LOG-068.

  Cleanup had been both complicated and simple, in the end. Setting the Retaliator down to a steady hover next to the beach had taken some extremely careful exploration of the primary control interface attached to the command throne aboard the bridge.

  Coordinating with both the Avians and the Crystal Gems in locating and bubbling as many scattered gemstones as possible had been an exercise in running around very, very quickly. Garnet in particular had been almost ludicrously helpful in locating most of the strays that weren't left at the epicenter of my little impromptu bombardment.

  Future vision really did feel like a cheat code, sometimes.

  Still, in the end it all became...routine. Somehow. Search for Gems. Bubble Gems. Dissuade the local townies from approaching the gigantic starship floating above the water. Repeat.

  Somehow, through some miracle that I still didn't quite understand, not even so much as a singular police officer showed up to investigate.

  I feared for this version of humanity if Homeworld ever decided to stage a proper invasion. I truly did. Especially since such a thing was definitely still possible, considering all of...this.

  Nonetheless, eventually all of the Retaliator's crew were accounted for (I remembered each and every single one of them, after all. It really made things a lot simpler when it came to ensuring we'd caught everyone) and every corrupted Gem that hadn't already managed to escape into the wilderness was promptly returned back to the burning room.

  Which left the aftermath. With the Crystal Gems out in force working to both keep the local population of humans relatively calm and hunt down and retrieve the loose monsters now lurking within the nearby environments bordering Beach City, I of all fucking people was chosen to conduct interrogations, while the Avians worked on keeping the cruiser from crashing into the Stars damned ocean.

  Hopefully they knew what they were doing, up on that bridge.

  But yeah, interrogations.

  After all...we'd been followed. Which meant we'd been tracked. As much as I wanted to just disappear for a while and try to ignore all of this...I couldn't afford to. Not with the potential threat of enemy reinforcements coming in and ruining everything being a dangerously real possibility.

  So, I'd stayed aboard the ship. Aside from the Avians and their own trio of sort of rebels, the only other Gem on board besides myself and the prisoners was my batchmate, who was currently in the middle of giving a glorified tour of the ship to both Talon and Quille, as far as I was aware.

  Brim had chosen to stick with me, for the honestly rather practical reason of security. I wasn't about to complain, obviously. I'd rather have an experienced Lapis Lazuli with a large pool of water following her around backing me up in case of any sudden violence or breakout attempts, after all.

  Indeed, we'd done lots of preparation. And other things. I'd rather violently taken out some spare donuts from my gemstone and all but vacuumed them down in order to reward myself for not having locked myself into a cupboard by now. Brim had been fascinated. And maybe just a little too excited that I'd picked up the ability to actually eat things, but maybe she was just happy that we had more stuff in common now.

  Still, preparation. Eating. More preparation.

  All of which finally led to...now. The vast majority of my former crewmates either bubbled and effectively shoved into a corner, or the small handful of Gems I'd identified that would likely be best for initial questioning trapped in their own cruiser's brig, either angrily ranting at the walls around them or quietly waiting for something to happen.

  There was one in particular that I needed to deal with first, though. Out of everyone, she would have the most information. She was the highest ranking Gem here, after all.

  I'd been in the middle of essentially psyching myself up for the ordeal (and waiting for the admiral in question to reform) when one of the guards stationed nearby had let out a keening cry, gesturing down the hall. I'd barely glanced at Brim questioningly before she was giving me a reassuring but no less firm nod.

  "She's back up."

  Nodding back, I sweeped my hands out, brushing my dress back into some semblance of order. Even now, old habits (and programming, in all likelihood) died hard. Striding down the hall and exchanging glances with another guard who quickly moved out of the way of the barrier in front of them, I chanced one last look at Brim, who was apparently electing to remain out of sight, at least for now.

  Surprisingly subtle of her. Though to be fair to the blue Gem, she could actually be pretty damned competent whenever she wasn't playing her lovestruck idiot act-

  "...Viridian?"

  ...

  It was my name. Perhaps not my original one (and that was something I'd likely never let slip past my lips simply due to the numerous, ever so complicated feelings it brought up), but I'd long since accepted it as my own nonetheless, no matter how many horrific memories were attached to it thanks to the Reef and a certain fucking Nacre.

  So yeah, I'd embraced the word as part of my identity, and responded smoothly whenever it was uttered by another person, with the inherent knowledge that it was associated with me being something that I'd very much internalised.

  But fuck if it didn't feel like it didn't quite belong to me right now, though, when my Emerald's eyes finally finished seemingly inspecting every inch of my lightform and settled into a staring contest with my own.

  ...Stars damn it. Alright. Focus. Maximum effort.

  Taking an unnecessary but incredibly helpful breath, I smoothed out my expression and nodded to the bewildered looking officer.

  "That would be correct."

  Her eyes flicked from me, to the guard who finally stepped out of her line of sight entirely, and then back to me again. All in less than a second before she stepped forward, fingers visibly curling into fists at her sides.

  "Quickly, deactivate the barrier from your side. Unless these defects have rewritten the protocols entirely, it should still answer to you. I'll dispatch the organic hiding to your right, then we can-"

  Something in my tone prompted her to pause as I let out a long, tired sigh, ducking my head slightly.

  "I'm...I'm not going to do any of that, my..."

  ...Fuck. Stars-God. God fucking damn it.

  Inhaling sharply, I let my own hands clench into fists in a weak parody to her own, and levelled a similarly weak glare at her.

  "I'm not going to be letting you out, Emerald. Not until you answer some questions at least." Her eyes widened at that, before an expression I hadn't quite expected etched itself across her features.

  I'd been ready for confusion. Rage, maybe. But definitely not the profound look of pity the admiral was shooting my way, even as her expression tightened.

  "...I'm sorry."

  Tilting my head, I resisted the urge to glance to the side to see just what Brim thought of...whatever this was, and instead focused on just maintaining eye contact with my-with Emerald.

  "Sorry for what?"

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  It was almost comical, the way her normally 'tall' hair was wilting now. It was something I'd never really seen from my former owner before.

  "For not making it to you in time. They've done to you what was done to the Gems of the lost colony, haven't they? They've violated you." Something flashed in her eyes as she took another step forward, now dangerously close to the barrier keeping her and I separated.

  "Fight it, Viridian. You've always been an exemplar of a Gem, I refuse to believe some shoddy reprogramming done by a bunch of filthy organics will keep you chained. Remember who-"

  Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me.

  Alas, she was not. And for the next moment or so, I silently stared at Emerald while she desperately tried to appeal to 'my sense of self' and whatever twisted vision of loyalty she apparently believed I had.

  Stars if there wasn't something incredibly ironic about this all. Still, as she finally stopped her little speech, I was finally placed back into a position where I could actually speak.

  "I haven't been reprogrammed." My voice came out in a deadpan that surprised even myself, only drawing yet another damnable look of pity from the green Gem.

  "You have. But...you're a good Pearl. Just...just try to-"

  Pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration, I resisted the urge to say a rather wide variety of swears (both in Gemish, English, Spanish from my younger days in school, and a single Avian curse I'd picked up from Talon) and instead just levelled another glare at the imprisoned officer.

  Fuck it. Rip it off like a bandaid.

  "I was already planning on ways to escape the Retaliator the second I stepped aboard, after you picked me up from the Reef, Emerald."

  Her eyes widened, before she shook her head sadly.

  "No...no you weren't-"

  A flash of light cut her off, and I got to see the interesting sight of her eyes getting even wider as she slowly took in the gauntlet now present on my raised hand.

  "Yes, yes I was. To be very clear, and to do away with any unfortunate misconceptions you might have, I was not captured by the organics we encountered back during our previous time together."

  Those green pupils shifted away from the summoned weapon after a few seconds, turning back to stare at me.

  "There was sensor data. The Lapis Lazuli-"

  Don't yell at her. Be the calm one here.

  Being calm didn't mean I couldn't cut her off through.

  "Tried to approach me, and then I poofed her in a panicked, incredibly lucky surprise attack, because the ship was being boarded by unknown individuals and I wasn't about to exchange one master for another. I took both her gemstone and Vermilion before hijacking a starfighter and deserting. Which in and of itself took a good bit of time to prepare for, long beforehand, I needed to learn how to fly by watching the Rutiles practice, after all."

  Huffing, I shifted in place.

  "Thank the Stars I was ready for it, even if it wasn't quite the stealthy getaway I'd been hoping for."

  I could see it, some semblance of true panic beginning to set into her stance, even as she shook her head.

  "S-say that's true. Why? For what possible reason would you want to leave?"

  ...Fucking-

  Calm. Calm. So very, very fucking calm.

  The slight clicking of my talons impacting against each other made itself known as I clenched my summoned weapon into a fist, my lips pressing into a thin line.

  "In the Reef, Pearls are physically beaten if they make a mistake. Usually, it stops before their lightform discorporates. Usually." A blink from Emerald, a confused tone overtaking her voice as she processed that particular bit of information.

  "But-"

  I stepped forward, cutting her off once more.

  "If this does not work, they are rejuvenated, which we both know is rather frightening to consider in and of itself. And if somehow that doesn't work, they are Harvested."

  Raising both my hands, I grasped at the air for...something. Maybe the right words. Maybe some hint of knowledge that would make this conversation easier.

  Frustratingly, nothing entered my grasp to help me, so I lowered them, my guantlet disappearing in a flash of light as I tried my best at a small smile.

  Judging by my former owner's somewhat unsettled expression, I wasn't at the top of my game at the moment. Unfortunate.

  "I am...better than most Pearls. But not in the way one would think. No. What I have that others don't-" I lifted a finger, trailing it through the air as the admiral tracked the thin digit. "-is this great little thing called context. Context on just how horrible my circumstances were. Coupled alongside a far superior drive for survival, of course. I wanted to live. I still want to live. And I knew that to be labelled defective in the Reef spelled death for the likes of me."

  Turning my hand, I let my finger tap against my chest.

  "So I became the very opposite. Perfect Viridian! Top of my Batch! Nacre Three's favoured Pearl. Dancing and singing and planning and hiding the fact that I was crying in that Stars damned office every...single...day-" She flinched, for whatever fucking reason, even as I felt my smile widen. Not painfully, of course. I didn't have nerves or anything to feel the pain of lips stretching farther than they should, after all.

  Instead, my mind simply registered an ever so slight strain on my lightform as I flashed my teeth at my former owner.

  "-while lying. Pretending! Faking that I was a...what did you call it? An 'exemplar of a Gem' so that the monsters that called themselves our Caretakers didn't realize that I wanted no part in-in belonging to someone else!"

  Part of me acknowledged that I sounded more than a little hysterical at the moment. The rest didn't care.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I spied an increasingly concerned looking Brim, one hand reaching out as if to grab me, even as she slowly brought it back down as I flicked my own hand at her. I didn't need comfort right now. I wanted fucking closure.

  "I-I don't understand-"

  Turning back to focus on Emerald, I spread my arms wide, now grinning.

  "And then you arrived! My new owner! I was thrilled, even though I hated that I was going to exist as your-your servant. Your property." I was pacing back and forth now, Emerald silently watching me.

  I resisted a giggle. She almost looked like a wet cat or something, with her hair as limp as it was.

  Shaking the thought aside, I continued.

  "But hey! At least you were getting me out of that...place. Sure, I'd need to keep up the damned act lest you realize there was something wrong with me and decided to send me back, or maybe even just shattered me yourself, but by then I'd gotten used to that particular song and dance. Just more of the same, really! Duties duties duties! Cleaning and saluting and following and bowing and scraping and yes, my Emerald, no my Emerald, let me sing for you and dance for you and help you because I'd be ever so pleased to, my Emerald!"

  Finally slowing to a stop and exiting the utter mockery of a proper bow I'd just performed, I brought up a hand and carefully tucked back a few stray locks of hair that had fallen out of place during my...rant.

  "But that's all in the past. See, I've been busy since I left. Got into contact with those filthy organics you want to blame everything on. Lovely people, they and I have a lot in common when you really think about it. Namely that we all agree on just how horrible the Gem Empire truly is."

  Clapping my hands together twice, I sighed and looked back up at her.

  "Bah! Regardless! I eventually made it here with Vermilion. To this place. Earth! Wonderful, truly wonderful planet. Great and very friendly locals. You probably don't know what a donut is, but I've gotten the opportunity to try those out as well. Utterly delicious. Stars, I even helped deal with a Diamond sponsored abomination made out of millions of Gem shards recently. So it wouldn't destroy my new home. Lots of fun. Really, everything was great!"

  It was a heady feeling, seeing such a large Gem take a solid step back as I levelled a third, particularly seething glare her way.

  "And then you came. Because of course you did. Because of course the Empire couldn't leave well enough alone. A pair of Pearls going rogue after leaving the Reef? Oh they must be reprogrammed! It's not like half of our history is blatant propaganda or anything! Not like we treat most Gems worse than cracking robonoids sometimes. No, they must just be lost and ever so confused! Oh now we can't have that travesty! Not at all! Dispatch their former owner and drag them back to be shattered-"

  "Viridian."

  "-because of course, Stars forbid we allow anyone to be happy in the wretched machine we call a society-"

  "Viridian!"

  "-so you know, just send an entire warship over to an entirely separate galaxy to track down and deal with two Pearls and-!"

  "VIRIDIAN!"

  FUCK!

  I whirled around from my newest bout of pacing, snarling at my fellow green Gem.

  "WHAT!?"

  Then I paused. Because Emerald, inscrutable captain and well regarded Admiral, high ranked Gem and enforcer of Yellow fucking Diamond's personal will...was shaking.

  "W-we weren't going to take you back to the Empire! We can't because we'll all be Harvested if we ever go back!"

  It was my turn to be shocked now, apparently. My eyes widening and whatever steam I'd built up vanishing as Emerald shrunk in on herself.

  "I'm...I'm wanted for desertion, Viridian. The entire crew is. There was a trial after the...after the events surrounding the essence freighter. Blue Diamond herself arrived and demanded I s-send the entire crew down to be Harvested and leave the ship to be scrapped. I was supposed to get a new one but-but it wasn't fair to them so...I got us all out of there."

  I remained silent, even as the normally proud Gem wrapped her arms around herself in a pose that seemed more like something suited to Vermilion than herself.

  "We couldn't go back to the Empire obviously, so we went to look for you. You and Vermilion. W-we'd get everyone together again and then try to come up with a plan of action afterwards. It kept the crew calm. Kept us all busy. Gave us something to work towards."

  She stared at me now, and the wet shine in her eyes was unmistakable, alien as it was on her usually proud face.

  "I...I don't know how or why you came to think that I'd ever hurt you but-but you're one of us. I won't pretend to understand why you're so against doing what you were made for but...we're supposed to look out for each other damn it. I would never shatter you...and I wouldn't send you back to the Reef for rejuvenation, for Stars' sake! What kind of horrible Gem do you take me for...?"

  Her back finally hit the wall, and I got to numbly watch as she slowly slid down into a sitting position, hands coming up to press her palms against her eyes.

  "Agh...and then we found you and Vermilion-or at least your ship's signal and-and all of this happened. And now I'm sitting in a cell and everything I thought I knew is apparently wrong and my eyes feel weird and you're here but you apparently hate me and...and..."

  ...

  The next moment passed in silence, as I watched a seasoned military leader effectively crumple in on herself, sobbing in a way eerily similar to some of my own sessions, back when I'd needed to do such things.

  Brim was next to me now as well, suddenly, her voice whispering something I couldn't quite make out. Words of reassurance. Sweet nothings, maybe. They didn't register, and I idly slipped free of the Lapis Lazuli before reaching forward with a hand, ignoring the sad sound that might have been a word that she made in response.

  The energy field keeping Emerald and I separated went down in a small flash of light. Then I was inside the cell, sitting down next to the weeping admiral.

  From there...everything kind of transitioned into a blur, really. Rather literally, because my own vision was being obscured by no small amount of tears.

  ...I did, after a decent bit of hesitation, reach out and grasp at a hand larger than mine, though, squeezing at it.

  And eventually, it squeezed back.