Trapped in JetPunk - Chapter 6

If you didn't read the rest of the story, you probably should, for obvious reasons. Enjoy this chapter!

All around me are a bunch of words that I'm assuming are "Quiz and answer stats". Nothing stands out besides more blue links some steps away, and Jeppy is still by my side. My mini keyboard is still in my hands, and I know I'll be using it very soon.

I'm far too small to find everything I'm looking for, even with the help of Jeppy's speed. This is the reason I grabbed the keyboard in the first place, as to not lose time traveling great distances. Now I can simply type what I want, when I want, where I want. Right now, I need to find luggage. Minecraft has a great deal of ways to carry your loot, and my plan is to make use of that. So, I type ctrl + f into the keyboard and up pops the same white bar. This bar is different from the search bar, as with this new box, I can find specific words within the page I'm standing. I don't know the exact name of it, but I'm calling it the "find bar". That seems reasonable enough, right?

I have no clue how long this page is, but it's all about Minecraft. It can't be short. With my new power of the "find bar", I can get any item I might need for my upcoming travels. Minecraft just about has it all, so I'll grab anything that seems important.

"What shall I start with?" I ask Jeppy, who responds with his usual tranquility. "Not much to say, huh?"

I decide to begin with a simple chest and work my way up, since Jeppy only has limited space. As long as autopilot is on, weight also isn't an issue, since Jeppy doesn't obey any laws of physics.

"Chest," I say as I type out the word. Immediately after typing the "t", the floor changes. I hop onto Jeppy's back to get a better view, and spin around a little to see everything. Quickly I spot a bright orange box to my right. It's flat like all the words in the table, similar to how the vibrant orange stars looked on the quizzes table. It stands out just the same, so I get off Jeppy's back and give my noble steed a push towards the orange box. The cursor glides across the floor and I follow.

Inside the orange box is another word that makes me smile at the sight of it. "Chest". This is the word I typed into the find bar, and I'm glad it's highlighted. This find bar will make my life a whole lot easier, because now I can get all the supplies Minecraft has to offer.

Looking at the word, I come to realize that I don't actually have a chest. It's just a word. I bend down and touch the orange box, not expecting anything to happen. Although, to my surprise, a Minecraft chest actually pops up from the floor and floats in front of me, just as lifeless as Jeppy. Its appearance is exactly the same as in Minecraft, and the proportions make me seem like I'm the character in the video game, getting ready to fill a slot in my inventory. As I put down the mini keyboard and pick up the chest, I wonder if it will actually expand or not. "Only one way to find out," I plead to the heavens. My hopes are as high as ever because now I feel like I'm making progress; progress to escape.

I turn to face Jeppy and place the small chest on his back. "Huh" is the sound I make followed by a slow nod, because I'm impressed with the chest. It grows as soon as I place it down, and now its proportions are more realistic. It's still small, but when I open it, a whole list of inventory slots opens up with it. It's just one slot, but I can scroll horizontally, with new slots popping up.

'It really is a Minecraft Chest," I say in surprise. I can scroll through this list and place whatever I want in its slots. Once one slot fills up, I can scroll to a new slot and put more items in it. This is more than enough storage than what I think I'll need. I still have other ideas in mind about items I should get, so I close the chest, grab the keyboard, delete "Chest" from the bar, and type another word.

This time as I type, I say "Ladder". I know I'll eventually need a ladder to escape, because the only way out seems to be up. Once I finish typing, the floor changes again. Right beneath me is another orange box, just waiting. Inside this one, the word "Ladder" is written. "This is really easy" I think.

I bend down again and click the orange box. A Minecraft ladder emerges from the unknown just like the chest did, and it's the same size. I grab the ladder, and think about how many more I might need. The ceiling isn't extremely high up, but the ladder's size won't increase too much once I place it on the wall. I decide that a stack should be enough, and click the box 63 more times. In case you're uneducated about how Minecraft logic works, a "stack" as I mentioned is exactly 64 items. This is the maximum amount of items you can fit into one single inventory slot. A stack of ladders should definitely suffice, and if it doesn't I can always try to reuse the ladders I place before. Once 63 more ladders have been pumped out, I set the keyboard down and scoop them all up into my arms, shoving each and every one into a single inventory slot in my newly acquired chest. Keep in mind that these ladders are in item form, and are very small. Ten could easily fit into my hand, and a whole stack can be shoved into one of the slots my chest has.

When all the ladders are filed in, I scroll to an empty slot in my chest. This is where my next item will be stored. I think food is a necessity, and I haven't had water in a long time either. Thinking about water makes my saliva glands rush, so I think a Water Bucket is next. I grab the keyboard for what seems like the hundredth time, remove "Ladder", and type "Water Bucket" into the find bar. The floor appears to transform twice, but ultimately it settles on the water bucket. I think this happened because water itself is a block in Minecraft, but by adding "Bucket" to the end, the floor fixed onto it as a whole.

I repeat the same process for the water bucket, clicking the orange box, getting the item, and placing it into a slot in my chest. I grab 3 buckets just in case, because one is already half-full. I was thirsty, okay? These buckets are pretty normal-sized, and take up a full inventory slot each. This is fine, because I still have so much space remaining in my chest.

After I obtain some water, food is next. I think bread is a good choice, so I delete "Water Bucket" and type my simple food option into the find bar. The floor transforms again and I'm standing on a new orange box with the word "Bread" in it. I click this box 10 times to be safe, because the leftover sushi in my pockets isn't exactly what I want to eat anymore.

10 bread pops out and I pick it all up. These can also be stacked, so I shove them into a single slot in my chest. Now that I've got the process down, I'm moving a whole lot quicker. The part that's taking the longest is figuring out what Minecraft element I want next. There isn't much more I think I need, but tools would definitely be helpful. So, I grab the keyboard, delete "Bread", and replace it with "Diamond Axe". It shouldn't be too heavy, at least I hope not, because my big escape plan has very little wiggle room for mistakes. It's a simple plan, but I want to get out of here as soon as I can. Looking around, there's so much that I could explore. The vastness of this world seems to have no limits, and the search bar could hold so much more than I think it does. But I'm not here to stay. I glance over at Jeppy, who's watching me think. Ever since I've been with Jeppy, my feelings for the cursor have grown steadily. Being a fast method of transportation, it has made my life so much easier, having the ability to glide wherever I want in no time. We've traveled this world together, and leaving all this behind would feel like leaving a country that you've grown up in your whole life, leaving everyone you've ever loved. This place has changed me, forging a memory out of the endless time I've spent here. Jeppy is my friend, but it's still just a cursor. My mind will have to let go of the image it's placed on Jeppy; Jeppy isn't a horse, even though I always wished it was. The thought crossed my mind often, whenever I rode Jeppy across the white plains of this world. A real horse, a living thing, would be so much different. But I know that when the time comes, Jeppy the Jet won't be able to come with me and run free outside this inescapable fish tank. I stroke its back, still as smooth as ever. The chest is weighing it down some, and I bring my focus back to my mission.

I spot the orange box, and read "Diamond Axe". I think about giving Jeppy some diamond horse armor, but it's just a waste of time. Jeppy is a diamond already.

I click the box once and pick up the diamond axe it provides me. It isn't heavier than the buckets full of water, but still has some weight to it. This shouldn't stop me from escaping, so I put it into my chest. Jeppy is nearly touching the floor due to all the weight, so I decide that the loot I have is enough for my plan. Holding the mini keyboard in one hand, I climb onto Jeppy's back. Now we're completely flat on the floor, but with a press of a button, Jeppy floats up and begins to glide effortlessly. I've gathered all the materials I needed since day one, and now I'm finally on my way to the end of this timeline.

I can't see the blue wall, but I assume I'm pretty far down on the Minecraft list of elements. I grab the keyboard for what might be the last time, remove "Diamond Axe" from the find bar, and type in "Search". The floor changes just like I knew it would, and now, off in the distance, I see a bright orange box waiting for me to ride up. That's exactly where I want to be, and with the help of Jeppy, I'm already making good time. "Yee haw!" I yell, and listen to the subtle echo that follows.

To be continued...