21 April, year 90 of Andromeda
Cloud Town, Domain Vistania 234, Hypersegment Landkaria
Sweet Cloud walked through the streets of Cloud Town. She walked towards the Cloud Town High School. She was quite a patient student, but the upcoming exams still made her nervous.
On the way to her school, she was going to meet her friend. She and Calm Sky were friends since they were fillies, always helping each other, and always getting into trouble. Sweet Cloud remembered the scolding her parents gave her on the day of the Builders Incident almost four years ago. She's too dangerous and irresponsible to be your friend! her mother told her. Sweet Cloud knew that Calm Sky is a good mare and a good friend.
The pink Pegasus walked towards Calm Sky's home. When she got close, the window of the house opened, and a white-coated, blue-manned Pegasus flew out.
"Hello, Cloud!"
"Hello, Sky! How are you?"
"Good. I had some ideas about my project, and I hope you will help me."
"I mean, I will, of course."
Sweet Cloud and Calm Sky walked towards the school. They talked to each other about various things. Eventually, they reached the school.
"... and to properly cause a condensation of the water inside a cloud…" the professor was saying. Sweet Cloud was taking notes of everything. She hoped she would ace the exams.
"Calm Sky, what I was saying?" the professor asked.
Sweet Cloud looked at her friend, sitting next to her. She had her notebook opened, but instead of notes, there were diagrams with blocks.
"Um, meteorology?"
"Yes, Calm Sky, we are in the meteorology class. Can I see your notes?" the professor asked, and flew towards her.
Calm Sky handed the notebook to the professor. He looked for a while on the pages. "What is this?" he asked.
"This is my project for engineering. I called it a dispenser."
"That doesn't look like engineering, more like fantasy. Besides, as you said, we are in meteorology class, so better take notes. You can't expect to finish school by having Sweet Cloud do everything for you. You need to put in some effort," said the professor. He gave her the notebook, then flew back to his place. "As I was saying…"
Sweet Cloud looked at her friend. Calm Sky watched her notebook. Sweet Cloud noticed other Pegasi talking between each other and looking towards Calm Sky.
Cloud had to agree with the professor on one thing. Sky had to focus more on what was happening around her.
The school day came to a quick end. Everypegasus left the building, happy that the weekend started.
"Calm Sky, are you okay?" asked Sweet Cloud.
The white pegasus was visibly disturbed by the events at meteorology class, and was looking at the cloud below her hooves. Hearing her friend's question, she smiled and looked at her. "I'm fine."
"So, have you studied for the exam?"
"Yes, of course."
"I was thinking, how about we go to the town library tomorrow, around 10? We could study together, and I can give you some tips."
"I will be fine, I will ace the exam."
"Just like the last one?"
Calm Sky's smile disappeared. "You know, maybe we should go to the library tomorrow."
"Okay. How about we go for some apple fries?"
"Sure thing."
The two mares walked towards the city center. Cloud Town wasn't a very large city, but it had some interesting places. Not that there was anything to compare it to. It was the only city Sweet Cloud knew. She hoped Calm Sky would find other ones. She always finds a way, Sweet Cloud thought. With a compass for a cutie mark, it wasn't very surprising.
"What we have here, the vagabonds are going to cause more trouble," somepegasus said.
The two mares turned, and looked behind. An old Pegasus stallion behind an apple stand was looking at them.
"You're talking to me?" asked Calm Sky.
"Yes, you. Are you going to find aliens or did you get a different delusion now?"
"What did you say!" Calm Sky shouted. Other Pegasi on the market started looking at them.
"Doctor Sky is such a nice Pegasus, yet his daughter has a cutie mark in wandering around. He should be ashamed that he didn't raise her properly."
"You're not gonna insult me!" Calm Sky shouted, and flew up. Before she could get to him, Sweet Cloud caught her by her hoof.
"Let this jerk go. He's not worth our time."
"I am gonna…"
"What is the matter?" a city guard, armed with an ice sword and armor, flew towards the mares.
"She was going to attack me for speaking the truth, officer," the old stallion said.
"He insulted my father!" Calm Sky shouted.
"Father is a doctor, daughter got a cutie mark in wandering around," the old stallion said. “Isn’t this true?”
"Calm Sky? Are you causing trouble again?" the guard said.
"No, officer. She is leaving," Sweet Cloud said, standing between the guard and her friend.
"Yes… I am," Calm Sky said.
"Very well, I hope you two won't cause trouble."
The mares left the market. Calm Sky was still furious.
"Why is everypegasus in this town such an utter re…"
"Language. You want another ticket for screaming obscenities in public?" asked Sweet Cloud.
"Okay, you have a point."
"You shouldn't let others' opinions put you down."
"I know. Just, I have a proof that we aren't alone in the world, and have technology we didn't knew was possible, yet nopegasus cares!"
"I care about it. I know you will show others that you are correct."
Calm Sky managed to calm down a bit. "You are right. I will show them."
"So, do you still want to eat some apple fries?"
"Sorry, but no. I need to go home. My dad would get worried."
"Okay. Tomorrow at 10 in the library?"
"Yes, of course. Bye Cloud." Calm Sky said, and flew up, not waiting for an answer.
"Bye, Sky," Sweet Cloud said, and turned towards her own house.
On the way back, she thought about Calm Sky's research. She saw the Builders, and knew they could do things considered impossible. She wasn't as good as Calm Sky in engineering, so she wasn't of much help in experiments and reverse engineering of alien technology. She was going to help her friend as much as she could.
She also thought about that old stallion in the market. Why did he decide to insult Sky? Did he want to get her into trouble just for the fun of it? She had to agree with Calm Sky on one thing. There were many inhabitants of this town that behaved like they didn't have a brain.
Even if she is wrong, what's the worst thing that can happen? though Sweet Cloud.
23 September, year 93 of Andromeda
Domain 192.004.055. Hypersegment Minecraft
Three flying machines floated in the air above a forest.
These machines were masterpieces of engineering. The pistons and slime blocks were capable of flying almost as fast as elytras. They could carry many minecarts with chests filled with supplies. They could be easily turned only by breaking or placing a redstone block in certain places.
Victor checked his gear. His diamond sword was in full durability. He had a few stacks of golden apples, obsidian and crystal. He also had stacked potions and tools that he might need in battle.
The plan was simple. Fly to the spawn of this server. Defeat the enemy garrison. Liberate this realm.
The small town on the realm's spawn point became visible. It was a mismatch of blocks and buildings without any plan or reason. Typical for such a small realm inhabited only by few Blockers.
"Get ready, we drop in a minute," said the platoon's commander, using the psionic link through the Blockwork that was setup to connect the soldiers of this platoon with each other.
Victor put a boat on one of the blocks. He looked around. The pilot stood in the front, diamond pickaxe in one hand, redstone block in other. The engineer held a block of TNT next to the replication machine, in case the enemy fortifications needed to be bombed. The commander and three other Blockers were holding crystals.
Victor checked the device on his hand. It wasn't a cheat client, it was an utility modification, as the Director always said. Everyblocker knew it was just propaganda. Victor didn't really care. In a war against the enemies from the depths of the Containment Zone, they needed to have all the help they could.
"3… 2… 1… Go!" the commander shouted. The group, as well as others, flew out of the flying machines. Twelve Blockers in full diamond armor flew towards the town, using boatfly.
Victor looked below. He saw the banners of the enemies. Diamond Sword on the one side, three diamond cogs on other side, on a brown field. The banners of Brotherhood of Diamonds.
Victor looked at the minimap. There was a group of Blockers underground, below the town hall. They were probably prisoners. There was no sight of Brotherhood soldiers around.
The warriors flew over the town in formation. Everyone of them knew that the Brotherhood are formidable enemies.
"Northwest. Enemy incoming!" one of the soldiers shouted through the telepathic link connecting them.
Victor looked at the minimap, and saw twelve dots rapidly approaching. He looked, and saw warriors in diamond armor.
"Land on the ground, get crystals ready!" the commander ordered.
The warriors landed in the town. Victor surrounded his legs in obsidian. It wasn't his first fight, but it didn't make him any less nervous. There always was a chance of death.
The Brotherhood warriors landed as well, crystals in their hands. They started running towards them. They ran far faster than they should, but it was expected for a band of upstart cheaters.
Victor placed his crystal in front of one of the attacking Brotherhood soldiers and detonated it. The enemy covered himself in obsidian, parrying the attack. They both got diamond pickaxes out to attempt to break the other's defense.
The Brotherhood soldier was faster, and broke Victor's defenses. Before he could react, he lost half of the health. Luckily, an ally managed to distract the Brotherhood warrior, and Victor rebuilt the defense.
One of the flying machines threw TNT on the Brotherhood. Two enemy soldiers flew on boats to destroy the machines.
Victor managed to break the defense of the Brotherhood soldier, and started placing crystals as fast as he could.
Finally, the Brotherhood warrior threw a pearl to escape. Victor ran out of his hiding, and struck another enemy with his sword.
The Brotherhood realized the battle was lost, and one by one ran away. Soon, the explosions ended.
Victor looked around. The town was completely demolished. Stray obsidian was left everywhere, and craters from crystals and TNT dotted the landscape. The sight of destruction saddened him. If only the Containment wasn't broken, this town could have stayed isolated and peaceful. I wish there was a way to stop this war, he thought. He knew these were pointless thoughts. He had a duty to do.
He went to the town hall. The commander was there, holding a dragon egg. One of the engineers built simple contraptions with pistons and redstone. The commander placed the egg on the bedrock bunker that the Brotherhood built. The engineer turned on the contraption, and the egg broke a hole through bedrock.
The commander dropped some ladders inside. Soon after, few civilians managed to walk out of the bunker. They looked at the warriors and started slowly backing out.
"You have nothing to be afraid of, this realm is now under the protection of the SciCraft Institute," the commander said, and gave an enchanted golden apple to the town leader.
Victor walked out of the building. The civilians talked with the Institute warriors, and started rebuilding their town.
To think all of this started with a stupid hacked horse, he thought. The story of the Backdoor Horse was known in the entire Hypersegment by now. Most didn't believe that a modded horse with horn and wings managed to throw the entire Hypersegment into chaos. Some Blockers said that it was actually a good thing, as it prevented something far worse from happening. What could be worse than a interdomain war? Victor thought.
"The Director is calling me!" the commander shouted. Victor stopped his train of thought, and looked towards him. Other warriors ran towards the commander. Victor followed them.
The commander stood in one place for a while. He talked with the Director using private messages. Victor wondered why the leadership was calling a simple platoon commander.
Eventually, the commander started moving. He slowly turned towards Victor. "Victor762?"
"Yes?"
"Director Ilmango expects you at the SciCraft tomorrow."
There was silence as all of the Institute warriors looked at Victor. He was in shock. What was he needed for?
Briefly, he hoped the Director finally found a way to stop this war.