From War to Science {UNDERTALE}

Complications

"Morning, doc!"

Gaster jolted up in alarm. He looked around with a frown. Where was he...? He looked up as Erie laughed.

"You fell asleep at your desk again," she said, setting a mug of coffee in front of him. "There ya go."

Gaster stretched his back, spine popping, and he rubbed his temples as he looked at the coffee. "Are the others here yet?"

"Nope, I came in early." She pulled over another stool and sat down, holding up a little notebook. "I thought we could go over some of what we need to get done before we get power over to Waterfall."

Gaster held up a hand as he took his mug. "In a moment, Erie." He grimaced as he looked down at the coffee. He hated the stuff, but tea didn't have quite the kick needed to keep him running as work on the Core grew more hectic. He gulped down a few mouthfuls, then gestured for her to talk.

"All right, so we're at peak levels of electricity in New Home. But we'll need to triple that to power all of Waterfall. I know we're already expanding the Core, but there's no way we can get that much power with just automation."

Gaster shook his head as he tossed back the last bit of coffee. "We are already getting workers. Asgore has promised the Core will be a...er...what is the phrase?" His hands moved vaguely. "A work initiative."

"All right, so in that case, we'll have to review the schematics to make sure the machinery's simple enough to use without having a doctorate in engineering," she said, jotting down a note on her clipboard. "Next problem: the Core's already starting to get hot, and the expansion's gonna mean even more heat. That could get dangerous."

Gaster nodded as he rubbed his forehead, morning fog starting to clear. "I will start thinking of methods to cool it."

Erie gave him a big smile. "You could...but I have thought of a method that could work. I have some diagrams ready."

Gaster raised his browbone, then smiled and shook his head. "You must sleep less than I do, Erie."

"Nope, I just have a schedule," she said with a grin. "All right, back to our discussion. We really ought to test the Core's safety system. I know we have an automatic lockdown in place if there's any overheating, but Marsel worked on that and he's prone to overlook bugs, so I was thinking we could—" She stopped as Gaster held up his hand with a laugh.

"Give me a moment to catch up!" he said. "Let us save the safety discussion for when everyone comes in. You said you had a plan for cooling down the Core?"

Erie's expression brightened. "Yes! I mean, it's not perfect, but it should do until we can create a better system." She flipped through the pages on her clipboard, then held up one of a simple map. "See, Waterfall has several waterways that lead to Hotland, but two of them—" She used her pen to point to two of the blue lines. "—actually start in Snowdin. So the obvious answer is to find a way to get the icy water through Waterfall into Hotland. Obviously insulated pipes are a must, but that could still heat the water. So..." She flipped the page to show a crude drawing of a machine spitting out squares. Around it was a series of neat little notes. "...I was thinking if we could find a way to condense the snow in Snowdin to sub-zero ice cubes, then the water should stay cold!"

Gaster listened intently, a small smile on his face. He held out a hand for the clipboard, which Erie eagerly handed him. He flipped through the pages, studying them intently. "I think I like this idea, but...it will take time to fully complete," he said slowly. "A rudimentary version may be operational in time for the new expansion, but your internship ends after Waterfall is powered."