The Three Body Problem

Chapter 3

i don't understand, said Poultry Man a few weeks after nearly getting caught for the fifth time. why do i have to be a secret?

"If the other hermits find out that you and I share a body, they might find out about Watcher, too," Grian explained as he shoved blocks into place.

That's the Watcher to you.

why don't you want anyone finding out about you?

That's none of your business, and I wouldn't tell you to save my own life.

rude!

Your existence is rude, the Watcher snapped back.

"Guys, calm down!"

I'll calm down when he stops being a moron.

"All he did was ask a question, you don't need to attack him for it."

It was a moronic question! He's a moron. You're both morons. I don't like either of you. Without warning, the Watcher's presence in the body vanished.

"Watcher?!" Grian exclaimed at the same time that Poultry Man shouted, where'd they go?

"They aren't supposed to be able to do that! I thought they couldn't leave!"

maybe they're just hiding. don't they have, like, magic powers or something?

"Where would they hide? We're inside each other's brains!"

maybe they went AFK.

That gave Grian a pause. Could one of them go AFK without making the whole body go AFK? He asked Poultry Man if he knew.

i don't know. we've never had to go AFK together because you don't build farms.

"I wonder if we go to the same place when we go AFK. Maybe I'd be able to find them."

might be worth a shot.

"I guess I'm going AFK, then. See you in a bit."

good luck!

Grian dug a quick little hole to hide in while he went AFK. He leaned against the wall and relaxed his body, setting his mind adrift.

He was AFK. Going AFK feels a bit like when your foot falls asleep, except the staticky feeling is all over your body and not just on your foot. There aren't really any senses when you go AFK - no sight, no sounds, no anything. Just a vague feeling that you exist somewhere.

Watcher? Grian had never tried to speak while he was AFK. It was a weird feeling.

Watcher? he called again. Are you here?

The Watcher's presence floated into the periphery of Grian's mind. What do you want?

You're here!

Of course I'm here, where else would I go?

I didn't realise one of us could go AFK without affecting the others.

Why not? Going AFK removes the mind from the world. The only reason other players go limp when they're AFK is because they've only got one person controlling the body.

Wait, hang on - does that mean I've been leaving you in control every time I go AFK?

The Watcher was silent.

Watcher...

It's not like I ever did anything when I was in control, they said finally. Just flew around a bit, sometimes. That's... that's why you figured out how to use an elytra so quickly. Muscle memory.

You learned to fly before I did?

My original form had wings.

Grian didn't know how to respond to that. The Watcher never spoke about their life before they got stuck in the same body as Grian.

Their voice became despondent. I used to fly all the time, with everyone else. The other Watchers.

Grian did the mental equivalent of putting a hand on their shoulder and tried to radiate warmth. You can go flying right now, if you want. I'll make sure Poultry Man doesn't bother you.

No. I think I shall like to be alone for now.

Oh. Okay. Grian stifled his disappointment and prepared to stop being AFK.

Grian?

Yes?

Thank you. For talking with me.

Grian's disappointment vanished. No problem, buddy, he said, and let his mind be pulled back into the world.