Minecraft: The Outsider/5CHP
Chapter 41
Jeremy targets the zombie going toward the pen where Valda keeps her farm animals, watching it easily open the gate and attach leads to the animals. Valda then lunges at the zombie pummeling it to the ground. Jeremy knocks the leads out of the zombie’s hands, and he and Valda try to hold him down. The zombie waves its hands around, and Jeremy notices that they aren’t green. He then says to Valda to get him in the house, and after brief hesitation, she helps him with dragging the zombie into the house just as the Invisibility potion wears off. The zombie falls on the floor, coughing and choking, and Jeremy reaches down and takes off its head.
Chapter 42
Valda bursts out an exclamatory remark as her eyes grow as Brant puts his hands up to surrender, saying that he was just passing through. Valda points her diamond sword at him as close as she could, demanding that he explain himself. Brant forgets Jeremy’s name, and Jeremy points his diamond sword at him as well, reminding Brant that his name is Jeremy. Valda demands that Brant tell them the truth, asking him if the other zombies out there are people in disguise, and Brant lowers his head as he admits that they are. Jeremy realizes that Brant and his friends are tricking the people around here, and Valda inspects the zombie head as Jeremy asks him if it’s a fake zombie head from the "Before Times" experience, and Brant says that it is an actual zombie head from when a charged creeper blew up a zombie, adding that he got them from his parents who have collected them for many years. Valda asks Brant as to who his parents are, and Jeremy quips that they are the owners of Redstone Company. Valda’s eyes light up as she realizes that it was the same company that her parents said were doing "underhanded things".
Chapter 43
Valda lowers her sword a little as she thinks. Jeremy tries to put the pieces together as he inadvertently lowers his own sword. Brant tries to run away, but Valda and Jeremy grab his legs to prevent him from doing so. Jeremy could also no longer hear the "zombies" or the other neighbors anymore, until one of the neighbors starts pounding on the door. Valda asks the neighbor as to where the other zombies are, and she says that they left, taking the trees behind their house, wondering who the other person is. Valda holds up the zombie head and asks for everyone else to come here, promising her that Brant would tell them everything. Within half an hour, the whole community shows up, and Brant says that he’ll tell everything for a favor, and that is to bring a beehive here from a tree far away from here to take care of them. Valda asks Brant as to why he cares about bees, and Jeremy asks Brant as to how he knows about that beehive, knowing it is the one they have out front. Brant clarifies that it was the beehive that was on the tree between The City and this community, and Jeremy nods in agreement. Brant then exhales loudly, glad to hear about the beehive, and then explains his actions. He says that his parents were making enough redstone from mining nearby to keep The City running, but because the population was increasing, they decided to get redstone from far out, in addition to trees and mobs, with mob farms for each hostile mob, cranking out whatever new materials his parents could get so they could get richer. Jeremy then says that his dad works for Redstone Company and never said anything about this. Brant then says that most of the employees don’t know, and his parents only have a small group of employees who assist them and are paid emeralds to keep their silence. Jeremy asks if that is the reason why the area near the city is devastated, and Brant says that it is, because they didn’t want to take anything too close so the people in The City would see it. Brant then asks the crowd of people about wanting to live in The City, but realizing it won’t work, he lowers his head once more and admits that they mined out all the redstone and a bunch of other materials, thinking that it would be replenished somewhat, but they went farther out, including to this community.
Brant continues, saying that Scraps was a pet zombie from his parent’s mob farm, and his parents don’t even know he is here, adding that they said that he is old enough to know what they have been doing. One day, he assisted them with chopping down trees, but soon noticed one with a beehive, and pleaded with his parents to leave it alone. They eventually decided to agree with him and leave it be. Valda quips that the people of The City just kept taking more and more and didn’t give back to the land or the other people that they have stolen from, and Brant questions her about his parents believing him, as all they want is more emeralds. Jeremy then asks Brant about why he was wearing a zombie head, and he says that it was his mom’s idea to wear one as a disguise. Valda wonders as to what will happen to the rest of the people here, and Brant says that his dad said that people who don’t live in The City aren’t "civilized". The neighbors consider taking away The City’s resources, but Jeremy says that wouldn’t be possible, and Brant would act all innocent again when they get back. As an ultimatum, Valda says to Brant to put down everything in writing and sign it, and only then he would be allowed to return to The City, and everyone would be told there about what is going on. Brant eagerly nods in agreement.
Chapter 44
Brant says up writing through the night as Jeremy falls asleep. The next morning, Brant shows Valda everything he had written down, and after a brief argument over how to mention the mooshroom, Brant puts down that he tried to steal it and got caught. The whole neighborhood is then seen standing outside the house, with a man saying that they would be going to The City with him. They help Valda with the day’s farmwork and then begin walking to The City, feeling upset as they pass through the desolate area. Eventually, they reach The City and head inside through its gates.
Chapter 45
An alarm is going off, and Jeremy rushes to a group of people, asking why it is going off. One person in the group says that it’s an alarm for a missing person, and agrees that it is Brant. Within minutes, his parents show up, feeling relieved to see Brant, with his mom saying that they got back from a business trip and didn’t see him, which led to the alarm going off. She adds that a party will be held at City Hall to celebrate his return, and Valda grins, saying that she has a lot to discuss.
Chapter 46
Later that day, the "celebration" begins at City Hall, with Brant’s mom congratulating Jeremy and Valda for safely returning Brant home. The two then head onto the stage, with Valda explaining that the Redstone Company has lied to them, stealing materials from outside The City, and using Brant and his friends as "zombies" to attack the people of her community. Brant’s parents dismiss it once more as lies, but the neighbors in Valda’s community back her up, in addition to showing Brant’s parents a confession written by him. Brant’s dad believes that it is a forgery, and some in the crowd shout to get Jeremy and Valda off the stage and to apologize. Jeremy says that they won’t apologize, and Brant’s dad suggests that they get good lawyers. Jeremy’s mom then appears at the side of the stage, saying that Jeremy and Valda are telling the truth.
Chapter 47
More gasping is heard from the crowd as Brant’s dad asks Jeremy’s mom as to who she is. She responses that she is Jeremy’s mother and she had been working on a top-secret story for a while, with everything leading back to Redstone Company, lying about giving money to charity, and constantly strip mining, stealing, and destroying the land around here. Brant’s dad attempts to dismiss it as nothing, but Valda’s parents then step out onto the stage, with her mother saying that they worked for Redstone Company for eleven years but left after having serious concerns about the company. Valda’s dad then says that someone had been attacking their home, which is why they went to The City in the first place and met up with Jeremy’s mother, where she knew exactly where to look. Valda’s mom then says that Redstone Company was started by people with a good vision, but the emeralds become more important than anything else. Brant’s dad bursts out that it is all lies, but Brant steps on the stage and says that they aren’t, adding that he is going to help them prove it.
Chapter 48
Brant’s words got the biggest gasps of them all as he tells off on his dad for wrecking the land, reminding him about how he begged him not to hurt the beehive. He adds that he is tired of being told to lie for him, and played dumb when his pet zombie got loose just to appease him. Brant then holds up a map, showing where Redstone Company had strip mined and deforested, adding that anyone can go out to see if the maps match up. Brant’s dad switches tactics, saying that nearly everyone in the world lives in The City, but Valda says that the people outside The City are also part of their ecosystem. Jeremy adds that people can still get resources and keep the land in good shape by replenishing whatever they could, like growing saplings into trees, or making a cobblestone generator. Jeremy’s mom then apologizes to him for not believing him before, adding that he couldn’t have said it better, and Brant shows off the zombie head he wore to make others think he was a zombie. Someone then bursts into the building, holding stacks of books containing the records of Redstone Company. Jeremy shook with relief as people finally believed him. Valda and Jeremy then lead the crowd to the gates of The City and open them.
Chapter 49
As the people of The City see the destruction for themselves, they are horrified, and start to use bonemeal to grow grass so the passive mobs can come back. In addition, with the combined evidence from everyone involved, as well as mob farms, the chest of emeralds in Brant’s mansion, and a room full of zombie heads, Brant’s parents were forcefully removed from Redstone Company. New leadership took over, and Jeremy and Valda’s parents were hired as consultants on sustainability. That evening, at dinner, Jeremy’s dad says that it’ll be fun working with Valda’s parents again, adding that he worked with them back in the day. As Jeremy goes back to school on the Monday after City Week, he becomes the most popular kid within a day, with many kids greeting him and admiring him for exposing the problems with Redstone Company. Brant doesn’t talk to him much anymore, but nods at him out of respect, knowing he couldn’t mess with him anymore. Back at home, Jeremy’s parents couldn’t get over the guilt for not believing him earlier regarding Brant’s pet zombie. The other kids in the family start to notice him more as well, with Erin drawing him a picture, Tobias writing him a song, and Carter showing off some martial arts skills that he had named "The Jeremy" in dedication to him. Jeremy then realizes that he misses Valda, and says to his parents that he wants to visit her this weekend. His mother says that he is invited to five slumber parties this weekend, but Jeremy says that he can do those another weekend, adding that he wants to see Valda because he didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to her. He begins to wonder as to why Valda never said goodbye to him.
Chapter 50
Jeremy’s parents leave The City and head to Valda’s community first thing on Saturday morning, no longer being able to tell the difference between the good land and the desolated land as it was all growing and bursting with life. Once they arrive, Jeremy notices that Valda’s neighbors all have iron doors to protect themselves from zombies. They knock on the door to Valda’s house, and she is shocked to see them. Jeremy says that they thought they should come visit, as he never got a chance to say goodbye. Valda appears distracted and unable to look at him as Valda’s parents warmly greet Jeremy and his family. The next morning, Jeremy’s parents says that it would be good to have an exchange problem of sorts, letting some people from The City live out here for a while and maybe stay with some of the families here. Jeremy concurs, but considers expanding it to a "student-exchange program" of sorts, where people here can come to The City and stay there for a bit to know each other better. His mom smiles in agreement, and Jeremy starts to beg his parents for a pet. After some consideration about a pet chicken and a pet turtle, his dad says that he can get a pet as long as he tames it and promises to take good care of it.
Jeremy jumps up in excitement and asks for Valda to come along in helping him find one. She eventually agrees to do so, and they rush out the front door, nearly bumping into a woman that wanted to talk to Valda. The woman apologizes to her for not believing her about not being behind the "zombie attacks" and gives them a cake as a way of apologizing. The mean kids, peeking out behind some trees, give off weak smiles at them. As Jeremy and Valda walk across the land, he asks her as to why she didn’t say goodbye, and she says that it was too difficult for her to do so, as saying it would mean their time hanging out together would be over. Jeremy looks at her funnily, saying that he didn’t think she’d like hanging out with him, knowing she had to because her parents said so, and Valda says that it’s nice to have a friend who is human. She asks about Brant, and Jeremy says that he thanked him the other day regarding the shenanigans of the Redstone Company, as he decided to come clean about it. Valda and Jeremy then thank each other for saving their lives, knowing that they don’t have to be outsiders anymore. The two wander to the ocean shore, noticing a turtle, and Jeremy wonders if it was one of the baby turtles that had grown up. Valda then notices a wolf nearby, adding that they could tame it with a bone, and Jeremy cheers in delight.