As the foremost expert on "The Stubborn Six," Loshu was granted Level-2 clearance for the project.
He opened the containment box—only to find the die had reverted to a normal appearance, its six faces displaying one to six dots.
"Alert the Director,"
"And Commander Jack too,"
"Containment failed."
"This damn thing,"
"Who knows what it'll do next?"
"More deaths ahead."
Loshu's speech came out in 5-7-5 haiku—a side effect of SCP-931 ("The Rice Bowl"), a Safe-class anomaly he'd just recovered.
[Page: 13]
[SCP-931]
[Designation: A Rice Bowl]
[Object Class: Safe]
[Abilities: Haiku Speech]
[Status: Successfully Contained]
The MTF operative beside him burst out laughing.
"Holding this thing,"
"I can't even talk straight,"
"Take it away!"
(Goddamn rice bowl.)
The Ethical Dilemma
"The Stubborn Six" was loose. Again.
Site-19 couldn't risk another outbreak.
The Director authorized an immediate test—using five D-Class personnel as expendable subjects.
For the first time, Loshu held five lives in his hands.
It was the Trolley Problem, made real.
(Sacrifice a few to save many?)
(Or refuse, and risk a massacre?)
In the end, he made the cold but practical choice.
(They're death-row inmates anyway.)
(...And so am I.)
To avoid witnessing their deaths firsthand—and to prevent his Anomaly Namer milestone from suppressing the die—Loshu requested to oversee the test remotely from the Director's office.
The Director agreed.
(D-Class are replaceable. A containment specialist like me? Not so much.)
The Experiment
Via intercom, Loshu directed the D-Class to roll the die one by one.
Nothing happened.
No forced-rolling event. No explosions.
Next, he had them introduce five normal dice into the chamber.
Still nothing.
No matter how they tilted or rolled "The Stubborn Six," it remained dormant.
Loshu frowned.
"Two possibilities," he announced. "Good news or bad news?"
"Good!" said the Director.
"Bad!" growled Jack.
Loshu sighed. "Good news: The anomaly might be gone or dormant. But I doubt it."
"Then just say the bad one," Jack snapped.
"Worst-case scenario: When 'The Stubborn Six' tilted, there were no dice or people within 6.66 meters. So it transferred."
"Transferred?" the Director echoed.
Loshu knew this from the Encyclopedia—but couldn't reveal his source.
"Yes. This die?" He pointed at the screen. "Probably just a normal die now. The real one could be anywhere in the world."
"Proof?" the Director demanded.
"Call other Sites. Check for casino anomalies."
Moments later, confirmation arrived.
A Macau casino had reported multiple gamblers exploding mid-roll.
The scene? Identical to the first outbreak.
Deployment to Macau
Hours later, Loshu landed in Macau—explosive collar hidden under a scarf.
(Expert my ass. Still treated like a prisoner.)
The casino was a bloody déjà vu—but worse.
Someone had carried a duplicate die out of the 6.66-meter zone, triggering a second wave of forced rolls.
The gore formed a figure-eight on the floor.
Now, the critical question:
Where was the real "Stubborn Six"?
Loshu activated his Discoverer of Anomalies milestone, scanning the room.
His gaze locked onto a single die near the center.
(Got you.)
But before he could move—
A gambler's shaking hand reached for it.
"Six... six... six..." the man whispered.
Loshu lunged.
(Not again.)