[The following audio transcript is available for access with the permission of Gerson, The Hammer of Justice.]
GERSON
Woah there! I’ve got some neat junk for sale. Wanna have a looksee?
Kid?
You’re lookin’ rather pale.
Huh. What’s with the notebook?
[A page flipped in the background.]
GERSON
Hmm? ‘Toilet roll’?
Sorry. Never seen it. Well, aside from your drawing. Why’d ya need that for?
[More scribbling.]
GERSON
…Ooookay I get your point. Maybe some of these leaves would work.
Money? Nah. Consider it on the house. Go hurry to your own ‘business’, wa ha!
[Some time passed. The Purple Child returned to the shop.]
GERSON
Welcome back…?
Oh dear. You’re lookin’ paler than before.
Hmm… how about this? Stay here for a while. It’s no good if you limp along in your current condition.
About the money? Heh. Maybe later you can repay me by helpin’ out. But don’t sweat. I’m not a miser. Wa ha ha!
* * *
GERSON
Mornin’ kid. Feeling better? Got some boiled Crab Apples for breakfast. Heard they’re good for the runs.
…Yep. Shoulda told ya sooner, but I have met humans before. So I know a bit about them.
[The Purple Child gasped.]
GERSON
Hope I’m not prying, but… why are you communicating through a notebook? Born mute?
No?
You just don’t wanna talk? That’s fine. I ain’t picky, wahaha. Draw away!
You really like purple, huh? Oh. You only have one of those ‘pen’ thingamajiggies. That explain lots.
[After breakfast, The Purple Child started drawing pictures of the monsters she had met.]
GERSON
W-what’s this…? Queen Toriel? You saw her?!
In ‘The Ruins’, huh? Well, that makes sense. That’s Old Home, where we first settled after we got banished to the Underground.
What’s that on the wall? The Delta Rune, the emblem of our kingdom. Oh, hey, careful there.
[The sound of footsteps indicate that the human walked up close to the engraving.]
GERSON
Never seen it before? Bah! What have they been teaching you in school?
This emblem predates written history. Lost the original meaning a long time ago. All we know is that the triangles symbolize us monsters below, and the winged circle above… is something else. Most folks think it’s some angel from the prophecy.
Oh boy, look at that. Proper note taking! You’re really into history, huh? That’s good. Not enough kiddos take that subject nowadays.
Uh… Kid? You’re looking rather weird.
Oh no.
* * *
[The phone rung. Gerson picked it up.]
GERSON
Hello?
GASTER
Hammer of Justice, I must warn you that a human is afoot. They were last spotted within your vicinity.
GERSON
I already know that. Thanks anyhoo.
Say, do you have anything for… involuntary purges?
GASTER
Involuntary? You mean vomiting?
GERSON
Yup! I got a sick kid under my care. Might have eaten something she shouldn’t. Poor kiddo can’t even keep her breakfast down. I’m getting mighty worried.
GASTER
If it’s poisoning related, the purging helps eject unwanted toxins. But I suppose it’s a problem if it’s uncontrolled…
Please give me a moment to check my medical cabinet.
[Some rummaging could be heard across the line.]
GASTER
There we go. Antiemetics and painkillers. Sir Gerson, may I know their body type and age? For dosage reasons.
GERSON
Uuuuh… What do ya call them upright-animal folks anyway? Medium-sized? And she’s about ten to twelve.
GASTER
I see. I think I understand what you mean. One of the Royal Guards will deliver a package to you posthaste. Please follow the recommended dosage. Never increase it without my permission.
Also please bring her to my lab if she doesn’t get better. I know sickness is rare among monsters, but an occurrence can quickly become fatal.
GERSON
Right, right. Thanks a bunch.
[Gerson put down the phone]
GERSON
Sigh… if only ‘that’ incident never happened.
* * *
GERSON
How’s the Sea Tea? Good?
There ya go! That’s a nice smile, wa ha! Guess the doc’s medicine is working as intended. Better even!
Hey. You know you’re a wanted kid, right? Humans aren’t welcome down here. The Royal Guard is combing the place for ya as we speak.
Me? I do whatever I want. Wa ha ha! I know not all of humans are bad.
[Pictures were drawn, and pages flipped.]
GERSON
That’s your mom? Nope. Haven’t seen her.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
[The child started to sob.]
GERSON
H-hey, hey. Calm down, kiddo. Why do you think she might be in the Underground?
[The child continued to draw their story.]
GERSON
…………
Gosh darn. I’m so sorry for your loss. Looks like the Surface has gone to heck. A wizard war, of all things!
Well, if ya look on the bright side I’d reckon your momma is still up there. All the more why you need to get healthy quick.
Say. Maybe you could tell me more about this magic school? To pass the time y’know.
* * *
GERSON
Oho! That’s the beefiest headmaster I’ve ever seen! Though I bet Ol’ King Fluffybuns will give him a run for his money. Wahaha!
Hmm? How’s the King like? A total pushover! Strong in muscle, but soft in heart.
It’s his advisor that you need to watch out for. Doctor W. D. Gaster’s the name.
Ahuh. The same doc who gave you the medicine. I kept it vague so he doesn’t come storming. He’s got a thing against your kind. A big one.
Eh, don’t worry. Nobody can fight in my shop. It’s the perfect safe zone. Why? My secret. Wa ha!
Oops. I got another customer. Be right back. As long you stay in this convenient corner, nobody will notice ya.
* * *
GERSON
Kid? Oh no… that’s a burning fever. You were just fine yesterday!
I can’t take you to Gaster… That doc would only help you hasten your demise!
This is bad. Maybe you’d have better chance had you stayed with Toriel.
Let me take you there. Hang on tight!
* * *
GERSON
Woah there! I’ve got some neat junk for sale. Wanna have a looksee?
Kid?
You’re lookin’ rather pale.
Huh. What’s with the notebook?
[A page flipped in the background.]
GERSON
You want leaves…? Sure. Have some. Nah, I’m not gonna charge. They’re part of the house deco anyway.
[The Purple Child left. Then came back to the shop again.]
GERSON
Got your ‘business’ done? So, what else what do ya want?
[She pointed at the engraving on the wall.]
GERSON
The Delta Rune? You wanna know about the prophecy? Ya sure? It''s an old story.
Heh. That twinkle in your eyes… tells me you ain’t gonna let it go. You’re the studious type, aren''t cha?
Ah, well, not like I got anything better to do.
So, legend has it, an ‘angel’ who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom. That’s what the Delta Rune is all about. Looks like an angel, right?
What do I think? Well. When I see that circle, I was just thinkin’ it looks neat! That’s it. Wa ha ha!
Some folks take it way too seriously, though. I knew a couple who named their son after some human myths.
I don’t like it. Leaves a bad taste in me mouth. See, there IS such as thing as false hope.
Uhh. Kid? Why are you crying?
* * *
GERSON
Woah there! I’ve got some neat junk for sale. Wanna have a looksee?
Oh my! You wanna place an order for medicine? From W. D. Gaster himself?!
Wow. If that’s not crazy bold, I dunno what else to say. If you’re sick, that explains your pallidness. That’s no condition for a kid to run around!
Sit right there. Maybe have some tea with this old turtle? Wahaha!
‘Pharmacies’? Like, a medicine store? Well… we monsters don’t really get sick often. There’s not been any need for a shop dedicated to selling such cures.
Your best bet is the Hotland Lab, really.
* * *
GERSON
Woah there! I’ve got some neat junk for sale. Wanna have a looksee?
Kid?
You’re lookin’ rather pale.
[The child put down some money.]
A Sea Tea comin’ right up.
Leaving already? Okay.
If you need any help, let this ol’ shopkeeper know. I might have what ya need.
Be careful out there, kid!
* * *
GERSON
Woah there! I’ve got some neat junk for sale. Wanna have a looksee?
Kid?
You’re lookin’ rather pale.
Huh. What’s with the notebook?
[A page flipped in the background.]
GERSON
‘Help me’? Guess my status as the big ol’ Hammer still goes around. What do ya need help with?
Is that W. D. Gaster? Yup. I’m sure it’s him.
Kid, I suggest ya drop the idea. That man won’t show you any mercy. He’s a good doc only to us monsters.
Why? A bunch of years ago, a human dropped down here. About your age. Killed many innocent citizens.
Before I could put a stop to their menace, young Gaster got there first.
Let’s just say his rage sends a shiver up my shell.
[Disappointed, the child began to leave.]
GERSON
H-hey! You can barely walk!
Why not just rest here for a while? Have some Crab Apples and Sea Tea. Even a little bit is better than nothing.
[Gerson gasped at the sketches.]
GERSON
You’re trying to tell me that’s what will happen if ya stay here for too long?
How bad is your illness anyway?
…That bad?… Darn.
I made up my mind! I’m goin’ with ya. The Lab’s the only place with the right tools.
Don’t worry about that mean skeleton. With me around, he ain’t gonna able land a single scratch.
Wahahahaha!
* * *
[At W. D. Gaster’s Hotland Lab.]
GASTER
Hammer of Justice! Did that human bewitch you?! They’re our enemy!
GERSON
You’re a doctor, for goodness sake! If you’re worth your salt, you’re gonna give this little girl a proper exam.
Otherwise… how about a taste of this ol’ friend of mine?
GASTER
Pardon the disrespect, but what’s stopping me from killing her where she stands?
[Gerson pounded the hammer on the ground. The Law’s anti-violence spell came into full effect.]
[Gaster groaned.]
GASTER
You just had to use your speciality.
GERSON
Darn straight. Now will you do as I ask?
GASTER
…Eherm. I suppose an infected human is a valid specimen. We never had proper records about their bodily functions after all. Not since Chara.
This way, please. And rest your arms. I won’t strike down a valuable study.
* * *
ASGORE
Howdy, Gerson. I got here as fast as I could.
I heard a human fell into the Underground. And… she’s very sick.
GERSON
That Gaster. Getting you involved? Worst decision today, I’d reckon.
ASGORE
Please don’t be angry. If anything happens, I want to be here with you.
I know what it’s like to lose a child under one’s watch.
GERSON
…Thanks, Fluffybuns.
[The lab door slid open.]
ASGORE
Gaster with a clipboard… And a grim face.
GERSON
Yup. Just like that day.
ASGORE
An ill omen indeed…
GASTER
Gentlemen, may I have your time?
The human’s notebook had recorded a list of relevant symptoms. Bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, high fever: these are all signs of a ‘severe gastrointestinal infection’.
ASGORE
Is it like Chara?
GASTER
Similar, Your Majesty. Perhaps worse. My Eyes have discovered the presence of rod-shaped organisms in their samples. It matches the newspaper scrap Sans discovered in The Dump last week.
Please look at the screen here.
[The machine beeped.]
ASGORE
‘Deadly E.coli Outbreak Detected in the Ebott Region’?
GASTER
Indeed. It’s a bacterial infection that primarily spreads through the consumption of contaminated sources.
According to the article, it generally takes three to four days for the effects to show. Though some can get it as soon as a day.
Humans may be stronger than us, but they’re vulnerable to invasion from other biological lifeforms. The Council has records of plagues wiping out whole families in the pre-Sealing days.
GERSON
What’s the cure?
GASTER
She needs not one cure, but multiple different ones. The key to this concoction involves ‘Antibiotics’. Unfortunately… we don’t have those.
GERSON
Why not?!
GASTER
Antibiotics will work only on organic lifeforms, not magical ones. Therefore none of us have the knowhow to produce them.
We could depend on her immune system, but if the strain is as deadly as the news warns… Well. I’m amazed she’s clung onto life for so long. A human’s determination is truly a sight to behold…
P-pardon my rambling. Hammer of Justice, I think it’s beyond cruel to prolong her suffering. We should harvest her SOUL before the disease worsens.
Consider it an act of mercy.
GERSON
Sorry young’un. I think that’s too soon. Maybe she can ride it out with proper treatment.
GASTER
But--
GERSON
You’re the one who wanted a live study subject or whatnot.
GASTER
True. Hmm. If that’s the case, I’ll do whatever I can.
* * *
GASTER
Any improvements, sir?
GERSON
Kid’s been crying for her momma all night. She wouldn''t sleep until King Fluffybuns coddled her.
GASTER
I see. His Majesty is indeed warm and fuzzy, ideal for any child. Has he retired to his chambers?
GERSON
Yup.
GASTER
That’s for the best. Please let me examine her.
………………
Her organs are failing. Keeping her alive from this point onwards is futile. Judging from her pleas I believe she realises this as well.
At least she’s unconscious. That will save her from much unnecessary torment.
GERSON
How are ya gonna end her life?
GASTER
By stopping her heart. The exact methods are not of any concern.
GERSON
Will your ‘procedure’ hurt?
GASTER
No. Not at all. It''s painless, that’s for certain.
Sir Gerson. I don’t mean to be rude but… Are you aware that even if she survives, she cannot leave the Barrier without a monster’s SOUL?
King Asgore is the only one she could claim. And we cannot lose him. Ever.
Perhaps you’re hoping that she could live a little longer?
Or… you just don’t want her to die in such a pitiful manner?
[Gerson remained quiet]
GASTER
Apologies. It’s a moot point anyway.
Sir, I believe it’s best that you go home. Let’s consider her demise official.
* * *
[A day after the Purple Child’s death.]
GERSON
Sigh… that poor child.
If we didn’t have that darn Barrier, maybe we could have gotten help. Or at least dropped her off at some human doctor.
[Doctor Gaster barged into the shop unannounced.]
GERSON
W-what in the?!?
GASTER
Magic!
GERSON
Pardon me?
GASTER
Every scribble on her notebook vanished overnight! Clearly the work of magic. That sick human girl was a little wizard!
Did you know anything about this???
GERSON
Nope. She came in here one day with a big ‘Help me’ and some odd pictures. Then I took her straight to ya.
GASTER
I see, I see. I’m sure she used a writing implement to make her notes. I couldn’t find it on her possession. Did she drop anything?
From what I remember, the smoothness of the lines indicated that she used a pen. Think of it as a pencil, with an ink tube instead of graphite.
GERSON
You mean this little knickknack here? Didn’t find anything else that fits the description.
GASTER
Yes! That is indeed a pen. Could it be enchanted ink? Let’s give this a try. I suppose I can scribble it on my fingerbone…
It’s black? This is a perfectly ordinary black gel ink! Yet all of her notes were as purple as her… SOUL?…
Egads.
Thank you very much, Hammer of Justice! I think we’re on the verge of an incredible breakthrough!
I apologize for the abrupt interruption. My condolences for her death. And, please have a good rest.
[Gaster ran off as quickly as he had arrived.]
* * *
ROYAL GUARD
Hello Mister Gerson?
GERSON
Hello there!
ROYAL GUARD
Doctor Gaster asked me to deliver this to you.
GERSON
Did he? Since when did you folks become glorified mailmen?
ROYAL GUARD
Since… forever? It’s part of our position to make personal deliveries for the Royal Scientist.
GERSON
Wahaha! Just kidding. I know things get slow in times of peace. Gotta keep yourself occupied.
There. Signed and received. Send him my regards.
ROYAL GUARD
Will do! Have a good day.
GERSON
You too. And watch your step!
[Not long after the Royal Guard left, there was a loud clang of metal. It appeared that the person had tripped.]
GERSON
Seriously. I thought they’d have better eyes than me.
Now let’s see what’s inside…
[Gerson opened the packaging.]
GERSON
Ooh! It’s the girl’s notebook!
Hmm, an envelope from the man himself.
‘To Sir Hammer. I believe you’d like to keep the notebook as a memento. Or you might not. It’s up to you. Please don’t be alarmed by the torn pages. They were salvaged for my upcoming research. Signed, Doctor W. D. Gaster.’
‘P.S. Please console the King posthaste. You two need each other.’
GERSON
Sigh. I never could get into that man’s head. Both thoughtful and terrible at the same time. Wish he didn’t go down such a dusty path…
Kid, I hope your parents are alive and well somewhere. Though that ain’t much of a comfort, is it?
Well… all I can do now is to keep on keeping on.
[END TRANSCRIPT]