"The Alpha Warhead emergency detonation procedure is engaged, with the underground section of the facility detonating in t-minus *** seconds. All personnel are advised to board the nearest helicopter or enter the nearest blast shelter immediately."
The sound of the broadcast was cold. After listening to it, Brit felt a rush of cold air surge upward and quickly flow through his entire body, making him shake slightly.
Not only him, but all the viewers were also shocked when they heard the announcement:
"My God! Are they going with the nuclear option?"
"Alpha Warhead? That sounds insane!"
"Foundation Breach… I get it! So this is what Foundation Breach means!"
"Yeah, this game is called Foundation Breach, and now it's actually happening!"
"Run, Brit! It's about to detonate!"
The chat movedfast, but Brit was already fully devoted to the game. At the very beginning, Brit had still been thinking about interacting with the viewers. Now, however, he would temporarily forget the existence of the chat entirely. Why? Because this game filled him with so much emotion. It felt like a real world, like he was completely immersed in it.
Of course, these were still just illusions. Games were games, after all. In the end, Brit would clearly realize that this was all just a game; his body was nothing more than a set of numbers. Next to the exit door, Brit stood alone.
"Alpha Warhead…" He murmured, then subconsciously looked out through the exit in front of him.
He saw distant mountains, the sky, and the bright sun hanging above. He could even feel a gentle breeze brushing against his face. Soft, vivid, real. On the surface, everything was nearly indistinguishable from the real world. For a moment, Brit felt as though he had truly returned to reality.
Startled, he quickly shook his head.
"This is just a game… Let's leave quickly! If the Alpha Warhead detonates, nothing will survive here…" Brit muttered to himself.
He looked around, then stopped talking with the viewers and began walking toward the exit gate. Along the way, he heard helicopter weapon fire, piercing screams from the 'Shy Guy', etc. These sounds represented the dire state of the facility, and they also represented the dangers Brit would soon face.
But no matter how dangerous it became, Brit had no time to hesitate. He had to move forward and never stop. He swore silently that he would beat this game today.
Soon, Brit reached the exit gate, and the Hall extended outward into a massive corridor. Looking into the distance, he saw sturdy guardrails and figures standing behind them. He couldn't see their faces clearly, but judging by their uniforms, they were likely facility security personnel, possibly even members of the Nine-Tailed Fox Mobile Task Force. After all, Brit had seen Nine-Tailed Fox operatives, and these figures looked very similar.
"They've all been drawn in by the 'Old Man' and the 'Shy Guy'." Brit frowned.
The gunshots echoing through the hall were clearly coming from those soldiers, and they were firing at something far ahead. The gunfire was so dense that Brit could only vaguely see the bullet trajectories. Both the 'Old Man' and the 'Shy Guy'. were there, entangled and screaming.
"This site is about to collapse…" Brit glanced once in their direction, then immediately looked away.
Both entities were terrifying SCPs. Once they broke free and entered the outside world, reestablishing Foundation control would be nearly impossible, and the decision-makers knew this. Hadn't the broadcast already announced the Alpha Warhead?
Brit didn't know the specifics, but it was obvious what it meant. Mutual destruction. If activated, the entire site and its surroundings would be wiped out. The thought alone was terrifying.
Brit moved forward. He didn't know whether the soldiers had seen the 'Shy Guy' or not, but he only knew that he hadn't. And while their attention was elsewhere, he could escape. If he waited, it would be even worse. Bullets didn't care who they hit. Even if pain was only simulated, Brit didn't want to experience being riddled with gunfire.
Outside the exit gate lay a massive corridor. Brit didn't know where to go, but instinct told him one thing: Go away from danger.
He glanced left and right, then ran left. The area was enormous, but Brit felt deeply unsettled. Unsure of his destination, he sprinted dozens of meters before reaching a corner. Turning it, the scene changed instantly. In the distance stood a tall wall, and a figure moved along its top. Brit froze, and a bullet slammed into the ground in front of him.
"OH F*CK-!" Brit looked up, and a soldier on the wall was aiming straight at him.
The viewers erupted in panic.
"Run, Brit. Run."
"This is too much!"
"He's in danger!"
"The soldier is going to kill him!"
"Brit, move!"
Brit didn't need the warning. He spun around and bolted back the way he came. But then, a deafening roar echoed from afar.
"It's the Lizard!" Brit realized instantly.
Helicopters roared overhead. At the same moment, the 'Old Man' and the 'Shy Guy' charged toward the soldiers.
Brit's heart sank. Running back wouldn't work as that path led straight into madness. If he wanted to beat the game, retreat was pointless. He had to push forward.
"Endure!" Brit roared inwardly. He turned again and sprinted toward the wall.
Gunfire erupted, and bullets tore into the ground around him. This wasn't luck anymore. Seconds later, his left arm was hit, then his right shoulder and his abdomen. Pain flooded his senses.
Brit's mind went blank as all he could think about was escaping. The stream, the monsters, everything else disappeared. Run. Just run.
Brit knew one thing for certain: The game had to offer a way to survive. If he held on just a little longer, he could make it.
And then, he saw it. A narrow trail branching off to the side.
Brit forced himself into it and ran while blood dripped behind him. His vision blurred, but he didn't care. All that mattered was forward motion. Running. Relentlessly. No matter what lies ahead.