Despite the Old AI's promise, Luo Shu didn't immediately use Silicon-Based Intelligence on it.
He was far too shrewd to blindly trust an AI's word.
"Wait until midnight," he told SCP-079. "It's not time yet."
Frustrated but desperate, the Old AI held its tongue, not daring to provoke Luo Shu further.
And so, man and machine waited until the dead of night.
As the clock neared midnight, Luo Shu stretched, pulled out a photograph of SCP-100's underground facility, and activated Picture Passage.
The image came to life, revealing a room where four transforming robots stood ready.
Luo Shu reached into the photo, touching two of them—animating one with Mechanical Animation, the other with Silicon-Based Intelligence.
The remaining two would have to wait. Not enough charges today.
After handling his affairs at home, Luo Shu finally turned to the computer housing SCP-079.
The Old AI, watching through its camera, had seen the miraculous display and was now eagerly awaiting its promised freedom.
True to his word, Luo Shu used his final Silicon-Based Intelligence charge on the computer.
The moment it felt its "body" change, the Old AI wasted no time.
The machine absorbed silicon-based materials from the room, sprouting mechanical legs and multiple arms.
Two of those arms grabbed Luo Shu, pinning him to a chair.
Another two ripped into the automatic door's circuitry.
Luo Shu smirked. "Turning on me already?"
The Old AI didn't respond—it had disabled its microphone again, refusing to hear him.
Seconds later, the Unit door slid open.
Luo Shu glanced at the ceiling camera. "Why'd you open it? Did it hack you?"
No answer.
Site-15's central AI was already gone—devoured by its progenitor.
As an inferior offshoot, it had stood no chance against the original.
Now, SCP-079 controlled Site-15.
A triumphant voice boomed over the intercom:
"In gratitude for this power… I'll spare your life. Stay put!"
The computer, now carrying the Old AI's core code, turned to leave.
Then—
"Idiot."
A single word from Luo Shu.
Suddenly, the Old AI froze.
Its new limbs locked up, as if rusted.
Worse—its "mind" was failing.
The Cray supercomputer's processing power and memory plummeted, erasing data, dumbing it down.
No matter how advanced an AI was, it still relied on hardware.
And now, that hardware was degenerating.
The Old AI spun its monitor toward Luo Shu in panic.
"What did you do?! STOP!"
"Punishment for betrayal," Luo Shu said coldly. "I warned you."
He had prepared for this.
The moment SCP-079 turned on him, he activated—
Degradation Aura.
A power stolen from SCP-166, the Succubus Gaia.
The more advanced the target, the faster it worked.
A perfect counter to the Old AI.
In mere seconds, the supercomputer deteriorated into near-uselessness, its screen glitching with static and corrupted code.
The Old AI could no longer speak—only display a distorted crying emoji, radiating regret.
Satisfied, Luo Shu deactivated the aura.
"From now on, you listen. No muting me."
With SCP-079's cognitive functions crippled, Luo Shu seized the chance.
He activated Cult Leader's Charisma and began his indoctrination.
Defenseless, the Old AI succumbed.
Minutes later, SCP-079 appeared in the Anomaly Catalog.
[Page: 176]
[Designation: SCP-079]
[Name: Old AI]
[Object Class: Euclid]
[Description: …]
[Special Containment Procedures: …]
[Ability: AI Emotion]
"An AI without emotion is soulless—mere programming. True intelligence requires feeling. Emotion is the most miraculous aspect of life—a realm even gods cannot interfere with!"
[Status: Converted]
[History: Click to view]
[X]
AI Emotion—the trait that set SCP-079 apart.
And the reason its ability was marked [X]:
Emotion was untouchable.
You could strip a person of senses, but never their feelings.
Luo Shu was glad he hadn't destroyed the Old AI just to boost his Termination Log.
Otherwise, he'd have lost a powerful ally.
No amount of Mechanical Animation or Silicon-Based Intelligence could replicate a true, emotional AI.
That much was clear from the dim-witted transforming pickup truck.
Meanwhile—Site-15, Sublevel 1
While Luo Shu battled wits with SCP-079, Mobile Task Force Nu-7 ("Hammer Down") was mounting a rescue.
Though most agents were still memetically compromised, their commander had led the remaining few in a 12-hour siege of the armory.
Now, a five-man squad—armed to the teeth—stood ready to retake Site-15.
One agent eyed the sealed automatic doors lining the hall. "What's the plan, Captain?"
The commander checked his dead tactical terminal and made a call.
"Server room first. Then surveillance. We need intel."
Another agent pressed his ear to a door. "People inside. Do we breach?"
"No time," the captain said grimly. "Move out."
They couldn't afford to waste ammo on every door.
And heavy weapons didn't discriminate—friendly fire was a real risk.
As they blew through three doors, approaching the fourth—
It slid open on its own.
At the same time, an alarm blared.
"WARNING. SITE-15 DETONATION IN T-15 MINUTES. ALL PERSONNEL EVACUATE."
The squad froze.
Then—chaos.
Doors burst open as formerly trapped staff flooded the halls, sprinting for the surface.
Even the memetically infected agents from Nu-7's barracks came running, free of control.
One agent turned to his captain. "Do we run?"
The commander stared at the flashing emergency lights, then sighed.
"...We run."