LOG-127.

  "-and this will be your workstation, situated beside mine. I trust that you don't need to be lectured on its use?"

  Maintaining an attentive expression as Yellow's gaze continued to pin me in place, I nodded quickly.

  "Correct, my Diamond. I may need a moment to familiarize myself. It's far more advanced than anything on my former owner's ship, though I understand the concept of datawork intrinsically."

  The monolithic Gem hummed at that, before nodding and settling down in the equally enormous throne behind her. With nothing else to do, I quietly made my way over to the glorified secretary's desk I'd seen my predecessor stationed at some time ago.

  A predecessor which was notably missing and, if her owner was to be believed, recovering in the Reef after some kind of accident.

  The urge to shiver came and went like it always did, even as I set myself in front of the small table, leaning back slightly as countless holographic screens began to pop up all around me.

  Fleet reports. Colony progress estimates. Supply routes. Expansion plans. The sheer depth of information would have quite likely been overwhelming if I couldn't glance at something and immediately memorise it, thus not needing to recheck anything while filling out this or that form.

  It really was sort of like working under Hessonite or Emerald. Just…bigger.

  A few moments passed with no end to the datawork in sight, though I did earn an apparently pleased hum from Yellow as I actually managed to keep up with the excess minutiae she was dropping on me.

  All the while, I silently pondered the emergency communication beacon (a standard piece of equipment for a coordinator) and the sheer possibilities a Fawn agent working directly beneath a Diamond entailed.

  —

  The sound of the essence extraction chamber doing its work masked the light click of a small piece of the beacon in my hands coming apart.

  [I have removed the indicated outer casing. What next?]

  The Gem on the other end of the chat-line had been a surprise, namely because she was communicating with me through my usual datapad.

  [You will see a small set of cabling nestled within. Extract the third wire from its socket and connect it to the input module on the device you are using. It should be a slightly lighter shade than the others.]

  Which, simply put, didn't make sense. The datapad didn't have enough range for something like that.

  [Done. What next?]

  Unless of course Fawn already had someone inside of Yellow's palace, which…if true, was actually extremely impressive, all things considered. Though more likely there was just a Pearl or something loitering outside of the structure somewhere. Close enough to broadcast, but far enough to avoid suspicion.

  [Nothing, the modification is complete. The emergency beacon will now act as an amplifier for your datapad's range. I will inform our mutual associates of your new availability, and invite them to this channel.]

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  Slightly giddy, I let a grin slip loose as I hunched over the fancy tablet a little more, fingers rapidly typing out an affirmative.

  [Understood, I look forward to making full use of my new position-]

  "Pearl."

  Barely resisting a violent flinch and shoving the newly hacked set of gadgets into my storage space, I turned from my position just beyond the closed (and Diamond sized) doorway, hands coming up into a salute as I locked gazes with a now suddenly attentive Yellow.

  "Yes my Diamond?"

  She was staring at me weirdly. I'd been too brazen. Too desperate to find some way of not just getting locked into the bad end of being a dictator's immortal secretary. I'd fucked everything up. She was going to stand up, grab me, and then crush me into so many little pieces that I'd never be able to be put back together-

  "My…old Pearl would amuse me with songs during this process. Do the same."

  Oh thank the fucking Stars she was just bored!

  "Of course, does your Radiance have any preferences?"

  The Diamond remained oblivious to my inner thoughts, instead blinking as she actually seemed to consider the question.

  "...Hessonite reported that you would make up and sing new pieces for the denizens of the Confluence, correct?"

  I bowed my head slightly in confirmation, a fake smile plastered across my face.

  "Correct, my Diamond. Would you like a Viridian Original?"

  The giant Gem's brow rose ever so slightly at the (admittedly campy) name Fuchsia had chosen for some of my more popular ripoffs, before waving a hand and leaning back into her glorified spa bench.

  "Sing."

  Rapidly flicking through the veritable library of music hidden in my head, I opened my mouth-

  "Oh, and note down that we'll be meeting with a pair of operatives of mine after this extraction session. The situation with Pink One still concerns me, so I'm thinking of sending an expendable expedition to double check on things."

  -and let the first notes of a beautiful, uplifting song leave it. Because choking on my own nonexistent spit wouldn't be productive in a situation like this, now would it?

  —

  The newest addition to the ever growing stack of glowing holographic reports flickered into existence with all the smug satisfaction of yet more fucking datawork that knew I couldn't ignore it.

  Potential periphery colony site Delta Seven, Sector Forty Two.

  According to the chief Onyx in charge, initial resources had been secured, basic infrastructure was currently being built up, and a forward garrison of Quartz warriors had been deployed. Yadda yadda yadda, please give us permission to conquer this world in full.

  The words scrolled across my vision in neat little rows of Gem Glyph, and my mind automatically translated them into a suitably human equivalent.

  Congratulations, you've unlocked a new planet in Sid Meier's Gempire: Galactic Domination! Begin colonisation?

  Resisting the urge to scowl at Yellow offloading yet another major decision on my relatively tiny shoulders, I made the effort of digging into the report a little further.

  Standard organic biosphere, minimal traces of water (Lapis Lazulis likely wouldn't be very useful in that case, unless we sent in a freighter full of the stuff), and most importantly to my sensibilities, a distinct lack of any 'resistant sapient infestation.'

  Assuaged by the fact that I wasn't signing the death warrants of some civilisation unlucky enough to be in the Gem Empire's expansion path, I gave the screen a curt flick with two fingers, approving the request and watching it glide over into the 'completed' pile that was starting to rival a floating mountain range in size.

  The fact I then sent an exact copy of the message and its projected consequences to a chat room full of Fawn agents that would promptly start analysing every little detail using the datapad nestled between my legs and the table was just a minor detail in the face of that, really.

  "My Diamond! Visitors have arrived outside the palace doors!"

  Of course anything else was temporarily put on pause as Yellow looked up from her own significantly larger mountain of holographic datawork, waving a hand at me as she stared at the slightly nervous Topaz that had lumbered into the room.

  "Pearl? Is this the Pink One appointment?"

  A different Gem would have needed to glance at her screen to tell the time. I didn't, since said time was burned into my mind.

  "Yes my Diamond. You requested a pair of operatives?"

  The Diamond nodded at that, before flicking her wrist at the patiently waiting Topaz.

  "Bring them in. Pearl, go and greet them as well. I'm just going to finish up on things here."

  I didn't hesitate in obeying the command, rising from my station (and subtly storing my datapad into my gemstone as I did so) before turning to follow the already departing elite guard.

  It would be a lie to say that I was expecting anyone specific while following the larger Gem through a long hallway and over to the palace's entrance, but as those big ass doors opened and a supremely muscled figure stomped her way inside, followed by the familiar clanking sound of a set of limb enhancers just behind her, I couldn't help but find that it all made a twisted kind of sense.

  I would have preferred to frown, but I had appearances to keep as I locked eyes with a scowling Jasper and a slightly annoyed looking Peridot, so instead I just smiled, spreading my arms in a beckoning gesture.

  "Welcome!"