The success of the Dice Room was undoubtedly good news for Area-14—it meant SCP-006 ("The Stubborn Die") would no longer be a containment risk.
But for Luo Shu, it was a problem.
With the die secured, he had no reason to return to Area-14's containment sector.
Now what?
He turned to Peter with exaggerated despair. "Bro, find me something to do! I'm dying of boredom!"
Peter grinned. "That's the second good news! I just got assigned a mission—we're going to Asia. You're coming too."
"Asia?" Luo Shu frowned.
Area-14 and Hammer Down MTF operated primarily in the Nevada region. Deployments outside their jurisdiction were rare—unless it involved a Keter-class biohazard.
The timing was suspicious. Right after SCP-006 is stabilized, a sudden overseas mission? Too convenient.
Peter, oblivious to Luo Shu's suspicion, kept talking excitedly. "Your homeland, man! Aren't you pumped?"
No. Something's wrong.
Luo Shu quickly checked SCP-343's location—still contained at Site-17. At least it's not "God" behind this.
But he pressed further. "Where in Asia?"
"Dunno. HQ's handling the itinerary. Just pack up—we leave in 30 minutes!"
No intel? No briefing? No wonder Peter was stuck as a helicopter squadron leader.
The moment Peter left, Luo Shu accessed the Area-14 mainframe—his "little brother"—for answers.
Mainframe's Report:
Mission file: Classified under Level-4 clearance.
First stop: Kandahar, Afghanistan (31.6°N, 65.7°E).
Second leg: Helicopter insertion to an undisclosed location (requires Level-5 access).
Deployed Units:
Peter's helicopter squadron
Special forces squad
CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) team
Engineering squad
Nuclear weapons specialist
Luo Shu's name was on the roster—but listed as D-20915, not an official MTF member.
O5s specifically requested me?
This reeked of a setup.
The Journey
Thirty minutes later, Luo Shu joined the assembled team at Hammer Down's drill ground.
At Homey Airport (Groom Lake), a C-5 Galaxy—the second-largest transport aircraft in the world—awaited them, its cavernous belly packed with Black Hawk helicopters.
After two mid-air refuelings and nearly a full day of flight, they landed in Kandahar Airfield.
Only then did Peter receive the second-leg coordinates.
Destination: 38.01348°N, 74.6109°E—the Pamir Mountains, near the Tajikistan-China border.
The "Roof of the World."
As the Black Hawks climbed past 3,600 meters, Luo Shu's breath grew labored. Even the helicopters struggled at this altitude, their rotors fighting the thin air.
Is "God" trying to suffocate me up here?
Twenty grueling hours later, they reached the site: a makeshift camp beside a mountain road.
Peter's terminal pinged with new orders:
"Hammer Down MTF is now under the operational command of this mission's lead officer."
"Officer designation:..."