'Of all the things to remember, of course it's another unclear memory!'
Theus made the screen flash away, knowing he wasn't going to get answers to the questions he was asking to himself. He then focused on Soteira's face, who was staring at him in confusion and anger.
"What'd you say 'What the hell' for, sweetheart?"
Theus, dumbfounded, realized that his unpleasant reaction to his status screen was said out loud. His mother must have misunderstood and thought he was reacting to her crying.
"No, don't worry ma! It's regarding my results, not you-"
Soteira got up from kneeling down, where she was hugging him, and gave him an accusatory glance, then let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm just glad you're okay is all. Are you ready for your flight to Europa now?"
Snapping back to reality, Theus recalled his mother's wish. Soteira had saved enough currency at the factory in order to afford a cheap flight to Europa, where Theus would live anew with even better opportunities.
Sadly, this trip was only for promising kids who recently received their dose of The Mutation, forcing her to have to find other means of transportation in her own time. Theus' face grew sullen as he looked back at his mother.
"But you promised we'd go together. Why can't we?"
Soteira feigned a smile and continued.
"They're offering us a discount, Theus. Since you just received your shot, it'll be a free ride there instead. It's what's best for you. I wasn't able to save enough."
His eyes narrowed at the response, thinking back to how he ended up needing to be adopted in the first place, how he was abandoned.
"Are you just tired of watching over me, like they were? Is that it?"
Theus' arm was snatched by his mother as they stormed out of the office together, leaving the doctor with his payment.
"Say that I'm like them again, and you won't see me anymore either."
Theus fell limp at her words, still being dragged by his mother. Soteira was rough with her words regarding things similar to death. Theus never understood why, typically being shut down anytime he'd ask her the reason.
They arrived sometime later in complete silence at an airport, with multiple walls and tiles missing from both the outside and inside of it. People on Deceased Earth typically scavenged the best quality materials that were left on the abandoned planet, dedicating little amounts of care to maintaining the stability of these unused structures.
A large plastic sign with words etched deep into it stuck out to Theus, plastered in the direction that Soteira was dragging him towards.
"PROSPECTS OF TRUTH, FREE FLIGHTS FOR MUTATED KIDS"
Theus carefully looked at his mother, wanting at least some share of words before his departure.
"I'm sorry about before Ma it's just, I've got a Desire I don't even understand-"
Soteira looked around her and then stopped, turning around to whisper to Theus.
"It's alright sweetie. Just, no matter what you do, promise me this, Theus. Never stop learning and staying curious, I'm begging you."
When she pulled away from the solitude of the whisper, she had tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped them away and continued walking with Theus, at a much slower pace than before.
The terminal only had an employee dressed in, what appeared to be, the company's signature clothes. They were typical, standard-issue space wear that was evidently worn previously, showcasing and highlighting the rather poor funding of the company.
The only identification the employee wore was a black tag with his numbers, 0284, etched in white. The rest of the space suit was in a dirty brown, with gray shoulder pauldrons and black lines stretching across the rest of the suit, connecting the fabric together. Theus' face grew grim at the sight. He thought the suit was ugly.
The metal door to the left of the employee belonged to the ship, its structure showing clear signs of rust. The ship itself couldn't be seen due to the terminal's overall stability, with the walls still intact, it covered the view of the ship.
When Theus arrived at the terminal, he was immediately greeted by the employee with an amicable, but off putting smile.
"Welcome! Are you here to register for today's flight… uh, your name?"
Currently lost in a trance, Theus stared at the employee's shabby suit, questioning its integrity. The employee's smile slowly transformed into a bored, impatient look.
"Huh? Oh, I'm Theus."
The employee's smile returned, and took his arm roughly, pulling out a syringe and vial.
"Great! I'm going to have to check your blood to make sure you're mutated, is that alright?"
Theus shrugged, then turned back to his mother, who did the same.
"Sure, but is it going to hurt-?"
Just as Theus finished his question, the syringe plunged into his vein, drawing his blood.
'Damn! I'm tired of things happening before I'm even ready!'
The vial filled with Theus' blood, and the syringe was pulled out hastily, the wound healing slightly faster than normal due to the assistance of The Mutation.
The employee flashed a smile again, and inserted the blood into the terminal's makeshift database.
"Do you know what your Desire's abilities are?"
At a loss of what to say, Theus was going to read out his typing instead, when a voice shut him up from within.
'DON'T.'
Theus was baffled, his own mouth wasn't abiding by his commands, and instead listened to the will of another. For some reason, he had found the voice eerily familiar to him, yet didn't have any time to question it. Everything was moving so fast.
The employee stood there, waiting for Theus' response when Soteira came up and held Theus by the shoulder.
"He's received his shot just now, so he's not sure. Will he still be able to board?"
The employee's face turned to one of disappointment, yet his tone remained jubilant, printing a passenger number for Theus.
"Of course! Here is your identification number. The rest of the crew will explain the details once we're set for departure. Enjoy your flight, Prospect Theus!"
Theus gave the employee a weird grin, then turned to his mother, who was trying to hold back tears while holding her head. He walked over and hugged her in a tender embrace.
"I promise you I'll visit mom. Once I save up enough money, I'll buy you a flight so you can come too, deal?"
Soteira rubbed her eyes and gave Theus a fake smile, suppressing her tears and hopelessness she felt deep down.
"Deal. Remember sweetheart, never stop learning."
With that, Theus embarked on the shuttle, turning around to wave goodbye. He heard an announcement blaze through the ship's loudspeaker, prompting him to jump a little.
"Welcome, #3000, to the Stellar Pioneer!"
He was now alone.