#mr. audio

“Haha... Truth be told, I’ve already trusted someone with my life once. And, I guess technically speaking, I still am.”

Date: The X of X, year XXXX Time: 12 hundred hours, 21 minutes, 57 seconds

"The tendrils are freak'n amazing! I can't believe it! Just- just- look! Wait, this thing doesn't have video, goddamnit. Okay okay, I'll describe it." "As I said before, they move like they have a mind of their own. Ever seen a lizards tail come off the body? It's like that. I have to poke at them through the incubator to ensure they stay 'alive', and they twitch and coil around the instruments instinctively. After taking a sample, I discovered some of the soul magic that was imbued into the tendrils had remained, but whether it's enough to make them last, I can't say. Guess I'll find out through the next few days." "But how does one even do that?! Was it incredibly painful?! What gave Gaster the idea?! How does he move them exactly?! Is it a mix of will and thought?! Is it like moving your arm or leg?! Or is it all instinctive like how a dog moves its tail?! What are all the properties?! What's it even made of?! I've never seen anything like it! What if-" [*There's a sharp intake if breath, followed by shorter, calmer ones. Then a clearing of a throat and nervous coughs.*] "I'm sorry, I got a little overly excited there. My apologies. It's just that, hahahahaha, I haven't slept in over 62 hours and I just drank, like, five cups of coffee! GOD! How great is coffee?! It's d*mn amazing is what! I love putting cream in mine, none of that straight sh*t, even if it's suppose to help more. F*ck you and your black coffee, Casey!" "HahahahahahahaIneedtogotobed." [*Click*]

[*Music is playing in the background and there's singing, along with shuffling as if someone is moving around a room.*]

“...And the stars hung so high in the sky, Nothing but the universe and I, So breathtaking, so vast, Would it know if I should die? Would it care that I wouldn't last? On and on it'd go, Never knowing if it'd know, Perhaps it doesn't care at all, Or perhaps it cares too much to let it show.

I'm but a speck in a spectrum of possibilities. Yet the mind believes it knows everything, So naïve, everything an anomaly. And always will the universe remind it of its inadequacy.

In a moment of truth, there will-”

“Hold on... Is this thing on..? Ahahahaha... How embarrassing...”

[*Click*]

Date: The X of X, year XXXX. Time: 23 hundred hours, 0 minutes, 31 seconds.

“Operation on Project WDG will begin approximately 8 AM in the morning. I will be keeping a record of our progress, but this will serve as a personal log for myself only. Data collected during research will be kept entirely separate with formal analysis and direct results, while this will be used to convey my own thoughts and observations.”

“That said, it should all remain professional. This is just my own preferred style in order to use as a cross-reference and gather other information that may be excluded- either accidental or otherwise- from the overall research. It's quite handy, really.”

“Ahem, anyway...”

“Four others are on the project, excluding myself. There are five of us in total. I am, however, not confident in the others willingness to undergo this research. This is, after all, nothing like any of us have done before. At least, not to this extent.”

“The new ruler of the Underground, King Papyrus, had hand selected us and given us free reign of this project. His only request- and he was quite insistent on it- was that we do nothing that would strengthen the subject or provide him with weapons of any sort. I have a strong suspicion as to why this is, but I will get to that another time perhaps. His only other request was that, whatever we chose to do, it should be painful.”

“Very painful.”

“King Papyrus has no real desire to further the progress of the medical nor scientific field. This is all purely for the torture. To give the subject a taste of his own medicine, so to speak.”

“Hahaha... I believe I just did a pun there. Not my intention, but Gaster always did enjoy the occasional pun. I'm afraid he won't have reason to laugh anymore, however.”

“That's right... I didn't mention that, did I? Wing Ding Gaster is the subject of Project WDG, promptly name in 'honor' of his initials.”

“But I digress. Given the history behind the man, it does not surprise me King Papyrus wishes this of Gaster, nor do we pity the man even if this world would allow that sort of behavior. Nonetheless, I can't help but be both awed and unnerved by this punishment.”

“This is why I lack confidence in my fellow coworkers. We've all worked in the lab, but they were kept in upper levels, ignorant of the goings-on in the depths below. Gaster had to be quite selective on who he let in on his plans, after all.”

“I, on the other hand, am a different story. I was never involved with the experiments directly, but I often did the occasional odd-job, and it usually involved clean-up.”

“After all, someone had to clean away the dust from medical beds.”

“I was valued for my silence, and I mean that in more ways than one. I never spoke unless spoken to, a secret never passed my lips, and I did my work without question and effectively, almost always doing more than what was asked of me. I did none of this for recognition or praise, I did it only because it was expected of me.”

“This also involved interacting with the subjects of Gasters experiments sometimes. Sometimes. I was never allowed to speak to them, or they to me, and would only hand food or medical supplies. But I'm a clever little rat, heh. I know how to gain the information I desire without anyone ever having to know.”

“So while I was never fully exposed to the experiments, I was fully aware of them. It didn't mean I did anything to stop them, however. I needed to make a living myself, after all. Besides, I was in no position to have anyone believe me nor would I benefit from it in any way, only risk my own neck if I failed. Regardless, that doesn't mean I enjoyed this fact or what was happening.”

“Anyway, the reason why I say this is to reveal that King Papyrus himself was once- and, technically speaking, still was- a test subject himself in this very lab. He was not, however, experimented by Gaster, but by his very own brother.”

“The former Royal Scientist had an assistant by the name of Sans, who, unfortunately, was killed during the take over by King Papyrus himself. Sans had taken his little brother as a child upon Gaster's request to the lab to be experimented upon. For years the king had undergone these treatments, and, well... Let me just say it's no wonder he is the way he is now. When it was finally finished, he was still requested for check-ups and small upgrades, and would come to the lab for them. What finally pushed him to strike back, I'm not sure.”

“It's no wonder he ended up killing his own kin. I'm only surprised the same hadn't been done to the man behind it all. But I guess the hatred just ran too deep in that retrospect.”

“I remember one particular day... Haha, not like I could ever forget it.”

“I was outside, enjoying a good smoke, when I heard the doors to the lab open. I was further off, leaning against one of the many boulders of Hotlands. I glanced over but didn't bother to show myself. I was surprised to see that it was Papyrus and Sans coming out.”

“Papyrus had only been a child then. I'll be honest, it was hard seeing him like that... So broken and bruised. Small. Like the entire world had it's whole weight on this kids' shoulders. Sans wasn't much better, if I'm being entirely honest here. He didn't go through the same thing his brother did, but... Haha... Goddamn....”

“We may never have met face-to-face, but there's no way I could look directly into those eyes of his if we ever had.”

“I didn't know why they were out there, but I was sure this was the first time Papyrus had been outside the lab since arriving. Sans hung back while his brother just sat on the ground. Just... Sitting there. I had to guess it was to enjoy just being out for once. I'm surprised they allowed it at all.”

“I couldn't help but smile. I don't know why I did. Still, I threw my cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. I wanted to go over. At the very least, say hi to Papyrus. I couldn't get in trouble for that, could I?”

“But... something happened.”

“Papyrus had stood. Stretched. Then took off running. Just... Ran. And he was running so hard. I was stunned in place, thrown off by just how desperate he went.”

“He didn't head away from the lab, however. Didn't run toward the Core or Waterfall.”

“He ran straight for a lava pit.”

“And jumped.”

“I just about nearly had a heart attack then and there. I was sure I was going to see this child burn, hear his screams echo along the cavernous walls. But just before he dropped, he was caught. Mid-air. At first, I had thought maybe time had frozen, and would of continued so had Papyrus not started struggling so violently.”

“His brother had caught him with this soul magic that seemed to be specific to skeletons. Papyrus started shouting, but I was too far to hear. However, I didn't need to. While I was unable to make out the context of the words themselves, his tone of voice told me everything I needed to know.”

“He was begging his brother to let him fall.”

“For awhile, he had his brother hang there. I was watching Sans' face, and he seemed... Conflicted. As if he really was debating on doing it...”

“If he was, he decided not to. He threw his brother back to 'safety', and against the wall of the lab. He started yelling at him then. Once more I couldn't make out the words, but he sounded so angry.”

“Eventually, they went back inside. I decided to stay out there for another hour for good measure. Besides... hahaha... I needed the extra time. I got scolded for it, but because I was such a 'good egg', that's as far as it went.”

“Yes... I can't say that I blame the king for wanting this punishment for Gaster.”

“It's only fair.”

“.....End log.”

Underfallen is an AU that originated with @underfell-scientistsans / @ask-the-underfallen. Here, Gaster was never wiped from existence, and remained as the Royal Scientist of this timeline. Sans (Underfell variation) was the one to push him in after discovering that his little brother, Papyrus, was going to be put under the knife, but had failed to do so and was almost executed for the attempt. However, Gaster offered him ‘mercy’.

Instead of having Sans killed and taking his brother anyway (who was but a child at this time), Gaster said that he’d let him live if he operated on his brother himself. Sans accepted, knowing that Papyrus wouldn’t stand a chance with Gaster, but at least with him, he had a shot at surviving.

So for years Papyrus went through trial after trial, and was made into a weapon. When he was finally able to leave the lab, he was put in with the Royal Guard and shortly became Captain.

In the original verse, Darker and Darkest/Captured, between the blogs @underfell-scientistsans, @aguardwithouthope, and @imcomedic-sans ((aka me!)), Cyprus had been caught by these two ‘mad scientists’ and sparked Gaster’s interest in other timelines, which eventually led to classic, Undertale Sans having to go save the universe by throwing Gaster into the core himself. It was tough going, but he succeeded. 

In this verse, however, Cyprus had never shown up. Gaster was never made aware of other timelines, nor have variations of Sanses and Papyruses found themselves there. Without Cyprus’ and his brother’s influence on the timeline, had it been left alone, it would of found an entirely different fate.

At long last, Papyrus would of had enough with how his life was going. Of the constant check-ups and Gaster’s reign on everything. He goes to the lab to strike back, killing his brother not out of hatred, but mercy when he asked him to do it, before going to confront Gaster next. He did not, however, kill the Royal Scientist.

He had other plans for him.

Thanks to the power imbued into him, Papyrus had enough strength to take over the Underground, which was exactly what he did. He killed Asgore and became ruler, and is now King Papyrus. Meanwhile, Gaster was going to be put through the same thing as Papyrus had as revenge, only instead of being made into a weapon, his procedure was going to be left in the hands of the scientists that would be taking Gaster’s place.

This is where Mr. Audio comes in. Mr. Audio is one of the five scientists in charge of this project, amply named because he likes to record himself. He mentions Project WDG, named after Gaster’s initials, fairly often but doesn’t tend to go too far into detail. He also talks about the King himself a lot. And then everything inbetween.