Running out of time

Prologue

Location: Site-██, Poland.

Date: 7th July 2021

For senior researcher Michael this day was about to end like every other day of his life. He has inspected the entire facility to make sure, that all special containment procedures were followed, made few jokes with guards standing on the corridors, only to finish his daily task assigned to him by the O5 council. Checking the number on SCP-PL-106.

SCP-PL-106 was a machine measuring
108×50×212 centimeters, with weight approximately equal to 540,2 kg. The entire device was powered up by electronics inside of it, while the entire interior parts has been covered in human parts, including brain, heart, lungs, liver, blood, kidneys and every other organ necessary for us to live.

However, the most interesting part was a monochrome digital screen, which always displayed a random number. Until this day, the highest number shown on in was 83420, while the lowest one was 2. The machine could probably show numbers way higher than 83420, but Michael and O5 council weren't interested in them. For them, there was a specific number value, for which they have prayed not to appear. The lowest possible value on the screen, equal to one.

The machine has been found by accident, when the field agent has detected a transdimensional gap in a nearby forest. MTF Omega 10 "Realists" have been called for an investigation, and by observation of the gap, they have discovered a completly empty universe, with a vast black hole inside, and SCP-PL-106 orbiting around it. Having looked inside, they have caught an attention of the SCP and accidentally brought it to their universe, where it began to draw numbers. While it was orbiting around the singularity, it was displaying a number one, the same, which Michael was supposed to look for.

When SCP-PL-106 arrived, six VHS tapes were attached to it, each one presenting a complete annihilation of the entire universe, including the civilization inside it. None of them were able to stop it, including a type 6 civilization, which tried to escape to a completly different universe, but failed miserably. Other civilizations either were unable to stop it, didn't try it or started blaming one another about the cause of their world ending scenario.

All of these videos were terrifying to watch, as countless living beings were dying due to effects of this machine, while knowing, that their world could be next, if Foundation couldn't stop the machine on time.

Each one of these cycles was perfectly documented, which allowed Foundation to partially understand the machine, but the way it worked and drew numbers was still unknown to them.

Researcher Michael entered the storage, where SCP-PL-106 was contained, and shivers ran down his back. After few years, the machine has finally shown the number 1, which would mean a total annihilation within the time of 23 hours, 56 minutes and 16 seconds. Without hesitation, he quickly approached a computer, which he was allowed to use only in this type of scenario, and informed the O5 council about the incident.

It didn't take even one hour for all 13 most powerful people in the entire Foundation to show up with an elite Mobile Task Force Alpha 1 and all devices necesarry to save the world. Project Polihistor has begun, and all of them activated a complicated machine, which would bring the SCP-PL-106 to a parallel universe, extremely similiar to ours, where it would continue its destruction powers. What was the cost of this operation? A total annihilation of all civilians in that universe. O5s were aware of this, but there was no other choice to save the humanity right now. They had to do what was necesarry to save themselves and everyone else in their universe. Having activated the machine, they have closed their eyes, and opened it few seconds later.

SCP-PL-106 was gone. Appolyon has been moved to a different place, and they could live in peace. Everyone in that room for a moment felt relieved and happy, because they saved not only their entire planet, but also their own lives. However, right after they have claimed their victory, the machine appeared in the same place again, like nothing happened.

At the beginning they thought something went wrong, and they activated the project once again, however they quickly realised, that the last option of saving humanity has failed. The machine was still there, while O5-3 looked through the window and realised, that no matter what they did, it would have happened anyway. All of their efforts were meaningless, after a certain SCP has activated together with SCP-PL-106. He looked at his co-workers and said:

-Lets release everyone. - He said with calmness in his voice.

-Who do you mean by "everyone"? - Asked O5-1 with curiosity.

-All scientists, guards, Mobile Task Forces, class D personel and all SCPs. SCP-001 has activated. The world has gone beautiful.