Being Human - Act I - Chapter 35

Frisk breathlessly pulls on his sweater's neckline to get some air. Unfortunately, that air is hotter than a bright cloudless summer's day at noon, like a magical stove for cooking pasta that instead burns your home to the ground, except that literally just happened and this is much worse. Every step Frisk takes comes with an increase in temperature that leaves him yearning for the frozen chilling embrace of Snowdin Forest or Waterfall's humidity.

You know… say what you will about the cold, Frisk thought. At least all you need is a few layers, and you'll be fine. When it gets hot, there's no escaping it. A glance over the stone platform's edge does not inspire any confidence; the sea of seething and creeping lava inflames it. While the distance keeps him safe from a fiery melting end, it does not stop the region from being baked into a sizzling simmer.

However, it is not without its fleeting joys, as the magma's bright orange fluidity does have a mesmerizing effect on him. Furthermore, the shroud of ever-persistent darkness that concealed his destination and lingering dangers is vanquished, revealing the path ahead to his eyes. It could not have come at a better time, as Frisk needs any place to escape this infernal heal.

Here, a distant and sizeable metallic structure emerges like a glistening oasis, one barely visible through the heated haze. Had it not been for the paved route and signs, he almost would have thought it was a mirage.

Frisk follows the rocky path, no matter how difficult the temperature-induced struggle causes him to stagger and slow. He frequently gasps for breath as the air dries his sweat-soaked sweater, but despite the hardship, Frisk doesn't relent as he makes his way to his destination. As he comes closer, the structure is revealed to be a large cylinder-shaped building with silver plating, some kind of heat shield Frisk hopes, although only the bottom section is whole and complete.

Upon arrival, Frisk stares at the imposing sight towering high above him and wishes he wasn't there. The structure climbs tall and ever taller, like a skyscraper, towards the Underground's upper level. It reminds Frisk of how tiny he is and how much he must climb to reach the top with a gulp. Even worse, he realizes the upper levels are incomplete in their construction, leaving exposed platforms that ascend back into the Underground's darkness.

Nevertheless, Frisk walks forward, as this is the most direct route to King Asgore and the Barrier.

At the structure's base lies a door and sign: THE LAB. When Frisk moves closer to inspect, a motion sensor opens the door and unleashes a cold burst of pure ecstasy onto him. Frisk stops to bask and worship the glory of air conditioning as his newfound God for precious moments of tingling bliss.

After a few moments he wishes could last for days, Frisk enters the structure to put himself at ease. He enters to discover a dimly lit, silent, and sterile laboratory that stretches to the structure's other side like an expansive corridor. A cluttered mess of personal and scientific effects in random assorted piles are scattered throughout the room. Finally, a vacuous feeling drains away all the positive emotions and excitement within Frisk in a second.

"What the heck is this spy stuff…?" There's a large computer with several windows open on the screen. All of them are live camera feeds from across the Underground, but the most prominent one is in the lab feed focused on him. Frisk moves throughout the lab while keeping an eye on the feed. Much like the door, some kind of motion sensor allows the camera to track and record his every move.

Other feeds include the Ruins exterior, fields in Snowdin Forest, the outskirts of Snowdin Town, various locales of Waterfall, and the bridge where he and Undyne fought each other. Each one makes him more uncomfortable than the previous one.

They've been spying on me! Frisk thought. How long have they been doing this? His mind goes over all the actions and events that brought him to this point. Boy, I'm glad I didn't do anything embarrassing! He approaches the cameras but does not understand the controls.

Well, there's no one here… Frisk thought, as no one emerges to make themselves known to him, whether to welcome or capture him. If they've been spying on me, they'll know I'm not going to hurt them. I'm sure they won't mind if I take a look around.

Frisk examines the many piles scattered across the room. While a mess, there is some method to the madness that organizes them upon closer inspection. Scientific equipment is assembled together on desks in a neat and orderly fashion. The office supplies are even more anal, with pens, notebooks, and paper arranged by size, shape, and color. The one thing they all have in common is claw marks etched in at various points.

The same cannot be said for the personal possessions. There are books called manga arranged by many different eras of 'human history' that Frisk finds inaccurate and ridiculous. The same goes for DVDs, posters, artwork, toys, & many knick-knacks. While some are crafted in the Underground, what surprises him is how many of them came from the surface. There is undeniable wear and tear on them, but there are also signs to preserve them with repairs, plastic wrappings, and glass display cases.

Everywhere Frisk goes, he can't avoid the cups of instant ramen and soda cans littered around. Dozens, if not hundreds of yellow post-it sticky notes are also scattered everywhere. They're scrawled with reminders, notes, and trivial or random technical jargon, written in penmanship that even chickens would call sloppy.

It's a mess organized in the messiest of ways, with the only sense lingering in whatever mind conjured this place. "Who made this?" Frisk wonders before a mechanical sound clanks not too far away from him.

Frisk discovers another door near the other side of the expansive room. The doors open to release a blinding light that bursts into the darkness. Some lingering smoke flows from the floors in cusps of small clouds. The silence is replaced by an energized musical pop melody that plays instead of elevator music. Eventually, a yellow claw emerges to flip a switch that turns on the laboratory's lights. While Frisk is not afraid, he cannot contain his nerves as he wonders who will emerge from the elevator.

"Alright… Endogeny is gonna want more dog food. Otherwise, they'll start going stir-crazy again…" A yellow reptilian monster in white lab coat steps out of the elevator scribbling onto a clipboard. She is short and stocky with glasses, two buck teeth that stick out of her mouth, and a tail that trails out beneath her lab coat.

"Note to self: leave a note to remind me that the next time I go to the store to pick the latest br-bra…brand of…dog food…." Her voice trails off as she takes notice of Frisk before dropping the clipboard as her hands race to grasp her head.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" She squeaks, spinning and hopping frantically with her hands on her head. "I didn't expect you to show up so soon! I haven't showered! I'm barely dressed! It's all messy, and the cameras are recording everything. Oh, no, this is so humiliating. Alphys, you're screwing everything up. Stop being a screw-"

"Hi," Frisk speaks with a hand wave to break the ice and a grin stretched nervously from ear to ear. He wonders how much of that she wanted him to hear, clearly not expecting him to be here. It takes her some effort, but she composes herself to face him.

"Umm… H-h-Hiya! I'm Dr. Alphys.! B-b-but, ahhh, I'm not one of the 'bad guys,' so you don't have to worry about me." The monster says.

"Hi Alphys… Umm…Alphys. Wait! I know who you are. Papyrus and Undyne told me about you. You're like the smartest person in the Underground, right?"

"S-Sh-She really said that… bout me?! Oh my gosh! I never thought… never believed… that she would… Ugh! Get a hold of yourself, Alphys! Wrong place & wrong time." She takes a few breaths to collect herself. "I guess you could say that. I'm Asgore's royal scientist, and this is my lab."

"Nice to meet you, Alphys. My name is Frisk." He smiles and extends a hand to shake hers while looking and sounding as friendly as possible. After screwing up his first encounter with every other monster in the Underground that's not named Sans, Frisk refuses to make the same mistake. After a few anxious seconds, Alphys takes his hand in her own sweaty, scaly, and cold one.

"It's splendid to finally meet you too, Frisk. Actually, since you stepped out of the Ruins, I've, umm… been 'observing' your journey through the Underground."

"Yeah, I can tell." Frisk looks back at the monitor, seeing himself and Alphys on the screen. He can understand why monsters need a surveillance system to track down rogue humans, but the complete and total invasion of his privacy leaves him uneasy. "You were always looking at me?"

"Not all of the time... just most of the time. I'm Sorry! Please don't be mad at me," she pleads. "I-I didn't have a choice, and I always delete camera recordings after 24 hours." She calms quickly.

"Honestly, I have to say that I've been looking forward to you getting here. Your fights… your friendships… your everything!" There is excitement in her voice, like a fan meeting their hero for the first time. "I was originally going to stop you, but… watching someone as nice and friendly as you really makes you root for them. S-SSo, I've decided that I want to help you. So don't worry, I promise I'm on your side."

Frisk could almost have jumped into the sky as Alphys lifts mountains off his shoulders. To meet and make a friend right at the start, as opposed to going through some misguided and tortuous journey just to arrive at the same conclusion… it feels nice to avoid that this time.

"Wow, that sounds great. After everything that's happened, I can't tell you how much that means to me. Undyne was right. You are the best!" Frisk speaks and Alphys collapses to the ground.

"Alphys! Are you alright?" Frisk rushes to a stunned Alphys on the ground. He grabs her and helps her return to her stubby feet.

"Uhh…" Alphys groans. "What was I saying…? Everything went white for a second."

"You said you were gonna help me, but it looks like I'm helping you." Frisk supports Alphys against himself so she can keep standing.

"Oh! I'm so, so sorry." She frees herself and lets Frisk go. "Now where was I again…? Oh, yes! Using my knowledge, I can easily guide you through Hotland! There's a way straight to Asgore's castle. No problem at all!"

Frisk could not have been any happier; for once, everything is going his way. However, a piece of him finds this too good to be true. "Alphys, you're a lifesaver!"

Alphys shys away. "Oh, no, I'm not, but I'll try my best…!" There's a pause. "Well, actually, umm, there's just a tiny-little-itty-bitty-not-major-issue-at-all that we might have to deal with."

"What is it?" Frisk asks, with a spirit and mood that could not be dampened.

"A long time ago, I created a robot named Mettaton. Originally, I built him to be a robot for entertainment. Uh, you know, like a robotic TV star or something."

"Yeah, that name sounds familiar. I think I know who you're talking about. It seems like a good robot." Frisk recalls the name from his time with Maribel.

"Anyway, recently, I decided to make him more useful. You know, just some small practical adjustments." Her words, while painless, sends a unwelcome chill down his spine. "Like… um… Anti… anti-human combat features?" The words reach Frisk, but they do not faze him, while Alphys falls into an increasing wreck of nerves.

"Of c-course, when I saw you coming, I immediately decided to remove those features. Unfortunately, I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so. And umm… Now he's an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?" She says in a near pleading squeal as if she's already begging for forgiveness. Frisk remains silent and unfazed.

"Hopefully, we won't run into him, but you shouldn't have to worry about anything with me here to protect you. So don't be afraid!" A few silent second pass. Suddenly, a heavy, mechanical pounding echoes through the walls and room. They come closer with every bang, stopping just outside the room they occupy.

"You know…" Frisk speaks with a shrug. "I've gotten used to this kind of stuff."

The wall beside them collapses in a thunderous collision, an explosion of smoke and light engulfing and blinding them for a few scant seconds. And then…

"Ohhh, yes!"

A spotlight shines on a grey box on a wheel with two arms that end in white showman's gloves. A multi-color screen displays the letter M in bold lighting.

"Welcome, beauties, to today's Quiz Show!" Obeying some silent command, several disco balls emerge from the ceiling to bathe them in a rainbow of flashing colors. Hidden speakers play a pop song destined to get stuck inside your head and never leave, all the while the machine known as Mettaton stands beneath a Gameshow sign, with a bow tie and speaker mic.

This is the soulless robot designed to hunt me down…? Frisk thought in a bout of confusion. I got no idea if this is good or bad. He knows from Surface movies and TV shows robots are mechanical servants or tools, programmed to do whatever their creator wants. With the wrong kind of human, he can understand why Mettaton's existence is necessary, but everything else is another puzzle to solve.

"Oh boy!" The electronic voice croons. "I can already tell it's gonna be a great show! Everyone, give a great big hand for today's lovely contestant!" The speakers play rounds of applause beneath the music as confetti rains upon him. The whole ordeal could not have been any more exciting, and yet Frisk could not have been any more confused.

"Is this really happening?" He expected death rays, transforming machines, or mechanical traps from a cold, calculating, callous cyborg, not a game show host. But, at the same time, Frisk couldn't really complain, considering those options.

"Indeed it is, little human!" Mettaton declares in an extravagant and over-the-top manner. "The arena is Hotland! The audience is the Underground! The ultimate prize is your soul! Your opponent is moi! Consider this your 15 minutes, dearie, but I hope you give my fans a longer show than that."

"Don't you worry, Frisk," Alphys interrupts. "I made Mettaton's body, so I know how to deal with him, and-" Mettaton takes her aside.

"No, no, no, good doctor! This is my show, and I cannot allow your interference. My fans would never allow it, nor would I! The show will go on."

Four small, flying Mettaton drones bring a platform with four buttons before Frisk. While not entirely afraid, knowing robots are mindless soulless machines, Mettaton is anything but that. It makes him wonder how much Mettaton is capable of and that Alphys must be much smarter than he assumed if she could design such a machine.

"Listen, Mettaton? I really don't know what's going-." Frisk is silenced as Mettaton's arm extends across the floor to bring a gloved finger to his lips.

"Never played before, gorgeous? No problem, it's simple! There's only one rule: Answer correctly…or die!" Mettaton declares like announcing winning lottery numbers. Frisk tries to run, but the Mettaton drones surround and cut off any exit. If he's going to get out of here, he must play along. Frisk takes a nervous gulp but commits to the game, hoping that there must be a way to win.

"Let's start with an easy one! What's the prize for answering correctly?" The options appear on Mettaton's screen.

A) Money

B) Mercy

C) New Car

D) More questions

Frisk scans them with a careful eye. Any answer could work with enough sense, but he knows one will work. Frisk sets his sights on the prize and makes his choice. "Mercy."

"Hahaha! You wish! Wrong!" Mettaton declares. A lightning bolt strikes him with a nasty shock that stings from head to toe. The zap is non-fatal but far from harmless. Frisk slips off the platform, trapped in a delirious & tingling state for a few seconds until regaining his composure. He sweats and gasps as he rises, painfully realizing the game really is life or death.

"Here's your terrific prize! More Questions! Now, what is the King's full name?"

A) Lord Fluffybuns

B) Fuzzy Pushover

C) Asgore Dreemurr

D) King Murderer

"Asgore Dreemurr!" Frisk shouts. He's heard that name too many times to not know the person he needs most of all.

"That is correct! What a terrific answer for such an awful-ly stupendous person!" There is no zap this time, and Frisk breathes a sigh of relief, worried the game might have been rigged. He at least has a fighting chance to win.

"But enough about you! Let's talk about me!" Mettaton declares with a loving and infatuated tone. "What are robots made of?"

A) Hopes & Dreams

B) Metal & Magic

C) Circuits & Computers

D) Sugar & Spice

Frisk's eyes lock onto option C, confident that it's the answer. It's the only one that makes any sense to him. "Circuits & Computers."

"Wrong answer, Dearie!" Mettaton announces with a wag of his fingers. Another zap sends Frisk tumbling to the floor. His heart races and his mouth gasps. He is fine, but a few more zaps are all it will take for that to change for the worse. "Too bad Alphys can't help you, human! Well... Here's another easy question for you."

"Two trains, Train A and Train B, simultaneously depart Station A and Station B. Station A and Station B are 252.5 miles apart from each other. Train A is moving at 124.7 mph towards Station B, and Train B is moving at 253.5 mph towards Station A. If both trains departed at 10:00 AM and it is 10:08, how much longer till both trains pass each other?"

A) 31.054 minutes

B) 16.232 minutes

C) 32.049 minutes

D) 32.058 minutes

Frisk grabs his jaw to keep it from dropping to the ground. He cannot believe the question. The question feels like a cruel joke Mr. Wilson would play on a student who desperately needs extra credit to pass the class, except now his life is on the line. The Mettaton drones have not moved, keeping him trapped until the ending credits or when he drops and doesn't get up.

Great! What the heck am I supposed to do now!? The question is totally unbelievable! Unless you're a total genius, no one can solve... A low whistle breaks his concentration, and Frisk follows his ears to Alphys. Behind Mettaton, but in clear view of his eyes, he could see her fingers making a C in her claws.

Frisk places all his bets on Alphys. "32.049 Minutes."

"Wonderful! I'm truly astounded the human managed to get that one, folks!" Frisk lets loose an exhausted cheer as the speakers applaud. He and Alphys exchange a brief approving smile before turning away to avoid blowing her cover.

Thanks, Alphys! I owe you one. Frisk thought and faces the next question without fear.

"Don't count on your victory yet... How many flies are in this jar?" Mettaton pulls out a glass jar with many flies. Their small size and movement makes it impossible to determine the answer.

"54!" Frisk did not need to know or check the options. Alphys gives him the answer with her magical mind and hands.

"Correct again! My oh my, you are on quite the lucky streak today, human! You must have a guardian angel looking after you. But let's see how well your memory holds up." An image of Froggit's head appears on the screen along with four names.

A) Froggit

B) Whimsun

C) Moldsmal

D) Mettaton

The answer is obvious. Too obvious. Frisk stops his hand from acting on impulse and turns to Alphys. She signals the answer, and it does not surprise him. From what little he knows about Mettaton, it could not have been anything else.

"Mettaton." Frisk speaks with resignation. The image on the screen zooms out to reveal Mettaton wearing a shirt with Froggit's face.

"I'm so flattered you remembered me! But then again, how can anyone forget pure perfection?"

The game show suddenly becomes a dating show. The next question has Mettaton lying seductively on the floor with a heart projected on the screen. "Would you smooch a ghost?"

A) Heck Yeah

B) Heck Yeah

C) Heck Yeah

D) Heck Yeah

This question does not even come with a timer. Alphys cannot hide her annoyance any better than Frisk can.

"You know what, sure, why not. I love ghosts. I love ghosts so much I hope I end up with a ghost once I get out of here." Frisk turns red from frustration while a piece of him blushes a different shade of red.

"Human, I am so touched, and I adore your answer! But I am far out of your league! But who knows; maybe you and I will have our names in the stars together!"

Frisk facepalms. Why does everyone think I'm in love with them?! I'm a kid, for Pete's sake.

"Who knows? Maybe that chance will come sooner than you think! How many letters are in the name Mettatonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn..." The ns continue without end, and Frisk rolls his eyes.

"Oh no, I could never answer such a question. The name and whoever owns it must be so magnificent and amazing. You couldn't contain it in any number of letters." Frisk slumps over the platform.

"Human, let me tell you this right now. No matter what anyone says, flattery will get you everywhere!" Mettaton accepts the answer, despite Frisk not picking a single option. "You are winning big, lovely! Time to bring out the big guns. In the dating simulation video game "Mew Mew Kissy Cutie" what is Cutie's favorite food?" He does not have a chance to consider the answer as Alphys raises her hand with excitement.

"Oh! Oh! I know this one! It's snail ice cream! In the fourth chapter, everyone goes to the beach! And she buys ice cream for all of her friends! But it's snail flavor, and she's the only one who wants it! It's actually one of my favorite parts of the game because it's actually a really powerful message... about friendship and..." Alphys' stream of consciousness ends as Mettaton gives her a firm stare down despite having no eyes and wags a gloved finger disapprovingly.

Frisk grows nervous as Alphys herself may have revealed the assistance she has been providing and is afraid to learn the punishment for cheating.

"Alphys, Alphys, Alphys. You aren't helping our contestant, are you?" Alphys does not answer, but her attempt to hide tells them all they need to know. "Oooooh! You should have told me. I'll ask a question that you'll be sure to know the answer to!" Mettaton turns to Frisk.

"Who does Dr. Alphys have a crush on?" Alphys plummets into a nervous wreck and Frisk turns despondent.

A) Undyne

B) King Murderer... Ugh, Fine, his name is Asgore

C) Frisk

D) MEEEEE!

This is wrong. Asking a question like that is just mean, and I have to be the one to answer. It's like it's trying to punish both of us at the same time. I guess we were cheating, but this whole game is nuts. What am I gonna do? Frisk thought as he considers his options. He wanted to go with D and be done with it, but he knows a wrong answer will be painful. But he doesn't want to hurt Alphys either, not after everything she's done for him.

"Frisk." He gives the obviously wrong answer, to their shared surprise.

"Seriously?" Mettaton's electronic voice drones as Alphys breathes a sigh of relief.

"My, my… how conceited can you get? I love it! And while you are completely wrong, you deserve some credit." Alphys' smile disappears as she tries to stop Mettaton, who pushes her away at arm's reach, her arms flailing in futility.

"I've seen her watch you on her computer screen. Smiling when you succeed. Shrieking when you fail. And always, always whispering... 'No! Wrong! You have to go that way!' In its own way, is this not love?" Mettaton reveals.

Frisk cringes from intense discomfort. While possessing a fondness for Alphys, these are things he could have gone to his grave never hearing aloud. It casts a shroud of awkwardness upon their friendship, and he is confident that she feels the same. At least, he hopes she does. Instead, he settles for blaming Mettaton, not that he expects a cold and heartless machine to have much regard for their personal feelings beyond Alphys' programming.

"Well, well, well… With Dr. Alphys helping you, the show has no dramatic tension! We can't go on like this!" Frisk sighs in relief. "But! This was just the pilot episode! Prepare yourself, human, for our tour of Hotland has only just begun! Next up, you can expect more drama! More romance! And More bloodshed!" The wheel beneath Mettaton retracts for a small rocket.

"Until next time, darlings!" Mettaton flies away into the air, making a grand exit on the ceiling as small pieces of metal and drywall drop onto the ground. The drones fly away, taking the platform with them, freeing Frisk and Alphys to stare with awe and disbelief.

"Well," Frisk says after a beat. "I'll give your robot this, Alphys. It's going to be hard to forget it."

Out of all the beings he's encountered, Mettaton has unquestionably had the most prominent personality. However, his main concern is that indestructible metal body. For all the danger Undyne posed to him, at least he could technically defeat her. This is a whole other story, one that makes him sweat and squirm under the challenge. "Are we going to fight each other?"

"I-I'm afraid so," Alphys replies. "But I wouldn't worry that much about him. Mettaton needs good ratings for his show. If he gets rid of you too fast, monsters will stop watching the show." Her words zap Frisk like a contestant being held hostage and choosing the wrong answer in a game show hosted by an egomaniacal robot.

"Wait! You're telling me that everyone is going to be watching me fight and everything else I do?" Frisk stares at the camera, imagining countless eyes staring and ears hearing everything he does and says. Alphys watching already makes him uneasy, but least she's one person. Having hundreds or even thousands of people watching makes him feel naked and want to hide away forever.

He wonders how Papyrus, Undyne, and Flowey would react had they known the best way to capture him would be to just have a few dozen people staring at him. "Not always... Just when he fights you. But don't worry... I'll be there with you every step of the way to back you up. He c-can't beat th-the both of us."

"You're coming with me!?" Stars beam in his eyes at the prospect of sharing the remainder of his journey with someone. He will not be alone for once. There can be a monster on his side to convince the others, to help him defeat the robot, and to...

"O-Oh N-No. I... I gotta stay here." She inadvertently summons an immense weight of crushing disappointment on Frisk. "Oh, but don't worry. W-we can call each other whenever we need each other. Here let me give you my...phone number." Alphys comes to a stop when Frisk pulls out the phone Toriel gave to him.

"Wh… where'd you get that phone!? It's ancient! It doesn't even have texting! W-wait a second! Please." Alphys takes the phone out of his hands and runs away to a nearby escalator. The laboratory becomes a chop shop as tools and machines go haywire upstairs in a chorus of hammers, drills, and welding.

After a few minutes, Alphys returns to Frisk with a far more advanced and modern phone. Frisk is impressed, given the technical & mechanical skill required to pull off the feat and the short time it was done. "Here, I upgraded it for you."

"Wow, you really managed to do that? Thanks so much for your help!"

"Oh, it wasn't anything that hard. I barely did a thing." Alphys waves it off, but Frisk disagrees.

"C'mon, Alphys, give yourself some credit. This is cool, and you're so smart. There's no way I could have gotten past that quiz without you. You're the smartest person I've ever met."

Alphys turns red and speechless. "Heh heh…heh…heh." Frisk stares at her, expecting her to say something else. Yet, the silence continues until it becomes awkward. "I'm going to the bathroom!" Alphys runs to the same door she emerged from earlier and slams the door shut.

"That was weird." Frisk says. "But when you gotta go, you gotta go." He walks away to the exit on the opposite side of the building. The door opens to a blast of hot air and another sea of lava, from which his only defense is the narrow metal or stone bridge ways to walk across. Not helping is the knowledge that somewhere out there is a robot intent on killing him, and for of all things, a ratings stunt.

It's almost enough for Frisk to consider staying, but he's come too far to surrender now.

"I'd hate to be a disappointment. But I'm pretty sure the monsters will forgive me once Asgore and I break the barrier." Full of fragile confidence, he walks into the fire, but he does not mind the heat with Alphys to guide him through the flames of Hotland. Yet a piece of him sweats under the pressure.