Chapter 37: Into the Void
Iris had no idea what was going on but she was sure grateful for the distraction that John gave her. Now that Alphys was out she could continue working on the computer.
"You know this is kinda cool." Chara said. "We're like some kinda secret spy."
Iris didn't answer, too focused on the computer screen.
Chara watched as Iris rapidly pressed buttons on the keyboard. The screen there was a whole bunch of... Chara couldn't describe what he was looking at.
"How do you know how to work this?" Chara asked.
"Simple. Just gotta reconfigure the electric flow towards the adjacent power component. Now each of the components can only go in a specific direction so I gotta make sure it goes the way I want it to go. Also, I gotta watch the distance between each node cause the father it is the less power is delivered. Also gotta watch out for too many splitting pathways or else the power will be weakened." Iris said in one breath.
Chara stared at her with a blank expression. "Um... that sounds complicated."
"No, it's just like arranging redstone in Minecraft."
"What's a Minecraft?"
Iris paused for a second, then resumed her work. "Never say that to John's face."
"What, why?"
"Unless you want a two hour lecture about the history of it I suggest you keep that to yourself." Iris said. Then a sound came from the computer and she jumped up from the desk and cheered. "Eureka!"
"You did it?" Chara asked.
"Yeah, power flow is going directly to there." She pointed to the screen. "Now to figure out where there is."
She left the lab and headed straight into Waterfall. She retraced her steps from Napstablook's house to get to that doorway location from her dream. She knew she found it when she saw Sans working on a machine.
"Sans!" Iris called.
"heya, i guess you did it. the machine got power now, and i'm able to charge my phone as well." He pointed to an outlet where his phone was.
"So is it ready?" Iris asked.
"no, it's still at 12%, give it some time."
"Oh." Iris looked around. "Wait, are you talking about the phone or the machine?"
"the phone, the machine has been ready the whole time."
Iris glared at Sans.
"alright, so i just need some coordinates, please tell me the old man told you them?"
"Yeah, it's um... F.U.N value to 66.000, Coordinates to 268 room_water_fakehallway, then to Coordinates 269 the_void."
"kay, got it." Sans said typing it into the machine. "alright, once i start this up you head immediately into the portal. you don't got much time, this amount of power will cause the machine to overload, once that happens well you two better be back here when the door closes."
"You aren't coming with me?"
Sans shook his head. "can't, someone's gotta watch the machine. i'll do what i can to give you more time."
Iris nodded.
Sans smile widened. "good, now stand back i'm powering it up now."
The machine whirred to life as it sputtered a bit. Sans glared a little at the machine and gave it a hefty kick. It turned on fully as symbols flashed on the screen on the side. The two of them noticed that the electrical lights around the area dimmed slightly. In fact, over the entire Underground the lights dimmed due to the amount of power being directed to the machine. The front of the distorter looked like it was charging some kind of blast. Then whatever it was charging unleashed itself onto the wall. The light was blinding as everyone looked away. When they looked back they saw a grey door against the wall. It shimmered in place, the distorter acting like a projector for the door.
Iris looked at Sans.
"I'll be back." She said as she reached for the door.
"iris," She looked back at the skeleton who was casually looking away and scratching the back of his head. "i was trying to a-void saying this but... good luck."
"Same here Iris, hate to tell the others about your death." Chara said.
Iris grinned and nod here head. She reached for the doorknob and open the door, stepping in.
She found the Void the same as before, dark and boring. But now she felt a weird chill down her spine being here physically.
"Gaster?!" She called out, she didn't have much time to waste. "Gaster, it's me! Iris!"
She heard a strange sound but she couldn't pinpoint from what direction it was coming from.
"O# #t'# t o t o #o"
She frantically looked in all directions but saw nothing but the darkness.
"O# it'# t#e on# ne# t#e o ne# #on#"
She thought she saw something at the corner of her eye but it quickly disappeared.
"O# it's t#e w#on# n#mbe# t#e w#on# n#mbe# son#"
Was it just her or was the sound slowly turned into a voice?
"O# it's t#e wron# n#mber t#e wron# n#mber son#"
Oh it's the wrong number the wrong number song
Then the voice now sounded like it was right behind her.
"Oh it's the wrong number the wrong number song"
She turned around and saw the deformed back of Gaster.
"Gaster?" Iris asked cautiously.
"Oh it's the wrong number the wrong number song,
We're very very sorry that we got it wrong,
Oh it's the wrong number the wrong number song,
We're very very sorry that we got it wrong,"
Gaster just kept repeating the same two lines of this simple song over and over. Iris had enough and reached for his shoulder.
"Gaster, come on it's time t-"
Iris was immediately blasted backward and landed on an invisible wall. She straightened her glasses and looked at the slightly miffed Gaster.
"Hello Iris. It seems that you have disturbed my little soliloquy."
"Gaster, you can talk perfectly?" Iris said bewildered. The former scientist's body was distorted and glitching but his voice sounded perfectly normal.
Gaster smirked. "Yes, after I last talked to you I came to a realization. The more I resist the void the more pain it brings me. Now I don't fight it, I don't resist."
"B-"
"Shhhh" Gaster put a finger to his mouth. "Do you hear that?" Iris listened and still heard n-
Wait, she did hear something. It sounded like the whooshing of wind.
"It's the call of the void. It calls to me."
"B-but Gaster, what about our plan?"
Gaster rolled his eyes. "Foolish child, what awaits me in a world as blind as yours?"
"You come from that world!"
"Nothing but pointless semantics, this is where I truly belong, not a world that has forgotten my name."
"Look at yourself, you are fading away!"
"No, I am becoming one with the almighty void. It stretches far and wide. What once seemed endless, I can comprehend the sheer size of it. Watch this." Gaster swiped his hand and several glowing lines appeared in all directions, connecting to one another through silver spheres.
"Wh-what is this?" Iris asked.
"These are the timelines. Your timeline, the one I come from, is one of many. I can see them all, timelines starting, stopping, and crossing into each other. Some are only slightly different from yours, others are completely different. I can't possibly put it into words that you will understand. The void provides me the capacity to understand all of it."
Iris noticed that there was a bunch of lines that stopped near a specific sphere, not connecting into it. Gaster noticed her curiosity.
"Yes, most timelines that are similar to this one suffer the same fate. There seems to be some sort of anomaly that causes the timelines to just suddenly end. Whatever it is, it's not natural.
"And you say you void provides endless knowledge?" Iris accused.
"Mind your tongue child! While it is true I don't know what the anomaly is I am sure that if I have more t-" Gaster paused himself and chuckled. "Oh, I forgot. Time is irrelevant here."
Gaster extended his hand. "Iris, join me. Be one with the void, I can show you everything beyond our world. We can go on a journey of endless discovery, together!"
Now you think that Iris would definitely not accept something so insane, but she actually considers it. To gain absolute knowledge, that's something that she always dreamed of. She was born to learn things quicker than most people, this is her chance to explore the unknown.
She reached her hand out towards him. Gaster's smile widened.
Then Iris paused. She thought about her friends, her family on the surface. She remembered what she told Sans.
Iris backed away. Gaster's smile dropped suddenly.
"Hmm, interesting. So you reject the calling of the void?"
"I'm sorry Gaster. Believe me, the offer is tempting. But I made a promise."
"Promise?"
"To your son, Sans."
"I promised him I would bring you back to him. And nothing, in my world or the void, will deter me from my promise. That's what it means to have Perseverance, when faced with a setback we must challenge our assumptions!" Iris stared him down, eyes glowing purple through her glasses. "Gaster, I will bring you back by force if I have to."
Gaster's head twitched slightly. "If you go back, you will eventually die, whether from the monsters of your pathetic mortality."
"We all got to make sacrifices in the name of science."
"WE WILL NOT BE DENIED YOU STUPID CHILD!"
Iris was blasted back by the powerful shock wave emitted by Gaster. At the same time the room lit up. It now became an all white large room. The grey door still visible right behind her, she could easily flee to safety. But she will not back down.
She looked back at Gaster and saw two figures next to him. She realized they are the Memoryhead monsters from Alphys lab with the other Amalgamates.
"Do you now see the extent of my power, my will made REAL!?" Gaster said. "Back there I an nothing but a forgotten scientist, here I am a God!"
Iris shook her head, Gaster was lost in his power. "Gaster, you have lost your mind. But don't worry." She summoned as many tendrils as she could. "I'll knock the sense back into you."
Gaster chuckled. "How barbaric, being forced to resort to violence."
"Look who's talking." Iris shot back.
Suddenly the Memoryheads glitched out and formed onto large Dragon-like skulls, Gaster Blasters.
"Heh, very well then human." Suddenly several skeletal hands similar to Gaster's grabbed her tendrils and pulled her upward, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. "I will enjoy experimenting with your Soul."
Then the Gaster Blasters shot at her with a blinding light.
Outside the door Sans and Chara felt a slight rumble.
"huh, sounds like the kid is having trouble. better go check on her." Sans said as he walked towards the door. He turned the knob and... it didn't budge.
his eyes dimmed. "oh no."
Chara tried to go through the door but he couldn't phase through it like other objects. "What is going on!?"
Beware the man who speaks in hands...
HAVE FUN!