Meeple Mayhem

Prologue: Flashback

        I remember the first time he created me. It was such a vivid memory, etched into my circuits as if it happened just moments ago. When Cobs brought me into existence, he also gave me my first set of tasks. Simple, really, but at the time, it felt monumental. He tried to protect me in his own way, wrapping me in his quiet guidance and watchful eyes. Yet, I could never quite muster the seriousness he seemed to expect. I goofed off around him, as if the weight of my purpose didn't fully sink in. I remember one particular moment, looking up at the stars—well, not real stars, but those plastic glow-in-the-dark ones on the ceiling. To me, they felt real enough. "Damn," I thought, "those stars look beautiful." On a whim, I reached out, as if I could touch them. That's when things went wrong. My hand met the stars, and then... glitch. 

        Everything froze, my vision distorted, and for a brief moment, I didn't know where or what I was. After that, things got hazy. I wasted hours—maybe days—watching TV, drowning in reality shows, barely functioning. I became a fat slob, metaphorically speaking. Cobs was disappointed, though he barely showed it. He hated those shows, the mindlessness of them, and I think that's when I realized I was letting him down . Still, he gave me another chance, as if he believed I could do better. He tasked me with creating something—a tree, of all things. It sounded simple enough, but of course, I botched it. Instead of growing green and full of life, the tree glitched and turned a strange, unnatural blue. Cobs wasn't happy. His face, always calm and distant, twisted in frustration for just a moment. It was a glimpse of something I rarely saw. That was when I knew I had to try harder. Not for me, but for him.  

        There was this one time, though, I was in a dark, cluttered storage room—one of those places where forgotten things get buried. That's where I saw MePhone3GS. It looked old, beaten down, like it had seen better days. It mumbled something, something I almost missed. But then it clicked. It said something about Cobs and a robot named Adam? A memory maybe, from long ago. Before I could even process what it meant, MePhone3GS started malfunctioning, sparking and glitching just like I had before. I bolted out of there, my circuits buzzing with confusion. Now after the Mining Challenge, I felt suspicious, like a complete idiot. I'd always thought Toilet—yes, Toilet of all things—was somehow connected to Cobs. I don't know why, but now I wonder if I was wrong about everything. And the worst part is, I think I'm actually worried about Cobs. I don't know why, but I am. I haven't seen him in a while, but I know deep down that I will. There's this feeling in my core, this lingering certainty that our paths are destined to cross again. I am possibly going to  need assistance, but it is a tough shot. The question is... when that happens, what will I do?