"Still inactive." Shouted Steven with a sigh as he and some of the Gems were back at the Galaxy Warp, checking to see if the Warp Pads are by any chance of possibility, active or not. Steven began to take off the previous sticker from the broken Warp Pad he's on that was coming off, placing a brand new one on it.
After doing so Violet walked over and stepped onto one nearby, tapping her foot on it to see if it'll work, before shouting. "Inactive!" Hearing that, Anaya, who was also holding a paper of stickers walked over to her and placed one onto the idle Warp Pad.
"Inert." The leader Pearl spoke as she stood on another that's broken still as well as Yellow Pearl ran over to her and placed a sticker on as well, giving a groan. "Do we have to check all of them? They're all still inactive, even the Homeworld Warp you destroyed when we fixed it."
Yellow Pearl pointed to herself and Blue Pearl as Onyx on another broken one placed a sticker on it telling her. "We're just making sure Yellow Pearl."
"I forgot how many Warp Pads were here since the last time we visit this place," Steven told Lapis and the others while he takes out two new stickers to replace two old ones. "I hope I have enough of these Crying Breakfast Friends stickers to replace the ones here."
As he began taking off the old ones Anaya asked. "I'm a bit curious...Where do all these Warp Pads go Pearl?" She looks over at her and explains. "Well, these Warp Pads were used to travel off-planet. They were our connection to the Gem Homeworld and to Gem controlled planets all over the universe.
"So if they were still working we could go anywhere we want in outer space, right?" Onyx nodded. "Yeah. But they're broken." Pearl nodded. "The Galaxy Warps have all been inactive for thousands of years."
Anaya and Violet seemed surprised. "They've been out for that long?" They both asked as Steven suggested. "Can't we just fix them?" Onyx shook his head. "Sorry, but no." Hearing that, Pearl gave a smile before chuckling. "It's fine. I'll always have my memories of other worlds. But now I'm here. On Earth...Forever."
"With us!" Steven shouted standing in front of Lapis, Yellow, Onyx, Anaya, Blue, and Violet. "Right, with you guys. It really is incredible out there, though. I wish you and Anaya could see it, Steven.
Later
Outside near, It's A Wash, Steven and Lapis were with the young Gems father, Greg, watching a movie of Crying Breakfast Friends. Right now on the TV, the Crying Waffle character was crying before the Crying Pear joins. Following the other two characters, Sad Apple and Spilled Milk.
"Stay tuned for another episode of Crying Breakfast Friends!" The Narrator announced as Greg rubbed the back of his head. "Yeesh. I must be getting old. I used to like cartoons." Steven looks over at his father. "Hey, Dad, did you know the Gems used to travel all over outer space?"
Greg seemed a bit surprised his son asked that before giving a chuckle "Yeah. They're pretty far out, son." Steven then told him. "I think Pearl really misses going out there." After a second he lets out a sudden gasp. "Dad, can you help me and Lapis build a spaceship?" His Dad hums before responding.
"You know, that might be a little outside my skill set. How 'bout a bunk bed with wings? I could probably do that." Steven denies with a grin. "No way! We could totally build a spaceship! People have done it before, and we're people!" Greg agrees. "We are people."
Lapis then smiled and added in. "And Pearl would love it so much to see space again. Plus with my help along with Pearl. We could make it work. Will even ask the others for some help."
"Sure. Why not? How hurt could we get?" Greg finally agreed as Steven shouted happily. "Great!" He and Lapis get up from their chair as they ran off. "Meet us at the Barn Dad, that's where will start!" He nods to his Son before preparing himself, using Vanzilla to make it there.
Minutes Later
"My Aunt and Uncle had a great love for aviation and each other. They cherished the years they spent together, and they held on to every belonging they ever owned, kind of like me and my storage shed. I'm starting to think our family has a problem."
Greg told his Son along with the Gems that arrived who were Lapis, Pearl, Anaya, Violet Pearl, and Blue Pearl who were able to make it. "This is great! I hereby declare this barn to be Universe & Universe's Universal Space Travel HQ!" Lapis smiled as they began to draw on a chalkboard, also even or either cutting wood and or taping stuff together.
The Afternoon
"Okay, now." Shouted Steven, lifting his hands. Pearl seemed a bit confused as she read. "UUU Space Travel? What is this?" Anaya tells her with a smile. "We built a Spaceship." Pearl now looks a bit interested. "A Spaceship?"
Steven shouts with excitement. "A Spaceship!" He gestures to a wooden box with paper wings on the side, practical a small model of what the Spaceship will or will not look like. "A Spaceship." Repeated Pearl of what Steven had said, beginning to smile at the idea.
Seconds Later
On top of a hill by a barn, Steven was strapped into the small ship with Lapis and Greg behind him. "Now, remember, Steven, if you run into any trouble out there, you can always bail. There's never any shame in bailing." He smiled and gave a thumbs up. "Fatherly advice understood! Thank you, Dad. Light the engines!"
"Roger that!" Greg shouted as he lights a rope at the back of the miniature Spaceship. "Next stop...Outer space!" Lapis then shouted. "Blast-off!" On cue, she pushes the Spaceship down a hill.
Bad idea. As Steven goes down trying to prepare the Ship to fly, the paper wings began to break off along with some other parts worrying Steven a bit, shocking the others as they watched. "Steven!" Lapis, Blue Pearl, Violet, and Anaya shouted as they tried to reach him. "No shame!" Luckily after that shout, Steven jumps right out of the Ship, which crashed into a rock, breaking into pieces.
"Hmm...I think your calculations may have been off." Pearl said as she walked over to them, examining the broken the Ship. "Well, they can't be off if you don't do any." Said Greg to them, catching up from the hill down to them, almost out of breath.
Later
Back at the Barn itself, Pearl was at the chalkboard, drawing on it, even motioning to Steven and Lapis' drawings. "Did you really think this was going to work?" The two Gems and human shrugged in response. Pearl then continued drawing a diagram of a better Spaceship on the chalkboard.
"Here, look. You need smooth, curving surfaces. Otherwise, you're never gonna get enough speed to break Earth's gravitational pull. Probably swept-back wings for supersonic flight, airtight cockpit with some ejector seats, and we'll need some serious engines, or maybe rockets would be better."
Steven raised his hand along with Lapis. "We vote rockets!" Anaya, Blue, and Violet raised theirs, smiling. "We second that." Greg stops them. "Whoa, whoa. Hold on a sec. We're not actually talking about building something like this, right?" Worriedness was in his voice as Pearl looked at the chalkboard.
"What?! This?" She laughs it off. "Of course not. That would be ridiculous. I mean, yes, theoretically, it's not a stretch. You've got plenty of spare parts here, albeit for incredibly primitive propulsion-based space travel." She closed her eyes for a moment. "The idea is ludicrous. It would never work, although..."
She opened them up and smiled. "Several humans, a monkey, and a dog did make it into space. I don't know why I've never even thought of it before. This could actually work!" After telling them Violet Pearl then whispered to Anaya. "Didn't you tell us the dog didn't-" Anaya shushes her.
"Sorry, but don't finish...Steven's here, it wouldn't be a good idea to say that around him." Violet looked at him and then back to Anaya, nodding, understanding. "Uh..." Was all Steven and his Dad said before Pearl told them, Lapis and the other three. "I hear what you're saying, and I agree, it would be incredibly dangerous. A fool's errand."
After finishing she then pulls a chunk of stuffing out of Greg's love seat. "This chair is disgusting. But aren't the true fools the ones who don't seize an opportunity, despite all the inherent risks?" She questioned before looking directly at Steven and Anaya.
"And I'd be able to show Steven and Anaya the wonders of the cosmos! And maybe just for a second, from a distance, I could see what's been going on without me. All right! let's do it!"
Steven smiled and said. "UUU Space Travel, GOOOOO!" Lapis smiled and giggled a bit from that as they began to build the Spaceship. Moving parts out of the tool shed, which is the barn, while the three Pearls drill, screw-drive, or blowtorched various things together in order to build a spaceship. Pearl also tests out an engine and mixes chemicals.
"Come back here!" Lapis looked, seeing Steven chase after a tire before following him to help while the others construct a glider. Later on, Steven started to fly in a small seated glider, enjoying the ride on it.
During this Lapis began to contact Steven on a Walkie-Talkie they gave him. "Ground Control to Mach 2. Come in, Mach 2. How are you doing?" Steven is heard on the Walkie-Talkie laughing, enjoying the ride.
"You think we're taking this a little far?" Greg asked Pearl who points out. "We're not even close to being done." This confused him. "We're not?" Pearl shook her head before shouting. "Okay, Steven. Go ahead and bring her down."
He nods and lands the Mach 2 immediately. Even though it was perfect the whole entire thing collapsed. "Whoo!" Steven cheered while hid Dad looked on bothered. "Was it supposed to fall apart like that?"
"Don't worry. This was just to test my engine concept. I'll work out the kinks in the next one." Greg looked shocked. "Hang on. Hang on. Next one?!" Pearl then asked him. "Is there a shop in town that carries F-1 single-nozzle liquid-fueled rockets?" The father of the young Gem is now startled. "You really are serious!"
Pearl nods as Steven joins them. "Of course! We're also going to need a space suit for Steven and Anaya so they don't freeze or explode. They may be a full-blooded Gems now, but there's still a slight chance those things could still happen to him." Steven then emulates an explosion, frightening his Dad.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You are not taking my son to space." Steven Lapis, Anaya, Blue, Violet, and Pearl looked at him as the said Leader spoke. "Yes, I am." Greg shouts. "No! I'm not allowing it!"
Steven looked upset along with Lapis and the others and asked. "But why? This is why we founded the Universe & Universe." Greg then told him. "Steven, you're grounded."
"What?!" The young Gem and his lover Gem shouted before the father pointed to the ground with both hands. "No, no. I mean you're grounded. You don't get to leave Earth freely."
Steven seemed calm now. "Oh." Lapis then told him. "Steven that still means you can't come with us if we go." He then looked shocked again. "What?!"
"Yes. And as C.E.O. and Supreme Space Commander, I hereby ground this astronaut and cancel this mission." Steven groaned. "Aw, man! Stupid company by-laws." Pearl looked at him. "Hey! Who made you C.E.O.!?" Greg tilts his head towards his son and Lapis. "They did."
Pearl then looked at them and then sighed. "Fine. If neither of you will help, I'll just do it by myself. Not like it'll be much different." The others looked shocked. "Pearl!" Greg then apologizes to his kid. "I'm sorry, bud. Sometimes you just got to know when to bail."
Nighttime
As everyone was asleep at the barn, Pearl who was awake walked over to the setup tent which Steven, Lapis, Anaya, Violet, and Blue were occupied in, sleeping as well. Soon both Anaya and Steven were woken up by Pearl poking them. "Whaa?"
"Shh!" Pearl shushed them a bit before asking. "You two want to see something really cool?" As an answer they left their sleeping bags and the tent, following her as Greg snored and talked in his sleep. "Don't give him the banana. Snore...That's what he wants."
Pearl opens up the barn doors, revealing the two a completed ship that looks to fit at least three. "Presenting the brand-new ballistic-flight-capable Universe Mach 3!" Pearl said with a smile causing the two gasped, looking at the Spaceship with a smile. "Spaceship!" Steven laughed at this happily.
"Wait, Steven. Keep your voice down." Anaya nodded as Steven laughed quietly and spoke. "Whoa! It's even got the logo from the van!" Anaya looked suspicious before realizing. "It is the logo from the Van." Pearl then tells them. "If Greg asks, we'll say we borrowed it."
Anaya thought for a moment and shrugged as they began to get into the cockpit of the Mach 3. "Whoa. Look at all the buttons! I must press them all." Steven said happily as Pearl tells him. "If you want, Steven, we could take her out for an engine check." She then formed into a spacesuit and kept her smile.
"It'll be quick." The two nodded happily and prepared for Space as well, while they did though when the barn and the area around it began to rumble, Greg woke up, along with Lapis, Blue and Violet. "What's going on? Where's Steven?!" Lapis asked noticing he's gone. "Where's Anaya too?!" Violet asked before Greg shouted. "Pearl!"
They looked over at the shout and saw Greg through his Van, seeing that it was missing some parts. Soon they saw the Barn door open, revealing the Spaceship with Steven, Anaya, and Pearl inside.
"Steven, what are you doing?!" Greg asked with the others wanting answers. They couldn't get it yet as the Mach 3 rockets out of the barn creating a blast that knocked the four back. The Ship then glides over the ocean as Pearl tampers with the controls. "Wow! Look! You can see the temple!" Steven said as he and Anaya looked.
While Pearl drives the Ship the Walkie-Talkie connected to it began to make a static noise. "Hey, can you hear me!? Where do you two think you're going!?" It was Greg, he sounded worried as Lapis, Blue, Violet were heard from the background as Lapis asked.
"Steven are you ok?!" Steven smiled. "I'm better than ok!" He said excitedly to her before speaking again. "Hey, Dad, guess where I am?" Greg tells him. "We know where you are. It's where you're going that concerns me!"
His son then tells him. "Don't worry, Dad. This is just a quick test flight." Pearl then spoke. "This will be perfectly fine, just a little pop over to the nearest star system. I'll give them back in 50 years." Steven and Anaya seemed to dislike this. "50 Years?" They both said.
"What?! I'll be dead in 50 years!" Greg shouted knowing he might not be able to last that long as Lapis took over. "Pearl, you need to bring him and Anaya back right now, or-" The transmission goes out, showing Pearl had cut out the communication. "Hello? Hello?!"
Back at the Spaceship, Steven shouted to the leader. "Pearl, I'm not supposed to go. Pearl!" Anaya then shouted. "I don't want to be away from Blue and Violet Pearl for 50 years!" Pearl then spoke. "Oh, this is so exciting! Steven, Anaya, you're gonna love it." Pearl then plays a keyboard mounted to the side of the cockpit's panel.
"Hang on tight!"
Steven and Anaya did so before noticing a piece of the Mach 3 falls off. "What was that? Pearl!" Anaya shouted which Pearl ignored. "We can make it. We're almost there." The Spaceship begins to fall apart, showing they're not going to make it. "Pearl!" Steven held close to Anaya as Pearl continued up.
"I'm gonna show it to you." Anaya and Steven acted fast and pulled the hatch which releases the glass covering the cockpit. "Steven! Anaya! What are you doing?!"
Steven answers. "We need to go, Pearl! We're not gonna make it!" She looks upwards. "But we're almost there!" Anaya then brings her head down to them and spoke worriedly.
"Pearl! We know you miss space, and we know you worked hard, but sometimes...You just got to know when to bail." After a few seconds, Pearl noticed another part of the Ship come off, causing her to pull a lever on the side of the chairs they're sitting in which ejects them out of the spaceship just as it explodes.
Back on the hill near the Barn the three Gems and Greg looked shocked at the explosion as Greg began to scan the sky with his binoculars hoping nothing back happened to the three. "Please, please, please, please, please." They then see Pearl, Anaya, and Steven with a parachute coming back down to Earth. Relieved Greg began to relax now, soon lying on the ground.
"This kid's killing me. Ughhhh..."
Now back to the three in the sky, they looked down at the Earth they're coming back too as Pearl looked at the two and apologized. "I'm so sorry. I almost got us killed." Steven looked at Anaya before the two smiled and looked back at the leader. "I think we're used to it. I'm sorry we couldn't help you go to space. We'll get there someday, we promise."
"You know...I think I'd rather be here on Earth." Steven laughed. "With us!" Pearl soon smiled and nodded as she kept them close to her. "Yeah. With you." They watched as they came back down to Earth.