Beautiful [Alien!Gerard]

01.

"Mother, where are you?!" Gerard yelled.

He had to yell, his parents wouldn't listen otherwise. A hand firmly tapped the back of his head, ruffling his flaming red hair. The hand was firm and thick, no doubt belonging to man. He yelped, turning to see his father giving him a stern look.

"Yelling is unnecessary, Gerard." His father chastened.

Everything here is unnecessary, he wanted to say. Instead, Gerard nodded softly, apologizing. "Where is mother?" He asked.

"Downstairs, preparing lunch." His father replied before walking downstairs. Gerard followed, softly hugging his mother's side. She gently swats him away. He allowed it. It's how his mother showed she cared. Not by kissing his scrapes or tucking him in, but by enforcing the laws of their planet.

It was better than nothing; Gerard had accepted it long ago. He preferred it over the relationships (or the lack of) that most of his colleagues had with their parents. He'd seen the blank, cold stares. Their eyes lacked the warmth his parents' never did.

In his studies of the Abandoned Planet, he was told that the inhabitants there were awfully physically affectionate. So many different forms of touching occurred there. The Abandoned Planet was a planet that Gerard's race had once tried to occupy before giving up when the saw what had become of the pioneers on the planet. Instead of doing things for the greater good of the people, they were off picking flowers and creating art. It disgusted the Master race to such an extent that they banished and renounced the pioneers.

The pioneers were meant to die off, but they did quite the opposite. They populated the Earth with more fanciful, wasteful beings. Eventually the Master race gave up altogether on trying to claim other planets, sticking to the planet we started on. We began focusing on simply finding nearby planets with bountiful resources.

"Will I have time to eat?" Gerard asked.

"I haven't prepared you anything, we'll be eating after... after you leave." His mother replied.

He nodded in understanding. He'd be able to eat in the ship after he was far away from the planet. The thought of it made his chest tighten. However, it didn't tighten with anxiety, but with excitement. He'd always found himself hating his planet.

It was much like a "concrete jungle", as the humans would call it. He'd studied the Abandoned Planet for many years, learning everything he could, though he would never go there. Unfortunately for him, their language was impossible to learn. He didn't even know what a jungle was, just that a city with many tall buildings was referred to as a "concrete jungle". How odd.

His language was as bland as the government-rationed, whole-wheat bread his mother was handling with her delicate hands. There were no adjectives, his language held no wonder or passion. His language was awful.

He gathered his gear, stuffing it in a plain bag before walking out the front door with his parents. He could almost taste their anxiety in the air. They'd never agreed with his life. While his peers were learning how to manufacture goods for the better of society, he was studying the stars and the neighboring planets.

His blue suit was brighter in the dampened sunlight, the sky overcast with kitten grey clouds. Unlike Earth, there was hardly any grass, or any dirt. Vents popped out of the ground in convenient places, keeping Gerard the perfect temperature to prevent sweat or goosebumps.

Gerard had never had a shower in his life, he'd never needed one. Gerard had never touched dirt, sand, or grass. These things were foreign to him. He'd never been dirty. He supposed water was needed for more important things, like food.

He'd never drank water before. He'd read many texts that mentioned humans having to drink water in its plain form, and it was confusing. He'd only ever had the government-prescribed water replacement tablets. They had no taste or scent; he simply crushed one in his mouth routinely to prevent dehydration without enjoyment.

His parents often glanced at him, both looking as if they wanted to say something but not seeming to have the words. Or perhaps they had words, but refused to say them. Gerard eyed the home he would soon leave, and the houses surrounding it. He would not miss a thing. Not the dull mailbox, the windowless houses, or the yard that was completely paved with plain concrete.

As he stepped into the Astronomical Travel and Research building, he let his excitement explode outward as he allowed himself the smallest smile. His fellow researchers didn't seem to mind. Necessity was more lax here. His parents, however, attempted to scold him in the short amount of time they had left with him. He allowed them to; he knew they meant well.

He slipped into an empty room to change into his oxygen tank. The mask fit securely over his face, concealing his prominent cheekbones and sharply defined lips. He stepped onto a platform that held his Mayflower of freedom. He gave a soft look to his parents as he stepped in. He had no way to say goodbye, but he supposed the look would suffice.

Not a minute after that, the ship took off. He gritted his teeth as he watched the only world he was familiar with grow farther and farther away. Soon, the ship was bathing in the endless black that was the universe.

After only a month, he knew something was wrong. The ship was supposed to have landed on a nearby planet days ago. He bit his lip nervously, attempting to communicate with his commanders. No reply came.

He shut down the ship, turning on cryostasis. He was lost in space, and the most he could do was shut his body down until it was found. He hoped he would still be alive for that.