HybridTale (Hiatus)

#1 Awakening

Everything is foggy and muted at first. There's nothing but darkness. Where is he? What is he? The being can't even tell if he's alive. He doesn't feel anything at all.

You are filled with.... integrity. Stay true.

A screen pops up in the empty space, startling him. It's big, but he doesn't know how his own size compared to it, either. He's not even really seeing it. It's just there. Two buttons are lit up on the screen. One is cracked and grayed out, so he can't read the words on it. The second says 'continue'. There's no other options. When he comes closer to the second button, everything turns white.

*****

He wakes up on a cold table. He sits bolt upright, a wave of dizziness blurring his vision. A blanket slides off his chest and reveals the hospital gown that he's wearing. He brings up a hand to rub at his face, but he freezes when he sees it. His hand is a pale white with shifting pieces sliding past each other. He looks down at his wrist, seeing the same hard material, and trailing down his arm. It feels foreign and familiar all at once. Touching his face is like sliding two rocks against each other. He can still feel it, poking himself in the eye and feeling the sting even when his fingers didn't make contact with anything.

A skeleton. Yes, he is a skeleton. That feels right to him. He's distracted from his revelation by a long tube connected to his chest. The tube leads up to a big machine that's making soft beeps at the side of his bed. It feels uncomfortable and itchy in his ribs. He feels a little hesitant to take it out of himself, but he doesn't like it at all. The skeleton yanks on the tube and pulls on it. It scares him when a glowing object is yanked out with it.

It's shaped like a heart, but it phased through his rib cage like air. Nothing hurts. He just feels uncomfortable with that tube touching the heart. Half it is white, and one half is a shinning light blue color. The skeleton is sure that it's not suppose to be that way. The blue half has little strings holding the two pieces together, even as it has a small crack at the bottom. It scares him more then he would like to admit.

A sudden movement once again grabs his attention. He flinches and looks over at an opening door, still holding the tube in one hand. A man steps in with his face hidden behind a clipboard. He's wearing a a long, white lab coat over a black shirt. They're scribbling furiously with a pen, but the skeleton can't help but think how weird their hands look. They're a pale tan color, without and shifting pieces. The man finally puts down his clipboard after standing in the doorway for several moments. He freezes upon seeing the skeleton awake, and looks over at the wire they're pulling out of their chest.

      "What are you doing!? Don't mess with that!", the man snaps. The skeleton jumps and lets go of the tube, the little heart phasing back into his chest. The words mean nothing to him, for he can't hear the yelling, but the hostile body language is enough. He doesn't like it. The skeleton scoots back on the bed until his back is against the wall. His blank eye sockets stare at the human. The man is in a state of shock after snapping. They didn't expect the skeleton to wake up. The artificial soul was already cracking.

"I did it. The monster is awake", the human says in an excited voice. The skeleton is still pressed into the wall. The man seems to realize this, and fumbles to set down the clipboard. "My name is Doctor Gaster", the man speaks out loud, but he also starts making hand signs as he speaks. The skeleton won't understand the words, but he recognizes that the man is speaking with his hands.

Skeletons do not have natural voices to speak with or ears to listen with. Doctor Gaster knows this. He's trying to replicate the Skeleton Clan's font signs. All the research notes and old records say that skeletons are suppose to understand all sorts of sign language. Different systems often mean a difference in rank. Skeletons all usually have unique signing fonts. Doctor Gaster learned one with a high rank just for this reason. Skeletons in the old days could use their magic to voice their fonts and hear spoken words, but that's not something they're born with.

The skeleton against the wall has his attention glued on the human's hands now. That signing demands respect and power. Wing Dings. Doctor Gaster is signing in Wing Dings.

"Do you understand me, skeleton? Nod your head if you understand", Doctor Gaster signs. He didn't think the skeleton would wake up, but it may not have any cognitive abilities. There's already been so many failures that this skeleton's low stats and small size didn't make him feel very confident. They still nod their head in understanding. Incredible.

"You understand. Good. Then I must ask you to not mess with that cord. Your soul is very fragile", Gaster explains his earlier outburst. The skeleton frowns a bit, looking down at the uncomfortable tube. He lifts up his hands, hesitating in unfamiliarity, but starts to sign a few clumsy words. Doctor Gaster quickly cuts him off when he sees that it's not Wing Dings.

"I do not understand your font. For the time being, you will just have to do as I say", Gaster sighs. He's practiced Wing Dings often enough, but he's not used to thinking up the signs on the go. It's important that he report this to his colleges, but he doesn't. This Skeleton is the result of Gaster's work, and not any of their failed formulas. None of them were willing to do what needed to be done. The Doctor wants to savor this progress just a little longer.

The skeleton watches with muted anxiety as Doctor Gaster bustles around the room. He opens different cabinets and drawers while gathering up various medical tools. The doctor seems to juggle a hundred things in his two hands all at once. The skeleton is still sitting on the thin mattress on the high examination table. He doesn't know much, but he does know the human with Wing Dings is in charge.

     Gaster gives no warning before he gently, but firmly grabs onto the skeleton's thin arm. It makes him jerk back a little. Doctor Gaster ignores it. The subject will get used to these things if it survives long enough to be useful. He holds the skeleton's arm out and starts to write down measurements on the clipboard. Everything about the skeleton is small. It acts and looks almost like a child, and that will not sit well when Gaster reveals it to his coworkers. The childlike traits shouldn't be a surprise given the components of its frail soul.

     The skeleton is poked and prodded, but he doesn't make much of a fuss. Is this normal? It could be, for all he knows. He can't hear Doctor Gaster's mumbling comments. He just watches the elder write a few more notes and then walk over to the machine standing next to the bed. It's the same one connected to his soul. Gaster fiddles with some dials and adjusts doses of different chemicals. The skeleton's soul is still very fragile. Artificial magic alone took months to perfect, but Gaster is hoping a larger does will strength the soul.

     "You are to stay here", Doctor Gaster signs out in Wing Dings, "I will return later. Do not leave this room. Do not get out of bed". It would be entirely disappointing if the subject hurt itself and died now after opening its eyes. With that, the doctor leaves. Confused, the skeleton can only watch the door close behind him. Wait here? Alone? He glances around the room at the medical equipment left all over.

"How RUDE to leave such a mess! That man should have at LEAST cleaned up after himself!".

The voice so loud and unexpected, to someone who's never heard a voice, that the skeleton jumps and presses himself right back into the corner of the room. He whips his head from side to side to try and find the speaker.

"OH! Don't have fear, monster! It is only I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS!".

Movement makes the skeleton finally look beside him on the bed. The figure is transparent, standing over him with their hands on their hips. It's a human child, a boy, no older then six or seven. His skin is pale, and he wears an orange scarf wrapped tightly around his neck.