System Overload

by Mark Cheverton

  Digger pointed to a warrior and nodded. The NPC sprinted off, heading toward the cavern entrance. In minutes, the warriors returned with the zombie in tow.

  “Where are the villagers that were captured?” Gameknight asked.

  The zombie glanced at the zombie flesh that floated on the ground, then glared back at the User-that-is-not-a-user. His monster eyes widened when he saw the razor-sharp tip of a diamond sword pointed an inch from his chest.

  “I can tell when you lie,” Gameknight said, hoping his deception was believable. “It is a skill that all users have. We can detect the smallest bit of dishonesty. If you lie to me, then you will join your zombie brothers that were just destroyed. Now I will ask you again: Where are the villagers?”

  “Ahh … they … ahh …” the monster stammered.

  Hunter stepped forward and notched an arrow to her bow. She pointed it straight at the monster.

  “Let me,” the redheaded girl said. “I didn’t get to shoot any of the ones in the chamber.”

  “NO,” boomed Digger as he stepped forward with his two pickaxes held high overhead, ready for a killing blow. “It’s my turn to destroy a zombie.”

  “No … wait,” the monster cried. “The old zombie-town. They must have taken them to the old zombie-town.”

  “What old zombie-town?” Gameknight asked.

  “Fr … fr … from the Great War,” the zombie stammered. “The king is using the old zombie-towns from the Great Zombie Invasion to keep the plan a secret.”

  “What’s his plan?” Gameknight asked.

  He nudged one of the wolves forward so that it was right next to the zombie. The proud animal growled and bared its teeth.

  “The king has not shared the plan,” the monster said quickly. “All that this zombie knows is that the ancient zombie-towns are being used.”

  “Show us where these zombie-towns are, if you wish to live,” Hunter growled.

  “This way … this way,” the monster said.

  Running up the steps, the zombie headed across the open square of the cavern and toward a small opening on the far wall. The narrow tunnel appeared to have been recently carved, with dust and chips of stone still littering the ground. The monster shuffled into the opening with Digger right behind, his strong hand holding firmly onto the rope. Gameknight followed, his enchanted sword and armor lighting the passage with an iridescent blue glow. All he was thinking about were the scared villagers that had been taken from Cobbler’s and Tanner’s villages.

  The passage twisted this way and that as it snaked its way through Minecraft. Gameknight was surprised that it was only one or two blocks wide, unusual for a tunnel made for zombies. They usually seemed to like large spaces with high ceilings and wide passages. Frequently, Digger bumped his head on the uneven ceiling and grumbled a curse meant for the rotting creature at the end of the rope.

  The sound of iron scraping against rock was just about the only sound in the tunnel, as armored warriors bumped into protrusions and unexpected cubes of stone and dirt. The User-that-is-not-a-user started placing torches on the wall. About every ten blocks, he would position a torch on the right side of the passage, giving some light to those that followed.

  Finally, the zombie stopped short, just as the tunnel opened into a huge crevasse. It was a gigantic, curved structure that looked as if some monstrous being had dragged its axe across the ground, the sharp tip cutting into the landscape and leaving behind the deep chasm. The passage through which the zombie had followed pierced the side of the sheer wall, high above the bottom of the deep ravine.

  Gazing to the top, which was open to the sky, Gameknight could see the sun had risen sometime while they were in the zombie-town. But because of the sheer walls of the crevasse, the rays of the sun were unable to penetrate its depths. As a result, the entire floor was shrouded in shadow, allowing zombies to mill about without fear of bursting into flames.

  The sound of untold numbers of zombies could be heard moaning below in the shadowy depths. Gameknight could see the monsters moving about on the ground, but the sorrowful wails sounded more numerous than the zombies they could count; there had to be more somewhere.

  “Is this it?” Gameknight asked the zombie.

  “No,” the monster replied. “The entrance to the ancient zombie-town is down on the floor of the crevasse.”

  “You better not be playing with us,” Digger said.

  He pulled out a potion of healing and uncorked the bottle. With his free hand, Digger wafted some of the fumes from the potion into the zombie’s face. Instantly, fear filled its monstrous eyes.

  “This is a healing potion for us,” Digger said, “but it’s poison to you. Maybe I should pour a little on you to make sure you are properly motivated.”

  “No … no, this zombie speaks the truth,” the monster said quickly. “Come, follow, there is a path to the floor.”

  The zombie gestured down at the sheer wall. At points too far apart for comfort, Gameknight could see the path that the zombie referenced. Cubes of stone stuck out from the wall two and three blocks apart. It looked like a parkour course from someone’s nightmare. The path hugged the wall of the crevasse, slowly descending to the valley floor, but any missed step would likely lead to death. This was a dangerous path, but Gameknight knew it was faster than carving their own steps into the side of the sheer wall. He felt like they had to find the villagers, fast, or something terrible might happen.

  “Just great,” Hunter said sarcastically.

  “We can do this,” Stitcher said as she glared at her older sister, but it was clear from her voice that she wasn’t sure.

  Cobbler came to the edge of the sheer face, glanced down at the parkour steps, and then moved back, his young face white as a ghast.

  “I can’t make it down there,” the young boy complained. “I’ll probably fall and knock a bunch of you off the steps. This is too dangerous.”

  “Nonsense,” Crafter said. “These steps only have a one-block space between them. That’s an easy jump. And besides, you’ll follow Digger. There is no way you’ll be able to knock him off a step. All you need to do is worry about you and think positively about making it down.”

  “I’m no jumper, kid,” Digger added, “and I know that I can do this. It will be a piece of cake for you.”

  “But what if—” Cobbler complained, but was interrupted.

  “We don’t have time to debate this,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

  “Everyone, we need to get moving,” he continued out loud to the group. “Be careful, go slow, and you won’t fall.”

  “‘Don’t fall’,” Hunter chuckled. “That’s some of the best advice you’ve given today.”

  Gameknight was about to respond, but she stepped past him and followed the zombie as it started down. Both easily made the first jump. Digger then moved to the edge and jumped to the first step, with Cobbler following close behind. Glancing over the sheer edge, the User-that-is-not-a-user swallowed nervously, then moved forward and jumped, following Cobbler down the impossible stairway.

  CHAPTER 10

  NEW INDUCTEES

  Xa-Tul paced about the zombie-town in a rage.

  “The zombies from the other server should have come by now,” he growled to himself. “What could be the delay?”

  He veered around one of the many craters that pockmarked the ground of this ancient cavern. The zombie king glared at the crater, as if it somehow offended him and needed to be destroyed. The craters were everywhere across this cave, remnants of the builders. This was one of the zombie-towns from before the Great Zombie Invasion. The massive cavern had been made by zombies, who had used creepers to blast open space out of the rocks, which had invariably left holes in the walls and floors. The rough ground was difficult to traverse and added to his frustration.

  As he walked toward one of the walls, Xa-Tul could hear the sound of digging. The captured NPCs were widening this cave, just like they were doi
ng to other caves hidden throughout Minecraft. The new zombies would come here, then eventually travel to the largest of the ancient zombie-towns when it was time to execute Herobrine’s last great command.

  The thought made Xa-Tul smile. When he imagined the fear and shock the NPCs would feel when they realized the trap they’d walked into, it made him laugh.

  A splashing sound tore him away from his pleasant daydream. Nearby, a group of monsters waded through the river that ran through the center of the zombie-town. The zombies were trying to get to the HP fountain that sat at the center of the cavern—the only one close by. They bobbed and struggled through the cool waters, then climbed up the bank and shuffled to the HP fountain. When they reached the sparkling emerald spring, the monsters stood motionless with their mouths agape as the soothing embers flowed over them.

  But there were so few of the healing springs in this zombie-town. Xa-Tul could feel his rage building again.

  “Where are the others?” he grumbled to himself. “There are not enough zombies here.”

  The zombie king glanced at the tunnel that led down to the portal room; nothing was emerging. Adjusting his chain mail to a more comfortable position, he walked to the passage and stormed down the steps. At the end of the stairway was a large room with three portals dominating the center. He stopped in front of the sickly yellow one. That was the gateway that opened to another world across the pyramid of servers.

  A while ago, he’d sent one of his generals through this portal to the other server, with orders to bring all the zombies here to this world, but the idiotic zombie had not returned yet.

  “Where is that fool?” Xa-Tul growled to himself. “Perhaps the general, Ta-Zun, was captured and destroyed by villagers.”

  “What was that?” one of his generals asked.

  The zombie king spun around and glared at the monster.

  “Xa-Tul was not speaking to Ro-Tir,” the zombie king snapped. “Why is the zombie king surrounded by fools? When a response is needed, Xa-Tul will tell the general what to say. For now, if Ro-Til still wishes to live, then stay silent.”

  The general stepped back into the shadows, out of reach, and lowered his head.

  Xa-Tul grunted in annoyance, then continued pacing back and forth. Glancing about the chamber, he saw a zombie near the cave wall. He was a big monster, and looked very strong. This creature wore a gold chest plate and helmet, but no leggings or boots. He had probably not distinguished himself in battle enough yet to warrant a full set of armor. In his right hand, he held a golden sword that sparkled in the light of the portals, its edge keen and razor-sharp.

  “Zombie, come forward,” Xa-Tul bellowed as he pointed at the monster.

  The zombie appeared shocked and afraid. It was never a good idea to be noticed by the zombie king. It either meant that you’d done something wrong or that there was an incredibly dangerous task that needed doing. The monster sighed and slowly approached.

  “What is the name of this zombie?” Xa-Tul asked.

  “Ki-Lor,” the warrior answered.

  “Excellent. There is a task for Ki-Lor,” the zombie king explained. “Go through the yellow portal to the other server and bring the other zombies here. Tell the zombies that Xa-Tul demands their presence.”

  “How many should be brought?” the zombie warrior inquired timidly.

  Xa-Tul turned his head and glared at the subordinate.

  “All of them!” he snapped.

  “All of them?” Ki-Lor asked in disbelief.

  The king of the zombies nodded his big head, the light from the sparkling gateways reflecting off the crown of thorns that sat slightly to one side of his head, making it appear to glow, as if enchanted.

  Ki-Lor moved to the portal and prepared to go through. But just as he was about to step into the insipid, sparkling field, zombies began to flow outward.

  “Excellent. They’ve arrived,” Xa-Tul said. “Get out of the way, fool.”

  Xa-Tul grabbed Ki-Lor and pulled him to the side, throwing him to the edge of the chamber. The monster landed with a thud as he smashed against the wall, his gold chest plate ringing. When Ki-Lor stood, a huge dent was visible in the side of the armor.

  The new zombies marched out of the portal, then moved up the steps that led into the old zombie-town. A general, clad in all gold and holding a golden sword, marched up to Xa-Tul.

  “Zombies are coming from this other server, as ordered,” the general reported.

  “Well done, Ta-Zun,” the zombie king said. “You are now promoted to Vo-Zun. Go and find these zombies a place to stay.”

  “Should they be ordered to attack the NPCs?” Vo-Zun asked.

  “No!” Xa-Tul snapped. “These new zombies are to stay in the old zombie-town and that is all. Under no circumstance should they go to the surface of the Overworld. Is that understood?”

  “But it was assumed that they would be used in an attack….” Vo-Zun began.

  Xa-Tul grabbed the general by the edge of his chest plate and pulled him near.

  “Are you challenging my decision?” the zombie king bellowed in a loud voice.

  “N … n … n … no, Sire,” the monster stammered.

  “Good! Then do as ordered. Move these zombies into the caves. The NPCs will soon be making them bigger so that more monsters can be housed here.”

  Xa-Tul stepped aside and watched as at least sixty zombies made their way out of the portal and into the ancient chamber. A grin began to grow across his vile, scarred face. With these yellow portals, he could bring as many zombies here from the other server as he needed, then connect to the next world in the server pyramid and bring even more.

  Nothing could stop him now.

  CHAPTER 11

  THE CREVASSE

  The NPCs continued to follow the zombie down the parkour stairway. Gameknight couldn’t possibly imagine how this maze of blocks came to be on the sheer wall of the crevasse. Maybe it was just a random occurrence, or perhaps a strange joke from one of the programmers. Or maybe it was put here by Notch himself. He wasn’t sure, but right now, he was glad they had a way down, even if it was a dangerous one.

  Gameknight gratefully stepped off the last of the parkour steps and planted his feet on the floor. The deadly stairway had deposited them at one end of the curving crevasse, fortunately, far away from the zombies. Moving aside to make room, he stood next to Digger. The growling moans of the zombies were much louder on the floor of the steep ravine, but from what they could hear, most of them were near the center and far end of the fissure.

  “What are we going to do with the zombie?” Gameknight asked quietly. “If it yells out, its voice will echo all throughout the crevasse. Other monsters will hear.”

  “You know what I want to do to it,” Hunter said as she returned from scouting the crevasse.

  She pulled out her bow and notched an arrow to the string. The enchanted weapon cast a sparkling blue light on the rocky walls. The zombie saw the angry, hateful expression on Hunter’s face and took a step back, moaning.

  “It’s OK, it’s OK,” a voice said from the impossible steps.

  Gameknight turned and found Herder jumping from one step to the next as if falling was impossible to imagine. Behind him came his wolves, the furry white animals leaping from block to block with incredible grace and power.

  When Herder reached the ground, he ran to the zombie and stood between the monster and Hunter’s arrow.

  “I know what to do,” Herder said, a little too loud.

  “Keep your voice down,” Gameknight hissed as the moans of zombies in the distance echoed a little louder, then receded again.

  Herder pulled a door from his inventory. He placed it on the ground right next to the zombie, then drew another one from his inventory, putting it adjacent to the first. Two more followed, until they all surrounded the monster. Opening one of them, Herder quickly untied the rope around the creature, then withdrew and closed the door, then placed a block of stone on top of the doors, se
aling the creature in from all sides.

  “The doors and stone on top will muffle any sounds he makes,” Herder explained. “We keep some guards here just in case, then leave the zombie when we’re done. He can break through a door eventually and escape. We don’t need to hurt him. It’s alright.”

  The lanky boy stared up at Gameknight999, an uncertain expression on his face. He then glanced at Hunter and saw she was lowering her weapon.

  “It’s a good idea,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said.

  Hunter nodded, then cast Herder a grin. The zombie within the door-prison moaned quietly, the sound barely audible.

  “We’ll leave two guards here to make sure the zombie stays quiet,” Digger said.

  “Agreed,” Crafter said. “Builder and Carver, you stay here.”

  The two NPCs moved forward and stood on either side of the monster, each with an iron sword in their hands. They held them up to the tiny square windows set into the doors, making sure the creature understood their threat.

  “Digger, we need a way out of here if things go south,” Gameknight said. “Put a bunch of your best diggers on digging a wide stairway up to the surface for our escape. Start from the end of the crevasse here, and head upward.”

  The stocky NPC nodded his head, then pointed at half-a-dozen big, burly villagers, their arms scarred and scratched like Digger’s. They pulled out their pickaxes and started to do what they did best … dig.

  “Come on,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “Let’s go find our friends.”

  He moved slowly into the crevasse, staying near the sides and hugging the shadows. As they walked further into the fissure, the sounds of the zombies increased, their growls and moans coming at them from all directions, and growing louder with each step they took. The walls slowly receded as the width of the crevasse increased in size.

  “Crafter, do you see the tunnel openings?” Gameknight whispered.

  The young NPC nodded his head.

  Large holes started to appear in the wall of the crevasse. They extended far into the shadows, the tunnels leading somewhere deep underground.