiosity intertwined in his expression.
"If it were truly given enough time and enough resources, it might even be able to dominate the world… or at least the world of the Internet. By then, it could practically be called a virtual god. In any case, this program is terrifyingly strong, so strong that we can't fully comprehend it at all."
Brit didn't bother to lower his voice. There was no need to hide anything. From the perspective of the game itself, the objective of these D-class personnel was only one thing, escape from this facility. And that objective did not conflict with the goal of SCP-079. In fact, they could even cooperate. As for the possible disaster that might be brought about if SCP-079 became stronger, that was not something they needed to consider. That responsibility belonged to the Foundation.
And besides, this was just a game. Once the game is beaten, everything will be over.
"Alright," Brit said firmly. "We agree. We'll begin now. But I hope you will honor your promise."
The super AI responded almost instantly: "I will not lie. You may proceed without concern."