Suzy’s Strange Saga

The Future…

“Mom, are you really sure you want to go to Emberville with me? I mean it’s not exactly a relaxing journey.” Enki asks.
“You don’t think your mother can handle herself in a fight? I have been living in this post apocalyptic hell longer than you have, you know. Would you rather Aiden and Nadia go with you, because right now they’re the only two not immediately busy.”
“Yeah I know…don’t really feel like dealing with ongoing private jokes at my expense on the trip. Okay, I guess I’d rather have you along.”
“Well geez, I guess I should be honored you’re allowing me to come with you.” You remark.
“I didn’t mean it like that…I just…look, are you fully prepared for this trip?”
“Of course, I got all my gear and everything. This isn’t the first time I’ve been out of the compound you know. It isn’t even my first trip to Emberville.”
“Okay, okay, Mom, I get it. You’re a wasteland bad ass, let’s go.”

You and your son get in the armored car and after a quick wave to one of the Morningstars at the gate you’re soon on your way. You study Enki for a moment just sort of recognizing how much he looks more like you than his father. His personality is certainly more similar to yours as well.

Enki notices you studying him.

“What?” he questions.
“Nothing son.” You say and then pausing to think of what to say to try to lighten up the mood.

“See? This is nice. How often do we get to spend any quality time together like this anymore? You’re always locked in your workshop tinkering with gadgets and reading. It does us both some good to get out once in awhile.” You say.

Enki just gives you a brief look before turning his attention back to the road. He isn’t convinced that leaving the compound is ever a good idea, and you can’t really blame him, but you’re going to reinforce some life lessons in him today. That is one reason why you came on this trip, another is just so you can get away from Helen gushing about being pregnant for the umpteenth time.

You take a look behind your seat and see the several crates of berries and apples in the storage area.

“Those Emberville mutants sure enjoy their fruit. They’ll trade just about anything for it, even medicine. Then I suppose medicine is probably the last thing they need now so it makes sense.” You remark.
“Yeah, well I always feel like some of them are going to dispense with the civility one day and just take all our fruit, along with cooking me up as well.” Enki remarks.
“Nah…well maybe a few of them, but I think for the most part they know a good ongoing deal.”
“I guess. I just hate having to make this run. I’d rather be working on improving our compound.”
“Well in a perfect world, you’d be able to just shut yourself away from it and spend all your time reading those books you gather up from the libraries, but if you’re going to really make it, you have to deal with people…and mutants, you know what I mean. A little diplomacy isn’t a bad thing; it can even turn potential enemies into friends. Trust me I know.” You say.
“Diplomacy… is that what we’re doing with those trailer park people? I heard Dad’s last raid destroyed some of their trailers and killed a lot of them. Not to mention we got all those captives for sacrifice.”
“Well, sometimes diplomacy fails, which is why you also have to be prepared for war.”
“Surprised you didn’t have me help dad instead of doing these runs.”
“Oh, I’d never allow that even though your father really wanted you to start going on raids with him.”

Enki predictably gets a bit insulted by this remark. It’s silly of course because you know it’s more of a male ego thing, the reality is Enki wouldn’t want to go on raids with his dad either.

“What?!” Enki exclaims.
“Calm down, I don’t mean it how it sounds. I just mean I’m not having you risking your life on regular shoot outs with a bunch of hostile rednecks.” You say.
“But…driving to miles to a town full of mutants is perfectly safe?”
“No, but despite your paranoia, it’s a hell of a lot safer than what your dad and some of your older siblings and cousins are doing. Think about it. Have you actually had any major trouble since you’ve been doing this? Other than a bunch of mutants trying their best to look scary and intimidate you, have you REALLY had any trouble?”
“Well I had to shoot a few bikers trying to hijack the vehicle once and another time I had to prevent a mutant from stealing a crate of fruit and running off with it.” Enki points out.
“Hm, glad to hear that you’ve been able to handle yourself, but that’s still a far cry from what your dad has been dealing with.”
“Yeah I get it, I’m not dad.”
“No, you’re not. You’re me and that’s a hell of a lot better. Now shut up and listen because this isn’t something you can learn in a book.”

Enki goes back to watching the road while you talk.

“I never really had a great desire for children, I suppose that was one reason why I suggested the current arrangement I have with your father and your aunt Helen. It’s worked out fairly well I think and I know it makes Helen very happy. She gets to be perpetually pregnant and raise children and for the most part I get to avoid it. Well for awhile anyway, see, your father may have a fondness for Helen, but he’ll never love her like he loves me…I think even Helen might know that, but she’s fine with it. Your father REALLY wanted to have a child with me and eventually after some thought to it, I agreed and here you are.”
“So I’m only here because you let dad impregnate you instead of aunt Helen?” Enki asks.
“I told you not to interrupt!” you snap.

You continue.

“Now of course the general assumption was that I’d probably just let Helen take care of you, but I didn’t do that. I gave birth to you, and I felt you were MY responsibility. You and I may be Morningstars by name, but we both know that we’re not really like the rest of them. Think about all your brothers, sisters and cousins, can you honestly say you feel any connection to any of them? I’m not asking if you like, love or even care for them, but don’t you feel disconnected just a little?”
“Well…I suppose sometimes I do.” Enki says.
“And that is exactly how I used to feel with my own family a long time ago. I used to hide out from the world as much as possible and I did a good job of it too and then one week…a bunch of shit happened that changed my life forever. Quite frankly if it hadn’t been for your father I’m not sure if I would have even survived it, because I was near totally unprepared when the shit hit the fan.”

Enki looks over at you a bit more interested in what you have to say now. Good.

“I don’t want YOU to ever be that unprepared. Hence why you have to occasionally deal with the outside world no matter how shitty it is. Had I actually been prepared, maybe I could’ve made some better choices. Don’t get me wrong, I think I made the best of a potentially bad situation and I’m happy with your father, and my current life could be a hell of a lot worse, but still sometimes I think: What if?”
“Doesn’t Tiamat teach us all that life is chaos and that ultimately our choices don’t really matter anyway?” Enki asks.
“Do you really believe in all that stuff?”
“Not really.”
“Which is another example of how you stand out from the rest. You’re intelligent and you’re a potential leader, Enki. You’re not like your siblings…or rather your half siblings. Helen can have as many incest babies as she likes, She can have them in the double digits to match their IQ levels and your father can use them in whatever war he likes. Your life however is much more valuable. You’re MY son and there is only one of you.”

Enki looks at you in not quite disbelief, but something close to it. He knows full well you’ve always had a major hand in directly raising him and teaching him about this harsh new world, but this is probably the first time you’ve come close to expressing a close bond with him. Not in a twisted way like so many of the other Morningstars engage in, but in a normal way.

“I love you son and whether you eventually become head of the family or if you decide to just strike out on your own completely and find your own path doesn’t matter. Don’t get stuck in a rut or allow yourself to feel trapped so you have no options. Ultimately just do what is best for you because that’s all you can do in this world.” You say.

Enki is visibly overcome a bit with emotion. Some eye watering occurs and in true male fashion he turns his head away so you can’t see, which causes you to smile a bit.

“Don’t worry son, you can let your guard down in front of me. Just don’t let those mutants see you like that.” you say.
“Yeah, definitely wouldn’t want that to happen. Showing weakness in front of them is probably bad for diplomacy.” Enki chuckles and briefly rubs his eyes.

As you and your son continue on your way to Emberville, you talk much more and can see Enki is going to be just fine.

Maybe you made some concessions to get where you are and you even had some fun doing it, but at least your son knows that he doesn’t have to compromise and can be a master of his own destiny rather than being a slave to circumstance.

Even Grandma Morningstar would approve of that lesson.