A tense atmosphere lingered over the monster’s ward. It’s been ten minutes since Mezil had requested Frisk in person.
Lucidia was sure he’s going to use the Hub. They don't have much time to waste. The Magus Association estimated that they have about four to six weeks to prepare for the Ocean Battle. Beyond that and the risk of a containment breach increased exponentially.
She could tell Doctor Gaster had grown restless. He ignored the watchful eyes of the stationed soldiers, sliding around to check up on everyone’s health, be it mental or otherwise.
His concerns seem to be split in equal parts, although I’m observing more proactivity surrounding Alphys.
He doesn’t have many students. But he’s very favourable to those on his good side.
“Lady Lucidia?” asked Undyne, “Where’s Gerson? Haven’t seen him all day.”
She replied: “He’s guarding the Recovery Pods for the time being.”
“Protecting them from outside goons, or making sure that a certain dangerous skelly stays inside?”
“Both.”
“Oooooooooh.”
After making his round, the male Seer approached Lucidia directly. He doesn’t look happy. She sensed a spike of wariness from the soldiers.
Such intensity.
I must stay calm…
The man asked: “Why are you also detaining Doctor Alphys? If this has anything to do with the Six, I can assure you that she’s innocent!”
“She’s the most recent Royal Scientist, privy to the nation’s secrets.” Lucidia replied. “If there are no issues, we will release her after questioning.”
“Who will handle this… ‘interview’?”
“I will,” said Lucidia.
He narrowed his gaze, not shy to show his distrust. “I shall wait for Frisk.”
Off he went to comfort Alphys.
That poor woman… Lucidia thought. She’s working herself up.
Frisk then returned with Mezil and Cenna. All the monsters’ attention shifted to them.
With a serious yet peaceful tone, the new Crimson Keeper told everyone the following:
“The Magi want to confirm some details about the Dreemurr Nation’s tech. They will ask you a series of questions in a private location. Please answer them the best you can. No violence will happen. And I will escort you all to the interviewing chamber one by one.”
It’s clear to Lucidia that they’re trying to soften the blow. Flowey was already proof positive that dark undercurrents exist; it all comes down to intent.
Accidents, or by design?
The nature of their discoveries will tell much about their mindset.
* * *
“A-a-a-am I in trouble?” Alphys took a deep breath. “Nevermind. I know what I did was wrong. I just hoped that it stayed behind in the Underground.”
Lucidia averted her gaze for a moment. Her heart rocked between sympathy for the woman’s plight, and the irritation of not holding herself together.
It’s like I’m looking at a mirror.
A private voice message appeared on screen, written in Magi script. It read: ‘Do you need my help, Lucidia?’
It’s from her husband.
She replied, ‘No, thank you. She’s not suited for your methods.’
Lucidia thus began: “…Discovery itself is not the problem, Doctor Alphys. It’s all about the procedure. From what I could gather with the help of Flowey and Chara, these are the details of your research.”
It would be the best if Frisk was never mentioned. Lucidia didn’t know how much lay behind an unspoken promise of mutual secrecy. She didn’t want to ruin any of their hard-earned friendship.
Perhaps beginning with Doctor Alphys was a poor choice. She may be the Royal Scientist… but this poor soul lacked the coldness for her monumental task.
The presentation of evidence had only just begun, and Alphys was already reduced to a crying mess of tears.
“I-I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “All I really wanted was the lab! I-I-I didn’t want any of this to happen. I--”
Lucidia summoned the Hub’s interface. She tapped on a box of tissues and a bottle of fresh water.
She presented the items to Alphys. “Doctor, please.”
“T-thank you.” The lizard pulled out some tissues to blow her nose.
“You didn’t become the Royal Scientist to succeed Doctor Gaster?” asked Lucidia.
Alphys replied, “No. I… um… love tinkering with machines. I wanted to make those cool anime inventions come true. A-a-nd nobody but the Royal Scientist would have the funding or equipment for my dreams. So I teamed up with Mettaton to… to trick King Asgore.”
“How so?”
“I told him that I had created a brand new SOUL for my ‘robot’. It’s really just a ghost piloting a mecha.”
“I see,” said the lady. “That is a serious fraud. On the Surface, you would have been excommunicated. Perhaps jailed.”
“I-I know…” Doctor Alphys shrank harder. “I was really stupid. And desperate.”
“How was your case handled by the committee?”
“‘The committee’…?”
“Yes,” said Lucidia, “The scientific and medical community.”
Alphys scrunched her half-soaked tissue. “We don’t have them? Uh. I-I don’t think we even have a hospital?”
That statement shocked the Seer. “Where do you treat your sick and injured?”
“The Lab,” explained Alphys. “That’s why I have so many patients. Before that, we took the injured to King Asgore’s castle. He’s awesome with healing!”
“What about the sharing of knowledge?”
“School, I guess? I dunno. I-I’m sure Gaster had many assistants, but we didn’t have a committee.”
“To tell you the truth…” Alphys fidgeted. “Queen Toriel fired me. But, later on King Asgore reinstated my position so we could wire the Core’s power supply to town.”
With this level of haphazardness, it’s an amazement that their civilization progressed beyond the Middle Ages.
“Thank you for your time, Doctor Alphys. Please let Frisk know that I will speak to King Asgore one hour from now. I need some time to prepare.”
* * *
King Asgore had recovered much since he left the ICU. Still, fatigue weighed heavy on his head.
“Your Majesty, we can send you back to bed if you’re not ready.”
“No, it’s alright.” He said, “A King must perform his duties be it rain or shine.”
“Very well. But if your condition deteriorates, I will suspend the meeting.”
“Thank you for the kind consideration.”
Lucidia arranged the printed reports of her findings before him. “I’m alerted that you had issued various SOUL experiments.”
“Oh, yes.” He picked up one sheets for a read. He squeezed his eyes, trying hard to focus. “Golly. I think the print is too small for my current state.”
“Apologies. Please wait for a moment.”
She summoned a holographic screen with a bigger font-size. “Is this better?”
“Thank you.” Asgore nodded along as he scrolled through the text. “Hm… Yes. These are all of Doctor Alphys’ experiments.”
“I noticed that you had requested specific outcomes from her. Such as ‘Unleash the power of the SOUL’.”
Lucidia summoned another screen, this time with notes about Doctor Gaster. “On the other hand, you let Doctor Gaster drive his own research. This is the testimony I had obtained from Queen Toriel.”
“Gaster… oh dear. He’s a true visionary. All sorts of ideas poured out from his mind long before I had even considered them. I could never keep up.”
“His unwavering spirit single-handedly transformed the entire Underground. The Core wouldn’t have been possible without his study of the washed down technology.”
“On the other hand, Alphys needed some direction. She’s lost without a little nudge. But her resourcefulness makes up for the slow start.”
Interesting facts. Gaster did have an Orange Eye, which would contribute to his forward energy. Alphys seem to be more of a Yellow-Purple type.
“Could you explain the inspirations behind this experiment?” Lucidia pointed to the gathering plan. It was the one that spawned the Amalgamates.
“Certainly.”
The King readjusted his body in preparation for the long talk. He leaned forward. Head, lowered.
“We had Six SOULS by then,” he said. “Since we didn’t know when the last human would drop into The Underground, I thought it was best that we make do with what we have.”
“The populace had grown impatient. It’s been decades since my foolish announcement. Overpopulation added to the stress.”
“Overpopulation?” Lucidia noted the oddity. When she delved into Papyrus’ mind, New Home was devoid of people. It didn’t match King Asgore’s claim.
Asgore nodded. “A baby boom began about 200 years ago. It slowed down soon after, but we still had a crowding problem.”
The woman compared the statements to the Surface’s history. “That’s the Industrial Age. I believe Gaster later discovered that the pollution of water sources contributed to a reduced life expectancy. Was there an improvement in agriculture to counteract the problem?”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Let me think…”
Asgore went silent as he recalled the centuries past. “Our farms started to fail. My wife quickly ordered the building of more watermills to produce magical energy. Meanwhile, I led many monsters on an expedition for new land.”
With a sheepish smile, he admitted: “We almost ran into a famine. But, we were blessed to avoid such a catastrophe.”
“I see…” Lucidia made a note. She will investigate the circumstances later. For now, the question about the Philosopher’s Stone took priority.
“King Asgore, you figured that it would be best to take advantage of the high birth-and-death rate to fill in a missing slot?”
“That’s correct,” he nodded. “I knew the rough ratio. So, I wondered if it’s possible to gather the remains passively.”
“Please clarify if I make a mistake. But, your plan depended only on the dead and dying?”
“Yes.”
“Live subjects were not considered?”
The king gasped. “Oh golly, no! Absolutely not!”
Lucidia was thankful that such a scheme had never crossed the good King’s mind.
On the other hand, there was that ‘other Seer’…
She continued, “I wished to enquire more about Flowey’s creation from Doctor Alphys. However, she was in great distress. Are you knowledgeable enough to explain it in her stead?”
“Please give me a moment for a refresher.”
After reading through one of the notes, Asgore’s ears perked up.
“There it is,” he pointed at the right paragraph. “We needed a vessel that’s neither human nor monster. Monsters cannot retain other monster SOULS.”
“That is true,” the woman confirmed. “Humans cannot contain other humans either.”
“A plant is neither human nor a monster. That… that is why she chose the lonely Ebott Goldenflower…”
Asgore frowned for a moment, then gathered his composure to resume his testimony.
“We Ebott-folk believe that the spirits of the departed linger in their dust. That’s why we scatter them on their favourite things as their last rites. My son… was on that flower.”
He contemplated. “…I wonder if Doctor Alphys learned anything from Gaster’s research? Leftovers.”
“Leftovers?”
Asgore stroked his beard. “After the Core Incident, there were many mysterious gaps in the records. I had half-written books without a name and a vacant lab without an owner. Just as the skeleton brothers had no records of their parents.”
“It was strange,” he said. “Stranger still that I didn’t think it was an issue.”
The King brought up an interesting point. “I see. Thank you, Your Majesty. I’m sorry, but could I request for Doctor Alphys again?”
* * *
Alphys sat down at the other side of the table. She’s trying hard not to shrink. ‘Trying’ was the word. One could see the real struggle within.
“Is there… something else?”
Lucidia asked: “I wondered, where did you learn about Willpower?”
“Willpower?”
“Apologies. I meant ‘Determination’.”
“Well, um… most of it was through observation and referencing what we already knew about monster SOULS.”
“Did you coin the term on your own?”
“Y-yes.”
Two different minds, two different backgrounds, but the same conclusion. Independent discoveries were not all unusual in history. People often persevere until something works.
I hope I’m wrong here.
“Have you considered experimenting on live subjects?” asked the Seer.
Alphys froze for a moment. “I did consider the idea. But, it’s impossible. The amount of energy required to extract a monster SOUL is enormous. And even then, the procedure is fatal.”
“It would have been nice if they’re more like humans,” she admitted. “Just, take the SOUL out for a while, finish the job, then put them back. No harm done.”
“What about a sacrifice?” Lucidia stated. “Your nation has willing volunteers.”
“It would be a pointless suicide.”
“I see.”
It’s quite a relief to hear that they didn’t have the technology or methodology. However they did have a machine that was leaps and bounds ahead of the Surface.
“Did you build the ‘Determination Extraction Machine’?”
“Yes! But, not from scratch,” Alphys glanced left and right. “I received the blueprints from Sans. So, um. The current machine is more like a Version 1.5? Yeah.”
“Was it written in Seer script?” Seers tend to write down their secrets in glyphs to limit prying eyes. Narrows down the list of culprits should a compromise occur.
“You mean the hands? Yes. Sans gave me the alphabet, and then I could read it without any problems.”
The confirmation astonished Lucidia; Doctor Alphys had more gifts than she realised. Though she wouldn’t understand the audio aspects of their tongue, all writing was open to her.
“Did you retain the original copy?” asked Lucidia.
Alphys nodded. “It’s all the way back in town though.”
“I’ll make a note for retrieval.” She said. “A soldier reported the extraction as a painless procedure. Gentle, I daresay. Fatigue was his only notable side effect. The Surface lacks any such method. Ours are known to be rather agonizing. ”
“Oh? Why?” Alphys exclaimed. “Y-you guys have space level stuff!”
“Perhaps we were too dependant on the existence of Marks and Blood Crystals. The thought of distilling Determination as a substance was comparatively… a novel idea. That is why our extraction technology is primitive compared to yours.”
“I see… M-may I ask why it’s painful?”
“It triggers surreal nightmares,” said Lucidia. “They can ripple out into phantom pains. That’s all I can share.”
“Okay. That’s fine.”
“Do you remember the author’s names for the books you studied?”
“I think so.” Alphys scratched her cheek. “But, uh, a lot of them were anonymous. Or reprints.”
“That’s fine. Titles or reference numbers will do.”
Though Lucidia would have preferred a direct input into the Chronograph, it’s offline for maintenance. At current time, a simple pen and foolscap papers served as sufficient replacement.
* * *
Doctor Wendell Dominic Gaster.
Otherwise known as the man scattered across space and time.
Unlike the remorseful King Asgore and the skittish Alphys, he exuded bitter defiance.
Lucidia could still feel the pressure despite her accumulated experience over countless timelines. The eloquent and the forward tend to overpower her.
While she hesitated, Gaster began his attempts to control the conversation. “I suppose this is our first official business, Tactician.”
“Indeed,” Lucidia replied.
“As the Royal Scientist and the last surviving member of the Council, you had the responsibility to deter all declarations of war against humanity. Yet, not only did you ignore it, you encouraged genocide.”
“Why does it matter?” Gaster questioned back.
“It’s proof that you not only breached countless laws, but you had also betrayed the expectations of your nation.”
“Hah. Hilarious.” The man scoffed. “Such empty words. Is this what the Surface Seers have been reduced to? Mere parrots to their human masters?”
Why did Doctor Gaster have a change of heart? He’s been cooperative ever since Papyrus won him over. So, what’s going on?
Is he trying to defend someone…?
“Doctor Gaster,” Lucidia questioned, “What is your game? I recognize the pattern.”
“Well, well. Since you caught the memo, allow me to be honest.”
Gaster rested his hands as a steeple. Peering at the woman, he insisted: “I refuse to cooperate unless you drop all charges against King Asgore, Doctor Alphys, and Sir Grillenn.”
“Impossible,” Lucidia replied.
“Why not?”
“King Asgore declared war. He also directed Doctor Alphys in a number of forbidden experiments while she herself committed fraud, in addition to plans to create a Philosopher’s Stone.”
“As for Sir Grillenn… he confessed to me that he had killed someone. The coroner’s reports confirmed that the cause of death for the Yellow Child was through asphyxiation and severe burn trauma.”
Doctor Gaster slammed the table with his right. The sudden loud sound startled Lucidia, though she tried her best to not show a hint of weakness.
“Funny that you mention murder,” he said. “Lady Lucidia. With your thread of logic, The Magus Association must answer to us Dreemurrs the following crimes: unjust imprisonment for a thousand years, civilian lives lost in the war, and the violent murder of our beloved prince!”
“Yet, you have the gall to insist that only WE pay the price? Preposterous!”
“We shouldn’t be demanding mercy. We should be demanding justice! Reparations for the grief you had inflicted on us as a nation! How does that compare to woes of a few families… if those impish children had anyone in the first place?”
“Furthermore,” Gaster added, “Our nations have zero diplomatic agreements as the result of our isolation. The Six were not innocents. They were intruders. Invaders. Their very presence posed a threat. Was it really so wrong for us to eliminate them?”
“Surely your coroner noted the signs of impalement on the Blue Child’s bones. Well, let me tell you now: it was I who ended her terror! She ran around trampling the smaller citizens of Waterfall!”
“Children are nowhere as innocent as you think.”
Lucidia tried to present her counterpoints. But then, Gaster gave no opportunity. He doled out the next accusation before she had the chance to recollect her thoughts.
The man continued without mercy. “As I had thought, you lack the social flair to be an orator. You work best as an analyst: the mind behind the data. When it comes to the fires of a face-to-face debate, you fail to push back against your adversary.”
“If you cannot handle me, I’m afraid you’re disqualified from passing judgement. No wonder Sans Serif managed to weasel so far.”
Do something. Don’t let him win!
Gravity twisted around the woman. He had stirred the hornet’s nest, and her patience reached her limit, threatening to break.
Then, a message from her husband interrupted her wrath.
‘Halt the interrogation. He’s a bad match for you.’
‘I know you’re upset. But if you lash out now, you won’t be the victorious party.’
Lucidia got up from the chair without an extra word. She hurried out of the chamber through a sliding door.
Once out of Gaster’s sight, she took off her mask. It cracked in her grip.
“Lucidia.” It’s Mezil.
She lifted her head to gaze at him. Her vision had started to go watery from tears.
“I’m nothing but a weakling…” Lucidia replied. “Always so frail against the Will of others.”
…Curse me and my monsterness…
* * *
Lucidia bowed down before Gerson, the Hammer of Justice. “Thank you for the day’s hard work,” she said, “Please, have a good rest.”
“No probs, ma’am. Wahaha!” Gerson’s laughter didn’t last long. “Ya got someone taking over my shift?”
“Judge Thyme. At least for now.”
Whether she realised it or not, Lucidia let out a sigh. It was enough to catch the attention of the old hero.
“Chin up,” he smiled. “There’s always tomorrow.”
“Thank you…”
Lucidia didn’t tell Gerson that the cause for her poor mood was due to Doctor Gaster. Let him reason that it was because of a long day.
When the turtle left, she pulled a seat over to Pod 02 and sat down. Quiet. Concerned.
Should I wake Papaya up?
She touched the surface of the cover. The data retrieved from her powers matched the life-analysis machine: Condition Green.
In terms of vital healing, the Intensive Recovery Pod had completed its job. However…
…The Princess of the Sky still hesitated.
What if he tries to burn his Eye now?
What if it burns outside of his control?
Perhaps it’s better to have him rest a while longer. After all, he’s not known to sleep often.
Her attention shifted to Pod 01.
Lucidia put Sans Serif back into stasis this morning. Karma demanded a forced fragility on his Psychia, limiting the output of his lifeforce. It impeded the healing process.
She heard someone knocking on the door. It’s either the next Healer on duty, or her husband.
It turned out to be Mezil plus… Cenna? In a wheelchair?
“Dear?” she asked, “Why is she here?”
Cenna pointed her fingers at Mezil’s face. “Blame a certain grey-haired black-coat tsundere.”
The senior clicked his tongue. “Do you really have to chide me in such a roundabout way?”
“Yeah! Of course! I’ll never give up a chance. You’re the idiot who thought Frisky used an HVM, even though nobody died.”
“You’re insufferable. You think that I can receive news of unexplained causes of demise in less than a full day? Besides, it's the kid’s intent that matters most!”
“Bah. Excuses!”
Ah, those two. Some things just don’t change.
They had been this way since their first meeting all those years ago.
“Hmph,” the man huffed, “Weren’t you the one with the big news and a killer boredom. Cut to the chase.”
“Okay, okay. Lucy, I got an update!” Cenna exclaimed, albeit with a hushed tone. “It’s about Gungnir.”
“Report.”
“An Aratet assimilated the Central Gungnir group. He’s the new boss now. We gotta inform the Investigators to dig up his ID.”
“Oh… I know who he is.”
“Eh? You do?”
“Yes. In fact, I also know he was the mastermind behind the Spire’s fire. Sir Grillenn and I had faced him in combat.”
Cenna clenched her hands into a fist. “Dammit. And I wasn’t there to kick his butt. So, any names?”
“‘Aiden’. He claims to be Persona’s son.”
“Whaaaaa?! Is he a Red? I thought Mez got rid of all the next-gen DEMON wannabes by now. Anyone still alive either broke off from Gungnir or turned out to be puny scrubs.”
Mezil huffed. “He could be a fake: a masquerader taking advantage of a leaderless rabble.”
“I cannot confirm his lineage yet,” said Lucidia. “However, Aiden did not utilize any Marks. It’s possible that he is, at most, a Red Minor.”
“I’m afraid we must pursue this new information at a later date. The Chronograph is still decrypting. It will take about twelve more hours of processing before it completes. Apologies.”
Mezil pushed the wheelchair closer to Pod 02.
That look…
“Mezil?” she asked. “You wish to wake Papyrus?”
The question made him cough. Sometimes Mezil had his plans obscured. Sometimes, he’s more obvious than he would like to admit.
“…You got it right. Spot on, even. Yes. He has the best relationship with Doctor Gaster for persuasion. And, if that fool insists on his rebellion we can use the young man’s Eye to pry into his history--”
Lucidia shook her head. “No.”
“Why not?” asked Mezil. “Papyrus did just fine as my proxy.”
“The circumstances have changed. I don’t know how much more he can take. Both mind and body. He already suffered so much so soon.”
“We can guide him in the least damaging manner.”
“Is Gaelic not enough for you?” Tone, bitter. Angry.
Mezil asked back: “What do you mean? He’s our best friend.”
“No. You don’t get it.” Grief choked her words. “Is damning Gaelic not enough for you? For us? If we continue to depend on Papyrus, we’ll lose him to madness as well. Is that what you want?”
Mezil added, “Lucidia, I don’t understand. They’re both Orange Seers, but they’re not the same type of character.”
“No means ‘no’!” The Seer snapped back. “I refuse to let you request Papyrus’ help ever again! Denied!”
The two humans were taken aback by her reactions.
“Okaaaay,” said Cenna. “I don’t wanna be ‘that annoying gal’, but Lucy you’re getting top-level cranky here.”
What nerve. Have they forgotten?
“He tried to claw his face off!!!”
They stared at her with slack jaws. Shocked. Cenna mouthed the words ‘He did what?’ in silence.
Realising what she had done, Lucidia retreated. “I-I’m sorry. I… didn’t tell you. Did I? Yes, Papyrus has the propensity to inflict self-harm. It’s not as overt as Gaelic’s habits. But, I would consider them more insidious due to their relative invisibility.”
“Cuts, carvings, and clawing… They draw little attention. Easy to hide. Easy to dismiss as little ‘kitchen accidents’. Papyrus loves to cook after all.”
“Sans Serif did think of every possibility. I never blamed him for his quest. In fact, I sympathized with his predicament. To an extent. I’m sorry for the outburst.”
Her husband shook his head. “No, you’re right. Papyrus is not immune to pitfalls. I had almost forgotten about them in the light of his brilliance.”
Cenna added, “Guess it’s real easy to take him for granted, living up to his nick and all.”
“If that’s the case,” said Mezil. “Leave Gaster to me. I will ensure that we achieve victory without burdening Papyrus. Or you.”
“Honey,” said Lucidia. “I’m sorry about what happened. I…”
Then she clammed up. Apologizing for something so personal always made her heart bubble from anxiety and embarrassment. There were doubts if she was even honest about it. Pride often gets in the way.
Mezil reached out to her for a good, firm hug.
“No offense taken. You had a rough day. Despite so, you did a great job. And I’m sorry that I overestimated the health of others.”
“Mezzy to the rescue huh?” The Vanquisher laughed. “Maybe now tell him to stop working me to the bone. Please?”
“Shush. You’re ruining the mood.”
Lucidia rested her face against her husband’s chest and closed her eyes.
Ah… what did I do to deserve such a good man?