SCP Copycat

3-Challenge.... Uh..

343, Rocky, and Clef make their way through the facility and to Dr. Therman's office. They enter to find Dr. Therman hopelessly stuck to her desk in a precarious position.

"HEELLPP MEEE!" Dr. Therman cries.

Clef almost immediately doubles over in laughter.

"STOP LAUGHING AT ME!! DR. GEARS DID SOMETHING TO MY DESK!!!" Dr. Therman exclaims unhappily.

343 carefully examines the desk and then smiles. "Ah Gears! You never change, no matter what dimension you are in! He used the clockwork machine and glue to try and fix your desk, but...."

"I GET THE POINT!! FREE ME!!" Dr. Therman demands.

343 snaps his fingers and the desk releases Dr. Therman from its sticky grasp and returns to normal. "Is that satisfactory?"

Dr. Therman sighs happily. "Yes, thank you, 343!"

343 sits down at the desk and crosses his arms. "There is no time for rest. A new threat looms at our doorstep."

"The seven sins?" Dr. Therman asks, as she sits down.

"I wish that was merely half of our problem. This dimension is running out of time. As you put it.. an XK class scenario is unavoidable."

Rocky and Clef glance at each other.

"So.. we are not able to do anything to save this dimension?" Rocky asks.

343 shakes his head. "Sadly no. The agreed time limit was looming closer, but we came to a secondary agreement extending it fifteen years..."

"Agreed with WHO?!" Dr. Therman asks angrily.

343 looks her in the eyes. "It is a touchy subject.. I know.. but the agreement is between Lucifer and me."

Dr. Therman quickly stands, leaning over her desk. "HOW DARE YOU!! How could you make such an important determination without first consulting the 05 council?!!"

"I don't remember your organization being the center of the universe!!" 343 snaps back and glares angrily at Dr. Therman, causing her to slowly sit back down. "I did not do this half-heartedly, and everyone.. and I do mean EVERYONE.. crossed my mind in the process. My own student lays unconscious in my room, infected by the sin of pride. Had I left her to her own devices this dimension might have ended in a week.. at most. So do not lecture ME about your foundation's procedures when I am already doing all that I can!!"

Dr. Therman crosses her arms in a huff. "Fine! Proceed with your explanation.. and be aware that it is on the record."

343 glances at a nearby camera. "I will allow it.. this time. When a dimension is locked in 'limbo', whether by the resident's actions or Lucifer's inability to best them.. It was agreed long ago that the seven sins would be unleashed to infect residents at random."

"And how do these sins infect and or spread?!" Clef asks concerned.

343 holds up his hand. "Fear not. They pick their host based on their best chances of ending the dimension, but none of them can infect the same host, one can not infect multiple hosts, and they can only move to a new host if the currently infected individual is killed. I set those rules in place, myself, to govern them."

"Very smart." Rocky comments. "That means we must identify the infected, contain, and protect them. At least it is a task we are good at!"

"I assume you have placed similar guidelines on any other agreement you have made?!" Dr. Therman asks.

343 nods. "Back to the challenge at hand, we have fifteen years and fifteen trails we must face. For every trial you fail Lucifer will take something for his use in the next dimension. For every trial you accomplish you may choose something to move forward to the next dimension." 343 turns to look at Rocky. "I am leaving the final choices up to you."