Gaster's laboratory remained, subtly altered since your last visit. The Observer followed its creator into the peculiar space. Less of it was fading or crumbling now, and a few new doors were visible—ones that hadn't been before, previously just strange angles in the walls. Two doors stood on the right side as you entered, their signs smeared with ink but still bearing the unmistakable symbol of the Deltarune.
"Don't mind those. I haven't finished cleaning them out," Gaster admitted casually. "I just made sure I'd have easier access when the time comes."
The Observer acknowledged this and continued to survey the lab's other changes. One of the most notable was the large screen now installed, similar to the monitor in Alphys's lab in the Underlust world, though sleeker—black with a white keyboard and joysticks. The screen was currently displaying something: a young woman, a princess, traveling with a skeletal knight through a version of Waterfall. This Waterfall was expansive, though a bit more foreboding than other variations.
As the Observer studied the display, it glanced upwards and noticed something unexpected—the upper floor of the laboratory was now visible. Stairs wound up beside the screen, leading to Gaster himself, seen above, moving about, fiddling with various papers and schematics. The Observer emitted a confused sound, turning to the Gaster it had followed in.
"Hm? Ah, yes. That's also me," Gaster remarked with a faint smile. "Or rather, that was me. He showed up to take a break. When he's done, he'll go sit on that chair I was sitting in, and then I'll lead you here. Eventually, he'll become me."
The Observer made another confused chirp.
"I was feeling a little… constrained by linearity," Gaster explained. "Try not to overthink it." He added, "Do leave him be—he's working through some things."
The Observer spared a final glance at the more goop-like version of Gaster, who was muttering to himself while sorting blueprints and gathering tools. Unable to overhear, it refocused on the rest of the lab.
Its gaze landed on a couch across from the large screen. The cushions had been replaced with more comfortable ones. The Observer glanced back at the monitor, scanning the figures on-screen. It recognized the princess as a version of Frisk, and the skeletal knight as a variation of Sans.
"It's a timeline monitoring station," Gaster explained, noticing the glance. "When I took that break, it was the first thing I built." He walked over to his desk, adding, "While I have awareness of countless realities, the act of moving and thinking linearly has consequences. One of them being the diminished omniscience I could have. So, instead of being upset by this limitation, I designed a way around it."
The Observer chirped approvingly and examined the desk, noticing the computer atop it. Scattered papers still bled ink, though most were now neatly organized into folders labeled with different experiments. One folder detailed an 'Artificial Soul Experiment,' another 'Artificial DT Experiment,' and others labeled 'DT Extraction Magic,' 'Project Homunculi,' and finally, 'Atone.' Gaster gathered them and tucked them into a drawer.
The computer displayed a jumble of strange data the Observer struggled to interpret—scans and projections for a displacement attempt of some kind? Something was being moved through a barrier.
"I thought a bit of cleaning was in order," Gaster said, switching off the screen. "I've made quite a mess of this place." He motioned toward the Observer. "But, on a different note, Observer, would you kindly update me on their thoughts regarding the vote?"
The Observer chirped affirmatively and tallied the current results, projecting them for the scientist. Gaster reviewed each display as they appeared before him.
The Judge
Papyrus- 2
Mad Mew Mew/Dummy - 2
Asriel - 1
Martlet - 1
Napstablook - 2Playful Boss
Grillby - 1
Toriel - 2
Doggo - 2
Martlet - 2
Onionsan - 1
Mad Mew Mew/Dummy - 1Unit Pair Boss
Asgore & Toriel - 2
Lesser Dog & Greater Dog - 2
Royal Guards 1, 2 - 1
Dogamy & Dogaressa - 2
Martlet - 1
Snowdrake & Chilldrake - 1
Gaster scanned the results of the vote, pondering your choices. For a moment, he manifested a coin, rolling it between his fingers as he debated something silently. Then, with a thought, the coin vanished, replaced by a cigarette. He lit it casually.
"You'd have one of the Blook Family as the judge?" He mused aloud, taking a slow drag. "I imagine these are the only serious votes for the position, as I thought I made my 'interest' in Papyrus for the role quite clear."
The Observer emitted a confused whirr, presenting some of your commentary. "Papyrus would be cool—A bit of Underswap never hurts."
"Mhm. Yes, I'm sure." His tone was dismissive. "It doesn't matter, though. I'll cast my vote against it. You've left me with only two choices." He chuckled darkly. "Personally, I think I'll choose this 'Mad' spirit."
His vote was tallied, bringing the Mad Dummy's count to three. The Observer made a curious noise as Gaster turned to look at you.
"What's with that expression?" he asked, amused. "I told you I'd use my vote this time." Then, with a shift in tone, he moved on. "Now, the Playful Boss. The winning options there—no grave interest. What is intriguing is this 'bird.' I checked my files and found she sustained Determination for a time in certain runs, rising to a unique Zenith. Not as strong as some others, but that capability is... interesting."
He smirked. "I doubt she'll amount to much, but let's see." His vote brought Martlet's count to three. The Observer dutifully marked it.
"Lastly, the Unit Pair. Originally, I thought I'd pick Asgore and Toriel as well. However, knowing those two, they'd probably end up divorced and hating each other again." Gaster sighed, then added with a sly smile, "But you seem to crave deviation, to 'excite' yourselves a little. So, why stick to 'old canon'?"
He chuckled. "Besides, who doesn't like dogs?" His vote tallied, raising the Lesser and Greater Dogs' count to three.
"Also, I believe we've spent enough time on this region. There's far more to explore." His gaze sharpened. "Why not close this vote now?" He paused, then added, "After all, once we've gathered the components, I have something I need to attend to."
The Observer chirped curiously.
"I've already marked it in my schedule. You'll just need to be patient," Gaster said with authoritative finality. "Now, display the results, won't you?"
The Observer complied.
Winner of The Judge Role - Mad Mew Mew/Dummy
Winner of The Playful Boss Role - Martlet
Winner of the Unit Pair Boss Role - Lesser Dog and Greater Dog
The Observer briefly sparked as some of your voices poured through. "MARTLET!—Napstablook Judge—No, Alphys so Judge Mew—Oh my goodness. Greater dog AND Lesser dog—Angry Catgirl all the w—mad dummy for the playful rol—Asgore and Toriel would be—Turning Sea Shore into a ghost town—"
The message cut off abruptly, and the drone emitted a surprised whirr. Gaster seemed mildly amused as he rose from his position.
He took a moment, exhaling a cloud of glitchy smoke. "Next time, let them out individually, not all at once. You won't have that issue," he advised. Turning to you, he added, "That said, you were certainly passionate about these slots, weren't you?"
He motioned and stood up, stepping past the fridge. A few pictures flickered and glitched on it—some seemed to be drawings, mostly obscured by other papers depicting charts and graphs.
"I ought to remind you that Waterfall is next, and it too has several slots that will need to be filled." He stopped beside a section of wall that concealed a door, barely visible from certain angles. "We'll also need to sort out the possible regions once we've gathered the remaining pieces. Speaking of which, wait here."
The Observer gave an affirmative whirr and waited as Gaster disappeared into his workspace. After a few moments, there was movement, and the scientist returned, holding two swirling collections of code. The air was filled with the distinct smell of wet dogs. One cluster of code was made of swirling ink and paint, while the other was tangled yellow and green coding, a mesh of zeroes and ones.
"Compartment," he ordered. The Observer opened it, and Gaster knelt down. "Annnnd... there we are." He wove the code in, stitching it seamlessly to your world. "I've collected and gathered many fragments of code related to those dogs. This saves us a bit of time," he remarked. "However, I don't have enough from the ghost, nor much from the bird. So we'll have to go out again."
The Observer chirped, repeating, "Out. Again."
"Yes. While we walk, I'll start the vote for the next region," Gaster continued. "By the time it's concluded, we should have all the code for your 'New Additions.' You can then start voting for the slots to fill that region, while I tend to other matters in... what is it in your time? A week? I'll let you know when that time comes."
The Observer gave another affirmative whirr and followed as Gaster turned, creating a doorway from swirling smoke. The skeleton led the way through the forming hallway, the drone passing through cleanly, performing its usual exercises as it moved.
"The first option is simply Waterfall, as it once was," Gaster mused. The Observer made a note as they trekked past whispering walls. "Snowfall is another possibility—a region stuck in a perpetual snowstorm, with icy caverns and chilly rivers."
As Gaster spoke, the Observer briefly lost focus, sensing something breaching the hallway's wall. It let out a whirr of alarm as a mangled, shadowy figure slashed out with a machete. Before it could do much damage, Gaster grabbed it, looming over the small attacker as it struggled.
"The third option," Gaster began, as phantom hands materialized, glowing yellow, "is what I call the Cooling Core—a variation of the Core. Instead of geothermal energy, it uses water, boiling it to produce immense magical energy."
The phantom hands shot forth brilliant yellow light, and the interloper screamed in agony, stumbling before collapsing. Gaster calmly stepped over the writhing figure, grabbed it by the throat, and shattered it into fragments of code. He consumed the remnants as he turned, continuing down the hallway without a second glance.
The Observer glanced briefly at the hole left in the wall, where dozens of eyes peered in, now slowly retreating. A wise decision.
"Admittedly, I feel like those three options are sufficient. I'll leave it to you to decide which one you prefer," Gaster said. "Now, hurry up, scrap heap. We've variants to acquire."
The Observer emitted a loud affirmative whirr and hurried along after him, as they traveled down, down, down...
The passageway melted into another, the hallway seeming to dissolve and stretch into darkness. Sheets of paper, scattered like stepping stones, formed the only visible path forward, suspended in the vast, all-consuming void. Yet there was something almost peaceful in this bleak realm—something Gaster found strangely serene, despite the rot that permeated it.
As they ventured, Gaster sorted through possibilities, seeking the first thing he needed for you: Martlet. It wasn't often that monsters who flooded their veins with Determination resulted in anything of note, and though he had backed this choice, a part of him felt conflicted.
The Observer emitted a soft whirr as pale, leaf-like fragments of paper began to fall. Twisted trees, half-consumed by darkness, stretched upward, as though fighting against their inevitable decay. Gaster doubted their struggle, though. His thoughts returned to his decision: on one hand, he was curious to see how things would unfold; on the other, it strayed from his usual cautious approach—choosing the safe path to avoid complications.
He stopped, pressing his heel against a paper underfoot. Light spiraled outward, flickering like flames. The smoke from his cigarette rose, twisting and mingling with the light, which shot upward, bursting into the void above. A false moonlight shimmered into existence, casting their path in an ethereal glow. Gaster smirked and continued walking, flickering the cigarette away.
There was no point in resisting complications—or your impulses. What he sought to create couldn't exist without you. He could already see the pathways and connections forming in the strange woven tale you were crafting together. Endings were beginning to emerge, though Gaster tried to close himself off from the darker possibilities.
As they continued, swirling forms and mangled souls prowled at the edges of the path, occasionally surging forward to strike. With a snap of his fingers, Gaster captured them in small windows, leaving his proxies to deal with the intruders while he walked on. Each defeated soul dissolved into code, swirling like a tempest around him, absorbed by his mere presence.
He opened a panel, checking the results of his scans for Martlet. Many variants lacked sufficient code to be of use—mere background figures, concepts that only existed in NC realities like his own. He thought back to a similar situation with a version of the Rock, where he'd had to supplement the code with something from an Underfell world just to make it functional.
Still, a few variants stood out. He scanned versions of Martlet that had achieved a 'Zenith' state in certain timelines, hoping to capture one in that form. But the instability and 'melting' issue remained unsolved, and without significant grafts—none of which were guaranteed to work—the subject would eventually perish.
So, Gaster decided to aim for a more traditional, stable version. He veered off the lit path, the Observer following closely. Up ahead, something churned and roared, but Gaster paid it little mind, simply glancing toward the disturbance. With a motion of his hand, a Gaster Blaster materialized, unleashing a not-insubstantial blast. The ensuing scream was brief, fading into silence.
"This one will do," he said at last, having decided which variant he'd pursue, while he closed the window.