Undertale
Witness The Influence
And the first death Occurs

Chara peaks inside to see the two strange skeleton men inside of a strangely hollow room, all of the power from the Core feeding down into this secret chamber. In the center of the room is a tall, almost monolithic computer. It reaches the ceiling, but continues downward, seemingly infinitely.

"So... G... our dreams since we were kids finally came true, huh? You finally made contact with the Other Side..."
"Indeed..."
"So... what do we do now?"
"We process something simple. Something big, but something broad." Gaster says, punching a few commands into the terminal. Before long, it begins to print out a piece of paper with a myriad of 1s and 0s.

"Huh? What's that, Gaster?"
"This, Roman... is the nature of our world." Gaster says, handing it to Roman.
"Uh... what? This is just machine code."
"Strange, isn't it?"
"Gaster, if you're seeing something I'm not-"
"No, you're seeing it. The only problem is that you're trying to see more that isn't there."
"..." Roman goes silent for a moment.

"You... you don't mean..."
"I do, Roman. We are in something that is nothing but computer code. Some sort of... computer world."
"I... don't understand. Where did you get this data? How do we know it's conclusive? Maybe the Other Side is wrong?"
"The Other Side is the reason we built the Core, Roman. To give this computer enough power to pass dimensions and interact with the outside world... only problem is that the outside world is... something much smaller than we anticipated. Perhaps it is a disc, a USB, or a computer's hard drive. But to such a magnitude... I never wanted to admit that this possibility existed." Gaster says, sighing.

"But... what about the time-space continuum! We've seen time travel, felt how it worked! We've never proven it, or recorded it in action, but it exists! Surely something as small as a computer or disc cannot replicate time travel as well!" Roman argues.

"Ah, but therein lies another problem, if our world is small, perhaps the flow of time can be controlled. Imagine if we were a... video-game or something. If someone were to pause the game, would that not in a way be time travel to us?"

"...!" Roman looks stunned.

"Then... what... do we do...?"
"We continue as before."
"BUT... OUR WORLD...!"
"It's still just as we left it, only now we realize the fragility of it. Someone on the outside is controlling this world. Every second that passes only passes because they will it. Our very existence is at risk unless we can break this cycle."

"But if we kill the person controlling this world, who is to say they won't just... delete our world, or turn it off?"
"While I was here without you, I ran a few tests, and found a few things out myself." Gaster says, handing more papers to Roman. Roman looks over them and raises a bonebrow.

"Third party streaming...? What does that mean?"
"Using data from the Other Side, I've discovered that there is a way to keep our world running even if this Unseen Influence were to destroy it... but it requires us making actual, physical contact with the Other Side... and the barriers between the two worlds are incredibly strong. Besides... we do not know if our world is capable of affecting the outside world." Gaster says. As he says that, Chara walks into the room.

"It can." She says, catching both of their attentions and surprise.
"The Human... here? It must have followed you, Roman."
"I-I'm sorry!" He says simply. Gaster sighs. He opens his eyes and looks at Chara.

"Human. We have been spying on you since your arrival."
"GASTER?! WHY ARE YOU TELLING HER THAT?!"
"Because we may need her help. Now, you said that this world can affect the outside world?" Gaster asks Chara.
"Yes. I've seen it before... in fact, a long time ago, I've done it. It's not perfect... it's very minor... but it's true."
"You? You've made contact with the outside world and edited its nature?" Gaster asks. Chara merely nods.
"I was once a player, like the Unseen Influence... if only for a brief period of time. Since then, my role in the world has been to... punish the player. Part of that punishment would be to... change the world in subtle ways." Chara recalls.

"And you think that you can help us change the world in a more direct way?" Gaster asks.
"Third party streaming... if what you're suggesting is what I think it is... then no. Transferring our world to an area like that would require outside help, no matter how much we want otherwise.'' Chara confirms, sadly.
"Then is there no hope?" Roman asks. Chara turns to Roman with a neutral expression.
"There is always a hope." Chara says flatly, remembering Frisk.


/ANDTHEFIRSTDEATHOCCURS
/BUTTHEUNDYINGRISES


*You walk into Asriel's room, noticing that Asgore and Toriel have built a second bed; and it's a bunkbed!
"Ah, human-" Asgore lets out.
"We just finished your bed. It must be getting late and I'm sure you and your friend could use the sleep as soon as they get back."
*You ask Asgore what he means by that.
"Hmm? Well, the other human left a while ago, I assume they went for a walk to the Core. It gave me the idea to build a surprise Bed for when they get back!" He says with a goofy smile.

Frisk immediately leaves the room.
"Oh, uh... d-dinner will be ready when you get back! It's my wife's famous snail casserole!"

*You wonder what Chara could be doing.
*The wonder of not knowing fills you with... Excitement.


"So, do you think the Unseen Influence could help us?" Roman asks. Chara closes her eyes.
"I don't think so. They are the controller of this world, and it's in their interests to control it as long as they don't get bored."
"Well... what if we tell them that once they get bored, to upload us to a third party streamer?"
"I don't think you fully understand what them getting bored entails, Roman." Chara snaps.
"He will kill you, and everyone around us, for fun... to see what happens! He thinks he's above everything, and if he can't get his way, he changes the rules of the world to suit his needs! This entire universe shouldn't exist! And you...! Who are you?!" Chara yells out at Roman.

"Wh-What? What do you mean?"
"I'm from the future, and I have no idea who you are! You look like that Skeleton, Sans, but you're taller! And you! You're name is Gaster, I heard about you in the future, but only rumors, who are you two?! Why are neither of you in the future?!"

As Chara yells out that question, the computer in the middle of the room begins to react to her voice and spits out a printed piece of paper. Curious, Chara picks it up. There is a picture on it.

Roman, Gaster, and Chara all look at it with different emotions crossing their faces.

It's a picture of Gaster being thrown into the Core, with the other half of the picture showing this area, the True Lab, being enveloped in darkness with Chara standing in it, smiling. The red letters spelling the word "Mistake" present over the whole of the picture.

As soon as they're done looking at the picture in Chara's hand, Roman takes a step back. Chara looks over.

"I... I don't understand..." She says, her eyes darting around the room.

CURRENT CHARA MEMORY: 60%

"What... does this mean? I... don't remember doing this!" Chara says, looking at herself throwing Gaster into the Core, looking at herself in the darkness of The Mistake that Sans talked about in the future.

"Kid... I don't know, but let's just take things easy... alright?" Roman says. Chara nods, nervously.
"I... agree. M-Maybe this is just... an alternate universe? Ugh... my head..." Chara says. Gaster blinks once before taking the picture.
"Huh?" Chara lets out.
"You asked us about who we were... about us not being present in the future... and The True Core's computer gave us this picture. A picture of... you throwing me into the Core, Chara."
"But... I don't remember doing that... do I? I... I think...!" Chara tries to remember, a series of weird symbols showing up in her head, seeming like strange hand gestures or mundane objects in the pattern of a language. Gaster looks at the back of the paper to see a combination of symbols before gasping softly.

"Wingdings...?" Gaster says. Chara looks up, reacting to her headache.
"W-Wingdings...?"
"My language, all of my private journals and files are in this language to deter interlopers from easily deciphering my secrets. Why...? Why did the computer print this? Unless..." Gaster says, looking at the computer.

"Could it... be?" He asks himself.
"Gaster? What's up?" Roman asks.
"What if... what if one of us were to try to exit this realm? We made contact with the Other Side... what if one of us tried to simply... go there?"
"Can we even?"
"the Core connects to the Other Side. It's possible that... in throwing me into the Core... I somehow... came into contact with the Other Side."
"H-How do you figure that?" Roman stands, puzzled. Gaster merely looks at the wingdings on the back of the picture again.

"Because this says: Do not trust Chara." Gaster explains. Chara looks up, her mind addled with so many strange infiltrations.


Frisk walks through the Core, noticing a lot of little things are different. the Core is completely redesigned, though they aren't too surprised. People in the old game said that this place was often changed around, though he's been looking for a while, and hasn't found Chara.

However, after a while of exploring, he comes across something.

*This wall feels hollow.
*You push along a seem, and it reveals a cavity!

Inside, Frisk finds a save point.

*Such a strange area... it fills you with Determination.
*-Game Saved-

Frisk continues into the cavity and downwards into the True Lab's hall. At the end is the True Core. At the end is where Chara, Gaster, and Roman are.

Gaster perk up and looks at the door to the True Core.

"Chara is coming." He says. Chara looks up with a strange look on her face.
"Chara...? ! Y-You mean-" She lets out-
"The Unseen Influence that shares your name, yes. They are coming."
"We have to escape. We cannot let them see us, or see this place. What do we do?" Chara lets out, still fighting back a headache. As she asks that, Roman walks up.

"When Gaster and I designed this computer years ago, I put in an application that can use my natural monster powers to help it teleport this area to another. Without contacting the Other Side, it had no power to do so, until now. I can send it somewhere... but I'm not sure where." He lets out. Chara remembers something small, almost infinitesimally small.

'What about to Waterfall? Somewhere in waterfall, an abandoned cave perhaps, far off the beaten path." She suggests.
"Far off the beaten path...?" Roman ponders, but Gaster steps forward.
"I know the place you're talking about." Gaster says, knowingly. He looks at Roman and nods.
"Let me punch in the coordinates. Then you, Roman, you put us there." Gaster says, punching in a few numbers and looking over.
"Alright... let's go!" Roman says, putting his hands in a small device attached to the computer. Soon, this entire area goes completely dark as they arrive somewhere else.

*You open the door.
*It's an abyss.
*You look around for a small moment.
*...
*...
*...
*You pick up a piece of paper. It appears to be a picture.
*It shows Chara throwing Gaster into the Core...
*And her standing in a dark abyss not unlike this one.
*The word "MISTAKE" present in red letters.
*...
*Determination.


Everyone opens their eyes to see that they are in a new area. The door to the True Core now leads out to a blue landscape, a cave next to a river. To the left and right are paths that lead back to the main route in the underground, but there is no easy way back. This area is hard to reach by normal means.

"That... was close." Chara says. She looks over at Roman.
"I think it's time I got some answers. We're all in this together, now. So, Roman... who are you?"
"I am not completely sure how to answer that question. I am a scientist that works with Gaster and Alphys."
"And the name Sans and Papyrus mean nothing to you?" She asks with a raised eyebrow, seeing mixes of both within this person. The smooth skull and casual demeanor remind her of Sans, but the tall body and broad definitions remind her of Papyrus. He's wearing a lab coat like Gaster, but it doesn't appear to be significant.

"Why don't you tell me about these... Sans and Papyrus?" Gaster asks, stepping forward, looking at Chara.
"Sans was a short skeleton man from the universe before... an alternate future form whence we came. He would crack jokes... at first he seemed lazy, but once we figured out his deal, it was apparent that he wasn't from the underground. He had a time machine that broke down, and kept talking about a black abyss that he called his Mistake." Chara says. Gaster nods, but Roman looks speechless.

"Yes... go on." Gaster suggests.
"Well... Papyrus was much more... direct. He seemed more at home in the underground than Sans was. He was tall, and tough, but not very strong. He was nice beyond reason, and would often put himself in extreme danger in an attempt to help someone. Sans on the other hand was weak, but immensely intelligent. He would constantly bend the rules of the world to fight an enemy that would otherwise be impossible for him to beat by normal means."

"And... you're saying this to me because...?" Roman asks.
"Sans and Papyrus are not in the past... and you look like them. Both of them, combined even. Though I have one more question for you. Does the phrase "Bad Time" mean anything to you?"

"Bad Time? Well, I had a nickname a long time ago... people called me "Good Times Roman." He says, scratching his bony cheek. Chara squints.
"That's... kind of funny." She admits.
"Is it? I can't tell. I'm still confused."

Before they can say another word, they hear screaming in Waterfall!
"What was that?! A monster being attacked? Now?! It's supposed to be peaceful down here!" Chara lets out. Gaster extends his arm to show a high tech watch device on his wrist.
"Alphys. What is going on in Waterfall?"
"Oh my God, Gaster! There you are! Th-The human kid, the one named Chara, th-the other one named Chara! The U-Unseen Influence-"
"Slow down, tell me!"
"Th-They are attacking citizens in Waterfall! I don't know why, they just started slashing at them all of a sudden!" Alphys lets out with fear in her voice. As they all look at each other, horrified, Alphys lets out one final terrible remark-

"Oh my god, one of them is dead! They killed someone!"


Author's Note: I'm rehosting the Unseen Influence Trilogy on account of my patron vanishing. This story will be deleted if he ever returns. Until then, enjoy yourself.