Work Text:
It’s no surprise to either Cubfan or Ethoslab that they both independently decide on innovating transportation within the first few months of the season beginning. They often move in unconscious lockstep like this–and early infrastructure can shape the course of the entire season. Putting in the work now means saving themselves a lot of travel later. And the less time spent getting to places where people are is more time spent being with people.
They differ, of course, on methodologies. Both creating transportation systems that did the exact same thing would be a redundancy, a repetition unneeded; collaborating would be fun, but the separation gives them something to explain to one another. (They both could figure out the other’s invention and mechanics on their own most likely, but there’s a joy in getting to showcase a creation that they would never deny each other. They can smile and nod with the best of inventors.)
Cubfan creates a series of lodestones paired to key points of the server–his base, the mining desert, spawn, the End; just a few to get started for now. Each lodestone is the node of a copper-golem-and-compass-based ender pearl teleportation stations. All it takes is breaking the lodestone representing an area, replacing it to re-prime, and waiting a few short seconds for compass mechanics to warp him there (or back to his home base).
Etho opts instead for a player launcher–a 360-degree launcher capable of sending people thousands of blocks in an instant, to be specific. Powdered snow, calibrated sculk, and the cobweb-wind charge storage sets up a cannon that both powers and is powered by the elytra. A singular, central location that anyone can use, as long as there are wind charges loaded, and they can deal with the learning curve of angles and timings to get where they actually want to go.
And they have opinions, of course, on each other’s choices of methodology; they’re comfortable enough to share. None of their critiques are anything that the inventor hasn’t considered, but it’s still always interesting to hear what someone else thinks can be improved. Avenues of breakthroughs to pursue. Innovation requires vulnerability; a creation is a reflection, and they handle both with care.
Etho’s method is, of course, both too fast and too slow for Cub.
It’s too fast because the wind charges build up at four times speed, and all it takes is a few seconds of hesitation in the wire to be slingshotted out of the world entirely.
And it’s too slow because it’s slower than Cub’s teleportation, because everything is slower than teleportation. Nothing can be faster than instant.
Cub’s method is, of course, both too accessible and not accessible enough for Etho.
It’s too accessible because the lodestones are just sitting there, ready for anyone to break at a moment’s notice out of ignorance (or the Hermit’s prankful nature) and sling him halfway across the world, no matter where he is or is trying to be.
And it’s not accessible enough because not only do the lodestones only work for Cub currently, but they can’t actually be used to summon him properly. Every lodestone sends him to somewhere other than where it was broken.
Most people’s courting procedures don’t involve scientific review and critique; they might consider it a mood-killer.
Most people aren’t Cubfan135 and EthosLab.
Etho proposes that Cub build one more lodestone station for now, at the foot of Etho’s base. (Not up high, of course, because that would mean skipping the parkour challenges he’s working so hard to build–and he remembers Cub’s enjoyment of parkour from the Labyrinth.) That way, he reasons, Cub has a shortcut to the player launcher that doesn’t require his wings and won’t clear any waiting charge.
Cub hums; it’s a good idea. Means Etho has less of a walk to reach one of Cub’s lodestones in case he needs to be called home from further afield than the outer stations (easier than trying to guide someone else who doesn’t know where they are).
Means Etho also has less of a walk to mess with him, Cub points out.
Etho plays dumb. Cub lets him.