RWBY: The First Jump
Chapter One: Preparation
Let's try something different. Not odd shipping, not a OC/FC story and not a 100% AU story that removes the aspects of the show we love. Still AU but there's still Grimm, Hunters and our favorite characters that we love. Now keep in mind, this is written while Season Three is still going. People could die, change, disappear, turn evil, break up, get together- I have no idea.
Just assume everyone is essentially themselves as we came to know them the first two seasons and early season three, just no longer teens as they prepare to go where no other being of Remnant has ever gone before.. Space.
(Keep in mind that this story could go anywhere. Don't expect Space-Grimm but don't be too surprised if there's wormholes, odd radio signals, unknown planets and maybe even a alternative universe or two. Think Star-Trek, Doctor Who but not too crazy. I'll try my best to keep things as RWBY as possible but stuff will go in directions that don't follow the RWBY formula, for obvious reasons.)
"What we have managed to do is a breakthrough that opens up new possibilities and risks."
It was the female locker-room, usually used for the local scientists and military personnel of the Atlas military testing facility Ruby was currently within alongside her old teammates and friends from Beacon. Alone in the locker-room, mind you, for she had asked if she could have a few minutes to think before continuing her preparations.
"We tried something different, something that didn't need dust in any way or fashion. In retrospective, it seemed almost obvious."
There were a few hours before the actual lift-off. It made sense and was a good excuse for her to stand there, pretending to make sure that everything was on tight enough while she was really just staring at her own reflection.
White. Clashed horribly with her red and black hair but she kind of liked it, in a sense it mixed quite nice with her silver eyes. She would tilt her head left and right, spin around a few times and turn whatever limb for her to see every side of it.
Apparently it wasn't typical Atlas color code but was suppose to reflect off sunlight so the wearer wouldn't be cooked inside, since they had no idea how good aura would be up there.
She found it silly, just a little, since they were not suppose to ever exit the vessel till they landed back on Remnant. Ah, but she would have guessed it was just another crazy Atlas preparation for the sake of testing and stuff. Make it seem as real as possible for the day someone would go on a crazier journey then they would.
"The test is simply, you will board the vessel and leave the atmosphere before moving around the planet once and follow it up with the landing segment. However, test or no test this mission will be treated as any real one for the sake of applying the needed environment so that we can learn for future attempts."
She thought they looked like inverted suction cups, the weird tube entrance thingies on her torso and the back of her arms. She couldn't remember what their purpose was, the whole realization of the fact that the whole thing was actually happened had distracted her.
She moved her arm behind her in reflex, wanting to see how Crescent Rose would look alongside this weird thick getup only to be reminded that her darling weapon had already been moved into the space vessel that they would board.
"Aboard will be your weapons, armed with non-dust ballistic bullets that were especially designed for all of your- Well, not for the Schnee's I'm afraid. You two will be given newly crafted weapons designed after your regular ones but with the ability to shoot ballistics, please forgive the rough design. The reason for this is to simulate a real mission that would go beyond the Galaxy as we know it, if the possibility of doing so would ever be the case. Another reason is to make sure you can defend yourselves once you actually land back on Remnant, in case you would land on Grimm territory."
A sigh escaped the lips of Ruby alongside the rhythmic steps that sounded from her feet as she walked closer to the mirror, awkwardly moving her feet over a bench to do so before placing a gloved hand against her reflections own.
The whole thing was actually happening. Ruby Rose was standing there, wearing a thick heavy outfit that her aura primarily carried, about to leave her world as she knew it alongside friends and family. No, just family. They were her family, all of them. Yang, Blake, Weiss, Jaune, Pyrrah, Nora, Ren- Even Winter, in some sort of distant weird aunt that she didn't really dislike but always found kind of scary.
It was just up, around the planet and back down again. That was all that it was.
"Your team leader and test overseer will be Winter Schnee as she has first hand knowledge of the vessel and the technology behind it. She's proven herself in several missions prior to this that she is a natural leader and has also been involved in prior unmanned tests with spacecrafts meant to scan the area past the atmosphere and leave radio transmitters. She will be your guide, your leader, your mentor and the first person you ask or tell anything."
A groan echoed in the otherwise empty changing room as the side of Ruby's face pressed against the mirror. Her eyes closed, a sigh escaped and her breath was slow and audible.
Why was it that even though she'd gone through the weird spinning thing, zero gravity tests, food tests, ballistics tests, suit tests and every kind of briefing possible that she was still nervous?
Was it because of the danger? The potential fame? The possibility she might see some weird freaky alien?
Her fingers rolled into fists and another sigh was let out, her eyelids tightening.
She wanted to be quirky and say 'All of the above!' but she knew it was fear, she knew that she was afraid that something bad could happen to her team and friends. She was afraid she'd die or Yang would die or something wrong could happen.
Nobody had ever done this before. No one in known history. Team RWBY and team JNPR, plus Winter, would be the first people in space and back.
And that scared her so much.
A short start and nothing crazy has happened yet, but I needed to establish the what and who's. Feel free and comment about what you think of the premise, this ridiculously short first chapter and what needs to be improved in my writing or not. I'll try to get the next one longer, considering it's the actual lift-of but I'm going to be watching every episode of RWBY again just to make sure I don't get any of the characters wrong. I hope I did a believable 'older' Ruby though, but I still want to be as careful as possible.
And maybe some Star Trek for ideas? Also, I was listening to the song "Space Music – Pluto" by "Adrian Von Ziegler" as I wrote this. He makes some amazing songs and I recommend that you subscribe to his stuff.
Thank you and have a good day!