Skeletons and Robots (Discontinued due to lack of time)

Chapter 20: Science

Cold penetrated my body way too suddenly for me to ever prepare for it. Almost like a chain reaction, light followed it. A moan shook my body to full alertness, but the amount of effort it took to prop myself up was just not worth it. I was so over sleep.
A warning light flashed across my retina camera, the loud capital letters seemed to scream at me with no voice.

WARNING: SOUL UNSTABLE. SINCE SOUL IS CORPOREAL, FURTHER INJURY MAY LEAD TO DEATH.
I chuckled, wondering how Nami would have warned me. Nami. My eyes frolicked with visions of her new face, her rugged yet touchy complexion and all that it could tell me through whispers in my ear. Funny, how well she bonded with Jacin before I- my eyes widened. I clutched my waist, sinking to the floor in agony. Pain rocketed through my sensors warning lights practically slamming into each other. A shivering sensation began in my toes, quickly traveling upwards to the source of the pain. Once it reached my belt, my secret tormentor stopped just as if it had never been. As if the placid morning was simply just a morning. Wheezing, I stared down at my soul. My efforts were to no avail, as I soon realized that my waist was bandaged where my soul should have been. Who bandaged it? I couldn't seem to remember. With much hesitation, I propped myself up to a somewhat standing position, the bed as my anchor. Only then did I notice the debt in the mattress. There, another dent accompanied my sleek figured one, they were practically one big one. But, clear as day, they were two. Someone had...what? I look around, stumbling in random places. The room was not mine. Sleek white walls neatly glossed over what little furniture the room had, a couch and an old television. I laughed wryly, for it appeared that I found myself in a mental asylum. Hilarious. I trudged over to the door, witch had a small speaking device taped to it. My phone- they must have stripped it from me when I came here, not that I recall how and who exactly "they" were. I tapped the speaking pad gingerly, the receiver then flicked to life.
  "Excuse me, but can anyone tell me what I am going here, why I hurt so much, who you are, and also why someone slept in my bed next to me? Come on, twin beds don't have that much room guys!" I growled slyly, my eyes pacing around my holding container of a room one more time.
"Neo! Y-you're awake! T-this is Alphys, and I did not expect you to remember very much anyway. I will come down and explain everything to you, just p-please don't shoot me." The receiver sizzled out, and I was left to my own devices once again.

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      "So, tell me what happened. Everything." I winced as Alphys' rubber mallet collided with the side of my waist. It dinged, an echoey chime shot up my torso. She clicked her tongue, glancing up at me as she did so.
  "Well, you were in very bad condition. Blasting yourself while locked in your room was not the smartest thing to do. We found you, and we have been taking care of you since you were found. " she muttered. Suspicion crossed my mind, so I decided to play that card.
  "Who is 'we'?"
"Oh, right. Sans and I. " I nodded, glancing at her dull office room. Wallpaper dribbled down the walls like raindrops, the cool ombré color obviously intended to comfort patients. Cracks symbolized the age of the room, it looked as if it had survived some type of apocalypse.
  "D-do you want to go home? I can let you go, as long as you promise to rest." Alphys budded as she laced her mandibles into mine. I nodded, stepping down from the examination platform.
  "Oh, one more thing! I programmed Nami with some new softwares to help your..uh...situation with Sans. Just address it whenever you feel comfortable and she can help. She likes you very much, you know. More than anything else in her subconscious." Heat rushed to my face, my insides churned and I felt like hiding.
  "You..you know about Sans and I?" I stifled a whine as my voice cracked with unsettling depth. Alphys merely shrugged.
  "Everyone does now, it isn't hard to tell. The way Sans composes himself around you, the way your chest and face overheat when he is near. Also, I may have showed Undyne my fanfiction of y- n-never mind that, you guys deserve an anime together!" I gulped, rubbing my neck nervously. The subject needed to change.
  "So...uh..Nami.." I stuttered. Alphys brightened, as if Nami was some sort of hobby to her.
  "Right, right! Well, her data has been streaming very neatly, I must say. She has also made great progress in her humanoid development, and I dare say I owe it all to you." She chirped, her eyes seemed to sparkle through her fat glasses. "Me?" I cocked my head awkwardly, my glazed coat layer casually started to warm up from the new glare of light that blazed through the window. Alphys nodded cooly, placing something cold and light in my hands. I didn't want to look down, so I fixed my eyes around her glasses.
"Absolutely. She has learned so much by just watching you. You are her star; her inspiration to be better. I made her for you, she feels like her purpose is to serve you in any way possible, and make you as happy and proud of her as possible. I programmed her so that you are the center of her universe; everything she does is either to please you or to protect you. She, like it or not, was built to love you in a way you just can't understand. It is not the type of love you and Sans share, but a more devoted and rare kind. Almost like the kind found in siblings, except with more desire. " She spoke as if this were the easiest thing in the world to explain, a mere question on a spelling test. As if the science behind robots with artificial incorporeal souls was any easy matter. " Well golly gumdrops, she sure has a weird way of showing it! She is so awkwardly salty, like someone skipped the meat on her sandwich. And don't even get me started on her and Sans, she was so rude to him when they first met." I could have sworn my eyes rolled without me thinking for them to.
"Ah, I see where you m-might be confused. Since Nami's artificial brain is still adapting to a body and actual emotion, it is trying to adapt to the environment around it. Hence, whatever you say might be copied two days later in this early stage of her being. Everything she heard as a phone is now being processed and repeated in the tone it was once said in. So if you were being really kind and happy around your phone, she would apply a kind and happy personality. If you are unhappy with her personality, it might not be to late to change it by speaking to her differently, or you could just have me change her P. chip a bit. What was your other question?" I bit my lip. Had I really been that sarcastic? Probably not. She had been becoming more benevolent lately, so I guess I was technically already changing her.
"Oh, yeah, right. Uh- since Nami's duties are to you alone, her system is still getting over the fact that other people in this world exist, let alone the fact that they also want to please you. "  Alphys muttered, a low chuckle broke the always air between us. "Well, I'm just flattered now. Really though, I should be going. Thanks for the robot therapy lesson, I guess. Thanks also for the soul-bandage thingies. " I managed to pull myself out of the door, shutting it just behind her words of farewell. Only now, as I stumbled down the long white hall to freedom, did I look down. There, in my hands, was a cheesy get well soon card. I opened it, and to my surprise, the familiar handwriting of Sans greeted me.

    Yo. Meet me at the blaster cages tomorrow at five. Don't bring anyone, or I will be Mettagone. This is just for you and I.
    :)~Sans

  Oh damn.