A/N: This is a continuation of the Lights Out story arc. If you haven't read that already, I'd highly suggest you do as otherwise many parts of this story won't make sense.
Collab between Eternulli and Phoenix. Please do not edit unless there is something serious that needs to be changed.
October 11, 2021, The Morning Herald
Losing The Battle: Minecraft Due To Shutdown
The popular indie sandbox game Minecraft, originally created by Markus 'Notch' Persson and Jens 'Jeb' Bergensten, has today finally lost its eight month battle against the various lawsuits filed against it after the disastrous event that occurred on May 10, 2018. The Overwrite Incident as it is formally called saw to the loss of over a billion lives in one night when an unknown event caused leakage of the game content into the world, including the various hostile enemies that caused widespread panic. The disaster lasted for the duration of one night and a day, afterwards which the world subsequently returned to normal due to unknown circumstances. The UN estimates over $50 trillion lost in destruction of buildings, roads and cities, and the many lives lost during the disaster cannot be replaced.
Since then, the world has managed to rebuild back to its former state, however, people have begun to turn towards the game they believe was responsible for the destruction. Yesterday at 4pm the Mojang company finally lost, and the game is due to be shutdown and be removed within the next few weeks. Although Mojang will continue to create other games and players who already have a copy of Minecraft can continue to play, updates will no longer be made to the game and further copies can no longer be bought. The shutdown also sees to the removal of the many multiplayer servers the game had to offer, including the Guinness World Record setting Hypixel.
Although this is very saddening for many of the veteran players who have been present since the game's launch, many have predicted this outcome and have prepared for this day. We wish Jeb and Mojang good luck in their future endeavours. It is safe to say we won't be forgetting the sandbox game that shaped our childhoods for a very long time.
One year later.
December 19, 2022.
3:05pm.
"Remember, Chapter 8A and 8B, all even questions. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Otherwise, have a good holidays, and I will see you next year."
I slipped the textbook into my bag as the bell rang for the end of the day. People immediately began to swarm out of the door, chattering excitedly about what they'll be going in the holidays. Hugs were shared as well as tearful goodbyes. As I zipped up my bag I looked up to see someone standing infront of me.
"Hey, is it just me, or is sir a little more dejected than usual for the festive cheers?"
"Oh, uh..." I paused, looking up. The classroom was mostly deserted now and he was waiting patiently for us to leave. I quickly slung my bag on, thanked him and left the room with Cheryl trailing behind. I waited until he was out of earshot before speaking up again.
"I'm not sure, but I've heard that his son went missing. Same with all the other disappearances. No idea what happened."
"Oh," she answered quietly. "Wow. Okay."
"Mhm."
We were silent as we left the school gates and started walking along the track home. There were still kids milling about, some just goofing around and having some fun before saying their last goodbyes for the time. The grass crunched lightly underfoot, the soil still littered with rubble left from The Overwrite over four years ago. I bent down and picked up a few little stones, crumbling them against my palm just to remind myself that I was here. Thinking back on it, everything seemed mostly surreal. Had I really helped save the world with Phoenix and Jeb? Did we really access the code that created the universe? Did Entity 303 and Herobrine, the stuff of Minecraft legends, really set foot here on Earth?
"Hey," Cheryl cut across. She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away from the edge of the road. A car honked its horn as it drove past. "You're spacing out again."
"Sorry. Just thinking of the Overwrite."
"Oh, that thing." She looked away quickly for a second. "It's still kinda..."
"Unbelievable? Weird? Disconcerting? I mean I was on the very frontlines of that and sometimes I still wonder if I hallucinated the whole thing. But considering four billion other people also saw the same as I did, I can't exactly just brush it aside as a lie."
"Who did you say you did it with? I know Jeb was there, and you were fighting against Archbane who was the fusion thingy, but the other person..."
"Phoenix? I haven't talked to him in years."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Ever since we moved houses out of the neighbourhood we've sort of just drifted. I still have him friended on Discord and all, but we haven't really interacted at all for probably two years now."
"Man, that's sad."
"I know. But things change." I looked out towards where a skyscraper used to be. Now that area had to be cleared for new houses to be built since many had collapsed. The whole city had changed drastically, and I was still trying to adjust. "People move on, and you can't always expect them to stay by you all the time."
"Topic change. Have you ever wondered where Archbane is now?"
"Well, he obviously isn't causing trouble anymore. Honestly I'd rather just think of them as a story than an actual person..."
"Do you think they'll ever come back?"
"Not unless someone figures out where all the pieces of Phoenix's laptop went. And even then, they'd actually have to figure out how to use it."
By now we were approaching the street we lived on. Cheryl noticed a note on a pole and stopped to read it. It was another one of those 'Missing Person: Any information to whereabouts is needed' posters. I noticed her frowning as I checked it as well.
"That's the fourth one this week now."
"I don't know this person, huh. I thought I knew everyone in this neighbourhood."
"Well, this person might not have been from around here. They're bound to put up notices within twenty miles of where they were last seen..."
She shook her head in defeat and carried on walking, and I ran a little to catch up. We ambled past our neighbours, Cheryl stopping by to pet Crackers who was barking out the front. When we finally arrived at my house, she waited as I unlocked the mailbox and emptied it out, scattering paper on the floor. I locked it again, picking them up and and checked the letters.
"How much junk mail did you get this time?"
"Just one. Pizza store discount sheet. Otherwise it's just more letters for my mum... jeez... banks, grocery stores, Mojang, insura - wait."
I fumbled for the Mojang letter and peered closely at it.
"Addressed to Towaka. From Jeb."
Cheryl and I looked at each other.
"Why would Mojang contact you? This can't be about the incident, right?"
A little scared now, I tore open the seal and read the letter inside out loud.
"To Towaka,
Hello. I know that it has been a long while, but I need your help. Something has happened at the Headquarters that I believe could be of our concern. Come to the Mojang Headquarters at 4pm on December 19th. If you can, bring Phoenix along as well, I've send him a letter as well but I'm unsure if it'll reach him on time.
Thanks, Jeb."
There was a pause as the words sank in.
"4pm... argh, it's already 3:45! I'm already going to be late!"
"Calm down. Dump your bag first inside the house."
"Right - and I'll also have to try and get Phoenix. Do you mind helping me to keep watch of the house?"
"I don't mind. Just go."
I unlocked the house, throwing my bag on the couch and running up the stairs. I spammed the 'ON' button for my computer, and when it finally turned on I immediately opened Discord. However, just by my luck he was offline.
I tried tagging him, spamming voice call, but nothing worked. With the clock ticking I quickly searched the location of the HQ, grabbed the letter and bolted out of the door. The building hadn't relocated in the past four years, so thankfully I knew exactly where to go. I jumped on the bus right before it pulled out of the bay and headed over to the location.
The Mojang HQ had barely changed at all since the last time I saw it. Walking in a little cautiously, I saw Jeb pacing in the middle of the room. He looked up when he heard me - initially with a small amount of confusion, then with relief.
"Hello, Towaka right? Come in please. Were you able to get Phoenix?"
"Well, no, sadly."
"That's fine, I also sent him a message. Hopefully he'll turn up soon. Follow me."
He led me through the back, past the office lobby into the real behind the scenes area where they would work on their programs and games. There was quiet talking throughout the area, but Jeb just walked past it all and arrived at an isolated computer at the back.
"Now, okay. The reason why I bought you here is because, well..." He looked down at the screen as if lost in thought and sighed. "I believe that Archbane is back."
"What?"
"No, no, okay, that was a bad way to start explaining this." He raised a finger. "Let me start agai -"
"Uh, Jens?"
I quickly looked up to see one of the workers pointing behind her.
"This person said he wanted to see you."
I stood up slowly, because I knew who it was. The last time we talked was over three years ago, but I was certain before I even saw him.
It was Phoenix.
>> Part 2