Steven Universe One Shots

Virus

"Peridot!" the Crystal Gems shouted when their fellow gem collapsed to the ground, the gem tech still computing around her.
That morning, Garnet had informed the gems of an abandoned diamond database that she thought was best to download all the information off of it to help them if they ever had to come face to face and fight the diamonds. However, the only gem who knew much about that kind of technology was Peridot, so they would need her help.
"Of course I'll come! I know much more about all this gem technology than any of you!" were her exact words. Pearl glared at her and then Peridot stammered, "I- I mean, I'll be glad to lend a gem and come with you, if you need the help."
So they warped to the database, much like the communication hub on the moon, though this one was deep within the earth, below one of the kindergartens.
     "This," Garnet informed, "is the diamond database.
     "Look at all these huge screens! And keyboards! Woah, this stuff has some advanced technology!" Steven marveled.
     "Yes, Steven, which is why Peridot will be handling it all. Who knows what all this could- STEVEN DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Pearl ran over frantically to keep Steven away from all the technology.
     "Aww, you're no fun," Steven groaned as Pearl dragged him back to the other gems.
     "Now Peridot," said Garnet. "We need as much information downloaded of the Diamonds and Homeworld as we can handle. Is your gem capable of doing that?"
     "More than capable! I'm a peridot! This is what we're made for!" Peridot stepped in front of the main motherboard and placed her hands on the desktop. Her eyes grew wide and blank as words of gem language began to cross them. Her gem glowed fiercely.
     "Guys? Is she okay?" Steven asked worriedly.
     "She's fine, Steven," Amethyst said. "Everything's going just fine."
     "Then how long is this supposed to take?" he asked.
     "A couple of hours. No time at all, really," Pearl answered.
     "A couple of hours?!" Steven cried. "I'll miss the new episode of Crying Breakfast Friends!"
     "You'll live," Garnet told him.
     About an hour later, Steven and Amethyst were engaged in a game of Rock Paper Scissors, when the crystal gems heard a noise Peridot's way. A few of the screens seemed to be glitching. And Peridot seemed to flicker for a second herself, though the gems wondered if they imagined it. Peridot took a few shaky steps back from the board. Then she collapsed to the floor.
  "Peridot!" the crystal gems shouted when their fellow gem collapsed to the ground, the gem tech still computing around her. Steven was the first to reach her, the others right behind him.
     "Peridot, Peridot!" he yelped, her head in his hands.
     "What happened? Everything had seemed to be working just fine!" Pearl exclaimed.
     "Peri, can you hear us?" Amethyst asked, worry clouding her voice.
     "Peridot!" Garnet said firmly. "What's wrong?"
     Peridot let out a weak moan, her head turning to the side. "A- a virus..." she said softly. "The diamonds must have installed it into one of the files... They might still have control over the database..."
     "But what happened to you? Are you okay?" Steven asked.
     "I- I don't know. The virus entered my system, stopping the downloading process, and possibly... It could possibly do some damage to me..."
     "Like what?" asked Pearl.
     "It couldn't... shatter you, could it?" Amethyst asked.
     "No, no... not quite that damaging. I've read reports of peridots being infected by viruses, but the reports never told of what happened to them... The diamonds would dispose of them, thinking it was too much work to just destroy the virus..."
     "So it's really serious?" Steven asked, near tears.
     "Maybe. But I'll be alright, I promise. At least, I think I will..." Peridot droned off, fully out.
     "Peridot!" Steven yelled. He then looked up at Garnet. "Will she be alright?"
     Garnet didn't speak for a moment, perhaps using her future vision. "Yes," she finally said. The tension in the room seemed to lower. "We'll just need to find a way to destroy the virus in her system. It makes sense, though. Even though she is a gem, it's almost like she's part robot or something herself. Gems are almost like computers, just alive in a way. But I guess she was right. Technology is what peridots are made for. So that's why she was infected by the virus. Then again, even though it's a computer virus, it can infect gems. So maybe it acts like a virus would in a human. Anyway, it's not safe here. We should go back," she said. The gems nodded. Steven stood up, still holding Peridot.
     "Why don't I hold her?" Garnet asked, taking Peridot from his arms. The gems then retreated to the warp pad deep below the kindergarten.
     When they reappeared back at the temple, they found Lapis Lazuli waiting for them. Peridot had raved about the mission she was going on, and Lapis had generously promised to be there when they came back so Peridot could tell her about it.
     "Hello, every- Wait. What's wrong with Peridot?" She walked over to Garnet, who was still holding the small green gem. The gems told her about what had happened at the database and how Peridot had been infected by the virus.
     "So... Is she going to be okay?" Lapis asked.
     "As long as we can make sure the virus is destroyed, she will," replied Garnet.
     "Uh, Garnet?" asked Amethyst. "How exactly are we supposed to do that?"
     "Connie told me that in humans, virus's kinda take over your cells. They reprogram the cells to produce more viruses, not more normal cells. And eventually, these other cells come in and-" began Steven.
     "But dude, we're rocks! We don't have cell stuff," Amethyst cut in.
     "So it is a computer virus. But I don't know if her gem can destroy it on its own. Steven, come here," Garnet said.
     "You want me to use my healing spit? I don't know if that will work, Garnet..."
     "That's alright. It's the best we've got. If fate allows, it will give her gem a little more energy to destroy that virus."
     "Okay, then," replied Steven, licking his hand. "For Peridot." He placed his wet hand on her gem. The peridot sparkled, but otherwise stayed the same.
     "I guess that all we can do now is wait," Lapis Lazuli said.
     "Now I don't want you to be surprised if Peridot is... different when she wakes up. Viruses can do odd things to technology, or in Peridot's case, well, a peridot. If a virus can destroy a computer's programs, cause files to mysteriously go missing, or even add things that were never there before, then perhaps it could damage her in the same way. Her language skills could be terminated, her gem could go misshapen, who knows, she might even grow another arm!" exclaimed Pearl. "But I guess that really depends on how fast her gem destroys this virus."
     "Peridot can use my bed until she gets better, Pearl," Steven offered.
     "Thank you, Steven, that's very kind of you. But where will you sleep?" Pearl asked.
     "I can just use the couch," said Steven. "Here, I'll bring down my stuff!" He ran up the stairs to his bedroom.
     "Yo, do you guys think that some of the information from the base still got downloaded onto Peridot? " Amethyst asked.
     "I hope so," Pearl said, "because if it didn't, this all would've been for nothing."
     "Has anyone seen MC Bear Bear?" Steven called from upstairs. The gems giggled together, trying to laugh their worries away.
                        ************
     "Uunngghh," Peridot groaned as she tried to sit up. Her vision was fuzzy, but she could make out the figure of someone at the foot of the bed she was on. What had happened? She was with the gems at the database and she could remember nothing after that.
     "Peri, you're awake?" Peridot's vision cleared and she saw that Lapis was the one at the foot of the bed. Peridot sat up fully and moaned again, her hand on her gem. "Are you okay?" Lapis asked.
     "Better than I was before," Peridot answered. "But I still feel weird. My gem kinda hurts... How long has it been since we were at the base?"
     "Three days," answered Lapis.
     "That long?!" shrieked Peridot. "And is this Steven's bed! What happened to me?"
     "Don't you remember?" asked Lapis. "The gems said that you said it yourself. Some kind of virus."
     "Oh, yeah," said Peridot. "Is it gone by now?"
     "Beats me," Lapis replied. "But if you're awake and feeling mostly okay, the answer is probably yes. Pearl said that the virus could do some damage to you. She said that it could mix up your brain, reprogram a part of you, and she even said that could make you grow another arm! But we can see that that didn't happen."
     "But something else may have happened to me?"
     "Possibly, yes."
     "Great," Peridot said sarcastically. "Where is everyone? Are they on a mission?"
"Yeah. They said I could come, but I didn't want you to wake up with no one there."
"Wow, thanks."
     This caused Lapis to grin. "No problem."