LOG-109.

  Sodalite had gone dormant.

  I had no better way of describing it. Her feelings. Her thoughts. Her sense of self. It was…muted. As if operating in the background.

  The only thing left was just a constant, steady thrum of satisfaction in the back of my head, as I went about transferring countless files and pieces of data to undisclosed guest users (Fawn's various agents, if Ardent was to be believed) within the system, using my host's memories to piece together how the terminal in front of me worked.

  This…fusion, for all that I'd named it Chrysocolla, didn't actually feel all that much like one, especially when compared to my other experiences. Those other unions had been just that, combinations between me and other individuals. There was what could theoretically be considered a new personality born from the melding, one that actually handled the 'piloting' of the new body while we mostly just formed the components.

  With Chrysocolla…I was the metaphorical pilot. At first I'd felt hints of something from Sodalite and I, likely whenever the two of us actually agreed on this or that subject, but as the aristocrat continued to seemingly dive deeper and deeper into outright stasis, I alone was left to inject thought and action into our shared lightform.

  And as much as part of me felt distinctly uncomfortable at the dynamic…I would be a damned liar if I said I wasn't also enjoying it.

  It was like…getting a power up in a video game. Or chugging an energy drink, maybe. I felt stronger, in the most literal sense of it. Just like with the other fusions, but so much more directly, now that Sodalite wasn't bumping against me every few seconds.

  I wasn't just a weak, thin slip of a Pearl like this. My arms had mass to them. My movements actually brought weight with every step, even as engrained reflexes ensured that said steps remained light and quick. And as much as height felt more like an afterthought compared to everything else, I still practically towered above the terminal, which wasn't exactly a small machine either.

  Unhealthy as this all likely was…it was intoxicating, as if I'd gotten to exchange what type of Gem I was for something inherently better-

  "H-hello?"

  I froze, turning slowly to regard the lithe figure standing further out in the hallway stationed behind this particular control station, before shaking my head and turning back towards the console.

  "Ah...Ardent said you'd arrive. You're the tech expert, yes?"

  The Pearl (I'd never seen this one before, interesting) hesitantly stepped out into the light, and I regarded her lavender form out of the corner of my eye as I idly kept up with the steady stream of weather change requests coming from some of the botanical testing labs within this specific console's district.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "T-that would be me, yes. Codename Glitch. Uhm…can I see the screen please? We only have a short amount of time before this machine is rerouted to act as a flight management terminal and another Gem comes along to use it."

  I inputted the next set of commands and stepped aside, staring down at the nervous thing as she carefully made her way past me, glancing at the monitor for a moment before reaching into the gemstone on her chest, a small, rectangular device with what almost looked like spiked legs sticking out of it emerging from her storage space.

  "Interesting gadget."

  Glitch mumbled for a moment at my comment, glancing at me before quickly looking away as she ducked down beneath the primary control panel, rooting around at something I couldn't see. Tilting my head slightly, I took the chance to directly compare the two of us, inspecting our respective physiques.

  As a whole…I still looked like a Pearl, mostly. Thicker, maybe. Distinctly more defined and, dare I say it, human shaped, than the almost stick thin figure of the servant caste I was unfortunately a part of.

  It was just another creepy comparison between Chrysocolla and normal, proper fusions. Dianite had her own look. Slate as well. The Onyxes. Stars, even Honey Lemon and Harlequin, despite existing as same Gem fusions, had their own distinct styles.

  As I was now, I just looked like I'd stolen some of Sodalite's mass, hair and clothes, and swapped to a different colour. No wonder Glitch was twigged out at the sight of me.

  "Ardent said to ask what your uhm…relationship with each other is?"

  I blinked at the question, crossing my arms as the Pearl next to me shuffled back out from beneath the terminal.

  "She was an unhinged clod looking to fuse with me…without knowing how to actually fuse. Not too much of a surprise for a loyal Imperial Gem, if still rather odd to deal with."

  I brought up a hand, rapping my knuckles against the side of my head as Glitch stared up at me with wide eyes, her short, shaped 'tufts' shifting with the motion of her hair. Kind of like a cat's ears, almost.

  "I've fused a number of times, with a number of Gems. Whatever's going on here is…new. It was somewhat normal at first, if very one sided in terms of control. Now it's like she's just…not gone, I can still feel her knocking around here and there, but she's gotten quiet. Like she's been discorporated, almost."

  My smaller counterpart digested that for a moment, before slowly adjusting the cute little headpiece affixed to her hair.

  "That sounds...incredibly worrying. Uh, not that I would know. I've never fused with anyone, even if F-nevermind. But uhm, yes. Worrying!"

  I clicked my tongue, nodding.

  "Probably. Hopefully everything will sort itself out once I-once we unfuse. You and your little cabal of rebels got all the blackmail, yeah?"

  I took note of the sudden spike of attention my other half gave at my declaration, her almost groggy presence rising and then eventually sinking back down as Glitch shifted her weight from one foot to the other, before reaching into her gemstone again and pulling out a small datachip, one which I readily accepted the second she handed it to me.

  "Reports. Recordings. Some modified footage here and there. She uh…she'll definitely be declared a criminal and harvested if she tries to so much as speak a word of this. You should be fine though, we made sure you looked like the victim in the footage."

  I put the little piece of leverage away and clapped my hands together, feeling a little bad as the Pearl flinched at the sharp noise my two larger than normal palms made upon impact.

  "Perfect. I've already told Ardent, but if you can also directly relay that I'd really prefer a slightly more advanced means of communication than the datapad, I'd be rather appreciative, Glitch."

  For whatever reason, her cheeks lit up in a light blush as I smiled down at her, the smaller (well, relative to me at least) Gem's head rapidly bobbing up and down in a nod as she began to step away from the console.

  "Uh-of course! Yes, I can do that. Anyway ah, my work here is done so-I'm gonna go! Bye!"

  Watching as the purple Pearl all but fled the scene, I glanced back at the now presumably compromised terminal, planted my hands against my hips, and sighed.

  "Right then."

  I'd rid myself of Sodalite soon enough, I had to report back to Hessonite eventually after all. Just…

  Well, I still had a bit of time left, and I did kind of want to play around with my temporary body for a bit more.

  …Just a few more minutes. Then I'd end it.