The Star Guardian

Chapter 2: Leaving Home

When I got home late one afternoon, I saw numerous vehicles parked in front of my house. The door was open, and several strangers were inside.

My entry was stopped by a stranger in a uniform I didn't know.

"My name is Ian, I live here," I answered simply and without emotion. When dealing with other Tians, I've learnt to turn down my human side. It gave the impression that I was agitated or rude. My heart was pounding beneath the surface. To re-center myself, I took a deep breath.

He called out to another being, who brought me a short distance away.

"Can you tell me what happened?" I inquired. Before speaking, he took out a hand scanner from his uniform and checked my identification.

He strained to gaze up at my face and said, "Your mother is dead."

I didn't answer right away. My instincts informed me that my next response was crucial. Don't smile or do anything that could be construed as a confession of guilt. Do not become enraged or offended. That could indicate that I'm about to become aggressive. My responses were being recorded as potential evidence.

I inhaled deeply again. My arms remained close to my sides. There will be no large gestures that they might misunderstand. So far, everything has gone well. He had no intention of apprehending or subduing me. Despite my size, I was unarmed. There's no reason to make things more complicated. "Could you explain what happened?"

"Preliminary evidence suggests she committed suicide earlier this afternoon."

"I see..." It was expected that it would happen at some point. It didn't come as a surprise to me. I was hoping for that at times. She was a whirlpool of gloom and doom. There was nothing I could do to help her. At the very least, she was at ease now. "She hadn't been pleased in a long time, as far as I could tell."

Another uniformed figure, this one a female, came over and stood behind me as I processed the information. I didn't have anything else to say because I was half expecting it to happen. When I considered my most recent contacts with my mother, I couldn't think of anything noteworthy.

I'm confident that the video records will show that I did nothing wrong. They don't have anything on me, or they'd treat me differently.

She reached up and placed her hand on my shoulder. Was she trying to show empathy to me? I decided to relax even more and concentrate on neutral thoughts in case she was seeking to read my mind.

It's not every day when your only parent passes away. I don't want to cry in front of people I don't know. Tears are not Tian's thing. Later, there'd be time for that. I'm Tian, and I have to act the part. I breathed deeply and wiped my tears away with my sleeve.

"This was left for you by your mother." She said this as she handed me a note. I took a look at it, but it was written in English. But I'd never truly learned how to read that language. However, I didn't feel compelled to disclose this at this time. I tucked the note into my pocket. I took another deep breath to calm myself down.

"So, what happens next?" I questioned of her. The other being had taken a step back, leaving me in her care. I assumed they assigned me to her since I was a minor.

"Ian. I'm from the orphanage in the heart of the city. We've changed your status to orphan as of now. I'll assist you in gathering your belongings and transporting you to your new residence. I've also contacted the scientists, as your mom was a research subject. They claimed that Earth ceremonies included the burying of their deceased. If this is okay to you, they would like to organize a fitting ceremony."