Bismuth pounded away at the metal. Simple iron, no use for the kindergarteners. A rhythm, matched by each of the ten or so other Bismuth around her. Take the raw metal, plunge it into the lava flow and shape the glowing metal into a perfectly sized brick. Grab the still cooling metal with your bare hands and drop it on the cart. Until, enough bricks were made, this would be the rhythm, no change, no brakes.
"Bismuths, attention," a voice called from the top of the production pit. Recognizing the harsh slightly irritating voice of a Topaz, all the Bismuths stopped their work. Leaving the hot bricks to cool on their worktables, they stood to face the commander, sulating.
Upon closer inspection, Bismuth could tell that the Topaz standing in front of them wasn't their own commanding officer. This gem had her core slotted on her hand, rather than on her neck. "Pink Diamond has sent one of her newest experiments to oversee the transfer of Bismuth to the site of the soon to be Lunar Sea Spire.
"Do you think she's talking about Rose Quartz?" the gem behind Bismuth whispered to Azure, a Bismuth with a strange only blue gem.
"Keep your mouth shut, newbie, the Topaz is speaking," Azure shot back. Rose Quartz was a new type of gem Pink Diamond was developing. With rare organic life used as part of her mixture, this gem could heal cracked gems, or so the rumors said. Information trickling down to worker level gems such as Bismuths and Peridots was usually scare. The current rumors weren't even clear if the experiment was currently successful.
The Topaz stepped to the side to allow another gem to enter. When the gem walked in, her body language small and timid, Bismuth's jaw dropped. She had the long, flowing, impractical dress of a aristocrat, but had the solid build of a Quartz soldier.
Realizing she had broken stance without being told, Bismuth quickly straightened up and perfected her salute.
"Rose Quartz will be escorting the chosen Bismuths to the worksite for the Lunar Sea Spire. There is currently no Warp Pad at the desired location, and due to its underwater nature, a Lapis Lazuli and a Peridot will be accompanying you. You will warp as close as possible to the chosen location and travel on foot towards that location. Once a warp point is established, you will return for additional material and builders."
Cries of "Understood" rang out, echoing off the high ceilings of the production pit. "Now, Rose Quartz," the Topaz said, turning to the new gem,"which Bismuths would you like to accompany you? I assure you they are some of the finest on this planet, all formed on System Starstrike, Planet Sol3, renowned for its ability to produce some of the finest shifters in this arm of the galaxy."
"Um," Rose seemed uncertain, an odd trait. Even as a combination of an aristocrat and a Quartz soldier, she should have the natural commanding abilities of a Jasper. "How about, that one, her, that one, and the one without all the hair." The gems Rose had pointed to were Azure, an eye gem Bismuth, a hand gem Bismuth, and Skimpy who for some reason refused to reform with the signature rainbow Bismuth hair. Pausing to survey the rest of the Bismuths, she pointed towards our own. "Oh, and that one,"
With the beautiful Rose Quartz pointing at Bismuth, it felt like lightning was crackling through her gem.
"Well," the Topaz barked. "You five, come with me, I'll log you out. The rest of you, get back to work."
Perfectly timed together, the five Bismuths took their finished bricks and dropped them on the outgoing conveyor-belts. Shapeshifting their hands back to their normal size, they formed a perfect line at the foot of the staircase. The topaz motioned for them to follow her out to the main area of the work came.
When they were out in the sunlight, the topaz flicked her gem finger across the central control panel, checking the profiles of each Bismuth who would accompany Rose Quartz on the mission. "Rose Quartz," the Topaz said, sinking into a more respectful tone,"I have completed all of the necessary transactions for you to begin your mission."
"Thank you.." Rose began, uncertain what to call the commander.
"Topaz Facet-7T5L Cut-10STG." The Topaz replied, saluting.
"Ah, yes, um, at ease," Rose replied.
Rose, the five Bismuths, a Lapis Lazuli, and a Peridot warped as close to the Lunar Sea Spire as they could. With the supplies to build a warp pad on sleds being pulled on sleds by the Bismuths, they trekked through the forest. As the sun set, Rose Quartz called for a halt.
"But why?" the Lapis Lazuli asked. Her gem was on her left wrist, and she had formed matching golden bands on her wrists, with a pseudo gem(blue spot) on her right wrist. She was the most determined of the crew, cutting through most of the foliage in their way with her razor like water-wings.
"It is dark and we are in unfamiliar territory." Rose replied. Bismuth could see in her eyes, that some plan was forming. The expression showed a very different from the hesitant Quartz she had met in the work camp.
"I suggest we rest here." The group had just crested a hill. More forest lay below them. The sea could even be seen from there. At the current pase they were going, it would probably take them the entirety of the next rotation to reach the sea.
Confused on what to do, the Bismuth spread out their loads and rested against them, strengthening their forms. The Lazuli contented herself with fiddling with a puddle, while the Peridot was sorting the small stones that made up the dirt into piles.
As Bismuth was about to start resting, when Rose Quartz called her over. She had chosen to sit on a rock, out of the earshot of any of the other gems.
Bismuth plopped herself down, leaning against the rock, looking up at Rose. "Do you like being a builder?" Rose asked, staring straight ahead at the stars.
"W-what do you mean?" Bismuth asked confused. The only time a gem had asked for her opinion on something was on technical stuff for building. Even then, over-eager Topazes rarely listened.
"Do you like building. When I saw you working, you didn't seem...happy. But you didn't seem sad either. You seemed like you belonged."
"Well, yeah. That what I was made to do. I can shapeshift for longer so I don't have to take breaks. I can withstand heat that could poof most gems with no problem."
"Yes, but do you like it?" she asked. Rose had taken to moving the moss on the rock she was sitting on into small towers and moving them around.
Bismuth had no idea what that meant. She didn't want to mindlessly build towers that she couldn't even enjoy, but didn't all worker class gems feel the same way? Weren't they all only working because the Diamonds told them to. She never had a chance to talk with any other Bismuth about this. Why would she? They were all the same gem. They were all the same. Weren't they?
Rose Quartz had stopped molding the moss and was instead looking right at Bismuth. Now realizing that the higher up had asked her a direct question, she tried to stutter out an answer. "Well...no. Not really. I wish I could use the towers I've built. I don't even like building towers. It's just putting something together based on the plans the Emerald has made. I want to design something. But nothing big like tower, that's boring. Something..like a weapon. Something that would be a Quartz's only lifeline in the heat of battle." Realizing she had just poured her heart out to a high ranking Quartz, one that could easily have her shattered, she quickly added,"Please don't tell anyone."
Rose had turned back to the stars. "That's...fascinating."
After the conversation, Bismuth and the rest of her team finished building the warp pad. Once more Bismuths could easily be transported, Rose Quartz left for Pink Diamond's base. Even after Bismuth fell back into a normal schedule, she couldn't get that conversation out of her head.
When the news came that Rose Quartz, along with a few others, demanded that homeworld leave Earth and it's organic life alone, Bismuth knew what to do. With other Bismuths, they went on strike. They stopped working and walked out of the half-finished ship to find the new rebellion that had been dubbed the Crystal Gems.