The Accidental Diamond

Chapter 4

The flight to the moon was mostly uneventful: both Blue and Wheridot were glad to have the chance to take a break after the earlier altercations, and Wheridot was excited to use the time to explain the structures of gem society in exquisite detail.

Just before landing on the moon, the conversation was interrupted when Wheridot was startled by a news bulletin flashing on her screen. "A central part of my theory was correct!" she exclaimed loudly.

Blue, taken aback, craned her neck to try to get a look at the screen. "What theory?"

"The Great Diamond did want a protégé!" Wheridot explained. "They're announcing the emergence of a gem called Yellow Diamond on Homeworld. And in recognition of this, the Great Diamond has apparently renamed herself to White Diamond, and she plans to train Yellow Diamond to preside over all of the colonies as our next glorious ruler!"

Blue looked at the image on the screen, which showed two enormous figures—one white, one yellow and slightly smaller—being praised by a crowd of adoring gems.

"I see now why you thought I might have been intended to be one of them," Blue acknowledged. "Given their apparent attitudes, however, I sincerely hope I have as little as possible in common with them."

Wheridot grimaced. "You really shouldn't say that," she commented quietly. "I may have become a fugitive and a criminal today, but I certainly don't intend to disparage our glorious leader. Um, sorry, our glorious leaders, plural."

"Well, I do intend to disparage them!", Blue insisted. "Why should I show respect towards somebody who's unwilling to tolerate my existence?"

"But if you were one of them, then they'd be absolutely willing to tolerate you," Wheridot pointed out.

"It shouldn't have to be conditional," Blue sighed.

And soon, the ship landed next to the moon base, which towered high into the sky. High above, the planet was glowing a bright orange.

"It ought to be vacant," Wheridot explained as the two of them stepped out of the ship onto the moon's surface. "Typically, this base is only used when the radiant Great Diamond—I mean, White Diamond—is present. Or, um, when the luminous Yellow Diamond is present, I guess. But since both are on Homeworld, we ought not to run into any trouble."

And Wheridot was correct: she and Blue made it into the base with ease, and within minutes, Wheridot was scrolling through records.

"Peridot, Facet 1N7G Cut 6ZB," Wheridot muttered to herself as she entered in the identification, and a file flickered open on her screen. Blue peered over her shoulder to look over it.

"It says she was shattered!" Blue observed, surprised. "What happened?"

Wheridot pointed at a later part of the file. "Here. It says she was a revolutionary, and once intercepted a batch of classified orders in an attempt to halt communications and further her heretical purposes. However, she was identified, caught, and executed shortly after she was transferred to Homeworld. And it says it's still unclear how many of her plans have been identified and stopped."

"Does it say what the orders were?" Blue asked.

"It gives a task number. Hang on, I'll look it up. Since this is a Diamond system, I think it'll let me through—yes, here it is!"

Blue examined the new file that appeared on the screen. "I don't follow this at all—could you explain?"

Wheridot stood motionless, her mouth open.

"Wheridot?" Blue asked nervously.

Wheridot turned to Blue, talking slowly and quietly. "These are the orders that were sent to the Prime Homeworld Kindergarten with instructions on how to create Yellow Diamond. This revolutionary Peridot intercepted them the first time they were sent out, prompting them to get sent out again when the Prime Homeworld Kindergarten didn't receive them. So until this Peridot was caught, nobody had any idea that there were actually two sets of orders out there. And it's reasonable to assume that instead of just preventing the orders from being broadcast, she actually executed them at the kindergarten where she was working. And so..."

"She created a Diamond," Blue finished, eyes wide.

Wheridot drew a deep breath, and then clapped her arms in front of her into a salute. "My Diamond!" she exclaimed. "My brilliant, lustrous—"

Blue laughed quietly. "What do you think you're doing, Wheridot?"

Wheridot's face contorted as she clearly struggled between several trains of thought pulling in different directions. "I'm acknowledging the great honor I have to bask in your presence," she eventually tried.

Blue laughed again and gently poked Wheridot in the side, almost knocking her over. "There'll be no need for any of that!"

Wheridot nodded. "Yes, my Diamond. Um, I mean, Blue. Or, if the others are White Diamond and Yellow Diamond, should I call you Blue Diamond?"

"Just 'Blue' is still fine," Blue replied. "Like I said, I don't want to be seen as one of them."

"But why not?" Wheridot asked. "Why wouldn't you want to be what every other gem aspires to be?"

"Because I'd rather be like every other gem!" Blue exclaimed. "I might be different from the rest of gemkind in almost every way, but there's one thing we have in common—we all share the same emotions. I can feel what you feel, you can feel what I feel—that connects us, that means I'm one of you and not one of them. As far as I can tell, it doesn't look like White Diamond and Yellow Diamond have any feelings at all, if they can bring themselves to punish anyone who looks different and to shatter anyone who expresses disagreement with their regime."

"And that's what makes them perfect," Wheridot declared.

"That's what makes them terrible," Blue responded. "Perhaps this feeling is coming from the fact that I was created to serve the aims of a revolution, but it seems to me that my true purpose must be to bring down this entire system. And you could call me a lunatic and a traitor for this, but I'm driven by a compulsion, by a passion—and I think you're starting to feel it too."

Wheridot drew a deep breath, then nodded sheepishly. "You've got a very convincing air about you, Blue."

"It's like I said," Blue explained, "I always seem to be in step with the feelings of others. And that's what's important, that's how I know that I'm doing the right thing. Because if everyone's on my side, and I'm doing this for them, I don't see how I could possibly be in the wrong."

"So what's the plan, then?" Wheridot asked.

Blue looked out at the star-filled sky. "I think it's time to go have a talk with White Diamond."