The Cube

They were trapped into a bizarre existence; a universe that was nothing more than an infinite Menger Sponge in every direction. A kind of fractal made up of cube shaped spaces, this was a place like no other.

Those born into this existence all found themselves chasing after the same thing: the biggest cube they could possibly find. Since this universe was infinite, there was no end to how big the cubes could get. But the catch to this was that the larger they were, the further one had to travel to discover it. This made them rare in many eyes.

Every time a cube was discovered that was bigger than all previously known cubes, evidence of it was gathered of its size. And that evidence was exchanged for credit known as ‘Menger Coins’. And those that sought the cubes were called ‘Cube Minors’.

Leeroy was one of these such Cube Minors and the next great Cube was predicted to be within a ten years trek for him. It would measure two light years across in size as calculations suggested. It would be an ultimate prize, worth trillions of Menger Coins. Leeroy staked all of his existence on being the first to discover it.

The device used to measure its size would send out a signal that bounced off the walls of the cube. Based on how long it would took for the signal to return, the size of the cube would be determined. The device was known as a CC or Cube Calibrator.

The CCs were heavily regulated devices, virtually impossible to hack. Because the only way to get the money was to have concrete evidence of the cube’s size recorded. That device therefore had to be extremely trustworthy, passing a series of inspections before put into use. And if anyone was caught tampering with a CC, there would be serious consequences.

Leeroy understood the regulations very well and that did not deter him from his quest. He just continued walking in the direction of the supposed cube. It would take nearly ten years to get there.

And for ten years he certainly did walk. And when he arrived finally , he found himself at the edge of a drop that disappeared into an abyss. The cube was so large that one could not see the other side.

And so Leeroy broke out his Cube Calibrator and got to work. It took four years for the signal to return but the information had been recorded. That was all the evidence Leeroy needed. But then a breeze caught his hand and the CC was knocked from it. It took a tumble into the abyss.

Leeroy came all this way to discover the cube but would now never claim the prize. He would never reap the fruits of his labor.

On his ten year walk home he contemplated linking up with this guy he knew that knew how to put together fraudulent CCs. His justification for doing it was that he did legitimately discover the cube and had a right to claim his reward: The Trillion Menger Coin Credit.

So Leeroy did go to the guy and buy the fake CC. And now all that needed to be done was take the calibrator to a station where the information recorded could be inspected and Leeroy could get the money.

But it was discovered that the CC was a fake and Leeroy was sentenced to life imprisoned inside one of the smallest cubes that could possibly fit his body. The cube shaped space was sealed with unbreakable glass which had holes in it though so he could breathe.

The End