Chapter 2 -
Now Graser wasn't anyone really special at first. He was just another citizen of Mineplex. Contradictory of popular beliefs, Graser wasn't the most popular person in the world. In fact, he only had one really close friend and his name was ThinkNoodles, or Think for short. These two were like peas in a pod, inseparable. They were a great pair of buds, and together, nothing stood in their way. Both went to school to get better jobs and further their careers, with Think poised to become a public speaker and Graser wanting to be an engineer, an architect to be specific.
With the education Graser needed for that profession, he needed a couple of books for his classes. So, he needed to go to the library, and in typical fashion, both Graser and Think went to the library. They got most of the books that Graser needed, but there was one called Ancient Buildings and Architecture by 'TheMogMiner' that was in the advanced section of the library, in which you need special credentials to get in and find your certain book. So Graser was allowed in, but Think had to stay out.
"It's ok, bud! I'll be waiting right here for you when you come back out. Then we could go get some pizza!" Think smiled.
"Holy smokes! I LOVE pizza! Be right back."
And just like that, Graser took off into the dimly-lit hallways, looking for the T portion of the nonfiction books. Graser finally found it and started searching for 'TheMogMiner'. Sliding his hand across the leather-bindings of the books, he felt one that just didn't seem right. It was a smaller book with an extremely worn, brown cover, faintly reading The Cube in cursive on the front. Graser delicately picked the book out of the shelf and started flipping through the pages. What he found would change his life forever. There were coal sketches of streaks of light shooting towards the sky, going on infinitely. He saw a floating book on a pedestal. There were descriptions on what each item was and why it did such a thing that it happened to be doing. This was like nothing Graser had ever seen before. He finally reached the final page and on it, this encryption was written:
To reach such a wonderful place,
The Owners you must seek,
Alone, you will find nothing but a blank space,
But with others, the path does not seem bleak,
On the four corners of Mineplex you will find,
Parts of a map to guide you,
Without it, you'll be blind,
With such map, your venture to the Cube will come to.
Graser was puzzled. What does this mean, he thought, "The Owners"? "Venture to the Cube"? Thinking that it would be cool to show it to Think later, Graser hid the book his signature diamond boots he always wore. He found Ancient Buildings and Architecture quickly after and got it checked out.
"Why it take so long? It seems that you were in there for an hour," asked Think.
Graser replied, "I'll tell you over that pizza you promised."
So the duo went to the Pizza Parlour and Graser explained all about the book and what was inside over a greasy pepperoni pizza, so the only talked about it and Graser only took it out after they finished and started walking home. "Wait, so you just took it!? That's stealing!" exclaimed Think.
"Shhhhh… Calm down Think. It looks like no one has touched it for years. No one is going to miss it." Graser answered calmly.
"But still! You shouldn't do that. You might actually get caught and even arrested. And then your engineering career will be over. Then life as you know it will be over!" Think hypothesised.
"Think, dude, you're over thinking it. It will be all fine and dandy." Graser promised.
"Fine, so then what are you going to do?"
"Well, I want to go and meet these 'owner' people and get the map, but that means I'd have to miss school and probably get held back or expelled, but thats a risk I'm willing to take. Then I'll decide from there."
"But then you're just going to abandon your studies just like that? Because some 'magic' book told you too? You worked too hard to throw this away. Don't do it, please."
"Hey, watch it buddy. I make my own decisions. And if you don't agree, well… you can just leave then!"
"Fine!" Then Think stormed off to his house. And that was the last time Graser saw Think, and even though Graser was really sad about it, it was for the best.
After the entire ordeal, Graser went home and packed some supplies: food rations to survive him about 6 months, a bow and arrows, a sword, his boots, and The Cube book, amongst others. Thus, starting the crazy journey that Graser himself had no idea what this would actually mean and what would take place to inspire a culture.
