Mission to the Moon

by Mark Cheverton

  “Okay, we’re making oxygen; now we need to make a large bubble so we can take off these space suits.”

  He picked up a gray cube that looked like a furnace, but this one had multi-bladed fans on each side: an oxygen distributor. He placed it on the ground just a few blocks away, then ran glass pipes between it and the collector.

  Nothing happened.

  “Where’s the bubble?” Gameknight said to himself, confused. He checked to make sure the pipe was connected on the correct side of the distributor; it all seemed good.

  Squawk, Tux called out. She had jumped off the hill of moon rock and was now standing on the coal generator.

  “Oh, of course … we need power.”

  Gameknight pulled a second coal generator out of his inventory and placed it next to the bubble distributor. Opening the top, he placed pieces of coal inside, then closed the lid. Instantly, a bubble of air formed around the distributor, slowly growing bigger and bigger.

  “Now we’re talkin’,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “What do you think, Tux?”

  Squawk, squawk, squawk.

  “OK, come stand next to me. When I remove your helmet, you must stay inside the bubble…. You got it?”

  The penguin jumped up and down in affirmation. Gameknight waited until the bubble grew to full size, then grabbed the glass cube on the creature’s head and removed her helmet. Then he did the same for himself.

  Air never smelled so sweet. He took a deep slow breath and just enjoyed the oaky aroma and the freshness of the atmosphere; the leaves must have been from an oak tree. He glanced down and saw the penguin taking a deep breath and almost smiling with her yellow beak.

  “OK, now we bring our friends.”

  Gameknight pulled out the magical ring he’d been given by one of their allies in Mystcraft, a demon named Kahn. The ring sparkled in the light from the square sun that blazed overhead. A single blood-red gem sat in the center of the ring, ornate runes scrawled across the top. He put it on his finger.

  “Okay, I hope this works.”

  He reached for the ring, but paused. Gameknight struggled with the thought of bringing all of his friends to this incredibly inhospitable place. Being on the moon was dangerous, incredibly dangerous. Chasing their enemy, Entity303, had been a fatal mission for some of their friends already, and he knew the worst of it was yet to come. If he brought his friends on this pursuit through outer space, some of them might get hurt … or worse.

  “I’m just a kid, and Entity303 always seems to be a step ahead of us. How could just the two of us be expected to stop him?”

  He stared down at Tux. Her dark eyes seemed to agree with him, but there was also a shadow of confidence there as well that Gameknight didn’t share.

  “I wish the Oracle were here. She’d tell me the right thing to do.”

  The Oracle was an anti-virus program sent into Minecraft to defeat a virus, Herobrine. Her presence was always there in the game, noticeable by the music that floated through Minecraft. But since Entity303 had reprogrammed the game with mods, the Oracle had been strangely silent.

  Suddenly, a bright, jagged gash appeared in the sky overhead. It wasn’t a lightning bolt or light from another spacecraft; no, it wasn’t an object at all. What it looked like, in fact, was a rip in the sky, as if someone had just tried to tear apart the universe. But as quickly as it had appeared, it sealed itself up, mending the rift and healing the Minecraft universe.

  “You see that, Tux?”

  Squawk! the penguin replied, sounding just as concerned.

  “I think all the mods Entity303 loaded into Minecraft are starting to cause glitches in the servers. We need to hurry.” Gameknight turned and faced his penguin friend. “I have no choice, Tux. I know I can’t do this on my own. If I try, I’ll just mess it up, and then everything could be destroyed.” He glanced up at the spot where the tear in the fabric of Minecraft had been and shuddered. “My friends will help keep me from messing this up and failing. I need them here with me, regardless of the danger.”

  He sighed, then pressed the crimson gem. A flash of light momentarily blinded him, but when his vision cleared, he found all of his friends clustered together in front of him. At the center was the stocky form of Digger, taller than the rest of the NPCs. Herder, his long black hair tucked under his helmet, quickly checked the helmets on each of his wolves, then sent them out to form a protective circle. The animals had a difficult time moving across the moon at first without flying up into the air, but they quickly adapted.

  Crafter moved to his side and gazed up at the blue and green cube that hung high above them in the dark sky. It was the Overworld, their home. His blue eyes were bright with wonder.

  “Being the oldest villager in Minecraft, I thought I’d seen it all,” Crafter said, his bright blue eyes glowing from behind his square space helmet. “But I never imagined I’d see something like this.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Stitcher said, her red hair almost shining with a crimson halo in the bright sunlight.

  The young girl already had her enchanted bow out and an arrow notched, ready for battle.

  “Yeah, I’m not one to talk about things being pretty and all that,” her older sister, Hunter, said. Her curly red hair was just as magnificent as her younger sibling’s. “But that is pretty cool.”

  “We must hurry, yes, yes,” Empech said. The gray skinned gnome adjusted the huge backpack that he always wore; it didn’t fit well over his oxygen tanks. “The enemy, Entity303, must be found.”

  “Hmmm … Empech is correct,” Forpech, the other gnome in their party, and a new addition to the group, added. His dark eyes seemed filled with fear. “We must return Weaver to the past before it is too late.”

  “I agree,” Crafter said. “Maybe we should go out and scout around until we find some sign of Entity303. He must have—”

  “I can see his base from here,” a voice shouted.

  They all turned to see Weaver standing atop a large hill of moon rocks about two dozen blocks away. The young boy pointed off into the distance.

  “Let’s go!” Weaver yelled, then took off running.

  “Wait!” Gameknight shouted, but the boy was already gone. “Herder, send your wolves with him. If Weaver is killed, we’ll never be able to send him back into the past and repair the timeline.”

  Herder nodded, then whistled and pointed toward the hill. The wolves instantly responded, loping across the dusty landscape after the boy. Gameknight put on his helmet, then replaced the glass cube over Tux’s head. He glanced around at the makeshift base he’d constructed, then sighed.

  “We can’t just leave this here,” Gameknight said. He pulled out his pickaxe. “Digger, can you help me?”

  “I’ll do it,” the stocky NPC said. “You go, and I’ll be right behind you.” Not waiting for a response, he started shattering the blocks of leaves and oxygen generation equipment with his pickaxe, storing everything away in his inventory.

  Gameknight turned and sprinted after Weaver and the wolves, the rest of the party following. They bounced across the gray landscape, everyone struggling to keep their feet on the ground, except the pechs—somehow, the small, gray-skinned gnomes were able to run across the dusty landscape without any problems; maybe it was because of the oversized backpacks that each wore, weighing them down.

  Cresting the hill, they saw Weaver approaching a collection of leaves. The wolves were already within the bubble of air Entity303 had constructed around them. As he neared, Weaver entered the bubble and removed his helmet, then waved at the others, his blue eyes, identical to Crafter’s, shining in the bright light. It was no surprise his eyes were the same as Crafter’s, since they were related; Weaver was Crafter’s great uncle, taken from the past and brought into this time.

  Finally, Gameknight reached Entity303’s base. A pile of tree leaves was positioned around his oxygen collector, the bubble distributor nearby. Inside the base, they found equipment: pieces of dark metal, nose cones, large roc
ket engines … all of the things necessary to build a rocket. But by the size of the parts, the new rocket would be much larger than the one that had brought Entity303 to the moon.

  “Gameknight, look at this,” Crafter said.

  Trying not to bounce, Gameknight moved to the young NPC’s side. On a wall of cobblestone was a map. It was almost entirely black, with concentric circles drawn around a yellow spot. Outside of the first rings was another spot, with smaller concentric circles.

  “What is it?” Digger asked, his voice sounding weak and afraid, far from its normally booming volume and confident tone.

  “It’s a map of Galacticraft,” Gameknight said. “This first set of circles is our solar system. The third planet is the Overworld, and the little dot next to it is the Moon; that’s where we are now.”

  “What are those circles near the edge of the solar system?” Digger asked.

  “It’s another solar system,” Gameknight explained. “If you have a large enough rocket, then you can go way out there and explore those planets.”

  “There’s something written next to the moon,” Stitcher said. “What does it say?”

  Crafter moved closer. He took off his helmet so he could get closer; the bubble of air around them allowed him to breathe. “It says, ‘Minecraft’s core, that is where the destruction will start.’ I wonder what that means.”

  “I think there’s more writing near the other solar systems, but I can’t quite make it out,” Stitcher said, pulling out a torch and placing it on the ground. The flame cast a wide circle of flickering light. “I think it says, ‘The cake is a lie.’ What’s that mean?” She moved closer to the map, trying to read some even smaller letters. “It also says, ‘All paths through space go through the Moon boss. That’s where the destruction of Minecraft will begin.’ This is kinda creepy.”

  Just then, the sorrowful moan of a zombie floated across the lunar surface. The wolves instantly growled, their proud voices muted inside their space helmets. The animals moved to one side of the base, their fur sticking out and eyes bright red. Gameknight drew his sword. At first, he’d planned to choose the yellow-glowing infused blade given to him by King Iago, but, after a second thought, he put away that weapon and instead drew his diamond blade.

  Who knows how long the energy in the infused-sword will last? Gameknight thought. I’ll save it until it’s necessary.

  He took a step toward the monster sounds. Far away, he could see a zombie shuffling aimlessly about. The creatures hadn’t noticed them … not yet.

  “We need to catch Entity303 before all the moon monsters find us,” Weaver said.

  “And before he escapes, yes, yes,” Empech added .

  “But where do we search for him?” Stitcher asked. Her enchanted bow was in her hand, magical power flowing across the weapon, casting an iridescent blue glow on the surroundings. She glanced anxiously in the direction of the zombie moans, then looked back at Gameknignt999. “We could go off in any direction and completely miss him.”

  “Then which way do we go?” Gameknight turned to Crafter. “What do you think?”

  “Well, I …”

  “Hmmm … we should go to the moon village,” Forpech said, his deep, scratchy voice sounding like distant thunder.

  “Moon village?” Crafter asked, confused.

  The pech pointed off into the distance with an enchanted wand, its tip capped with a dull green crystal. “Yes, Forpech senses a village. Hmmm … it is just over that hill.”

  “Hunter, Stitcher … go check,” Gameknight commanded.

  The sisters took off running, almost hopping through the faint gravitational field. When they reached the top of the hill, Hunter turned and waved her bow, signaling that the little gray gnome was correct.

  “OK,” Gameknight said, glad to have a place to start their search. “Let’s get to that village and see if they can help. Entity303’s map says his path leads through the Moon boss, so let’s get there first and surprise him.”

  “Alright!” Weaver exclaimed and took off running, the rest of them following close behind.

  Gameknight checked Tux’s helmet, then lifted the penguin and held her under his arm.

  “I hope it wasn’t a mistake bringing all my friends here, Tux,” he said in a soft voice.

  Squawk, she replied, her squeaky reply almost a whisper.

  “This might be too dangerous for us, and I may have sentenced at least one of them to death, maybe more,” Gameknight said.

  Squawk, squawk.

  He sighed, then took off running as needles of doubt pierced his every nerve.

  CHAPTER 2

  ENTITY303

  Entity303 stepped into the Moon Boss chamber, his blue and white Alpha Yeti armor sparkling with magical enchantments. Instantly, the Moon Boss appeared at the center of the chamber, materializing out of the dark. The evil user knew what the huge skeleton would try to do, though, and he wasn’t going to give the monster the chance.

  The Moon Boss reached down, trying to grab the intruder and toss him into the columns of lava that flowed from ceiling to floor in the corners, but Entity303 had used a potion of Swiftness before entering the room; the monster couldn’t touch him.

  Streaking past the creature, he slashed at its bony legs, his yellow-glowing sword tearing into its HP. The Moon Boss bellowed in pain, then turned and fired a string of arrows. Entity303 leapt high, shooting his body toward the wall. Flipping around, the user landed with his feet against the gray brick wall, then pushed off hard, launching himself as if he were an armored missile. When he collided with the massive skeleton, Entity303 slashed repeatedly at the monster, scoring hit after hit. The giant creature flashed red as it took damage.

  More arrows streaked through the lunar atmosphere, but Entity303 was too close for the creature to get a good shot.

  “Ha ha … is that the best you got?” the user laughed cruelly.

  “No one mocks the Moon Boss.” The skeleton tried again to reach out and grab Entity303, but missed. “I will make you pay.”

  “We’ll see who pays.”

  Entity303 pushed away from the monster. He slowly settled to the ground, slashing with his blade as he descended. The monster screamed again, agony filling its voice.

  The Moon Boss fell to one knee. He dropped one of his bows, but still fired with the other one. Entity303 danced around the projectiles, moving in for another attack, and then struck the monster, his glowing blade digging in deep.

  Dropping his remaining bow, the Moon Boss fell to the floor.

  “You are defeated, skeleton,” Entity303 said. “All I want is the tier-two key. Give it to me, and you will live another day.” He moved close, his sword pointed at the creature’s pale head. “Don’t make me destroy you.”

  The monster glared up at the user, an expression of fear on his bony face. With a sigh, he pulled out the key and tossed it onto the ground.

  “You should remember my name, skeleton. It’s Entity303, and I’m going to destroy all of Minecraft.”

  The Moon Boss mumbled something, but in his weakened state, he could barely speak.

  “I’m gonna take what you have in your treasure room, and go to the farthest reaches of outer space,” Entity303 bent down and picked up the key. “No one will suspect what I’m going to do until it’s too late. Enjoy your last few hours of life, Moon Boss.”

  The monster mumbled something again. Entity303 couldn’t understand him, so he just kicked him hard, causing the creature to groan in pain. The evil user laughed.

  “Those fools who fired me from the Minecraft programming team will rue the day they messed with Entity303.” He moved to the passage opening that led to the treasure room, then turned and glared at the collapsed monster on the ground. “I will destroy their creation from within, then laugh as they try to salvage anything.”

  He glanced one more time around the gray chamber. Columns of lava flowed down the corners of the room, with iron bars lining the edges of the boiling stone. They cast
an orange glow across the room, making the chamber unusually bright compared to the rest of the dungeon. The boss lay crumpled on the ground, barely alive and whimpering … pathetic.

  Turning, he strode out of the room and into the next passage. As soon as he left the chamber, the Moon Boss disappeared. He would respawn the next time someone entered.

  “I hope the Moon Boss takes his vengeance on whomever comes next,” Entity303 said to the cold brick walls.

  Entity303 walked majestically through the side passage that led to the treasure room. The narrow hallway turned once to the left, then to the right, blocking out any of the orange glow from the boss chamber. Now, cloaked in darkness, the passage seemed to have a hint of danger to it; was there something hiding just out of reach? Entity303 took out his blazing yellow sword. Instantly, the infused blade filled the corridor with light, showing the gray brick walls.

  Normally, he wouldn’t be afraid of any monster in Minecraft, for the hostile mobs were insignificant compared to Entity303’s skill in the game. But, in this case, he wasn’t just playing the game; he was really in the game. After stealing Gameknight’s father’s invention, the Digitizer, from the company it had been sold to, Entity303 had used it to bring his entire being into the game, just like Gameknight999. He was a user, but he was also something more. He could call himself a User-that-is-not-a-user, but he knew that was the title his enemy, Gameknight999, used. It was a title for a pathetically weak player he’d left trapped in a previous mod, Mystcraft.

  “Without Gameknight999 chasing me, I can do whatever I want,” he said to the cold walls.

  The passage turned again, then opened to a bright room: the treasure room. Tall columns of glowstone stood in the corners of the chamber, bathing the small room in a golden-yellow light. With no monsters nearby, he put away his sword, then pulled out the key he’d taken from the Moon Boss. At the center of the room sat a wooden chest. It looked ancient, as if it hadn’t been opened in centuries. He knelt before the chest and inserted the gold key. Turning it, he heard a satisfying click. He knew he shouldn’t be able to hear the locking mechanism disengage, for there was no air to transmit the sound waves, but Minecraft didn’t necessarily follow the same rules of physics as the outside world.