Resonance in the Void

CHAPTER 4: The Watchful Eye

Over the following weeks, their conversations became more frequent, though still clipped and cautious. Lapis never pushed too hard, but she always found ways to provoke small reactions from Peridot. She would comment on Peridot's precision, ask questions about her technical work, and drop subtle hints about escape plans, all of which seemed to fascinate and frustrate the tech-savvy Gem in equal measure.

One day, after a particularly long silence, Lapis caught Peridot off guard.

"Do you ever get tired of this?" Lapis asked, her voice softer than usual. "Of doing the same thing over and over?"

Peridot glanced at her sharply. "No. My role is crucial to maintaining order. Repetition is efficiency."

Lapis nodded, but her eyes held Peridot's gaze. "But don't you ever wonder what's outside of all this? Outside of your job, your duty?"

Peridot hesitated. "That's irrelevant."

"Is it?" Lapis took a step closer to the force field. "Because you're starting to sound a little like me."

For the first time, Peridot looked directly at Lapis, a flicker of something almost vulnerable passing across her face. "You don't know me."

"Maybe not," Lapis conceded, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I'm beginning to."

Peridot stood there, staring at her for a long moment, before finally turning on her heel and walking away. But Lapis knew she had touched something deep within Peridot—a spark of curiosity, of uncertainty.