Chapter 36

Garnet tapped her finger on a file labeled "Adler Von Schlachten III."

As the file opened a new screen, an image of Adler appeared at the top of the screen. Below his photo were several pages of written text, dating back all the way to 1934.

January 3rd, 1934

My research at the dig sight in Russia has been for nothing. Many of my colleagues from The People's Mystical Archaeological University of the Soviet Union have been telling me to return to Germany. It appears that Stalin has been having anyone suspected of being a quote "enemy of the people" disposed of. In short; anyone he deems a threat to his reign is killed. I have not heard back from my colleague Drago Korshunov for several weeks and fear the worst. I leave for home tomorrow, and God help me if I am captured. Being of German blood, I will surly be killed.

"Woah, what?!" Amethyst exclaimed loudly after reading the journal entry. "Adler and Drago were colleagues?!"

"It would appear so," Pearl responded as she rubbed her chin inquisitively. "Dark minds think alike."

Garnet quickly skimmed through several more journal entries then stopped at a date she recognized from the Crystal Archiver.

August 3rd, 1942

After years of painstaking research and toil, I believe we might finally be close to a breakthrough. With aid from the SS Paranormal Division, we have managed to decipher many of the hieroglyphics found at the new dig sight. The hieroglyphics are apparently used for something the Gems call Gem Fusion, the act of two or more Gems combining into a more powerful being. However, the prisoners have told us that they stopped using the hieroglyphics eons ago and they refuse to tell us how it works. But the Fuhrer is demanding results, and results he shall have. Using a combination of advanced machinery and Gem mysticism, we might actually be able to do the impossible. We are going to create our very own Crystal Gem warrior. We've called it project Black August. If we succeed, the Fatherland will crush her enemies with an army of Gem warriors mightier than any soldier. If we fail, then we will face the collective wrath of the world.

The room was silent as Garnet finished reading the journal entry. This revelation was most unwelcome. Not only was Adler connected to the creation of the False Gem Geissel, but he was one of the lead scientists in her creation.

"I knew it!" Pearl shouted with her fists raised. "I just knew there was something evil about that man! But it's far worse then I could have imagined. He created the False Gem, he is the one responsible for everything that has happened to the Crystal Gems around the world."

"That monster!" Azurite shouted hatefully. "His creation devoured everyone we knew! He has to pay for this!"

Garnet opened up another journal entry. This one was undated and appeared to be written hastily and on burnt paper. Blood droplets stained the paper.

I failed. It was NOT a Crystal Gem. Slaughtering everyone she finds. It's eating the prisoner Gems. Need to escape. Eyes are bleeding. Glass shrapnel from the energy release. Can't see much. My vision is darkening. Can hardly see what I'm writing. If anyone finds this...I have failed.

"So, he survived Geissel...pity," Carnelian stated bitterly. "He is the reason why I was forced into hiding."

Garnet nodded her head with agreement. Things would have played out very differently had Adler died when Geissel was created. Out of all the people she slaughtered as she escaped, why did he have to be the only one to survive? Garnet skimmed over more of the journal entries. Most of them where short, hastily written scribbles from a man blinded. She could make out a few details about what happened after the failure of the Black August project. They showed that Adler managed to escape the facility and managed to find his way back to civilization. He spent most of the war being treated for his wounds in Berlin. The doctors never could remove all of the glass in his eyes, and Adler made note that the fact that he could still see anything was abnormal. As Nazi Germany began to fall apart with the Allies pushing from the west and the Soviets pushing from the east, Adler left Berlin and headed west. The journal noted that he would rather surrender to the Americans or British than be taken prisoner by the Soviets. Once the Second World War ended and the Cold War began, Adler, like many other scientists of his intelligence, he was covertly brought to the United States to aid them in the growing arms race against the Soviet Union. It was during this period that he continued his research on Crystal Gem technology. He never made any breakthroughs due to funding issues. That is, until one fateful day.

Pearl tilted her head as she noticed another journal entry. It was dated January 17, 1991. The day the first Burners attacked Beach City, the date Rose wounded the False Gem.

January 17, 1991

It appears that Rose Quartz, leader of the Crystal Gems has finally come face to face with my failed creation.
The creatures that attacked the city are clearly of Geissel's making.
I had my doubts, but it appears that Geissel wishes to consume Rose's gemstone.
Theory; since Geissel was born without a gemstone, she needs to feed upon them to keep her body from falling apart.
With a Gem as powerful as Roses', Geissel could finally become what I wanted her to be, a real Crystal Gem. It's funny looking back on it all.
Had it not been for Geissel, I would not have been able to climb back from my lowest point.
The glass in my eyes somehow was infused with Gem magic during Geissel's explosive birth. I can't explain how and I don't care.
Thanks to these wounded eyes of mine, I can now look upon Gem technology and understand how it works, and more importantly, how to replicate it.
I'm still limited by today's technology, but with the proper motivation, I believe that limitation will so be behind me. For now, I watch and wait.

"This is really messed up," Amethyst stated with a bitter frown. "He knew about Geissel, he knew about Rose, he knew that Geissel was eating us!"

Turquoise lowered her head with shame.

"I knew it was bad...but I never imagined it was this bad," she sighed sadly. "I shouldn't have hid. I should have stood and fought. I should have tried to warn you four. I should have-"

Garnet placed her hand over Turquoise's shoulder.

"You did what you thought was necessary. We can't blame you for that," she responded firmly. "You managed to preserve some of our people. Rose would not blame you for that."

Turquoise patted Garnet's hand with a saddened face. She never forgave herself for fleeing while Geissel fed upon other Gems. She was determined to redeem herself, at any cost.

"Father!" a shrill voice cried out from the gateway.

The voice belonged to Connie who rushed through the living room to the couch where her wounded father was laying. Mr. Maheswaran strained his neck once he heard her voice.

"Connie, pumpkin?" he called out.

Connie gasped in terror once she saw her father's wounds.

"Dad, what happened to you?! You're bleeding and...and-"

Mr. Maheswaran placed his finger over her her lips to silence Connie's frightened and confused ramblings. He smile, feeling a little bit embarrassed by his situation.

"I've been better, but I'll live," he stated in a calming tone as he ran his hand over Connie's head. "Pearl and Amethyst are patching me up as best as they can. Good thing your mother is out of town. She gonna be so mad when she finds out."

Connie wanted to hug her father, but she knew that his wounds were too severe for that. She was just so very happy that he was live and out of the war that raged outside.

"NO WAY!" Amethyst shouted as she opened another file. "This file has the DL on the Alloys!"

Everyone in the room gathered around the holographic screen as Garnet opened a file labeled Project Obelisk. Within the file there were four folders and one text document listed out. Garnet tapped her finger against the text document and expanded the screen.

Date:[Redacted]

After years of waiting for the fools in Washington to finally open their eyes, I have been given the all funds I need to start my greatest project since [Redacted]. After the mess that was left over after the Crystal Gems destroyed Geissel, and the following incidents with Lapis Lazuli and Peridot, the powers that be have finally seen what we as a species are facing. They now know that we are out gunned and out classed by the Crystal Gems. They now understand that we would be wiped out should the Crystal Gem Empire ever find our planet. But since those foolish Gems of Beach City let that Lapis Lazuli leave Earth, it is now only a matter of time. But now...now my shackles have been removed. Now I can finally begin to put my research to use. Not just towards weapons and machinery, but towards a new breed of warrior. A breed that can replace those incompetent Gems. Geissel was our best candidate, but she was untamable. Still, her death has only opened the door of possibility for me. Luckily, the Gems failed recover what was left of Geissel after her nuclear death. While the blast was powerful enough to kill her, it did not destroy all of her Uranium power core. While not as refined as a Crystal Gem's gemstone would be, the shards of her core should be powerful enough to make my dream a reality. While my friends in Washington see that the facility I've designed is constructed, I will begin finding subjects who are...willing to take part in this project. Finding subjects shouldn't be too hard, there is only one prerequisite that must be met. They must be human.

"What...Garnet, did I read that right?" Steven asked as he felt a chill run down his spine.

Garnet stood frozen as she reread the last sentence over and over and over again. She couldn't believe it, she didn't want to believe it, but there it was.
Carnelian covered her mouth to stifle the gasp that escaped from her mouth.

"This-this can't be possible, this just can't be possible...right?" she asked with an audible tremble in her voice.

Garnet shook her head as the weight of this new information crashed down on her. She always knew Adler was a monster, but she never knew just how monstrous he was until now. The Alloys weren't always the metallic warriors that they are.

The Alloys were once human.

Garnet swallowed the lump in her throat and opened the first folder.

Subject # 1

Alloy name: Iron

AKA : The Tower (Rook)

The subject was acquired from an out of town mental institute. The thirty four year old Mr.[Redacted] was chosen as the first subject for Project Obelisk.
The subject's health history is less then impressive. His records show that he was born with a birth defect that miss-shaped his skull at the front of his temple.
This birth defect resulted in brain damage that drastically reduced his overall intelligence to that of a child.
As a child, it appears that he spent the first ten years of his life with his unwed mother. He was home schooled (for what that's worth) because the other children constantly insulted and beat him. At the age of twelve, social workers came to Ms.[ Redacted] home to take custody of the subject.
The subject managed to severally injure one of the social workers with his bare hands as they tried to relocate him from his home.
The subject spent the next six years bouncing from foster home to foster home until he beat one of his foster parent to death for calling him "Slow".
Given the Subject's mental history, reprogramming should not prove too difficult. The Subject is very friendly and soft spoken but he does what he is told.
This combination of obedience and lack of intelligence might prove useful, if he survives the transfusion process. But before that, he must be mentally wiped clean.
After today Mr.[ Redacted] will be dead, and my first warrior will be born.

Entry # 1

Subject One's body has successfully bonded to the Geissel shard. Immediately his body began to show signs of physical changes.
The Subject's total size has increased from five feet to eight feet over night.
His internal organs have been converted into a rust colored metallic substance of unknown nature while the Geissel shard has continued to reshape his body.
Theory; due to the host's lacking metal capabilities, the shard had focused on improving his physical prowess.
Once the shipment of iron I've asked for reaches my lab, I will begin the next phase of the project.
If the next phase proves fruitful, the next subjects will be made of much stronger( and expensive) metals.

Entry #2

Success! The subject's body has survived the grafting process. His skin has bonded with the iron ore.
His flesh has the density and hardness of iron while somehow maintaining the flexibility of human skin.
Despite my best efforts, I have been unable to remove the birth defect from his skull. Being a possible weak point, I have ordered a protective helmet to be forged for him.
The subject does not respond to his former name of [Redacted] a good sign that his metal reprogramming was a success.
However, I have placed him in the re-adjudication chamber until further notice as the first words he spoke on his own were "Where is Mama?"
He is not to be approached by anyone until he is out of the chamber.
As for his new name, I will call him by what his body is made of, the earliest of metals mastered by humanity; Iron.
As I type this, more shipments of metals are being transferred over to my labs, as is a list of potential subjects.
Three Geissel shards remain now; three more warriors I shall create. Stronger metals must be used.

Carnelian's legs trembled before she finally slid to the floor. Tears flowed from her eyes as the the morbid history of her Alloy friend came to light. She could not believe the things Adler had done to make Iron. The gentle Alloy was a sad, blighted pawn created by a mad man and powered by the remains of the False Gem. It all made sense to her now. The dreams, his childish behavior, his explosive temper, all of it was from his past life as a human. His body was twisted and molded into what he was now, but his mind still had faint memories of who he once was. Carnelian broke out into loud sorrowful sobs as it all sank in. Pearl kneeled down and put her arms around the sad orange Gem. Pearl now understood why Iron had attached himself to the two of them. Both of them acted maternal towards him due to his impaired intelligence. The part of him that remembered being human saw the two Gems as a way to fill the void that was made when he was dragged away from his mother as a child.

"Please no! Please tell me this isn't real!" Carnelian sobbed as Pearl held her close. "He doesn't deserve punishment! Please don't force me to hurt him!"

Garnet wished she could respond to the sad Gems cries. But the fact that he was made from a shard of the False Gem meant that he needed to be dealt with, one way or another.

While Pearl tried her best to comfort Carnelian, Garnet opened up the second folder.

Subject # 2

Alloy name: Steel

AKA : The Bishop

After the success of creating Iron, I have been given additional funding to create a second Alloy warrior.
I've decided to try something a little bit different this time with choosing subjects. Iron was once a mentally impaired detriment to society, this one will not be.
Subject 2 a Mr. [Redacted] was sent to me after a mocked lethal injection.
The subject was a twenty eight year old crime lord with ties to several infamous drug cartels, gun smugglers, and human trafficking operations.
After being arrested four years ago and charged with at least six counts of manslaughter, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection, but money can buy anything it would seem. I don't like Mr. [Redacted], he never stops clicking his fingernails together, and he constantly reassures me that his younger brother will find out where I live and kill me in my sleep. A bold threat, had it not been for that fact that said brother already tried to kill me...and failed...hilariously. Children these days need better role models.
Tomorrow I will repeat the process I used with Iron on Mr. [Redacted] and end his life as a criminal. He will be reborn as an Alloy warrior.

Entry # 1

Once again, the Geissel shard imbedded inside of him has altered his physical form. His eyes have turned a marble color and his muscle mass has increased.
The subject continues to cry out for his brother...most annoying. Still, he is a work in progress and thus, still has room to be improved.
Once his skin reaches the right temperature, I will bond him to the steel ore and hopefully have my second Alloy warrior.

Entry # 2

The subject has successfully bonded to the steel that I had shipped in. His speeds are four times greater then that of a normal human.
Like with Iron, the subject's flesh retained the strength and density of the metal bonded to it. For now, Steel will be kept in isolation until the next two Alloys are finished.
I'm looking forward to the next to experiments as I have place a large order of titanium ore and tungsten. Once all four are finished, we can begin the training process.

Side note: Today, the guards reported to me that they had spotted the fat purple Gem snooping around the construction sight with that...subhuman Steven. They are getting too noisy, and General William refuses to send me more troops. No matter, I'll just hire my own security. One that won't mind testing out some of the new toys I've created.

Subject # 3

Alloy name: Titanium

AKA : The Pawn

With two of my Alloys already complete, I can assume that this experiment will go no differently then the first two.
The subject, a twenty four year old [Redacted] was a drug addicted street lurker. I will not bother writing down his personal history as it would be the same as writing down the history of one's garbage. He has already bitten one of my new lab assistants in a withdrawal fueled frenzy. He should calm down after a few days without food.
After that, I will continue with his mental wiping and bond the Geissel shard with him.
On a related note, he too claims that his older brother will quote, "Bail him out as always".
He doesn't seem to know that he killed his brother over six years ago in a drug crazed fury.

Note to self; keep the subject separated from Steel until his transformation process is completed.

Entry # 1

As expected, the Geissel shard successfully bonded to the subject's body. His atrophied muscles increased in density and mass while missing teeth have grown back.
His innards have been coated in a viscous purple sludge that contain small traces of Diacetylmorphine, or Heroin in layman's terms.
A very interesting and unusual development. Still, he seems compliant and in a proper mindset. As with the other three, Titanium will be placed in isolation.
Now that the Monastery has been completed, I can finally move my work closer to the front lines. I leave for Beach City tomorrow. I hate the ocean.

"Well, isn't that a surprise?!" Pounamu exclaimed almost mockingly. "Steel was a killer and Titanium was a punk ass junky!"

"And they aren't even brothers," Connie hissed as she looked up at the two Alloy's mugshots. "Trash always clumps together."

"You sounded like your mother just now, Connie," Mr. Maheswaran chuckled while Steven rubbed a cloth that was secretly covered in his spit.

"And I thought, Geissel was a monster," Amethyst stated as she shook her head. "But Adler is just as bad as she was."

"He will die," Turquoise stated bitterly. "Before all of this is over, he will die..."

"I'm not gonna lie, the way you said that, Turquoise...kinda freaks me out..."Amethyst responded, shocked by the grim, sagely tone of her voice. "It's been a long time comin' though."

Garnet paused as she came to the last file in the folder. It had to Wolfram's, and she needed to read it.

Subject # 4

Alloy name: Wolfram

AKA : The Knight

Disappointment. My last test subject was found dead last night. The thirty two year old [Redacted] apparently died from a brain aneurysm as he was being transported to the Monastery. Most unfortunate, Mr. [Redacted] was the ideal candidate for my magnum-opus, my perfected Alloy warrior. The subject had served two tours in the middle east as an anti-insurgency specialist. He was discharged after he lost his legs to an IED. He was the only subject who willingly signed a contract stating that I could preform the procedure on him. But, now he is dead. A minor set back. I'm a curious to see how the last Geissel shard will react to being bonded to a dead host.

Garnet wanted to stop reading, but she was already in too deep to stop. What Adler was doing was unnatural by both human and Gem standards.
She always knew there was something wrong about Wolfram, but now her fears were confirmed.

Entry # 1

My experiment has lead to an unbelievable accomplishment! The last Geissel shard successfully bonded to the deceased test subject's body.
After two days and nights, the shard completely regrew the subjects legs and (this is the exciting part) brought the subject back from the dead! It is a scientific marvel.
The shard repaired the damage caused to the brain and organs due to lack of oxygen and decomposition.
I managed to graft the tungsten into the subject's body during the second night of his reanimation.
On a less interesting note, the subject seemed to remember being dead.
Most unfortunate. As the rest of his body was crafted into the metallic apex that he is now, he saying "I want to go back."
After repeating the same line for twenty four hours, he finally went silent.
His skin is now made of the hardest metal known to man and his body is practically glowing with power. After a few days in the re-adjudication chamber, he should be ready. Then, I will see who is the strongest and more powerful of the four Alloys the only way nature knows, survival. Tomorrow, the Alloys will finally meet in "the pit".
Whoever comes out on top, will be the leader of the Alloys.

Final Entry

Yesterday morning, the four Alloys were released from their cells and brought to the pit. Once the doors opened, all four of them began to fight like ravenous pit dogs.
No restraint, no armor, no weapons. Just their bare hands and bodies. Iron showed that he knew exactly how to use his size and strength to his advantage as he bulldozed through his brethren. But despite his size, he is still rather slow on the mental side. The two Alloys Steel and Titanium at first tried to fight him off on there own, but soon began to coordinate their attacks in a manner that would suggest a symbiotic relationship. Perhaps the fact that the two Alloys once had brothers could explain this almost instinctual behavior. But out of the four, Wolfram is the most promising. He shows more coordination and determination with his attacks. With Iron, he sticks to his blind spots and out maneuvers him. With Steel and Titanium, he isolates the two and takes them down separately, but has shown that he can take both of them on at the same time. Finally after sixteen hours of fighting like animals, only one Alloy stood above the others. Wolfram seemed to tower over his brethren as they laid beaten and battered on the floor. He has a look in his eye that is just so...fierce. The eyes of an apex predator. His mother's eyes, if you would.
Now that the hierarchy has been established, I can begin arming and training them. Wolfram, Steel, Titanium, Iron, my four Alloys.
While others put their faith in that child Steven, I prefer to put my faith in my four horsemen.
Never send a child to do the job of men.
And what is compressed dirt, rock, and sand compared to refined metals? Just that, dirt and rock.

Garnet closed her palm and dispersed the hologram. She felt sick, angry, and frightened. She no longer knew what to think.
All of this dark, disturbing information was not what she needed to read before battle. She was once again questioning what kind of beast was man?
Weapons and war was one thing, but what the Alloys were was nothing short of abominations.
And to make it all worse, each of them were kept alive by shards of Geissel's power core. If Adler could create something like the Alloys using her non-gem power source, she shuddered to think what he could do with the Synthetic Gem. One thing she did know, was that now they knew their enemy better then ever before.
And they now knew what kind of monster Adler truly was.

"Disturbing...very disturbing," Turquoise shuddered as she approached Pearl. "But we must not be swayed. The time for battle has come."

Turquoise tapped her finger against Pearl's gemstone. Her pearl began to glow and out popped a small jar of black paint.

"Ask next time!" Pearl exclaimed as she covered her gem out of embarrassment.

"There will not be a next time," Turquoise stated as she scooped some of the paint out with her fingertips.

The elder Gem proceeded to spread it over her hand and then pressed her hand against her face, leaving a large black hand print across her face.

A chill ran down Pearl's spine. She knew what Turquoise was doing and what it meant.

Turquoise was painting her face for battle like the Native Americans did. But the black war paint meant one thing, and it terrified Pearl.

Black war paint was used when a warrior knew they were not going to leave the battle alive. In short, Turquoise was ready to die.

"This is the day I have long awaited. The day when I can finally repay my dept."

Turquoise put her beaded prayer stick in her hair, she would no longer be needing it.
She then threw off her blue and white shawl. As the shawl was removed from her shoulders, her wrinkled face changed to that of a young woman.
Her teal buckskin dress became the shimmering armor of the ancient Gem warriors. On her shoulder blades sat two turquoise gemstones.
With a flash of blue light, Turquoise's gemstones summoned two tomahawks. Turquoise grabbed both of them twirled them with her fingers.
After she became reacquainted with her weapons, she grasped both of them tightly in her hands.

The great messenger comes for me this day. But I will not go laying down. I will go to meet the Great Spirit as a Gem warrior!

Turquoise could feel the rush of battle fast approaching. She remembered this feeling, it always made her feel sick.
But not this time.
This time she was at peace.
Her hour had come, and she was going to accept it with open arms.
She felt free, uplifted, and full of righteous fury!

Suddenly Turquoise threw her head back and let out a loud Indian war cry.

Her voice split the air like a wave crashing against the shore.

It gave the Gems a sense of power, of strength, and courage.

This was their time to shine. This was their hour to right the terrible wrongs that Adler had done.

Turquoise inhaled deeply, then let out a long, peaceful sigh.

"Hokahey, today is a good day to die..."