The Hubris of an Estranged Father

Written by Adam Mullen, with art by Marcelo Millicay, and edited by Ted Kendrick.

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The feelings that Janos Langston perceived at the moment were surprising to say the least. Langston spent many years hating his son Jimmy. As he sat in his favorite chair, and reviewed reports from his mining operations, Langston realized what happened several hours earlier stirred something he hadn’t felt towards Jimmy since before the birth of his estranged son. Was it the instinctual love that a father held for a child? It couldn't be. Langston believed he was incapable of loving Jimmy. Throughout the years, Langston would brush such emotions aside. Afterall, it was his son’s fault for the death of his beloved wife, Vanessa. 

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Complications occurred during the birth. Langston refused to find off-world doctors who could ensure that the pregnancy would be accomplished problem free. Langston was unable to see past his own hubris that, given the lack of resources on Hippeia, the mining planet was no place for an expectant mother to give birth. 

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After her death, and the successful birth of his son, the doctors told Langston that it was the pollutant conditions of the mine that led to Vanessa’s demise. Langston wouldn’t accept responsibility for her death. He convinced himself it was Jimmy’s fault, and so, he chose to distance himself from his son by putting the boy to work in the mines as soon as he was old enough to pick up a mining laser. At first, Langston felt guilty for forcing his child to work hard manual labor, but with poor regulations during the war, no one came to check on the child. 

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Langston picked up the picture that sat on his desk of his beloved Vanessa, pregnant with their child, and looking genuinely happy. After so many years, if it wasn’t for the photo, Langston wouldn’t remember what she even looked like anymore. Vanessa’s death drove Langston into a deep depression. The only solace he found was in the abundant amount of chips pouring in from supplying both the Imperium and the Protectorate with enough atominite to fuel their war machines to last for the full duration of their war with centuries of chaos to spare. In many ways, Langston reflected, he never recovered from his wife’s death, but writing off Jimmy as dead all those years ago made him feel nearly whole. Or at least, that’s what he thought. Now that Jimmy was truly dead, he now felt as if Vanessa’s death was avenged, but something still gnawed at him. 

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With his son now gone, he felt a twinge of sadness, but why? Even after all these years and after everything he put Jimmy through, could it be that he still loved his son? Langston tried so hard to lock those feelings away that he had fooled himself into thinking he didn’t love Jimmy. He looked back at the photo. “No, Jimmy killed her,” Langston reminded himself. “If he had never been born, she would still be alive!” He could never love his son.

Suddenly, a haggard, sweating guard ran into the room, taking him out of his head. “Sir! We have reports of weapons fire coming from the main entrance to the mine.” 

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An unsettling feeling came over Langston, like today would be the day that he died. At least he would be reunited with Vanessa again, but then, whatever afterlife awaited him, he realized that Jimmy would surely be there too. Rage swelled up inside of him. “Shato!” 

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