Somewhere Sunrise (Begins Another Day)
Chapter 1: Unfortunate Mishaps
Summary: Reagan Ridley tries to be prepared for situations, but the job always manages to surprise her.
Especially when she's thrust into another universe, and stuck figuring out how to get back.
Fandoms: Undertale (2015), Inside Job (2021 Cartoon)
Notes: (thank you to my good friends @pastelkonpeito and @maddestmewmew for beta reading this chapter!! also another thank you to hen again for helping me improve the pacing !) Also this takes place briefly after part 2 of the show, and after the true pacifist ending of Undertale.
WARNINGS: blood mention, possibly death, also swearing
~~~
If you knew anything about Cognito’s head robotics scientist, it’s that she’s been on this job for over a decade.
The job came with many problems and risks, be it near death experiences, dealing with cover-ups and disappearing accidental witnesses, or nearly losing an appendage or two.
But out of everything Reagan Ridley’s done and been through, she didn’t think she would spend her last moments like this.
The machine had taken months to finish, endless all-nighters spent programming, and connecting wires, and checking and rechecking the blueprints to make it perfect.
The companion watch took just a few weeks to properly sync to the shiny, new transporter…
And it malfunctioned. And it took her with it.
~~~
It was a decently quiet night in the building, and the cool wind from outside somehow seeped its way through from the windows to the quite sizable space of Ridley Labs, though it never affected Reagan, as she was used to the drafty windows. Never got the damn things fixed.
Her best friend and co-team leader Brett Hand shivered, though, used to the rest of the building being room temperature.
As Reagan installed the last few panels onto the transporter core, Brett took a minute to look around the lab again.
It was in its usual state, messy but somehow organized enough. Fitting for her, isn’t it?
“Alright, we’re almost ready.” She lifted the welding mask and switched off the propane torch, turning to him. “Brett, do you have the watch?”
“Oh- yeah.” He handed her the device. “So… what does this do again?”
“Were you even listening the first time?” She muttered, and waved her hand dismissively. “Well, the old teleporter was broken and out of date, so I took the liberty of building a new one. This one syncs to a watch- the one I’m holding here- to take the wearer to and from their destination. The machine serves to make sure that the watch works as intended, and to actually choose your destination.” She patted the machine, and put the wristwatch on, adjusting it.
“You’re here in case something happens to me.” She pointed to Brett, and walked back over, putting her hands on his shoulders. “...If I’m gonna be honest, you’re the only person in this place that I’d trust if anything happened to me.”
“Awww… Reags!” He smiled bright, pulling her into a tight hug. “Me too.”
“Put me down, you goober, or we won’t be able to start the experiment!” She laughed out and smacked at his arm.
He placed her back down and she turned to activate the machine and the watch.
“Alright. I’ll start with a decent location… somewhere just outside of DC.” She pressed a few buttons on the machine.
“But… what if you can’t get back? You might have to walk for a while…” Brett commented. He widened his eyes. “OR! I could come and pick you up!”
She snapped her fingers. “Exactly.” She presses a button on the watch.
“Alright.”
The transporter vrrrr’d to life, and its sounds echoed across the lab in a pleasant symphony of machinery.
“It’s working!!” Reagan couldn’t hide her excitement, her eyes lighting up as a smirk appeared on her face. “Brett, it’s working!”
Brett squealed in corresponding exhilaration as the watch lit up in unison.
The excitement of the pair was short-lived, as the wristwatch elicited short shocks.
“Shit.” Reagan struggled to get the watch off, as she felt the teleportation tech do its magic. “I can’t- shit, fuck, it’s stuck! I can’t get it-”
And she disappeared in a flash.
Brett’s phone buzzed, and the call was from…
…Reagan. He sighed in relief and clicked to accept the call, only to see a screen of white.
“Reagan????”
Reagan comes on screen, hair whipping in the wind (wind????????).
"Brett! Are y-ou getting this tr-ansmi-ssion!?" The audio and video were cutting out, but Brett nodded.
"List-en to me! I d-on't know wh-er-e I am, but no m-atter WHAT, you have -to keep the m-achine running! I seem to- to h-ave gone to a- different area than intended-”
She pushed her hair out of her face and looked around, squinting in the foggy winter wonderland- if she remembered correctly… it was supposed to be… September.
Oh god.
“I-I.. I-’m th-ink in a di-ffere-nt uni-v-erse! And it's hailing b-" A piece of hail flew down and nailed the scientist right in the temple, causing her to fall over into the snow.
"Reagan? REAGAN!?" Brett brought the screen closer.
"Aw- SH-IT, I... there's sn-ow getting into the wa-tch a-nd I-" Reagan's eyes drooped slightly, and they both noticed blood dripping down her face from the deep cut, now very prominent on the side of her head.
“Shit- Th-this is go-ing a lot w-or-se th-an I th-oug-ht it wo-uld! If I c-an get th-e wat-ch to-”
…She couldn’t…
Reagan felt herself getting weaker. There was blood dripping down into the snow now.
The situation was getting worse. The situation was unsolvable.
"...Brett... if I don't su-rvive this... I j- just want you to know that I'm sorry... for ev-eryth-ing. You w-ere a... a good fr-iend." Reagan felt herself getting more lightheaded, and the watch glitched and crackled as the weather worsened the condition.
"Reagan, why are you apologizing..? Hey- no- listen, you'll come back, you'll be okay, I promise- REAGAN?" Brett teared up and clasped his hands worriedly. The transmission was almost lost.
"...G-oodbye, Br-ett." The screen cut out as white overtook the transmission video, and the small screen finally displayed "SIGNAL LOST".
"Reagan? REAGAN!" Brett called out, but no one answered.
He felt his stomach twist.
…She…
…
He failed to keep himself stable on the edge of the desk, starting to slide down and sit on the floor.
His heart caught in his throat as he choked up, tears falling, the lab now dreadfully silent.
~~~
“Oh goodness…. Frisk! Get the first aid kit!”
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