"The plantae wiped them out?"
"You're thinking that the race should have had the advantage with all their technology and that they knew Plantae's greatest weakness, which is fire, right?" Rowena asked with a knowing smile, to which Adam nodded before Rowena continued.
"You're forgetting one thing: plantae, specifically those from the oceans, are responsible for the production of oxygen on a planet, and so the race in question couldn't afford to wipe them out completely.
The plantae also had another advantage over the humanoid race of Ailiv: their unnatural growth rate. They could rapidly replace any plantae that they lost, while the humanoid race would have to wait years for their offspring to be old enough to fight.
Because of this, the plantae eradicated the humanoid race within two to three generations."
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Holy fuck.]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): They do say never to mess with Mother Nature.]
"What's happened with planet Ailiv since?" Adam asked curiously.
"The Universal Senate declared it a no-travel zone. The plantae immediately kill any humanoid species besides the Dryads and other races that can commune with nature that even sets foot on the planet. Apparently, the plantae only put up with those that can commune with them so that they can warn others to stay away."
[Celebrityhunter69 (Earth): It almost sounds like the planet itself is alive.]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): Some members of the Environmental Sustainability Bureau would agree with you and do in fact make that claim, that every planet is sentient through its plantae. However, it has never been proven that the planet itself is sentient since other, more well-respected members of the bureau claim that it is just the combined consciousness of all plantae communicating that makes it appear as if the planet itself is alive.]
[RealOtaku (Earth): That would be pretty dope to see, though. I hope the streamer encounters a living planet one day.]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): Flag.]
[Emojisonly (Earth): 🚩]
[SciFifanboy (Earth): No thanks. I've seen that in a Sci-Fi movie before. It didn't end well.]
"So how do we use this thing?" Adam asked as they arrived before the gnarled stump.
"Like this," Rowena replied before she pressed her hand against the top of the stump, causing a holographic screen to appear just above it.
"A stump that produces holographic screens?" Adam asked in surprise.
[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): Is something like that even theoretically possible?]
"Hehe, don't be stupid," Rowena replied with a giggle before saying, "An access point was placed here and the stump then grew around it. The stump activated it when it felt my hand press against it."
"And that doesn't seem strange to you? That a stump not only knows how to activate an access point but also responds to your touch," Adam remarked.
"It's something I've grown accustomed to," Rowena remarked with a shrug.
"Right," Adam said as he approached the gnarled stump and held his wrist over it as if he intended to use the holographic screen.
[[City access point detected.]]
[[Access now.]]
[[Access aquired.]]
[[Scanning city database for the required item.]]
[[Item located.]]
[[Current location: Capital University Historic Research Department.]]
"Capital University," Adam stated.
"Well, at least it's someplace I know the location of," Rowena replied before asking, "Do we know where in Capital University?"
"The Historical Research Department," Adam replied.
"Hmmm, I'm not sure where that is. I guess we can ask at reception when we get there or find a university access point to gain a map."
"Wait, isn't Capital University where that Dwarfinian science directorate is supposed to be given a presentation or something?" Adam asked as he remembered mentioning that she had seen it on the news.
"Yup, and that's good for us. It means fewer people will be around to get in our way when we attempt to scan it."
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Except for the damn kidnapping attempt of the first princess Liluth Solar. Damn it, Rowena, how have you forgotten something so big is about to happen?]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): Is it just me who thinks the streamer and Diva Rowena will be somehow involved in the kidnapping attempt?]
[Lizziethetruepower (Palaxia): No, no, you're not and with Adam's track record for finding trouble, I wouldn't be surprised if they are the Terrans that ended up saving her.]
"I keep getting this nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something," Rowena stated as she pressed her fingers to her temples in an attempt to remember.
[Celebrityhunter69 (Earth): Is it just me, or does that look super cute? 🥰]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): No, you're right, it really does.]
"It can't be that important if you can't remember," Adam replied.
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): Yes, yes, it can be that damn important. 😡]
"I guess you're right, let's get going," Rowena said as she led the way.
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): GAAHHHH, this woman makes me so mad at times. 😡]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): Why are you getting so stressed out about this, Erkath? It's not as if she dies in the attempted kidnapping.]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): I'm just pissed off at her complete lack of care and seriousness considering the situation she's in. I mean, she's travelled back in time.]
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): Maybe she's just trying to relax and enjoy herself after the stressful situation she just went through on Darah Five.]
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): I guess that makes sense. But it still doesn't excuse the fact that she's forgotten about Princess Solar's attempted kidnapping.]
"If I knew we were coming back in time, I would have pulled out my old communicator; at least then we could have paid for a taxi instead of having to walk," Rowena remarked, though she didn't look dissatisfied as she walked along beside Adam while holding his arm.
"This is the Capital University observation team. Our man attending the presentation has just informed us that it should be ending in the next few minutes."
"Copy that. Team one will apprehend the target while teams two, three and four will take care of the target's security. All teams get ready."
"Thankfully, it was only about a ten-minute walk," Adam remarked as he and Rowena walked onto the campus grounds of Capital University and he admired how they still managed to construct all the buildings out of the large trees around the campus.
"I don't know why, but it reminds me of the university I was about to attend back on Earth. Maybe all universities are similar in their own way, or perhaps it's just because I know it's a university."
"Do you miss it?" Rowena asked curiously.
"Nope, after all, how can you miss something you never experienced?"
"Fair point, then let me change my question. Do you wish you had the chance to attend?"
Adam went quiet for a few moments as he stared at Capital University before him, as he saw a bunch of individuals exiting one of the buildings as if a lecture or lesson had just finished, before he replied.
"That's difficult to answer. If I had ended up going to university, I would never have had the chance to experience travelling into space and meeting all of you, but I would also have been there with Jenny."
As he finished speaking and once again thought about his girlfriend who had lost her life and for a moment thought he saw her among the crowd of people who had just left the building, walking down the path as she used to back in school with her long blonde hair billowing behind her on the gentle breeze that rustled the trees.
As soon as Adam saw her image, it faded away to reveal a much younger and smaller girl who also had blonde hair, but on the shorter side.
Adam shook his head as he tried to get rid of the memory of Jenny before pointing to the crowd that had just left the building while saying, "How about we ask one of them for directions?"
Rowena watched Adam walk towards the crowd with a sad look, as she could tell that the loss of Jenny still hurt. She was about to follow him when her eyes widened in surprise as they fell on the individual whom Adam had decided to ask for directions because she recognised who it was. Her surprise soon vanished to be replaced with a look of amusement as she decided to hang back slightly and watch what happened.
"Capital University observation team to team leader, the lecture has finished and everyone is leaving, including the target."
"Copy that. I have eyes on her. Teams two and three, do you have eyes on her security detail?"
"Affirmative, team two is ready to move."
"Team three also has eyes on and is ready to go on your order."
"Okay, standby…."
"Team leader, wait, we have an unknown approaching the target."
"What? Can you identify them? Are they another security detail we didn't know about?"
"I can't identify them, but I doubt he is part of the security detail since he appears to be Terran and an ugly one at that."
"Terran? What does a Terran want with the target?"
"Maybe he hopes to get lucky. I doubt he has luck anywhere else with how ugly he is."
"Damn, bro, that's cold."
"Focus up, you fuckers, we still have a job to do. For now, we hold while we wait and see what that Terran is up to."