In another world, a different world, Opal Crystal has grown up loved and loving her life in Strudelville. Despite the strangeness of the town, and the black hole that is her mothers history, hers is a simple life with the promise of a bright, colorful future...but that all changes one night, and her world will never be the same again.
(an AU, or alternate universe, of Crystal Gen 1)
In another world…
*water shuts off*
Snow: …again? *sigh*
Snow: Opal!
Snow: Opal! Honey, come off of there, please!
*jets fly past*
Snow: Opal! Did you hear me?
Opal: –Coming, Mama! …they ruined the view anyway.
Snow: Ooh, you know I hate it when you go up there…
Opal: Sorry. It’s just the best view in town…
Snow: You are so much like your miiksha.
Opal: You say that like it’s a bad thing!
Snow: You don’t have her armor, darling.
Opal: Mmph. Point.
Snow: I do have those from time to time, you know.
Opal: pff, Mama. What’s up?
Snow: Up? Why does something have to be up? Couldn’t I have just wanted you off the rocks?
Opal: Mama…
Snow: *sigh* Just like your miiksha.
Snow: Well, it’s two things. I need to talk to Mayor Rosewood but I can’t get a hold of him, and…
Opal: Aaaaannd?
Snow: And your birthday’s coming and I still haven’t wrapped your present so can you please leave the house for a few hours.
Snow: And maybe track down Mayor Rosewood while you’re at it?
Opal: ….Sure. He’s not answering his phone?
Snow: No, he’s not. Which is strange for him, Timber’s usually pretty good at answering his phone.
Snow: Of course he might have sat on it and turned it off so…could you? Please?
Opal: Hmm…okay. Okay, I will. I’ll knock before I come back in, too.
Snow: Thank you, sweetheart. Mind the road!
Opal: …kind of quiet for a summer afternoon…
*knocking*
Mango: Come in!
Opal: Hi, Mrs. Rosewood.
Mango: Opal, darling, hello!
Opal: Sorry to bother you, but Mama needs to talk to Mayor Rosewood. He’s not home, is he?
Mango: Not since this morning, darling. I haven’t seen him all day.
Opal: And he’s not answering your calls, either?
Mango: Oh, no, he left his phone in the bedroom. Again.
Opal: …huh.
Opal: Isn’t that kind of odd for the Mayor?
Mango: Oh, old Timber’s always been a bit scattered. Ever since we were your age–he’d lose his head if it weren’t attached! No, I’m sure he’s just…hard at work and not bothering to come home for lunch, is all.
Opal: Well, if he didn’t come home, he’d have gone to the Bells, right? How about I track him down and send him home?
Mango: Oh, that’d be a sweet thing to do, but don’t go out of your way.
Mango: Timber always comes home eventually. I’m not that worried.
Opal: …okay, well…if you’re sure, Mrs. Rosewood.
Mango: I am. But thank you for offering all the same, darlin’. Oh, and happy early birthday. Eighteen already! How time flies.
Opal: Not fast enough! Have a good day, Mrs. Rosewood.
Opal: Something’s up…and it’s more than just the new landscaping.
Opal: …where did you come from…
Opal: …doesn’t matter. Eight Bells, here I come.
Opal: Where…is everyone?
Opal: All the stores are closed? Lunch was two hours ago!
Opal: Okay, this is just weird.
Opal: And the army’s in town? What’s going on here…
Opal: At least the Bells is open.
Moss: Afternoon–well, if it ain’t miss birthday girl!
Opal: *laugh* Not for a few more days, Miss Moss. Awful quiet around here, isn’t it?
Moss: Eh, a little. What’ll it be, darlin’?
Opal: Whatever’s on the hotplate’s fine. I’m actually looking for the Mayor. Have you seen him?
Moss: Who, ol’ Timber? Pfft, I saw the fool. He was in here talkin’ with the bigwigs from the base all mornin’. Guessin’ they went back there for lunch, the stiffs.
Opal: Well they don’t know what they’re missing. This is the best food in town.
Moss: Mighty kind of ya to say, darlin’, since it’s the only food in town.
Opal: Yeah, well, still true. So…the base?
Moss: Mm-hmm. But don’t you even think of goin’ up there, missy.
Moss: Military ain’t a place for a pretty thing like you.
Opal: I won’t, Miss Moss. I promise.
Opal: Mama?
Snow: In the kitchen, honey!
Snow: No luck finding the Mayor, huh?
Opal: Nah. Miss Moss said he probably went to the base, but.
Snow: Oh, no. I’ll just find him tomorrow or something.
Opal: Mama, you know they wouldn’t hurt me. Not with the Accords…
Snow: A few pieces of paper don’t stop fear and hate, honey. .I don’t want to chance you going there alone.
Opal: But you know the commanding officer, don’t you? I’m sure everything would be fine…
Snow: Admiral Whisper and I aren’t what you’d call friends, Opal, and he’s just one man. No, if Timber went to the base I’ll find him another time. It wasn’t pressing anyway.
Opal: What did you want to talk to the Mayor about, exactly?
Snow: Hm? Oh, just. Work related things. Some old…equipment’s popped up again, he should know, ,that sort of thing.
Snow: Enough about that! Final placements are next semester. Are you nervous?
Opal: With my art scores? Never. I know exactly where I’m going.
Snow: Britechestnut on a full ride painting degree. Oh, my little rainbow baby.
Opal: Mama, come on. Haven’t I outgrown that nickname?
Snow: Never.
Snow: You should be proud! It’s a close race and you’re still at the top! That’s one heck of an achievement, honey.
Opal: Oh, I am! Miss Candy was talking about art exhibits in Waffle Creek, too.
Snow: Going places already!
Snow: Your miiksha and I are so proud of you.
Opal: She didn’t seem so proud when I mentioned it before…
Snow: Rainbow was a little disappointed you didn’t go into athletics or something physical, yes, but she’s still proud. You’re her little girl and she wants you to be happy.
Snow: Don’t worry. She’ll come around, I promise.
Opal: Hey, who said anything about worry?
Opal: I’m gonna go take a look at that campus tour site again. Thanks for dinner.
Snow: Of course. Don’t stay up too late.
Opal: Britechestnut offers a full range of art and humanities degrees, including distinguished simlish degrees, history programs, art history major…boring, boring, boring. What’s really going on here.
*keyboard clacking*
Opal: Here we go. Truthhunters.board…
Opal: …old base in the crater…huh. That’s where that noise came from…
Opal: Back entrance…come in off the highway…hm. …no, that’d be a stupid idea, why would…hm.
Opal: ….summer before university is the best time for stupid ideas…
Opal: And this one’ll take the bakery on stupid.
Opal:….*sigh* Let’s do it.
*door creaks quietly*
Opal: Don’t wake up don’t wake up–
*door shuts quiet*
Opal: *sigh*
Opal: No turning back now.
Opal: Old base, huh? No kidding…
Opal: Only one guard at the gate, too…wonder why they’d guard an empty building.
Opal: Not to mention it’s probably locked up tight anyway…
Opal: …or not. ….wow. Dusty.
Opal:….this is…really weird.
Opal: …wait…is that a…oh. Oh, no…
Opal: Why would this be here? Why would she…
?: Hey!
Opal: Oh crud–I can explain!!
?: I sure hope so! Civilians aren’t supposed to be here and…pfft, I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you so bad.
Opal: …huh?
?: I’m not supposed to be here, either. Name’s Violet.
Opal: …Weiss. Nice to meet you?
Violet: Likewise. Don’t suppose you know a way past that slab?
Opal: Well, sort of. It’s a Technotron 8000. There’s only one way past it.
Violet: Which is…?
Opal: You need the key.
Opal: The 8k series was built to only open with the keys, and from these serial numbers…there’s only one or two keys to this door. I’d guess the base commander has one, but…
Violet: If there’s two, there’s another. Does it happen to say where that other key is?
Opal: No, but the serial number would give us some info if we had a decoder. They’re matched to a set of bio-metric data prints so.
Violet: So we need a decoder. How do you know all of this?
Opal: I. Um. I know the tech designer who worked on the 8k series.
Violet: Oh, cool, cool. So, you have access to a decoder?
Opal: I. Might. A little.
Opal: Now can I ask why you want in there? If you’re not supposed to be here…
Violet: Eh, it’s…sort of an assignment. Off the books kind of thing.
Opal: Black ops.
Violet: …close enough.
Violet: There’s been some weird stuff going on in the basement of this building. It’s my job to find out what, but with a door this big in the way, well.
Opal: Uh-uh. At least you didn’t try to blow it up.
Violet: I thought about it! …would it have worked?
Opal: Nope. The 8k line can resist up to fifty kilos of TNT.
Violet: Oh well drat.
Violet: Don’t suppose that key’s here?
Opal: Ha! Good luck with that one. It’ll be in a safe or lockbook, not in an abandoned base.
Opal: but it wouldn’t hurt to look around, I guess. Does the guard do rounds?
Violet: He’s sound asleep.
Opal: Oh, good. I was worried he’d come in here!
Violet: nah. And shift changes late at the guard house. I’d say we have until sunrise.
Opal: Better get started, then.
Violet: Hey, Weiss! Sun’s comin’ up, we gotta go!
Opal: Wha–oh, darnit. I am so dead.
Violet: Yeah, I know. Listen, can I walk you home?
Opal: Uh….
Violet: Sorry, that was too forward wasn’t it? I’m a dinner and drinks first girl myself.
Opal: *laugh* Yeah, something like that. You could walk me back to the highway, though?
Violet: Sure thing. Let’s get going.
Violet: This is definitely going to be too forward, but if you get the keycard could you come and find me before going in there?
Opal: I can’t make any promises about finding the thing, but…sure. I guess so. Where would I meet you, though? The Bells?
Violet: Too open. You know that old hangar outside of town? I’m there every afternoon.
Opal: Oh, so you want me alone with you?
Violet: Well when you put it like that…
Opal: I’ll just bring my pepper spray.
Violet: Ha! *laugh* I like a woman who defends herself.
Opal: Good to know. I’ll bring it the afternoon I find it, then.
Violet: Until then.
Opal: Now we really gotta go or my housemates will kill me!
Opal: *sniff* Eggs? …oh no.
Snow: Opal? That you, hun?
Opal: Yeah, Mama!
Snow: I didn’t know you were awake! Have you been outside?
Opal: Oh, yeah, I. I got up early and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I went for a walk.
Snow: Well I’m glad you’re more awake because I have some bad news.
Opal: Oh no…don’t tell me miiksha and Q got delayed again!
Snow: No, no, they’re still supposed to be back in a few days, but. I have to go out of town. For a few days.
Opal: Oh? –oh.
Snow: None of us will be here for your birthday. I’m sorry, sweetie.
Opal: It’s okay, Mama. It’s just a birthday.
Snow: Your eighteenth! I don’t like missing it like this…
Opal: We can just celebrate it when you guys all get home! Don’t worry about it.
Snow: …when did I get such an awesome daughter?
Opal: I don’t know, when you raised one?
Snow: Oh, no, that is entirely your other mother’s sass young lady! …but really, Opal, thank you. I wouldn’t go if this wasn’t important.
Opal: I know, I know. Seriously, it’s cool.
Opal: Bring back a postcard? If you can tell us where you went, I mean.
Snow: I can, and I will. Love you, rainbow baby.
Opal: Love you too, Mama. Have a safe trip.
Snow: Alright, I’m headed out. Be good!
Opal: I will!
*door closes*
Opal: …well. I won’t get caught being bad, anyway.
*car pulling out*
Opal: …okay. Okay, let’s do this.
Opal: Please don’t have forgotten anything.
Opal: …it’s just your mothers room, Opal, why are you treating this like some final dungeon?
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