AUTHORS NOTE
Before you send me reviews saying that 'this doesn't line up with the original game', it's not supposed to. I'm WELL aware that I broke canon in several instances in the book. I did so because I wanted to be able to express the story in a clearer manner. I'll list the main things that broke canon. Whether this is just different timeline of events, or a mini AU in a sense, I'll leave for you to decide.
In this story, the entries found in the true lab, or at least the first 16, were written by W.D. Gaster, and NOT Alphys.
In this story, it was Gaster who was the head scientist of the experiments, and again, not Alphys, who is not mentioned at all in the story.
So if you're someone who is easily triggered by having stories break canon, best not to read this. This is merely supposed to be for enjoyment. I hope you guys enjoy!
Entry #1: This is it…time to do what the King has asked me to do. We will create the power to free us all. I will unleash the power of the soul.
Entry #2: The barrier is locked by soul power. Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. Soul power can only be derived from what was once living. So, to create more, I will have to use what we have now…the souls of monsters.
Entry #3: Extracting a soul from a living monster requires incredible power. Besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the soul's host. Unlike the persistent souls of humans, the souls of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster's soul last…
Entry #4: I've been researching humans to see if I can find any information about their souls. What I've discovered is rather…interesting.
Entry #5: I've done it. Using the blueprints, I've extracted it from the soul of the human. I believe this is what gives their souls the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living…the resolve to change fate. Let's call this power…"Determination."
6:01 AM
The elevator carried the skeleton further down through the lab. The royal scientist folded his bony hands behind him, maintaining his stern, professional face. As the elevator neared the bottom floor, the automated voice spoke clear. "Welcome, Dr. Gaster." He straightened his back further as the door whisked open, allowing him entry into the lab. He stepped out, and into the mildly chilly rooms once more. Around, the other seven heads present glanced up, pausing on him for a brief moment before quickly returning to their work. A second skeleton, this one about a head shorter moved from behind a desk, carrying a folder in his own hands. As Gaster made his way over to his small office, the second skeleton caught up. Before he could get a word out, Gaster spoke firmly.
"Were they a success?" The second scientist held out the folder. Gaster accepted it with his left hand, flipping it open as the other skeleton responded.
"The tests uh…they failed…sir. The last of the subjects has…fallen." Gaster could already feel himself trying to regulate his own temper.
"What of the vessel? Any sign of it?" The skeleton shook his head apologetically.
"Not since last week. We've lost all trace of it." Gaster nodded grimly. "Keep trying. Focus your efforts into trying to save the subjects. I want results by the end of the day." Before waiting for the scientist to respond, he handed him the folder and walked into the office, closing the door. He sat down at his desk, struggling not to throw the stapler on it at the wall. The heads outside turned to the second skeleton, who gave them a look that said it all. Immediately they got to work as Gaster put his head in his hands. They had been so close and yet…they weren't. There was a solution out there. He knew of what it was. He just had to search…just a little bit more. His finger ran over the crack leading from his right eye to the back of his skull. It had begun to ache, as it often did when he was in a stressful situation. The King was counting on him. Everybody was. The scientist put his tired head in his hands, sighing as he tapped a pencil rhythmically on the table. Still no success. After weeks upon weeks of endless work and research, nothing. He had never felt more hopeless than he did that day.
11:49 PM
Gaster groaned, exhausted. He was still seated at the desk, though he had gone in and out occasionally to check on progress, or lack thereof. The day had been endless with the review of notes, research, even going back through the history of the war. Surely there was something he missed. There had to be. He jumped, sitting up straight as he heard a soft knock on the door. A second later, the door was opened to reveal the same skeleton from before.
"Dr. Gaster…everybody's gone home…I'm…about to head out myself. Will you be alright?" The royal scientist grunted quietly in response.
"Mhm…go on home." The other scientist nodded solemnly, though paused as he was on his way out.
"Uh…Don't stay up all night again, alright? It's not good for your health, especially with all the work you've put into this project." Before Gaster could think of a response, the skeleton was gone, leaving him alone in the empty laboratory.
Gaster took his role as royal scientist very seriously, to the point where his research nearly turned into obsessions. Once he began a project, he couldn't stop until he saw it through. These experiments though had proven to be quite…difficult. All of the subjects had seemed fine, but had then melted into those…things. Gaster shuddered when he thought about it. He stared down at the mountain of notes in front of him. He sighed, feeling himself growing closer to sleep by the second. He jumped again as he heard his pager go off. Someone was at the top of the elevator. He looked over at a screen on the wall, and froze. The king? He didn't visit very often…especially since he knew how busy he was. He slowly pushed the talk button on his pager.
"Hello?" The voice of King Asgore sounded somewhat soft.
"Gaster, I do apologize if I'm disturbing you. I understand that it's late…but I thought you may want to have a little chat, you and I." Gaster frowned. This was unusual…the last time he had sat down with Asgore and had a casual discussion was…come to think of it he couldn't remember when the last time was. He was hesitant in his response.
"…It's no problem your highness…that'd be nice. I'll be right up." Gaster turned the pager off, then hung up the white lab coat he always wore, before heading for the elevator. Moments later, he found himself exiting on the ground floor once more in front of the King. He clasped his hands behind his back, once more straightening himself. He put on a neutral expression as he faced him. Though the King was an old friend, he couldn't help but feel the need to address him formally in such a place. Besides, the King could be somewhat intimidating.
"I take it you'd prefer Golden Flower Tea your highness?" The king gave a chuckle.
"Please, this is not meant to be a formal visit Gaster. You can refer to me as my real name." Gaster nodded slowly, relaxing slightly.
"Of course, Asgore." He led Asgore over to a small dining area where the scientists had their lunch break. He moved to the kitchen, returning shortly with some coffee for himself, and the tea for Asgore. He sat across from the king, staring at the cup. Asgore was the one to break the silence.
"How are you doing these days?" Gaster didn't like to talk about the lack of success, but what else could he say? He wasn't about to lie, especially to the king.
"Not as good as I would have liked. The subjects get worse every day, and so far I've had no luck in trying to find a way to bring them back. Asgore rolled his eyes, then looked straight at the royal scientist.
"Gaster…I meant, how are YOU doing?" Gaster looked up into the king's soft eyes.
"Tired…and angry." Asgore sighed, lowering his voice again, and dropping the authoritative tone.
"You really should sleep more. You've already done so much for everybody. From your work before the war, to trying to find us a way out from underneath the mountain, you have no idea how much hope you've given." Gaster's hands curled into fists as the memory of the machine backfiring on the surface overcame him, the humans overrunning them, the sword flying towards his face.
"Clearly I haven't done enough." Asgore growled.
"Gaster, don't tell yourself that. What's past is past. We can only look forward." Gaster sighed.
"Understood…the least you can do for me is give me more time. I know I can make something work. We were so close…" Asgore shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I've told you this before. It's been months, and unfortunately I don't see much progress being made. Don't worry, we'll find another way. Besides, you told me yourself you were running low on what you needed. Who knows how long it'll be before we get more? There will be another chance. Besides, I've seen what it's been doing to you. This project has caused you more harm than it's done good." Gaster grunted. The decision to shut down the project was one that Gaster resented, and one Asgore had not made lightly. By now, Gaster had mere days to figure out a solution.
"It's been a pleasure." He stood up abruptly, surprising Asgore. "If you'll excuse me, I need to do some things before I leave." Asgore stood as well, though was hesitant to leave.
"Gaster…don't overwork yourself. I've already lost so much…I don't need to lose you too, my old friend." Gaster by now was at the elevator. He paused at the words. The Kings children. One of them would have been eleven today…without saying a word, Gaster stepped back into the elevator, leaving Asgore alone.
Entry #6: King Asgore asked everyone out of the city for monsters that had 'fallen down.' Their bodies came in today. They're still comatose…and soon, they'll all turn into dust. But what happens if I inject "determination" into them? If their souls persist after they perish, then…freedom might be closer than we all thought.
Entry #7: I'll need a vessel to wield the monsters' souls when the time comes. After all, a monster cannot absorb the souls of other monsters. Just as a human cannot absorb a human soul…so then…what about something that's neither human nor monster?
Entry #8: I've chosen a candidate. I haven't told Asgore yet, because I want to surprise him with it…in the center of his garden, there's something special. The first golden flower, that grew before all the others. The flower from the outside world. It appeared just before the queen left. I wonder…what happens when something without a soul gains the will to live?
Entry #9: Things aren't going well. None of the bodies have turned into dust, so we can't get the souls. I told the families that we would give them the dust back for the funerals. People are starting to ask me what's happening. What do I do?
Entry #10: Experiments on the vessel are a failure. It doesn't seem to be different from the control cases. Whatever. They're a hassle to work with anyway.
2:41 AM
"This doesn't make SENSE!" Gaster yelled out to nobody in particular, slamming a fist down on the table. His frustration was indescribable. He wanted this to work. The minutes had ticked by, stretching into hours. Still, the royal scientist did not leave his desk. He promised himself he would not rest until he found a reasonable solution. Then, it dawned. Perhaps determination needed a more, healthy host. A smile spread across his face. Yes…this could work. But what if it didn't? He would need a plan in case things went wrong. The DT Extractor. It worked on the human soul, there's no reason to think it wouldn't work for him. All he would need to do is adjust a couple of things to make it more suitable for his own soul.
He stood up, scattering pages filled to the brim with symbols as he walked wearily over to the main lab. His first stop, was the extractor itself. He took a deep breath as he stared up at the ominous machine. He then leaned over the control panel, carefully inputting the new parameters and adjusting the settings of the machine. Walking over to the opposite end of the lab, he picked up one of the vials filled with the blood-red liquid. It was the last they had. He would need to make it count. He took a single syringe and half-walked, half-sprinted to his office. Eagerly he filled the syringe with the last of the determination. He set it down tenderly on the right, treating it as if it were a child. He slowly reached under the desk, feeling around for the safe he kept beneath.
He found the dial and turned. Four clicks clockwise, twenty clicks counter clockwise, seventeen clockwise again. The safe popped open immediately. Inside, Gaster took out the lone folder containing his affairs. He took a breath and looked them over, making sure everything was in order. He left them on his desk. He picked the syringe up once more and let the sharp point hover over his left arm. Taking a breath, he stabbed the syringe into his arm, groaning out in pain as he bent forward ever slightly. Upon injection, he tossed the needle off to the side, clutching his arm.
He could feel his soul resonating with the new determination. He managed to regulate his breathing and sit up straight, then stand. He first chuckled, then laughed. Had it worked? He stretched out his fingers and moved his arm. Was the solution really that simple? He couldn't help but be overwhelmed with joy. If it really had worked, then there was still hope. Hope for freedom. Hope for a new future. Then the pain. The pain that felt as if his soul had been crushed under a boot. His laughter of joy turned into gasps for air. He couldn't even cry out for help. Another failure. He stumbled forward into the lab, searching for the extractor's controls. Panicked, he lunged forward towards the controls. His left arm was useless. With the one good hand he began to frantically put in the start-up command. He looked up sharply as the machine whirred to life, cracking open enough for him to get inside. He took two steps, then collapsed.
The pain was unimaginable. He could almost feel his left arm starting to melt away as he dragged himself to the machine, climbing inside. He heard the machine starting up around him. Gaster stared at the gages around him, his head swimming as he fought against the blinding pain. He froze when he saw one of the readings. The photon readings had dived into the negatives, yet this had never happened before…interesting. It had to be recorded. He struggled to tug his journal out, and turned to a random empty page, beginning to write.
Entry #12: Nothing is happening. I don't know what to do. I'll just keep injecting everything with "determination." I want this to work.
Entry #13: One of the bodies opened its' eyes.
Entry #14: Everyone that had fallen down…has woken up. They're all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners…?"
Entry #15: Seems like this project was a dead end…but at least we got a happy ending out of it? I sent the souls back to Asgore and returned the vessel to his garden. I also called all the families and told them everyone's alive. I'll send everyone back tomorrow.
Entry #16: no No NO NO NO NO NO
Gaster screamed in agony, the journal and pen dropping to the floor. The light was blinding as he kicked against the machine. It felt as though he was being literally ripped apart. He found himself suddenly unable to make a sound, and then, nothing. Blackness. It was everywhere. The pain had receded, he felt as though he were floating.. He looked around, nothing. He tried to see himself, make sure he was in one piece. He could still see nothing. The only feeling he felt was one of drowning, yet he wouldn't…couldn't die. Then, a light. He widened his eyes and desperately tried to move himself towards it. He swam through the thick darkness, trying to approach the light. Then as though an invisible hand had grabbed him, he was wrenched back down into the endless black, the light fading from view.
?:? AM/PM
A single sound of laughter echoed through the endless void. A royal scientist, the last shreds of sanity abandoning him as he cackled. It was impossible to tell in a world beyond time. Beyond space. How long had it been? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Centuries? It was impossible to tell. A light. A light in the black sea of nothing. A frantic scramble for the light. A hand yanking him back at the last second. More weeks. More months. More years. The sight of a lab. A lab where he had once existed. A struggle to try to reach the waking world. A hand yanking him back at the last second. As he was pulled down into the endless void, he roared in manic laughter.
5:00 PM
A lone, short, skeleton walked into the research laboratory. He looked around the darkened room. The project had been abandoned only a week earlier. He walked into his office, sitting at his desk and gathering his notes. He began to head back for the elevator, intending on sealing this lab and its dark secrets forever. He paused as he passed the extractor. Could anything possibly be of value in there?
"I suppose a little look wouldn't hurt…" He mumbled quietly to himself as he approached the ominous machine. He cautiously climbed inside, staring around. The machine had long been permanently shut down after the last of the subjects had fallen. Something though caught his eye. He stooped down and rummaged underneath one of the panels, finding a book. He managed to carefully pull it out, and stared at it. He opened it up and turned through the many pages. All of them were filled with symbols. He frowned. The font was familiar, though he couldn't lay a finger on it. One thing of note was that there was a great amount of hand signals being used in the text, and other weird symbols of similar caliber.
Intrigued, he walked back to his office, setting the book down on the desk. He looked through a box of books that had been packed the day earlier. He found what he was looking for, opening the book and flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "Wingdings."
The book he had beside the journal was a sort of cheat book for deciphering such texts. The next hour was excruciating and it seemed to stretch on into an eternity. Once he had finally decoded the page he had flipped to, he read it out. His blood immediately ran cold, and a shiver ran down his spine. He stuffed the journal into one of many folders he carried with him. It might be best if nobody else read what he had just found.
Entry 17: Dark, darker, yet darker. The darkness keeps growing. The shadows cutting deeper. Photon readings negative. This next experiment seems very…very…interesting…what do you two think?