After securing the vial of oil, Luo Shu found no more surviving anomalies on Site-167's Sublevel-2.
Unit after Unit stood empty—either long abandoned or housing long-deactivated containment subjects.
One Unit held a packet of Cuban sugarcane. After 60 years in storage, the sugar had clumped into a solid, discolored mass—yellow-green with streaks of black.
Anyone with common sense would know: inedible.
But after four successful recoveries, Luo Shu's confidence was dangerously inflated.
Plus, securing this would push his Anomaly Namer milestone to Level 2.
"Rancid Sugar"—he'd already picked the name.
So, against all reason, he broke off a piece and tasted it.
Near-instant regret.
Not from any anomalous effect—just severe food poisoning.
Had he not had one last dose of SCP-500 (Panacea), he might've died right there, solving The God's problems posthumously.
Lesson learned: No more self-testing.
Next time, I'll grab a New World soldier as a D-class.
Given the AGM-158 "gift" from the junta, borrowing a test subject seemed fair.
But the opportunity never came. The remaining Units held nothing—not even spoiled sugar.
Time to descend.
The Flooded Depths
Site-167 had three subterranean levels below the office floor (Sublevel-1). If Sublevel-2 yielded four anomalies, even modest hauls from Sublevel-3 and -4 could max his milestones.
Reality disagreed.
At the Sublevel-3 stairwell, Luo Shu hit a dead end—literally.
The stairs vanished into a bottomless pool of seawater, its surface dotted with undulating kelp.
Site-167 bordered Guantánamo Bay. Six decades without maintenance? Flooding was inevitable.
Draining it required:
Industrial pumps (weeks of work).
Locating/repairing leaks (more weeks).
Doing it all undetected by the naval base above.
Even if he tried, were any anomalies left after 60 years underwater?
Worst-case: Draining the site just to find nothing.
The Efficiency Paradox
Luo Shu scoffed. Even if the naval base helped, New World "efficiency" meant months of delays.
Case in point: The Miami condo collapse.
Hundreds of responders on-site.
Dozens actually working.
Mandatory 45-minute breaks after minimal labor.
7 days in:
2 survivors (early hours only).
Bodies trickling in.
150+ still missing.
And that was for lives at stake. A derelict site? They'd take a year.
Why?
After 9/11, rescue crews developed lung diseases from toxic dust.
The government's response?
Dragged feet on medical claims.
Capped coverage at 30%.
Result: No one risks themselves anymore. "Show up, look busy, go home."
Hollywood's heroic fantasies? Lies.
Moving On
Luo Shu turned away.
No more scavenging. Time to hunt SCP-3125.
First stop: Refueling.
Pikachu wasn't a true Transformer—it ran on gasoline, not magic.
In blockaded Cuba, fuel was scarce. Solution?
"Borrow" from the naval base.
Under anti-memetic camouflage, Luo Shu siphoned 1,000 gallons, filling every spare tank.
Payment? He left them Site-167's coordinates.
Let them puzzle over the flooded mystery.
Next Destination: Viñales Valley
Pikachu morphed into ground-effect mode, skimming over the bay.
Two hours later, Luo Shu landed at La Coloma, Pinar del Río.
30 minutes by road to Viñales.
SCP-3125 awaited.