"You mean to say that they only suspected you of being a virgin for some reason?" Adam asked.
"Correct," Eytelis replied. "In ancient times, we Dryads were known to only ever be intimate with one individual, the one we planned to spend the rest of our lives with. I guess that's why they figured I was still a virgin.
That reputation has stuck with us over the years since it's rare to see a Dryad in their true form being intimate with multiple people; however, that doesn't mean that the younger members of our race who can transform don't like to let go every now and then.
We are naturally influenced by the citizens of the planets we inhabit and in my case it's the Solarians. They're nowhere near as lustful as some of the other races, but they still have their needs and desires."
"Still, It's surprising you're this flirtatious after Fiere sexually assaulted you. From what I know, most people become afraid of intimate contact after experiencing that," Adam replied.
"I suppose that's true for many people, but you're forgetting one thing," Eytelis replied. "When it happens to them, they are most likely alone, with no one to support them. I, on the other hand, was never alone; I always had the support of the great tree."
"Still, I'm sorry for what you had to go through," Adam stated.
***
Galamedees Galaxy, Solarian Prime.
Queen Riniya sighed as she heard Eytelis's explanation before saying, "I always suspected she was up to something when she occasionally left the great tree in disguise; I just never thought she was doing that."
"I guess someone rubbed off on her," Keerla teased.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Riniya asked with a frown.
"Oh, nothing," Kerala replied innocently. "It's not like you keep the king busy every night or anything."
"Err, is it me, or has the stream frozen?" Becky asked.
"No, it's not just you," Tessa replied. "He's still live; I mean, we can still hear them talking and the chat is moving. But why is the picture frozen… oh wait, it's back."
As Becky and Tessa were discussing the frozen video feed, the stream suddenly switched to Adam's first-person perspective and continued.
"Is that a portable subspace relay?" Shalendra asked in surprise as she stared at the stream.
***
[Lizziethetruepower (Palaxia): What was up with the video freezing?]
[OfficialMuriel (Aqua Primus): No clue, but it's back now.]
[OfficialKasumi (Aqua Primus): Do you think it happened to hide something from us?]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Unlikely. The stream normally switches to a different camera when that happens, not freeze altogether.]
The pair had entered a long, thin room that ran the length of the office wall.
Within it was a single desk with a console lying atop it, while multiple cabinets were filled with hundreds of data drives, along with miscellaneous objects.
Then, at the far end, in the corner of the room, was a piece of technology that flashed with different coloured lights.
"A portable subspace relay- I guess that explains why you didn't find anything on the mainframe," Eytelis said in surprise as she saw the device.
"I'm guessing this is a portable version of those devices that allow a galaxy to connect to the universal subspace network?" Adam asked as he walked up and examined the device.
"Correct," Eytelis replied as she began to explain. "Because of how they have to connect an entire galaxy, subspace relays are enormous. This thing here is only designed to allow connections within a limited radius."
"So she's probably using this to conduct the organisation's business," Adam replied.
"Probably via that console," Eytelis replied while indicating the console on the desk.
"If it's a relay point, shouldn't others in the house be able to access it?" Adam asked.
"This room is probably shielded from all external and internal signals, excluding those that use subspace," Eytelis answered.
"Maybe that's why my chat is saying something about my stream's video feed freezing," Adam remarked as he read the chat.
[[Affirmative. The microcams video transmission is not done via subspace, unlike your artificial eyes, and audio transmission.]
[MercheadAnderson (Palaxia): I guess that explains it.]
[HackerSu (TIS-Starleap): Yeah. The streamer's AI probably converts whatever transmission feed the minicams use into a subspace transmission.]
"Well, let's get down to business," Adam stated before moving back towards the desk and holding his uniband over the console.
[[Console detected.]]
[[Accessing console.]]
[[Access aquired.]]
[[Initiating scan.]]
[[ALERT.]]
[[The console has begun a self-deletion program. Estimate three seconds until everything is erased.]]
[[Increasing scan rate to maximum to gather as much information as possible.]]
"Huh!" Adam said in surprise.
"Something wrong?" Eytelis asked.
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): A self-deletion program. Damn, I should have thought of that and warned him.]
[Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): Clever move.]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): Indeed. I doubt they want the information on the console falling into the wrong hands.]
[[Self-deletion program has finished, the console's hard drive is now empty.]]
"Did you manage to get anything in time?" Adam asked.
[[Yes, though most of it is fragmented from the deletion program and so is useless without another source to cross reference it with.]]
"Damn," Adam cursed.
"I take it something went wrong?" Eytelis asked.
"The console had a self-deletion program," Adam answered. "All we got was fragmented pieces of information."
"That's annoying, though I'm not entirely surprised," Eytelis said with a sigh.
Adam nodded before looking around the room at all the data drives and asking, "I wonder if we can get anything from all of these?"
"Well, considering they're hidden in this room, they probably have important information that bitch doesn't want to get out," Eytelis replied.
"Agreed, I'd like to take them with me so that my ship's AI could go through them all; unfortunately, I don't have anything to carry them in," Adam said with a sigh.
"I… err, I could help with that, though you might err, might find the method I use to carry them… disturbing," Eytelis stated nervously.
"I would be grateful if you really can help and I promise to try and not be disturbed," Adam replied.
"Ok then," Eytelis stated before opening one of the cabinets and gingerly removing a data drive from one of the shelves.
After studying it for a few seconds, she tilted her head back and opened her mouth before dropping the data drive inside.
[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK!]
[Superherofangirl (Earth): She just ate it. Am I seeing things? Please tell me I'm not seeing things.]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): You're not seeing things; she just ate that thing.]
[Celebrityhunter69 (Earth): That can't be good for her digestion.]
[1000yearsofdeath (Earth): Does that count as one of her 5 a day? Kekeke.]
"Err," Adam stated as no words came to him, and he just stared at her in shock.
"Hey! You said you wouldn't find it disturbing," Eytelis pouted.
[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): How the fuck is he not supposed to find that disturbing?]
[Justiceistruth (Earth): I'd say it's more weird than disturbing.]
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): Do trees regularly eat technology out in the universe?]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): No, they don't, and she's a Dryad, not a tree.]
"I'd say I'm more shocked than disturbed," Adam replied. "I mean, you just ate it."
"Ate it?" Eytelis replied in surprise before giggling and saying, "I didn't eat it. I reconfigured my internals before putting it in my mouth. It's now stored within my body."
"Reconfigured your internals?" Adam repeated in surprise. "It's not going to melt, is it?"
"No, it's not going to melt. My body currently lacks any acidic substance," Eytelis replied as she tried to keep herself from laughing.
"Then how have you been consuming food for energy up until now?" Adam asked.
"Oh, at that time my body did have a type of acidic substance in it," Eytelis replied. "I can create and remove it as I wish."
"Riigggtttt," Adam replied before indicating all the data drives in the cabinets while asking, "So can your body manage all of these?"
"Won't be a problem," Eytelis replied with a smile before she picked up another data drive and ate it.
[Justiceistruth (Earth): This is so freaky.]
[Animefangirl (Earth): This is so Anime.]
[RealOtaku (Earth): I've watched TV shows and movies, or played games featuring people or animals that ate metallic objects or technology before, but never stored it in their stomach.]
Adam watched with interest as Eytelis ate a few more data drives before asking, "Spector. Is there any way to counter that self-deletion program? Chances are we will encounter it again in the future; heck, these data drives might even have it installed on them."
[[I am currently analising the self-deletion program in an attempt to find a counter measure.]]
"Good," Adam replied as he decided to continue looking around the room.
[[NOTICE.]]
[[Fiere Lucent and Arisu Kasai have returned to the living room after cleaning up after their activities.]]
"OH!" Adam replied before instructing. "Transmit the security feed."
[[Affirmative.]]
As Spector finished speaking, a holographic screen appeared above Adam's uniband while the stream switched to show the same room Adam had previously met Fiere in.