บท 204: 'Very Fine' setting is forbidden -200
In a dimly lit hideout deep within an abandoned industrial complex, two Hydra agents, Markus and Elena, stumbled upon an old, rusted door that led to a room they had never seen before. The hideout had been their base for months, but they never ventured into this part of the complex. The door creaked open to reveal a large, enigmatic contraption that filled the entire room.
"What do you think this is?" Markus asked, stepping closer to the machine. It was a massive, intricate structure of gears, levers, and dials, all housed within a polished brass and steel casing.
"No idea," Elena replied, her eyes scanning the room. "But it looks like it's been here a long time."
As they approached the machine, they noticed a yellow sticky note affixed to one of the dials. In bold, handwritten letters, it read: "Using the 'Very Fine' setting is forbidden."
Markus raised an eyebrow. "Forbidden? Why would they forbid using a setting on this thing?"
"Who knows?" Elena shrugged. "Maybe it's dangerous. We should probably be careful."
The machine had five settings: Rough, Coarse, 1:1, Fine, and Very Fine. Below the settings dial was a large input compartment and a smaller output compartment.
"Let's see what this thing does," Markus said, picking up a small wrench from a nearby workbench. He placed it into the input compartment and set the dial to "1:1". With a glance at Elena, he pressed the large red button next to the dial.
The machine whirred to life, gears spinning and clicking with mechanical precision. After a few moments, the output compartment door swung open, revealing three small steel spanners, all slightly rusted.
Elena picked up the spanners and examined them closely. "It multiplies and changes the input," she mused. "Interesting. Let's try another setting."
Markus nodded, placing a small metal key into the input compartment. He set the dial to "Coarse" and pressed the red button. The machine roared and rattled more vigorously this time. When it finished, the output compartment revealed the key, now a misshapen lump of metal.
"Okay, so it does something," Elena said, intrigued. "What about 'Fine'?"
Markus placed an old, rusty screwdriver into the input compartment and set the dial to "Fine." The machine's whirring was smoother, almost gentle compared to the previous settings. When the process was complete, the output compartment contained a shiny, new chisel.
"Interesting," Markus said, examining the chisel. "It transforms items into something similar but better."
Over the following weeks, Markus and Elena returned to the machine daily, growing more fascinated with its capabilities. They experimented with various items and settings, cautiously avoiding the "Very Fine" setting.
They started with mundane objects. Each day, they brought something new to the machine, eager to see its capabilities. Markus tossed a crumpled soda can into the input compartment, setting the dial to "Coarse." The output was a pile of shredded aluminum. "Good for recycling, I guess," Markus commented with a smirk.
Elena experimented with food scraps, setting the dial to "1:1." The apple core she placed inside came out as a handful of plum cores, with some flesh of the fruits still stuck to them, not much but about the same amount of mass overall.
Markus and Elena grew more daring with their experiments, using SCP-914 for an array of mundane and unusual items. Their fascination grew with each new discovery, their curiosity ever piqued by the machine's capabilities.
Markus placed a broken clock into the input compartment and set the dial to "Coarse." The machine clattered and clanged, producing a heap of gears and springs in the output compartment. "Well, it's definitely deconstructing things," Markus said, inspecting the parts.
Elena tried a different approach. She placed a tattered book into the input compartment and set the dial to "Fine." The machine whirred smoothly, and the output compartment revealed a pristine, leather-bound journal with blank pages. "It's not just fixing things; it's enhancing them," she observed.
Their experiments soon became a routine part of their days. They used the machine for everything they could think of, including disposing of trash and transforming mundane items.
Markus tossed in a banana peel, setting the dial to "1:1." The machine processed the peel and returned a pile of yellow scraps, similar in mass but changed in form. "Not exactly useful, but it's interesting," he remarked.
One day, Elena brought a worn-out pair of boots. She set the dial to "Fine" and watched as the machine turned them into a sleek, durable pair of hiking boots. "This thing could make us a fortune," she mused.
Despite their growing familiarity with the machine, the "Very Fine" setting remained a forbidden temptation. They discussed it often, debating the potential dangers and rewards but never daring to defy the warning on the sticky note.
Markus placed a handful of loose nails into the input compartment and set the dial to "Fine." The output was a neat box of high-quality screws. "It's like an advanced recycling machine," he said, impressed.
Elena tried a different tack, placing a ragged sweater into the input compartment and setting the dial to "Coarse." The machine produced a pile of yarn and thread. "It's almost like a disassembler," she noted.
As weeks turned into months, their reliance on SCP-914 grew. They transformed old tools, food scraps, and even some broken electronic devices. The machine's versatility seemed endless, yet the allure of the "Very Fine" setting lingered in their minds.
Markus placed a shattered light bulb into the input compartment and set the dial to "Fine." The machine returned a compact, high-efficiency LED bulb. "It's amazing how it reconfigures items into improved versions," he said.
Elena decided to test the machine with a different type of object. She placed an old photograph into the input compartment and set the dial to "Fine." The output was a high-resolution digital photo on a sleek tablet screen. "This machine could revolutionize everything," she marveled.
One evening, after a particularly successful day of experiments, Markus and Elena sat down with a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses. Elena set the empty bottle into the machine and turned the dial to "Fine." The machine returned a perfectly crafted crystal decanter. "It never ceases to amaze me," Markus said, pouring the wine.
Many a time, they had pondered over what the machine was and why it was sitting here collecting dust in this old hideout. There were countless uses for the device, and yet here it was, just hidden away with barely any protection at all.
They couldn't even begin to guess what the leaders of Hydra were thinking by hiding this away and not using it. The only possible reason they could come up with was the very fine setting. Something about that must be why it wasn't used.
It was possible there were other dangers, but they hadn't encountered anything, and they had been using it almost nonstop for weeks now.
As their experiments continued, Markus and Elena integrated the machine into nearly every aspect of their daily routine. They found themselves turning to SCP-914 for the simplest of tasks, its results often surprising and sometimes baffling.
Markus experimented with an old, rusted hammer, setting the dial to "Fine." When the process was complete, the output compartment revealed a shiny, new adjustable wrench. "Looks like it doesn't just improve, it can also change items into something similar," Markus noted.
Elena placed a pile of shredded paper into the input compartment and set the dial to "1:1." The machine processed the scraps and returned a stack of fresh, unused sticky notes. "Perfect for the office," Elena said, chuckling.
They even began to use SCP-914 for disposing of their waste. Markus threw in a banana peel, setting the dial to "Rough." The output was a small pile of compost. "Well, at least it's eco-friendly," he commented.
Elena, always curious, placed a broken toaster into the input compartment and set the dial to "Fine." The machine whirred smoothly, and when it finished, the output compartment contained a sleek, modern toaster with advanced settings. "This thing is like magic," she marveled.
One day, Markus decided to test the machine with an old, worn-out pair of jeans. He set the dial to "Fine." The output was a pair of stylish, designer jeans that looked brand new. "We could start a fashion line with this thing," he joked.
Despite their growing reliance on the machine, the "Very Fine" setting remained an enigma. The sticky note's warning loomed over their heads, a constant reminder of the potential danger that lay in pushing the machine too far. They discussed it often, their curiosity tempered by caution.
One evening, after a particularly successful day of experiments, Markus and Elena sat down with a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses. Elena set the empty bottle into the machine and turned the dial to "Fine." The machine returned a perfectly crafted crystal decanter. "It never ceases to amaze me," Markus said, pouring the wine.
Their experiments had become an integral part of their lives, each day bringing new surprises. Despite the lingering temptation, they respected the warning and left the "Very Fine" setting untouched.
With the help of the machine, they had turned the old and dilapidated hideout and gotten a second wind. Now all the items that had been left to gather dust for years were brand new. And every time they got something they couldn't use, they could keep throwing it into the 1:1 setting and wait until they got something better.
Or even use the "Fine" setting to upgrade something, turning old equipment into something new and more useful. Turning their stay at the small facility far more pleasant and exciting than they had initially feared.
Still, the "Very Fine" continued to haunt them, and ever-present temptation that only their strict Hydra training had so far kept them from trying. However, every day, they talked more and more about trying it.
A/N
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