Note: This was created on a whim. If I had been planning this... well, I don't know how it would have turned out. Better, I suppose, but I guess this is sort of "fair."
This story is based on a single game of minecraft, but it is only based on it. If you look, you'll find things that couldn't actually happen in minecraft, as well as things that just can't happen. First though, you should know that I am using the Technic mod pack, so some of the ores, mobs, etc. are not in vanilla minecraft. Some of those are plot points, so if you're not familiar with Technic, then either look them up or just roll with it. I hope that this will eventually be readable without knowing minecraft. That's my end goal. Regardless, I'll let you judge the product.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is...
A surveyor's tale
Day 1.
Well, I have finally arrived on planet 494949M. It's a nice world, and I see that the terraforming probes have done an admirable job of stabilizing its climate, but there is a concern I must voice. First, given that my predecessor stopped communicating a month ago, I wonder whether my assignment to 494949M is a blessing, or a curse. Certainly, I have been assigned to far worse worlds in the past. (I do not like to reflect on the living hell that was 190545D.)
My initial impression of the world was deceiving, given that I landed right next to an inactive volcano. I almost called for an immediate recall, having flashbacks to 190545D, but a glance at the horizon made me realize that the noxious haze rising from the ground was very much not a danger nor widespread. I soon discovered the colony site, and I must say I was quite impressed with it. However, it was abandoned, as my predecessor reported, so I left it behind.
Following the directions my predecessor left, I soon discovered his small base of operations, jutting out of the side of a small, steep, snow covered hill. Small... is too kind a word to describe the outpost. It is barely four meters across, and it is exposed to the elements, as my predecessor apparently did not have the materials required to autoforge glass. He also directly connected it to his fledgling mineshaft, which is a 3 meter by 3 meter hole, roofed by a wooden ceiling. The shaft is the only way to access the outside, as the spaces my predecessor left as windows would be difficult to navigate. Besides, only one looks out on the mountainside; the rest face out over the landscape, and I do not think I want to chance a twenty meter drop just to leave the outpost.
I did discover a stash of materials he left behind, which included several types of wood, a small amount of iron and copper, a good amount of coal, and, strangely enough, a number of snowballs preserved by the basic hyperchest's refrigeration function. Naturally, I will be utilizing these well.
While it was still light out I went out and surveyed the area. There is a large population of some kind of bear in the area, which I found to be docile unless provoked. (And not horribly dangerous even then.) There is also a significant population of wildcats, including one rather large specimen which I was forced to fend off with an improvised stone sword.
I discovered two caves I intend to explore. I noticed in one that there was something green embedded in the rocks, but I did not have a pickaxe on hand to deal with it. I will endeavor to begin my explorations tomorrow. Until then, I sleep on the cold wooden floor.