Akoya
Three Orbits: Second Orbit
Note: We are going to see a bit more action here. Also note that I'll be playing around with the mechanics of creating an action/suspense sequence, because my previous attempts in other fanfictions have been very rushed or non-developed (in my opinion). Anyway, on with the show!
…..
Akoya organized the parts on her bed as she ran a final equipment check for the second, and arguably most important, part of the operation.
Two signal disruptors, check. Two detonation devices, check.
Akoya continued to stash the items into her rucksack before procuring her crystalline staff. The pearl felt her mouth getting drier as the adrenaline began to kick in.
Akoya took a deep breath as she headed for the exit of her room. As she stepped through the door, she quickly noticed a band of amethysts checking the bags of some nearby gems.
Okay, not that way.
Akoya took an alternative route pre-designated by her team. Her path would take her all the way to labs twenty-two a to twenty-six a, coincidentally the labs she had visited the peridot in the previous orbit.
As she turned the corner, she met nose to nose with a security team amethyst.
"On your way to the labs?" the amethyst questioned.
"Yes." Akoya said as calmly as she could.
Akoya could feel herself begin to jitter slightly.
"Is everything alright?" the amethyst questioned further as she noticed the pearl's slight twitch.
"Just nervous for an important experiment this orbit. My team and I have been working on it for some time now." Akoya lied as the amethyst put on an investigative expression.
"I must be going now! My team is expecting me!" Akoya said with a fake smile as she tried to get past the amethyst.
"Not so fast. I need to check the contents of your bag." the amethyst ordered as Akoya's hopes sank.
"Orders from admin. I'm sure you understand. Now hand it over." the amethyst restated now in a more forceful tone.
"Okay, here." Akoya complied reluctantly as she handed over her bag.
As the amethyst began rummaging through the rucksack's contents, Akoya's mind began running laps.
What should I do next? I'm compromised!
"Signal disruptors? Detonation devices? What is the meaning of-
The amethyst's sentence was interrupted as Akoya's fearful eyes stared into the amethyst's surprised ones as she looked down to see the pearl's crystalline staff stabbing into her midsection.
The amethyst poofed immediately as Akoya crumbled to the floor of the corridor in a mental mess. The amethyst's gem hit the floor with a slight clink before settling itself beside Akoya.
I just poofed her. There's really no going back now.
Akoya gathered her equipment and what was left of her sanity and quickly tossed the gem into a miscellaneous lab.
Akoya began sprinting down the lengths of the long hallways. She could feel herself slowly succumbing to the fear of being caught, but she knew she was already in this deep.
The others are counting on me. I have to see this through.
Akoya felt some relief as she skidded to a stop in front of labs twenty-two a to twenty-six a.
Time to get to work.
As instructed, the pearl began setting signal disruptors in specific parts of the lab, preventing the alarms from activating at their respective terminals. After setting the disruptors, Akoya pulled out the first detonation charge and began configuring its timer. After inputting the correct configuration, she stuck it under a lab table with a small clunk sound.
That's one. Four more to go.
The pearl meticulously configured and set the next two charges. One under another lab table, and the next one beside a gem's experiment. The lab tables were integrated with various substances that could be used for experiments, many of which had the potential of being flammable and explosive under certain conditions. The detonation charges would set off the chain reactions creating the explosion that would set off the rest of the labs within the wing.
As Akoya was priming the second last charge, she heard the door slide open.
Quickly, she scrambled to grab her things and pressed herself against a nearby lab table.
"There're no gems in here! We're wasting our time!" a booming voice hollered.
"Just lemme give it a quick look." another voice replied as the sound of footsteps began.
Akoya felt her mind racing again as the footsteps got closer, then farther, then closer once more.
Please, don't find the charges.
The pearl spotted a pair of feet right next to her as the security team gem continued to search the area.
"Nothing here like you said." the voice announced as the footsteps grew fainter again.
Akoya could feel her breaths beginning to slow down again as the welcome sound of the door sliding shut occurred.
Okay, back to work.
Akoya finished setting the respective charges under another lab table followed by laying the last one beside another gem's experiment.
This should be enough to level this entire wing.
The pearl rapidly dropped the detonators back into the bag and exited the lab to begin a brisk walk toward her work station. As she continued to walk, she noticed a board stating the lab assignments for the orbit.
Oh good. No gem is in twenty-two a to twenty-six a this orbit.
Akoya was deathly afraid that her actions would lead to more shattering, so the absence of names in the row for labs twenty-two a to twenty-six a was a welcome sight. Her team had specifically picked labs that would be unoccupied that day to prevent innocent casualties. After all, their enemy were not their fellow gems. Rather, it was the empire that they served.
…..
Akoya was scrolling through a holographic transcript on healing configurations when a large explosion shook the entire facility. Alarms started to ring as multiple gems got up and began moving to the designated evacuation zone.
That must be the peridot's lab. Time for mine as well.
Akoya slowly procured her rucksack and stuck her hands into the bag to find the two detonators.
Flick the safety off and.
Akoya closed her eyes as she clicked the buttons simultaneously causing another explosion to rumble throughout the facility.
Time to go.
Akoya threw the rucksack, with the detonators inside, into a neighbouring work station.
As she joined the panicked crowd in evacuating, multiple explosions in other areas across the facility also occurred.
Down with GWEP.
…..
The exhausted gem stumbled through her doorway and sat on her bed.
Akoya observed herself in her mirror and considered her current wardrobe.
This look is the old me. I'm not that gem anymore.
With that thought, Akoya's white dress transformed into a white mythical-looking tunic resembling that of a magician's attire rather than a typical pearl's.
Akoya looked at herself in the mirror again before her transmitter blared a loud ring.
"Hello?" Akoya began.
"I'll make it quick. The extraction is at the ports next orbit. Don't be late. The codeword is diamond-clod." the peridot blurted as the transmission ended abruptly.
Akoya hung the receiver up before laying on her bed staring up at the blank ceiling.
Poofed a gem authority, check. Blew up Homeworld property, check.
Akoya let these thoughts process and sink into her mind as she closed her eyes and relaxed herself.
"Diamond-clods eh? I could get use to that." Akoya whispered to herself.
