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)
*knocking on door*
Opal: I’m coming in, Mama…
Opal: Got it. 8k series door number 5024 programmed with two keycards. One given to Admiral Whisper, another to…Snowflake Crystal….
*computer chimes*
Opal: …Commander Prism, we regret to inform you that specimen Zeta Mu 14-2 has escaped containment in the Crater Research Base. As this issue requires your immediate attention, we have bumped you to the next available flight–oh, crud.
Opal: Ah-ha! Bobby pin in the lock and…there. Got it. Now to…wait…this is miiksha’s diary…
Subject Zeta-Mu was cultivated from a surviving strand of the Mother Plant. No matter what Snow, Admiral Whisper, or I tell the Admiralty Board of the danger, they refuse to see past its potential scientific benefits. As if the risks do not outweigh that a thousandfold. My only hope is that it does not grow beyond the boundaries of its containment unit, for the city may not survive another round with that monster.
Opal: …Violet? Are you…
Violet: back here!
Violet: …I have to say I wasn’t…really expecting you to come.
Opal: I brought my pepper spray. …besides, I said I would.
Opal: And I keep my word.
Violet: I guess so. Did you find it?
Opal: I did. But I want some answers before I hand it over. You know what’s going on down there?
Violet: …let’s talk inside.
Violet: What do you know about the Mother Plant?
Opal: Not much. It was supposed to have been from Cassini V, but it wasn’t…is that what’s down there?
Opal: But?
Violet: But, from everything we do have…it’s possible it’s another Mother Plant. Or an offshoot.
Opal: …you do. Specimen Zeta-Mu.
Violet: Say what–
Opal: I…intercepted some communications from the Admiralty. They were talking about it being in the Crater and recalling Commander Prism to deal with it.
Violet: …well. They’re not messing around this time…if they’re calling the Commander to deal with this…*whistle* When’s she due back, do you know?
Opal: Earliest available flight lands in three days.
Opal: Do you still want to see it before she does?
Violet: Before or after doesn’t matter. What does matter is the Admiralty doesn’t get to bury this a second time.
Opal: …you’re not really Strudelville military, are you.
Violet: Ah…no, no, I’m not.
Violet: I’m from Sugar Springs. We’ve been tasked with…making sure Strudelville is honest in their dealings with extraterrestrials.
Opal: You’re enforcing the Accords.
Violet: …to put it simply, yeah.
Opal: I don’t understand, why not just say so?
Violet: Strudelville has a…history in not treating ETs kindlly, and they wouldn’t appreciate a mole in their ranks either. Safety, you know?
Violet: You must have seen something like that. I mean, you’re not entirely..
Opal: Half Cassinian, actually. My miiksha is a Cassini V refugee, so you could say I have some experience with that.
Violet: Ha, I guess so!
Violet: So, that’s that. Will you hand over the card?
Opal: Hm, nah. I went through a lot to get this. I’d like to see what all the fuss is about, too.
Opal: Besides, if there really is a shard of the Mother Plant under my town, I’d like to know. If only to warn my miiksha before she’s surprised again.
Violet: …fair. …Listen, Weiss, there’s some things you should probably hear before we go.
Opal: Hear?
Violet: Yeah. Up for a little espionage?
Opal: Oh, this cannot be legal.
Violet: It’s not. Illegal in fifteen countries, actually, not limited to Strudelville itself. But it’s also all military tech, so…
Opal: So the Admirals are hypocrites, got it. What am I listening for?
Violet: Panic. If they called Commander Prism back, they’re worried. I want to know how worried.
Opal: …okay…let’s see.
*static*
Opal: Argh…signal’s too weak…
Opal: Let’s see if we can’t…there we go.
Opal: …! Got it!
“Are you kidding? Once the Commander finds out we grew that thing down here, she’ll report this straight to the Sixam Admiralty!
Violet: See? Panicked.
Opal: Shh!
“So we don’t let her find out. Do you know how easy it’d be to make an accident when she goes to deal with it?
Opal: !!!
Violet: Aaaaaaaaand now they’re contemplating murder. Great.
Opal: Is there a recording function on this thing–
Violet: Here.
“Should we really be thinking about that? I mean, if Commander freaking Prism dies down here, that’s gonna get a lot of attention!”
“We don’t have much choice. This can’t get out either, and she’ll yell to high heavens about it.”
“Still…”
“Don’t get cold feet, man. We’ve got three days to figure this mess out. Hurry it up and we won’t have to kill your heroine.”
Opal: …it’s going dead…
Opal: …I lost the signal.
Violet: Out of range. But you see? They’re panicking. It’s getting out of hand.
Opal: ….so how do we stop it?
Violet: We deal with this ourselves. Come on.
Opal: Why isn’t there a guard down there, Violet? If they kknow it’s out…
Violet; Rank and file don’t know, and they ask too many questions. Who’d guard an abandoned base?
Opal: Only if there’s something inside it to hide…
Violet: Yeah. And this one’s a big’un.
Violet: You know, things could get dicey. Are you sure you want to keep going?
Opal: I have to. For my miiksha.
Violet: That’s Sixamese. You said she was from Cassini.
Opal: She’s in the Sixamese military. I can speak both pretty fluenty.
Violet: Oh. Neat. I still trip on my vi sounds.
Opal: Ha, those get everyone. Never try to sing the latest pop hits without them, you’ll mess up so bad.
Violet: *laugh* Noted. …well, here we are.
Opal: Here we are.
Violet: Last chance to back out. You can’t unsee what’s down there.
Opal; …I never liked closing my eyes.
Opal: …did you know…were you here before?
Violet: Hm? What was that?
Opal: Oh, nothing.
*scanner whirring*
Opal: Please work…
Scanner: Welcome, Snowflake Crystal. It has been 7030 days since your last approved entry. If you are experiencing difficulties with your keycard, please consult your nearest help desk.
Violet: Whoa, back up–you know Snowflake Crystal?!
Opal: …not as well as I thought I did.
Opal: Nowhere near as well as I thought I did.
Violet: Well, quiz her later. Come on.
*low rumble*
Opal: What was that?
Violet: Oh, you know, the walls coming down on our heads. This place is old, Weiss!
Opal: Please don’t joke about that. This is creepy enough!
Violet: ha, never go into the Sugar Springs mines, then. They’re even worse!
Violet: …or…not. Uh-oh.
Opal: We…have a problem.
Violet: Yep. We need more data. Fast.
*low rumbling intensifies*
Opal: …before the ceiling falls on us, please.
Violet: We need to check everywhere.
Opal: Would there even be anything left here? I mean, the plant, sure, but data and records could be moved…should have been.
Violet: Never underestimate military inefficiency.
Violet: They’ll have left anything they couldn’t move…like that!
Opal: Ugh, that’s…that’s disgusting.
Opal: …wait…these things look like the pods around town.
Violet: Oh, it’s probably the same thing. Just, you know, open.
Opal: What?!
Opal: But–what does that mean for the town?! The people?
Violet: I don’t know. The Mother Plant was able to possess people through spores and fruit they ate, but this thing might be weaker. Could be nothing, really.
Opal: Or it could be the worst problem since the summer rains three years back.
Violet: In a desert like this? Yeah. It could be.
Opal: …okay, maybe we should…maybe we should leave this to the pros.
Violet: Sure. I need to check in with base anyway. Let’s get going.
*rumbling continues*
Opal: Uh…this place won’t really fall on us, will it?
Aurora: I hope not, but…it is at least fifty years old, and it’s taken a beating. We shouldn’t stick around.
Opal: …you’re going to come back, aren’t you?
Violet: If those are my orders, those are my orders. I won’t know till I get them.
Opal: But you’re risking your life!
Violet: Yeah, that comes with the job.
Opal: That’s not right…
Violet: Eh, it is what it is. I’m used to it. We all know the risks.
Opal: That’s not….good…oh. Oh no.
Violet: Oh boy.
Opal: Did we do this?
Violet: By opening the door? …Maybe. I’ll have to let my CO know…*sigh* things just got a lot more complicated.
Opal: This is bad.
*phone ringing*
Opal: Oh shoot–
Opal: Q–hi, Q!
Quartz: Opal! What’s going on down there–
Rainbow: Kiitra, the phone–thank you–Opal!
Opal: Hi, miiksha.
Rainbow: Yes, hello–are you alright? I could not reach your mother and the house line went unanswered!
Opal: Ah, sorry–Mama had to go out of town for work. I was …in the pool and didn’t hear it.
Rainbow: Are you outside? Can you see the crater?
Opal: …oh, yeah, I can see it.
Opal: Miiksha, what is that?
Rainbow: A very long and complicated story that was supposed to have been finished years ago. Do not go anywhere near it, kiitra. Do you understand? Nowhere near it!
Q: Miiksha…
Rainbow: It is nothing.
Opal: It’s not nothing. You’ve seen this before
Rainbow: Opal…
Opal: You have. On Cassini V.
Rainbow: ….this is different. It is. It should not exist.
Opal: But it does, and you’re not here now. What do I do?
Rainbow: Nothing. Remain in the house. This is not your battle.
Opal: I can’t just leave it alone! What if it spreads–there’s these weird pods all over town, and the hills, and–
Rainbow: Opal! Stay inside. I will return as soon as I am able and handle it!
Opal: That’s in three days! This could be all over town by then!
Opal: What happens when you come back and we’re all–I don’t know, zombies or something?!
Quartz: Oh you can’t be–
Rainbow: Quartz, do not–*sigh* That will not happen, Opal. I will return sooner than that, but you must promise me you will remain in the house.
Opal: Miiksha, I can’t just–
Rainbow: Promise me!
Opal: …*sigh* I promise. I’ll stay safe.
Rainbow: Thank you. I have to go–I love you, kiitra.
Quartz: Love you, sis!
Opal: Great! How am I supposed to get in there now!
Violet: …you’re…nineteen, twenty?
Opal: Seventeen. My eighteenth birthday is tomorrow. Why?
Violet: Because you look a little older, and with the right uniform and hair you’d pass for a cadet. Two cadets could slip in for guard duty easier than a civ.
Opal: Pfft, right. Me, with the Sixamite eyes and Cassini markings. I’m not a soldier, Violet.
Violet: I have ways to cover those up. Nothing permanent, just for a day or two. It’s a question of if you’d want to do it or not.
Opal: Of if I want back in or not.
Violet: Yeah, because pretty as those colors are they stand out, hard. You’re not getting in and out unnoticed anymore.
Opal: *aggravated sigh*
Opal: …alright. What do I need to do?
Violet: Get changed, then go in and put the paint in the black pot on your markings. It’ll match the rest of your skin. There’s clean contacts in the case–they’ll hide your eyes.
Opal: And the rest of me that doesn’t fit a perfect Maxis standard–ugh, this is worse than the Raw Council!
Violet: There’s a story there, but we really don’t have the time for that. Weiss, do you want this or not?
Opal: I do.
Violet: Then get changed. Holler if you need help with the paint.
Opal: At least my braiding skills aren’t rusty.
Violet: Weiss, you good?
Opal: I’m coming out!
Opal: …well?
Violet: Definitely passing as a raw. *snort* And you look so…
Both: Weird?
*laugh*
Opal: Yeah, well, I feel weird. This does wash off, right?
Violet: Oh, yeah, with enough hot water and a lot of scrubbing. You’ll turn your shower bright white, but it’ll come out. Probably.
Opal: Probably?!
Violet: Definitely. You ready?
Opal: Let’s go.
Opal: He didn’t–he didn’t even ask me for ID!
Violet: Told you two cadets could get in.
Opal: …it’s no wonder they couldn’t contain a plant they don’t even bother to–argh!
Opal: Wait till I tell the Commander about this…
Violet: Ah–Weiss, hold up!
Opal: What?
Violet: I got in contact with a scientist who was able to make up a couple of filters for the spores downstairs, but…they need a hazmat suit and she didn’t have spare. There might be one left in here, but…
Opal: But…what? Vi?
Violet: …there’s only one.
Violet: There’s only one suit. You can’t come with me.
Opal: What?!
Opal: Then what–you wouldn’t have gotten this far without my keycard! Without me! Now you’re just going to–what, cut me loose?!
Violet: Of course not! It’s just temporary–the ventilation system should still have power, it just has to be reset. Then you can come downstairs safely. It won’t take long.
Opal: But I…
Violet: You…?
Opal: …
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