The Ultimate Defense

Photo by: Al Forbes

Patrick possessed a very rare and unusual mutation: he never got angry. In some ways it was a disadvantage. In one critical way, it ensured his survival. His son’s mutation was far different. Young Jeremy manifested his ability early in life. His first elementary school collapsed in an earthquake. The next one went up in flames. Weber Middle School? It blew up. King Junior High? Nothing but a crater remained.

Eventually, the military caught wind of Jeremy. At 16, the DoD attempted make him into a weapon. A shouting Sergeant and military-style were included. Mere hours later, Fort Johnson and two nearby towns disappeared in a blast that darkened the sky for a week. Luckily for Jeremy, he had a second mutation. He was indestructible.

Patrick always explained how to easily avoid catastrophe. Unfortunately, he never spoke sharply to anyone, so no one took him seriously.

Jeremy was 19 when a mile-long alien battleship appeared in orbit. The aliens demanded that Earth provide soldiers for their war, hundreds of light years away. Earth refused and fought back, but the ship seemed indestructible. Even nuclear blasts had little effect.

Eventually, Earth gave in and offered up their first recruit to the aliens: Jeremy.

Patrick didn’t get upset. He didn’t even worry. As he walked by an office building, mocha in hand, he could see a reflection of the sky. Somewhere above those clouds a supposedly indestructible battleship cruised. It had great armor on the outside, but what about the inside? Idly, Patrick thought: I wonder how long it’ll take before an alien yells at him? In answer, the sky suddenly erupted. An explosion, signalling the death of a battleship, surged in the sky for long minutes.

Patrick just smiled, and he waited for his indestructible boy to fall out of the sky, in time for dinner.
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Written for Sunday Photo Fiction.