They found Peridot at her computer. "What do you want?"

Garnet replied, "Take us to her."

"No."

"It wasn't a request."

"I still refuse."

Garnet walked over and everyone followed. "We need your help."

"You won't get it," said Peridot.

Garnet leaned her hand on Peridot's desk in front of her keyboard. "Tell us what Topaz is planning."

"Planning? Oh, that's a good one. Yes, just like she'd planned on getting us stranded on Earth. Or, planned on having this desert be the one place where she's welcome. Or, planned getting on your bad side and you needing to come here and remind her that our de facto new home isn't her playground. Yes, she's real good at planning."

"Peridot?" mumbled Steven.

"What do you plan to do when you find her? I assume something horrid."

Steven waited with everyone else for Garnet to respond, but she didn't so Steven addressed Peridot again. "No one's going to get hurt if we can avoid it."

"So you say."

"We mean it. It's why we need to know, is there any reason this should be dangerous?"

Peridot said, "The only danger is you showing up."

"You know we need to."

"You don't."

"We do."

"You don't. You know Topaz won't listen to anything any of you have to say. You'll just end up in another slugfest."

"Peridot, we need to make sure nothing bad happens to Earth when these new Gems are born. We need to know what Topaz wants with them. Can you at least tell us that much?"

Peridot scrutinized him. She shook her head, "There's only one."

"What?..."

"Only one new Gem."

"Just one?!" Connie said.

"Did you think there were more?" said Peridot.

Steven replied, "I... Th-there was a bunch of photos."

"Taken over several months," Peridot waved.

"Oh," Pearl sighed, "what a relief!"

"This'll be so easier now," exclaimed Amethyst.

"Wow. You clods must've been ready to go to war."

Steven grabbed his shirt. He echoed, "Just... one..."

Garnet said, "What is Topaz going to do with the one?"

Peridot laid it on the table. "I don't know. I don't know what she's going to do with her. Topaz said she doesn't know either. She's told me she wants to know what it is for a Gem to exist for herself. That's what is unique about this Gem: we didn't integrate a directive into her. She has no obligations or alignment, in theory anyway, and I can't recall anything like this ever being done on purpose."

"But," said Amethyst, "when I came out I didn't know anything or anyone."

She nodded. "That's my point. That's a side effect in some cases of Gems who didn't form... as expected. No offense." Amethyst shook it off. "Topaz has been obsessed with this for the better part of the year. But, I have other doubts, too. I was surprised we had the resources (any deficiencies we took from Earth). Barely enough to make one Gem, but it took to forming that Gem. On top of that, there's the age of the serum crystal, which could increase the chance of malformation or defectiveness. And the lack of directive? Entirely up for speculation. At worst, she'll have no cognitive abilities. Brain-dead as humans might say."

Connie chimed in, "But... she could turn out ok?"

"I wouldn't say it impossible."

"So," said Steven, "this changes everything. Right, Garnet?"

Everyone looked at her. "Not what we came her to do. Peridot, we need to find Topaz."

"She's not going to cooperate."

"She's going to have to if she wants to live on this planet."

"Then I need to know what you're going to do when you find her."

Garnet frowned. "Talk with her."

"She won't listen-"

"We'll talk with her. We'll lay down the rules. Something like this can't happen again. If it does, Topaz will be bubbled. I'm sorry, but that's how it'll be."

Peridot examined Garnet from her chair. "You're going to let the new Gem come?"

"Of course," she said.

Peridot hummed. "Then I'm coming with you. Maybe I can help her see reason. None of you will be enough." She hopped down from her chair and motioned for everyone to follow her.

Steven caught up to her and asked, "So, what kind of Gem is the new Gem?"

"...She's a Topaz."

...