"Wow... that is a serious machine!" Kate starred in awe at the blueprints that Gaster had presented her.

"I know. I couldn't really get to make it before now, because I didn't have the help to build it." He brushed some dust from the blueprint, indicating that it must have been a project that he wanted to build for some time now.

"But, now you got ME!" Kate clapped her tiny hand. "So.. what do you call it?"

Gaster picked up a pen and began scribbling a name at the top of the blueprint. Kate looked over his shoulder and read out loud.

"Deter..mination... ex..traction... m.. machine? Determination extraction? What would you want with THAT?" She asked. "Determination is just a feeling. CAN you even extract a feeling?" She scratched her head while thinking.

"Actually. We believe that 'determination' is what makes human souls so unique. The theory is that, if we can create artificial souls with 'determination' or maybe insert 'determination' in a monster soul, that we can use those to break the barrier. Then we wouldn't have to wait for humans to fall down to the undergrounds." Gaster put his hands in his pockets and looked over the old blueprint. He figured he would have to make some small adjustments to it so it would be up to date.

"So what? Monsters doesn't have 'determination'?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.

"No, not in the way that humans do. Monsters CAN gain 'determination', but only under extreme circumstances. I have never seen it and to be honest, I believe it's just a fairy tale. No known monster have ever gained 'determination'. Not even the king." He sighted. He had read about 'determination' in ancient books and had also seen it the last time a human fell. He didn't get to run any tests with it though, as the king and his queen had treated the child as their own.

"So why even build this thing, if monsters don't even have determination? Kinda defeats the purpose. What do you extract the determination from then?" Kate had picked up the blueprint to find the answer to her question.

"Human souls."

Kate froze. She looked up at the doctor, who looked at her with a neutral face.

"Oh.." Was the most intelligent answer she could muster.

"Don't freak out. It's not going to kill you." He reached over her shoulder and grabbed the blueprint.

"Oh.. heh heh.. good to know. I got nervous for a moment there." She scratched her neck nervously while following the doctor over to the boxes they had carried earlier this week.

They were all full of metal. For the machine, Kate thought.

"We're going to build it down here?" She asked as she inspected a metal plate.

"Correct. We're starting immediately. First we update the blueprint and later we can begin the construction." Gaster walked out of the room to receive some tools.

Kate made a move to follow him when she got a sudden headache. She rubbed her head for a moment until it disappeared, just as quick as it had appeared. She looked around to see if Gaster had noticed her absence. When that appeared to not be the case, she quickly exited the room to follow. They've got work to do.

It took some days to make the preparations for the construction of the 'determination extractor'. They had to clear out one of the biggest rooms and remove some of the floor. This machine were going to be bigger than what Kate originally had imagined, but it didn't really matter. She was just glad she could help and at the same time stay hidden.

Right now they were fiddling around with some small testing, to see what would work and what wouldn't. After one of Kates experiments succeeded, she started humming a catchy tone, which quickly turned into full-blown song.

"This was a triumph!
I'm making a note here:
Huge success!

It's hard to overstate
my satisfaction."

She picked up her mug and looked at the strange logo.

"Aperture Science?
We do what we must
because we can
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.

But there's no sense crying
over every mistake.
You just keep on trying
'til you run out of cake.
And the science gets done.
And you make a neat gun
for the people who are
still alive."

Gaster turned around and looked at her, like she was weird. Well, more weird than usual.

What a strange choice of words. Somehow she made them sound so... personal.

"I'm not even angry...
I'm being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart,
and killed me..."

Kate didn't look at Gaster, but she still made him feel uncomfortable. He WAS planning on killing her. Someday.

"And tore me to pieces."

He cringed.

"And threw every piece into a fire."

And cringed again.

He almost decided to make her stop, but whenever he would do that, it would just end up in an argument. He would be forced to explain exactly why he wanted her to stop and she would argue back, why that was a stupid reason and explain, why his argument in the end, was invalid. It was easier to just let her finish. And besides... he kind of liked her singing sometimes. He couldn't exactly bring a radio down here. It wouldn't work. So he was torn between stopping her and letting her continue.

"As they burned it hurt because
I was so happy for you!

Now, these points of data
make a beautiful line.
And we're out of beta.
We're releasing on time!
So I'm GLaD I got burned!
Think of all the things we learned!
for the people who are
still alive.

Go ahead and leave me...
I think I'd prefer to stay inside...
Maybe you'll find someone else
to help you.
Maybe Black Mesa?
That was a joke. Ha Ha. Fat Chance!"

Gaster looked at his own mug and shrugged. The song got more and more confusing.

"Anyway this cake is great!
It's so delicious and moist!

Look at me: still talking
when there's science to do!
When I look out there,
it makes me glad I'm not you.

I've experiments to run.
There is research to be done.
On the people who are
still alive.
And believe me I am
still alive.
I'm doing science and I'm
still alive.
I feel fantastic and I'm
still alive.
While you're dying I'll be
still alive.
And when you're dead I will be
still alive

Still alive.

Still alive."

Gaster felt eyes on his back, but when he turned around, Miss Anderson was in full science mode while stirring some test-tubes. She didn't look like she was giving him, even a single thought.

Except for the eerie feeling, it was nice. Them doing science. Miss Anderson singing from time to time while working. She cooked their food. Well, warmed it up more or less, as he just ate microwave dinner when he was down here. Miss Anderson had been skeptic of his eating that stuff in the start, but quickly calmed down when he told her he ate normal food both morning and evening. Sometimes they ate lunch together. It was nice.

It was just so easy to be around her. She had this carefree attitude, while being extremely serious in her work. He would almost admit that she was just as smart as himself. No. HE was definitely the smartest, he decided. Then he mentally hit himself in the head, for thinking so childish.

But what about the future? A grim thought crept it's way in his mind. At some point, it would have to stop. Someday, she would die. He would kill her. He would use her for experiments and then kill her and then experiment on her SOUL and then...

He had to stop himself. The train of thought had seemed endless and was pulling him down a spiral, he didn't want to go. But he couldn't seem to stop. He thought about how she would cry, beg, sob, scream. Scream. Stop. Scream. Scream. Stop! Scream. SCREAM! SCREAM!

"SIR!" Miss Anderson, yelled.

Gaster jumped. Miss Anderson stood by his side and looked worried.

"Are you okay, doc? I had to call you like, seven times!"

He took a deep breath, to calm himself and nodded.

"Yeah.. yeah I'm fine. What do you need?" He took of his glasses and began polishing them, with a handkerchief.

Kate looked at him suspiciously for a moment, before answering.

"I'm done with the test... you said you would have another ready for me, when I was done."

He looked at his own, abandoned work.

"Oh.. yes of course.. just a moment, let me just.." He began fiddling.

Suddenly. A hand rested on top of his. He looked up and met Miss Andersons big brown eyes.

"Doc? Are you sure you are okay? You look a little shaken." Her voice was filled with worry and kindness. Kindness she shouldn't show him. Again, he saw pictures of her screaming. Screaming in pain, in fear. Fearing HIM.

He pulled his hand away.

"Yeah... Yeah I'm... fine.

Song: watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI

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