(a/n: Holy moly, sorry for the delay. Thank you to everyone who has been patient. A big thanks to Lucius Walker for editing this, it helped a lot. Please enjoy!)
The Sanchez Mistake (part 1)
Rick was already bored. The opportunity to leave Beach City and see some Gem tech up close and not go behind their backs for once was nice. However, once they got to this Galaxy Warp place and once he actually saw the tech up close, Rick felt his enthusiasm melt away like ice on a hot summer day.
The Galaxy Warp was on a small island of black rock with six enormous crystalline rock formations surrounding it.
Scattered about the island in a crop circle like pattern were sixteen crystalline pads similar to the one back at the temple, though the only difference was that the ones at the warp were all broken. The warp pads the Gems were packing were neat but compared to the tech Rick has seen in his travels, they were average at best.
Despite the boring, broken tech boring, broken tech, the scenery made up for it. An endless expanse of the calm, blue ocean surrounded them, reflecting a clear starry sky, making them feel as if they were in the depths of space. It had an almost calming effect on even Rick, who was used to space travel at this point.
"Inactive." Reported Garnet as she inspected one of the numerous crystalline pads spread out on the island.
"Inactive!" Amethyst declared. Steven darted between the pads, placing stickers of Crying Breakfast Friends characters on the cracked surfaces of the pads already inspected.
"What about those ones on your side Rick?" Pearl asked the scientist, who was standing on the opposite side of the island.
"What? Oh…y-yeah, t-totally out of commission." Rick said, snapping out of his reverie and zipping up his fly. Rick was standing at the edge of the rocky island, relieving himself behind a pillar of crystal and rock. He tossed a questioning look at Grom, who was inspecting the pads assigned to the scientist. The mechanoid gave him a thumbs-up, validating Rick's lie. The scientist looked around. Seeing that no one noticed, he sighed with relief.
The mad scientist would've held it in, but he really needed to go and with no bathroom in sight and forgetting his portal gun again, Rick decided to go when the others weren't looking.
"Do we have to check all of them?" Amethyst complained, placing her hands on her hips "They're all still inactive, like always."
"We need to make sure," Garnet said firmly.
"I've never seen so many warp pads before." Steven said, awed by the broken crystal devices surrounding him. Feeling curious, Steven asked, "Where do these warp pads go anyway?"
"Well Steven" said Pearl, sitting down on the edge of the warp pad they arrived on. "These warp pads were used to travel off planet. They were our only connection to the Gem Homeworld and to Gem controlled planets all over the universe."
Steven eyes widened in amazement. "You mean we get to go anywhere we want in outer space?"
"Yeah." Amethyst said slowly, scratching herself. "We could do that, if they weren't all busted."
"No duh." Rick snorted.
Pearl sighed. "They've been broken for thousands of years"
"Can't we fix them?" Steven asked.
Pearl said nothing. She looked to Garnet. The leader of the Crystal Gems, who stood there stoically, answered with a blunt, "No."
"It's fine" Pearl said quickly. "I'll always have my memories of other worlds. But now I'm here…on earth…forever."
"With me!" Steven added cheerfully. A wistful smile appeared on the white gem's face
"Right…with you."
She got up, patting Steven on the head, and walked over to the large warp pad in the center of the numerous other pads. It was larger than the others and looked as if it was on another, larger warp pad. A huge, gaping crack cut into the set of stairs and had snaked its way up to the top. She stood there, staring at the platform looking lost in thought and nostalgia. Steven slipped past her and slapped a Sad Waffle sticker on the base of the device.
"It really is incredible out there though." Pearl sighed deeply, closing her eyes. "I wish you can see it."
"He did" Grom joined in, "Remember? When he and Mr. Sanchez went out and got into a high speed chase with galactic law enforcement?"
Pearl scowled as she recalled Steven and Rick's earlier escapade "Oh…right." The white gem sighed and she turned her attention back to the other warp pads.
Rick smacked the mechanoid on the back of the head "Way to ruin the moment, jackass."
Grom smiled "Happy to help!"
Rick crossed his arms and watched silently as Pearl drifted absent-mindedly among the broken teleport platforms, inspecting them one last time.
The scientist scowled. Normally, Rick never gave a shit about the drama and emotions of those around him. The scientist, however, hoped that she would feel better soon because he really didn't want to have her moodiness affect his day. Being around Steven and the Crystal Gems, Rick had been exposed to all sorts of emotional fireworks. The scientist shrugged them off or rolled with it, but each little emotional episode, it ruined whatever fun he was having that day. Today's emotional menu happened to be Pearl's gloom, with a side of sickening nostalgia.
The scientist sighed and simply figured that Pearl would probably get over it. Hopefully.
Back at Beach City, Rick, Greg and Steven were watching the young boy's favorite show on the former musician's mini TV. Rick gazed at the screen in confusion.
After an hour of seemingly endless episodes, the show thankfully went to commercial break. Rick blinked then asked aloud, "What the hell are we watching?"
"Its Crying Breakfast Friends!" Steven replied enthusiastically "The greatest show on TV!"
"Debatable" Rick grunted. The mad scientist held a very high opinion of himself and of his intellect. But despite all his knowledge and experience, the old man couldn't make heads or tails as to what the hell was going on with this cartoon.
"It's-it's just a bunch of-of characters crying!" Rick said "Seriously, that's all they do!"
"That's not all they do" Steven said defensively "Crying Breakfast Friends has a plot! It's super deep and has many layers, complex themes and hints at this big mystery."
"Really? Cause right now we're on, I don't know, season five I think, and what has happened so far? Nothing! Nothing but crying, some average music and maybe some plot related stuff but the rest is just a big cocktease. If they don't shape up, they'll be canceled. P-plus what was with that finale?"
"You didn't like it?" Steven asked.
"I did but it all just seemed…convenient? Shit I don't know but come on, a wedding? Seriously? Why not introduce a baby and a dog and have the lonely widower dad remarry while we're at it."
"I'm gonna have to agree with Rick on this one buddy" Greg said, rubbing the back of his neck "Not the whole finale thing but this cartoon is a little…different compared to the ones I grew up with. I mean I used to like cartoons."
Rick shrugged "Just means you're growing up. Besides, people who still watch cartoons well into adulthood are pretty weird."
An odd silence fell on the group. A few long moments passed and the commercials ended. Having had his fill of nonsensical cartoons, Rick excused himself with a half-assed excuse about work and left, leaving Grom in order to get some alone time. With nowhere else to go, the scientist went to his lab.
The spacious underground laboratory was scrubbed clean of guts and soot, though the air still contained faint whiffs of ash and lemony air freshener. The damaged equipment had been replaced and arranged in a chaotic system only Rick understood. The scientist dug through his pockets and pulled out his slapdash portal device. It's been a while since he's actually used it.
For some strange reason, the damn thing was prone to breaking down on him. Every time he tried to use it to get out of Beach City, it would just die on him. With nothing better to do, Rick sat down at his workbench and went to work on it. As he slowly and methodically disassembled the device, Rick's pondered his situation.
Being in Beach City was fine and all, but the scientist was oddly feeling a little homesick. He was free and clear of the bullshit from home, and all the drama and all those people he considered a pain in his ass. Yet, despite his abhorrence for what he left behind, Rick's mind kept drifting back to Morty, Beth and Summer. He even missed Jerry's stupid ass, to a very small extent.
Shaking his head, Rick attempted to refocus his mind on the task at hand, but was having trouble. What seemed like hours passed and the scientist set the dissected portal gun down. He rubbed his eyes angrily. What was wrong with him? He should've gotten this fixed like a hundred years ago. He should be living it up on the Platinum Beaches of Garthax Seven, sipping Mai Tais and scoring right and left, not being stuck in a makeshift lab struggling to do something he could do a million times over blindfolded and drunk.
An unsettling thought came to Rick. There was something wrong with this version of Earth, or this town at least. That must be it. It's messing with his mind. He had to get out of here and soon. Rick decided he had enough and as he hastily reassembled his portal gun, something in the corner of his eye moved. The scientist paused.
Glancing sideways, he saw a piece of paper shift a little. The paper could've been nudged by a gust of air from a nearby vent. His eyes flicked over to the thermostat and frowned. The air conditioning was switched off. There was a soft scraping sound coming from behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck rose.
Slowly and carefully, Rick's hand snaked down towards his blaster.
Quick as lightning, he drew his gun and rounded on to the area where the sounds originated and fired a few quick shots. Once the smoke cleared, Rick saw that he merely scorched a bit of wall and floor.
The scientist sighed deeply and rubbed his throbbing temples. He really needed to get out of this town.
A thought came to mind and he sighed again and loudly. This was probably a bad idea but he had to do it. He's gotta get out of this lab and this podunk town.
Holstering his weapon and stashing the partially reassembled portal gun in his pocket, Rick departed the lab, leaving behind silence and the smell of burning ozone.
At Steven's house, Pearl was folding Steven's laundry with silent precision, while Amethyst was flipping through channels on Steven's TV when the door was kicked open.
The two gems looked over and saw an urgent faced Rick, who wordlessly marched in and grabbed Pearl by the collar of her tunic and began to drag her away from her chores.
"Rick!" Pearl squawked in surprise and confusion as she was rudely dragged across the floor "W-what are you doing?"
"C-come on Pearl" Rick said, excitedly "We-we-we're going to see the stars Pearl! We're going to the stars! Come on! Just like you wanted, you, Steven and the grea*urp*t wonders of the cosmos! We're off to see the universe!"
"But I'm not done with my chores!" The white gem protested as she struggled to free herself from his grasp.
"Doesn't matter!" Rick retorted as he pulled her out the front door, "Space adventures await us! Space adventures!"
The white gem felt somewhat embarrassed. A gem like her being dragged out of the house by the collar of her tunic by a human reeking of beer and sweat. Pearl shouted instructions to Amethyst to complete her chores before she gets back.
Unfortunately, the purple gem simply returned to channel surfing.
A few minutes later, Pearl and Rick landed next to a dusty old barn that sat on a hill that over looked a spacious and empty field. Acres of untouched land sprawled out all around them until they stopped at the dilapidated white wooden fence that marked property boundaries.
Rick kind of liked it. It was quiet, peaceful and had nobody around for miles to disturb the tranquility. In the distance the ocean sparkled in the afternoon sun with Beach City huddled along the shore. The barn looked ancient, its red and white paint was weathered and faded. Significant portions were peeling off of the walls.
Rick and Pearl found Steven piecing together some bit of machinery that came from the astonishingly cluttered old barn. Steven noticed them when they approached. "Pearl! Rick!" Steven waved "You came!"
Pearl observed a crudely made sign hanging over the barn doors. "UUU Space Travel?" Pearl read the sign slowly "What is this?"
"We're building a spaceship" Steven explained "For you!"
He led Pearl and Rick around to the other side of the barn and presented a very large and almost competently made rocket. Pearl blinked in surprise and Rick's brow rose.
"A spaceship?" Pearl said, skeptically.
"Yep" Steven said, proudly.
Rick stepped up to the lumpy rocket made of wood and metal. He kicked its bulbous hull gently to test its integrity and peered through an opened hatch and did a double take. Inside, the scientist discovered a decent looking engine and a number of components that can be found in a space worthy vessel: an oxygen-generating unit, computing systems, even a power core. Although the craftsmanship of the rocket looked fairly competent and had the right parts, Rick saw enough glaring flaws in the rocket that made it more of a neutrino bomb with a pilot seat than a starship.
He looked at Steven "Who did all this?" He gestured to the ship's interior.
"Grom did" Steven said, happily "We did the design and Grom did all the technical stuff."
"Why?"
"Well, he's a robot and robots are super smart, so we thought he could help us."
"Nice thought and all, but Grom is the last robot you'd want to help you on anything. You'd be better off teaching llamas how to drive Ferraris. You know that I have a spaceship right? You could've just asked to borrow mine."
"Grom said that you would've said no."
True. Rick silently agreed to himself.
Greg came around the corner carrying a wrench. Noticing Rick and Pearl, the retired musician greeted them. "Hey, you guys are just in time. We were about to take the rocket for a test drive."
"Hi, I'm Rick Sanchez and welcome to Jackass." Rick murmured to himself. "It's a good thing that we came" Rick said to Steven, closing the hatch. The scientist raised his voice "Hey numbnuts!"
Grom's head popped up from the other side of the rocket "Yes?"
"You're project has been terminated." Rick said in a firm, commanding voice "Scrap it!"
"Aye, aye, sir" Grom saluted and began pulling the rocket's hull apart.
"What?" Steven said, bewildered.
"T-trust me, Steven." Rick said soothingly, stopping the boy when he moved to stop Grom "You really didn't want to use that rocket. Besides, we're going to be using my ship."
Steven looked up at the scientist, his eyes widening "Wait, you're going into space?" Rick nodded.
"Really?"
Rick nodded again. "Yep. I was feeling bored and decided to go on a little drive into space. Pearl tearfully begged me to come along and I, feeling generous, acquiesced to her request."
"I didn't tearfully beg" Pearl scoffed "You kidnapped me and-"
"Can I come?" Steven asked, hopeful.
"W-why do you thi*urp*nk we're here" Rick said with a grin. "Aside from saving you from riding the neutrino-powered Hindenburg 2.0 and wiping out half of the planet."
The half-gem pumped his fist in the air "Oooh yeah space travel!"
"Whoa hold on a second," Greg protested "You're not taking him to space"
"Yes we are" Pearl replied, firmly.
"I won't allow it!"
"Don't worry" Rick said, putting an arm on Greg's shoulders. "He'll be with me"
"But Grom said you guys had a run in with the cops! And-and I don't exactly trust the look of your ship."
"Hey, she'll make point five past light speed. She doesn't look like much but she's got it where it counts kid." Greg gave him an odd look, not getting the reference.
"Besides the cop thing wasn't that bad" Rick reasoned. "No one died and we got away." Greg didn't seem convinced.
The scientist rolled his eyes "Look if you're so worried, why don't you come with us?"
"What?" Greg squeaked.
"Come with us, it'll be fun! Think of it, the fou-er-three of us, cruising the galaxy, picking up chicks and seeing the sights!" Rick explained, making grand sweeping gestures with his hand. "This is a once in a lifetime offer Greg! Th-think about it! Do you really want to just stay home and-and do nothing with your life? Do you want to be stuck in this little nowhere town and rot away into nothing? Or do you want to come with us and, possibly, get balls deep into some seriously awesome shit?"
Rick could see the retired musician's mind working as he slowly considered the scientist's words. A few agonizingly long moments passed and eventually, Greg spoke. "I'll go." He said slowly. "Just…promise me that Steven will be safe. I don't want him or anyone else getting hurt."
"Scouts honor." Rick promised solemnly, putting a hand over his heart.
Grom looked back at the group from his half completed task, frowning. "I thought you said that you were kicked out of the Scouts."
Rick took the wrench from Greg's hands and chucked it at the mechanoid, which bounced harmlessly off his head with a loud clang.
"Ow." The mechanical young man said blankly.
After Grom had completed his task and with the barn locked up, the group gathered around Rick's spaceship. Grom bid them farewell and marched off down the dirt road back to Beach City as ordered.
Once the mechanoid was gone, Rick cleared his throat and addressed his three passengers.
"Alright, since I'm allowing you to come with me on my ship, I'm laying down some ground rules. Number one: no complaining. I don't want to hear any bitching or whining, and I don't want you talking to strange aliens, especially ones offering you glowing dust or bottles of blue goop. Number two: keep quiet and do as I say and you will come home alive and in one piece. Finally, number three: Don't. Touch. My. Shit." The scientist spoke slowly, emphasizing each word in order to drill it into his companion's brains. "If I find one of you so much as messing with the settings on the radio, I will not hesitate to chuck you into the vacuum of space. Got it?"
Everyone nodded, indicating that Rick got his point across.
"Good, now let's get going" Rick opened the door and hopped right in. Greg and Steven hopped into the back.
Pearl hesitated. She peered into the car and grimaced at the thought of going back into the cramped ship. The interior of the car reeked of fast food, the floor was covered in empty beer bottles and cans and the chewed up seats looked like they were fished out of a dumpster. Although she had already ridden in it minutes before, Pearl barely survived that short trip and was now balking at the thought of being stuck in this flying garbage dump for an even longer span of time.
The car hummed to life. "Come on Pearl" Steven said, beckoning her to join them.
"You know Steven, I-I don't know" Pearl stammered, feeling hesitation welling up in her chest "It-it doesn't look safe and-and I still got a lot of things to do-"
"Don't worry, it'll all be fine." The boy assured her. "Rick's done this thousands of times. Besides, don't you want to go visit all those places you talked about? You know, the ones in your memory…the ones that you wanted to show me."
Pearl hesitated. While she was reluctant to be cooped up in such a filthy spacecraft, the white gem truly wanted to go out there and revisit those old places she remembered fondly. Reluctantly, Pearl banished her fears and nodded. "O-of course" Pearl said, nervous.
She climbed in to the seat next to Rick's and buckled herself in just in time. Once the door was shut, the car rose vertically and took of like a shot, soaring up into the sky smoothly and without trouble. Pearl, Steven, and Greg were thrown backwards into their seats.
For a moment, Pearl was regretting her decision but as the blue and white faded into black, the white gem's regret vanished. She released her grip from the edge of her seat and gazed at the stars outside. A sense of nostalgia came flooding in. Looking back, the white gem, Greg, and Steven saw Earth slowly shrinking into the distance behind them.
It had been so long since Pearl saw Earth like this. Memories of the old days began to fill her vision. She remembered the faces of her old comrades and of Rose. She remembered when Homeworld began colonizing the small blue planet she has called home for so long. It all made her heart ache. Even after all these years, Pearl still longed for the old days and for those old faces. Those times and faces are gone now but she was in space again and she has the opportunity to revisit some of her favorite spots. It was a small consolation.
Greg looked a little green but Steven was ecstatic.
"Alright" Rick said, giving Pearl a sidelong glance "Where to?"
Pearl blinked at first then an excited smile quickly formed on her face. Where to begin? After many centuries of yearning to leave Earth, Pearl suddenly got her wish and was now having trouble deciding where to go. Pearl thought for a moment and one world popped into her mind. She gave Rick the coordinates and Rick punched them into the ship's computer. The computer gave an estimated time of arrival and charted their route. Rick, wanting to feel more relaxed, switched on the radio and leaned back into his seat.
The ship glided seamlessly through space, passing the various planets in the solar system, carrying the four towards their destination.
Pearl and Steven were excited for what waited for them.
Pearl was mortified.
The white gem sat in the front seat, a mix of shock and horror written on her face. Beyond the dome-like windshield, the shattered remains of the group's first destination drifted in space. The formerly pristine orb of blue and white looked like a half-eaten boiled egg. The northern hemisphere was untouched with some scraps of atmosphere and dead vegetation clinging to its surface.
Meanwhile a significant portion of the southern half had been obliterated, with the warm red-orange glow of its molten core exposed to the vacuum of space and pulsing like a dying heart. A wide ring of broken rock was strewn about the ruined world like crumbs, all of it trapped in the planet's orbit, forever encircling the planet.
Pearl was at a loss for words. This was once an uninhabited world filled with wondrous naturally forming rock formations and other natural beauties including hot springs, caves filled with jade and crystal and a sea that was so blue that on a still day, it looked like it was made of pure sapphire. It was considered a possible site for colonization but that idea was scrapped after scans showed a lack of essential minerals Homeworld required for their outposts and it was set aside as a place of resort for artists and a select few others from the various Diamond courts to relax from tiresome administrative work.
Pearl remembered visiting this world. It was a brief but an immensely enjoyable visit, it was just her and…
"I-its gone" Pearl finally said, in disbelief "How could this happen?"
"I-I don't know" Rick said with a shrug "I mean, h-how long has it been since you were last here? A thousand years? Two thousand?"
"It has been a very long time since I was last here" Pearl admitted sadly.
"Aw man" Steven groaned, "I wanted to see a new planet."
"That's a bummer," Greg said, sounding half disappointed.
There was a bleep on the ship's computer. Rick glanced at the screen "Looks like there's a station nearby. We can use the HoloNet there and find out what happened to the planet, get snacks and plot a new course. Besides, I gotta take a shit." Pearl nodded mutely.
As the ship carried the group toward their new destination, the white gem watched as the shattered husk of a planet shrink in the rearview mirror.
A short flight later, the group reached a massive space station. The cylindrical metal structure orbited a nearby moon that easily dwarfed Earth. Even against the gargantuan moon, the satellite's size was still breathtaking.
Pearl, for a brief moment, forgot about the destroyed world. As they neared, she noted ships of various sizes and makes entering and departing the hangar bays in a steady stream of traffic. Greg and Steven were gazing in amazement at the passing vehicles and the massive space station.
While Steven looked excited for what lay ahead, Greg was more apprehensive. Pearl was a little nervous as well. In all her years, she remembered reports of a few organic races that Homeworld encountered in their long years of expansion, even fewer that were capable of spaceflight and building space stations.
This was going to be a very interesting.
After landing in one of the satellite's hundreds of hangar bays, the group was packed into a cramped lift.
The lift ascended the station to the public levels in the center of the station. Pearl was squashed between Rick and a tall reptilian man in a tattered brown coat. The white gem saw Rick sipping from his flask, looking unperturbed by the creatures surrounding them or how uncomfortably close everyone was in the lift.
Pearl saw that Greg was keeping his hands to himself, trying not to encroach on the personal space of a slender bug-like alien with a hundred eyes wearing a dark blue jumpsuit.
Although Pearl and Greg were uncomfortable, it was apparent to the two that Steven was actually thrilled to be surrounded by such strange life forms. He gawked at the various aliens around them and even tried chatting up the squat pig creature in the grey business suit standing next to him.
That made Pearl smile and bear the discomfort. Maybe this trip won't be a total disaster. Although they didn't visit the planet she hopped to visit, maybe they can find something fun to do in this station.
The lift stopped and opened up to warm light and loud sounds. The lift emptied its occupants, save for Greg, Steven, Rick and Pearl.
The three new space travelers gazed in awe at what was beyond the threshold. Before them was a bustling city, with wide, busy roads with hover vehicles and footpaths with aliens of various species crisscrossed between blocky metal buildings. In the distance, the floor and streets rose high above them, connecting to the ceiling, forming a loop. More blocky buildings sprouted from the ceiling like stalactites with an almost identical amount of traffic moving about as the streets beneath.
Greg, Steven and Pearl gaped at the sight. Steven gasped and pointed at a small family having picnic at a park high above them on the ceiling. Pearl noticed a blue skinned man playing fetch with what looked like a half-canine half-lizard creature. It looked like a scene out of normal Earth life, except everything was upside down and filled with aliens. The white gem didn't realize that organics had such technology. This trip was already getting more interesting.
Steven hopped out of the lift, ready to explore and take in this new world, while Greg and Pearl shuffled out, looking shell-shocked.
Rick sauntered past Pearl and Greg, amused by their shock. "Come on, let's get going" Rick said, nudging them along "P-plenty to see and so little time, right?"
Pearl blinked, being brought back to the present. The three newcomers trailed closely behind Rick.
The scientist strolled along the busy sidewalk with his hands in his pockets and a carefree expression on his face. His companions looked about them, devouring up the peculiar new environment they were in. Aliens of various species and races went about their day, all dressed in diverse styles and colors of clothes. Some wore no clothing.
Judging their surroundings, Pearl guessed that they were in a shopping district of some sort. Bright neon signs hung over doorways or hovered above the sidewalks and streets. Each sign flashed in bright colors and unrecognizable languages, advertising their products and establishments. Each shop was packed closely together with their doors wide open, displaying their wares and items in the hopes to attract potential customers.
An assortment of smells crawled through Pearl's nose, some sweet, some awful. Greg and Steven ogled at what she guessed were food that were on display. Pearl frowned. The alien cuisine looked stranger than human food. They were comprised of a rainbow array of colors, encompassing different shades and textures.
Outside of one store, sat a plate offering samples of a bunch of inky black blobs that wriggled and bounced blindly about the plate like live fish pulled from the sea. Rick plucked one up and tossed it into his mouth. Greg almost vomited and Pearl cringed. Rick licked his fingers and carried on his way.
Steven wanted to try one but Greg and Pearl ushered him along. While the shops offering food didn't really catch her eye, Pearl did pause briefly to peer into a store that was filled with impressive gadgets and technology.
The group reached a shop on the corner of the street and went inside. Air conditioning and soft rhythmic electronic music greeted them.
Looking about, Pearl was reminded of an Earth minimart she went to once years before Steven was born. From the few aisles worth of snack foods, magazine racks and a refrigerated section, it all brought back memories. The only difference was the language and some of the products on display.
The store was empty, save for the bored looking humanoid cat man behind the counter reading a magazine. He didn't bother look up at them.
Rick gestured to the aisles "T-take your pick, just don't pick the Gloorg Chips, th-they'll melt your stomach."
Steven cheered and began combing through the aisles. Greg expressed his concern about money. Rick handed him a wad of purple notes and the musician quickly joined his son. Rick gestured for Pearl to follow him.
"Why are we here again?" Pearl asked as they passed a dirty microwave and a heating rack full of large green sausages.
"To get snacks" Rick replied simply "And to check the HoloNet to see if those other places you want to see are even still around. We don't want to waste our time going to more dead worlds or stumble into a political shit storm."
"What?" Pearl said.
Rick gave her a look and muttered, "Man it really has been a while, hasn't it?" The two went to the corner of the store to a computer terminal of sorts, which was nestled between a dirty counter with a heating rack full of food and the slushy machine. Rick booted up the computer. The screen was cracked and grimy from years of use but Pearl could still make out enough of what was on the screen. A few keystrokes later and a pale blue holographic display flickered to life with a search bar in the middle, waiting to be used.
He gestured to the computer "Just punch in the coordinates of the planet you want to see and it should pull something up. N-now if you'll excuse me, I gotta take a massive shit that I've been holding in all day."
Rick left and Pearl stepped up to the computer. She wiped the grimy keyboard and screen with a napkin she found nearby and typed in the first planet on her mental list. The flickering holographic display sputtered into action and produced a picture and a list of details on the planet. Pearl smiled. It was the right one.
She carefully studied the information and her smile instantly shrank.
The planet in question was designated as a no-go zone, due to it becoming a warzone between something called the Four Holy Orders and the Galactic Coalition of Worlds and judging from the recent news feeds on the screen, the situation appears to be grim there.
Pearl was disappointed but not deterred. A lot has changed and there were bound to be a few places that she wouldn't be able to visit.
Pearl tried other locations but soon her disappointment grew. Each of her old favorite places she used to visit, the ones she cherished the most in her memories, were all off limits for various reasons: war zones, environmental disasters, political upheaval and, curiously, "occupation".
Pearl felt her heart sink deeper and deeper. Finally, she attempted one last search. Punching in the final planet coordinates, Pearl held her breath and when the results came back, hope came surging back. The planet was still there and apparently was a popular tourist spot. Beneath the image of the world in question, there were a list of sites to visit and other important items worth mentioning. She squealed with excitement. "I got one!" Pearl laughed exuberantly
"Got what? A sense of humor?" Rick deadpanned. The scientist appeared at her side, carrying a jumbo cup of green slushy drink.
The white gem didn't acknowledge Rick's comment and pointed to the holographic window triumphantly.
He analyzed it silently, nodded in approval. "Looks good" Rick said "But we got a bit of time until they're open, even with travel time."
"Open?" Pearl echoed, confused.
Rick jabbed a finger at a small bit of text that Pearl glossed over. It was a list of times that the planet was open for visitors.
The white gem scowled. "How can an entire planet be closed?" She said, bewildered.
Rick shrugged "That's the way things work for these special resort planets. I mean it sucks but hey, economy, mega corporations and shit. But who cares, you finally found a planet that we can visit!" Pearl smiled a little, cheered up by the thought that there was one planet out there that was still intact.
"S-so what-what do you want to do?" Rick asked as they joined Greg and Steven at the counter.
Pearl gave him a look. "Why are you asking me?" the white gem asked "Aren't you the experienced traveler and alien expert?"
"Yeah, but since this is your vacation and road trip, I'm letting you take the lead on this" Rick replied, placing his items on the counter alongside Greg's and Steven's.
Pearl cocked an eyebrow "Really?"
"Yeah, really." Rick replied, a little irritated "Look, I don't do this very often so-so choose wisely."
Pearl considered what they should do next as Rick, Greg and Steven purchased their items. There was so much they could do, but what could they do? Her eyes drifted towards the windows and were drawn toward a bright and colorful ad pasted on the glass.
Once their transaction was through, Pearl made her decision known.
A brief cab ride later, Pearl, Rick, Greg and Steven were standing at the end of a densely crowded street. Lining the streets were makeshift stalls, kiosks and tents. Up and down the street, aliens of various species and races loudly promoting their wares in an attempt to lure in potential customers. A rich mixture of smells filled the air, enticing the group of newcomers into the crowded street bazaar.
Pearl saw an advertisement for a market of sorts nearby, with food, games and all sorts of things that they could partake in. She saw it as an opportunity to learn of these fascinating new cultures and as something to kill time with.
The newer space travelers stood and gazed in awe of this strange yet familiar scene.
Rick reminded them that while they had a fair amount of time to kill, they should get a move on before they waste their day standing around gawking.
Steven, Pearl and Greg nodded and cautiously entered the busy bazaar.
Rick moved to join them but paused for a moment. He glanced back over his shoulder, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
He could've sworn he saw something but he saw nothing but a busy street behind him. The scientist shrugged and followed after his companions.
Greg was amazed by what the bazaar contained. The whole thing reminded the musician of similar markets and bazaars he'd been to back on Earth. Every kiosk, stall and tent was filled with strange and colorful things. One kiosk was manned by a pudgy orange skinned alien and sold crates filled with bright pink blobs with wriggling tentacles. Another one had a trio of diminutive grey furred aliens hawking an array of shiny, elegant gadgets.
Time crawled on and they delved deeper into the bazaar. The crowds grew thicker and louder, the items grew stranger and more alien. Bodies and stalls grew closer together, until people were brushing up against one another. Despite the growing lack of personal space, Steven drank in the alien environment around them, going from stall to stall, ogling the items on display and the ones selling them. He poked, prodded and handled various items at stalls that allowed him to.
Pearl kept her distance from almost all of the stalls. Not long after, the group stopped for a moment at a bench between two less busy stalls.
Tired, Greg and Steven collapsed on to the bench. Rick urged them to keep moving, but Greg politely informed the scientist of his aching feet and exhaustion. Although Steven was eager to see more, the young boy agreed with his father. The scientist glanced over his shoulder then back to his companions and sighed.
"Alright fine, take five and then we'll keep going." Rick glanced at his watch "We still got another hour and a half, then we'll head back to the car. In the meantime, I need you to do me a solid and stay here for a little bit and don't go anywhere."
"What why?" asked Pearl.
"I-I'll be back in a sec. There's a Splog stand up ahead I gotta check out." The scientist jabbed a thumb over his shoulder to a busy stall a distance up ahead, barely within sight of the group.
"But I thought you said we should stay together?" Greg asked, confused.
"Greg, I trust you man." Rick said sincerely. "You're an adult, just keep cool and wait here, I'll be back. I'll even get you some."
"What if something were to happen?" Pearl asked, raising her voice in order to be heard over a pair of aliens that were marching by, banging on drums and shrieking.
"Scream as loud as you can, start a fire or something I don't know, just try and get my attention."
"But what if we can't?"
"Don't worry" Rick assured the musician and the white gem "Nothing is going to happen, not in this place at least. The odds of something happening are about as likely as that Lars kid finding a girl who actually likes him for who he is."
With that, Rick melted into the bustling crowd of aliens, leaving Greg, Pearl and Steven alone on the bench.
A short distance away, hidden in the shadow of a busy stall, a figure observed the scientist's departure.
At last, an opportunity! The figure's attention zeroed in on the slender female. She was the right size, shape and even the looks are just right. She would do.
She would do very nicely.
Although it had only been a few minutes since Rick left, fear began to creep into the musician's heart.
Pearl began to feel jittery. Aliens of all shapes and sizes pushed past them. Most ignored the three sitting on the bench but there were one or two who gave Greg and Steven strange looks, some gave even stranger looks to Pearl.
Greg didn't realize how much he stood out or how utterly alien this place was, despite the obvious similarities this place shared with Earth. Was this what it was like to be an alien in a strange world? Was this what it was like for the Crystal Gems?
As the group waited for Rick to return, Greg shifted uncomfortably, trying his best to not make eye contact with anyone or get in the way but the closeness of the stalls and bodies made it difficult. Pearl looked about her, trying not to let the strange looks they were getting bother her.
Steven didn't appear to be affected by the looks they were getting, but he was getting bored sitting there. Seconds seemed to drag on into hours as the trio waited patiently at the bench for Rick but so far, there didn't appear to be any sign of the mad scientist.
The crowded street only got louder and more crowded. Merchants, customers and the rest of the foot traffic begin to press up against one another, trying to make way as loud, rhythmic music drew near. Merchants franticly moved their stalls as much as they could and as quickly as possible. People pushed and shoved each other to get away. A wall of tall slender green skinned aliens was pushed into Pearl and Greg's laps. Some apologized while others cursed loudly.
Steven wriggled free. Greg and Pearl managed to crawl out from under them and stand up on the bench, giving the aliens more room and allowing them to get a view as to what's going on. Steven stood on tiptoes, trying to see over the shoulders of the towering green aliens before them, but couldn't. Greg scooped him up and placed him on his shoulders.
"Better?" Greg asked his son.
"Yep" Steven chirped.
"What do you see?" Steven scanned the chaotic road and his eyes widened. "It looks like a parade!" the young boy answered, sounding excited.
The music was now very close. The thumping of drums rattled Greg's teeth and the blaring of horns and flutes made Pearl wince. A marching band of sorts clad in green and gold passed. Trailing closely behind the band was a precession of stoic faced aliens of a variety of humanoid and insect like races arrayed in blue and grey, carrying rifles and packs.
Warm enthusiastic cheers erupted from the crowd. Voices shouted out in a multitude of languages, sounding encouraging and happy, while other sounded sad and tearful. Greg and Pearl guessed that it was a military parade and these soldiers must be heading off to war soon. This hypothesis was given more weight when they saw an elderly woman with four arms fall to her knees, weeping, while a young green skinned woman ran up and kissed one of the passing soldiers on the cheek.
The three newcomers from Earth stood on the bench and watched with the rest of the crowd. The deafening music and cheers only grew as the long stream of soldiers passed. The crowds pressed closer together, shifting violently as some wanted to get a closer look and others wanted to break free of the press of bodies. Pearl could sense some tension building from the growing intensity of the shoving from those trapped in the crowd.
The tension seemed to reach its boiling point when a large orange skinned alien stumbled into an equally large grey skinned alien. The one who was bumped into bellowed something at the orange one. The orange one roared something that must've been rude, because the grey one responded with a forceful shove against the orange one.
Quickly, a scuffle broke out between them. Arms flailed about, trying to land a hit but the large beefy arms only knocked out swaths of unfortunate aliens pressed up against them. More were bowled over when the two behemoths began to grapple.
Enraged, at least a dozen smaller aliens joined the fray. Some jumped on the backs of the two battling giants, while some swung at them with loaded shopping bags. One alien hurled himself into battle swinging a broken wooden board. The conflict grew larger and worse. So much so that the entire sidewalk was locked in combat. The parade stopped and some of the soldiers in the precession joined in to stop the fighting.
"We should get out of here!" Greg shouted, panicked.
Pearl nodded. Greg and Steven hopped off of the bench and managed to squeeze through an opening in wall of bodies close to them.
Pearl moved to follow but the white gem was knocked off the bench and crashed into a tall mantis like alien who was battling a koala like alien in a jumpsuit. The alien let out an angry shriek, swiping at Pearl with its arm. The gem apologized and rolled off of the large insect just as the koala alien and a dozen others jumped on to the fallen mantis.
Pearl scrambled away from the skirmish, squeezing past a dozen more like it. She kept her head down as fists and small sharp objects flew past her head. The gem expertly dodged a charging noodle limbed alien and scurried up a lamppost.
She scanned the street fight, looking for any sign of Greg and Steven.
"Pearl!" a voice cried.
The gem turned her head about. "Steven?" Pearl called back. Through the surging mass of bodies, Pearl spied Steven's familiar shape moving through the crowd.
"Steven!" Pearl shouted, "Wait!" She leapt from the top of the lamppost and started hopping from the top of one alien's head to another.
In seconds, she hopped off of the head of a blocky creature and found herself at the edge of an empty narrow alley. Pearl thought it strange that Steven would come down this way, but considering the present circumstances, it made sense.
The gem pressed forward, calling out Steven's name, completely unaware of the fact that Steven and Greg were heading in the opposite direction. "Steven!" Pearl called out "Greg!" The silence of the alley swallowed her voice.
In the distance behind her, the shouts and clatter of the street fight was dull and shrinking away.
The deeper she went, the more unease the gem felt. Buzzing street lights provided a sickly yellow light, making the alley seem more eerie and dirty. A few moments of silence passed and with the uneasy feeling brewing in her gut, Pearl decided to double back.
As she turned, a shadow moved in her peripheral. The gem paused. She wasn't alone. Quickly, she summoned her spear and spun around, brandishing her weapon. A tiny bug-rat creature was sitting there, nibbling away at a black garbage bag. The creature's antennae twitched and it scurried away. Pearl frowned in confusion. That creature couldn't have been what she saw.
The gem's line of thought was suddenly disrupted when a bolt of energy struck her between the shoulder blades. Pearl's body was wracked with pain, her mind blinded by the violent energy coursing through her, immobilizing her. The pain thankfully stopped and Pearl collapsed to the cold, dirty ground.
Pearl's vision blurred. She fought to remain conscious but was barely able to stave back the blackness. In and out of consciousness, Pearl heard soft scraping and she felt something enclose around her wrist. A click and a chime sounded in the silence and she felt like she was moving.
What seemed like a moment later, Pearl could feel her body being placed on solid ground again. The air felt much cooler than before. The loud hum of an engine began to fill Pearl's ears. With whatever energy she had left, Pearl tried to force herself to wake and move but her body, numb, refused to move.
As darkness finally claimed her, Pearl heard a soft voice whisper in her ear. "Someday, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me" said the voice, sounding regretful and sad.
Everything faded into black.
Greg and Steven stood opposite of the street where the brawl was now winding down. The two large aliens were still punching each other, screaming about something in an unknown language while a mixture of police bots and soldiers kept a safe distance, waiting for an opening to jump in and subdue them. The street around them looked as if a storm had raged through it. Stalls and kiosks were smashed, food and other items strewn about.
Medical bots and emergency crews were tending to injured civilians and soldiers. Down the street, a pair of large armored hover vehicles was being loaded up with handcuffed aliens who were part of the brawl.
"Whoa, what'd I miss?" A familiar voice said. "And what happened to you?"
Greg looked and saw Rick arrive, carrying a brown paper bag filled to the brim with lumpy purple fruit.
"Well, there were this parade" Steven answered slowly, trying to make sense of the chaos "Then there was this huge fight."
Rick's brow rose "Seriously? A fight? Shit, how'd that happen?"
Greg helped by filling in some of the details, including the part of the two large aliens shoving each other and gestured to the two still slugging away at each other. Rick watched the ongoing match with some interest while munching on one of the purple fruits he plucked from his bag. The scientist looked Greg up and down and stated through a mouthful of mushed up fruit "You look like shit."
Greg looked down and saw that his shirt was covered by a splattered rainbow of alien blood and was torn in some places. Although he was missing a sandal and was shaken by the tumultuous brawl, Greg was fine overall.
"It got kinda hairy there for a second" Greg said softly "I-I don't think we could've gotten out of there without Steven's bubble."
Rick nodded, understanding.
"Where were you?" Steven asked.
"At the Splog stand" Rick answered casually "W-would've gotten back sooner but I got stuck when that military parade pushed everyone off to the side. I tried circling around but some Gorthins cornered me and-" He stopped abruptly. Noticing the group lacking a distinct member, a certain member who should've been badgering Rick for leaving them to fend for themselves by now.
"W-where's Pearl?" Rick asked with all seriousness.
Steven and Greg said nothing but the worried expressions told the scientist enough.
"S-son of a bitch" the scientist grumbled "H-how hard was it to stay pu*urp*t?"
"We got separated" Greg answered hastily "The fight started right where we were sitting and we tried escaping together and we thought Pearl was behind us but when we looked back-"
"Great!" Rick threw his hands up "She could be anywhere. She could be dead in a dumpster in some back alley here or-or half-way to freaking Holy Kren by now!"
Greg and Steven flinched. They both felt responsible for Pearl going missing. They should've stayed closer together or gone back for her but now she's lost in an alien city.
"We're sorry" Steven said sadly.
"Eh, don't worry about" Rick said, some amount of annoyance leaving his voice "It was bound to happen. I think I jinxed us by going off on my own."
"What do we do?" Greg asked.
"Let's check with the police and see if she was carted off with the rest of these ding dongs" Rick elaborated.
"See if who was carted off?" A familiar voice asked from behind Rick.
Rick jumped in surprise and spun around. There stood Pearl, looking calm and collected, not a hair out of place with a small smile painted on her face.
"Pearl!" Steven cried. He ran and embraced her. Her smile widened and she scooped him up and returned the embrace.
"Where'd you come from?" Rick asked, somewhat surprised.
"I got separated from Steven and Greg when the fighting broke out and I hid in a nearby alleyway until the fighting died down."
Greg was greatly relieved that Pearl was ok but he noticed a slight frown on Rick's lips. A few moments of silence passed and the scientist shrugged, accepting her explanation.
"Wha*urp*tever" Rick belched "Just-just don't do that again. Stay together and we'll get home alive"
Pearl nodded "Got it!"
"I'm glad you're ok!" Steven said, cheerful.
"Me too" Pearl said lovingly. Greg smiled.
Pearl looked at him and, oddly enough, winked at him. The musician frowned and thought it strange but didn't consider it very much. Overall, he was glad that everyone was ok and back together again.
But they were not back together again. Had Greg paid closer attention, he would've noticed that the Pearl standing before him was a fraud. This Pearl spoke with a slight hint of an accent that could've gone unnoticed should one not bother to listen carefully. Her eyes were of a different shade of blue and the gemstone head on her head was slightly smaller.
But these differences, unfortunately, went unnoticed due to Greg being thrown for a loop by Pearl winking at him.
Pearl's eyes fluttered open. The world around her was dim and smelled awful. Everything slowly came into focus. The gem saw that she was in a cramped metal compartment of sorts with two lines of hard plastic seats facing each other on opposite sides of the space with an incredibly narrow aisle running between them. It sort of looked like the inside of a subway car that she saw back on Earth once.
Pearl moved to get up but found movement hindered by the web of seatbelts holding her to her seat and the faint buzzing in her head. She worked to get the belts off but paused when she saw a black wristband clamped to her left wrist. A blue light glowed, filling the dim compartment with a modicum of light.
Looking around her, Pearl found that she was not alone and not the only one with a wristband. Sitting right beside her was a large, muscled alien with four eyes, four arms and dark green skin, staring directly ahead of him, face like stone. A little ways up the line of seats, Pearl spied a slender man with smooth, glass skin and glowing ruby eyes. Beside him was a squat, furry creature that looked like a cross between a cat and a koala.
None of them were talking or anything. Each sat in total silence with a varying degree of expressions. The glass man sat there, looking elegant and regal, while the koala-cat creature looked angry.
Pearl was deeply confused and tried to get the big, four armed man's attention but he remained silent and immovable. She looked about and saw a man sitting across from her. In the dimness, she could see that his eyes closed and chin resting on his chest. She hissed at him.
The man stirred and gazed up at her with narrow, golden eyes. "What?" the man hissed.
"Where are we?" Pearl asked, "What is this wristband and who are you?"
The man looked at her like she was nuts. "Are you serious?" the man asked, "Did you hit your head or something? Did you get seriously loaded before this or drunk a bit of Glopa?"
"N-no" Pearl said, still disoriented "I-I'm not sure how I got here. I was in this alleyway, looking for Steven and Greg and-and I don't know and I just woke up here."
The man frowned at her and seemed to consider her for a moment then asked in a soft voice "What's your name?"
"P-Pearl" she answered "But what does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing really" The man replied sadly. "Except a bit of good manners, seeing as we're going to be stuck together for a little while."
"What do you mean?"
"You see Pearl, this is a prison transport," The man explained in a casual manner "Meant to be conveying criminals, deserters and various rogues like us to a nearby work prison in the neighboring system to help contribute to the war effort, considering that the Free City State of Paraxa is a member of the Coalition. It's only fair to do our part."
Pearl's eyes widened with horror. "Prison ship?" she repeated, fear creeping into her voice "Work prison? No, no that can't be right. I'm not supposed to be here."
Some derisive chuckles and snorts sounded from the other passengers, except for the man across from her.
"That's what they all say." The glass man said in an amused tone, his voice high and melodic.
Pearl shook her head and frantically attempted to undo the seatbelts but the buckles wouldn't budge.
An electronic chirp sounded and the light in the cramped quarters began to brighten.
The light revealed more of the man sitting across from her. She was reminded of an Earth fairy tale that she heard of long ago about elves. This man would certainly fit the description, though he looked more in line with one of those cheap romance novel versions. While he looked more elegant and regal than the glass man with his flawless, marble face, his white hair was short and spiky, Making him look like a punk rocker, but with pointy ears. His golden eyes gleamed like polished coins in the new light. He probably would've looked more the part if he grew his hair out and wore something other than the dirty orange and grey jumpsuit he was wearing.
Pearl stopped and looked about her. The other passengers were in matching jumpsuits as well. She looked down and saw that she too was clad in orange and grey.
This had to be a nightmare. Maybe if she closed her eyes she would wake up. Despite this wishful thinking, the buzzing in her head, the rancid smell of sweat and the fact that gems don't really dream or sleep said otherwise.
The compartment rocked abruptly and there was a loud thump outside the windowless walls and sudden, deathly silence.
"W-what was that?" Pearl asked, hoping that her hunch was wrong. It wasn't.
"We're here," the elf man announced grimly, his eyes focused on what Pearl now realized was the rear boarding ramp of the craft. He looked at Pearl and smiled wryly. "I'm Sky by the way, Captain Aldan Sky, and welcome to the Seventh Hell."
(a/n: There it is. Hate to leave you off with a cliffhanger but this chapter was running a bit long and I just wanted to show that I'm not dead. I'll try getting the next chapter out under a year. For a little while though, I'm going to be pretty busy but I won't stop working on this story. If I was, I'd let you know.
Fun fact: Captain Sky was a name mentioned in Morty's Mind Blowers. What does this have to do with the story? Who knows. We shall see.
Just saw the Steven Universe Diamond Days and the finale and it was interesting, though not how I thought it would turn out. Anyway, hope to see you soon and Happy belated New Year!)
