  Elucidating the interplay of stress and geometry is a fundamental scientific
question arising in multiple fields. In this work, we investigate the geometric
frustration of crystalline caps confined on the sphere in both elastic and
plastic regimes. Based on the revealed quasi-conformal ordering, we discover
the partial, but uniform screening of the substrate curvature by the induced
curvature underlying the inhomogeneous lattice. This scenario is fundamentally
different from the conventional screening mechanism based on topological
defects. In the plastic regime, the yield of highly stressed caps leads to
fractures with featured morphologies not found in planar systems. We also
demonstrate the strategy of engineering stress and fractures by vacancies.
These results advance our general understanding on the organization and
adaptivity of geometrically-frustrated crystalline order.
