Challenging Choices
It all started with a passing comment from Camp Pining Hearts, episode four, season three, "Aim For The Moon."
The episode was focused on the big obstacle course race, and emotions were high as political tensions between the cabins tightened. Before the status-defining event was set to begin, the Campers indulged in a pre-battle ritual known as 'trash talking'. While some of the insults' meanings were obscure to Peridot, context made most of them understandable. But when an infuriated Paulette growled at Pierre that he was "going to crash and burn like Challenger", she was more than a little lost.
That day's agenda involved a lot of dull, repetitive work with a screwdriver, and Peridot found herself musing over the comment and she worked. Eventually she asked Pearl what 'challenger' was.
"Do you mean challenging?" said Pearl. "That means something that is difficult, or—"
"I know what 'challenging' means!" Peridot snapped, indignant. "I said Challenger."
Pearl looked puzzled until Peridot provided the rest of the quote; then a sort of vague recognition dawned on her face. "Oh! Oh, yes. I believe that was the name of a human space-craft from some time ago. It exploded almost instantly when launched." Suddenly, she grew strangely sombre. "… Everyone on board died."
Peridot made a disdainful little noise at the back of her throat. "So the humans have never made it in to space, then?"
"Oh, no, they have. That particular expedition was a failure, but others have been successful. They haven't gone very far, mind you— just to the Earth's moon, with a few exploratory probes sent to more distant planets. But they have accomplished it."
An idea began germinating deep in Peridot's mind.
She didn't allow herself to focus on it during the day. Didn't want someone to notice, didn't want some sign of her thoughts to show on her face. Then, at last, came night. She sat some distance away from the barn, hunched over, faced furrowed in deep concentration.
It was quiet. Not completely silent, but it may as well as been. None of Homeworld's colonies were ever this silent. Gems were always talking, walking, building, organising. Even on long space lights in near empty ships, there was the constant whirr of engines and containment fields.
It was not the same on Earth. The Barn was isolated from human civilisation, and counting herself, there was only six Gems in the immediate vicinity— five, if you counted the Permanfusion as a single individual. When night fell, all work stopped. The only sounds left the squeaking of organic lifeforms in the distance and the rustle of atmospheric disturbance.
Many a time Peridot had cursed the inefficiency of the night-rest period. As a byproduct of his hybrid nature, Steven was forced to go into a low-power recovery mode for eight hours every night, lest he become 'cranky'. Having Steven offline for this period would not necessarily have had a big impact on their progress, as Steven actually had very little engineering skill to contribute— except that his rest was very easily disrupted by noises. As such, almost all work had to be halted until he awoke.
Right now, however, Peridot was thankful for the break. It gave her a chance to be alone. And to think.
The humans had built spacecraft. Incredibly primitive and basic ones, but they had done it. There was technology on this planet capable of space-flight.
Peridot could replicate it. And if she could replicate it, then she could escape.
If humans could manage it, then surely she could. Her intelligence greatly surpassed that of any human's, and she was stationed in a Barn storing the greatest technological achievements of their species. Already, in her mind, she could see it all coming together; paint cans for thrusters, joysticks for controls, the television screen for a display panel; she could modify the Drill's hull to be suitable for space-flight…
The Drill. She wouldn't need it any more. It had only ever been a plan born of desperation. Extracting and decommissioning a geo-weapon of the Cluster's magnitude was always a risky proposition. Fleeing the planet would be far safer. And this way, she wouldn't have to jeopardise her mission. She would have to betray Homeworld and Yellow Diamond!
The biggest issue, of course, would be doing it without the others noticing. Steven, Amethyst and the Permafusion would be the easiest to work around. Their knowledge of construction was limited. If she assigned them basic tasks, and obscured their true purpose, she may even be able to fool them into aiding construction of the spaceship. The only one she'd need to truly wary of was the Pearl. As baffling as it was, she did have an impressive working knowledge of mechanics. She knew the schematics of the Drill (almost) as well as she did; she would notice if Peridot built something that did not fit the plan.
Peridot could then instead work on those secret elements at night, primary, taking care to be as quiet as possible. At night, the other Gems would often wander off to do Stars Know What, so she'd be almost entirely unsupervised. True, one Gem always remained to help look after Steven, and there would be Steven himself, but-
Peridot froze in her train of thought. She bit her lip.
… Steven.
She couldn't just leave him on the planet. He would surely die when the Cluster formed. She couldn't allow that. Steven was the only reason she had any chance of surviving.H e was the one who had trusted her, the one who had released her, the one who had continually attempted to form a 'friendship' with her.
She could offer him the chance to escape alongside her, but he would refuse, Peridot was certain. He showed a ridiculous degree of sentimentality for this planet.
(Well. Perhaps it wasn't truly ridiculous. It was the only planet he had ever known, after all. But it was highly inconvenient).
She couldn't tell him her plan. He would report immediately to his superiors, and then it would all be ruined.
Then she wouldn't tell him.
She could capture him. Steven's sleep cycle had proven to be very deep. Perhaps she could gag him while he was unconscious, then move him to the ship; he'd be angry when he woke up, of course, but he'd be alive…
And what about the others?
The Crystal Clods were infuriating, confusing and defective traitors, and not long ago, Peridot would have killed them without a moment's hesitation. But now, she had to admit, leaving them behind to perish felt… incorrect.
The Permafusion was baffling and inscrutable, but surprisingly restrained, not like the out-of-control weapon Peridot had assumed she must be. She could not say she was completely comfortable with her choice to remain fused constantly, but surely she did not deserve death for that. And the Pearl was impressive, truly; Peridot hated to admit it, but she was ernest and possessed a keen intelligence. It would be a shame to see it go to waste. And as for Amethyst, well… she was a quartz, of course, even if just a small one… But she was unlike any quartz Peridot had ever interacted with. She was approachable, talkative, friendly… she made her laugh… she made her feel…
Face hot, Peridot broke off, her fingers digging into the dirt.
Surely there was a way to save them as well?
They would never listen to her. They would refuse to to abandon the ridiculous planet, and would most likely just bubble her for her trouble. Without her limb enhancers, there was no way she'd be able to take all three of them in a full out fight. No way she'd be able to over power them directly.
She could find something sharp. Sneak up on them. Stab them in the back. They'd poof instantly; she could bring them on board the ship, take off before they could regenerate—
Peridot gazed up towards the sky. It was dark, hidden by a grey mass of clouds. She couldn't see the stars, but she knew they were there, nonetheless.
And what would Homeworld do to the Crystal Gems?
Arrest them, certainly. Perhaps Harvest them, or execute them. The end result was the same.
And what, Peridot thought, about the rest of this planet?
Such a small planet, but still it was filled with so many things, strange things, things she barely understood. Lifeforms unlike anything she'd ever encountered, odd designs and materials, television and food and music and so many other utterly baffling, confusing things— things that she'd never be able to bring with her. Things that would all be lost, once the Cluster emerged.
Peridot drew her legs to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and came to a conclusion. A spaceship wouldn't work.
It would be a challenge, but she'd find a way to protect Earth. All of it.