Chapter: 33 ( Am I orphan now?)

Augustya Pandora had been gazing through the window for a while.

Everything looked similar: the meteorite, the rocks, and the rosette nebula.

The fancy telescope that we saw produced a ravishing image of a different type of nebula. It was just an exaggeration. In reality, everything appeared the same on a pitch-black night.

Moreover, the void of darkness, which 

could be seen, had a serenity of its own.

Augustya was feeling better compared to previous days, yet his desire to eat vanished. Perhaps this was a side effect of overeating.

"Meg, scan this nebula." Augusta ordered her again.  However, no reply came from the AI, Meg. For the past two rotations(two days), Meg wasn't responding to him or not working efficiently.  Maybe Meg's battery was dead. 

'Where should I go now? I guess I should have surrendered myself to the Igruis royal military. At least they will not think of me as a traitor or terrorist.' Augustya was thinking deeply about this as he peeked at others.

'Ruth will be happy to see me. I should tell Famara about this.' 

His peace was going to end as soon as the red-haired boy slapped his shoulders violently.

*Slap!*

Augustya brushed off Zekrom's hand from his shoulder and gave him a stern look.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I am not fond of physical contact?" The boy growled at him and did not want to see his hedious face anymore. 

Zekrom grimaced and stepped back a little.

A few minutes later, he returned and finally  broke the silence. 

"Nobody was here talking with me. Everyone seemed busy with their own work. " Zekrom complained because  he didn't like the current atmosphere. 

"Brother, don't show me the cold shoulder. "

Augustya took a deep sigh, replied in a rational mind.  "Because you saved my life once, I forgive you this time." 

"Brother, are you still thinking about where you should go?" He asked, scratching his cheeks. 

"Hmm! I have been thinking for a while; maybe I will go back to Igrius. Back to my family, my home."

"Will they accept you after all of that?"

"I don't have this answer at this moment. I am still Pandora; therefore, I am mentally preparing myself for the punishment." 

Afterwards, Zekrom didn't ask further.

The pirate spaceship was so silent, as if they were at a funeral.

"Augustya, you have a message from your sister. " Julie shouted. "  Come to the pilot room."  

Both of them went to the pilot room, where Vidyut and Julie were sitting on the chair, and Famara was standing beside the pillar.

"Wow! Whole troops marching together," 

Zekrom giggled, trying to lighten their mood.

"Clown, read the room. You shouldn't joke at every moment. " Vidyut scolded him.

"Especially when we are having an important conversation."

"Take a look at the last message that your sister sent." Julie ignored those idiots and played the video that Maraya Pandora sent. 

Augustya glanced at the flat touch screen. The next moment, Maraya Pandora's face appeared.

"Hi kiddo, if you are watching this, it means my birthday is coming soon."

"°….°" Everyone was amused by his sister's boldness. 

She continued with her jittery smile,  "Listen, don't surrender or try to come back home. I heard from my sources that the Igrius searching unit is  looking for you. Furthermore, they plan  to wipe your long term memory again so they can use you as an Igrius weapon."

"Mother has already signed the rehabilitation paper. Stay hidden till you can!"

"Igrius is not your home anymore." The last sentence made Augustya bite his upper lips.  Augustya's family finally  abandoned him officially. Pandora had some hidden rules if they killed their own blood and were found guilty. Hence, the ruler of the kingdom signed a decree making him a puppet so they had never betrayed their own blood again. And, lived as a puppet for whole life. 

"Also, Ruth and Rosa are going to marry soon. I will miss you at this boring wedding." She exclaimed, pursed her red lips.  Ruth Pandora, the eldest sibling of all, was going to tie the knot with Nurg 3, Farida princess, Rosa Sage.

"Sister, tell me what I should do now." Augustya asked in desperation.

"This is a prerecorded video, Augustya. She can't hear or see you." Julie spoke in a gentle voice. 

Maraya continued, " I am sending you an email that might help you. Goodbye Augustya!"   These were her last words from Maraya Pandora. 

The touched screen turned into black while giving Augustya dismal. 

"Am-Am I an orphan now?" The boy couldn't digest that his own family had abandoned him. Augustya thought if he went to Nacht E, they would accept him later. His eyes turned misty but he held his tears back. 

Nobody knew how to console this fragile child. 

"No! No! They can't just disown me. I am the youngest prince of Igrius, a genius that was never born." He said this to himself as he looked at others with disdain.

"This must be your trick, right?"

Out of the blue, Julie hugged him and shared her warmth with him.

"You are not alone. Damn your family and the royal customs.  Augustya, you are going to stay with us."

She continued with a soft voice,"  You are not abandoned by us. We will search for a new home for you." 

....

"Are boys sleeping yet?" Famara asked Julie. Her wound was recovering,as the two of them planned to have a movie date tonight. 

Julie nodded her head and sat down beside him on the cold floor.

"Isn't it weird?  Both kids lost their home in a single night.  One who is slightly affected by another, just sobbing like rainfall." 

"It's not that weird. A few years ago, I lost my troops in the great Z war too." Famara Kelvis denied the fact.  

"You were different. You were born in the birth pod, not in the mother's womb. Neither you have a bloodline to share with nor a family." Julie stated the facts.

After knowing each other for years, both of them didn't have secrets to hide. 

"Besides, you don't have emotion in your brain. You are a rock." Julie chuckled and rubbed her chin. 

The Schatten troops, or majority of royal soldiers of Pandora, were born in the birth pod, including Augustya's siblings. 

Hence, the birth pod took away the business of new mothers and surrogate mothers. 

There was no need for a female uterus to give birth, and because of this, matriarchs bloomed in the majority of the Duckway galaxy.  It also gave women the right to do whatever they wanted without needing to intercource with men. 

Therefore, men didn't have to pay for alimony or worry about marriage.  It was a win- win situation for everyone except kids. 

" Who is talking that hasn't removed her uterus yet? Aren't you worried that a scum man will take advantage of you?" 

"Scum man like you?" Julie bit her lower lips and looked straight into his emerald green eyes. 

"Your purple skin is radiating. Sexy!"

"Julie! Cut it out. Your seduction doesn't work on me." Famara  purple cheeks started flustering as he averted his eyes from her. 

"Seduce? I don't seduce others. Others are seduced by me." Julie had a mischievous  smile on her face. 

"And yours is small." She pointed her finger at his pants and tried to get out of his sight.  Quickly, he held her wrist, not letting her go.

"Attention please, we are 80000 km away from our last destination, the Ferry Cosmopolitan Island.  The autopilot is already set so you can have a good night." Announcements rang all through the spaceship as the pilot went into deep slumber. 

Perhaps this night is going to be wild for some,  others spent it overthinking.