W. D. Gaster - An Undertale Story

Chapter Twenty

   Gaster went to the black box on his desk, lifting his scarred, bony fingertips to the intricate bronze locks on the box. He started at the first set of locks. He pushed one piece of metal into a slot, another into the slot below the first, and again with the third. He turned all three pieces of metal in the three locks simultaneously. There was a clicking sound, confirming he unlocked the first set of locks.
   Then he drew his hands down to the second set. He summoned two of his floating hands, levitating them down to the locks. One hand put its pointer finger into one side of the lock, the other hand doing the same on the other side of the lock. The was another click sound, which trapped his summoned hands in the lock. It was a trap technique that only Gaster could pass, unless there was some sort of creature with extra hands attempting to break into the box. Once Gaster's summoned hands were trapped, he took a golden key and placed it into the lock. He turned the key, a shaky click sound following. It not only freed his summoned hands, but it also unlocked that lock.
   Then Gaster lifted his hands over the third and final set of locks. He made his summoned hands disappear and began to work with his actual hands again. This lock was one that no one could pass, or possibly even guess. It was a lock where someone would have to guess the code to unlock it. And Gaster cared not for the numbers he put in, but instead made the code according to the sounds they made. Of course, he memorized the numbers as well, but it wasn't his purpose for creating the code. Gaster had decided to use the noises of the numbers and create a tune from them. It was a tune he would always hum if he wanted Sans or Papyrus to sleep in his arms if he didn't want to sing his lullaby. This tune was a simple four notes that repeated. The code he created was made to play these four notes four times in a row. So that meant his code was sixteen numbers long, the same four numbers being repeated four times in a row.
   Gaster put the code in, the tune loud and clear. Alphys noticed the tune and looked at Gaster. She noticed what he was doing and was studying it. She smiled softly. To her, the tune was beautiful. Gaster finished inputting the code and a pop sound followed. The black box had opened and Gaster smiled, chuckling a bit. He pushed up the lid and saw the red liquid of Determination inside, a sweet smell of vanilla along with it.
   Gaster looked at Alphys, then to the table beside her, the back to Alphys. "If you don't mind, can you pass me that syringe?", he asked. Alphys perked her head up and looked at the table beside her. She saw a clear syringe which didn't have any substance inside of it whatsoever. Yet. She grabbed the syringe and rushed over to Gaster.
   "I don't mind at all!", Alphys said with a smile. She handed the syringe out to Gaster, waiting for him to take it. "Here you go." Gaster smiled and nodded, taking the syringe then turning to the black box.
   "Thank you.", he said, not bothering to turn back around to his lizard assistant. Alphys nodded as she walked back to her chair and watched as Gaster began to perform his experiment.
   Gaster pushed the bottom of the syringe all the way down. He then placed the front point of the syringe into the Determination, pulling the bottom back. He didn't fill the syringe completely. Just enough for there to be some sort of small reaction. He lifted the syringe out of the box and took in a deep breath.
   This was it. This is the moment he had been waiting for. He could finally see what Determination would do to monsters and, more importantly, possibly find out what Determination was. But he felt so pressured. He felt that if he messed up with measurements, or that if he injected the substance into the wrong area, he might die. And Sans and Papyrus would be alone. But he had prepared. He knew the possibilities. And he had agreed to them. Yes, he wanted to be a good Royal Scientist, but he didn't want to be a bad father. But he couldn't turn back now. He couldn't.
   Gaster lifted his shirt slightly, enough to see his ribcage and his soul. He wrapped his nimble fingers around his glowing, white, upside-down soul, slowly pulling it out of his bony body. He could feel his pulsing soul as he breathed harshly. As long as his soul didn't crack and his body didn't turn into dust, Gaster was sure that he would be alright.
   He lifted the syringe in one hand up next to his soul in his other hand. He breathed deeply once more, closing his eyes. This was it. Gaster placed the pointy tip of the syringe on the center of his soul. He pushed the bottom of the syringe forward, forcing the Determination to be plunged into Gaster's soul. It being his soul, Gaster could feel a small sharp pain. It caused him to hiss a bit, but he quit as soon as he began.
   As the Determination was inserted into Gaster's soul, the red color of it began to mix in together with the white. It looked as if it was white water and someone had put a red bath bomb in it. The red was enveloping the white soul, Determination spreading like fog over a lake. Like smoke coming out of a factory. Gaster could feel it. He could feel the Determination spreading through his soul. Through his entire body.
   Suddenly, Gaster could feel a tingling feeling when as he was placing his soul back into his ribcage. The feeling was around his right eyesocket, the tingling becoming more and more noticable. He lifted his bony hand up to his face, touching the tingling spot to his fingertips. He drew his hand back quickly when he felt a liquid-like substance. He turned to Alphys as he began to slightly hyperventilate.
   "A-Alphys?", Gaster stuttered. Alphys looked up at him and gasped. "W-w-what's happening?" Alphys looked around the room and saw a white washrag. She rushed over to it and grabbed it, bringing it back to Gaster.
   "Place this on your eyesocket! Now!", Alphys said, an obvious urgency in her voice. Gaster grabbed the washrag and did what he was told as quickly as possible. "I'll get help!" And with that, Alphys ran out of the room, her feet clacking quickly on the floor. Gaster had absolutely no idea what was happening.
   Gaster began to feel dizzy. He lifted the hand that he had used to touch his face earlier. The substance that was dripping off of his fingertips was a pure white goo. And immediately, Gaster realized what was happening : his face was melting. Determination had caused his face to slightly melt.
   Gaster was becoming more and more dizzy. He was becoming drowsy, his breathing becoming a bit more harsh. He looked at the doorway, but Alphys hadn't come back yet. He called out for help.

   But nobody came.

   Gaster began to lose his balance and shake. He felt a sharp pain in his soul and bent over, gripping his chest. He was coughing, and as he was, a bit of blood dripped out of his mouth. But as he coughed more and more, harder, harsher, the blood just spat out of his mouth. He was almost choking on his blood.
   Gaster fell to his knees. He heard footsteps, and he knew that one pair was Alphys by the sound. He could hear voices, including Alphys's urgent one. He could also hear Asgore, who sounded worried.
   "He's in here!", Alphys shouted as they entered the doorway. Gaster had one hand gripping his chest while the other gripped his throat. The washrag had dropped to the floor, and his face was still melting away. Monsters surrounded Gaster, some attempting to speak to him, others attempting to pick him up.
   "Dr. Gaster! Can you speak?", Asgore said, attempting to communicate with the skeleton. But before Gaster could attempt to answer him, his vision went black and he passed out cold.