The defective Pearl can be reprogrammed. With such a defective program, why hasn't anybody tried to do this before? Peridot hatches a scheme to get her escape pod back, by reprogramming Pearl's natural servant-class program to serve her. However, when the attempt goes poorly, Pearl is restore to her "factory default", and the Gems are left with a repaired, but lost Pearl.
(Note: This story was made after Friend Ship aired, during the hiatus. This story is not 100% canon accurate. It dives pretty deep into head-canon (Rose is Pink Diamond's successor, etc)
However, it does contain MAJOR spoilers for several episode, so go make sure you've watched up to Friend Ship.)
Peridot frowned, her mouth stuck in a grimace as usual. It had been over 200 log-dates since she was trapped on this miserable chunk of rock called "Earth". Why those Crystal Gems protected it so dearly she didn't know, but it probably had something to do with this "Steven" creature. Her only comfort was knowing Yellow Diamond may come for her... one day. For now, she was stuck, stranded for all she cared.
Peridot stepped through the thick brush, staying hidden. She learned several log-dates ago that whenever she used a Warp-Pad, the gems would be right behind her. Rubbing the stub that used to be her cybernetic foot, she wondered at what else she could do to contact Yellow Diamond. She had done everything she could think of so far.. yet no response.
If only there were a way to get her Escape Pod back from them. She could probably repair it, assuming the gem's haven't already. Then a thought hit her. The programming room at Facet Eight. It seemed rather obvious in hindsight. The Pearl was made to obey higher-class gems such as herself. Reprogram the Pearl, and get her to retrieve the escape pod. Then, well, Peridot would make sure there would be one less Crystal Gem to get rid of.
Now, to warp to that forsaken place.
Several minutes later...
Pearl folded and put away one of Steven's shirts, which he had left laying about the room. She really had to talk to him about keeping the house tidy. The tiny gem was nowhere to be seen, and as far as she could tell, it was only her and Amethyst in the temple currently. Suddenly, Steven walked in, a slightly bloody bruise on his elbow. It looked slightly wet, as if he had tried his healing spit on it, but his powers had failed again.
Pearl couldn't help but feel a little worried. "Steven! Are you ok!?" She said, looking at the bruise. She quickly got out a pack of Band-Aids from her gem, something she always kept stored for "emergencies".
"I'm fine, I just tripped on the sidewalk." Said Steven. Pearl delicately put the Band-Aid on his elbow, and seemed to mellow out slightly once the small amount of bleeding had stopped. " Thanks. Hey Pearl, is Peridot's escape pod glowing over there?"
Hmm? It seemed she had gotten a little carried away over such a minor injury, so much so that she had almost ignored that Peridot had used a warp. It has been a while since that pod had lit up. Peridot must be up to something. She quickly ran over to the pod, and put her hand over the floating display, watching pieces of data flash into her eyes and out of her gem.
Kindergarten. A sense of dread filled Pearl's mind. She thought Peridot had already gotten what she needed from there. Why would she be back? To turn on the Injectors? She had to let the others know. "Amethyst! Garnet! Peridot is warping!" Amethyst came out of her room, eager for action.
"Finally!" Said Amethyst, leaping onto the Warp Pad, before her expression turned from excitement to a feeling of regret. "Kindergarten?!"
"Yes, I think she might be turning on the Injectors, we need to hurry!" Said Pearl. Steven followed her, climbing onto the pad and activating the warp stream. A bright blue beam enveloped the team, swiftly taking them to the Kindergarten.
Kindergarten was cloudy and dark. The ground was grey and lifeless. As all Kindergartens were and will always be. The group spread out, Amethyst and Pearl searching each Facet in numerical order, while Steven wandered off, all the way to the entrance of Facet Eight.
Steven seemed to have a penchant for finding Peridot. It didn't take all that long before he noticed the green gem slowly descending into the control room using her helicopter-fingers. "I found you!" He said in a playful tone, as if this were a game of hide and seek. Peridot let out a sigh.
"Yes, you found me. I assume the others will be here soon?" She said. Steven ran to get the gems, while Peridot snuck into Facet Eight's control room.
It was a dark orange room, with a circular yellow gem-like object in the middle of the room. A control panel was hidden behind a secured lead door, so the newly-birthed Ambers couldn't break through it or read the mind of the controller. On one side in another room, an Amber Factory, where Ambers used to be manufactured, well, until their psychic powers proved too much for the Homeworld to control. The other side, another lead door. The programming rooms.
A pounding noise had begun on those levels. Surely it was the Crystal Clods. Locking the lead door, Peridot turned on her controller.
On the first room of Facet Eight...
"She locked the door!" Said Pearl, hitting her spear against a sliding door that had closed behind them. Suddenly, the background seemed familiar. Dark oranges, a door leading to a main hall and an Amber Factory down that hall. This was Facet Eight. Suddenly, a screen projection appeared. The unfortunately familiar face of Peridot.
"You clods fell right into my trap! You really are as dull as dirt!" Said Peridot, taking a brief moment to laugh at the clods before her. However, she didn't appear to have the full bunch. The magenta one was missing. No matter, the Pearl was still there. One less person to find out about her scheme.
"What are you even going to do to us in here? This Facet's factory has been broken for over 5000 years! You don't have any Ambers to fight us with!" Said Pearl. She summoned her spear, and Amethyst already had her whip out.
Peridot laughed again, slightly deranged. "This!" She summoned up the security measures from the control room, watching the gems scatter as the laser beams pushed them away from each other. The lights went out, only the laser beams giving any light. Intentionally pushing the Pearl towards the main hall, she had to resist laughing in glee as she was separated from the Steven and the Amethyst. They really were dull clods.
Pearl was alone, in a dark hallway. Lighting up her gems, she could see the remains of the old Amber factory. Why would Peridot choose this Facet of all ten? She could have easily chosen Nine, where there were still vast supplies of weapons. But Eight! The dreadful abusive place where Ambers, low-class servants made to serve as psychic fighters were made and forced to fight. Peridot must really be losing her mind.
"Steven! Where are you?" Said Pearl, turning around. In front of one of the lead doors, there was Steven, running into the room for shelter. "Steven!" She said, dashing into the room. It was dark, yet even in this darkness she could see "Steven". Except it was not him. As she reached out, her hand went right through the figure. The door locked behind her, leaving her with "Steven", which soon disappeared in a flash of green light. The lights slowly came back on.
"Do you know what this room is? Or are you so blind as to not recognize where Homeworld should have sent you, you defective pile of dirt?" Said Peridot, turning on the room. The sides of the room glowed with a bright orange light. It pulsed with light, and it quickly focused onto Pearl's gem, getting ready to start the reprogramming.
Pearl's eyes widened. They had tried to send her here once. The process was painful, and sometimes cracked, or even broke gems. Reprogramming. Rose saved her from this fate, which would now befall her. This must be how Homeworld got the Ambers to fight. "Curse you, Peridot. You are lower than dirt if you intend to use this horrible machine." Spat Pearl, quickly searching for a way out.
"I'm sorry, clod, but your pathetic appeals to morality are a sign of your defect." Said Peridot. "Now starting up Facet Eight programming Room 01..."