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aarizonacreditrepairblog-blog · 5 years ago

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earthstory · 7 years ago

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Peridot and Ludwigite

Olivine (of which Peridot is the gemmy version) is a common mantle mineral, found on the surface in volcanic and exposed mantle rocks. It also sometimes occurs as beautiful green to brown crystals large enough to be faceted as gems, and its deep origins could induce one poetically to view it as our world's crystallised ichor. Known since antiquity, The traditional locale was St John's Island (aka Zabargad), off the Egyptian coast in the Mediterranean. In this place, a piece of Tethys oceanic crust was pushed up out of the mantle during Africa's ongoing collision with Europe, bringing its gems along with it. The earliest record of it being mined here dates from 70CE, and all the antique stones found in jewellery and crowns all over Europe came from Zabargad, though they were often mis-named as emerald. Known as Chrysolite in the ancient Greek world, ancient Egyptians prised it as the gem of the sun, and historians have speculated that Cleopatra's famous emeralds were olivine rather than beryl.

Hawaii was another historical source, where it was known as Pele's tears. It is now mostly mined out, though the cinder cone called Diamond Head was renowned for its crystals (see our past athttp://tinyurl.com/luex5gz). The grains at the famous Papakolea greensand beach near Hilo (covered athttp://tinyurl.com/q2f9zgz) are sand sized peridot crystals. The most valued colour is a bright olive green, with extra iron content increasing the brown component. The origin of the name is uncertain, but it is one of the birthstones for August, accounting for its continuing popularity.

The main current source remains Arizona, where it occurs as phenocrysts (large crystals that grew slowly before eruption) in a layer of basaltic lava at the top of Peridot Mesa on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. Only inhabitants are allowed to mine it, either in weathered out form gathered in gullies or by drilling and blasting. Other significant sources are Pakistan, China and Burma where it occurs as phenocrysts in basalts or as mantle xenoliths (foreign rocks) carried up by erupting lavas.

There is another amazing source: 4.5 billion year old crystals of peridot from pallassitic meteorites have been occasionally faceted and marketed with this extra cachet. It used to be thought they came from an asteroid's core-mantle boundary, but recent research suggests that they were formed during shattering collisions in the asteroid belt (see our post at http://tinyurl.com/mnhvap8)

Not all the gem olivine out there has its origins in the mantle however, some form in high temperature contact metamorphic deposits, when hot olivine rich magmas interact with the country rocks that they intrude. The deep green gemmy specimen in the photo bears a testimony to this origin, in the form of dark needles of the rare magnesium-iron borate mineral Ludwigite. The latter often forms when such magma meets carbonate rocks, producing a diverse metamorphic mineral assemblage known under the umbrella term skarn. Mined in Pakistan, the specimen in the photo measures 5.3 x 2.1 x 1.4 cm. Ludwigite forms in high temperature magnesium and iron rich skarns, and was first described in 1874 from the type locality in Romania and named after the Austrian chemist at Vienna university who first analysed it. It is naturally ferromagnetic and can form permanent magnets. In this case it consists of needle shaped (known as acicular) black crystals within the gemmy green peridot.

Loz

Image credit: Rob Lavinsky/iRocks.com http://www.gia.edu/peridot http://webmineral.com/data/Olivine.shtml#.Ug_Xim2O64w https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gemstones/sp14-95/peridot.html http://www.mindat.org/min-2454.html http://webmineral.com/data/Ludwigite.shtml

http://webmineral.com/data/Ludwigite.shtml#.W-WsB5NKjIU https://www.mindat.org/min-2454.html http://giantcrystals.strahlen.org/africa/seberged.htm http://www.palagems.com/peridot_buyers_guide.htm http://www.palagems.com/gem_news_2010_v3.php

#olivine #peridot #geology #mineral #mineralogy #crystal #the earth story

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brittishpineapple · 6 years ago

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I made a Minecraft oc.

Her nickname is gonna be blue, I'll decide on a better name in time. Anyway about her

- she's a young traveller, who rarely settles down, due to being considered too strange by most players and not wanting to be a burden. If she does settle it's usually not for long and is in a small simple shelter she builds on her own.

- understands both minecraftian and villager due to her travels, but cannot vocalise in villager, and barley in minecraftian. Because of this she only engages with villagers or players if she absoloutley has to, but prefers the more peaceful attitude of villges so will trade if she needs things when passing through a village.

- has a strong connection to animals and because of this eats mostly bread. Has a pet wolf and parrot which are the only living things she's ever had confections to. Their names are sapphire and peridot.

- is fascinated by the natural world, and enjoys seeing all the variation it has. It's what she loves about travelling.

- writes and sketches about what she sees and enjoys jungles, mesas, ice biomes and caves. Gets extremley excited when she finds a rare biome. Although she isn't very good at making maps she is fascinated by them.

- although she is aware of the nether and the end from finding books on her travels, she has she too afraid to actively seek them out.

#long post #minecraft #mineblr #my art #digital art #oc #minecraft oc

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revolutionperidot · 6 years ago

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Quebrar protocolos da festa apenas para irritar todos os conrservadores do lugar, era a melhor coisa que Peridot podia pensar e a garota precisava e muito segurar o riso para aqueles que lhe olhavam torto tudo por causa de sua roupa. Não era um vestido como as outras, mas simplesmente uma calça e uma blusa da mesma cor, era praticamente um conjunto e isso lhe deixava bem animada. A humana estava sentada próxima a mesa de bebidas, uma taça muito bem segura na destra já que a desconfiança de que alguma criatura estranha poderia talvez colocar algo ali enquanto ela observava uma figura se aproximando - Então, deve ter se cansado de dançar. - comentou em tom divertido, um pequeno sorriso delineando os lábios, já que ela sabia muito bem como disfarçar a antipatia com aqueles seres estranhos e a mão livre se erguia para tirar algumas madeixas rosadas da frente do rosto.

#nimphstarter

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rsharom · 7 years ago

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DAMN BOI !

Here is my cosplays at the french convention “Japan Expo“ !

RIP MY FOOT.

Except the heat and the pain , it was reaaaaally nice !

I spent the first two days at the JE with a friend and the two other ones, another friend came to join the group (can we say group when we are only 2 ?)

First Day : Jacket (Payday 2 version)

Second day : Scientist from Black Mesa (Half Life)

Third day : Peridot (Steven Universe)

Fourth Day : Craig (South Park)

Human peridot : @zack-harry

Lapis Genderbend : @vishnya-azraq

Please Share the Love !

#payday2 #hotline miami #jacket #valve #blackmesa #half life #peridot #lapis lazuli #lapidot #steven universe #craig tucker #craig x tweek #south park

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drxgonfly · 8 years ago

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Sunrise Over Peridot Mesa (by Guy Schmickle)

#landscapes #field #wildflowers #sunset #uncropped nature #arizona #desert #flowers #orange #photoset #up

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ajoraverse · 7 years ago

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Well. I had the bulk of this written before ASPR and the more recent episodes and added the details of the alcove later (in this kind of sandstone, alcoves are everywhere because that’s just how sandstone erodes; it’s porous and weakly-cemented grains get washed out a lot faster and allows gravity to let the sandstone fall away in chunks), after I’d actually been inside one. Then ASPR happened and I stepped away from this for, well, up to now because posting it right now feels like it’s reactionary.

Buut, I gotta post something to make up for my post-ASPR malaise. So here we go. Mist/e1!Peri because people like them for some reason. All photos are my own, taken a few weeks ago on a wild and expensive adventure, and the mention of the compulsion was added shortly after ASPR. This is rough and unbeta’d and I’m still not sure if I should post it on AO3 because I don’t want to look like I’m bitter or anything.

It was getting to be that time of year again. Clouds collected, low and heavy in the sky. They were of that dark grey-blue color of unpolished injector alloy that contrasted so well against the red sandstone formations that seemed to proliferate around Facet Nine. The air was dense and humid in that way that was almost stifling. Somewhere in the distance was the rumble of thunder.

Mist loved this time of year. Sure, they had to move the injectors lest they be swept away in the ensuing flash floods, but it was always worth the work because it was something else to do with Peridot. They set the injectors to climb to the tops of the cliffs and waited in the shuttle until the rains were over. She liked to listen to the drumming of hard rains against the hull and breathe in the smell of wet sandstone wafting in from the vents Peridot left open for her. It smelled like absolution.

Perhaps that was a side-effect of Peridot's little ritual cleaning of her gem. Once Mist had gotten comfortable with it, it felt a little like the layers of her life being washed away and replaced with something a little more clean and pure. Like little bits of her previous owners being washed out of her gem.

Peridot wanted to do something different this year. They programmed the injectors to climb earlier than usual and left the Beta Kindergarten area to follow the river. Peridot could have shifted the altitude higher and zipped straight to their destination, but she seemed to enjoy weaving along the cliffs and towers that marked the sides of the great red river that wound its way through miles of ancient seabeds and deserts compressed into sandstone by the weight of eons.

At some point past the parts where the river wound into tight bundles like serpents, Peridot left the water-carved path and went south to another valley of monumental sandstone spires and buttes reaching to the sky. She rounded the shuttle around a mesa and parked before a couple of alcoves set into cliffs.

The clouds were denser and heavier out here and threatened to break into rain at any time, and still Peridot disembarked from the shuttle and offered Mist her hand to help her down. It was one of those old-fashioned gestures Peridot retained long after most gems forgot about such things, and Mist found it hopelessly charming. Mist slipped her hand in Peridot's and couldn't quite suppress the smile that threatened to split her face.

"I found this place in one of the probe records," Peridot began. Mist's hand settled in the crook of her elbow in that way that had quickly become a comfortable habit. Peridot's other hand patted hers as she led the way past the flood zone and into the alcove. It was a nearly perfect bowl carved into the rock by countless years of floods, and the alcove wasn't quite as dark as it should have been.

Then Peridot stopped on a patch of sand and rock that was brighter than the rest and gave her that light, hesitant little half-smile. Curious, Mist looked up. And up. And gasped as she realized that a round skylight had been shaped right in the very middle of the alcove. The rim was just a little too ragged to be gem-made and resembled a waxing moon more than a true circle, and the dark stains of desert varnish were too uneven to be intentional.

"Oh," she finally managed. The rippling underbelly of those dark clouds was framed by the shadowed rim of the skylight. It must be spectacular in the daylight.

Peridot's nervous little smile expanded into a more confident grin. "I thought you might like to watch your monsoons in a different setting this time around."

Mist turned to view the entrance. While the entrance was cradled by sandstone walls, she could still see a bit into the distance. Enough to enjoy the show, anyway. Peridot's shuttle was hidden behind one of those walls and impossible to see from her vantage point. She turned and settled into Peridot's side, and she was sure her eyes were sparkling. "It's lovely! But there's more, isn't there?" There was always more when Peridot decided to drop everything and take her somewhere nice without an explanation beforehand.

Peridot led her to a particularly even, level lip of stone and gestured for Mist to sit next to her. Mist never minded the gestures, not when they came from Peridot. She settled next to her Peridot and waited, curious.

"I talked to a couple of older moonstones who had been in service since the, ah, advent of pearl production. There's no guarantee that it will work because you were made after the change in pearl production, but. Well. I thought it was worth a try." Peridot looked a little uncomfortable, as she always did when the subject of pearls and their role in society came up. Mist didn't know how to reassure her, or even if she should. "There's a form I need to file, but I'll have to go to the first colony to do so. They didn't think I should risk doing it myself from here. Not while there's a war on and every missive and network access is monitored. And, ehm. Words. *That* I thought should be done formally."

The sky rumbled ominously in the middle of the final word. Faintly she was aware that there were soft pats of rain against the sand. They fell in heavy, erratic drops, one after another. Then two after one, then quadruple that and so on until she couldn't count the gap between drops anymore.

"I don't understand."

Peridot reached behind her neck to rub at the gem set at its base; it was an old, self-comforting habit that she was hardly ever aware of. "Well, ah. I know we had that talk a while back about you being free and agreeing that I can't really *give* you your freedom. This is simply a formality."

Mist blinked, not quite able to parse what she was hearing. "Formality?"

"Yes. Um." Peridot stood and wrung her hands for a moment before straightening like she always did when she lectured. She waved at a recording device set nearby to activate it. Mist hadn't noticed before now. "I, Peridot Facet-1F Cut-2AA, Blue Diamond colony 1, surrender ownership of Trapiche Emerald Facet-4B7 Cut-6BR Pearl 2. This is retroactive up to Homeworld date 10.3.19.18.3.0.0.1, the date in which I was given ownership of this pearl. With the completion and filing of the Voluntary Surrender of Personal Property Form P.O. 87S after this war is over with, you are a free gem."

The sky cracked so loudly that she could feel the sandstone vibrate underneath her. Rain fell through the skylight in a great torrent, pooled a few feet in front of her, and drained out of the alcove.

Every word made sense individually. She could sort of string them together, but it felt so unbelievable that they didn't quite make sense. None of the other pearls had ever mentioned anything like this. It seemed too good to be true. Surely it didn't really *mean* anything.

"Give me an order," she said at last, faintly. The compulsion had always been faint with Peridot, during the few times Peridot needed her to do something. Most of the time she simply did what Peridot asked because it was something to do, or because Peridot was working and needed a tool or an extra hand, and nothing Peridot had ever asked of her was intended to hurt.

Peridot watched her consideringly, and her hands drifted together in that way that showed her discomfort with the subject. They wrung once, twice, and finally Peridot replied; "Ple--, er. Bring me some of that rainwater."

The sky cracked again, breaking the long silence that followed. There was no twinge of compulsion, nothing that might have urged her to stand and obey. The rain still fell uninterrupted.

Thankfully she was already sitting, or she would have been floored. "Could you try again?"

Peridot's hands tightened together, but the order came quicker this time. "Step outside, collect some rainwater in your hands and bring it to me."

There was still no twinge. The clouds moved and the rain fell and nothing catastrophic had happened to remind her of her place. A relief she couldn't possibly describe swept through her, and she still couldn't quite believe it. So she tried something else. Something she never would have considered a thousand years ago. "No." The word felt so alien that she froze and waited for some sort of reaction. Trapiche Emerald coming back somehow to slap her, the ceiling falling on her, *something*.

Nothing happened but the easing of Peridot's posture and the tick of a suppressed smile tugging at a corner of her lips. "Well, it seems to have worked."

The tension seemed to break inside her, making her feel almost giddy. The laugh that followed had the edge of hysterical relief, but it was short-lived and vented off the weight of all those emotions she couldn't quite name. "Oh! I should tell Lavender and Mint when we get back." They were the other two pearls among the Crystal Gems with permissive owners. Maybe those owners would follow Peridot's example.

"I'll write up the task list if it's something they want to pursue," Peridot replied. She waved at the recording device to turn it off and settled back next to Mist, her posture so much more relaxed than it had been when this started.

Mist shifted close enough to press against Peridot's side and rest her cheek on the shoulder. She could feel the tears coming and did nothing to stop them. Peridot shifted and leaned back against the sandstone with her other hand curled back to protect her gem from its surface, and there was an unspoken invitation in the way she relaxed against the stone. Mist took it and curled up next to her, her head cradled comfortably in Peridot's shoulder.

The rains finally eased by the time Mist felt like speaking again and breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"Thank you. I know you didn't have to do it."

The arm around her shoulders squeezed lightly, reassuringly. "It's the least I could do."

Mist snuggled closer and closed her eyes to listen to the receding thunder, the patter of rain, and the water as it drained away from the pool under the skylight and seemed to sweep away every awful thing in her past.

Notes: This is Big Hogan Arch in Monument Valley. You can only get there by Navajo guide. There’s a second arch right next to it on the mesa, known as Moccasin Arch. Big Hogan is bigger than it looks in the photos, and it’s kinda hard to see the shelf.

The date Peridot gives is 986,978 Homeworld-solar years after the creation of gemkind. This will surely change once we have a better understanding of their origins as a species and how long they’ve been around. If we do at all. The date reckoning is broken down from a galactic year and then in chunks divisible by 20 and is based on the Maya calendar. I am 100% sure I got the math wrong, but oh well.

Peridot’s gesture, while a very nice and considerate thought, ultimately doesn’t mean much on the grander scale. Mist might be delisted as an owned pearl once that form is filed, but that doesn’t mean someone can’t kidnap her and register her as new property again. Homeworld is awful and doesn’t really have places for off-colors and gems who don’t want to be in their niches anymore. But, at least it was an attempt to redress a grievous wrong, and that means a lot more than just feeling bad about it.

#SU: Beta AU

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e350tb · 7 years ago

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Steven Universe: Ruby Stars - Chapter Nine

(Special thanks to @real-fakedoors for proofreading this!)

Beta Buddies

Philbert Bracknell was born in Keystone and grew up in Massachusetts - Boston, specifically. His family had been poor - his father had worked for the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Eddystone, nearly three hundred miles away, and his mother survived on the pay packets the company sent home every week. As a result, he never travelled much - every second Christmas they went back to Eddystone to see Dad, and he'd been down to Fall River a few times to visit his cousin, who worked at the museum at Battleship Cove. He'd never really left the north-east until he was an adult - even then, that was just to work in Washington.

He'd never seen anything like the vista before him now.

The desert sands spread as far as the eye could see like a great ochre carpet. It was dotted in some places by dry shrubbery, and occasionally it was broken by roads, railways and dry riverbeds. In the distance, he could see towering, flat-topped mesas, backlit dramatically by the rising sun. It took his breath away as he watched it pass by from the window of the helicopter - he could only stare mutely, as if gazing upon an alien world.

"It's pretty amazing, huh?"

The co-pilot leaned back, flashing Bracknell a grin.

"Yeah," nodded Bracknell, "It... it's really something!"

The co-pilot gave him a thumbs up.

"Just wait until you get to Site Bravo," she said, "You ain't seen nothing yet!"

"What is Site Bravo, anyway?" asked Bracknell.

"Old gem thing," shrugged the co-pilot, "Nobody knows what it's for. Usually we'd keep our noses out of it, but the Colonel wants a detailed report. So we're gonna fly over it and get some pictures, and you're gonna take some notes!"

Bracknell had guessed as much. He'd been flown out at very short notice—Clancy had insisted that there needed to be an agent on station at Wilmingmore and declined to come. In any case, he'd told Bracknell there were 'things he needed to do.'

"Coming up on it now," the pilot announced.

Bracknell looked out the window once more. He gasped.

Below them was a truly enormous canyon. It stretched as far as the eye could see, like a deep scar on the landscape. Each side of the gorge was pockmarked by small holes - they varied in size and shape, but most were just a little bit larger than a person. Tubular structures that resembled gigantic needles were bolted to the sides of the canyon, each in varying states of disrepair.

"What is it?" asked Bracknell.

"La Cicatriz," the co-pilot replied, "The Scar."

"We don't know what the gems actually called it," added the pilot, "But that's what the conquistadores named it. Name sort of stuck..."

Bracknell's attention was suddenly stolen by a strange vibration in the sand below them. It was as if something was running under the desert, but was just shallow enough to shift the dust and shrubbery above it. It was coming down from the north and getting closer.

"I think something's moving down there," said Bracknell.

"Eh, don't worry about it," shrugged the co-pilot, "Probably a coyote or something, nothing to worry—"

With a screech, a worm burst from the sand.

Bracknell didn't get much time to look at the worm—it was long and rusty brown in colour, with a mass of spindly limbs around it's gaping maw. It was gone before he could really discern any features, its spiked tail disappearing into the soil. The barb at the end of the tail flashed for the briefest second. The whole maelstrom of dust and dirt was set against the billows of a blood-curdling shriek that reverberated against the canyon walls, carrying to the helicopter in a deathly echo of distress. The pilot swore loudly.

"Problem?" asked Bracknell, voice shaking.

"I-I've lost all my instruments!" replied the pilot, "The stick isn't responding. Lynn?"

"Mine's out too," nodded the co-pilot.

Bracknell noticed the sound of the rotors was starting to cut in and out, and the helicopter began to spin. The pilot picked up his radio.

"Mayday, Mayday, this is Dog One, we have lost all control," he barked, "We are going down over Site Bravo. I repeat, we are going down..."

Bracknell was pushed back against his seat, clinging desperately to whatever he could as the helicopter spun down to Earth. The world was a flurry of sensation, too much coming too fast; distraught yelling, bright flashes of the morning sun, hot air lashing his face, dust filling his lungs, so much shaking, shaking, shaking. The ground was getting closer, it was too close - he felt like he was going to be sick—why was it so loud?

He couldn’t decide if he’d gone deaf and the ringing was symptomatic, or if it there was so much roaring, shrieking, thunderous activity that he was going to lose his mind...

And then everything went dark.

"Gems," declared Garnet, "We have a mission at the Beta Kindergarten."

Amethyst perked up immediately as Garnet emerged from her room, Pearl just behind her.

"What's the 'sitch, G?" she asked.

She, Peridot, Steven and Connie had been playing a board game on the coffee table. Sadie hadn't been taking part - she was sitting at the kitchen bench, trying to come up with lyrics for a new song. That being said, she wasn't having much luck - she'd decided it was going to be about werewolves but that was about it. Still, it managed to be a pleasant morning regardless, and occasionally she would join in with the board game banter.

"Oh, nothing too taxing," replied Pearl, shrugging, "Just another corrupted gem. We heard some reports on the radio of a 'sand worm' near Beta and..."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold up," said Amethyst, holding up her hands, "You listened to the radio?"

"Yes, Amethyst," Pearl replied curtly, "It's very informative."

"Not even a music station?" exclaimed Amethyst, "You listened to the news?"

"Well, it wasn't quite the news," muttered Pearl, "It was more of a discussion..."

"You listened to talk radio?!"

"Amethyst, Pearl's taste in radio isn't important right now," declared Garnet, "We need to bubble this gem before it hurts anybody."

"But it's a big worm, so we're going to need everyone on this mission," added Pearl.

Connie glanced at her sword, which was leaning against the coffee table.

"So, by everyone, do you mean..."

"Of course we mean you too!" Pearl rubbed her hands together, "We need all the Crystal Gems today!"

Connie smiled and stood up.

"I won't let you down, ma'am!"

Garnet smiled and turned to Sadie.

"We'll be back by sundown," she said, "If Mr. Maheswaran comes early, let him know where..."

"Actually," interrupted Sadie, scratching the back of her neck, "Is it okay if I come too?"

There was a brief pause. Sadie swallowed, suddenly feeling quite uncomfortable.

"I-I mean it's okay i-if you don't want me to! I don't wanna get in the way, y'know, and..."

"Yes," said Garnet.

"Are you sure?" asked Pearl, "She's still in training. She might not be ready for..."

"Nobody is ready for their first mission." Garnet's expression was stern and impassive. "The only true way to test yourself is to throw yourself in the deep end."

Sadie swallowed.

"Uh… thanks!” she stammered.

She walked over to the warp pad, stumbling slightly from a combination of excitement and nervousness. She stood next to Steven and Connie—they grinned at her, and after a moment of awkwardness, she smiled back.

Then, with a flash of blue, the beach house vanished.

Clancy walked down the boardwalk, hands in his pockets. It was about lunchtime on a Sunday - the boardwalk was busy as the townsfolk picked up their lunch, did their weekend shopping, or simply enjoyed the midday sun. Most people paid the agent no mind as he wandered along, but a few of the older people—the people who'd been here when he'd lived in Beach City—cast glares his way as he passed by.

He was just about to enter Fish Stew Pizza when the door flew open. He jumped back, just avoiding being hit in the face.

Captain Clark scowled darkly at Clancy before storming off down the boardwalk.

"Ugh, jerk," grunted Clancy, "What the heck's he doing down here anyway?"

He shook his head and stepped into the restaurant.

The restaurant was mostly empty, but Clancy could already tell that something had gone wrong. A table had been knocked over - shattered dishes littered the floor, and a broken salt shaker littered the carpeting with glass and wasted flavour.. Kiki stood at the counter, Kofi behind her - she was ramrod straight, but her hands were visibly shaking. Greg was on the other side of the counter, talking softly to her.

"...he can't actually do that," he was saying, "He's just being a..."

He glanced over to Clancy as he entered.

"Uh, Clancy, this might not be the best time," he warned.

"What the heck happened?" asked Clancy.

"You tell me," Kofi spat, his tone venomous.

"It's fine," said Kiki, blinking slowly. "It's all… fine. Is there... is there anything I..."

Her voice cracked, and she clutched the counter. Kofi, clearly struggling between seething anger with Clark and sincere concern for his daughter, ultimately rested a hand on the girl’s shoulder.

"Kiki, why don't you take a break for a while?" suggested Kofi.

Still trembling, Kiki took a shaky breath before nodding at her father, appreciative, and turned to walk off to the back room. The door slammed behind her - Clancy couldn't help but wince.

"You," snapped Kofi, turning to Clancy.

"I take it Captain Clark did something wrong?" sighed Clancy.

"Did something wrong?!" spluttered Kofi, his face turning red. "He marched into my restaurant and interrogated my daughter like she was some kind of criminal!"

"I... I apologise, Mr. Pizza, but we're running an investigation..."

"That does not give him the right to go after my family!" thundered Kofi, "That man threatened her! He told her he was going to arrest her! He flipped a table!"

Clancy winced. He felt very, very uncomfortable, and did his best to avert his gaze from both Kofi and Greg, not sure he could deal with the men's judgement just then.

"He... uh, he shouldn't be doing that," he explained, rubbing the back of his head, "As far as I was aware, me and Bracknell were supposed to be in charge of this sort of thing. I'll bring it up with Colonel Bradshaw, but..."

"I don't care who you bring it up with!" spat Kofi, "I want you to tell me that it will not happen again."

Clancy bit his lip.

"Y-yes, Mr. Pizza," he replied, "I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're not bothered again."

Kofi crossed his arms.

"Make sure you do," he growled, "Your table's in the back corner."

Clancy nodded, walking over the corner table. Clancy wondered if Kofi had put him under a flickering light specifically to annoy him. Greg talked quietly with Kofi for a few moments before joining him.

"This is getting off to a great start," sighed Clancy, quickly tapping out a text to Colonel Bradshaw.

Why is Clark in Beach City?

"Yeah, I know," nodded Greg, "Hey, maybe it'll get better as it goes along?"

Clancy opened his mouth, a half-construed, half-apologetic, fully-exasperated comment forming on his lips, but he was interrupted before the first syllable passed through his lips. His interruptions were two-fold.

First, Clancy received a return text.

CPT Clark taking over why Bracknell is gone. Asked him to question locals. -LTC Bradshaw.

Second, the door opened, and Barb Miller stepped in. Her eyes immediately fell on the agent; if looks could kill, he'd be dead a hundred times over.

Yep, he thought, this is going to be one of those days.

The desert was warm, but not as warm as Sadie had been expected. Still, she was glad that she opted not to wear a jacket that morning.

She stepped off the warp pad, taking in the vast canyon around her. She remembered, very vaguely, visiting the Great Canyon in Aridazon with her mother when she was five, but this sight beneath the midday sun could not have been more different. An endless collage of holes in the cliffs, strange injectors in various states of disrepair, cliff faces that were just a bit too clean - all of these were indicators that this canyon was not one naturally wrought from rivers run dry, yielding beneath the weathers of time. No, this valley was made, a carving of stone that reminded her of those made by ancient civilisations - she was half-tempted to say they appeared “man-made,” but given her present company, she suspected gem-made would have been more accurate. Terrible though it was for the land around it, Sadie couldn't help but be a little impressed.

Peridot stepped forward, sniffing the air. Sadie watched quizzically as she stuck her tongue in and out, as if tasting the wind.

"It's been here, alright," she nodded.

"You can tell that just from sticking out your tongue?" asked Amethyst.

"Please, Amethyst, I'm a professional Kindergartener," replied Peridot. “I know worm-dirt when I taste it.”

Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook violently. Steven lost his footing and nearly fell on his face - Amethyst managed to grab him just in time.

"Move," ordered Garnet, "Now."

Sadie had barely started to run when the ground burst open.

The worm exploded out of the ground with an ear-splitting roar. Like an enormous, ungainly dolphin, it dived through the air, tunnelling into the left-hand side of the canyon. As the barbed tip of its tail passed the Gems, it screeched - a sonic wave blasted the group away, tossing them into the distant walls.

Sadie winced, sitting up. She had landed to the right with the other humans, Peridot and Amethyst, while Pearl and Garnet were far away on the left. They seemed to be dancing - Sadie rubbed the side of her head where it had made contact with the stone, sure she must be dazed from the impact. Now was not the time for dancing, but -.

Then there was a flash of light, and the two gems weren't there anymore. In their place stood another gem, a being so tall Sadie had to crane her neck to properly appreciate who - what - why they were there. A rounded triangular haircut framed a pointed face, with four aims and four eyes and a laugh so unexpectedly pleasant it turned Sadie’s lips up to an unwitting smile.

"Well, she's got vocal range," the giant woman said wryly, "But nothing in the way of style."

With a gracious toss and a quick sway of her arms, the gem produced what looked like Pearl’s spear and Garnet’s gauntlets, but the movements were so swift and graceful Sadie hadn’t anytime to properly register what she was doing. A moment later, the cheeky-looking gem stood proudly, an enormous warhammer positioned squarely over her shoulders. "But don't worry, it's no treble at all. Just a little pitch change should do the trick. I think I'd recommend... going flat."

And without another word, the gem leapt away from the side of the gorge, a trickle of laughter echoing over her shoulder. Sadie watched them go, torn between muted shock and awful chagrin. Terrifying in practice, and in humor - she reminded herself never to get on Pearl or Garnet's bad-side.

She leapt up into the air, landing on top of the canyon and bolting off in the direction the worm had tunnelled.

"So, they're just gonna go off without us, huh?" Amethyst grumbled.

Now back on her feet her feet, she helped Connie up. Steven and Peridot stood nearby - the former was digging through his backpack.

"Was that fusion?" asked Sadie in awe.

"Yeah, that's Sardonyx," shrugged Amethyst.

"That's amazing!" exclaimed Sadie.

"Eh," said Amethyst dismissively, "She's not that great. Kinda got an ego."

"No, I mean... they were two people, and now they're one person!" replied Sadie, "I mean, Garnet told me about it in training, but... but actually seeing it!"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool, yo," said Amethyst.

"Guys!"

Steven had pulled out a Cookie Cat branded walkie talkie. It was buzzing and crackling - Sadie guessed that it was picking up some sort of interference.

"...Dog One, this is Dog... we have crash-landed... Site Bravo. Agent Brack... need medical assist... I repeat, this is Dog..."

"Somebody's here," said Connie, "They must've been attacked by the worm."

"Well, that is most unfortunate, but seeing as we've got a mission," shrugged Peridot, "Come on, gang, let's get that worm!"

"Peridot," said Steven, putting his hands on his hips.

"What?" exclaimed Peridot, "We're on Crystal Gem business! We can't..."

"Peridot."

"Oh, alright!" grunted Peridot, "Let's go find them..."

Bracknell opened his eyes. He found it made little difference - he was enveloped in darkness. He was lying on a dusty floor - the air was cool but not cold, and it was rather stuffy. He tasted something metallic on his tongue and hoped it wasn't blood.

Carefully, he tried to sit up. As he put pressure on his left ankle, he felt a sharp pain - he nearly fell back onto his face, but managed to stabilise himself with the other foot. Well, that was probably broken - sprained at very least. Still, better pain than no feeling at all, right?

He managed to sit up, his hair just about brushing the roof of the small hole he'd found himself in. No room to stand, then.

He looked around for light, his breathing quickening. His arm brushed the side of the hole, and when he shifted he felt himself pushing against the other. Okay, so he was in a confined space. That wasn't ideal - it wasn't ideal at all, but he had to hold it together if he was getting out of here.

Pointedly, Bracknell closed his eyes and tried to focus on something else, something less panic-inducing. He remembered growing up, and his parents, and Eddystone, and poverty. He remembered arguments, and long days, and even longer nights. A single night stood out, and the memories came to seize him by the collar, gripping his windpipe, sending his heart-rate into a deafening spiral.

Once, long ago, Bracknell visited his father's workplace at Eddystone. Dad had been showing him the big diesel 'switchers' that they were making for some railway up in Vermont. They'd been called over by the foreman to discuss something, and the young Bracknell had taken the opportunity to take a closer look at the machines - far closer than his father would have allowed.

The company, at that point, was still building steam engines - very small, narrow-gauge ones for railways overseas. They tested them at Eddystone, and under the tracks where they were stored were deep holes called ash pits. Bracknell promptly tripped and tumbled into one. He'd broken his leg and arm, and the tight pit prevented him from climbing out. It took two hours to find him and another half-hour to pull him out.

Those feelings of terror and confinement were coming back, threatening to paralyse him. Fear was a luxury he could not afford at the moment, so he tried to focus on what he had felt when he'd been pulled out of the pit; when he'd seen his father after being stuck for so long. He'd been so afraid they'd be mad, but instead they just pulled him into a long hug. He didn't think he'd ever been as relieved as he had then.

Opening his eyes, reality rushed to greet him in the form of inky blackness, and a single, weak glimpse of light. Slowly and carefully, he shuffled over to it.

He was at the bottom of a shallow pit, about ten metres deep and fifty degrees steep. It must have been one of the small holes in the canyon's walls. If he'd fallen in after the crash, logically he should be able to climb out.

Nothing else for it, he thought.

Slowly and carefully, he started to pull himself up.

Barb studied Clancy as he took a sip of his drink.

He'd always looked a little stiff and formal, even when they'd been in college. Once it had been somewhat endearing, but now his government-issue suit and smooth, well-kept hair were nothing short of infuriating. He'd done well for himself - a government job, an apartment in Washington, a more than decent pay check - and all of it came from what he'd done to Kay so long ago.

"So," said Clancy, putting down his drink, "Sadie has Kay's gem."

"She does," nodded Barb, "And apparently federal agents are following her around."

Clancy ran a hand through his hair.

"My bosses don't know about her yet," he replied, "I've been trying to keep them off the scent. It's getting harder, though."

"Well, how noble of you," grunted Barb.

Greg bit his lip, glancing between them.

"So, there's one thing I don't get," he said, "How did Rose manage to remove Sadie's gem in the first place? I mean, I've always been told that Steven needs his gem to live, so..."

Barb and Clancy exchanged glances.

"Gem magic," shrugged Barb.

"Just... gem magic?" asked Greg.

"Just gem magic," Clancy replied curtly.

Greg frowned.

"That's not important," declared Clancy, crossing his arms, "The main thing is she's got it back. And that is very bad news."

"How's it bad?" quizzed Greg, "It's part of her, isn't it?"

Clancy grimaced.

"Kay was terrified of Earth," he replied, "So why didn't she immediately try to get home?"

"...couldn't find a ship?" shrugged Greg.

Barb shook her head.

"She was scared of Earth, yeah," she said, "But she was petrified of going back. Going back meant returning to the... the network."

"What network?"

"The psychic control network," replied Barb, "That kept the gems that belonged to White Diamond in line."

After walking for about ten minutes, the group found themselves approaching a crashed helicopter on the side of the canyon.

As far as crashed helicopters went, it was actually in surprisingly decent shape. It was on its left-hand side, the rotors twisted and misshapen by the impact with the ground. Parts of the chopper were smoking, but it didn't seem like it was on fire. It was coloured in a drab olive green, with the letters 'USAAF' stencilled on the bent tail. A woman sat a short way outside - she was wrapping a bandage around the arm of a man.

"Hey!" Amethyst called, "You guys dead or what?"

"No!" the woman called back, "But we need some help here!"

Sadie approached the wrecked chopper, taking care not to step on any pieces of wreckage. As she got closer, she could see a bandage around the woman's foot - no wonder she was sitting, then.

"We came down hard," explained the woman.

"Yeah, no kidding," said Amethyst.

"Darn worm took out all the electrics," grunted the man, "Must've been some kind of EMP or something. I got it back just before we crashed, but it was too late to save the bird."

He pointed his thumb to a small hole about twenty metres away.

"The OSS guy went down there," he added, "Haven't heard from him yet. We're both hurt pretty bad, so..."

Sadie nodded and wandered over, gazing down into the darkness. She could hear grunting, and could just about see two faint glints of light in the gloom - sort of like eyes...

"Hello?" she called.

A pained voice called back.

"Hey! Uh, little help here?"

Amethyst walked over, leaning down next to the hole. Her arms glowed and began to extend down into the darkness.

"Grab on," she said.

"Uh...eh, sure, okay!" the agent replied.

As Amethyst slowly pulled him out of the hole, Sadie took a moment to look around again.

"This is where gems come from?" she asked, "Just... holes in the ground?"

"It's more complex than that," replied Peridot, walking up beside her, "But yes, this is where all gem life begins. Perfectly cultivated by massive teams - most of the work's done by Peridots, of course. Everyone else just does the digging."

"But if you need big teams to make these... kindergartens," Sadie scratched her head, "Then who made the first ones?"

"Only the Diamonds know," shrugged Peridot.

"Okay, he's out!"

Sadie turned as Amethyst pulled the agent out. He looked rather worse for wear - his jacket was gone as was one of his shoes, and his left ankle looked badly swollen. He was covered in dust and bruises. He was also very familiar - Sadie had seen him before, in Wilmingmore.

"You... you work with Clancy!" she exclaimed.

"Ah, yeah," nodded the agent, rubbing his agent, "Agent Philbert Bracknell. He's my partner."

"What're you doing out here?" demanded Sadie, "Why is he suddenly running around chasing gem stuff?"

"Colonel... Colonel Bradshaw wanted a report," shrugged Bracknell, "I don't think it's about you or anything, just... ugh, it's bright out here. I think I might have a concussion..."

An ear-splitting roar filled the air before Sadie could reply.

The worm burst from the cliff face, landing hard on the ground in front of them. This time it did not dig, and Sadie saw Sardonyx clinging to its tail. Looking closely at the barb, Sadie saw a square ochre gem on the side. It glowed, a shrieking sound filling the air - a second later, it pulsed once more, throwing Sardonyx off the tail and into the cliff. Dust and smoke filled the air - when it cleared, Garnet and Pearl were slumped on the ground, dazed and confused.

"Garnet! Pearl!" Steven exclaimed.

"Hold on," said Amethyst, determined, "I got this."

She took out her whip and flung it out, snarling the worm's tail. It began to thrash wildly, Amethyst holding on tightly to avoid being thrown by the gigantic monster.

"Okay..." she said, gritting her teeth as she struggled, "Somebody poof it."

Steven and Connie looked at each other and nodded. Sadie tilted her head as they began to dance in place - then her eyes widened as they glowed, their forms distorting and running together until there was only one there.

Stevonnie grinned and drew their sword, running towards the giant worm. They leapt into the air, jumping higher than should have been possible and landing on the tail. They raised their sword.

"Sorry worm," they shouted, "But you're-WHOA!"

The worm pulled fiercely against Amethyst. Sadie reached out to grab her in an attempt to help, but all that meant was that both were pulled forwards when the worm began to tunnel underground again. With a thunderous roar, they were gone.

Peridot and Bracknell stared at the enormous hole in the ground.

"I'm not hallucinating, right?" asked Bracknell, "Because I'm pretty sure I've lost a bit of blood here..."

The more Greg heard, the more he wished he hadn't.

It was clear that neither Barb or Clancy knew the full truth of the 'psychic network', but what they did know turned his blood cold. Clancy's description was clinical, as if he could see a brutal logic in the idea - to him, it was a psychic network to which the minds of all of White Diamond's court and underlings were connected to. White had implemented it after the Rebellion - after all, if a mere Rose Quartz could cause so much trouble, she couldn't risk other gems showing such independent thought. As a result, complex emotion and rebellious thoughts were suppressed, while loyalty, dutifulness and a dull sense of personal satisfaction were amplified.

What Barb told him was less clean. She described what Kay had confided to her (and apparently, sometimes Rose as well) - the constant, biting feeling that something was wrong that you could never quite explain or address; the dull numbness that often overtook you and drowned independent thought (usually when performing tasks that were 'critical for the Empire'); the sudden emergence of everything that had been suppressed when you escaped it, the vortex of feelings and thoughts that threatened to drive you mad, and then when you got a hold of yourself, the fear that you might lose it and again be drowned in the network.

"How did Kay get away from it, though?" he asked.

"Even White Diamond couldn't control the whole universe, I guess," shrugged Clancy, "They had nodes, I think - high-ranking gems, towers, little devices in their ships. I guess the one controlling her must've been destroyed when her ship crashed."

"There was one gem she mentioned specifically," mused Barb, "Starts with an S, but I can't remember her name..."

"Doesn't matter," grunted Clancy, "Look, there's one thing we can all agree on here. We need to keep Sadie safe - safe from White Diamond, safe from Bradshaw, safe from anything. We need a bug out plan."

"A bug out plan? What is this, America's Wackiest Doomsday Bunkers?" exclaimed Barb, "Clancy, she lives here. This is her life! We need to defend it!"

"Defend?" spluttered Clancy, his voice dropping to a whisper as he glanced around the restaurant. "Barb, Bradshaw has troops! Guns! Tanks! And that's not even going into what White Diamond has! What're you gonna fight them with, you and Skinny the Mailman?!" Yeah, maybe they'll laugh themselves to death."

"It's better than tearing her from everything and running to... Appalachia or something!" exclaimed Barb.

"Appalachia is beautiful and I resent that," snapped Clancy, "And she'll be safe!"

He turned to Greg.

"You've gotta understand, Universe," he continued, "Colonel Bradshaw says he just wants to 'observe' but he'll go after the Gems at first opportunity. And yeah, he doesn't have a chance of taking them on, but Sadie's half-human! Your kid is half-human! They don't just poof when they get shot. And if White Diamond comes, this town's pretty much doomed anyway!"

"But if we take her and run," shouted Barb, "We're never gonna stop! Eventually they'd come for her in Appalachia, or wherever we took her! She'd be going from hideout to hideout forever! She'd never be able to make a life for herself!"

"She'd be surviving," growled Clancy.

"But she wouldn't be living!"

Barb stood up, her chair crashing to the floor.

"You don't get it!" she thundered, "Because all you've ever done is run! You ran from your home! You ran because you couldn't face what you did to Kay! You ran to the OSS so you could hide behind the 'just following orders' excuse! And look at you know! You've got everything, and you hate it! You hate yourself!"

Clancy paled, eyes wide. He looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Barb, that..."

"Yeah, maybe she'll be in danger here!" exclaimed Barb, "But you know what? I'd rather she be in danger here than be a coward like you!"

There was a long silence.

"Maybe," said Greg, very quietly, "You should ask what Sadie wants."

Barb took a deep breath.

"I need to go," she said, "Or I will probably hurt him."

Clancy bit his lip.

Barb began to march towards the door. It was already opening - Greg swallowed as he saw Captain Clark march in, his face red. He look straight at Kiki, who was back on the counter - she went pale.

"Alright, I reckon you've been holding out on me," he shouted, "So I'm gonna teach you a little lesson, you little-"

Barb marched right up to him and booted him in the stomach. He yelped and fell onto his back, wincing and rolling around in pain.

"Don't dish out what you can't take," snarled Barb.

She marched out the door, leaving the restaurant in dead silence.

Sadie clung to the monster's tail for dear life. Above her, Amethyst had grabbed the barb with her whip. It was burrowing along underground, and Amethyst couldn't tell how long it would be before it emerged again and used its strange sonic attack.

"Stevonnie!" she called, "We need... the sword!"

Stevonnie was holding on much further back. They tried to climb forward, but the worm jolted violently and forced them back again.

"I can't make it up!" they shouted.

Amethyst looked back at them - she narrowed her eyes in determination.

"Okay," she said, "I think I've got an idea, but you're gonna have to trust me! I mean, really trust me! You get what I'm saying?"

Stevonnie swallowed and nodded. Amethyst grinned and looked down at Sadie.

"Take a look," she said, "'Cause you're about to see some Crystal Gem history!"

She recalled her whip and jumped towards Stevonnie, holding her arm out.

Please work please work please work...

She grabbed their hand and looked into their eyes. They nodded, and their gem glowed. Amethyst's vision was filled with light, and she closed her eyes.

They soon reopened them, one of their four hands gripping tightly onto the worm's hide. They stole the briefest moment to look at themself - they had a slightly darker skin tone than Smoky Quartz, although the freckles were about the same. They had two eyes, and their hair was somewhat neater, although still very fluffy. Both arms split into two at the forearm, which honestly looked pretty neat.

Yeah. This works.

"Alright, giant worm!" the new fusion exclaimed, "Meet Smokonnie Quartz!"

They blinked.

"Yeah, that's what we're going with, I guess," they shrugged.

They pulled a pair of yo-yos from their gem, thrusting them out towards the barb on the monster's tail. The two objects whipped around it, entangling it firmly.

Light streamed into their vision as the worm burst from the ground again, roaring once more. Smokonnie leapt into the air, retracting the yo-yos and pulling themself towards the barb.

We only get one chance at this...

They grabbed onto the barb, swinging their sword with their free hand. The gem glowed - they closed their eyes.

Poof!

There was a sudden feeling of vertigo as they fell.

Oh man, I gotta make this look cool.

Flailing in the air, they somehow managed to land on their feet, grabbing the falling gemstone as they did so. With a loud thump, Sadie landed next to them.

"Oh yeah, probably should've caught you too," Smokonnie said to themself.

They smiled as they watched Sadie climb to her feet.

"Still, one heck of a debut, huh?" they said cheerfully.

"You... that's the first time you've done this?" asked Sadie incredulously.

"Yep!" nodded Smokonnie, "Smokonnie out!"

They glowed and split up, Steven, Connie and Amethyst appearing in their place. Connie laughed and tumbled to the floor, shaking her head.

"Oh my gosh, that was amazing!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," chuckled Amethyst, "Who said you had to think before doing something awesome?"

"Steven!"

As the smoke around them cleared, they could see Garnet and Pearl running up to them. As it turned out, the monster had re-emerged right next to the helicopter - maybe something about it had attracted the worm?

Amethyst shrugged, quickly bubbling the gem and sending it off to the temple. It wasn't her problem anymore.

"Good work, gems," said Garnet, "Nice fusion."

"Garnet, you think all fusions are nice," said Steven, blushing bashfully.

"They are," Garnet declared matter-of-factly, "But Steven fusions are the nicest."

"Yes, good work all of you," said Pearl, "Now, I don't mean to leave in a rush or anything, but I think we should be getting those humans to a hospital..."

"I'll call mom," nodded Connie.

In the end, Bracknell and the helicopter crew had not been hurt badly. The pilot's arm was broken, but Bracknell and the co-pilot had gotten away with minor sprains.

Bracknell was now in a wheelchair in his ward, waiting to be picked up. The doctor, Priyanka Maheswaran, was waiting with him - apparently she needed to be there when he checked out. He didn't like hospitals - they were overly sterile environments and the food was awful, so he was glad he wouldn't be staying overnight.

The door opened. Clancy walked in - he looked strangely pensive.

"Bracknell," he greeted, "Doctor."

Priyanka offered him the sign-out form.

"He needs rest," she told him, "No field work for a week."

"Heck of a way to get the week off, Bracknell," grunted Clancy, signing the forms, "So the Crystal Gems took him in?"

"Yes," nodded Priyanka, "Apparently he was stuck in the desert. They probably saved his life."

She looked strangely proud. Bracknell noticed a similarity between her and that Connie girl who'd been with the gems - perhaps they were related.

"I'll be sure to thank them if I see them," said Clancy gruffly, "Thank you, Doctor."

They briefly discussed some pain medication he'd need, but before long Clancy was wheeling him through the hallways to the parking lot.

"So apart from this, how'd it go?" asked Clancy dryly.

"Site Bravo was incredible," replied Bracknell, "I've never seen anything like it. Are all gem sites like that?"

"Beautiful? Bracknell, it's a hole in the ground. There's nothing anybody can use in it."

He snorted.

"So I guess we can only hope the Gem Task Force stays around there for a while," he scoffed, "Where they can't hurt themselves."

He sighed.

"Are you okay?" asked Bracknell.

Clancy shook his head.

"I've got a lot on my mind, Bracknell," he replied, "A lot on my mind..."

Once again, Sadie lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling. It was dark, and the moon cast long shadows in the beach house, but sleep simply would not come.

So had that been her first mission? It hadn't gone as expected, but she didn't actually know what she'd been expecting in the first place. She hadn't actually done much - in fact, all she'd really done was be there. And yet, she felt strangely elated by it all. She wondered what it'd be like to fuse - to be one with Amethyst or Garnet or Pearl. How would it feel? Would it be her but more, or would she simply be replaced by someone else for a while? Would she ever be able to take on a gem as big as the worm, either fused or on her own?

Was she a Crystal Gem, now that'd she'd been on a successful mission?

She turned on her phone, pressing play on the music app. Perhaps a song or two would lull her to sleep.

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow,

Don't stop, it'll soon be here,

It'll be here better than before,

Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone...

"Lieutenant Colonel Bradshaw speaking."

"..."

"Yes sir, I understand."

"..."

"Agent Miller has advised against such a move, sir..."

"..."

"Satellites picked it up near Pluto, you say?"

"..."

"Yes, I understand the urgency. I'll tell Miller immediately. Goodbye, Mr. President."

Colonel Bradshaw hung up the phone and opened his desk drawer. He pulled out the folder on top and looked it over, nodding solemnly.

TOP SECRET

Operation SLEDGEHAMMER

For the institution of martial law in Beach City and surrounding areas and the immediate apprehension of the Crystal Gems.

#steven universe #ruby stars #sadie miller #connie maheswaran #amethyst #peridot #pearl #garnet #agent clancy miller #agent philbert bracknell #barb miller #greg universe #kiki pizza #kofi pizza #priyanka maheswaran #stevonnie #smoky quartz #sort of #you'll see

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