"Sure, I don't mind." Looking up at the Dryad as she took me by the arm and we walked back into the hallways.

"Well as you are our guest why don't you go first."

I was silent for a moment as I contemplated what question I should ask first.

"How long have you been a part of Stella's crew?"

"Starting off with an easy question. I like that. Well I have known Stella and been part of her crew now for about six galactic years. I actually helped her out of some trouble she got herself in and then after that we have stuck together." I could tell she was living some sort of found memory as she spoke.

"How old are you Elly?"

I smiled at the question as it seemed she didn't want to go to harder questions till i did. "As far as i know i am sixteen galactic years old. I was just released from the Syaty IV orphanage two months ago on what was presumed to be my birthday."

"Well that does explain some things around the malnourished look. I am sure they barely kept you fed enough to meet basic needs and left you with nothing when they kicked you out. Typical government ran assholes." I was shocked at how much hatred was in her voice. She wasn't wrong about any of what she said though.

"That also means you are basic and have had no enhancements made." She made that more of a statement than a question. "Forgive me Elly it's your turn for questions. I just get so worked up at how these typical government assholes treat people who are supposed to be in their care. How does anyone expect you to survive let alone thrive with what little they give you. It really is unfair and truly pisses me off."

I can't describe how great it felt to have someone voice their anger in defense of me. It took me aback for a minute as we walked in silence.

I broke the silence. "Where are you from? I have only known Syaty IV."

Grace looked up towards the ceiling as if she was looking for something and then she looked back down at me. "My home world is called Thrifa. Its is a lovely place full of lush vegetation and pristine oceans. I haven't been there in a long time."

She looked down at her arm that was replaced with a robotic one. It was interesting being close like this and seeing her arm. It had the normal shape of her other arm but outside of that it was vastly different. Her other arm had the olive skin tone that reminded me of bark. This one though was the color of silver like her eyes. It was as if someone had replaced all of her muscle with smooth silver wires that interlaced in some beautiful pattern. Her fingers were interesting as they had very square ends to them yet her whole arm was still somewhat soft to the touch now that i thought about it.

We turned another corner and entered what I assumed was medical. It had the same medical-like table I had been to many times at the orphanage but that is where it ended in likeness. In one corner there was a massive display screen that had a terminal attached to one side. The opposite corner had a big tank that had some tubes hanging down inside. In the center of the room though had a more advanced looking medical bed. This looked like it could encase the person in some sort of glass covering.

"Welcome to my work area. I am actually quite excited to see what we can learn about you. Let's start off easy. I would like to have you sit her on the table here in the center and let me get you something to drink while we work." Grace went over to the side wall and opened up a panel that hid a refrigerator behind it. She pulled out what looked like a nutrient shake. These are something I am very familiar with as this was my main source of diet at the orphanage. The best way I can describe these is if you took chalk and mixed it with watery milk. . . Flavor you might be asking and that is the flavor. CHALK.

As I sat on the medical table Grace moved to a console behind the bend. I was expecting her to type something into the pad but instead her hair moved on its own and slid into the table. Her eyes took on an interesting sheen as they looked like the surface of a soap bubble. You know when you can see a multitude of colors swirling around.

"So two lungs, that is to be expected. One heart, looks to be in good shape, spinal cord, and all of the normal nerve endings. Brain activity seems to be what I would expect. Hmm, calcium bones it looks like with normal density. . . Elly, could you drink that drink for me please?"

I held the gross drink up to my lips and took a sip and OH MY GOD! These nutrient shakes came in flavors! This was some sort of rich dark chocolate shake. I got lost in the flavor as I drank deep and deeper from it. Before I knew it I had finished the whole thing licking my lips wishing I had more.

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"Now that is interesting. How are you feeling, Elly?" Grace said with a quizzical smile forming on her face.

"I feel like I was missing out on my whole life! I didn't know these could be flavored, let alone something so rich in flavor. I could drink ten more of those and probably still want more." I looked up at the dryad as she still stared off with her soap bubble eyes.

"That is what I thought. I don't think you could handle ten but i think you could handle a couple more. Could you go back to the panel and get two from the middle and one from the bottom shelf. They unfortunately are all chocolate, I am afraid."

I was up and in the refrigerator quicker than I think I have moved in my entire life. The fridge seemed to hold six shakes on the three shelving units. I quickly grabbed what the doctor ordered because who am I to question a doctor when they are asking you to drink chocolate shakes.

I started on my first shake as I sat back down on the table and just as quickly drank that one down.

"Very interesting." I hear Grace say quietly.

"May I ask what you find so interesting about me drinking a nutrient shake?" I said as I tilted my head, finding the questions amusing.

"Oh yes sorry. Let me ask you this first: are you feeling full at all?"

I paused at that. Normally we would get one nutrient shake per day as it was the minimum amount of nutrients to keep one's body healthy. I should say healthy in quotes as I was considered very skinny for my body. I was not malnourished enough that someone would call the authorities or complain to some government lead about it. I was just never given more than the bare minimum.

"I have never thought about that. I don't think I have ever truly felt full. I mean I was always given the minimum amount of nutrients to keep healthy. I would say no I am not full. I still feel like I could drink at least a couple more of these."

"That's what I thought you would say and that is also what I find interesting. You see those are not the same quality of nutrient shake that you were given at the orphanage. These are deep space nutrient shakes that should fill up even the most modified of individuals of their needs. What's even more fascinating watching you consume them. Like I said when I was first looking at you your organs seem to be normal to my scans. Watching them work however says that they are anything but normal. Maybe they are normal for whatever species you are but I have never heard or seen something like this."

Grace paused and was lost in another thought as she still was looking through those eyes that met she was seeing whatever her changed vision was showing her.

"Is there a way I could see what it is you are seeing?" I was curious. Any information that could help me better understand who or what I am was priceless to me.

"Oh yes! Oh I am so sorry. I could only imagine how curious I would be if I was in your shoes." She flicked her wrist and a translucent image of my body appeared in front of me. It zoomed in on where my stomach was at and I could see the shake moving in as I took another sip.

"Well that is not what i was expecting to see when i found the two of you." Came Stella's voice as she entered the medical bay followed by the dwarf Milly.

"I am not seeing what is so fascinating about watching another person consume those gross nutrient shakes." Milly quipped as she came to stand in front of me looking at the image as well.

"Well that is because you only care about stealing, drinking, and sex. You small minded crotch goblin." Grace shot back in a friendly banter.

"Well sorry you altered tree hugging, head in the sky, psycho." Milly shot back as she came to now stand next to Grace with her hand on Grace's hip.

It was interesting watching the exchange of these two as they clearly had a good relationship and not something hostile. It shot a pain of loneliness through me as I never had experienced a relationship like that before.

"Now that pleasantries are over. Grace, can you help explain what it is we are seeing. I can tell from the image that her stomach seems to be taking the shake pretty fast and looks like it has a high digestion rate as well."

"It's not just that Stella. Yes, it has a high digestion rate, but it is also one of the most efficient ones I have seen. Here let me zoom in. See how you can see all of these off shoots taking the needed nutrients to different parts of the body."

"Well yea but my stomach does the same thing as this. Hell all of our stomachs do this on the ship. That is what augmented stomachs do. They help us digest dense nutrients to strengthen the rest of our augmentations."

"You're right. However her stomach isn't augmented. At least what i am saying is this seems to be her original stomach without any changes made to it. Also, it's more efficient than any of ours. Her stomach size should only be able to hold half of a shake and she is almost done with her second. If it can do this I can't wait till she drinks the heavy metal shake next!"

"Heavy metal?" I asked. I had never really heard of a heavy metal shake before.

"Yes, most augmented stomachs can take in small amounts of metals and then use them to help repair and grow augmented parts of the body. My stomach can take these metals and help repair my enhancements when needed. I also have a smaller stomach that can store some metals in reserve for future use." Stella said, now walking towards the image of me in the center of the room.

Everyone was now waiting to see what would happen when i took a sip of the heavy metal shake.

"Well here goes nothing." My first sip was honestly gross. It tasted horrible after drinking the chocolate shake. This one tasted as if they put a bunch of gross rusted metal and blended them all up until they were in a liquid state.

The next thing I knew I had blacked out.