HOMEWORLD
Peridot held back a sigh, nearly bored out of her mind. Her floating metallic fingers tapped on her computer screen almost on their own. They could probably do it on their own, too, Peridot thought to herself. That was how stupidly simple this task was.
Coding. Such a cloddy, repetitive, unchallenging job. She just hadn't been made for this. Well, yes, actually, she had been. All Peridots were made for this kind of job. But Peridots also served other functions, and she, Peridot Facet 2F5L Cut 5XG, was smarter than the average Peridot, even though she was new. She could actually be useful somewhere else, instead of wasting her time here playing coding with newly emerged Peridots.
Soft steps caught her attention, and she turned her head slightly, just enough to peek at the Gem that was passing by. It was her manager, one of the oldest Peridots on Homeworld as well as one of the few Era 1 Gems in existence.
Peridot Facet 1F8 Cut 7LC. A perfect example of what a true Peridot was supposed to be like. She was naturally tall, without the need for limb enhancements. Her body, her head, her limbs, everything was the right proportion. Her gem, slightly larger than the average Era 2 Peridot gems, shone proudly on her chest, reminiscent of Yellow Diamond. But the most impressive thing about her was how she didn't need arm attachments for anything. She could project her screen directly from her gem, which also seemed to have infinite memory capacity. She could shapeshift her hands and fingers into any kind of tool. She could walk on any surface, even upside down on the ceiling. She could move heavy objects with a thought and a wave of her hand. And while she was no Quartz, she had enough strength in her arms to lift panels and some heavy equipment unaided.
There were also rumors about a time, during the Gem War, when one of the rebels had infiltrated Homeworld as a double agent and Peridot 1F8 7CL, a humble tech maintenance worker at the time, had summoned a laser gun from her gem to join in the fight and helped capture the traitor.
She was so... amazing!
Even now, when Peridot continued to watch her at work, shapeshifting her right hand to connect directly with one of the computers to download data to her gem, Peridot couldn't help but stare wide-eyed and let out a quiet "Wow..."
Then, noticing that she had abandoned all pretense of working busily, Peridot quickly turned back to her own screen.
That was how a true Peridot was supposed to be. Back in the day, it was how every Peridot actually was. But that had been before resources had started dwindling on Homeworld. She and all the other Era 2 Peridots had to be made smaller, weaker, with less powers. They had been made with the bare essentials, just enough to be functional. The lack of height and abilities was compensated with technological enhancements. With these, Era 2 Peridots could do almost everything an Era 1 Peridot could do. They could certainly do everything that was necessary for them to do their jobs.
Peridot looked at her hands, the metallic stumps with hovering little fingers that she had received upon emerging and never taken off again. She didn't even remember what her "real" hands looked like anymore. She assumed they looked like her manager's, except smaller. Honestly, though, she didn't even think of them as her real arms, hands, and fingers. She had long started to think of her arm attachments as her real arms.
She really loved her technological enhancements. They allowed her to do her job, to be useful to the Empire, and to feel like a normal Gem. They were just as part of her as the appearance modifiers projected by her gem. They were a part of her. They were her.
Still, she did sometimes wonder what it felt like to have all those innate abilities. To be less reliant on technology and to feel confident and secure with herself alone. Just her gem and her projected body.
She actually considered herself lucky, compared to other types of Gems. Naturally, the lack of resources didn't affect only Peridots. The warriors and soldiers were getting dumber. The Pearls were less elegant and graceful. Some Gems came out so defective and useless that even technology couldn't help them and they had to be harvested.
A whole generation of Gems, doomed to inferiority. And these Era 2 Gems already outnumbered Era 1 Gems. This was bound to have negative effects on the Gem Empire as a civilization in the long run. They would just continue to decline.
There had to be something that could be done about it. Some way to optimize resources, to make more and better with less at one's disposal. More sophisticated technology, new techniques, different methods.
She was done coding. She would start looking up information about Gem-making processes.
xxx
Peridot sat in her manager's office, wondering why her superior had requested her presence. It wasn't usual for her to have individual, private talks with the pupils. When her manager had something to say to someone, she would say it loud and clear so that everyone else in the vicinity would hear it too. Mistakes were pointed out in front of everyone, so that everyone would learn from them. Occasional praise was also given in front of everyone, to keep morale up and motivate the others to work harder.
Her manager was finishing off some work on her screen. Efficient Gem that she was, she was quick about it, so Peridot didn't have to keep wondering about this impromptu meeting for much longer.
The manager waved away her screen and turned her attention to Peridot. She kept her expression carefully neutral, making it hard to read, but Peridot didn't think she was in trouble.
"Peridot, thank you for coming," she said as a greeting. And because the manager was a very pragmatic and efficient Gem, she didn't waste any time and went straight to the point. "You've just completed your basic training ahead of your peers. I don't even need to wait for their files to know that you'll be top of the class. It's only logical."
Her manager had said all these things with a clinical tone of voice and the same neutral expression. She wasn't praising Peridot, but merely stating facts. Nevertheless, Peridot was extremely pleased with herself and for the recognition of her accomplishments.
Her manager pulled open another screen and took a brief moment to study it. "All of your assignments were completed in record time and were absolutely flawless." A rare smile pulled at her manager's lips. She closed the screen again and directed her gaze to Peridot. "So I've been thinking, maybe it's time to bring you to a new level. All evidence points to the fact that you're more than ready for a specialization."
Peridot was surprised by these words. She had known, of course, that she had excelled at all the tasks assigned to her for basic training and that her performance had been far superior to that of her peers, but she had never imagined that this would allow her to get such a huge leap in her career. Overachiever or not, usually all Peridots had to work on simpler jobs for at least a few centuries before they could get further education and specialize in more specific, more complex areas of expertise.
"It would bring me immense satisfaction to further serve the Diamond Authority," said Peridot, trying to keep her tone even. "So, what area will I be assigned to?" she asked.
"Well, usually we assign Peridots according to the skills they show the most affinity for. The thing is, you excel at everything, so I'm not sure what to do with you," her manager admitted.
Peridot's eyes widened at the realization. She could barely contain the excitement bubbling inside her, "Oh! Oh! Does that mean I get to choose my area of expertise?!"
"Yes, I suppose you might as well," said the manager, with a sigh.
Peridot's metallic feet hit the floor with a loud clang when she leaped to a standing position.
"In that case, I want to be a Kindergartener!" she announced, much to her manager's shock. Her manager had probably never seen this particular Peridot so enthusiastic about anything. Also...
"You want to work with Kindergartens? Really?" the manager asked in disbelief.
"Uh, yes," was Peridot's more subdued reply. "Why? What's wrong with Kindergartens?"
"Oh, nothing at all," said her manager, waving her hand in an appeasing gesture. "I was just surprised, because most Peridots want to specialize in spaceships or weapon engineering. Not many Peridots have affinity with Gem-making."
"Well, I've been doing some extensive research on the subject lately," said Peridot, her floating fingers dancing in the air in front of her hands as she spoke. "And considering that material resources shortage that our Homeworld is going through, and the urgent need for more Gems to make up for the losses in the Gem War, the logical conclusion is that this is exactly the area we need to focus on and where I believe I would make myself most useful."
"You do make some valid points," her manager conceded. "Very well, then. Your training in Kindergarten will begin in the next cycle at the Gamma Kindergarten on facet 6."
xxx
A Ruby Kindergarten, Peridot thought in distaste. She had been hoping to work on something bigger, like a Quartz Kindergarten, or at least interesting, like a Peridot Kindergarten.
Then again, she supposed her first attempt should start with something simple and easy. Peridot would make the best Ruby that Homeworld had ever seen, and then maybe they would let her do something more challenging and worthy of her intelligence and skills.
There were only two other pupils with her. Peridot Facet 2F4I Cut 3HK, who had her gem on her chest, and Peridot Facet 2F6M Cut 5QT, with had her gem on her belly.
"Oh, my stars, I can't wait to learn how to bring new Gems to life," remarked Peridot 5QT, her floating fingers pressed against her cheeks in excitement. "Imagine that! The miracle of mineral life!"
She was a little weird.
Fortunately, Peridot 3HK seemed a little more level-headed.
"Yes, it is a great responsibility," she commented, looking like a Gem on a Mission. "We are the ones who will ensure the continuity of Gemkind, the very survival of our species in this time of need."
A little dramatic, but good points, Peridot 5XG thought. She decided to contribute to the conversation as well.
"And don't forget perpetual improvement and expansion!" she said, pointing upwards. "Productivity and efficiency! We must find new ways to produce more Gems, better, bigger, stronger, with less resources and in less time. That is the only way to help the Empire rise to its former glory!"
The other two pupils just stared at her as if she had grown a second head. Peridot just stared back, feeling as perplexed as they looked.
"What?" she asked snappishly.
"I don't know, Peridot," said Peridot 3HK. "That sounds like it could be a little out of our league."
"I know I can do it," said Peridot 5XG. "And I'll see to it that once I become a certified Kindergartener, every Peridot on Homeworld under my supervision will be able to do it, too."
"I certainly appreciate your optimism, Peridot," said Peridot 2QT.
"Well, you sound very confident," said a fourth Peridot—the new teacher, who had just sneaked up on the pupils. The three younger ones immediately lined up and stood to attention. "Nothing like newly emerged little Gems to have such ambitious goals. But before you can even dream that far, you should be focusing on actually learning the basics of Kindergartening. And I'm here to make sure you learn not only the basics, but everything there is to know about Kindergartens and Gem-making. You will have to be the best of the best if you want to do any good for the Empire."
Peridot 5XG hung to her teacher's every word, wishing she could record everything. She did have a recorder in her arm attachment, but she would have to ask for authorization to—Ah, too late, the teacher was done with her speech and was leading them deeper into the Kindergarten. Peridot 5XG almost fell over in her hurry to catch up.
It was strange to be walking in a Kindergarten for the first time in centuries. She hadn't been in one since her emerging, and her memories from it weren't very clear. Although Gems emerged with full mental capacities and already knowing who they were and what their function was, the abrupt transition from nonexistence to existence could be quite staggering or even overwhelming to many Gems.
Her teacher led the three pupils to a familiar-looking machine standing on the ground, deactivated.
"This is an injector," said the teacher, motioning to it. "I'm sure you know what it is and what it's for. Even a Pearl would know. What you probably don't know, and you'll be required to know as Kindergarteners, is how it brings Gems to life. Do you see this substance inside it?" The teacher rested her hand on the glass part of the injector, through which a red, lava-like substance was visible. "This substance contains all the components and information necessary to form a fully functional Ruby soldier. I concocted this one myself. It's a very long, complex process. Any imprecision, any little deviation from the recipe, and it could have disastrous consequences. The Gem might end up with one or more defects, or even never grow and emerge at all."
The teacher paused, took a look at the curious, wide-eyed pupils, and cleared her throat. "Unless you have eidetic memory—and I know for a fact that most Era 2 Peridots don't—I suggest that you start taking notes on your finger screens immediately."
Startled, the three Peridots hurriedly opened up their screens and started typing at a furious pace.
"Always take notes, no matter what kind of mission you have," the teacher advised. "Taking notes, either written or with voice recording, will optimize your work. You will be sure not to overlook any detail, and it's also efficient in that it aids you in planning and devising strategies to deal with unexpected situations. A Peridot must always be prepared and have all the necessary information at her fingertips. A lost, helpless Peridot is a dead Peridot."
"Yes, Peridot," the pupils responded in unison, obediently, though their eyes reflected a hint of worry.
Not Peridot 5XG, though. Granted, the thought of being lost and helpless and die wasn't exactly a comforting one. But! It only filled her with determination. She would always be prepared so that she would never be reckless enough to get into such a dire situation.
Satisfied that she had gotten her point across, the teacher led the small group to a hole not far from the injector.
"As Kindergarteners, you will also be expected to project and analyze exit holes. You can't just throw down injectors wherever. You must find the appropriate terrain, calculate the spacing, depth... A real Kindergartener gets it right! And once a new Gem has emerged, you have to analyze the exit hole. This will actually give you a lot more information about the Gem created there than if you tried analyzing the Gem herself. You can extract information from the hole that even the Gem who emerged from it could be unaware of. Of course, you need a lot of experience to be able to analyze them correctly and to their full potential. By the end of your training, I expect that all of you will be capable of it. Now, let me show you the control room, from where you can check on the incubated Gems' progress and make sure that all the injectors are operating smoothly."
xxx
Kindergartening was so much better than coding! Everything about it was just so fascinating that Peridot had to record her logs about every single lesson and she would listen to them over and over again during her breaks. Whenever she could, she would also search the Homeworld Open Data Base and read everything she could find about Kindergartens and Gem-making.
Of course, she was still called to help in projects that involved coding, technical maintenance, and engineering, which she executed with growing efficiency. While these tasks gave her the satisfaction of a good job well done, they still didn't compare to the thrill that Peridot felt during her Kindergarten training.
And it wasn't just lectures and reading. There were many practical lessons as well. Peridot had learned to project a Kindergarten, which involved field trips to half-colonized planets so that she and her classmates could analyze the terrain and project a Kindergarten that would actually be constructed later on. She had learned to evaluate exit holes and explain why some defects had happened. She had even learned to assess the quality of the soil by licking rocks!
Her training was long, even longer than the initial basic Peridot training, but it was almost over now. She had already aced all the written exams and simulations. There was only one test left. The most important one.
Making a Gem.
She had to do the entire process on her own. She had to concoct the Gem's essence, fill it into the injector, program the injector to drill in the right place, at the right angle, and inject the Gem essence into the earth. Then she had to keep checking on the forming Gem's progress.
Fortunately, Rubies could form very quickly under the right conditions, so Peridot only had to wait a couple of centuries to see the result. When the Kindergarten computer alerted that the Ruby was about to emerge, even her teacher and classmates stopped what they were doing to see it.
The emerging wasn't spectacular as that of some Quartz soldiers were said to be. It wasn't even particularly full of flare as it usually was with Rubies.
Still, Peridot was proud of her work. The Ruby had no significant flaws in her gem, which she proudly showed off on her chest. She was a bold little thing, smaller than an Era 2 Peridot without enhancements, but she had bravado and the average strength of a Ruby. She was also relatively smart for a Ruby (though that wasn't saying much), with a more analytical mind and suspicious nature, courtesy of her Peridot creator. The Ruby even had visors just like Peridot's! This Ruby would be a captain someday, for sure!
Naturally, Peridot didn't have much time to admire her success. The Ruby was quickly taken away by an older Ruby. Once it was established that she had no visible flaws, she was taken to Homeworld for her basic training. In the meantime, the Peridots had to analyze the exit hole to make sure the Ruby wasn't hiding any defects. Nothing noteworthy was found, and with that, Peridot was apt to receive her certification as a Kindergartener.