I'd say it's more tragic than cruel. In my mind, cruelty requires conscious decision, something the universe is incapable of. The universe isn't inflicting anything, it is simply happening.
I'm not implying your worries are not valid, but I've never understood this perspective. From my point of view, an uncaring universe is freeing. We have no responsibility to any great power, and are free to choose our own path.
Do you need to own a 24/7 online server separate from your main PC to create an instance?
I've heard a few people on here are starting their own personal instances so they can federate independently with different instances without relying on a larger, third-party instance. If I wanted to do this, would I need to own an actual server, separate from my PC?