On The Surface | An OCTale Sequel

4) Impact's Machine

I open the door and Impact turns around, hearing the sound.

"Huh? Who's there?" He asks, his left eye flickering in surprise before seeing me. I smile and wave.

"Oh, it's just you! Hey Tyler. Sorry, I wasn't expecting anybody to come in. I forgot you know about this place. I thought if someone read the note, they wouldn't know where to go and they'd just come back later."

I tap my feet.

"So...um...what are you doing?" I look over his shoulder to see the usually covered up machine revealed.

"Oh? I'm just fixing this machine."

I raise an eyebrow. "What's it for?"

He sighs. "...You know, Tyler, we've been through a lot, haven't we? You're the reason we're all here on the surface. And you're one of my closest friends."

I smile at that comment, putting my hands in my hoodie pocket.

"I'm pretty sure I can trust you, right?" I nod.

He starts looking nervous.
"Well, uh, this may seem a little out of the blue, but I think it's time I told you something. I've never told...anyone this before....not even Castellar." He sighs again.

"I think it's time I told you the truth, kid. Promise you won't tell anyone else though, okay? ...At least not until the machine works."

I look at him, for a moment, and then outstretch a hand.

"Shake on it." I say. He sighs, and then grabs my hand and shakes it. "Alright."

"Well...it's getting harder and harder to remember, but I used to be a lab assistant." He walks over to a drawer and brings out a photo album. He leans against the machine and gestures for me to sit down.

He flicks to a page. It's a picture of him with a lot of people I don't recognise. He seems happy.

"I worked for the old Royal Scientist, the one before Sam. His name..."

He brings out a card from the back flap of the binder. It's a badly drawn picture of three smiling people. On it are the words...

Don't Forget.

"His name...was Webdings Aster. He was a great guy."

Aster...why does that last name ring a bell? I swear I've heard it somewhere before...

"One day though, he discovered the most powerful substance in the world, 'determination'. Interested with it, he started injecting things with it. A tulip from Asgore's garden. His deceased wife's remains. Then he moved on to people. Himself. Sam....me." He gestures to himself, book still in hand.

"But one day, he began to doubt all his good work. He must of thought: 'They don't need me anymore. I'm just ruining their lives.'" He sighs once more.

"Then..." Impact begins to...cry...?

"Then...he jumped into the void, erasing himself from existence. Right in front of my eyes..." He slides down to the floor and I wrap an arm around him for comfort.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." I console.

He wipes his tears away.

"N-no...I needed to get it off my chest. A-anyway, the machine...the machine is for trying to bring him back from whatever limbo he's in now." He stands up again and hoists me up with him.

"The only problem is...I need determination to power it. And...the only remaining determination in the whole world, besides from the amalgamates, is...."

I look down at my red soul.

"...Me." I finish off his sentence.

"I...I understand if you don't want to help. The risks are too high. I don't even know what would happen to you if the machine is successful...what if you die...? Ugh...forget I said anythi-"

I interrupt him, asserting "I'll do it."

He blinks, taking this information in. He smiles.

"R-really? You're absolutely sure?"

I nod. "I would know. My determination has no limits!" He grins at this.

"...Heh. Alright, if you really believe so. Give it a shot kid."

I see two wires wrapped around a metal pole on the machine. I disattach them and bring my soul out of my body, attaching the wires to it instead.

I hear Impact mumble under his breath "Lord Helix...please let this work...."

He looks up at me and I smile, reassuring him.

"Uh...you may want to close your eyes..."

He presses a button on a remote, and I'm suddenly blinded by a flash of light.

I open my eyes again a few minutes later to see two blurry masses of black.

Their voices sound distance.

Tyler....

Tyler?

Tyler?!

Tyler, are you okay?

This isn't funny!

My vision blacks out and I drop to the floor.

TYLER!