Dark. Darker. Yet Darker. The shadows flooded the room and extinguished the remaining light, besides the faint glow of the towering mechanism which would bring power to the Underground. A source of unlimited energy, lying dormant far beneath Hotland.
The doctor gazed at his creation, nearly complete, and pulsing with magic. He never thought he would make it this far; to be able to make such a massive device was a feat that appeared impossible to any monster.
He knew that he should be continuing to make progress on finishing it; but this time he felt like pausing to admire the metal labyrinth that stood before him, bathed in darkness yet illuminating the quiet chamber with its faint glow. It was calm, for the first time in a while. Since taking on this project at a young age, the doctor never really had time to take a nice break like this.
Glancing at it for the last time, he sighed. "It's a shame that Al-"
A second voice interrupted, echoing from the doorway that led to the upper lab. "H-Hey Gaster, what're you doing all the way down here… Did you finish it?"
Dr. Gaster mumbled, inaudible to his lab assistant, "Speak of the devil…" He continued, making sure she could hear him this time. "Sorry to disappoint, Alphys, but I was just admiring the CORE. Never really had a chance to before, so I figured I might as well sneak down here while the night was still early."
"O-Oh, well that's fine. I guess it's u-uh, good that you've found time to reduce your stress, n-not… that I'm t-trying to rush you or anything!" Awkward as always, the yellow lizard managed to force out her words in a stuttering mess. They may have been good friends, but her old habits would never die easily. She frowned slightly when she peered up, seeing him chuckling slightly. "Hey, w-what's so funny!"
He froze for a second, allowing him time to piece together his thoughts, and continued to quietly laugh. "Oh Alphys, you don't need to worry about me. This will all be over momentarily. Tomorrow, the Underground will be alight with the radiance of my machine."
Gaster grinned at Alphys, holding much pride for the invention that he had spent years building. "I'm done here anyways, I think it's time we went back. Goodnight Alphys." He began to shuffle towards the doorway, when he was reminded of something very important. "Oh, and one more thing. Be ready tomorrow. As soon as I have completed the CORE, King Asgore and the queen will be visiting to take a peek at it. There will be a gathering in the afternoon in which we will unveil it to the public, and commence the activation ceremony."
Alphys cringed at the thought of standing before the crowd of monsters that populated the Underground; she hoped that she would not have to announce anything to them, let alone give a speech. It was quite common for her to introduce the doctor's inventions to an audience, but at times she would just stand in the background, assuring that nothing malfunctioned during the process of showcasing his creations.
Knowing just what was on her mind, Gaster put her concerns at ease. "Don't worry Al, you just have to monitor the CORE during the activation ceremony. Make sure nothing goes wrong during the demonstration and we'll all be fine!" He attempted to add a hint of enthusiasm at the end, but neither were the type to look forward to these kinds of public addresses. Realizing that it was no use, he continued, his expression becoming serious. "And remember. If the CORE becomes unstable at any point, shut it down. No matter what."
Sweating a little, Alphys mock-saluted him. "Yes sir, you c-can count on me!" Unable to contain themselves, the two scientists laughed at the silly gesture.
Looking at his watch, Gaster decided that it was time to retire to his room for the night, he was awfully tired. "Anyways, goodnight Alphys, I think it's time we got some rest. And remember, you'll do fine tomorrow." He made his way to the door, pausing to hug his friend, and exited. Alphys blushed slightly, but shook it off and decided that she needed sleep just as much as he did.
The Dreemurr family had come and visited the lab. King Asgore observed the project in silence, taking a moment to provide commentary when necessary. On any normal occasion, the king would be very talkative and joyful; but this was strictly business. Asgore had commissioned the Royal Scientist to design the CORE, which meant that he would have to be paid upon completion. He was here to discuss Gaster's payment, and the use of the CORE.
Meanwhile, his wife Toriel had taken the role of her husband, and was busy providing complements. Their two children stood off to the corner; Asriel, their younger son, was attempting to appear unfazed, yet he couldn't hide that he was in awe with the towering generator. Then there was Chara, the older daughter. Her expression was both unamused and bored, ready to leave at a moment's notice.
While Gaster was attempting to explain the function of the CORE, Chara had decided to entertain herself. "Basically, the magic is concentrated into energy in the center chamber, and dispersed throughout the Underground usin-" A cough interrupted him. "Err, using pipelines that work their way underneath the cave floor-" A second cough, louder than the last one, cut him off once more. Gaster ceased his explanation and waited for the interruptions to stop. The doctor narrowed his eyes and took a moment to glance towards the source. He frowned slightly when his eyes landed on the girl. Chara gave a cute smile and twirled her hair with her finger.
Raising the volume of his voice a bit, Gaster continued. "Anyways, once I activate it-" Gaster contained himself from screaming when a loud yawn escaped from the back of the room. His eye flashed purple for a second.
"Ow, what the hell!" Chara stumbled forward a bit. "Mom, he pushed me!" Chara whined to Toriel, who in response looked at her with a confused look. Currently, the Dreemurrs were staring at her, attempting to figure out what was going on with Chara.
"...Um, who pushed you, my child?" Toriel awkwardly asked. Chara groaned and attempted to respond in a way that wouldn't make her appear to be insane.
"That quack used his magical bullshit to push me!" She was red in the face from embarrassment, as her family looked at her with puzzled looks. Asriel tried to stifle a giggle, while Asgore sighed. Toriel tried to calm her enraged teenage daughter.
"But Chara, Dr. Gaster is standing right there. I think it would be best if we wrap this up and head home. I'm sure the doctor is very tired after working so hard on his energy-conversion thingy." Chara grumbled something inaudible to others, most likely a sarcastic comment about Gaster's turtleneck sweater. The royal family exited the lab after Asgore gave Gaster a brief apology for Chara's behavior.
Dr. Gaster gave a deadpan look to nobody in particular. "It's not a thingy…," He muttered to himself.