(21)
"He's telling the truth," the gem-headed scientist, Phire, said as she walked to the queen's desk. "The tapes prove it. Whatever he did, he's telling the truth about how he did it."
Toriel considered this for a moment, ignoring the young skeleton's presence pressed into one of the seats behind her. She had woven a spell so he could not overhear, but that did little to ease her at the moment. Instead, she gazed into her window of the surface, standing close so she could almost convince herself it was real and not merely a painting, letting it help her think as it always did.
"You know what this means, don't you?" the scientist went on.
"We have no idea what it means yet," Toriel reminded her.
"Ma'am, with all due respect, however it happened, this is the first major breakthrough we've had in years! And not only was it this kid who achieved it, he was able to figure out what that machine was and how it worked in a matter of minutes!" The queen remained silent, refusing to jump to conclusions. "We need him," Phire said finally.
"Absolutely not," Toriel told her.
It was hard to tell when the monster was doing something such as "roll her eyes", but Toriel imagined she could be doing little else by the tone of her next words, "What's the harm?" she argued. "We catch him up to speed and see where it leads. If we're wrong and it was a fluke, he goes back to cleaning."
"He cannot be trusted with that sort of information," the queen reminded. "And I think why should be obvious."
"If he was able to figure out all of that with just a few glances at a computer screen, a machine no one outside of this lab has any comprehension of yet, need I remind you, there's no telling what else he's been able to figure out on his own. Has any of it been blabbed to his friends yet?"
The queen remained silent once more.
"Oh, come on Toriel. I've known you for too long to not know you're listening over his shoulder. And I know he hasn't said anything because you still brought him back today."
"No," the queen finally admitted. "He has not, but that could also mean we are simply giving him too much credit."
"I still say we give him a try," the scientist concluded.
Toriel was having trouble believing that this was how her day was going. She rubbed her eyes, pushing her glasses up as she did. "What makes you so sure he is worth such a risk?" she went on.
"You must have seen how he looks around this place. He's absolutely taken by all of it. I haven't seen a monster more excited about science and discovery since I met you." Toriel shot Phire a glance that she ignored. "He's not gonna let anything out, and he's not going to let us down, I can feel it."
Toriel clenched her teeth to bite off further argument. Her scientist was right on one front: they did need him, if that was the sort of mind he had hiding. Accident or not, a third of what the child had managed in ten times as many minutes would have been impressive.
"I will consider what you have said," she told her finally. "For now, I would like to speak with him. Keep this between us for the moment."
"Not sure what good it'll do," the scientist said as she turned for the door. "Half the lab already knows about it and are thinking the same thing as me."
Toriel's lips drew into a line as she heard the door click shut behind her. She turned towards the skeleton as she undid the spell around him. Instantly his eyes shot up in curiosity. Instead of taking the chair behind her desk, she sat down in the one next to him. Taking off of her glasses, she asked, "Do you know why this place was created?"
Gaster hesitated for a moment, not wanting to put himself into even hotter water, before going with a simple answer. "For research, right?"
"Yes, but what kind of research, do you suppose? What worth would this place have if not for a specific purpose when faced with a situation like ours?" The skeleton shook his head not knowing how to answer, so she answered for him, "I started this place so that we may one day leave this mountain."
Gaster nearly shot up out of his seat. "You're trying to destroy the barrier?" he inferred.
His reaction surprised her slightly. "That and more."
Gaster felt giddy. There it was: proof that what he and his friends had been trying to cause was already happening, just as he thought. But no, it was too soon to show his hand. He reigned himself in.
"I thought we would need humans to destroy the barrier," he said. "Isn't that the legend?"
The queen seemed to expect that response. "If there is one thing I have learned in my long life," she explained, "it is that magic is a force stranger than any may be able to ever fully grasp, and there is always more than one way to accomplish the same ends. Your actions today have reminded me just how strange of a thing magic is and how much even I have yet to learn about it."
Gaster shrugged off the compliment. "I just panicked, really."
The queen went on, considering the other monster. "You have very curious abilities indeed. The ability to strengthen another's magic in such a way is something I have never seen the like in another; nothing even comes close to that sort of power. I cannot help but wonder what can be done with it.
"On top of that, you seem to have a very analytical mind, one suited to this sort of place. Even I must admit it would be a shame for that to go to waste."
Gaster jumped on the lead. "If there's any way I can help, I would be more than willing. Heck, some of my friends might even-"
The queen raised a hand, cutting him off. So, he was eager. In that case she needed to be sure. "It may be true that we could use someone with your skills, but before I even consider it, I must know where your motives lie. Tell me, young one, what are your goals."
"I…" Gaster started, and then hesitated. "It's not really my place. Grillby, he-"
"I care little about your friend, to tell the truth," the queen interrupted. "What I want to know about is you."
The skeleton looked down at his hands. What did he want? He wanted to help make Grillby's vision come true, but he had never really thought about why. He'd always felt like he knew, he'd just never needed to find the words for it before then.
"I just want to help monsters," he said finally. "That's all any of us have ever wanted."
The queen let out a breath. "I suppose that's enough, for now."
Gaster blinked. "Does that mean…?"
"It means you should not believe your situation is suddenly any different," the queen clarified. "You are still a criminal, and this is still your punishment, but it would be a disservice to my people to let your talents go to waste."
Gaster nearly jumped out of his chair again. Toriel pushed him back down with a gentle but forceful spell of air. "There is one thing you must understand first above all," she told him. "What we are doing here is a secret. You and I are the only two monsters that do not live as well as work here. Not even my husband is aware of this lab's true purpose, and there is a very good reason for that."
Toriel leaned back in her chair, suddenly exhausted. "Above all, I do not wish to give anyone false hope," she said. "There is still a very strong possibility that all we try here may not bear fruit. What more is that, even though we have not delved too deeply into it yet, if we continue down this path, I fear we will enter territory that those who do not fully understand the implications of what it is we are trying to do will find… uncouth, to put it mildly. So I must ask you the same thing I have asked all of the others, and perhaps you may understand what I mean much better than they do. Are you willing to go to any and all lengths to achieve what we set out to achieve, for the sake of monsters' freedom?"
"Yes!" Gaster said without hesitation. "Of course."
The queen sighed, almost in disappointment. "Then I suppose I cannot deny another willing mind. But, I should reiterate that you are not to tell anyone a word of what you do here. That includes your fire monster friend."
"But…"
Toriel shook her head to cut him off. "That is my condition," she said flatly. "My husband may put some measure of trust into him, but I have not. And he is too clever for his own good. Do you agree despite this?"
Gaster thought. He thought hard. This was what he wanted to happen; what he hoped would happen, but this way he would be on his own. He wasn't sure he could do it. Sure, he was good at mathematics and science, but he wasn't able to see the bigger picture like Grillby could. He couldn't read monsters and stay ten steps ahead of them like his friend could. But this was closer than they had ever been to what they truly wanted for monsters: letting them free, in every sense of the word.
No, he couldn't pass this up. Grillby would handle the other parts, Gaster just needed to keep up.
"Alright," he finally agreed.
"Good," the queen said, standing. "Then let us truly get started."