I was walking through places that, no joke, looked like the aftermath of a war.
I walked, slowly getting used to this body, noticing how I seemed to adapt faster with each step. Well, if this was my rule, I had to get used to it.
"Sure," I murmured, not addressing anyone in particular, as a few tears continued to fall. I simply let them flow as I walked toward a fixed point, focusing on moving forward despite everything.
Soon I reached a structure that was both familiar and completely unfamiliar.
"A portal," I said as I stared at the enormous arch I'd seen so many times in the series... and yet it still seemed so strange.
I stared at it for almost half an hour. Not because I didn't know how to use it, but because I was in shock. Every detail, every little element I remembered from the series—which, to be honest, were only two or three things—made me feel increasingly trapped in the madness of my own mind.
"Gem... gem... yes, gem," I repeated, trying to get used to calling myself that. It would probably take some time. Although, with no one around, I honestly didn't see anything wrong with saying it.
Literally, if my training didn't fail me—and yes, it had failed me—well, putting that aside, I moved toward the portal and positioned myself right above it. And then... well, something unexpected happened.
I felt so much information flooding my mind. Multiple locations appeared before me, places I knew existed, but I couldn't remember where I'd learned about them. Well, actually, I did: it was all the basic information about the facilities planned by the homeworld.
And I simply went to the most crucial location of all: the information facility.
With a bright sound and a flash of light, I teleported.
Upon arriving, I noticed the obvious: the place had practically been abandoned. I looked around, confused. Yes, I was referring to myself as a man, because although my appearance was now feminine, in my soul—or gem, or whatever it is—I was still a man.
As I moved forward, removing some plants and elements that seemed to have been reclaimed by the nature of this planet, I noticed symbols that were familiar. I didn't look at them closely; they were just reflections. And then, instinctively, my gem began to glow.
...
I stood in silence as the light from my gem projected onto the wall, making the whole place seem to have a little more life.
"Thank you," I whispered, unsure if that was the right thing to do. Still, I memorized the sensation of the bright light, in case I ever needed to remember it.
I walked slowly, watching as the walls became smooth, and some retained structures that I recognized as forms from the era in which I was supposed to have emerged. Seeing this, though, I guessed that it wasn't as recent as I was; For obvious reasons, this place had been there for a long time.
I wandered around, always looking for the base booth where I should be assigned, or at least somewhere that would allow me to get some information about myself and the date.
And finally I arrived... well, I arrived at the door.
"I recognize these symbols," I said, obviously speaking so the silence of the place wouldn't consume me and drag me further into madness.
I opened the door forcefully, surprising myself with my strength.
"Wow," I muttered as I looked at my hands, observing how I had easily broken the door open.
"Well... I'm a Work Silica, obviously I should be strong," I reminded myself, shaking my head as I tried to keep myself occupied. I walked toward the booth, noticing that, like everything else in this place, it was dark and showed no signs of life.
I sighed.
My eyes settled on a specific spot, where the information I'd received in my mind indicated there was something that needed checking or fixing.
I leaned to the side of the booth and, instinctively, pressed a button. Immediately, robotic parts emerged from the booth, similar to those I remembered from Peridot.
"Huh?" I said, not understanding where these automatic reflexes had come from.
"Well... I'm not that defective," I murmured as I took one of the robotic hands from the booth and placed it on my own.
I noticed that, for obvious reasons, the hand didn't fit perfectly, since my base height was a bit smaller than that of a normal Silica. Even so, it didn't hinder me too much; I could adapt and work with it.
I walked to a specific point on the floor and made a series of taps that only a Peridot or a Silica would remember.
Three taps.
The floor opened.
I sighed and took a deep breath before going in. It was the first time I'd ever done anything like this, so I decided to just have a little faith, though I wasn't sure exactly what to have.
As I descended, I noticed some emergency lights were still on. That was a good sign. The bad sign was seeing the power source completely disconnected, with several parts visibly damaged.
I shook my head as I stared at the power source, which should have been glowing brightly, but for some reason—X or Y—wasn't.
I quickly started taking it apart, without noticing when it all started happening on autopilot. My hands moved on their own, as if they already knew exactly what to do.
Hours? Days? I wasn't sure. Actually, it was weeks. Weeks trying to activate something from scratch, rebuilding what I could with old parts and incomplete systems. The power source clearly needed something more.
A diamond source.
Something I honestly knew where to get. In the Beta Nursery. Yes, that was its name. The place where I was born... or at least that was the information I'd decided to ignore for the sake of my sanity.
Even so, I had no other choice. I quickly began disassembling several injectors that still contained a bit of diamond essence. Little by little, I filled several gallons, following knowledge that, if someone asked me where I got it from, I could only answer with something like:
"I dreamt it, man."
I shook my head as the madness of being alone began to consume me more and more. Even so, I kept working, finishing what I could... or at least doing my best with what little I had.
After what felt like two months... it's strange to talk about it, though I do it mentally out of reflex. A little tidbit for you: the Silicas had everything measured and timed; if they took too long to complete something, it could be a problem for both the command staff and themselves.
I shook myself, trying to rid myself of all that overwhelming information. I looked at my hands, which had transformed into drills and hammers. If the Bismuths could do it, why couldn't I? Although, of course, it had been difficult.
Shaking my head as I remembered everything, I realized I only needed to press one wire to complete the process.
Fearfully, I took five steps back, stretched out my hand as if it were made of jelly, and managed to connect the two wires.
I quickly ran to a safe place, the one these bases always had, and looked around fearfully, hoping nothing had gone wrong.
Until a voice snapped me out of my daze:
"Power restored. Thanks to order 33421XPos. We will soon resume the march of the dignified Diamond colony."
...
...
...
"Did I do it?" I said, surprised.
"Did I do it?!" I repeated, and then shouted: "I DID IT!"
Hahaha, I started laughing as I jumped for joy. I watched in amazement as the whole place began to light up, as things that had seemed useless before were now being repaired, making me open my eyes in wonder as I saw the entire environment come back to life, more vibrant than ever.
I started to cry as I excitedly climbed toward the control tablet, but a sound stopped me in my tracks.
"Identifying gem," a robotic voice, similar to that of the Pearls, said.
After a few tense seconds, the voice spoke again:
"Welcome, my Silica F23X. I hope I didn't cause any disturbance during my moment of failure. I am at your service in any way I can."
And just like that, the scanner stopped. I stood there, completely confused. That shouldn't have activated... but I decided not to dwell on it. I walked over and sat in the only seat in the room.
I opened my eyes to the absurd amount of information that filled that place. Too much. So I forced myself to focus on something specific.
Planet.
Date.
What happened here?
I plunged my hands into the console and felt my mind go numb. Thousands of data points began appearing directly on my gem. Sadly, I knew I would remember them for all eternity... or until I was shattered. One or the other.
I pulled my hands out immediately. First things first.
We were already in Era 2. The place had been abandoned after some organics turned aggressive, and besides, Pink Diamond's rebellion required urgent resources. They couldn't afford to maintain this planet.
I brought my hands to my mouth as I looked at the date.
If my memory served me right, and the data here didn't, I should be about... what? Three thousand years? Fifteen hundred? Before canon.
I stared out the cockpit window with a clear expression of utter confusion, seriously wondering what the hell I was going to do with my life.
...
...
More tears fell, but these were different. Not many, but tears of relief. A faint, restrained joy.
Why? Well... Rose Quartz was already on the planet. I just needed to get to Earth, because I wasn't about to stay trapped on this dead planet. And if the data wasn't lying, the natives had rendered Earth infertile for us, completely ruining Mother Planet's plans and causing the death of thousands of gems.
Even I was listed as dead... along with my Pencil, who must have emerged at the same time as me.
My hand rested on my chin as I watched, wide-eyed, every fragment of information that continued to appear on my gem.
"Strange," I said, glancing around, until something caught my attention.
A huge, green snake, with bubbles embedded in its back, swallowed a tree at least 120 meters tall as if it were nothing.
...
...
I stared at that abomination as it disappeared back underground, as if it had never been there.
"Well... it did affect the planet quite a bit," I murmured, feeling my hands tremble with fear at the sight of that thing.
I shook my head and, before I started crying again, I focused on a key piece of information that appeared amidst all the data.
Spaceships.
There were some small ones, which would honestly be quite useful. They were old and didn't have built-in trackers. I could easily remove them... but what a pain. Besides, those ships always worked better with a Silica in command. That's why this planet was teeming with Silicas in the first place.
I looked at my reflection, noticing how different my previous life was compared to this one. In neither form did I truly fit into the world. Before, I was a weak human, without purpose, beyond working like a mule. Now I was someone who had survived almost miraculously, albeit with clear imperfections.
Even so...
I looked at my body, slender, more practical for combat.
"I like it better this way," I thought, although I admitted that if it looked a bit more masculine it would be better.
But my configuration was clear: it couldn't be done. The gems had a predetermined shape, practically impossible to change... unless they were defective. That is, unless the gem was broken.
I shook my head as I looked toward the panels, next to my new objective.
To create a better, more productive ship. I felt I could do it... it would just take time. But I preferred to have something I made myself rather than depend on something from the colony that had abandoned me.
"Also... weapons. Don't forget the weapons, Justin," I muttered as I reflected.
I didn't even remember ever being called that... but it didn't matter. "Silica," I told myself. Yeah, it didn't matter. I didn't see any other Silicas in the series; there was surely a reason for that.
A sigh escaped my lips as I stared ahead with determination, small tears still trickling down my cheeks.
"Planet Earth... here I come."
End of Chapter 2.