The New Order (27 page)

Stan nodded reasonably. He could see that the Specialty Base, if it was indeed on the Greater Mushroom Island, would be very difficult to attack, especially without arousing the suspicion of the Greater Tribesmen. And if word got back to Element City that Stan was interfering on a protected Mushroom Island . . . Stan doubted that even the Mechanist's
brilliant speechwriting would be able to quell the outrage. This operation would have to be handled with total precision and dexterity, and no room for error.

“Oi!” came a shout from Commander Crunch as he barreled over, interrupting the break in the conversation. “Are ye finished wit' all o' yer redundant explanations, Councilman Charlie?”

“I think I'm all caught up,” said Stan to Charlie, nodding in assurance.

“Then yes,” replied Charlie to the commander.

“Brilliant! Well, I be sorry t' say that I 'ave jus' received some bad news from one o' th' scallywags under me command,” said the commander, who, despite delivering bad news, delivered this message with unchecked vivacity.

“Ugh.” Stan sighed. “And what is it?”

“I've looked all around me pieces o' eight, in th' logs,” he said, somehow excited yet downcast at the same time. “But alas, couldn't draw up one single map o' th' Greater Mushroom Island.”

“And we don't have any in Element City, either. I checked before we left,” spat DZ bitterly. He turned to Charlie. “Charlie, you had all those papers, do you have a map of the Greater Mushroom Island?”

“Well, I did have one that I got from the Adorian Village,” said Charlie bitterly. “Unfortunately, it kind of got destroyed
when you guys destroyed my boat and DZ stabbed it in half with a sword.”

“DZ!” exclaimed Stan in exasperation.

“Hey, don't go yelling at me, Stan, you went along with the idea too!” DZ shot back.

“Don't go gettin' angry yet, me laddies,” laughed Commander Crunch, slapping Charlie on the back and knocking him to the floor. “Wrath ne'er helped nobody. We'll simply see if th' Lesser Mushroom Island has one, 'n' if nah, then we'll jus' 'ave t' play it by ear.”

Charlie raised a blocky finger and opened his mouth in protest, then closed it.

“Well . . . ,” Charlie said after a moment, “I don't like it, but I guess if it's our only option, then it'll have to do. And actually,” he continued, his face lighting up as an idea dawned on him, “what if we tried to enlist the help of the tribesmen? You know, tell them that dangerous people are hiding out on their island, and that if they help us find them, we can get rid of them.”

A moment of silence greeted this proposal, as Stan, DZ, and Commander Crunch, all with varying degrees of knowledge about the situation, mulled it over. Finally, Commander Crunch, ever excited but now slightly hesitant, spoke.

“Well . . . I suppose that if we were t' sell it t' th' natives that way . . . 'tis possible that they might help us . . . 'n' seein'
as we'd 'ave no maps o' th' island otherwise, says I that yer plan be our best option.”

Stan and DZ, after a moment, nodded in agreement.

“Fantastic! We 'ave a plan. I'll go inform me crew. We leave at high noon!” exclaimed Commander Crunch before almost skipping with excitement out of the room. DZ followed him, doing his own little dance as he walked. The excitement in the air was pronounced. Before long, they would be in combat once again. Charlie was about to follow DZ when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and found himself looking at Stan.

“I have to admit, Charlie,” said Stan, an eyebrow slightly raised, “I'm kind of impressed. You came up with the idea to attack an island that we know nothing about, to try to find a base guarded by Alliance members, all while trying to enlist the help of a tribe of players that are hostile to outsiders. That takes some guts to want to suggest that. I honestly never would have thought you'd want to do something like that. What changed?”

Charlie sighed, and looked Stan in the eye. “Stan, the Noctem Alliance is at war with us. They've attacked our civilians, they've lured us into traps, they killed one of our council members and friend, and they mutilated Oob and his family. The Noctem Alliance is the bane of the world of Minecraft, and if blindly invading that island is the fastest way to get rid
of them, then that's what I'm doing.”

And with that, Charlie shrugged off Stan's hand and walked out the door, leaving Stan flabbergasted in amazement at what his friend, whom he had once believed to be a coward, was now thinking.

CHAPTER 25
THE TWO TRIBES

K
at was sitting alone in the common room of Element Castle. The redstone lamps that lit the room had been turned off, and the windows had been closed by the Mechanist's redstone shutters. The only light in the room was the flickering glow of the fireplace, casting eerie shadows around the walls. But Kat was not focused on that. She was sitting in a comfy chair, absentmindedly running her fingers through Rex's hair and staring into the fire, reflecting on what she had just experienced.

Not for the first time, Kat and Rex had gone into the Cold Front, to an Elementia encampment located between two strategic command posts in the Ender Desert. Kat was supposed to be training privates, soldiers newly drafted into the army, for their first mission in combat. What she hadn't been expecting was a Noctem sneak attack right in the middle of the briefing.

Kat had instructed the new recruits to fall back to the encampment, only to find that the fighting was happening in there as well. A full-out battle was going on in front of the main building of the encampment, and the air around the base was clouded with dozens of hues of used splash potions. Kat had quickly ordered the terrified trainees to run to the nearest
secure Elementia base, fighting off the opposition as they went. Then, she drew her sword and charged into the wave of troops coming toward them, Rex beside her. Though not totally convinced that she was capable of it, Kat had resolved to take on all the troops outside the base herself, hoping to buy the trainees time to escape.

Kat and Rex took down as many of the Noctem troops as possible, sword slashing and teeth gnawing. They greatly outmatched the black-suited soldiers in combat skills, but there were just too many of them. In the end, the Noctems had won the base, leaving the few remaining soldiers inside directing Kat to flee. She had yelled at trainees to run too. But when she did, only three of the group of thirty had followed. The others had been cut down by the Noctem Alliance.

The loss of twenty-seven players was on Kat's mind now as she watched the pixelated flames dancing in the Netherrack fire pit. Although Kat had managed to get the three trainees safely to the heavily fortified railroad base nearby, the remaining twenty-seven players, so new to the world of Elementia, were now gone from it forever.

It was at that moment that Kat had realized just what the implications of this war were. The majority of the citizens in Element City were lower-level players, and therefore, the same was true about the players who were conscripted into the war. And if Elementia was sending lower-level players
into combat against the Noctem Alliance who wanted them eliminated . . . then could that possibly mean . . .

The door slammed open and Kat jumped up with a start as the Mechanist strode in. “Kat! There you are. I have some important information.”

Kat reeled for a moment, shocked at being so abruptly snapped from her chain of thought, but she quickly recovered. “Okay,” she said, nodding. “Lay it on me.”

“Okay, but first, I have a question. Have you seen Blackraven anywhere? I need him to be here, but nobody's seen him anywhere since yesterday morning.”

Kat shrugged. “I dunno. Doesn't he usually just do his own thing when he's not at the council meetings? He's probably out in the city somewhere.”

The Mechanist sighed. “Well, I'm sure I'll find him soon. Anyway, on to the more pressing order of business. We just received word from the Elementia Sea Base. Stan, Charlie, DZ, and Commander Crunch have left the base and are probably on the Lesser Mushroom Island by now. The messenger reported that, tomorrow morning, they're going on a ‘diplomatic tour' of the Greater Mushroom Island. And you know what that means.”

“The attack is going to happen tomorrow,” said Kat, in awe. It was finally happening. The Noctem Alliance was about to fall. The war was about to end. Before long, no more
innocents would be killed.

“And we're going to be ready for it,” the Mechanist said valiantly. “Kat, tonight, all the council members are going to suit up and join the soldiers on the two fronts. At the crack of dawn tomorrow, we're going to launch an all-out strike against all of the Noctem Alliance's strongholds simultaneously. If all goes according to plan, the Noctem Alliance's control over their territory should fall at the same time that Stan and the others take out their leaders, and the Noctem Alliance will finally be destroyed.”

“I'll tell the others in the castle,” said Kat as she stood up, her mind racing with all the preparations that would have to go on throughout the night. Rex leaped up too, his tail wagging in excitement. The Mechanist nodded, and with that, he rushed out the door to find Blackraven.

“Ah, th' sea,” said Commander Crunch with a sigh, his eyes glazed over with wonder. “So mysterious, so beautiful. So . . . uhh . . . wet. Our tale begins in . . .”

“Uh . . . what are you talking about?” asked DZ, looking a little put off in the boat adjacent to the commander.

“Wha'?” said Commander Crunch. He had almost forgotten that anybody else was with him on the boat trip to the Lesser Mushroom Island. “Oh, uh, sorry, I lost meself thar fer a moment. But don't ye reckon 'tis beautiful?” He took
a deep breath through his nose, and gave a shudder of pleasure. “Blisterin' barnacles, I love th' crisp smell o' th' salty sea air . . . th' gentle rockin' o' th' ship . . . 'n' naught but cerulean ocean as far as th' eye can see!”

“Uh, Commander?” interjected Charlie meekly, as if he were afraid of how the commander would respond. “We're . . . uh . . . not in the middle of the ocean. We're not surrounded by water as far as the eye can see. In fact . . . we're, uh, pulling into the Mushroom Island harbor right now.”

The commander stared at Charlie, blinked twice, and looked around. In a rush, his senses returned to him, and he became aware of the two islands that sat directly in front of them. The commander finally managed to get out, “Right ye be, me lad . . . Blimey . . . How did I nah see that . . . ?”

As Commander Crunch stared at the harbor in bewilderment, Charlie turned back to look at Stan and DZ, both of whom wore expressions of exasperation equal to his own. “Are you guys sure that this is the world-famous, brilliant commander of the Sea Base that everybody always talks about?”

“Well . . . uh . . . I mean . . . ,” sputtered Stan awkwardly before finally collecting his thoughts. “Blackraven looked up a lot of specs on this guy before we chose to let him in on this plan. I mean, sure, he might be a little bit eccentric, but come on, haven't most great minds in the history of the world been a little nuts?”

“Well, of course! I mean, look at me!” exclaimed DZ. “I'm brilliant in about every thinkable way, and I'm cr-cr-crazy!”

“Well, I guess you're right . . . ,” said Charlie slowly.
Still, though
, he thought as the fleet of fourteen boats pulled into the harbor,
I'm gonna be keeping my eye on him
.

As they pulled into the harbor of the Lesser Mushroom Island, Stan was floored by how different it was from what he had imagined it. Stan knew that the island had fairly recently adopted all the luxuries of Minecraft civilization, and he had imagined an island composed of basic structures, beginning to build upward toward greater things.

What Stan had not expected to see was a full-blown city situated atop a hill, full of towering buildings made of blocks of gold, diamond, lapis lazuli, and other precious gemstones. He hadn't imagined the flashing lights that, even during the daytime, seemed to make the entire island glow with radiance. As the fleet docked in the harbor, pulling up alongside the wooden docks, Stan found that he had to shield his eyes from the blinding light from thousands of redstone lamps flashing on and off around the island. It was so bright, in fact, that Stan had to squint to see the form of a player walking down the dock toward them.

“Ah, President Stan and company!” exclaimed the player in a deep baritone, taking a small bow. Stan could see that he was dressed in shades and a tuxedo, and had a wide, very
white smile. “Welcome, one and all, to the Lesser Mushroom Island, the premier locale for fun, relaxation, and enjoyment in Elementia! From our hotels to our fine eating establishments, you'll never feel more at home than you do right here! I trust that you've all had a pleasant trip?”

Sheesh
, Stan thought,
what is this guy trying to sell?
“Yeah, it's been pretty good,” he replied politely, before stumbling backward in surprise as Commander Crunch rushed forward.

“Sorry, laddy, but we 'ave no time fer formalities, we be on a tight schedule,” the commander interjected with invigorated importance. “I trust ye know why we've come here?”

“Ah, yes, you must be the . . . eh-hem . . . famous commander of the Elementia Sea Base,” replied the player, looking rather uncomfortable. He had clearly heard of Commander Crunch's peculiar tendencies before. He recovered rather quickly, though, and smiled his toothy grin once again. “Very well then, I shall be hasty. I am aware that you are here for a presidential inspection of the islands. My name is DanPitch, but you can call me Danny, and I will be your escort for as long as you are here on the Lesser Mushroom Island.

“Before we enter the island, however, I must ask why you have brought troops with you,” Danny said, gesturing to the players standing behind Charlie, armed with diamond swords at their hips, bows on their back, menacing scowls on their faces. “I'm sure that you, Mr. President, are aware that,
by law, no military operations are allowed on this island?”

“Shiver me timbers!” bellowed Commander Crunch in outrage, causing all in the vicinity to jump in surprise. “Be ye really so squiffy as t' reckon that we would violate that law? Do ye honestly reckon that these troops are here t' carry out some sort o' attack?”

“Dude, calm down!” cried Charlie, looking at Commander Crunch in alarm. As the commander sputtered in annoyance, Charlie calmly turned to face Danny, who was looking petrified at this maniac in his care.

“Danny, as I'm sure you know, Elementia is at war with the Nation of the Noctem Alliance. Under the constitution, the president is allowed to bring bodyguards with him for personal protection. I assure you that these soldiers,” he continued, gesturing to the threatening warriors, “will not be doing any kinds of military operations while we're on these islands.”

“Oh, well, that's a relief then!” exclaimed Danny, eyebrow twitching as he struggled to maintain his smile. He had clearly been shaken up by Commander Crunch's outburst. “In that case, I shall escort you to the Town Hall. Come along now, follow me!”

And with that, Danny set off down a pathway of gravel that led up the hillside and toward the city. The others followed close behind. As Stan walked, he noticed that the
ground surrounding the gravel was not grass, but rather some sort of gray, stringy, fibrous material. Tiny gray particles were drifting out of the blocks and into the air, before being carried away by the wind. It gave off a somewhat earthy smell. Stan hustled to the front of the group and asked Danny what it was.

“Oh, pay no attention to that, President Stan,” replied Danny hastily and with a disgusted look, as if embarrassed by the presence of the gray blocks. “That's just mycelium. It grows naturally here on the Mushroom Islands. I can assure you, though, President Stan, we're well aware of how unsightly and odorous it is, and we're doing all we can to rid our island of it.”

“Really? I don't think it's that bad,” replied Stan with a shrug. “And don't mushrooms grow really well on mycelium?”

Danny looked mortified, and almost offended. “I will have you know that we members of the Lesser Mushroom Tribe are a civilized people, President Stan. We refuse to lower ourselves to eating fungus off the ground, like those savages on the Greater Mushroom Island. Any and all mushrooms that we eat here are obtained in a much more refined manner, by shearing them off the Mooshrooms that call this island home. I assure you, President Stan, that when you sampled the delicious mushroom delicacies from this island,
they were not made from ingredients yanked from the dirt.”

Geez
, thought Stan,
these guys take their image really seriously
. “But, I mean, come on!” he exclaimed. “You guys are the Mushroom Tribe, you have things here that can't be found anywhere else in Minecraft! Why aren't you proud of them?”

Danny's head slowly turned around to face Stan, though he never stopped walking forward. He had an irritated expression on his face.

“President Stan, forgive me for saying this, but you sound exactly like the savages who live on the Greater Mushroom Island. We civilized folk of the Lesser Mushroom Island used to conform to that belief as well, but we have realized that the Mushroom Islands are, in fact, a revolting and hideous place. We have evolved beyond the belief that the Mushroom Islands are sacred or even special, unlike the idealistic savages on the Lesser Island.

“Through our own hard work, we have transformed the Lesser Mushroom Island from nothing into the greatest resort town in the history of Minecraft. We have tried to talk with our brothers and sisters of the Greater Island, but they refuse to see reason. Whenever we try to help them adopt progress, they berate us, and conflict ensues. For a tribe that claims to put so much stock in the natural beauty and harmony of the world, it seems quite hypocritical that they attack us like that.

“The Mushroom Islands may be unique, an environment unlike any other in Elementia, but, just like any other environment, it is our duty to improve it, as we have done here. . . . And this is a truth that the degenerates on the Greater Island simply refuse to see.”

Danny finished his response and Stan paused, not entirely sure how to respond. Thankfully, he was spared from doing so as Danny started speaking again.