Reset {UNDERTALE}

Success

               The next couple weeks, Sans threw himself into his research. He read on the job, he spent his nights writing formula after formula—every research meet-up, he brought armfuls of papers with new theories and findings. While they had taken great strides in their research before, now they were moving at lightning speed; they had come up with concrete theories of how humans were able to reset (Humans, everyone knew, are solid, yet comprised mostly of water. This meant they reacted with the magic of the Underground in the same way water did, which allowed them to move fluidly through timelines.) and potential ideas of how a monster would be able to reset. Their main theory was this: with a great deal of effort, a monster could possibly force his own magic and dust to float to a different timeline; it would not be wise, though, because there was a strong possibility that some of their being could be left behind. This also had the problem of not being sure where they would end up; without the solidity of humans, monsters weren't able to go back to a specific time—they had to work with the Underground's magic rather than against it. In all, it was not a very viable option for monsters.

And that was that. The group had achieved their purpose; they understood resets, they figured out that it was possible that a monster was behind the resets they had all felt before the experiment. The last research group dispersed with vague plans to have a party to celebrate their findings, and, like so many times over the past few months, Gaster and Sans were left alone in the lab again.

"I do not think I have ever had such a successful study with so few injuries," Gaster said brightly as he gathered their papers. "I will publish our findings tomorrow, and our mystery will officially be solved." He grinned up at the shorter skeleton, though his expression fell as he saw Sans hunched over a table, scribbling furiously. "Sans?"

Sans didn't reply, instead chewing on his pencil. No, no...no, that method wouldn't work. He grunted as he crumpled up the paper and threw it aside before starting a new formula entirely. He jumped as the ball of paper appeared in front of his sockets.

"May I ask what you are working on?" Gaster asked softly. Sans quickly took the paper from Gaster's hand.

"Nothing," he signed back with a weak smile. Gaster frowned and peered over his shoulder.

"It's not often I see a risk ratio for 'nothing,'" he signed, then let out a sigh. "Sans, I appreciate your willingness, but please do not put yourself in harm's way." He sat down beside Sans. "The study is over. We have done what we set out to do."

"Have we?" Sans asked, looking up at the scientist. "I mean, we just...we've opened up all these possibilities! And it seems like...it seems like we're not doing our jobs if we don't keep going."

Gaster gave him a wry smile. "Ah." He looked down at his hands and gave a small, wheezy chuckle. "It would appear that I have made youtoo much of a scientist."

"Is that bad?" Sans asked, signing sharply to accentuate his point. "Just one reset, and we'll have so much more information!" He glanced down as a fluttering hand landed on his shoulder.

"Or we could have you dissolve," Gaster said quietly. "And then where does that leave us?"

"I did the math! The odds of me dissolving are really slim if I do this right," Sans argued. "Sure, there may be a few side effects, but I don't think that would really hurt. And the pros really outweigh the cons!"

Gaster sighed. "You are very, er, determined," he said. "And that is not a bad thing. You think you can do something, therefore you needto do it." He looked at Sans for a long moment. "But that is not always wise, Sans. And I would expect someone tasked with judgement to be more...more prudent."