-ENTRY NUMBER 17: monsters' physical forms can't handle "determination" like humans' can. with too much determination, our bodies begin to break down. everyone's melted together...- This was as far as Alphys had managed to record.

Flowey frowned at the information terminal as he tried to digest everything he'd just read. She called them 'amalgamates', composite creatures formed from the remains of several monsters each. There were documents on every monster taken in as part of the experiments. Having checked over the contact details for the victim's families, Flowey noticed a lot of names he recognized. Some things made a whole lot more sense now.

A quiet clattering of glass announced Alphys' arrival. She didn't look at him as she crossed the room and set down a tray of empty vials onto the work surface.

"We're nearly set." She said quietly. "I only need to collect the sample now, then we can..." She didn't finish her sentence.

Flowey could tell that she didn't really believe in her ability to succeed; her shoulders slumped, her feet dragged and her claws had shaken while setting up the equipment for their experiments. Whether she thought the research was hopeless, or was just too afraid of messing up further, he wasn't sure.

"B-but i'll wait until you've caught up on reading." She said finally, looking sheepish.

Flowey shook his head. "I'm done, lets start." He'd skipped over the equations, but looked at everything else at least briefly.

Alphys seemed taken aback. "Oh... okay. I'll- I'll just go get the sample... then." She hurried out the room, but slowed again once outside.

Flowey considered calling her back to take him with her, but a couple of her notes had triggered his curiosity. He scrolled down to a folder labeled 'Historical Accounts'. He'd skimmed through this folder briefly before, but wanted to look again properly. It contained written accounts from monsters who'd encountered humans in the Underground, as well as a few old surface myths. A message inside warned that these recordings shouldn't be used in serious research, and should only be considered speculation; it was clear that Alphys only compiled these for their connection to humans. In fact, he'd almost dismissed them just as she had.

He re-opened a scattering of records and began to read.

-August 23rd, 2027

Report of Guardsman Y. Vern

Human spotted just outside the Waterfall dump at around 1500 hours. Swooped down to engage but it dodged away from my attack. I came in for a second engagement, but the bugger dived into a patch of seagrass and got away. Who knew these things had such fast reflexes?! I've searched Waterfall top to bottom for the past four hours and found neither hide nor hair of the blighter. A message has been sent to Hotland, hopefully one of the guards over there can finally pin it down.

PS. Captain Gerson, can I please be reassigned to Hotland? There's barely enough room to stretch my wings in this godawful labyrinth!-

...

-February 17th, 2042

Report of Guardsman H. Centrida

Spotted a human outside the old city at 9:37pm. It was smaller than I'd expected it to be, must have been a child. When I approached it, it didn't show any fear, but it didn't try to fight back either. It just sighed and held out its arm for me to take. It didn't even look me in the eye! I bet that little brat thought I wasn't worth the time! Well, I just delivered it to the king. Who's laughing now, eh punk?-

... He looked at the report for a good few seconds. Why would a human react like that? Sure, they sometimes did strange things... Chara had always been hard to predict... but just giving up?...

-June 5th, 2055

Report of Guardsman Doggerel

I spotted a human east of Snowdin town. But they ran away before I could take them down. I managed to sniff them out on the way to Waterfall. That's when they threw me a ball!

Ball ball ball! Ball ball ball!

Then they got away, but at least I got to play!-

"Oh, I-I thought you'd said you-"

Flowey spun around, Alphys was standing at the door holding a weighty looking metal container. "I was just double-checking something." He explained while minimizing the windows.

Alphys looked nervously at the terminal, then nodded as she crossed the room. She placed the container slowly and carefully down onto the table.

Flowey craned to get a better look. "Is that-"

"The d-determinaion. Yes." She cut in. "The substance is a-actually very unstable when outside of a host, it needs to be contained within a multi-layered vessel of titanium, lead, magical shielding and an absorbent packing material. It ended up taking a lot of trail and error to find the right c-combination to keep this DT sample from decomposing after a couple of hours like the other... samples... did..." Alphys looked away awkwardly.

Flowey hadn't picked up on most of what she'd just said during her rambling, but it didn't seem to be all that important. He looked at the container for a few seconds. "So that thing's mostly layers?"

"Yes."

The container wasn't very large, maybe about the size of a basketball. "Do you have more stored away?"

"N-no. This is all that was left over."

He frowned, this wasn't very much to work with. Reloading after each experiment could allow them to try different tests each time without using up the sample... but Alphys would probably get stubborn and object to that. Well, unless he explained his powers to her, but he really didn't want to do that...

Alphys gently unclipped a pair of clasps on the sides and began unscrewing the top. Instruments clacked together gently as she worked, and Flowey felt the vibrations passing through the soil of his makeshift planter; her hands were shaking again. Slowly and carefully, she lifted away the lid - a hefty and very solid chunk of metal - and placed it down on the table. Finally, she removed the sample.

It was so small, a single test tube filled with red liquid. At least, it seemed to be a liquid? As the scientist's claws continued to quiver, the strange and slightly luminous substance sprayed upwards, forming shimmering clouds at the breach of each miniature wave crashing against the sides. It looked like the distilled essence of something powerful. Which it was.

Quiet chattering echoed from beyond the door. Alphys jolted slightly, but they both tried to ignore it. She pulled out the cork and poured a few drops of DT into an empty test tube, then placed the new vial into a device resembling a tiny washing machine set on its back.

"What's that?" Flowey asked curiously.

"I-it's a centrifuge. It's used for separating solutions into their component parts by-by applying a-" Alphys recoiled as more chatter and an ear-piercing screech cut of her explanation "It spins." She blurted, turning away from the noise.

She closed the lid, twisted a couple of dials and activated the machine. Flowey watched it hum away and start to vibrate gently. "How long will it take?"

"Only a few minutes." Alphys said, turning her attention to a set of connecting equipment on the table.

Two flasks were joined together by a tube, one held higher than the other with a set of clamps. A metal object connected to the wall by a pipe sat beneath the raised flask; Flowey remembered seeing something like that at school once, but had never gotten to use one himself. A pair of pipes connected to the tube and snaked across the floor to the sinks on the other side. Seemed kinda hazardous... but he assumed that she knew what she was doing.

Alphys was about to pour a few drops into the raised flask when a thought occurred to him. "This looks like school lab equipment." Alphys winced. "If this is basic school stuff, then why haven't you done these tests before?" ... Or had she done them before? Was she just humoring him, taking him round in circles so she could say that she tried, then never have to touch the research again?

Alphys sputtered for a response, but more amalgamate chatter interrupted anything she were about to say. She finished up pouring the DT into the flask, then rushed over to the sinks and turned the water on.

"Th-these are very important tests. You will see." She said while twisting a switch on the wall, then pulled out a gun-like tool and set the top of the metal object alight.

He was about to ask what each thing were called when another unearthly screech cut through his thoughts. The bird-like amalgamate burst through the door and made a beeline for the sinks.

"No! No! no n n..." Alphys spun around to grab at the melted monster and swept her arm out across the table.

Her elbow made contact with the carefully set up apparatus, causing it to collapse into a heap. Shattered glass scattered across the table and floor, while the flames she'd just lit spread onto her sleeve and began climbing up her lab-coat.

In a fit of panic, she dropped the DT sample and stripped away her coat, throwing it to the ground and making meek attempts to stomp out the fire.

Everything had gone wrong so quickly... it was almost impressive. it would have been comedic, if Flowey hadn't been acutely aware of the determination now leaking into the cracks around the floor-tiles. Completely wasted.

The amalgamate - seemingly oblivious to the trouble it'd just caused - drank deeply from the far basin as Alphys slowly, raggedly, regained her composure. "W-well. That's that, then." She said, looking almost relieved in her mildly scorched Mew mew T-shirt.

Flowey frowned. "Can't we get more?"

She shook her head. "Th-that's not possible. The souls were already severely weakened by the time I returned them, t-taking them back for more testing would only cause them to shatter. I told the king never to take them out again... not unless he was going to use them himself."

Having finished its drink, the amalgamate wandered back through the room, pulling out the pipes from the sink as it went. Water and slime trickled onto the floor, mingling into a swampy sludge. As if to complete the disaster.

Flowey sighed. "Okay."

As Alphys stumbled away - presumably to collect a mop and bucket - Flowey pulled himself into the time-frozen void. When had he last saved again...? It was after he'd made that agreement with the scientist... he knew that much.

Continue?

Yes.

"D-do you need any help? Using a computer, I mean. I-It's just you don't have any hands so I-I wasn't sure if-"

"It's fine." He said quickly. He was back in the lab, inside the same planter right after Alphys had set it up for him. This all happened only a few hours ago, not too much time wasted then... what a relief.

"Okay, i-if you're sure." She said with a weak smile before starting to walk away.

And he'd have to wait out this whole long, slow set up again, great...

"Wait." She stopped rigid. "Can I come with you?"

She turned around, eyes wide with confusion. "I-I thought you said you wanted to re-"

"I changed my mind. I think If we both go, we could set up twice as fast!"

"I-I don't see how that's going to work."

Flowey rolled his eyes. "Hold out your arm. To me." Alphys reluctantly obliged, and Flowey wound himself around her sleeves. He snaked his way up her arm until his head was resting over her right shoulder. It wasn't a pleasant position, she shook like a leaf and stank of sweat. "See." He said, flexing his roots in front of her. "Now we can both carry things!"

She nodded hesitantly, still looking very unsure, but unwilling to complain. "O-okay then."

Her fear was palpable as she led the way through the lab. It hung over them like a dark stormy cloud. Constant, unyielding. It made her compliant, but if what he'd just witnessed was anything to go by, not competent. That whole mess could have been avoided if she'd just stayed calm... he was starting to doubt whether he was going to get anywhere with Alphys like this.

She pulled aside a sliding door disguised as a mirror and started picking up pieces of equipment, then handed a couple of the smaller items to Flowey. A flask on a higher shelf wobbled loose and smashed against the floor, sending the scientist stumbling backwards.

Alphys cringed and muttered curses under her breath before pushing the door shut again and starting back. Yeah... they weren't getting anywhere like this.

I want this story to be good and not feel rushed, so i'm taking a breather to regain some confidence and think up ideas.