Open System

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 O P E N _ S Y S T E M 

 A story by Revaeropium

Chapter 17: Punishment
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  Is this...it?

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  Is it all over?

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  I guess what Pop said to me before she was seized was true after all.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  My mistakes will always follow and maybe even catch up to me.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  Is what Hash said to me true, too?

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  Is it really right to support the MCCW after everything they've done?

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  I've been so focussed on this one thing since XX63 that I never stopped to think about what I was doing.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  Now that I can reflect, it's too late.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  Whatever I was aiming to do, it's over.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  We've tried to break through the lightstone barrier, but all our efforts have been in vain.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  Now all we can do is wait patiently for our inevitable demise.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 1
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"]  The food supplies have stopped coming in from the MCCW.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> We've rounded up as much food as possible. I even went to the basement where Itty was - the sheer amount of food there can sustain a single person for years.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> I feel like taking the food for myself, but...

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> If we are just going to wait for the seize to end, then we can pass time by reading the books we took from Isekai's capital.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> This one is called "The History of the MCCW". {Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Sounds interesting.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> "Many decades ago, the world we plunged into a seven year war, the likes of which have never been seen in human history before.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The devastation across the world, especially on the continent of Minecraftia, was enough to cripple the strongest of minds.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Those who survived the war sought world peace, so that conflict on this magnitude would never be seen again, at all costs.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> One form in which this took place was a group known as the "Minecraft Resource Community" which comprised of six Minecraftian nations.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> By the year 2013, 22 more countries had joined, and the alliance's name was changed to the "Minecraft Universe".

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The main premise of the union was to protect freedom and human rights in order to prevent another war from happening on the continent.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> However, this all changed when the fracturing relations between Western and Eastern Minecraftian states hit breaking point.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Combined with global economic uncertainty, the main member states of the Universe swore to keep the continent connected to prevent this situation from escalating into full-blown war, even if it meant sacrificing the freedom of its people in the process.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> With repressive legislation on top of repressive legislation, people grew restless and started protesting.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> These protests turned into riots, and the riots turned into rebellions.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> ''With fear and unrest skyrocketing, a party was created in the Republic of Minegrade as a solution to the problems that plagued the country and the continent as a whole.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> It claimed to be a paragon of light and freedom among the darkness, a new order which would easily rid the problems of the world.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Utilising fear, the part grew faster than any political party in history.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The ideals of the party spread to other countries where they grew just as fast.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The party's name...

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> ...was the MCCW.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> In Minegrade's 2022 elections, there was no competition.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The MCCW won by a massive, massive margin.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> With even more member states leaving, the new Minecraftian Universe tried to regain ex-members of the Union.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> With a new, potent resource under their control, the MU used its new-found power to threaten countries surrounding the MU.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> In 2024, the MCCW delcared war on its Eastern Minecraftian enemies.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The war only lasted five months before MCCW forces reached the capital of Rautania.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> In the wake of its victory, the MCCW united into the single superstate we know today, a tyrant ruling over its people with an iron fist.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Humanity went down the path of destruction and the ones who suffered the most were those at the bottom.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Surrounding countries were afraid of the MCCW, and some even tried to contain them, but to no avail.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> ''Now. 73 years after its rise, the MCCW looks stronger than ever and, without intervention, may well last for centuries to come.''

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> ...

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> I...I should've been able to do it.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The MCCW lied to everyone to get to where it is now.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> There's no use now, I have failed.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> I've failed everyone.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Pop.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Reva.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Purple.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Blue.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> We were all fighting for the right thing, but...I failed.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> I'm...

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> I'm a failure.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 3
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> It's been three days since we were seized.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Two since the food supply was cut off.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> We've already rationed what we have left and we're looking for ways to create more using the books we found after inspecting Isekai.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> I could take all the food and live through the seize easily, but I'm nothing like the MCCW, so I won't.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> As a nation, we're in this together.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 5
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> There doesn't seem to be any hope of escaping.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Attempts at making our own food are looking successful, but it seems to be a very slow process.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 10
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The rations are already running out.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> I'd expect another four days before a food supply completely runs out.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Hopes are high for our attempts at making our own food, but it needs to hurry before it's too late.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 14
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> ...

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Our attempts at making our own food have failed.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> We've tried growing food the way the book told us, but it just ends up acidic and poisonous - completely inedible.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Morale in our country is all but gone as our last food supplies run out.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 17
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Some of us have been lost not to starvation, but to each other.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Riots in the streets and struggles for food rage on in cities as the last kept supplies of food dwindle to nothing.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 23
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The number of people fighting in the street has fallen dramatically as people conserve their strength to survive as long as possible, to keep what little life they have left in hope of some sort of starvation, including me.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 26
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The country has been even more demoralised.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Our fight for freedom ending up in such a way has led to some people desperately shouting out praises to the MCCW hoping to be taking back into civilisation.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 40
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The last of us are now dwindling.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> The pictures sent back from Isekai haunt me. Dead people on the streets. To think that's what will become of Tharsis is sickening.

DAYS SINCE THE SEIZE: 47
{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Forty-seven days since the seize and I feel like my time is over.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Despite my inevitable death, I feel optimistic.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> I can finally be free from the world which tortured me.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> It's ironic that the MCCW was the one who let me win my fight for freedom.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Looking back on my life, looking back on everything I did, I now know that I wass too naive and oblivious to see that this was always the answer.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Death.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> Reva, Pop, Blue, Purple, all in their final moments realising the same thing I am right now.

{Status: Seized} [Republic of 013 "Tharsis"] <Bella1963> I'm coming.