In Finn and Jake's last adventure, they met the Bravest Warriors; a group of space heroes from another universe, one that is known to Simon's time as a popular cartoon. After helping the Bravest Warriors thwart a robot invasion by Pixel, a former ally of the Bravest Warriors, they return to their home universe, only to find themselves in a barren wasteland devoid of any familiar life. The only thing they can see are dark skies and dark grass. "Finn, are we still in Ooo?" Jake wondered. "I'm not sure, but this feels familiar." Finn answered.
Finn takes out his Amp Arsenal from his backpack and attempts to call Minerva. "Mom, you there? I think the bridge sent us somewhere else." Finn said. All he receives is static. "Mom? Mom?" Finn repeated. "Whatever happened, it cut off our interdimensional phone service." Jake commented as he scans the area.
As they search the horizon, they see a tall structure in the distance, erected far into the sky where the tip disappears. "Let's check that out. Maybe if we climb it, we can see further." Jake said. They walk towards the structure, not knowing what to find. When they arrive, they find a giant tree growing into the heavens. "Wait a minute…" Finn said as he spotted something nearby.
He runs over to a pile of rock and rotten wood. "Jake, I think this is our old well!" Finn told Jake. "That means…" Jake said as he looked up at the tree. "Fern… you've grown up." Finn muttered in a hopeful tone. "Last we saw the Fern Tree it was about the size of Sweet Pea. Now it's as big as… this big!" Jake commented.
"That could only mean one thing…" Finn said. "Time dilation, or whatever your mom called it. It's like what happened to O.P. when we went to Farmworld, but we've been flung who-knows how long into the future, instead a couple hours." Jake noted. "What happened during that time?" Finn wondered. "Maybe everything got worse because we left for too long!" Jake panicked. "Relax, Jake. There's no way that could happen. Life happens, even without us." Finn assured Jake.
"Maybe we can find someone, ask them what happened here." Jake said. "There are a bunch of options to start; Marceline, Ice Thing, BMO probably, mom…" Finn suggested. "Let's start at Hub City. Mom's an A.I., so they can live for a really long time." Finn commented. They walk west towards Hub City, hoping to find Minerva. When they arrive it became night, although it was hard to tell as the sky was already dark to begin with.
Not only that, but the entire city is abandoned; no people, no hum of machinery, no lights, nothing but the wind blowing through it. "Where did everyone go?" Finn wondered as he walks into the city borders. They walk through the town, finding familiar and unfamiliar buildings, as some progress has been made since the present and the future they have arrived at. When they pass by a bakery, they hear something quickly moving. "Jake, did you hear that?" Finn said as he prepares to deploy his arm blade.
"Yo, is someone there?!" Jake called out. At that moment, a trash can is thrown at them, causing Finn to react by slicing it in half before it could hit them. Following the trash can, the two are jumped by a white figure. The adventurers roll out of the way, but the figure quickly shifts to leap at Finn. Finn roundhouse kicks the figure away, but it sticks the landing before deploying two familiar blue energy swords.
It charges at Finn and swings its blades at him, making Finn block the blades with both his arm blade and Night Sword. "Who sent you?!" the figure demanded an answer. Illuminated by the blue light, Finn looks up at his opponent: a Voyadroid. Jake grabs the Voyadroid from behind and holds it in the air. "Don't touch my bro, bro!" Jake exclaimed.
"A Voyadroid! That means mom's systems are online!" Finn said. "At ease, Garry." a voice said from the darkness. Emerging from the dark of night are five more Voyadroids. Jake lets go of the captive Voyadroid, who walks to its squad. "Finn, it's been a while." one Voyadroid spoke with a man's voice.
"I… you are a Voyadroid, right? That's not my mom's voice speaking through you." Finn asked. "Finn, don't you remember me? You personally trained us." the Voyadroid spoke again. "They're not usually this chatty." Jake commented. "Jerry, don't you think they look… not dead?" a Voyadroid with a woman's voice asked. "Jerry, I think they're stranded again." another male Voyadroid told Jerry.
"If you're online, that means you're connected with mom. We need to speak with her." Finn requested. The Voyadroids look at each other before Jerry approaches them. "Follow us. By the way, welcome home, Finn." Jerry answered. The adventurers are led back to Hub Dome through the dark and foggy streets. Noticeably, the spacebridge arch in front of the building is missing.
"Mom, it's us! Finn and Jake!" Finn called out. The female Voyadroid approaches Finn and puts her hand on his shoulder. "Finn, a lot has changed since your time. Just… prepare yourself." she said. The foyer's giant screen used for announcements buzzes to life, displaying static. "Mom! Mom!" Finn yelled as he runs in front of the massive screen.
Instead of Minerva, displaying on the screen is a young, blonde boy, visually a few years younger than Finn wearing a blue shirt, a lab coat, and a Helpers hat. "Finn, is that you?" the boy asked Finn. "Who…?" Finn said under his breath, confused at the sight of the boy. "It really is you!" the boy said excitedly as he prepares to leap. He jumps out of the screen, scaled to normal human size, and hugs Finn tightly.
Jake approaches the two with a confused look. "Jake, you're here too!" the boy said before hugging Jake. "This… this is a dream come true!" the boy said as he hugs Jake tightly. "Who are you?" Finn asked the boy. "Finn, don't you remember me? I'm your little bro, Brandt." the boy introduced himself.
"Where's mom? What happened to her? I need to talk to her." Finn asked Brandt. Brant's expression changes from delight to sadness. "Mom's… gone." Brandt answered to Finn's shock. The adventurer boy falls to his knees at this revelation. "Gone? Whaddya mean gone?" Finn asked.
"Finn, I know it's a lot to take in, but it's okay." Brandt said as he tried to comfort Finn with a pat on the back. Finn slaps away Brandt's hand and confronts him. "I don't even know who you are, any of you!" Finn exclaimed angrily. "Finn, calm down. I know this is a lot to take in, but if you have questions, we can answer them." Jerry told Finn. "You can start by telling us what happened to Ooo." Jake asked Jerry.
"For starters, it's been a thousand years from your time." Brandt began. "A thousand years?!" Finn and Jake said in surprise. "We've been flung a thousand years into the future this time?!" Finn said in surprise. "A lot has changed. More than you think." Brandt said. "Speaking of, can you explain who the heck are you, what's up with the talking Voyadroids, and what happened to Ooo?" Jake asked Brandt.
"I can't tell you too much without risking the timeline. All I can say is that she's not here, but now you have me. I replaced her as the main A.I. that maintains the Dome and the city. All she knows, I know." Brandt explained. "Mom… I think I know the rest, but I don't want to think it's true." Finn added. "I don't think we've introduced ourselves… again for the second time. I'm Jerry, or Zero-Zero-One." Jerry introduced himself. "Larry; Unit Zero-Zero-Two." "I'm Harry." "I'm Barry." "Parry here, reporting in." "My name's Mary." the others introduced themselves. "We're part of the final outcome of Project Teracotta. Miss Campbell created sixty A.I.s to act as autonomous agents for The Voyagers. We were deployed sometime after the creation of the Multiverse Bridge." Jerry said. "Where are the other… six, twelve, eighteen… fifty-four?" Jake asked. "That brings us to what happened to Ooo." Brandt said.
Their immediate environment began to change from a derelict lobby into the familiar green plains of central Ooo. "For hundreds of years after your passing, the world and Ooo were at peace. Many kingdoms came and went." Brandt narrated as kingdoms rapidly erect and disappear around them. "I can't tell you too much, but what I can tell you is that a great war broke out in Ooo. Many kingdoms were shattered and scattered. Many fled Ooo with the help of The Voyagers, but there are some that remained, and fewer that survived today." Brandt explained as a skirmish breaks out around them, with soldiers from all over Ooo, many familiar and unfamiliar. "Where did the survivors go?" Finn asked. "All over the world. The Voyagers participated in the war, but were driven away. I chose to stay behind with these Voyadroids to find a way to fix everything. When they left, they took everything with them; files, weapons, equipment, vehicles, everything that I didn't ask to remain here." Brandt said as he deactivates the hologram. "Our cousins went with them too. It's just us left." Jerry said.
"Do you have anything that can bring us back to the past?" Finn asked Brandt. "I… kinda." Brandt answered. "Whaddya mean 'kinda'?" Jake asked Brandt. "I kept the Multiverse Bridge, since that was mom's personal project, but it's been disused for so many years and it fell apart." Brandt explained. "We gotta fix it. Why can't you ring up the other guys and ask for help?" Finn suggested.
"There's some kind of interference surrounding Ooo that prevents outside communication." Mary explained. "As far as we know, nobody even dares come back to Ooo." Garry added. "There's gotta be a way to fix the Multiverse Bridge with stuff around Ooo." Finn said. "We've tried to look for resources on our own. All the good tech is hoarded by the Pup Kingdom." Parry said. "Pup Kingdom? Is this an entire kingdom made from my kids' kids' kids? Jake asked.
"That's correct. They're like everything-hybrids, but mostly dog, Rainicorn, and Ni'Rah. They're one of the few kingdoms that retained their power, alongside Hot Dog Kingdom." Harry explained.
"Is there any other place that have the tech we need?" Finn asked. Brandt and the Voyadroids exchange look before looking to Finn and Jake. "Candy Kingdom. Pup Kingdom salvaged the majority of tech from there in the war." Brandt answered. "The ones not taken by Gibbon's men are locked under levels of security they can't get past, or us for that matter." Jerry said. "Why don't we find someone with clearance? P.B.'s gotta have another genetically-engineered heir, or someone?" Jake suggested.
"What about Peebs herself? She'd lived for hundreds of years, maybe she could live another thousand." Finn suggested. "Princess Bubblegum hasn't been running the kingdom for a very long time. She was present in the campaign against Gibbon, but hasn't been seen since." Brandt said. "We think she's hiding or dead." Jerry said. "I bet dead." Harry added. "We're not bringing this up again, Harry." Jerry said.
"I'm being realistic about this situation. People die in wars, and she's no exception." Harry said. "Cool it, you two!" Brandt scolded as he pointed his fingers at them, locking them in place. "Is there anyone else who could have that clearance? Marceline, Pep-Butt, anyone?" Jake asked. "We only know one surviving person from the Candy Kingdom who's survived to this day. He's been a nomad after the destruction of the Candy Kingdom; travelling everywhere and not staying in one place too long. But as of late, he's been sighted around a particularly dangerous area… the Ice Thingdom." Brandt answered.
To be continued…