As they arrived in Calamore, they were met with a barren wasteland of nothing but snow and ice, with little to no sign of life anywhere. Despite having hardly visited the Cybersite, Matt found it much colder than he had expected. He felt grateful when Motherboard ensured they were wearing their winter gear upon arrival. They had landed not too far from the entrance of a large cave in the ground, where Motherboard believed there was a good chance that the first crystal would be located somewhere inside the cave.
As they cautiously ventured deeper into the cave, they were awestruck by the myriad of colorful crystals and the diverse sizes of stalagmites and stalactites adorning the ground and ceiling. The cave was predominantly composed of ice and frozen rock, creating a mesmerizing yet frigid environment.
"Wow! Would you look at all that!" Chris remarked in awe.
"Yeah! It's so beautiful!" Inez gasped, mesmerized by the colorful crystals.
"I suppose, but with all these crystals, finding the one we need will be a lot tougher than we thought," Matt warned, expressing concern.
"Well, I guess, but what if we split up and cover more ground? Maybe we'll find it easier!" Inez suggested optimistically.
"I don't know if that's a good idea. What if we get lost or something?" Chris worriedly said.
"If anything, we can just turn back and meet up here!" Inez reassured them. "I can see a few things that could be useful landmarks."
"Well, okay. Just be careful," Chris agreed, still uncertain.
"And we better hurry! What if Hacker is starting to catch on to what we're doing?" Matt urged, taking charge as he turned on his flashlight and headed into a nearby tunnel, while Inez and Chris each went their separate ways to search for the crystal.
As he ventured deeper into the cave, Matt noticed something captivating—a bright light flickering in the distance of the tunnel. Intrigued, he felt drawn closer to it and continued walking towards the mesmerizing glow.
To his surprise, the end of the cave opened up into a vast, grand room with walls made of brick, a stark contrast to the sharp, frozen rock of the rest of the cave. The room also featured a large, glass-like staircase gracefully wrapping around its interior.
With caution, Matt ascended the seemingly endless staircase, taking each step carefully. Upon reaching the top, he was astonished to find a fancy-looking pedestal bathed in a mysterious light that seemed to emanate from the ceiling, coming from an unknown source.
On the pedestal rested a shiny red rhombus-shaped crystal. As Matt approached, he couldn't shake the strong feeling that he should take it. Trembling slightly, he carefully stepped forward and grabbed the red crystal. A faint whisper seemed to echo as he picked it up.
To his relief, nothing happened, and Matt safely placed the crystal in his backpack. Turning to descend the stairway, he suddenly noticed that the pedestal was changing. The spot where the ruby used to be now displayed a hologram of none other than the leader of the Protectors of Cyberspace himself, Blade. He was adorned in impressive red body armor with a matching helmet, his spiky hair poking through. Arson cleared his throat and spoke in a commanding, deep voice.
"If you are seeing this, then I'd first like to congratulate you for finding the first crystal, as well as our old journal. You, along with your companions, have been chosen to find the other three crystals and safeguard them from those who seek to corrupt them and unleash chaos upon the multiverse. Now that you've found the first crystal, you will be able to access the Multiversal Networking System. Make your way inside, and our assistant, Max, will guide you on your journey to locate the other crystals. The fate of the multiverse is now in your hands! Good luck!"
With that, the hologram flickered and disappeared, leaving Matt to stare at the now-empty pedestal in awe. His mind was racing with all kinds of questions. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he quickly descended the glass stairway and retraced his steps back through the tunnel. The encounter with the hologram was something he knew he had to share with the others.
...
"Guys! There you are!" Matt ran over to where they were standing, excitement evident in his voice.
"Matt? What is it? Did you find The First Crystal?" Inez asked eagerly.
"You bet I did!" Matt exclaimed with a wide grin. He proudly lifted his backpack, took out the power stone, and showed it to them, leaving them completely shocked. "Let's head back to Control Central and share the news with the others; hopefully, they've already found the Cyberite!" He glanced at his watch; almost an hour and a half had passed since they split up.
"Well, they did say they'd be waiting for us back at Control Central when they find the crystal; if not, we'll just have to wait for them," Inez replied, rationalizing the situation.
"Come on! Let's get going!" Chris chimed in, urging them to move quickly.
...
Back at Control Central, the two groups rejoined each other, and Motherboard was delighted to discover that they had not only found the Cyberite but also The First Crystal. Matt proudly showed everyone the crystal and began recounting how he had managed to find it.
"Well, while Nezzie, Chris, and I were in the cave, we decided to split up, thinking it might increase our chances of finding the crystal. The path I chose led to a giant room with a magnificent glass-like staircase wrapping around it. As I reached the top, I found the crystal resting on a pedestal," Matt recounted.
"What happened when you went to take it? Were there any traps or obstacles you had to overcome?" Martin asked, intrigued by the adventure.
"Well, surprisingly, there were no traps or obstacles. When I picked up the crystal, a hologram of Blade, the leader of the Protectors of Cyberspace, appeared. He explained that they wanted us to find the other crystals, considering we found their old journal," Matt explained with enthusiasm.
"So wait, you're saying that this Blade guy wants us to find the four crystals and enter The M.N.S?" Jackie asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"That's right," Matt confirmed. "He mentioned meeting their assistant, Max, and tasked us with finding the other crystals to protect the multiverse."
"But how do we even know if we can trust this Max person?" Digit interjected, voicing his concerns. "We don't know who he is or what he's capable of."
"I understand your concerns, Digit, but we don't have much of a choice. If we want to safeguard the multiverse, Cyberspace, and the real world, we have to take a risk and enter The Multiversal Networking System," Dr. Marbles explained.
"Besides, we can't just stand idly by!" Martin passionately chimed in. "Think of all our friends and loved ones who could be affected!"
"But what if we're walking into a trap?" WordGirl expressed her concern.
"Why would it be a trap?" Inez asked, sounding confused.
"I don't know, but I can't shake this bad feeling," WordGirl admitted.
"Well, we won't know unless we try," Matt said determinedly. "We have to find the other crystals and do everything we can to protect The M.N.S. It's our best chance to save the multiverse, our world, and possibly all of Cyberspace!"
The group fell into a brief silence, each lost in their thoughts. Finally, Jackie spoke up. "I guess you're right. We don't have any other choice. Let's do this!"
The group nodded in agreement as Dr. Marbles picked up the Cyberite and walked toward Motherboard's control panel. With a gentle motion, he slid open a small compartment on the side of the controls and carefully placed the crystal inside before closing it again. As he stepped away, Motherboard emanated with extra energy, initiating the process to open the portal.
Shortly afterward, the portal appeared on the opposite end of the room. However, it was noticeably different from the typical portals in Cyberspace. Instead of the iconic pinkish-purplish color, it had a plain white hue with a light bluish-pinkish swirl, and small, hardly visible pink particles floated out of it.
"Woah! Is it just me, or does something seem off about that portal?" Matt exclaimed.
"That's because the portal to the Multiversal Networking System is different from any other in Cyberspace!" Dr. Marbles explained.
"Either way, let's get going! Next stop, the Multiversal Networking System!" Martin enthusiastically declared.
"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to come along as well," Dr. Marbles spoke up.
"Of course!" Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Well then, we better make haste," Dr. Marbles replied as he and the others carefully stepped into the portal, ready for the unknown adventure that awaited them.