Chapter Text
Foreword
To mankind and all Gems, and to all the others we’ve yet to meet who may one day happen upon these writings long after my time has come and gone - Hello, and welcome! What you are about to read is a condensed compilation of lectures on a single very expansive subject: Gemlings! This strange, adorable innovation to Gem reproduction has been undergoing intense research for the past thirty years since it’s creation, and with the prototype batch of Catalyst-created Gems finally ready for integration, the time to cast away the veil of secrecy has finally come.
To put the public’s doubts to rest and assuage any misunderstandings before they arise, it is my great honor to put all these years of study and experimentation into one place and present them to you, the reader. This guide was written so that you can understand the tremendous amounts of effort, and love, put into this attempt to preserve gemkind, the Earth, and this big universe we all share, while also serving as a handy how-to on how to take care of these sweet little Gems-to-be. From first time moms, to experienced human parents helping out our local Gem neighbors, there will hopefully be a little something interesting for everyone who reads it.
Enjoy!
Preface - Earth’s Magic Field
Of the many unusual features listed in any basic Earth Dossier offered throughout the universe, perhaps the most unusual is Earth's natural energy field. Almost all known planets in the universe possess such fields, even those not currently supporting life or those incapable of supporting life. It is a combination of fundamental forces and what is essentially the global life force of the planet itself, unique to the planet that produces it. Earth produces an especially potent energy field that is extremely reactive to any stimuli. The northern and southern Auroras, previously thought to be the result of electrons colliding with the edges of Earth's atmosphere, is one of several visible manifestation of this field.
A planet’s energy field is the primary deciding factor in whether or not a prospective Gem Colony is approved for construction of Kindergartens, and how many it can sustain. In ancient Gem scriptures, this field was described with great reverence and referred to as a planet's ‘song’. To then use the appropriate language, it would be most accurate to say that the Earth sings very, very loudly.
In terms of function, this field is essentially the battery that powers Gem production. While Injectors provide a base material to start with, this energy-absorbent compound feeds off of the ambient energy of the planet where it’s inserted and leeches local minerals and stones from the earth around it. The power absorbed triggers the compound to collapse and condense, pulling in more and more energy as it becomes smaller and hardens into a gemstone. The type of Gem produced is determined by environment, as the fluid base material inside the Injectors has followed a consistent formula since the start of consistent Kindergarten use.
What is unique about Earth in this regard is the sheer volume of energy produced. Originally slated for 89 Kindergartens, the events of The Thousand Year War meant that construction was only completed on one Major Kindergarten in Facet Five (Eastern North America), and a Minor Kindergarten in Facet 9 (Western North America), referred to in shorthand as Prime and Beta respectively. Gems grown in the two completed Kindergartens emerged 50% faster on average without suffering any major defects or deficiency in pre-instilled knowledge, with notable individuals emerging in as little as 25% the usual time.
Attending technicians described it as “feeling like the planet wanted to make Gems,” and that the sheer quantity, and quality, of Gems being produced gave them a strong impression of the planet being made for just such a purpose. While this cannot be confirmed (as even Gemkind lacks the technology for planetary seeding of a star system) it nonetheless came to be the inspiration for the Catalyst Project.
Few of the Gems created in these Kindergartens survived the war for Earth's independence, but those who did would go on to be extremely valuable to this attempt towards revitalizing Gem reproduction, including two Quartz soldiers who served alongside four other assorted gems to volunteer for the initial stages of the experiment.