Chapter Ten: Heads in the Sand

May 14, 2017. Skies over Europe.

In the history of BAINE, and perhaps all of humanity, the greatest threat wrought by Gemkind had been the Cluster. A superweapon designed to shatter the very planet itself, stopped only by a fluke: and that fluke was named Steven Universe. But as great a threat as the Cluster had posed, it had ultimately been averted. If, as many were worried they would, Homeworld returned, defeating them would take much more than a fluke. It was likely that, once again, Steven would have to step up and play a major part.

For a long time, the return of Homeworld had been merely a fantasy. Even when Jasper made landfall, they were able to convince themselves that this wasn't an act of war, but merely an interested party scoping out a former territory. Nothing certain, just scouting. But that was much harder to justify given what had just happened.

Business carried on as usual. Currently, several members of BAINE were being flown to a remote area in the Siberian wilderness to deal with something the Director referred to as 'Project Aftermath.' Whatever it was, it was being kept under lock and key, with Mills so tight-lipped he refused to say anything about it other than its name. But it had a name that indicated something of certain finality, so much so that it put many of the agents on edge, even if subconsciously.

There had been a silence that had lasted for almost the entire flight. Even before that, nobody spoke unless they had something that needed to be said. Everybody knew what was wrong, and yet, for the longest time, nobody wanted to bring it up. Until, as the plane drifted above a snowstorm, Hester decided it was time. "We should be doing more."

"Yeah? Like what?" asked Vargas. She didn't respond. "No, that wasn't me being smart, I'm genuinely curious. What else can we possibly do right now?"

Her frustration building, Hester got to her feet. "That isn't the point! We're BAINE, we're supposed to protect people! Even if there's nothing we can do, the least we can do is try!" Having made her point, she sat back down. "If we can't even save the son of the Crystal Gems' leader, who's surrounded by the most powerful warriors on the planet, who can we save?"

"I…I hate to sound like a pessimist, but there really is nothing we could've done," Ichigo said sadly. "You heard what those two Gems were capable of: they stopped Alexandrite in her tracks like she was nothing! Not to mention the hostages they had…it's a miracle nobody else was hurt, or taken."

"I wouldn't exactly call Steven being abducted a 'miracle,' but I agree," said Luke. "We fight corrupted Gems, and the occasional human. You really think we would've fared any better against some of Homeworld's elite agents? Hell, Jasper was basically a grunt in the grand scheme of things, and she still made us look like dopes! Right, Cap?"

But Bridge didn't take their side like he thought he would. "Actually, I agree with Hester. It doesn't matter how big the threat is–BAINE should be there to protect everyone, no matter the risk. It's why we were founded in the first place: to save those the Crystal Gems couldn't reach in time."

James hadn't given the issue with Steven much thought beyond how much of a tragedy it was. His Captain's words, however, got him thinking. If they had been there, maybe they could have saved him, or at least made a difference, however minor. He quickly brushed these thoughts away, realizing it was pointless to speculate. "What's done is done. We weren't there, and even if we had been–"

"We should have been," said Hester. "Don't you get it? Director Mills knew something was up, and he didn't send anyone to investigate. He didn't prepare any teams, he didn't try to gather more information, he didn't even tell the Crystal Gems something was wrong! How is that even remotely what we stand for?!"

"Hang on, are you saying that you think Mills is a traitor?" asked Luke. "I mean, sure, he could've handled things better, but I wouldn't go that far."

Hester's eyes drifted to the window, watching the clouds go by. "All I'm saying is that it doesn't sit well with me. Maybe you're right, maybe there's nothing we can do if Homeworld does come knocking. But if we just write our home off as a lost cause, then maybe BAINE shouldn't even exist."

"That might be what Project Aftermath is about," James suggested. "A way that we can survive a Homeworld attack. A way of rebuilding should the worst occur."

Daniel hummed in agreement. "Sounds possible. I still think we should focus our efforts more on preventing an invasion, but as long as Mills has a plan, I trust him, even if I don't always agree with him. It's gotta be hard running a nation-wide alien investigation team with hundreds of agents–I can barely manage with just the five of you."

Only Vargas snickered at his remark; everyone else stayed silent. "Well, hey, whatever this Aftermath dealie is, It's gotta be a step in the right direction, right? Some secret project designed to prevent the world from being annihilated? Sounds pretty good to me."

"We'll just have to wait and see," said Luke, "but whatever it is, here's hoping it lives up to the hype."

May 19, 2017. Project Aftermath Bunker, Siberia.

The process of simply getting from point A to point B was an extensive one. Upon landing at an isolated BAINE airstrip, everyone had to wait a day or two in some ramshackle barracks, freezing while travel was arranged. And even when the buses arrived, it took yet another day to reach the base out in the middle of the wilderness. Everyone assumed this was where Project Aftermath was stationed, and were none too happy to be informed that they would have to wait here for two more days while the site was secured.

Finally, a series of trucks brought the BAINE troops deep into the frozen wastes where the bunker was hidden–quite extensively–in the side of a mountain. "Man, this thing is further away from human civilization than my nan's house," said Ichigo. "Hey, if it takes this long just to get here, I guess Mills did his job of keeping it hidden!" Nobody else was in the mood to see the humor in the situation.

With a rumbling that seemed to shake the entire mountain, the steel doors to the bunker slowly slid open. The Fireteam filed inside, not knowing what to expect. Once everyone had entered, a giant platform began to descend along a track, carrying them all underground.

"You think there's some kinda superweapon down here?" asked Luke. "Maybe something made from Homeworld's own tech that they've been building in secret. And I bet Valdain added plenty of Koh'i'Noor knowledge to the project! Man, just thinking about it's got me excited! The Diamonds won't know what hit 'em!"

James glanced over at him. "What happened to Homeworld being out of our reach?" he asked.

"Well, sure, out of our reach, but I'm sure the Director's been cooking up something good down here. Why else would it be so secret?"

The elevator soon reached the bottom, and who should be waiting for them but their old friend Dr. Hayley Xu. "Ah, good, you're all here! What is it with us meeting in frozen wastelands, huh? Ah, enough blabbing, c'mon, I bet you want to come in where it's warm!" Another set of doors, this one much smaller, slid open, and she led the teams inside.

A white, sterile hallway brought the group further into the bunker. Several more sets of doors opened as they approached. "Wow, talk about redundancy," said Vargas. "What exactly is Mills so intent on protecting down here?"

"All will be revealed in time…right now, in fact!" said Xu. The group reached the end of the hall, a final set of doors standing in their way. She went up to a security panel, scanning her fingerprints on the screen. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Project Aftermath!"

The doors opened, with the troopers walking into a truly massive terrarium. Inside was a perfectly-recreated small town, complete with little houses and paved roads. Just as with Delta Station, hydroponics labs grew plants of all sorts just outside of the miniature city. And the final touch was the ceiling, which was painted to resemble a blue sunny day, complete with fluffy clouds.

"Pretty great, huh?" Dr. Xu said excitedly. "This is Project Aftermath, BAINE's last resort in the event of a Homeworld invasion. This place, and around fifty other bunkers just like it all over the world, were originally nuclear fallout shelters built during the Fifties. But after Peridot showed up, Mills had the idea to repurpose them with modern amenities and up-to-date technology–and then some, thanks to Valdain! Speaking of, after that whole debacle with the Koh'i'Noor last year, the Director decided it was a good idea to move our timetables up by quite a bit. This one here should be ready for mass habitation in only a few months!"

"So…Project Aftermath's not a weapon?" asked Luke. "Aww, that's a bit disappointing. I was hoping we'd have a better plan to deal with Homeworld than just hiding from them."

"What did you expect?" said Hester. "You said it yourself: Homeworld is so far beyond us, this is the best we can do. Fighting them would be completely pointless." Her tone was bitter, and Luke suspected she was annoyed with him. Or, more likely, upset with this turn of events.

She wasn't the only one. Daniel stepped forwards, approaching Dr. Xu. "Doctor…do these bunkers include any sort of protection against attacks? Armored exteriors, early-warning systems, weaponry?"

"Sure, of course!" she said. "Project Aftermath is incredibly thorough in making sure these bunkers are completely safe! Why else do you think Mills made sure only people working on them directly even knew they existed? But yes, we've made sure they're all but impenetrable, if we really do come to a worst-case scenario."

Daniel's brow furrowed. "So, if Homeworld finds out there's a human resistance, they won't be able to break in, even if they manage to find our location?"

Dr. Xu blinked. "Well…I wouldn't go that far. Obviously this place is tough, but nothing is indestructible, especially against a species with faster-than-light travel, and that regularly strips entire planets of life. And besides, it isn't our intention to mount a resistance: these bunkers are designed to keep humanity alive should the surface fall to Homeworld."

So that was Mills' master plan: abandon the Earth to hide. All this planning, all this secrecy, all for what amounted to a burrow to crawl into while Homeworld got exactly what they wanted. All that, and there was no guarantee it would even work. He was beginning to agree with Hester's feelings on the matter.

"Anyway, that's why you're all here now. We have to make sure this place can sustain a suitable human population, so you're gonna be our guinea pigs for the next few weeks! Don't worry, we won't be testing anything on you, just looking at the viability of living down here long-term. Just hope you all like salad, 'cause we haven't, ah, managed to get our farms going yet. Now, I've taken the pleasure of marking your houses with your names–get comfortable!"

Three days later…

Life in Project Aftermath–or, more specifically, Bunker #18, was far from unpleasant. There was plenty of food, the houses were homey enough, and there was just enough work that still needed doing that boredom wasn't much of an issue. If worst really came to worst, perhaps life here wouldn't be too bad. But it was that very prospect–that this was a last resort–that tainted the place for many of them, Daniel especially.

The Captain had stayed largely secluded for most of their stay so far, only occasionally leaving his dwelling. Word on the street, the only one in the building, was that he had asked Dr. Xu several times to be removed from the test and return to headquarters. Whether or not she had refused outright or said something to change his mind wasn't known, but as he was still around, the outcome was clear.

With nothing else to do, Ichigo, James, and Vargas were strolling through a semi-artificial forest just beyond the village. "I mean, sure, it's a nice place, but I couldn't really see myself living here long-term," said Vargas.

"Well, if Homeworld comes knocking, you won't have much of a choice," James pointed out. "And the way things are going, that might just be sometime soon. The way some of these blokes are talking, you'd think they're already at our doorstep."

"They basically are," said Ichigo, implicitly reminding everyone of what had happened to Steven. "And, don't get me wrong, I get what Danny's so upset about, I really do. But at the same time…can we even fight Homeworld? Should we?"

Vargas chuckled. "Hell yeah we should! Even if there's no chance of us winning, I'd still rather go out in a blaze of glory than hide away like some…I dunno, what hides? Meerkats? Gophers!"

"Ostriches, more like," James bitterly noted. "This was what Hester meant: the danger's here, and Mills' solution is to run and hide. But you know what the worst part is? In a way, I can't blame him. We've all seen what Jasper can do, and Lapis, and Hessonite, and now Topaz and Aquamarine. Even Peridot and the Rubies weren't slouches. Could you imagine a whole army of all of them?"

"Hey, need I remind you that we've got two of those on our side now?" Vargas pointed out. "Not to mention Alexandrite! And if they decide to let Bismuth out again? Hoo boy, Homeworld wouldn't stand a chance!"

Ichigo didn't quite seem convinced. "Hey, I know it isn't likely, but let's hope it doesn't come to that," he said. "For all we know, Steven's up there right now, negotiating a peace treaty with the Diamonds as we speak!" Both Vargas and James shared a skeptical glance. "Alright, fine, don't believe me! But when Homeworld becomes the first planet to make an alliance with Earth, you'll be the ones who look foolish. …Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, it sounded like a nut confusing optimism with insanity," Vargas ribbed.

"Not me, there was something over by the wall!" Ichigo hissed. The trio cautiously approached the spot where he had heard the sound, hoping it was just a wild animal, and not something more sinister. Homeworld couldn't have heard about this place and tracked them down already…right?

The wall marking the very edge of the bunker had likewise been painted, showing a landscape continuing off into the distance. "It probably came from out there by that barn," said Vargas. "Who wants to run over there and check?"

"Look, normally I'm all for being jokey, but I seriously heard something!" Ichigo said. "It was like…metal falling, or something." Scanning the edge of the wall, he found the source. "Ah, there!"

A panel at the wall's bottom had fallen to the ground. "That would explain it," said James. "Apparently this place isn't as well put together as the doctor thought." He crouched down to place the panel back where it belonged, only for something to catch his eye. Some sort of tunnel was just behind it, just barely large enough for a person to crawl through. Not only that, but the screws were still firmly in place, meaning the only way the panel could have fallen was if somebody quite strong had forced it off.

"What's up?" asked Ichigo, as James slowly rose. He looked back towards the trees that were now behind the group. "We're not alone, are we?"

James was about to answer, only for a sudden burst of movement to distract him. "Look out!" He shoved Ichigo out of the way, as a white shape darted out of the trees, barely missing them. In horror, James realized he had seen this thing before: a Rhinestone.

Questions raced through his mind, but they would have to wait, as the creature quickly turned its attention to him, darting over. James instinctively reached for his weapon, only to remember that it wasn't on his person. He tried to fight the Rhinestone off physically as it grabbed hold of him, but the machine had him beat in a contest of strength.

The Rhinestone opened its palm, preparing to fire a beam of light right between his eyes. But the familiar sound of a gunshot rang out, as part of the Rhinestone's head disintegrated from the impact. Just as it turned to the source to return fire, Vargas shot several more times, eventually managing to shatter its core. Its body dissolved as the shards clattered to the ground.

"Figures you'd be the one to bring a weapon," said Ichigo, helping James up.

"I'm always ready for a fight," Vargas replied. "Always. And speaking of, we'd better go gear up. There's bound to be more of those things."

"How can you be so–" James' question was cut off by the sound of gunfire coming back at the town. With no hesitation, all three of them ran back in time to see the settlement besieged by a small army of Rhinestones. "Wh– How did he find us?" he asked, dumbfounded.

"Beats me–but we'll figure that part out later," Ichigo said. "Right now, we have a bunker to save."

AN: I always thought it was kinda neat how Homeworld was presented as this massive, unstoppable force that the Crystal Gems didn't really have much chance of beating through force. I mean, maybe they could have managed to eke out a victory somehow, but more of the focus was placed on Steven making peace with them. In an actual all-out invasion, they likely would have completely swamped Earth.

I wanted to lean on that idea here. If even the Crystal Gems feel hopeless, how are the humans going to feel? Even for a group designed to protect Earth like BAINE, that has got be pretty stressful. And with Steven, their best hope, abducted by Homeworld? It just makes sense that tensions are high, and morale is low.