The barn sat below in the distance. "Are you excited, Peridot?" Steven asked.
"By certain definitions, though I doubt by the one you mean."
"Shh!" hissed Amethyst. "We're supposed to be watching for guards."
"I don't see anything," said Pearl.
"Nor do I," said Garnet. "Let's wait for Lapis."
They ducked their heads back into the thick copse of trees they had chosen as a hiding spot and waited. The beating of wings overhead announced Lapis's arrival. She swooped downwards through the treetops, ignoring the snagging branches and leaves that clung to her.
"Anything?" asked Garnet.
Lapis shrugged. "I didn't see anything from the air, but there are plenty of places nearby where a dozen gems could be hiding."
"Or they could be in the barn itself," Peridot added.
Lapis nodded. "It sucks that we did all that work on this place and now we can't even go home to it. Anytime you guys want to fix that is great by me."
"I suppose we owe you that much," said Pearl. "Still, we aren't going to rush this. Any ideas, Garnet?"
Garnet considered. "I say we rush it."
Pearl frowned. "Are you just saying that to be funny, or…?"
"No. The sooner we get in and out, the better. If there are any soldiers inside, we dispatch them quickly and get that machine out before reinforcements arrive. Judging by the surroundings, we might get hit quickly if they come from that forest," she indicated the trees across the road from where they usually drove in with Greg. "If they don't, we will have several minutes to take care of what we need to."
"Lazuli, would you mind keeping an eye out front for us?"
"No problem, Peridot. I think enough of those monsters have been through our home as it is."
"In that case, we're ready to go." Peridot grinned broadly and raised a fist in a threatening manner. "We'll show them that they've broken into the wrong home!"
"Sure, let's do that," said Lapis.
"No use waiting," said Garnet. "In and out. Let's go."
"Right," said the others. They burst from their cover and sped towards the barn, Garnet taking the natural lead, Pearl, Amethyst, and Steven behind, Lapis with Peridot above. Though they kept from shouting or crying out, they still made considerable noise as they sprinted across the grass. They kept their eyes open and alert, waiting for Emerald and her crew to spring from any nook or cranny along the way, but they did not. They reached the barn without incident.
The lack of foes raised all sorts of warning flags among the group, who threw cautious looks out into the wilderness and at one another. Disregarding the conspicuous absence of Onyxes, they surrounded the front door of the barn. Garnet jammed her hands between the doors and pried them sharply open in one smooth action, then pulled her arms back in, getting ready for an attack.
But none came. The barn was devoid of soldiers.
"Uh… I'll… watch from the roof?" said Lapis. Peridot looked at her and shrugged. Lapis took off and perched above, keeping a lookout. "Everything looks calm," she called down.
"This is… not what I expected," said Peridot nervously. She hoisted the bag of tools she was carrying. "I guess I'll disassemble the advanced warning system. Steven, may I borrow your shielding abilities? If there are no soldiers, there might be traps instead."
"Sure," he said. He stood next to Peridot and wrapped his bubbled around them.
"You might want to step outside in case something explodes," Peridot told the Gems.
As they moved outside, they closed the door behind them and exchanged concerned looks. "Something's up," said Amethyst.
"Definitely," said Garnet, "but what?"
Pearl cupped her chin. "Assuming the console doesn't explode—" she paused as they heard Peridot opening the hatch of the machine and crawl inside, seemingly safe and unexploded, "—then perhaps a tracking device?"
"That's logical, though having guards here would do more to throw us off the scent of a tracking device. No guards at all is highly suspicious."
"Maybe it's just a mind game," said Amethyst. "Emerald doesn't really respect our intelligence, so maybe she's messing with us."
"After losing track of Steven the first time, I think she's done playing around."
Amethyst shrugged. "Then I got nothing."
"Same," said Pearl, clearly frustrated.
"Still nothing," Lapis took the opportunity to call down. "Even if no one comes, I'm still not moving back in until Emerald is taken care of." After a moment of silence, she added, "I'm going to get a higher look," and promptly took off.
"This is starting to creep me out," said Amethyst. They reopened the barn doors. Steven waved at them nervously, himself standing with his shield out and his eyes alert. Peridot clanked about inside her machine. Lapis swooped back down and landed lightly.
"Nothing," Lapis mumbled, her voice barely audible from the roof.
Peridot scrambled from the machine. "All the connectors are disassembled. Let's get this thing up and out of here. This situation gives me the creeps."
"Do you think Emerald is tracking it?" asked Garnet.
"If she is, it's too late now. I have no doubt she knows we're here, watching from somewhere. We can't leave the machine for risk that, knowing we came for it, she'll destroy it. The fact that she hasn't destroyed it already or removed the data unit suggests she left it here for us for some reason, though I do not understand why as I saw no obvious traps inside."
"No obvious traps?"
"Due to concerns you no doubt share, I'm not fond of the idea of staying longer than necessary."
"Check again."
"Gah! Fine. I'll take another look. Just keep an eye on things out here." As she was turning to head back into the barn, the distant howling of an Onyx rolled over the grassland. Instantly, every Gem was holding their weapon. "I told you! Put those weapons away and grab the console, you clods!"
"And hurry up about it," said Lapis. "I'll hold them off if you need."
"Right," said Garnet. "Thanks. Steven, Amethyst, and I will each grab a piece. Pearl and Lapis are on defense. Peridot, try to keep up."
"If I can't keep up with Amethyst carrying two hundred pounds of equipment, then I'm really in a sorry state."
"Shut up," suggested Amethyst, hoisting a section of the console. Steven and Garnet followed suit. Steven lifted his section above his head, it being too large to carry in front of him without running blind, and found that even with his gem strength, the machine was uncomfortably heavy. They had hours of walking ahead if they wanted to get back to their hotel base. He hoped they lost the Onyxes before his arms gave out.
Lapis crouched on the roof. "I still don't see anything, but it shouldn't be long. I'll distract them when they come. I'll meet you back at the hotel."
"Be careful," said Peridot.
"I think I'd have to mess up pretty bad to get caught by an Onyx, but okay."
The others hustled out of the barn with the equipment, Pearl spinning this way and that with her spear at the ready, prepared to intercept anything that came their way. Peridot huffed behind them, her short legs working furiously to keep pace.
They ran for nearly half an hour but never heard signs of pursuit. They slowed to a stop and Steven put down his section of the console, exhausted.
"Whew, I need a break," he said, leaning against it.
"Are you alright, Steven?" asked Pearl.
"If we walk the rest of the way, I'll be fine."
"If you want, I can carry that for a bit."
"No, thanks. I trust you more to protect me than the other way around." Pearl beamed proudly at that.
Steven stretched his back and looked into the sky. After a minute, he felt good enough to go again. As he reached for the console, he heard the telltale sound of Lapis approaching. They waited for her to land, a puzzled frown on her face.
"Weren't you going to stay behind and run distraction?" Peridot asked.
Lapis shook her head. "No one came near the barn at all."
"Really? It's been more than long enough for an Onyx to cover the distance from that howl to the barn."
"It's been long enough for them to go around the barn and catch up with you guys. I got worried and decided to come in case you needed help, but I didn't see anything on the way and there's nothing here either."
"I told you Emerald was playing mind games with us," said Amethyst.
Garnet and Pearl exchanged worried looks. "We continue on at a walk," said Garnet. "Eyes peeled." They turned and made their way back to base, weapons close at hand.
Peridot fastened the last screw on the console. She looked around the hotel room at the others. Though the first step of the plan had gone off without a hitch, the ease with which they acquired the console and the lack of any hostile gems during the mission precluded any celebration; everyone was too suspicious, convinced that they had stumbled into some sort of trap that they didn't understand.
"So," said Peridot, "when do we start step two?"
"I guess as soon as possible," said Pearl.
"I'll start searching for a honeypot," said Garnet. She moved to a corner of the room and sat down, peering into possible futures.
Peridot looked at the other Gems. "How long does this usually take?"
Amethyst shrugged. "Could be hours; could be days. Hard to tell with future vision. Get comfy."
Garnet stood suddenly.
"Garnet?" said Pearl, surprised. "What's the matter?"
"I found one," she said without preamble.
"Already?!"
"Ten minutes away if we take our time." Garnet looked meaningfully at the others. "It's too close. She knows we're in the area."
"She must have known before we left to retrieve the console, otherwise she would never have enough time to set it up. She's moving faster than we are."
"We can't move any faster!" Amethyst shouted in frustration. "What's she got on us?"
"A few hundred troops," Peridot ticked off her fingers, "top of the line technology, absolute obedience from her soldiers, time, patience, the backing of the Diamonds—"
"Okay, okay, shut up already. Geez."
"We go now," said Garnet. "If we move immediately, we might surprise her and access that console right under her nose."
"I highly doubt that," opined Peridot.
"Well we have to try. It will be next to impossible to move the console without being seen if she knows where we are. If she's closing in, then we're low on time. Follow me."
Instead of going to the exit, she opened the door to Greg's room. Greg was lying on the bed, watching television, and sat up as they entered. "What's going on?" he asked.
"You're coming with us, Greg," said Garnet. "It's too dangerous to leave you here alone."
"Whoa, hang on, I don't do dangerous gem stuff. Last time I did, a certain somebody broke my leg."
"He means me," said Lapis.
"We don't have a choice," said Garnet. "There are gems within minutes of here. Peridot, grab that data unit and let's go."
They gathered their things in Greg's room. "Why are we setting up in here?" asked Amethyst.
"Just follow me," said Garnet. She summoned her gauntlets and ran toward the wall, leaping into it fists first, bursting straight through. A hint of sunlight shone from above as the room was exposed to the outside air. She flew like a missile across the gap between their hotel and the taller building next door, smashing through that wall as well before coming to a stop. She beckoned for the others to join her.
"I guess the alleyway is the least likely place to be watched," said Pearl as she picked Greg up. "I still feel like this was going to have been for nothing."
"It's going to be for a few thousand dollars out of my bank account," said Greg. "It's expensive hanging around you guys."
"Sorry about that. Hold on, now." She leapt through the hole in the wall, Greg screaming in terror as they soared over the alleyway below to the next building. They landed smoothly and she let Greg down, who immediately grabbed his chest.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" He turned and saw a man in a suit sitting behind a desk, staring open-mouthed at the people in his office. "Uh, hi. Greg Universe." He offered the man a card with his business information on it. "Sorry about my friends. I'll pay for the damages. Just give me a call in… let's say a week." The man took the card and stared at it in shock.
Amethyst, Steven, Peridot, and Lapis came through. "Let's keep moving," said Garnet. She took off through the office, Greg and the other gems trailing behind.
"Garnet," said Pearl, dodging around startled men and women in business attire, "this seems like an extreme measure to take considering we're not currently being followed."
"We're as good as," said Garnet. "She's watching. We need to act quickly before she can close the snare."
"That's great and all," said Peridot, "but I don't even have the parts I need to finish the repairs."
Garnet paused, gesturing to an office full of computers, printers, copiers, and miscellaneous electronic items. "Will this do?"
Peridot blinked and looked around. Her hand unconsciously went to open her tool bag, but she stopped. "Potentially, but I can't both access the console and scavenge for parts, especially if we're in a hurry."
"Not a problem. Amethyst?"
"What, just start taking stuff to the hotel?" Garnet nodded. Amethyst laughed. "Really? Just straight-up stealing?"
"We really shouldn't be stealing things," said Steven.
Greg sighed. "I'll be paying for them. Take what you need and hurry on back. Just don't get caught by Emerald's hounds alone, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful," said Amethyst, half-listening. She was gleefully focused on what things she could take.
Garnet didn't wait any longer, leaping through a closed window and bursting through the next building.
Pearl looked back and forth between the devastation being caused by Garnet and the greedy, manic eyes on Amethyst. "Things are getting a bit strange, aren't they?"
"You know what they say about strange times and strange measures," said Peridot.
"Not how the saying goes, Peri," said Amethyst.
"I'm paraphrasing."
Amethyst snorted. "You were Peri-phrasing?"
Peridot flushed angrily. "Don't you have some looting to do?!"
"Boy, do I!" She grabbed a photocopier larger than she was and lifted it with ease, running off with it and giggling madly, stunned office workers watching in futility.
Lapis watched her go. "Uh… we should probably follow Garnet."
"Right," said Steven. "Let's go!
The Crystal Gems arrived just as the mesmerized cluster gems went berserk.
The Gems ran out of the bed and breakfast whose roof they have crashed through moments before and into the park where the clusters were gathered. Curious onlookers, moments before gathered about the strange creatures and taking selfies with them, were now sprinting away in every direction as the clusters blindly lashed out at those around them.
"Emerald must have shut off the signal," said Peridot.
"Is it because she knew we were close," asked Pearl, "or was this meant to draw us out in the first place?"
"I don't know! What I do know is that you need to protect me while I access the terminal. Let's hope she didn't completely sever all connections or I won't be able to acquire any locational coordinates, and then it's goodbye any short-term chances of finding her ship."
"No going back now," said Garnet. She leapt forward, the rest of the gems following after, and they waded into the rampaging clusters, striking as they went, clearing a path for Peridot.
Peridot reached the console and examined it, running a hand along the edges and sides.
"What are you doing?" asked Steven.
"If the last console wasn't trapped, this one certainly is." She checked the side hatch but found no obvious indicators of tinkering. She popped it open, sticking her head inside and looking around with a small flashlight. She quickly scanned the dozens of wires running through the machine, taking mental stock and figuring what was what and which led where. She nearly brushed past the main button panel without a second glance, but her eyes quickly returned there.
"Hold on," she mumbled to herself. She ran her hand along the wires plugging into the rear of the panel. "Sixty-four volts, common rail, common rail, seven-point-four volts… then what is wire number five?" She followed the extra unknown wire from the panel that split from the other four. It vanished behind a metal plate that was bolted in place. Peridot grabbed a wrench and went to work, trying to ignore the sounds of screaming, snarling, and poofing gems that echoed distractingly loud within the confines of the console box.
Unfastening the last bolt, the panel dropped away. Peridot let a smug smile play across her face as she saw the wire connected to a Gem Destabilizer Core and a small arming device. Had Peridot touched the front panel without checking for traps first, it would have given off a blast wave that would have reduced them all to their gems and probably caused Steven some significant pain. Instead, Peridot snipped the wire and disarmed the trap.
Proud of herself—and slightly annoyed that the others could not be party to her brilliance—Peridot slid back out of the console, went to the front, plugged in the data unit, and powered the console on. It quickly came to life, its myriad lights and screens flashing. Peridot went swiftly about her work, running the processes necessary to capture packet information as bundles of data passed through the device and were sent off somewhere far away. Hopefully that faraway place was the ship they were looking for.
As she tapped a screen to focus the data collection to only what she deemed necessary, one of the monitors flashed. Emerald stared through the monitor, looking pleased.
"Ah, the Peridot," said Emerald, almost laughing.
"Emerald," said Peridot by way of greeting. She had too much work to do to pay Emerald any mind and kept her eyes on the console.
Emerald did not seem put off in the least. "I was hoping you would come along and meddle with things. It seems I was right."
"Look," said Peridot, eyes narrowing in annoyance, "we get it; you're menacing and clever and whatever. Can you just shut up for a minute so I can do what I need to do?"
Emerald laughed. "Oh, my! You've been trained to be cheeky by those Crystal Gems, haven't you?" Peridot took a moment to roll her eyes. She typed in a few commands, trying to cut off Emerald's connection, but they were as futile as she thought they would be.
Behind Peridot, Steven crashed down on top of a cluster mutant shield-first, crushing its body and poofing it. As he rolled to his feet, he turned and saw the monitor in front of Peridot. "Oh, man, is that Emerald?"
"The Steven!" Emerald hissed, delight all across her features. She turned and shouted off-screen. "Detonate the console!"
Peridot's eyes went wide. She turned and ran to Steven. "Bubble! Now!" Then she realized her mistake. She turned back toward the console and reached out. "My data unit!"
Peridot saw only the briefest smile from Emerald before the console exploded, Steven's bubble coming up just in time to take the brunt of the force. The fireball was powerful enough to send the bubble bouncing away, causing the pair to tumble head-over-heels inside.
They slammed into a wall and the bubble popped around them, causing them to fall into a heap.
Steven sat up, rubbing his aching body. "Peridot?"
Peridot jumped up. "We have to get back to our headquarters immediately!"
"But the data thing—"
"I know. Let's go!"
"Okay. I'll go grab the others—"
"No, leave them here. It will keep Emerald off our trail. Pick me up and get me back as fast as you possibly can."
The gems were still busy with the clusters, but Steven caught Garnet's eye. He pointed to himself and Peridot and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. She nodded understanding, then leapt back into the fray.
"Okay," he said. "I got you." He grabbed Peridot and put her under his arm. Turning back towards the bed and breakfast, he sprinted in, then leapt up through the broken roof toward the next building.
Steven and Peridot ran into Amethyst coming back for more electronics. "Yo, P-pod, I think I got enough stuff for you."
"Fantastic, but let's keep moving. These humans look angry and violent."
"We did kind of wreck their building."
"They'll get over it."
They ran through the last office, leaping back toward the hotel. Steven put Peridot down as they landed. "So what do we do now?"
"I get to work on fixing the console, just as we planned."
"But we lost the data unit when the console exploded," said Steven.
"On the contrary." Peridot opened her hand, revealing the tiny, metallic square that was the gem data unit. To Steven's amazed look, she said, "I snatched it out of harm's way with my psychokinetic powers at the last second. Pretty great, right?"
"That's awesome! I didn't know you could move things that quickly."
"Neither did I, frankly. Heat of the moment, I guess."
"Why didn't you tell me at the park?"
"In case Emerald was somehow watching or listening. The last thing she saw was me reaching for the data unit, so she probably thinks it destroyed. We have the advantage, now! I think."
"So the clusters were a trap, right?" asked Amethyst
"Right," said Peridot. "The console was also rigged to both destabilize us and explode. I didn't even think to look for a second trap once I disarmed the first."
"Was that what all the mind games were for? To throw you off of that?"
"I don't think so. It was still too simple. Maybe Garnet was right and we were able to get in and out of her trap before she could complete it. I don't know. I can't make sense of this Emerald."
Peridot looked around at all the things Amethyst had 'acquired' from the offices. "With some minor adjustments, I should be able to find what I need here. Don't let your guard down. The others should be on their way soon." She promptly set to work breaking down office supplies in search of parts.
Amethyst sat down on a couch and slung her arm over the back. "Amethyst, how can you relax at a time like this?" asked Steven. "I'm all nerves right now."
"Why? We're just sitting here."
"I know, but we just came out of one fight and we've got another one ahead."
"Yeah, but no fighting now. Might as well chill."
Steven held his shield tight. "I don't think I can be that chill."
"Hey, whatever boats your float."
"That's not how it goes," said Peridot.
"Yeah, but at least when I screw them up, it's because I'm joking." There was a thump in the bedroom. "And now the others are back. See, Steven? You got worried for nothing."
"Maybe, but we should still be ready for anything." Steven opened the door to the bedroom and was immediately tackled by an Onyx, the gems cutting up his shirt and arms. He let out a scream in surprise as we went down. The Onyx snapped its jaws at his face, barely a moment from biting Steven, when Amethyst's whip cracked out, catching the creatures around the head. With a sudden jerk, it was yanked off of Steven, pulled away in a wide arc, and slammed through a window halfway across the room, sending it yowling downward into the streets below.
Steven sat up and looked at Amethyst, who was still half-reclined on the couch. She looked at him, just as surprised as he was, then looked at her own whip, then at the window. "Holy smokes, did I just do that?"
"Uh, yeah, I think so."
"Oh, man, that was awesome! Did you see how smooth that arc was? I nailed it like a boss. And, like, how I was still sitting back and everything? That must have looked so cool. Ugh, I wish the others could have seen it. Heck, I wish I could have seen it."
"Amethyst, I don't think now's the time."
"Yeah, yeah, fine." She stood up and lifted her couch, slamming the bedroom door closed and shoving the couch in front of it. She started grabbing other furniture and adding it to the barricade, then blocked off the main exit as well. "Hopefully they can't get through the windows."
There was a crash above, followed by scraping steps. Steven gave Amethyst a worried look. "We're on the top floor, aren't we?"
"Ayup." Feet bounded down the hallway and started pounding on the main door. Amethyst pulled out a second whip. "P-dots, how you doing?"
"I have some appropriate parts, though I still need to make some sensitive adjustments. Then I can get to installing."
"How long, Dots?! How long?!"
"I might be able to manage fifteen minutes. Don't rush me."
"I kind of have to!" There was a loud thump from above, swiftly followed by a dozen more.
"It sounds like they're trying to break through," said Steven. "Peridot, if we have to move the console, can we?"
"Technically, yes. It has an internal power source so it could still operate while on the move, but I would suggest avoiding that scenario if at all possible. From what I've seen, Amethyst would have to do the lifting, as moving the unit in once piece would be far too stressful for your body. With that and the shapeshifting—"
There was a thunderous crash. The ceiling above them bowed in slightly before snapping back to its original shape. "And we're off to the races," said Amethyst, rushing over to the console and slamming the side hatch closed, sealing Peridot inside.
"Hey!" Peridot shouted.
"No time. We have to move." She beckoned Steven over. "Bubble up. I'm gonna toss you through the roof. As soon as you get through, do that thing where you expand the bubble real fast and blow them away, alright? Surprise bubble bomb!"
Steven looked around, unsure where else they could go or what else they could do. "Okay, let's do it." He surrounded himself with the bubble. Amethyst lifted him and reeled back, tossing him upwards at an amazing speed. He crashed into the ceiling, breaking through right under and Onyx. He couldn't even see through all the wood splinters and brick dust as he did as instructed, sending his bubble out like a shockwave to blow four Onyxes away.
Below, Amethyst shapeshifted into her Purple Puma form, trying to get tall and wide enough to lift properly. She reached around the console and hoisted the whole thing in her arms. "Oof. Man. Peridot ain't making it any lighter."
"Just try and keep me steady so I can work," Peridot's voice emanated from inside.
"I'll see what I can do." She leapt through the hole after Steven, landing heavily.
Two of the Onyxes had been launched off of the building, but the other two landed in a heap near the edges. They righted themselves and charged with a snarl.
"Let's head toward Garnet and the others," said Amethyst. She turned toward the office building that they had already made a mess of. The roof was two stories above, an easy jump if she wasn't hauling the console. She took a running leap, coming far shorter than she thought she would, and crashed through the window a floor down from the roof.
"AMETHYST!" Peridot screamed from inside. "Be careful or you'll destroy the whole console, you clod!"
"Sorry for saving your butt," said Amethyst. "And sorry for destroying your kitchen," she said to no one in particular, since this floor was empty. "I didn't know offices could have kitchens."
Steven landed behind her. He turned, seeing an Onyx running to jump the gap. He waited, timing it just right, and threw his shield as the Onyx leaped. He struck it square in the face, causing it to flail wildly and fall to the street several stories below. "Sweet hit, Steven," said Amethyst.
"Thanks."
"What happened?" asked Peridot.
"Steven pegged one in the face as it was jumping across."
"Ha! Nice."
"The other one doesn't look like he wants to try," said Steven. Indeed, the other Onyx turned around and scurried to the other side of the building, leaping downward toward some unseen platform below.
"We got a few minutes of peace," said Amethyst. She put down the console. Peridot kicked the hatch open from inside, letting her legs hang free as she worked.
"I got a surprising amount of work done in there," said Peridot, "but let's avoid doing that again."
"No promises."
They worked and watched in silence, listening to the sounds of chaos erupting around town. The Gems were probably done with the clusters, or had at least turned their attention to the Onyxes by now, and the Onyxes were causing panic as they wrecked the area outside. Amethyst and Steven remained close to the console with weapons ready, just waiting for something to try to leap through the hole in the wall or break through the ceiling.
After several slow minutes, there was a sudden screeching sound of bending metal all around them, then several loud pops below. "What the heck was that?" said Amethyst, crouching at the ready. There was a loud thump several floors down, then another, much closer, and another, until finally the floor burst open, an Onyx breaking through. Before Steven or Amethyst could react, the Onyx continued upward, carried through the shattered ceiling by a column of water and spat out into the sky.
The two of them looked down into the hole just as Lapis flew up through it. She landed lightly, her dress sporting a small tear at the hem, but otherwise fine. She looked relieved to see them all in one piece, but simply asked, "how is it coming along?"
"Only a few more minutes," said Peridot. She popped her head out for a moment. "Water mains?"
Lapis smiled. "Of course. I love how every building here has water running through it. Makes this a lot easier."
"Sounds like you took out most of the walls, though."
"And flooded most of the place. I feel a bit sorry for the people who own this building, but…" she shrugged.
"How are Garnet and Pearl doing?" asked Steven. "Is dad with them?"
"Last I saw Garnet, she was beating an Onyx with another Onyx. I think she's getting pretty good at fighting them. Pearl too, just not in as fun a way."
Peridot wriggled free of the console. "That should do it. I've also disabled the internal mechanisms that I used for communication with the satellites, just in case Emerald figured out how to break through their security as well. This way, she'll never know we ever turned it on. I should have enough cached geo-data to run the interpretive program without a direct connection."
"Whatever that all means," said Amethyst.
"It means we should be good to go." She popped the data unit in and powered the machine up.
The others watched in apprehensive silence as she worked. After nearly a minute without anyone speaking, she smiled and turned to her companions.
"Bingo. We have her."