Were We Doomed From The Start?

25.- Old Abandoned Laboratory

"Sorry...UNDYNE, like, told us there was totally a human in the area.
So, like, us Royal Guards are blocking off the elevators for now.
Ngah! Even if the elevators aren't working anyways, we'll do our best, Ms. UNDYNE!"

The other knight didn't say anything, simply stared off into the abyss.

Ninja took the other path to the right, trying to look around a bit before going into the lab. It had little stairs and led to down to a river of water with someone in a big cloak standing on a little wooden boat with no edges, like if it was a fancy plank on water. The river seemed to come from somewhere past Hotland, and lead to Waterfall. He walked up to the mysterious hooded person, and it spoke to him.

"Tra la la.
I am the riverman. Or am I the riverwoman...?
It doesn't really matter.
I love to ride in my boat. Would you care to join me?"

A menu popped up, allowing Ninja to choose between going with them or not.

*(Ride in the boat?)
♥Yes       No

Ninja picked to ride in the boat to see where it would lead to, and he got another menu.

*Where will we go today?
♥Snowdin     Waterfall

He picked Snowdin to get some gloves to deal with the heat, looking over to Gaster and doing a slight nod before leaving in the boat.

"Then we're off..."

As they went down the river, the person mumbled to themselves.

"Tra la la.
Eat a mushroom everyday."

Ninja looked at the person, asking what they meant.

"Why?
Then I know you're listening to me..."

Ninja looked away, observing how the boat was floating at a decent speed, despite there being no current or anything pushing the boat along to move it. It drifted down the river that seemed almost endless, eventually slowing down close to a little path on the side in between the trees, where it came to a full stop.

"Come again some time.
Tra la la."

Ninja stepped off the boat, the snow crunching underneath the soles of his shoes as he walked back into Snowdin, going down the path and trying to figure out his way back to the shop, not having been in that part of town before. He walked straight, observing the houses on the right which were still closed and locked up, a snow storm starting up already.

Using it to mask his presence, he soon found himself in the middle of town, near a shop that he recognized on the right, going down it and passing a decorated tree that he remembered from his last visit, going past it and soon arriving at the Inn and store. He went in the store as snowflakes started falling, with the shopkeeper greeting him while smiling.

He smiled back, buying two gloves off her before saying goodbye and going out into the storm, shivering as he no longer had a coat but armour instead. Putting the gloves on, he trudged through the snow and got back to the spot where the river person awaited, the front of the boat having a dog like head, with a familiar smile on it.

He got on the boat, choosing to go back to Hotland, the boat slightly levitating out of the water to reveal legs and start running down the river.

"Tra la la.
Temmie Village...
...the room before the darkening lantern room."

They arrived back at Hotland, despite having gone to the left instead of the right, as if they had teleported or simply gone in a circle, despite the straight line. Ninja got off the boat once it slowly descended back into the water, its legs back in the water.

"Come again some time.
Tra la la."

Ninja went back into Hotland, where Gaster stood, glaring at him. He shrugged, then walked past Gaster while adjusting his gloves and going up to the lab, staring at it and taking a step closer, the doors sliding to the sides automatically which allowed him to enter into the dimly lit lab and close behind him.

While he began to explore within, Gaster looked up at the top of the laboratory, where it said "Lab". He seemed to remember it, like a past memory or a dream, the sign almost getting blurry the longer he stared at it.

Slowly walking up to it and watching the doors open, it was like his footsteps echoed in the room. Ninja was up ahead, looking around while holding up the lit torch that he always seemed to carry with him. Gaster went up a table on the left that he could barely, see, like if he knew it was there and dragged his hands across the papers that were there, reminiscing.

There was illegible writing on them, yet he couldn't help but lean closer, picking one up and holding it, the ink seeming familiar to him. Ninja found an elevator down, to which he called Gaster over to look at, snapping him out of the trance he was falling into.

Gaster went over, immediately pressing the button without even seeing where it was, simply based off of memory. It made a slow distorted ding and opened as they both turned to look at each other, shocked yet intrigued. It was clearly operational yet rusty and old, light inside flickering as if it were running low on power.

Ninja took a step closer to inspect it and reached out his hand but Gaster quickly stopped him by grabbing his hand and pulling it back, scowling as he seemed to hate making contact with Ninja but felt he had to.

"As much as I dislike you at the current moment, I don't believe it is safe to inspect it further as the battery is clearly low."

Ninja raised an eyebrow while looking at him, pulling his hand back and crossing his arms.

"Do you not notice it? Even the gut feeling it provokes?"

Ninja shook his head and Gaster sighed, speaking before turning around to go back to the table.

"I won't stop you if you want to, I am simply informing you of how dangerous of an idea it appears to be."

Ninja glared at him then turned away, exploring the rest of the lab while Gaster went back to the table and grabbed some of the papers and a book, then vanishing before coming back, having stashed it in the void.

Ninja went up some stairs he found near the far corner of the room, heading to the second floor which was dilapidated, bookshelves covering some parts of the wall and the ceiling in shambles with chunks of it all over the floors. More papers littered both the walls, table, and floor. Some notes were more legible than others, while most were simply scribbles like that of a madman.

Ninja carefully grabbed one of the papers, which was accompanied by a drawing of some kind of animal skull that attached with huge pipes, the writing faintly resembling the WingDings in which Gaster both spoke and wrote in. It was a mixture of that and English, scribbled quickly yet extensively.

He put it in his backpack, along with a few other pages that seemed to be related to such a machine and went back down the stairs, finding the exit in the back and calling Gaster over, who was looming in the shadows while staring at papers, lost in his own mind.