A/N: I know, it's been WAY too long since I published a chapter, but the grad school monster has been working me (I also decided to beat Paper Mario again, so that didn't help). As per the usual, I really cannot express in words (ironic for a writer, I know) how much the reviews/favorites/follows mean to me; I hope you all continue to read! Anyway, here's Chapter 6! Hope you enjoy it. I still don't own Adventure Time or the characters, etc, etc, etc.
Glass shattered against the wall with a thin crash, leaving only a chemical stain and falling shards of crystal in its wake. The sound might have been more alarming if the door hadn't been heavily insulated against sound…or if it wasn't the twelfth time this week that a flask had been thrown against the side of the room.
"No good, no good, no good!" Princess Bubblegum muttered to herself as she pored over her notebook. Broken glass littered the sides of the room, and half-torn pages covered most of the available writing surfaces of the laboratory. A few test tubes in the corner bubbled with a foul-smelling green liquid, and a holographic screen displayed real-time data from one of countless experiments currently being conducted. The princess herself looked no more composed than her workspace; several sleepless nights had left her exhausted, disheveled, and likely no better-smelling than the reactants in her beakers.
Collapsing back into a chair, the princess let out a frustrated sigh. Ever since she got the last report from Finn, she had been frantic. She had thought herself prepared for the worst, but never imagined that the group would run into mutants almost the minute they stepped foot into the badlands. It wouldn't be long before the monsters moved closer to civilization, and that spelled trouble for everyone.
That's not even the worst part…thought Princess Bubblegum as she wiped her glasses with the tattered edge of her lab coat.
The worst part, by far, was the news of James. To be fair, calling that thing James wouldn't technically be accurate, but it was still an anomaly that she had in no way anticipated. Looking back, the princess was almost embarrassed by how much the image of the corpse caught her off guard. She surmised that her surprise had certainly been visible, and was glad that Finn likely concluded that her look of shock was simply due to the revelation that James had become a mutant. While it was true that she hadn't planned to see her former servant lying there, she had hypothesized long ago that the mutants had the ability to multiply by infecting others; they were too much like a disease to rule out such a possibility. No, the thing that bothered the princess the most was the mutant's power.
They're evolving, she thought with a grimace.
She had studied plenty of mutants, and seen even more, but nothing about their anatomy suggested that this sort of thing was remotely possible. This was not a simple Darwinian evolution, which would have needed far more than one generation to create any sort of change, but an ad hoc reshaping of the mutant genome to enhance the creature's physical abilities. What had sparked the evolution she couldn't say; to her knowledge, the mutants had no natural enemies, and they didn't seem to need any real resources in order to survive. Some external factor had to be driving these creatures to develop terrifying abilities, and Princess Bubblegum didn't like to think about what might have the power to do such a thing.
Instead, the princess decided to redouble her efforts into understanding the genetics of the mutants in order to come up with something that might be effective in stopping them. Finn, Jake, and Marceline could handle one, maybe even two, of the evolved mutants by themselves, but every hour that passed made it increasingly unlikely that two would be the limit of such enemies they might face at once. It wouldn't be easy without a sample from James, but something in the specimens she had already collected had to hold the key to figuring out what they were dealing with.
To that end, she immersed herself in her studies, stopping only to eat-which she did not make a habit of-or when her body collapsed from exhaustion-which happened even more infrequently. After the incident with James, she had managed to dig up samples she had kept on her for longer than she even remembered: samples from her earliest encounters with the mutants. The creatures were among the first things she had ever studied, largely due to the fact that there wasn't much else to study when she started out. Still, the fact that they dripped their fluids everywhere had made it easy to collect samples without risk of an encounter, and it was analysis of the mutants that first led her to a candy formula that would neutralize the radioactive rivers.
Unfortunately, the purification formula wouldn't work so well on the mutants, themselves. While the toxic waters and the serum which the monsters leaked shared a very similar chemical makeup, the cells suspended within the serum replicated at far too rapid a rate for effective purification. The princess had concluded that such rapid cellular turnover originated as a mechanism by which the cells could survive in such hazardous conditions; if the cells underwent division at a rapid enough rate, they didn't need to survive very long. By the time an effective dose of purification agent had been delivered, the mutant cells would have degraded it, destroyed it, and replicated again.
You'd have a much better chance at just hacking the thing with a weapon and hoping it doesn't get back up, she thought, forcing a bitter smile. At least Finn and Marceline already knew how to do that.
Despite the fact that the nature of the cells made it difficult to devise a scheme by which they might be neutralized, it did have a scientific advantage in that it made them very robust. Typical cells could be very difficult to culture, but the mutant cells had survived largely without intervention over the centuries; all Princess Bubblegum had to do was freeze them to prevent their replication. In previous studies, the princess had been more interested in the properties of the serum itself (which had an equally good shelf life), but this time she needed a better understanding of what made the cells themselves tick.
And after countless assays, I'm still no closer than I was 500 years ago, she sighed. The genomic analysis was moving at a painstakingly slow rate because, quite frankly, the princess wasn't really sure where to start. Most of the physiochemical aspects of the cells were fairly easily observed with a microscope and some chemical reagents, but the genetic material was much more difficult to get at. She hypothesized that it was some sort of nucleic acid, since that was by far the most efficient mechanism for carrying genetic information, but beyond that she couldn't be sure. Without specifically knowing what kind of bases and backbones she was dealing with, the Princess couldn't do much more than isolate the material and run any tests she could think of. Research was a field built far more on failures that on successes, she knew, but this time there was very little margin for error.
Princess Bubblegum stared up at the clock hanging above her desk. The hands read half past four, but she had no idea whether it was AM or PM. Nor, for that matter, was she even sure what day it was at all. Still, the consistent click of the second hand served as a constant reminder that time was ticking away.
A short noise from her computer distracted the princess from pondering her timepiece. Expecting to see another failed experiment, Princess Bubblegum was shocked to see the words "Results Available" hover across the screen. With some hesitation, she clicked the display option, letting out a gasp as the data was displayed.
Not knowing where else to turn, the princess had begun screening the mutants' genetic material against that of all other creatures for which she had samples. In truth, she hadn't expected to find much this way; the mutants were the remnants of a world in which genetic information worked in a very different fashion that it did post-Mushroom War.
Yet, what stared her in the face was a 94% match.
As surprising as the match was, Princess Bubblegum was more interested in what the genetic material matched with. "Deoxyribonucleic acid, double helix, major bases adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine," she read aloud, as if audibly repeating the results would somehow help her believe them. "This is almost exactly the same as-"
There was a knock on the door, the first sound from outside that the princess had heard in days. Peppermint Butler generally kept good on his word to only interrupt her in case of an emergency, so whatever was making him knock was likely urgent. Quickly saving the data, Princess Bubblegum walked over to the exit. Opening the door, she saw Peppermint Butler, looking incredibly uncomfortable.
"What is it, Peppermint Butler?" She asked, trying to mask her exhaustion.
"Princess, sorry to bother you," began the butler, "but there are emissaries from the Flame Kingdom here to see you. I tried to tell them you were indisposed for the time being, but they said the Flame Princess herself was demanding an immediate audience."
The princess' brow furrowed. What is she up to she wondered, and why of all times does she need to see me now? Regardless, it was her duty as a monarch to give audience to a fellow princess an audience when requested. Besides, now that she ruled over the Flame Kingdom, containing Flame Princess would be next to impossible if things got out of hand.
"You did well to come find me," she reassured her servant. "Tell them I will be in my throne room shortly."
Peppermint Butler gave a deep bow. "As you wish, m'lady."
As she headed to her bedroom to make herself more presentable, Princess Bubblegum considered what Flame Princess could want. No doubt the fiery ruler still bore her some ill-will regarding her imprisonment in the lamp, but if she was going to act on that it would have likely happened already. But what could be so urgent that she would demand to speak with her directly? The princess wanted to believe that it wasn't anything serious, but her instincts said otherwise; if it wasn't absolutely necessary, Flame Princess would likely do everything she could to avoid the Candy Kingdom.
I guess I'll find out before too long, she thought as she made her way to the throne room.
Standing in the middle of the chamber were three flame people: a messenger flanked by two flame guards. The messenger did not have any sort of parchment in his hand, but instead was holding a large candle, which he lit with the touch of a finger as Princess Bubblegum entered the room.
Once at her throne, the princess seated herself in front of her visitors. As stressed as she was, it was imperative that she appeared collected if this was to be a successful meeting; there was precious little time to waste on cleaning up political messes.
"What message do you bring from the Flame Kingdom, travelers?" the princess asked cordially.
"Your highness," the emissary stepped forward, "it is our ruler's wish to speak to you directly on this important matter."
Before Princess Bubblegum had time to question the visitor's meaning, the flame of the candle he was holding flared into a large fireball. As he set the candle on the ground, the inferno began to stabilize, and took on the shape of a face. In a matter of moments, the princesses of the Candy and Fire Kingdoms were face to face.
"Greetings, Flame Princess," said Princess Bubblegum. Her surprise at the new visitor lasted only momentarily, as she quickly recalled the fire peoples' unique ability to speak through lit flames.
"Princess Bubblegum," Flame Princess replied, with none of the warmth that the fire itself was emitting.
The curt greeting was not altogether unexpected, and Princess Bubblegum tried not to read too much into it. Hoping to maintain the upper hand in the conversation, the princess began, "Your emissaries tell me that this meeting is urgent. I'm happy to help in any way that I can, but I have to admit your visit is somewhat unexpected."
"Typical," came the response from the flame, "we've hardly begun our conversation and already you're already lying."
"Pardon?" Princess Bubblegum tried not to appear too taken aback.
"Don't play dumb," Flame Princess hissed, "you know why I'm here."
"Is this about what happened with your dad?" Bubblegum asked. "I did what I had to do for the sake of my kingdom. As a ruler, I had hoped you would understand that now, but it's in the past, regardless. Besides, it's not like I specifically instructed the Flame King to imprison y-"
"That's not why I'm here," the princess of flame interrupted. "I'm here because of your little 'excursion' into the badlands next to my kingdom."
For a moment, Princess Bubblegum sat in stunned silence, her thoughts racing. What issue could she possibly have with it she wondered and how in Ooo does she know about it anyway?
Certainly, if any Flame Kingdom spies had been lurking in the badlands, Finn would have seen them and reported it. Well, maybe not Finn, but Marceline would have noticed. The fact that Finn was there complicated things even further…Flame Princess was unstable enough as it is, so the combination of a volatile political situation and her ex-boyfriend could lead to a disaster. She had to find out how much Flame Princess knew, without giving up her position.
Gathering her wits, she addressed her guest once more, "Who told you such nonsense? I haven't sent anyone into the badlands in weeks; even if I had, there's no treaty that prevents my people from entering them, though we would never presume to encroach on your borders."
"That is so like you," Flame Princess scowled, "pretending like following the rules justifies your actions. I know what you're really after, and I know why you want it."
Her frustration mounting, Princess Bubblegum was starting to feel the effects of multiple days without sleep. While she doubted that there was any way that Flame Princess had conclusive proof that the colony crew was in the badlands, she was even more confident that no one knew of her plans, save for herself, Peppermint Butler, and the group that was currently on the expedition. While the possibility of a spy was certainly possible, she fully trusted everyone involved, and had taken extreme precautions to make sure that no one else found out. Whatever ridiculous tantrum Flame Princess had currently invested herself in was endangering her mission and wasting her time, and she wasn't in the mood.
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Bubblegum, her exasperation beginning to show.
"Oh really?" Flame Princess was close to shouting, and Princess Bubblegum noticed a distinct increase in the temperature of her throne room. "No idea? So I guess liquid coal doesn't ring a bell? Surely, a scientist like yourself knows what liquid coal is, and a schemer like yourself knows how you could use it against me. You haven't trusted me since I was a baby, and now that I've finally taken my place as ruler you think it's time to deal with me and my kingdom once and for all. I'm onto you, princess, and I won't let you lie to me again!"
This time, Princess Bubblegum was truly at a loss for words. How and where she had gathered such a ludicrous story was entirely beyond her comprehension; it was increasingly likely that the fact that she seemed to have knowledge of the group in the badlands was nothing more than a coincidental link between reality and her bizarre tale. No matter how ridiculous the story was, though, the Flame Princess seemed to believe in it. She had to take care of this issue now before it escalated…but what could she say to calm her counterpart down?
Liquid coal…the princess wondered what she could be referring to. At standard temperature and pressure, coal is a solid. If you heat it up, it usually just turns to ash, so to make it a liquid you'd need…
Suddenly, Princess Bubblegum had her answer. It was the key to what this "liquid coal" was, and also the reason why Flame Princess was being so obstinate.
Pressure.
Though it was not technically "liquid coal", per se, Bubblegum had no doubt that Flame Princess was referring to petroleum, formed deep within the earth's crust under intense pressure. Moreover, processed petroleum had over twice the energy density of typical coal. Why the princess of flame wanted it was not difficult to extrapolate: If the flame kingdom was so desperate for more fuel, it meant they were under a pressure of their own.
Still, I can't let them interfere in the badlands, she thought, not while there's so much at stake, and certainly not while Finn is there. As much as she would rather avoid it, she would have to lie to Flame Princess once more.
Like all convincing lies, it had to be as close to the truth as possible.
Composing herself once more, the princess of the Candy Kingdom began, "Flame Princess, I freely admit that I am aware of the existence of petroleum fuel, "liquid coal" as you call it, and its potential for supplying your kingdom. However, I was not aware that your country was in need of such an energy supply. You have my word that I have no desire to take such a resource from you, and I promise the Candy Kingdom's cooperation should you wish to make a treaty concerning the fuels possibly located in the badlands. However, I cannot recognize absolute Flame Kingdom sovereignty over the badlands, no matter how close they may be geographically located to your borders."
"So you haven't sent anyone into the badlands recently?" Flame Princess asked, still apparently on her guard.
"No, I haven't, Princess." And there's the lie. "Nor can I advise anyone to travel there, currently, as previous expeditions indicate a high degree of danger."
Flame Princess was silent for a moment, staring at the speaker as if she was looking for the princess to betray her thoughts. Bubblegum, however, returned her stare, daring not even to reveal her fatigue. The moment of silence gave Bubblegum a slight sense of relief. If she really believed that story of hers, she wouldn't be considering what had just been said. For the time being, at least, it looked like it wouldn't come to violence.
Finally, the fiery visitor broke the silence, "For your sake, and your kingdom's, you had better be telling the truth for once." The candle extinguished itself just as suddenly as it had been lit.
With a groan, Princess Bubblegum slouched backwards as the flame emissaries left her chamber. This new development changed everything, and could not have come at a worse time. The Flame Princess seemed satisfied for now, but she would certainly not be content to sit still for very long, especially if her situation was as dire as it seemed. By the princess's calculations, the absolute best case scenario would be for a very small contingent of Flame Kingdom troops to find a satisfactory amount of fuel near the outskirts of the desert, where they were guaranteed not to run into her party. But, if a larger force were to go to the badlands, and if they were to encounter Finn, Jake, Marceline, and the candy crew…
Bubblegum looked out a window to the southeast, voicing a silent apology to her friends. While the odds were against them, they had a better chance alone against the mutants than the host of the Flame Kingdom. For now, she had to focus her attention on keeping the political situation from boiling over.
A/N: So that's it! Quick note about the timeline: this chapter is happening concurrently with the previous chapter. I have to say, I really enjoyed getting to draw on my experience as a researcher (I'll be it ever so slightly) to write for Bubblegum! Hope you all enjoyed writing it, and I'll try to get the next chapter up faster!