Chapter 1

Once Upon A Spacetime

Fantastic colors and shapes pass before your eyes as you sit inside the time machine with Peridot, who is currently sitting back and sharing the sights with you.

"We'll be heading for the Big Bang in a few minutes. Now, you're probably wondering 'Peridot, if we were really going to the beginning of everything, why don't we start before the Big Bang?' See, here's the thing: we know that Space and Time are linked together and we recognize that the two originated with the Big Bang itself. Therefore, there can't be a 'before the Big Bang' because Time didn't exist yet! Who knows what was going on, but that's something that doesn't concern us right now." Peridot explains, "the Big Bang is the start of the universe as we know it, and I could go on about the physics behind that, but I'll spare you the details. Even the most experienced of Gem scientists don't have all the answers, and they've been cracking at this for tens of thousands of years before your species knew what a 'universe' even was."

The timer blinks once, reading:

13.8 Billion Years Ago

Peridot clicks at it and the time machine stops moving.

At that very moment, the vehicle shakes violently and the two of you are left in a sudden haze as the view outside the holoscreen becomes next to impossible to make out. It almost hurts, and Peridot's form flickers in and out a few times! After about three minutes of this, you two manage to regain your composure.

"Oh stars that was weirder than I pictured." Peridot shakes her head, attempting to look outside the holoscreen but quickly shielding her eyes. "Don't look out the screen! Just focus on me."

You resist the urge to look, but soon shift your eyes on Peridot. "It is blindingly bright out there, you don't want to damage your eyes." Her mood quickly picks up, "but how cool was that?! We've only been here for something like three minutes, but already the cosmos has rapidly expanded and given rise to spacetime! In just the first second after the Big Bang, the great forces of our universe - gravity, electromagnetism, strong- and weak-force - have come into existence! These are the fundamentals that directly affect matter and energy, which themselves have also burst forth from the Big Bang! All the matter and energy that will ever be!"

Peridot pulls out a small screen from the chest to illustrate her point. "As you can see here, within the first second of the Big Bang, there was matter and antimatter, quarks and antiquarks and such. Basically, the building blocks of all matter and energy had their opposite counterparts. When pitted against each other in the fantastic heat and density of the Big Bang's expansion, the anti-neighbors were annihilated! After the first three minutes of the Big Bang, the remnants of these particle-wars, protons, neutrons, and electrons, are now floating around in space. It will take about 380,000 years before these particles come together to form proper atoms."

Taking care to dim the holoscreen to protect them from the intense light, Peridot punches in a new date on the screen. "Let's jump ahead 200 million years. The cosmos should be much more bearable to the eyes."

With that, the time machine vanishes from the hot, dense early universe.

13.6 Billion Years Ago

The time machine appears in a vast plane of existence, and everything is much darker than before. So dark in fact, that save for the lights inside the machine, you're not able to see anything beyond the holoscreen. It's so dark you don't believe it at first.

"Ugh, this isn't any better. This is, like, the complete opposite of our previous situation." Peridot rolls her eyes, only to give a reassuring smile at you afterwards. "Don't sweat, we'll have a much better view soon."

Peridot gestures outside the holoscreen. "The first atoms to form from the Big Bang were hydrogen, helium, lithium, and beryllium, and… well, that's all the universe pretty much was for a long time. Save for some additional matter that your Earth scientists have called 'dark matter', that is. We don't really know what dark matter is, if it exists at all. We know that there's something throughout the cosmos that interacts with other matter and affects it in certain ways, but because it doesn't emit light or radiation or anything like that, we can't observe it directly. Dark matter is just a convenient name! This mysterious substance is quite plentiful: something like 85% of the universe is made of it."

You observe what appear to be gradually glowing cloudy-ribbons stretching out across your field of view. They're brightening before your eyes.

"Whatever it is, dark matter seems to have been important for the formation of stars and galaxies. As it interacted with the atoms, gravity cemented them closer and closer together. The atoms began to fuse into each other and after enough time these fusions created very large spherical masses that acted as giant nuclear fusion reactors. The energy released from these spheres radiated bright light. And, presto, that's how the first stars were made!"

Sure enough, space started to fill with twinkling lights. Peridot flies the time machine a little closer to one of them, a massive ball of plasma, but not too close due to the radiation.

"Ahh, light returns to the cosmos! But don't get too familiar with these stars, they're not going to be around for long. I'm going to fast forward a few million years and you'll see what I mean."

Clicking a special dial on the holoscreen, the view outside begins to change rapidly as more and more stars form in the blink of an eye. A few of these stars, including the nearest one you're parked at, begin to collapse into smaller and smaller spheres. Peridot slows down the speed to a rapid halt, and the shrinking star begins to shoot out gas.

"Stand back!" Peridot scoots the time machine a good ways backward, just in time as the dying star explodes into a supernova. One by one, other stars follow, like an interstellar fireworks display.

"While the deaths of these early stars - the first generation - might seem sad at first, they were monumental in the course of history! Because these supernova explosions were powerful enough to forge different types of fusion reactions, which created brand new elements! The remaining 22 elements of your Earth's Periodic Table for forged from the deaths of the first stars and spewed outwards all across space: from carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, aluminum, silicon, and phosphorus, all the way to iron. These are the most basic elements found in the cosmos today, and form the foundations of all that you humans know. The air you breathe, the water you drink, the plants and animals that surround you, the very make-up of your body, was all thanks to these stars! So I think a thank you is in order."

Grinning as you roll your eyes, Peridot punches some new time-coordinates into the holoscreen and heads off forward in time.

4.5 Billion Years Ago

The time machine reappears in a cosmos that looks much fuller. There is an increased abundance of stars and colorful nebulae, as well as faint traces of other galaxies beyond your field of view. Peridot checks her holoscreen before grabbing a juice-pouch from the chest.

"I hope you don't mind, but I've gone ahead and jumped some nine billion years into the future. The wonders of the universe never cease to amaze, but the timescales are just too long and I don't want to bore you. I'm not boring you am I?" Peridot turns to you, frowning slightly. You shake your head 'no'.

She smiles. "Glad to hear. Just to catch up… newer generations of stars were born from the remains of the previous ones, and many of the supernovae formed from the deaths of the later stars gave rise to even more elements! Things like nickel, copper, zinc, silver, gold (which are familiar metals on Earth), and all the way up to uranium. Basically the universe was now composed of 92 different elements, all able to form brand new stuff! After another period of 200 million years from the first generation stars, there was enough dust and gas in the cosmos to form the first proper galaxies. Given that galaxies are composed of many different types of stars and gaseous clouds formed in successive stages, we can't really put a specific 'birth date' on them. As far as we know, your home galaxy, the Milky Way, is probably almost as old as the cosmos itself!"

Peridot takes the time machine and sails headfirst into the spiral arms of the Milky Way, passing star clusters and nebulae. "While it would be proper to talk about the histories of the different galaxies, stars, and planets, Homeworld included, you humans seem to care about your own home, so we'll just stick inside the Milky Way." Peridot places a finger to her lips. "Actually, come to think of it, we'd be here a while just talking about Homeworld's history. And… there's some funky stuff that happened there let me tell you." Peridot shudders, before giving you a stern look. "And no, I won't be giving you backstory spoilers to all my fellow Homeworld gems! Where did Pearl come from if she wasn't White Diamond's pearl? I'm not telling! SO DON'T ASK! My time machine, my rules."

You zoom in to what appears to be a giant disk of interstellar gas and dust, with a newborn star at its center surrounded by slowly-forming spheres of various sizes. "This should look familiar to you: it's your solar system. The Sun had formed at about this time - 4.56 billion years ago - and the rest of the planets followed not long afterward. As you can see, this expansive disk of gas, dust, and ice surrounding the baby Sun has already begun the process of accretion. That's how planets are made: small particles collide with other small particles, and those bigger particles seek out bigger and bigger ones, and next thing you know entire worlds are being sculpted!"

Peridot takes the ship and zooms in on the third most world from the Sun, still forming as meteors and other clumps of rock smack into it. Its surface is pot-marked by bright orange and white flashes. It's a molten world.

"Ahh, home sweet home. Welcome to Earth." Peridot grins, gesturing at the proto-planet. "Earth is a rocky planet, formed from different types of metals. Because the Sun continuously sends out strong solar winds, many of the lighter elements, like hydrogen and helium, were blasted into the outer reaches of the Solar System, where the temperature was much colder. The planets that formed there were made of ice and methane, with thick atmospheres of hydrogen and helium. You know them as the gas giants."

Peridot pulls out a small tablet and holds it up to you. Projected on the screen is a diagram of the Earth and its layers. "Originally, the different layers of the Earth's interior - you know, the crust, mantle, and core - didn't exist! The young Earth was just a mass of jumbled minerals collected by its gravitational field. It would take some 500 million years for the densest minerals like iron and nickel to sink down towards the center of the planet, and the lighter minerals like silicon to float upwards to the surface. And a core composed mostly of iron means that Earth gets to have a magnetic field! It's a shield made of electric currents that surrounds the entire planet! That's why the surface isn't fried to a crisp by deadly solar radiation, so, you know, that's good."

The time machine begins sounding a sharp alarm as the lights inside twinkle in different shades of red. Peridot sets the tablet down and checks the stats on the holoscreen. "Whuh oh! Don't be alarmed, but we gotta get out of the way fast!" You look around the inside of the machine before squinting your eyes outside, struggling to see any sign of danger.

"Hang on!" Peridot jerks the time machine as far as possible from the Earth. You still have trouble seeing anything. "You can't see that?! Look over there!" Peridot points and immediately you tense up as a giant mass of molten minerals comes barreling towards the Earth! The time machine just barely misses the rapidly moving sphere as it collides with the planet's surface. An immense explosion erupts from the collision as vast particles shoot out from all directions, some of them hitting the sides of the time machine, causing it to shake about. "Whoa whoa whoa, still too close! But I can't do anything about that! Just keep calm!" Peridot exclaims, as the two of you hug each other for protection. After several minutes, the bombardment ceases, and the two of you pull apart, with Peridot peering towards the holoscreen.

"Yipes! That would have been really bad for us!" Peridot turns off the alarm and the lights dim back to their normal settings. "That my friend, was the origin of your planet's moon! Why does it seem like all space births are either very slow or very quick and violent?"

You look out the holoscreen to see that an enormous chunk has been ripped on the Earth's molten surface, while an enormous cloud of rocky and dusty debris encircles it. "That baby planet really did a number on the young Earth, we're gonna have to fast forward a bit to get the full effect." Peridot turns the special dial and you watch as the giant mess of particles quickly orbits around the Earth, almost like the rings of Saturn. The huge gash becomes fully smoothed out as gravity reworks the planet, and before long a small ball of material begins to orbit inside the ring of dust and rock. As Peridot winds down the speed, all that is left orbiting the Earth is a small molten orb, the Moon.

"There we go! Isn't that nice? Now the Earth has a partner… and what a great partner the Moon is! Not only would the Moon push and pull at the planet's surface, creating tides, but that initial impact alone seems to be the reason the Earth is tilted 23 degrees, setting the foundations of what will become the seasons! The Moon started out very near to the Earth's surface, so a day on Earth right now only lasts a few hours, but the Moon has already started its very long process of moving away from the Earth, hence your Earth-days lasting 24 hours."

Peridot adjusts the holoscreen settings and sets in a new date. "We'll need to come back in several hundred million years in order to walk about properly. From here on out, we're Earth-bound!"

With a gleeful push of the button, the time machine disappears yet again.

3.8 Billion Years Ago

Your eyes adjust to an oddly familiar setting. The intense molten surface of the Earth has been replaced by a ashy-gray and black landscape of nearly hills and cliffs. Rocks of all sizes dot the area, and you turn the other way and spot the sandy seashore. The ocean doesn't look very inviting from what you're used to in Beach City: the water is a rich shade of reddish-black. Even the sky has an orange glow. You know it's Earth, but it could also be some completely different planet altogether.

Adjusting the brightness inside, Peridot reaches into the chest and pulls out a breathing-apparatus that looks suspiciously like a diving mask that's been modified. "You're gonna want to put this on. Gems can adjust themselves to nearly every planetary condition, but I'm not about to lose you so early on our adventure!" You take it and put it on with relative ease, securing it around your head. You give a thumbs up to Peridot, who shuts off the holoscreen and opens the window. You take her hand as she leads you to the outside.

"Ahh, feels good to stretch the legs. You holding up okay?" She asked, taking her hand back and holding her opposite one together. You nod your head. "Great! Welcome to Earth 3.8 billion years ago! Not exactly homey, but it's home."

Peridot walks around, stopping to pick up a rock. "When the Moon first formed, it was so close that its tidal pull stretched parts of the land nearly a mile into the air! This put a lot of energy on the young planet and kept its surface scalding hot. When it got further away from the Earth, the crust was finally able to cool and stabilize. There was still plenty of volcanic activity going on, as you can see on the horizon…" She gestures to your right: indeed there is a warm glow in the distance. "... but now the Earth had proper land, and with proper land came the potential for oceans of liquid water!"

Peridot walks up to the seashore and chucks the rock in such a way as to make it skip across the water. "Heheh, Amethyst taught me that. The oceans formed from water vater that had escaped from the solid crust and condensed in the air. This rained down in a torrential storm that lasted until most of the water vapor was used up, creating the ocean and thus starting the water cycle! Additional water may have come from comet impacts, since comets are part ice."

Pointing to the air, Peridot gestures wildly, "the Earth's atmosphere was formed by trial and error. Its original atmosphere was mostly hydrogen and helium, you know, the lighter elements left over from the birth of the Sun. But because the magnetic field hadn't formed yet, that atmosphere was blown away by solar winds. The air you see right now is a second, heavily guarded atmosphere, made of nearly all the stuff it's composed of in the present day: nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane… only oxygen was missing, but that's a story for later."

You walk with Peridot for a little bit as you leave the time machine behind. Eventually she finds a comfy boulder overlooking the seashore. Laying down on it, she gestures you to sit beside her. There's a calmness in the air as you look towards the illuminating volcanic horizon of yellows and oranges.

Peridot closes her eyes. "What a paradox. It's so peaceful here, but just across the sea the Earth is bleeding out. Volcanic eruptions churning and shaping the land into new forms. Even the ocean is helping out, because with an ocean of liquid water comes erosion. Rocks get carved and sculpted, and you get things like sand. As we speak, plate tectonics has only just begun, splitting the crust into chucks and kickstarting a process that will further shape the land and sea. So much violence… and yet… it's a nurturing violence. A reassuring violence. It's like the planet is saying, 'hey, don't worry about me, I'm just doing what I do.' Wow."

You recline your arms behind your head as you close your eyes too. The two of you chill there for a while.

Peridot opens her eyes and turns to you. "Let's rest a little longer. When we get back to the time machine, you're in for a treat. You'll get to meet your very first ancestors."

To Be Continued!