Hermitcraft Shots

Cub's Life

Cub's life was complicated, to say the least.

He had wanted to be a scientist since he was a child, though his field of interest changed almost daily. Rocket scientist, science teacher, chemist, doctor, you name it, Cub studied it at one point or another. Through some lucky connections, he got a part-time job at the local aerospace engineering base, and worked his way up through the years.

His affinity for exploration and incredible intelligence landed him as the head of the experimental branch, which is where we start to recognize his story. In his attempt to find a way to break the speed of light, Cub stumbled into the possibility of parallel dimensions, and he was hooked. He spent more and more nights tirelessly digging, searching for a viable way to open a door to this hypothetical dimension, but things didn't look promising for many weeks.

Finally, he found the keystone; approaching the light barrier at the edge of a black hole. His coworkers brushed off his ideas as frivolous and impossible, the speed of light was impossible to achieve so there was no way to test his claim.

Cub wasn't easily deterred. He began work on a lightweight rocket using a new fuel source he had thought up a few years ago; it wasn't feasible for standard rockets, but it was exactly what he needed for this one. After several months of secret work and covering his work under the guise of a personal project. He trained physically alongside the astronaut team to prepare for his journey, but managed to keep it completely secret until the day of the launch.

There were sad farewells and many surprised faces, but everyone cheered as he clambered into the cockpit of his small rocket. He hadn't told anyone his plan for the mission, only that he wasn't sure how long he would be away. It was hard to walk away from his friends and family, but the thrill of discovery kept him focused.

We can skip a lot of this next part; the launch was successful, he flew towards the nearest black hole, and proved his theory correct. As the g-forces tore at his skin, he almost blinked and missed the jump from his home to another. It was silent, remarkably so, and as he slowed his vessel to a standard speed, he noted a planet remarkably similar to the one he just left, though he was confident in saying it wasn't his home. The descent to the surface was maddeningly slow, and Cub could barely unbuckle himself quick enough as he took in this alternate universe.

The terrain was almost all Mesa; as far as the eye could see, orange clay and sand dominated the view. The place seemed uninhabitable if not for a small creek running nearby and a scant tree here and there. Undeterred, Cub began marching north, being sure to keep track of the location of his ship. It was very hot in this area, but his luck changed quickly as a humanoid figure grew in the distance. "What ho stranger! Do you speak English?" Cub called eagerly.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Cubfan, may I ask yours?"

The person hesitated another moment. "I'm Scar. You're not a hermit, are you? How did you get here?"

It was a strange question for Cub, considering his current understanding of the word. "No, I don't live here. I just arrived from another dimension actually, using my ship." He gestured behind him, though his vessel was no longer in sight.

Scar was close enough to identify now, and he appeared to be a typical cowboy. His brown outfit nearly blended in with the orange sand, with a large brimmed hat shading his freckled face. A Mesa seemed like an appropriate place for a cowboy, but Cub wondered if there was a settlement nearby. "Oh, you must be a new member! Don't worry, I was late too. C'mon, I'll show you where we're all staying!"

Cub eagerly followed Scar to the top of a nearby plateau, and on the other end of the area, life was thriving. The buildings were fairly primitive compared to what Cub was familiar with, but that didn't make the work less impressive. People of all kinds bustled all around, farming and building and laughing. Cub's excitement wouldn't fade for several weeks, though some would say he's still awe-struck to this day. Scar continued to lead him closer, coming within earshot of the settlement and catching the attention of a few people. "Xisuma! I found Cub!"

The announcement startled everyone in earshot, and now every eye was on Cub- some human, some not, which Cub would become deeply fond for. One person came forward, his eyes barely visible through his purple visor but most certainly confused. "Hello, is this a friend of yours Scar? You should have told me someone was visiting so early in the season," he laughed nervously, looking to an equally confused Scar.

"Well, I assumed he was a new member that came late, so I thought you would know him!"

Cub felt it was appropriate to speak up at this point. "Hello, my name is Cub, and I'm from another dimension believe it or not. I don't know anyone here, but I would be grateful to join you if you'd let me."

The helmeted individual rubbed his head, clearly thinking. "Well I suppose there's no harm in it, so you're more than welcome to join us!"

The hermits took Cub in quickly, and before long he felt like one of the family. Eventually he moved his rocket closer to his new home, although he knew it was in no shape to make a return trip. There were nights early on where he couldn't sleep, thinking about his family he may never see again, but as the years passed so did the memories- though, he always held onto his old ship.

Time didn't work quite the same for Cub, so he grew bald and bearded after only a few short years. He didn't mind of course, and the other hermits never brought it up. On this particular day though, he stood in his small bunker, so deep and out of sight that no one had found it. Nobody would know what it was regardless, because it was a portal to his home world. Cub wasn't sure it would work, since all his other attempts had failed, but something kept driving him to try.

A bucket of water poured into the shallow frame was all it needed to activate, creating a glass-like surface that reflected a scene, but not the one you would expect to see. His home, just as he remembered it all those years ago. When Cub worked on these projects, he was never sure if he would go home or stay with his new family, but as he stared into the pool, he couldn't resist dipping his hand in.

The resulting explosion threw Cub into the wall, knocking him unconscious for some time. When he woke up, the portal was all but destroyed, with only small puddles of water dotted through the chamber. In the broken reflections, Cub could see himself, but not who he was mere minutes ago- he was a young, hopeful scientist, stepping into a foreign dimension for the first time.

The memories after that are long forgotten, with much crying and longing for home. We can pick up a few days later, once Cub came to terms with his new (old?), younger appearance. He finally left his small bedroom, touring the island to explain his situation to everyone personally. Those who were there when he arrived in season 4 were surprised, but knew his story and hugged him tightly, while those newer members simply marveled at his ingenuity to make an almost-functional portal to a new dimension.

There are still many nights that Cub lies awake, feeling his young face and recalling his life before Hermitcraft. It was still a sensitive subject, but he loved his new family, and could never truly leave them for his old life. For the time being, he would stop trying to find a way back, but he could never truly give up.

Cub's life was complicated, to say the least.

I wanted to explore some crazy lore to explain why Cub turned young again!

Love you, my little stars!
-RaeTheStar