Determination (Charisk) [OUTDATED]

107 - THE DT EXTRACTOR

(CHARA POV)[M]

I tried to play it off with a joke, but in truth, I was terrified. Frisk must have felt my fear because she grabbed my hand and squeezed it. She was my only comfort in this Gods-forsaken place. Although this was a dead-end, it wasn't all for nothing. All the most which clung to the ground across the rest of the lab was presumably gone as well.

     We turned around and started to walk in the other direction, past the terminal—Which no longer turned on when I got close—There was a huge room. It must have been at least 50 feet long, not to mention how tall it was.

     "Holy shit." There were huge computer screens along the walls, they were either cracked or completely shattered, and none of them were on. Counters and lab tables filled with old and decrepit machines and equipment. In the center of the room, sitting in a pile of broken machinery, was a old, broken yellow crystal. Shattered tanks which probably used to store liquid were lined up along the far wall. But these weren't the most striking features of the room, no.

It was this.

     Along the far wall, there was a huge machine looming over us. It's resemblance to the skull of a Fox was uncanny. Many thick power cables, transport tubes, and pipes fed into it from the ceiling and walls. It was old and showed signs of heavy use. The black steel it was once made of bad turned a dull red with rust and magic burns. In its "eyesockets" were two huge tanks. The glass was warped towards the bottom and had become yellowed after spending years in disrepair. There was another, terminal by it, covered in a thick layer of dust.

     Just acknowledging it's existence was enough for it to start up with a loud whirring noise. It's screen flickered on with a sickly green glow.

   
DT EXTRACTOR

* Initialize
* Diagnostic
* Drain DT Capacitors

     "Extractor?" Frisk asked.

     "She had to get it somehow."

     "N-no, you can't just—" Frisk looked back at the hideous thing. "She can't just remove Determination. Y-you need it. It's your will to live. It's what keeps you—" She covered her mouth before she could finish the thought, but I heard her repeat the same word in the back of my head. Connected. It's what keeps you Connected. Frisk turned away and shut her eyes. I pulled out my SOUL and held it up in front of me. "Chara, no. I know what you're thinking and it's—"

     "I wasn't going to. I never would, you know that." I spoke with confidence, but I was unsure of myself. Wouldn't I? If this thing were to take out most, if not all of my Determination, would I still be... Connected, as Frisk put it... to Diitii? Or is my Determination the only thing keeping me together?