Episode 22: The Message
Steven was out with his dad on the beach, while the Monks and Gems are inside. The Gems recently pulled out one of the Wailing Stones out of Amethyst's room. "Uh…what is that?" Omi said. "Oh right, we didn't tell you guys about this." Pearl said. "It's a Wailing Stone, we used this to communicate during the rebellion." Kimiko pulls out her smartphone and takes a picture of it. "Afterwards, we managed to round up every single one." Pearl added. "How many were there?" Clay said. "Oh…hundreds." Amethyst said with a nonchalant tone. "Huh, that's as many as the Shen Gong Wus." Dojo said. "Do you think there will be any more use of the Wailing Stone?" Kimiko asked. "I highly doubt it, Kimiko." Pearl said. "Like I said, we rounded up every single one of them. Who would be able to use this?"
Just then, the Wailing Stone activates and began omitting a very loud noise. "WHAT THE?!" Pearl shouted. "It's activated!" Omi said outloud. "And boy is it louder than a raging bull." Clay said. "Is there a way to shut it off?!" Amethyst said. Just then, Steven arrived. "What's going on?!" Steven said. "Wailing stone activated on it's own" Kimiko said. "Make it stop! It wouldn't shut off!" Amethyst said with a massive annoyed tone. Just then, Garnet had an idea. She walked up to it, presses the button on top, and it was silence…for a second. It starts up again right in Garnet's face. "How do we stop it?!" Kimiko said. "Stand back, I think I have an idea." Pearl said as she walks up to it. She bubbles it and the noise stopped. "Huh…it worked." Pearl said. "Great, now we can-" just as she said that, the bubble began to grow larger and larger before it pops, reigniting the noise to everyone. Steven also had an idea, shoving his arm into the hole. It did not work as the noise transmit through his mouth. Garnet quickly removed Steven from the Stone and places several couch cushions in the hole and around it. The noise was muffled as a result.
"Okay, that's one way to do that." Kimiko said. "I don't get it, it was dormant when we found it." Garnet said. "Well, you did mention that you guys used in this rebellion" Omi said. "If I recall, you guys mention it to communicate with one another during said rebellion." Kimiko said. "Yea, but we got every one of the wailing stone." Pearl said. She then realized something. "Amethyst…is this one of your pranks?" Pearl said, looking at Amethyst. "No way, If I did do it, I would have taken account of that awful noise and not done it. I don't like that noise." Amethyst said in anguish. "So, if it not Amethyst that doing it…" Kimiko said. "Then the signal must be coming from space." Garnet finishes.
"But how would they are doing it and how do we decode it?" Omi asked. "Well, we should be hearing a voice coming from it, but it must be too advanced for the Wailing Stone to process." Pearl said. This give Steven and Kimiko an idea. "Kimiko, do you know what I'm thinking?" Steven said. "It's involves audio and your dad is a musician, so he should know to help out with this." Kimiko said. "Yea, my daddy-o knows audio." Steven said. Kimiko then thinks some more. "However, it could me more complex than that and it could be something else." Kimiko said. "We'll try Greg first then we'll go from there." Garnet said. "I don't know…" Pearl said. "Well, what other options do we have?!" Amethyst shouts. Clay removes the cushions, except for the one that was covering the hole and began to lift it. "Come on, let's get going" Clay said.
A bit later, Greg was unloading all sorts of audio equipments. "You have come to the right guy." Greg said as he grabs a particular equipment. "Ah ha, the Lubitz Cardioid Condenser 680. This should do the trick." "Wow, from what I heard, that is really high quality." Kimiko said. "This will surely crack the wailing code." Clay said. Omi grabs the Microphone, now removed from it's pouch and quickly replaces the couch cushion with the microphone. "Quick thinking Omi." Clay said. "Thank you, Clay." Omi said. "It's going to be a bit to work out what needs tuning." Greg said. Kimiko pulls out her laptop and began to surf the web. Omi and Clay looked over to see Kimiko doing research on Greg's microphone and what it can do. Kimiko was also thinking of something but she couldn't put her finger on it.
A bit later, Greg was starting to get something. "Ah, I'm getting something." Greg said. "Great, now all we need is to hear what its going to say" Kimiko said. Greg nods as uses the tune some more but then…ZAP! The Signal was lost and smoke was coming from Greg's van. The engine was shot. "What happened?! Where's the Signal?" Pearl said with an angry tone. Clay lift the van's hood and got a face full of smoke. "Whoo-wee…looks like the van's battery just got fried." Clay said. "Augh…I knew I had that feeling." Pearl said with a groan. "Come on Pearl, maybe it something else." Steven said. Pearl looks down at Steven "Look, we tried our best but we need time to think this through." Pearl said. Kimiko closes her laptop and the Gems and Monk left Greg and Steven to their own.
The Monk and Gems arrive back at the house and sat down. Kimiko pull out her laptop and did more research. "We are not going to be able to solve what's going on to the wailing stone for a good while, if ever." Pearl said. Amethyst groans. "I hate that noise. It's so annoying." Amethyst bemoans. The monks remained quiet and Kimiko ponder something. "You know, when we faced against Peridot, she was using more advanced tech than I expected. Could they be using something that isn't just audio?" Kimiko said. "You're saying there more to the wailing stone than we could look at face value?" Clay said. "Yea, maybe it could be using audio and...video. Something like that." Kimiko said. "What, you're suggesting that we still need Greg?" Pearl said. "Well, he did prove that he might know a good trick or two." Kimiko said. "Besides, Don't you think you give him a second chance sooner or later?" Pearl thinks a bit when the door opens. It was Greg and Steven. "Guys, I think Steven and I solved it. It's not just audio, it's video." Greg said. "I was just thinking that too." Kimiko said. "Come on, everyone, we might be able to crack it tonight." Clay said. The Gems and Monks head back to the van.
A bit later, Pearl and Garnet were at the front of the car, Clay was in the car, and Amethyst, Kimiko, and Omi was in the back with Steven and Greg. "Alright, Garnet, go for it." Pearl said. Garnet's hands began to send of sparks, using electrical power she has as well. "Clay, try to turn on the engine." Pearl said. "Will do, Pearl." Clay said. He turns the key and the engine revs. "Whoo-wee! It's working!" Clay shouted. Pearl closes the hood. "The engine is up and running." Pearl said. "The Wailing Stone is ready" Steven said. Kimiko plugs in the video cord and Greg gets to work on tuning his equipment. The TV signal emits strange noises a bit before it shows…LAPIS ON THE TV!
"Steven!" Lapis said on the television. "Lapis!" Steven said. "I…I did it!" Greg said with a victorious tone. "Wait, that's Lapis?" Omi said. Steven nods. "Shush, listen up, Everyone." Garnet said. "I hope you listening to this, there's a gem that is looking for you. She even knows your name! I didn't tell her, I swear! She on her way to Earth and she not alone. She also mentions a person named Jack Spicer. Steven, Homeworld isn't what it used to be. It's way more advanced than before. I cannot understand how they did it. There's no way Earth will be ready to defend from it. Please, do not put up a fight. It will only lead to destruction." Lapis said on the TV before it cuts out. The Monks and Gems are stunned from it.
"It's Peridot…she's mentioning Peridot for a reason…she's coming to Earth." Pearl said. "And she's going to partner up Jack Spicer." Kimiko added. Garnet softly clutches her fist. "No matter how much we try, no matter how much we do, it's not enough." Pearl said, starting to softly panic. "We got one more ace up our sleeve." Garnet said. "Wha? What are you talking about, Garnet." Pearl said. "Yea, they know about the Shen Gong Wu, Most likely us, and after hearing that, our tech is compromised." Kimiko said. "There is one more we need to account for." Garnet said. They then realized what she is getting at. They need Raimundo and fast.
End of Episode 22
And yes, it was a bit shorter than normal