by Billy Miner
The corporal had saved his men; he had prevented their destruction. His courageous deed would be long remembered in the years to come.
Satisfied about his accomplishments, Joe watched the men march, do push-ups, and struggle to get in shape and run through an obstacle course. The battle has become a treasured memory and the future looks bright.
Joe is not afraid of anything, or so it seems. He hates laziness and loves discipline. As a commanding officer, he ranks above the lowest soldiers in the army, which he doesn’t take lightly. More than anything he has decided to take these slackers on and teach them what it means to be a man.
When someone disobeys his orders—which has happened before—he knows how to manipulate these weak souls into tougher tests, so they can grow up and develop their strengths. Some hate him for it; others think it’s an unfortunate necessity to kick the softness out of their spoiled characters. It’s for their own good, and they will see it later.
Nobody develops character without adversity, and he knows it more than anything. Some of that adversity came when his wife left him. They had been trying to work out their relationship for years, but the problems in their home were too confrontational, so they chose to separate. However, seeing his children only once per week brought him sadness. Since it happened ten years ago anyway, he has somewhat accepted the situation and made attempts to toughen up by telling himself it wasn’t all his fault. The future for his family remains uncertain, but just to compensate, he has forced himself to work hard at securing the future of the city by protecting it. That is his mission. It’s the only thing he knows how to do right.
After training the cadets, he returns to his office and finds his commanding officer there, standing and looking at a few photographs.
“Have a seat, corporal,” he says.
“What are you doing here, sir?”
“Sit down and we’ll talk,” he says in a friendly tone.
Corporal Joe sits down and leans on his desk with one elbow. He is intrigued. The last time the general came to his office was a year ago. He has been so busy since then that he hardly saw him at the military terrain at all.
The general starts, “You may be aware of some of the projects the army has supported in the past.”
“Certainly, sir,” Joe says.
“Good. Recently, we started a project in collaboration with a lab, and we haven’t even heard anything for weeks. In the meantime, the professor there is draining our bank account by charging us the regular hour wage and not reporting any valuable results. In other words, he is wasting our time and our money. I want you to go to the lab and see how far the project has progressed. If nothing good has come out of it, I want you to shut it down. We don’t have room for leeches who take advantage of the system.”
“Yes, sir. I will leave first thing in the morning, sir.”
“Thank you, corporal. I expected nothing less. That will be all.”
Chapter 3: The Argument
It’s early in the morning. Professor Derrick opens the front door of the lab. His key gets stuck for a few seconds, but after a while, he easily pulls it out. He turns on the lights, puts his bag on the floor, and looks at the failed experiment he interrupted yesterday because he got tired of it.
He sighs.
It already looks discouraging, and he hasn’t even done anything yet. Derrick thinks for a second and realizes again how big this discovery could be. The consequences could be magnificent. He has to pursue his dreams and go on with this formula.
He decides not to linger on these thoughts any longer and goes to work. He has barely started mixing substances together and writing complex calculations on a piece of paper. He hears a knock on the door.
Knock knock!
“I’m coming!” Derrick yells. He finishes a few notes he was making.
Knock knock!
“Yes! I said I was coming! Patience, please!”
He walks to the door and opens up. Without further ado, the corporal walks in and takes a peek. Then he turns around and announces the reason of his visit.
“I am here to check if you are making any progress,” he says in a stern voice.
“Oh yes,” Derrick answers. “I have made tremendous progress, but we’re just not there yet. I just need more time.”
“I see,” Joe says. “But the officer ranking higher than me has instructed me to shut this place down if you do not report any significant changes. You have a deadline, which is tonight. If your experiment doesn’t have any results, we will close this place.”
“Oh, no, don’t do that,” the professor begs. “I just need a little longer. Don’t you see the impact this can have on society? I am creating a substance that can make plants and fruits grow faster. If I succeed, starvation will be over all over the world. All we would have to do, is put it in the crops, and they’ll grow ten times faster and larger. The economy would get a boost and everybody would prosper.”
“I understand. I will stay with you today and help you wherever I can, unless you don’t want me to of course. But no matter what we do, it has to end tonight.”
“I will try to hurry,” Derrick says.
They work at it all day, mixing this or that, writing formulas and drawing conclusions and overviews. Obviously, Corporal Joe has no clue what he is doing scientifically, but at least he gives Derrick some support and encouragement.
Eventually, late in the evening, Derrick says, “It is not completely done yet, but I just need one more day. That’s all I need. Could you please give me one more day?”
“Sorry,” Joe says. “I have my orders. Finish it now or shut it down.”
“Can’t you be a little more flexible?” Derrick asks.
“No, I cannot. Now hurry up and do what you have to do.”
“But it’s not done yet!” Derrick lashes out.
“I don’t care, professor! You have until midnight!” Joe sneers back.
“Fine, I’ll just try it out. But I might be wrong about this. And I don’t want to be held responsible for the consequences. You gave me this deadline.”
“Do whatever you want. Just make sure you close tonight,” Joe says.
“Okay, here we go.”
Derrick takes a tube and carefully pours it on a plant. They watch patiently and wait for the results.
Nothing.
“What? Why? Why isn’t it working? I almost had it right!” the professor complains. “I’m going to try more.”
“You better know what you’re doing,” Joe says.
Derrick takes another tube and pours the whole content on the tomato plant. He steps back and waits.
Hey, what’s that? Something is boiling. That’s not the chemical reaction he expected. He gets a little closer and observes the boiling soil.
“This is impossible,” he says.
“What’s impossible?” Joe asks.
“This chemical reaction only happens when there is an Ender pearl involved.”
“You put an Ender pearl underneath the plant?”
“Well, I didn’t do that. It must have been there when the boy dug up the plant I asked him to bring me.”
“And what does that mean?” Joe asks.
“I don’t know. It’s reacting and I don’t understand how. This is amazing.”
It is amazing, but not in the way the two men hoped it would be. The Ender pearl keeps boiling and boiling. It’s growing faster than they thought it would. Within seconds, the pearl has increased in size so much that it now looks as big as a brick. And it doesn’t stop there. It keeps growing and growing.
“I don’t like the looks of this,” Corporal Joe admits.
“It’s incredible, but I wonder if it will stop,” Professor Derrick agrees.
It’s not stopping. By now, it has grown as big as the both of them and is leaning against the ceiling. Enderman shapes are being formed by the pearl, creating a head, arms, and legs. Still in its infant state, the pearl continues to flexibly fill up the lab’s space and expon
entially push the two individuals out the door.
“We have to leave. Now!” Joe shouts.
“No, we cannot desert it. I want to see how it develops. This has never happened before.”
“You stubborn fool. Follow me out of here or I’ll knock you out. This is getting out of control!”
Chapter 4: The Monster
Professor Derrick feels sad leaving his growing experimental pearl. His curiosity has taken over. But after a while, he sees the necessity of protecting their lives by fleeing too. They open the door and run out of the lab.
Crrrrrraaaassssh!!!
Just in time they jump from the building onto the street. When they look up, they see the monstrous pearl break through the roof. The pearl has now taken form and looks like a large, black man.
“You vague, absentminded idiot! You really had no idea what you were doing, did you?” Corporal Joe yells as they run for their lives. “Take off your coat! It’s slowing you down.”
Professor Derrick drops his coat and looks back as he runs behind the corporal. He feels like he achieved something, but then again, it has become a disaster.
“Keep running!” the corporal commands. “Don’t look back!”
But this only kindles Derrick’s desire to look back even more. Now he really wants to know what has become of his creature. He stops running, catching his breath, and turns around. He cannot believe his eyes. The monster has grown to over a hundred feet tall. Its arms and legs are long, its face is dark and creepy, with glowing eyes and diabolic horns on its head. It looks at the two with a penetrating stare as if it is trying to say that it’s going to chase after them.
“It’s gigantic!” the professor exclaims.
“My goodness,” Joe says as he glances back. “What have you done?”
They can’t help but stand there and stare at the roaring monstrosity. It’s hard to believe what they are seeing. There is no time though. They have to keep moving.
“Follow me to the base,” Corporal Joe suggests. “We can discuss how to defeat this thing there.”
No sooner said than done, the two arrive at the military base. They run in anxiously, alarming several soldiers that danger is on the way there. After a few turns, they enter the general’s office.
“Excuse me, sir,” Joe says. “I’m sorry to barge in like this, but we have a serious problem.”
Chapter 5: The City
“What is so important that you have to disturb my meeting, corporal? I demand an immediate explanation,” the general says.
“Remember that scientific project you sent me to? The one you were going to shut down? Well, it has backfired on us.”
“What do you mean with ‘backfired?’”
“Well, the professor and I were inside. And when we tested this liquid on a tomato plant, something began to grow. It became huge!”
“Would you explain it to me in more detail, please? What exactly grew so big?”
“That!” Derrick yells as he points to the monster through the window.
“Holy cow!” the general exclaims. “It’s like an Enderman but bigger.”
“It’s an Enderzilla!” one of the soldiers says as he runs out the door in the opposite direction.
“Seems like an appropriate name for my creation,” Derrick mumbled with almost a little pride in his voice.
“I don’t have time for this, corporal. I was about to head out when you stepped in. But upon my departure, I am giving you full command of the troops in this region. Congratulations, major. You just got promoted… temporarily… depending on the condition that you get rid of this thing. If you don’t, you will be degraded to the rank of soldier. The outcome of your career is in your hands now. Good luck.”
With that, the general sticks the symbols of the said rank on Joe’s shoulder and disappears out the back door, leaving Joe with his new rank behind, who has big eyes and an open mouth, looking at the situation in amazement. He can’t believe he just got promoted, but he realizes too that he will lose his entire status if he doesn’t blow this monster up. Suddenly, he snaps out of it and takes control. He marches outside and looks at the panicking soldiers in the camp.
“Men, gather your weapons! I am in command now! Get your muskets from the ammunition room. You two, go around the corner! Move, move, move!” Major Joe yells as he claps in his hands to encourage the soldiers to take initiative.
“Professor Derrick, if there is anything you can do to help, do it. If not, get out of our way right now. This is a military operation now.”
“Yes, sir,” Derrick says.
He can’t think of anything to stop the Enderzilla. And he doesn’t want to be an annoyance. Moreover, he doesn’t want to die here, so he decides to go back to the destroyed lab they left behind.
Meanwhile, Major Joe is commanding his troops and doing everything he can to stop the dangerous threat. The Enderzilla stomps on tents and barracks with its feet, swipes away trees and buildings with its arms, and breaks rocks with its fists. The soldiers have grabbed their muskets and are lined up to fire at the beast.
“Ready… aim… fire!” Major Joe commands.
A dozen bullets fly through the air, only to drop dead on the floor after bouncing off the Enderzilla’s hard skin.
“Again!” Major Joe says. “Aim at its head this time. Reload… ready… aim… fire!”
The bullets hit the Enderzilla’s head and repeat the same pattern. They drop on the floor like flies, all to no avail.
“Major,” one of the soldiers says. “We cannot kill this thing. It’s too strong. We need better equipment and stronger weapons.”
“You’re right,” Joe says. “Pull back! Let’s get the bombs out.”
The army retreats to the ammo storage and gets out all the bombs they can find. A few soldiers haul them out while others stand ready with fire to light them. After several minutes, six bombs are being thrown at the gigantic monster.
“Take cover!” Joe shouts.
The soldiers drop to the floor on their stomachs and cover their heads.
Boooom!
A half dozen bombs explode at the same time, tearing the sky with their light, their fire, and their unbearable noises. Thick smoke emerges from the hit location, as well as countless pieces of debris, grit, and dust. When the soldiers look up, they are hopeful and expect the Enderzilla to be gone. But their expectations aren’t being met. Without a scratch, the black being steps out of the immense destruction attempt. Impatiently, it walks past the army with several giant steps, heading into the direction of the city.
“This is terrible, major! It will reach the city in no time,” one of the soldier says.
“Let’s go after it,” the major suggests. “We have to keep trying. It’s gotta have a weak spot.”
Chapter 6: The Plan
In the meantime, Derrick sadly arrives at what is left of his lab, the place where it all started. He picks up a few beakers and tubes that have been shattered by the growing Enderzilla monster and looks at them with a glum expression on his face.
What on earth has he done?
He has unleashed a monster, caused a disaster waiting to happen. His self-esteem is shot. His confidence is broken. All he wants now is to crawl under a rock and hide himself from the world.
He glances to the corner of his experiment and sees his notes on the table. After walking to the table, he puts his hand on the notebook he left behind and flips through the pages. One by one, he finds the formulas he scribbled in there, the symbols, the equations, and the overview of lined up data that helped him created the fluid.
If only he could reverse this catastrophe.
“Wait a minute,” he says. “What if I turned ‘X’ around in this calculation? That would make sense. The most logical outcome of this formula is the opposite of the root divided by…”
And so he goes on for a few minutes. He starts taking notes on another page and gets excited about his new discovery. Completely focused on his possible solution, he is
n’t noticing the shaking ground caused by the Enderzilla that has reached the city by now.
The Enderzilla stomps on the ground, crashing houses and knocking over buildings along the way. People all over Miner City run to all different directions in an attempt to evade the large disaster that has entered their town. Screams by girls and women are heard, as well as scared cries of so-called brave young men and fathers who are terrified. Homes are burning, churches are turned into ruins, and tiny business are turned upside down by the frequent stomping and slamming of the angry Enderzilla. Chaos is in the air, desperate souls are trying to save their own skin; futile attempts from the military include still shooting at the detected threat.
“Major, I’m so glad you are here!” Derrick exclaims. “I may have found the antidote. If it works, it will reverse the effects of the growth spurt.”
“What are you saying? That you can undo this mistake?” Joe asks.
“That’s exactly what I am saying.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s give it to him.”
“Well, there’s a problem,” Derrick says. “It has to be injected into the scalp, meaning someone has to climb on its head and put the injection needle in its brain. That’s the only logical way. I am sure of it. The equations all make sense now.”
“And how do you think we can do that, professor? It seems nearly impossible what you ask of us.”
“Well,” Derrick begins. “I made a plan. I didn’t expect this to be easy. The monster is so tall that it would take a great effort to climb all the way up there. It bends over sometimes, but not enough to time it perfectly. We just can’t afford to take a chance on this.”