Suzy’s Strange Saga

The Future…

“Take it or leave it. Don’t have all day to haggle with you.” You say to the scavenger.

He looks at the plastic bag of 9mm ammo for a moment.

“Alright I’ll take it.” He says and hands over two damaged rifles and takes the ammo without another word and leaves.

You look at the rifles again and think how glad you are to have someone who has a natural affinity to fixing thing.

“Daniel! Come out here, got a project for you.”

You son comes out from his work area to see what you’re yelling at him about this time.

“Mom, what is it now?” Daniel replies.
“Here. Got more rifles you can fix and we can sell for better profit later on.” You say and pass the rifles to him.
“These need new bolts. I’m not sure if I have any spare ones. At least not for two rifles.”
“Well do what you can. I’m sure you’ll think of something. You usually do. Besides you know how everyone that comes through this place is always interested in weapons. If you get just one of them fixed, it’ll still be a profit for what we got them for.”
“Don’t most people buy their weapons from Earl on the far side of the bazaar?”
“Yeah, but he specializes in that, the beauty of what we do is sell and buy a little bit of everything. So someone who might be looking for medicine might also end up buying a gun too. Besides, he’s getting a reputation of ripping people off, so we need to be prepared for the possible day for when people start coming to us to buy their guns instead.”

Daniel nods and says nothing else. He isn’t really much of a talker or a thinker for that matter. Not that the boy is stupid, its just he focuses on other things. Like fixing. Sometimes he reminds you a bit of your older brother’s son from the old days. That boy was definitely a savant.

Daniel head back to his workstation. You’re so glad you’ve never had problems with him, though Roger thinks he should mix more with people…but then you remember your own isolationist days in a certain basement and laugh to yourself.

Compared to you back then, Daniel is a social butterfly and has an actual trade. He’ll be fine.

Really its odd to you sometimes that you basically run the equivalent of a post apocalyptic general store, but as this place got bigger and better fortified, the original people began to rise in status and responsibility and here you are.

It certainly is better than being a wanderer out there. You’ve heard the tales and have no desire to leave the walls of New Security. Its safe here and you have everything you’d ever want.

It’s your new basement.

You remember Roger wanting to lead the New Security recon team when it was formed, but you managed to talk him out of that nonsense. You didn’t talk him into staying here in the first place and avoid getting nuked to atoms just so he could go play wasteland warrior and get his head blown off that way.

His job as lead protector of New Security holds more than enough danger and a test of his skills.

“Hey mom, how’s business?” Cindy asks walking in.
“Fine. I’m guessing you went with your father today?”
“Yep. It was really cool. I got to learn how to shoot. I even killed something!”
“What?” you ask.

At this point Roger walks in and has heard the end of the conversation.

“It wasn’t a person and she wasn’t in any danger. It was just a large rat that had wandered on the range. She got it in right in the head on one shot. She’s a natural.” Roger says in an effort to reassure you.

You know it’s a harsh new world now, and you know your daughter learning how to shoot is probably one of the best things for her, but you can’t help worry.

“Well, glad to hear you had fun.” You say.
“Yeah! I even got to see the New Security Scout Team coming in from a mission! They said they had to fight a mutant! Sounded exciting! I can’t wait to be able to become one of them one day!”

Well now you’re worried and Roger already knows it.

“Uh, Cindy why don’t you go into the back, I’m sure we’ll all be eating soon.” Roger says. Cindy complies, but she knows all too well an argument is going to be occurring soon.

You give Roger that “look” that he knows all to well is one of displeasure.

“Suzy, before you even start I really did not put that idea into her head! I didn’t even know the scout team was coming back today! Let alone that she was going to bump into them.”
“You’re the head protector! How would you not know that?!” you say.
“Hey, I take care of internal safety first. Besides, sometimes the scouts come back early if they don’t find anything out there.”
“A mutant sounds like something to me. Look I know Cindy’s a teenager and I know she finds all this military type stuff exciting, but I’d at least rather not encourage her desire to want to go traipsing about the wasteland.”
“Well I’d rather her be safe too, I mean that’s why I’m trying to teach her how to shoot and other skills. I mean we can only guide so much and eventually she’s going to be an adult and we won’t have any control over what she does. You know that.”

This is an old argument and Roger is right, but you really wish he wasn’t.

“I know. I know. Just…(sigh) could you at least next time emphasize that being a scout isn’t as glamorous as it sounds?”
“That I can do. Can’t promise you it’ll work, but I’ll definitely do that.”
“Well that’s the best I can hope for.”

Roger moves in to kiss you and you return it.

“Besides, I don’t see why SHE gets to be in the scout team when I’m not a allowed to.” Roger says with a smile.

You laugh and you close up the store so that you can spend time with your family.

It’s not the easiest life, but it’s more than you ever had before.