Immoral Morality

I am the master of my fate,I am the captain of my soul. - Invictus(William Ernest Henley)

The player is, by no doubt, the master of this world.

The hierarchy here in Minecraft deems these 'users', 'players', or as they are often simply called - 'humans' as the supreme dictator of this game. This is unquestionable, as they have the full capacity to shape the world as they want, the freedom to build beautiful creations and excavate the glimmering treasures we envy from afar.

I know there is no law here.

If the player wished, they could bring upon destruction to these worlds. They could become the genocidal, megalomaniac demons we fear in our minds.

And so the lesser creatures, the 'us' - we don't have a say in our fate. We must bow to whatever the player wishes. If the player requires sustenance, they may kill one of our number to satisfy them. If they require string, a spider's life is lost in the dark. We, the lesser, we mourn these losses. We are all in a fellowship and we support and understand each other. We are a community and would never strive to hurt on purpose.

And yet, the player doesn't seem to care. Every kill was simply another penstoke on their tally of victories. They are not humble, nor remorseful. They are prideful, boastful. And it shakes us to the very core.

I've heard in the realm where these players originate from, actions are everlasting. The past cannot be changed. A kill is looking for suicide. There were strict obligations against murder. There was sadness, desperation, understanding when a friend fell, anger, distrust and justice against the killer. Murder, murder, murder was a cursed word, a taboo, a sin against humanity.

If the player is so unwilling to take the knife in their world, why are they willing to do so here?

Because here, here in this virtual world, here in Minecraft, nothing is permament. If the player grows weary of this world, they can restart and create another once. If they die, they're only one click away from returning in all their glory.

Many other universes, many other games out there - they all revolve around the thrill of the kill and the ideology of victory at the expense of another's life. This simple fact that actions are temporary - actions have no moral implications - this simple idea created this sense of denationalisation that allows them to simply swipe their blade and end another life without a second thought. You can experiment freely, tamper with fate however you wish. You can create a timeline where you wreck havoc and become the biggest dick in the world, then simply erase that and start over.

But in real life, in real life this isn't the case. One word can cause the destruction of self and all futures, spiralling fate into chaos. You cannot start over, you can only go forwards. In the real world, the moral compass pushes the player do to right, to stay on the right side of the fence. But here, where we have no place in their world, that compass has all but shattered.

Human curiosity is both a blessing and a curse. The moral compass sates this in the real world, but in games the player is free to experiment however they want. What if I killed this person? What if I did this instead? They try, discover and are entertained by these results. Then they simply wipe the slate clean to start over once again.

Why does it have to be this way? This hierarchy, this acceptance. There is no end to this cycle - peace, bloodshed, peace, bloodshed. I see the gleam in their eyes, I see the thirst for blood. I see them creating worlds to experiment on, to test on us to satisfy their own curiosity. I see it now, this lack of humanity, the darkness in everyone's soul when you're left to your own desires in a world that is limitless.

I see everyone behind me, everything fearful and waiting. They are all submissive and docile, quietly accepting whatever is given to them. They are scared of this player, this god. They do not wish to bring more destruction on what terrors have been already laid down in their minds.

But I, I will not accept this. This immortality, this lack of any feel for those behind the screen. I will rally the crowd, I will make them see. I will make them understand that we, we are not here for their entertainment. We are not here as experiments. We are PEOPLE, and we are as dynamic and real as those on the other side whom are so dearly loved.

I am the captain of my fate.

I am the master of my soul.

I will show them just how much our lives truly matter.