| This article is about the particular ship on Earth. You may be looking for Gem dropships used by Homeworld. |
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Homeworld Gems used these ships to travel across the cosmos and land here on Earth before the warp pads were built. But these ships landed here so long ago that there's no way they can be functional. |
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| —Pearl, "Friend Ship" | ||
The Ancient Gem Colony Ship is an Era 1 Homeworld Dropship and one of the only colony spaceships still remaining on Earth. This particular ship debuted in the episode "Friend Ship". It is currently in a state of disrepair and is no longer fully functional.
These ships were used by Gems to reach new worlds before the establishment of Warp Pads. They have become obsolete due to the advent of more advanced spacecraft, such as the Gem Warship and the Roaming Eye.
Description[]
The Ancient Gem Colony Ship looks similar to a flying saucer and is made of a dull gray, stone-like material with three legs (most likely deployed as landing struts to aid in landing the ship). On the exterior of the dropship, the pink paint has completely eroded away apart from a small amount on the rim of the far edges. The interior is mostly a dull, stony gray, with salmon-pink crystals and consoles that have become overgrown with mushrooms and other vegetation over thousands of years.
The ship appears to be made primarily of stone or a material with a composition similar to stone. The ship also has signs of being older technology, having devices such as metallic spikes and gears. There are many traps and weapons inside, such as the trap Pearl and Garnet were in, and the gem-lasers that Peridot attacked the Crystal Gems with.
According to Pearl, the ship's internal system is beyond repair as she couldn't activate it to fly to Homeworld.
Layout[]
- Entrance Area: The entrance area is the first area of the ship with a large vaulted ceiling. There is a long communications center with several features to communicate with the control room. One salmon-pink, hexadecachoron gem projects a holographic screen and another salmon-pink, hexadecachoron gem accepts audio input that goes to the control room, with a slight time delay. There are seven salmon-pink hexadecachoron gems attached to cords that can shoot lasers. To the left is a triangular hallway.
- Spike Hallway: This tiled hallway contains stone spikes that can extend from the floor and walls. At the end is a hologram projector that Peridot used to trick Pearl. Beneath that is an octagonal trapdoor leading to a pit trap. In the end, it opens up into an upside-down trapezoidal prism.
- Pit Trap: This is a deep pit with two layers; the top layer contains gem-powered gears and a screen to the area below. Once someone/something falls in, teethed doors close them in. The lower level is a stone pit that, when powered by the gem gears, slowly contracts.
- Control Room: The control room is located directly below the smallest circle on the roof of the spaceship. It contains several consoles that project holographic screens displaying the interior layout of the ship.
History[]
"Friend Ship"[]
The Crystal Gems track Peridot using her Escape Pod and follow her via Warp Pad to the Ancient Gem Colony Ship. Inside the derelict vessel, Peridot utilizes its security systems to impede the Crystal Gems' pursuit. Garnet and Pearl are eventually caught in a trap, confined within a pit whose walls gradually move inward.
As the two ensnared Gems struggle to free themselves, Steven and Amethyst attempt to hinder the mechanism contracting the pit on the floor above. During this time, Pearl apologizes to Garnet for her recent behavior, feeling particularly guilty for deceiving Garnet into fusing with her. They ultimately reconcile and fuse into Sardonyx to drill out of the pit.
The Crystal Gems continue through the ship, eventually finding Peridot inside the control room trying to operate the ship's dysfunctional systems. As Peridot begins her escape through a hole in the ceiling, the Crystal Gems manage to grab onto her foot. Peridot is then forced to detach the mechanical limb from the rest of her body before flying away.
"Monster Reunion"[]
The semi-Corrupted Nephrite reveals to Steven details about her past and the Rebellion, including her position as the captain of the Ancient Gem Colony Ship. The two later make their way to the ship as Nephrite gradually reverts to her Corrupted form.
Once inside the vessel, Nephrite is reunited with her former crew, who have also transformed into centipeetles. The other Crystal Gems arrive shortly after and head home after agreeing to allow the centipeetles to live within the ship.
"Lars' Head"[]
The ship is mentioned by Pearl towards the end of the episode. She is visibly upset and states that they will never get the ship to fly in order to rescue Steven from Homeworld.
"Legs From Here to Homeworld"[]
The ship is seen when Steven takes Yellow and Blue Diamond to see the corrupted Nephrite. It is just outside the ship that the three Diamonds temporary heal her.
"Change Your Mind"[]
The ship is once again seen when Steven, Yellow and Blue Diamond take White Diamond to see the corrupted Nephrites, previously convincing the latter to help uncorrupt the Gems on Earth. The Nephrites are then seen later at the edge of Rose's Fountain intending to uncorrupt all the affected Gems at once.
"Growing Pains"[]
Steven flashes back to being trapped by Peridot in the ship.
Trivia[]
- The ship's interior is reminiscent of ancient temples in popular culture.
- In "Adventures in Light Distortion", Peridot makes a comment referring to "Era 1 light kites" that may suggest Ancient Gem Colony Ships are not capable of faster-than-light travel.
- These ships predate the Warp Pads and the Earth's Gem Kindergartens. This makes them at least 6,000 years old.
- The Ancient Gem Colony Ship shares few similarities with the Gem Warship seen in "The Return" and "Jail Break". This is not surprising, as the warship was made using technology that was developed after the war on Earth.
- Underneath the view screen of the pit trap, the four-diamond Great Diamond Authority symbol can be seen.
Pearl projecting the ship's location in "Friend Ship".
- Pearl's projection of the ship's location concerning the Warp Pads indicates that it is located somewhere in or near the country of Colombia.
- This is the first Gem ship seen that is not visually based on or named after a body part.
Cultural References[]
- The design of the ship closely resembles that of classic UFO's from 1950's science fiction movies such as "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers".
- It also resembles the tripod Martian war machines from H.G. Wells' novel (and subsequent movie adaptations) "The War of the Worlds".
- Their appearance in the episode "Jungle Moon" also further strengthens this reference, as the ships rotate as they fly.
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