Chapter Text
The Citrines’ space shuttle glided down to a landing on the desolate purple moon. Clouds of dust rose and floated midair as the engines shut off and the ship settled. Inside, 4YC emerged from the cockpit. “Another perfect landing!” she boasted to 4VB, who chose to ignore her. “Alright, who wants to go explore?!”
4ZB, followed closely by a Peridot, scowled at her. “We aren’t exploring, we’re scouting. Just because 4ZA isn’t here, that doesn’t mean you can goof off.”
“Oh, c’mon! Have a sense of humour.” 4YC grinned at 4VE and 4YD as they returned from their bunks. “Hey, 4VE, ya want me to teach you how to pilot this old ship?”
She shuddered in mock horror as she lined up next to 4VB. “I’m alright, thanks. Besides, that’s your job and not mine.”
“Pfft, you’re boring.” 4YC stood beside them and awaited 4ZB’s directions. She was technically second in command, but had to lead this mission since three of the 10 Citrines (including their captain, 4ZA) had to leave on a separate mission to some planet called Earth.
4ZB and the Peridot technician stood in front of them. “Right, our task today is to scout out this abandoned moon lab and escort Peridot to and from, so she can check all the, uh, consoles in the facility?” She glanced nervously at Peridot, who nodded in affirmation. “4VB and I will be guarding Peridot. 4YC, you’ll scout ahead of us. 4YD and 4VE, you guys will watch our flank and check any extra rooms in the lab.”
The Citrines muttered halfhearted words of agreement. 4ZB facepalmed in annoyance. “Guys. Let’s take this seriously, please?”
4VE rolled her eyes. “It’s just a scouting mission, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Immediately, all the Citrines launched into pandemonium, shushing and yelling at her. “Don’t say that!!” hissed 4VB. “You’re gonna jinx us!” yelled 4YC. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” yelped 4VE.
“ENOUGH!!!” 4ZB shouted over them. “Can we just get this over with?!”
“Fineeeee,” groaned 4YD.
4ZB turned to look at Peridot. The green gem seemed confused at the Citrines’ behaviour. “Is everything alright?”
“Er- yes. Let’s just go.”
The squad left the ship in some vague resemblance of order. 4YC led ahead, followed by the Peridot and two of the Citrines, and 4YD and 4VE tagged along behind them. “Should we close the boarding ramp?” called 4YC. She was always more worried about their ship than the mission’s objectives.
“Just leave it. We should be finished soon,” responded 4ZB.
The crew (and Peridot) trekked across the gravelly moon’s surface to the crushed lab ahead of them. As soon as they disappeared inside, a shadow peeked out from behind a rock formation. Was it a shadow? No, it was a gem! They hesitated before zipping up the ramp. This was the perfect opportunity to get off this lousy piece of floating rock…
Meanwhile, the Citrines were inspecting the abandoned lab. It wasn’t very old, a century max, but had been left behind because of some undocumented incident. Many of the rooms were still standing and in decent condition. The underground areas were in even better shape. Lights flickered on and off in the haphazard control centre.
“This is so weird,” whispered 4YD to her companion. 4VE nodded as she cast the orangish glow from her gemstone around the space. This room seemed to be an experimentation space. Broken glass containment tubes lined the walls, shards crunching beneath her feet.
“What do you think was held in these?” 4VE nudged her and pointed at a toppled glass container.
“Dunno. Didn’t Peridot say something about fusion experiments? Maybe they held mashed-up gemstones or projects gone wrong.”
“Mmm,” she replied. 4VE watched as the others walked ahead to the main control room. They should probably follow, but what could a bit of exploring hurt?
4YD agreed with this sentiment and the pair casually picked their way through adjacent rooms. There were some interesting details in the desolate lab, such as dripping goo from the ceiling, and partially powered-on consoles. One could almost convince oneself that somebody was still using this facility.
Because somebody was.
Tourmaline watched as the pair of Citrines walked by her hiding spot. This was a sticky situation, to say the least. She hadn’t expected anyone to visit the lab for a few more years. Yet here was a group of 5 Citrine escorts and a Peridot, assumedly here on a scouting mission. Did one of her computers accidentally send a signal to Homeworld? It was too late to wonder. She needed to get rid of these intruders, and quick.
Once the coast was clear, she sneaked over to the maintenance room next to the main console. Two more Citrines and a Peridot technician were there, checking the databases. Peridot went to the center of the room and placed her hand on the pedestal, powering on the entire system.
Tourmaline only had one option here. She needed to keep herself out of the public eye and her fusion research safe. Ducking underneath a panel, she pulled out her tablet and began unlocking all of the specimen cells from the basement and upper floors. There. That should be enough to ward off any more intruders.
4ZB and 4VB glanced around uneasily as Peridot became completely absorbed in whatever data she had found. Something was off about the place, they could tell. Up ahead, they could barely see 4YC as she disappeared into an elevator. “That’s a bad idea, getting split up like this,” 4VB murmured.
“You’re right. Wait, where’s 4VE and 4YD?” She checked behind them. “They were meant to be following us!”
“They probably went off to explore. 4VE!! 4YD!!! Report back to us!!”
No answer.
“This is getting creepier by the second…”
A distant scream rang out above them. A crash, and loud footsteps. The two Citrines’ weapons materialized immediately (a quarterstaff and a handgun). For a second, nothing happened. Then, the elevator’s doors slid open as 4YC bolted out in a state of panic.
“The- they’re coming!! We’ve got to leave!”
“What are you talking about?! What's coming?” 4ZB stood between the elevator and Peridot (who hadn’t noticed anything). “4YC, explain!!”
“There’s no time! We’re in danger, the- these monsters-!”
CRASH!!! Through the ceiling, burst a colourful mash of limbs and torsos. It fell… right on top of 4YC. There was a cloud of smoke as she poofed, and a loud crunch as the sheer weight of the beast shattered her gem.
4ZB said nothing but readied her quarterstaff. 4VB, on the other hand, screamed and fell back. “NO! 4YC!!”
4VE and 4YD, having been alerted from all the noise, raced over. To their confusion, a large gem creature loomed in front of the group, 4VB was on the floor crying, Peridot was still oblivious to all this as she studied the computers, and 4ZB was about to attack the monster. “What in the Diamonds did we miss?!” shouted 4YD.
“The lab has been compromised! 4YC’s been shattered!” 4ZB glanced at Peridot. “Ma’am, we need you to evacuate to the ship!”
“One second, one second, I’ve found some really interesting documents on possible cluster gem experiments…”
“Is that what this thing is-? No, we need to leave now!! 4VE and 4YD, grab Peridot and 4VB and run!”
A door flung open from near the maintenance room. A slender, teal gem in a labcoat stared at them in… shock? Anger? “What have you done?!”
Peridot finally looked up. “A Tourmaline? Who brought a Tourmaline with us?”
“There wasn’t a Tourmaline with us.” 4YD summoned her dagger. “Who are you? Did you release this thing?”
“No, you were the ones who touched the mainframe. You must have activated the experimental clusters!”
“The what?!” Peridot was furious. “I didn’t activate anything! I was just looking for the log files-”
“WATCH OUT!!!”
The cluster leaped forward in Peridot’s direction. 4ZB knocked Peridot aside in a flash and turned to protect herself with her staff. But the gem monster was just too strong. The quarterstaff was yanked out of her hands by a flailing arm. 4ZB made to roll to the side, but another forming cluster had grabbed her ankle. The looming cluster raised its clasped fists above her and-