Haruto got ready and made sure he had everything he needed before he stepped into the carriage that would take him to this smart zombie researcher/inventor. He couldn't help but feel he was forgetting something really important. After a somewhat long trip they reached where the zombie lived and from the outside you could definitely tell it was different from the other places of the forest.
There was all sort of metal piping, which surprised him since metal wasn't really used in any of the buildings he had seen so far. There was also what appeared to be electrical lighting throughout and outside of the building. Haruto walked up and knocked on the door in which a zombie girl opened it to be in nothing but what looked like a lab coat making her breasts hang out letting you see it all.
"Why are you naked?!"
"Hm? Oh it's just comfortable this way and I don't have to risk destroying any clothing I own if I don't wear any. So are yo the one the good old Queen said wanted to talk to me?"
"Y-Yes I am…It would make this more comfortable if you were to put clothes on…"
"Oh sure! Just give me a second then!"
She waved and walked up her stairs to put some clothes on. Haruto walked inside and sat down at one of the many tables in the room, for some reason there were a lot of tables.
"I'm back!"
She was smiling and sat down in the seat across from him. She put on loose clothing and it was very clear she was wearing nothing underneath her shirt.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"I just wanted to ask a few questions if that's fine with you."
"Oh sure! It's fine and I'll answer to the best of my ability but I have to ask, are you a human?"
"Huh?"
Haruto had finally realized what it was that he had forgotten and that was his Demi human disguise.
"Uhhhh…Haa, I guess I can't really avoid the question now…Yes I am. I came from outside of the forest and I'm now stuck here…"
"Wow! Can I do a few experiments on you then?"
"Wait what? W-What would you be experimenting for?"
"I just want to see what makes humans different from us monsters."
"Would that include dissecting me?"
"I wouldn't do that! Even I know that much that if you cut someone open they'll probably die."
"Well if you don't have the right equipment…"
"Are you saying cutting people open is a normal thing to do for you humans?"
"Sort of? It's really only when we need surgeries and stuff like that."
"So you found a way to cut people open without them dying?"
"I-I guess so…"
"Wow! I never thought that could be done! And I'm guessing these surgeries are good things?"
"Yes normally surgeries are performed if there is a major problem with a person's body."
"That's cool to know, maybe you could show me how to do a surgery some time."
"I'm definitely not qualified to do that…"
"Oh well then! Sorry for getting you a little off topic, so what is it you wanted to ask me?"
"Do you have any memories from when you were alive? When you were human not a zombie?"
"…" She had a serious thinking face and finally thought of answer. "No I do not! Not a single thing!"
Haruto slumped down as one of his most important questions which would have had the most important answer led him nowhere.
"Okay then. Where did you get your name?"
"Oh! About a decade ago I suddenly became conscious and gave myself a name. I can only really remember stuff from when I gained consciousness but for some reason it felt like that name had a big part of my life connected to it so I chose it. Hence the reason I'm named Kei."
"In that case do you remember a family name?"
"….I'm sorry but no, I could really only remember the name Kei and nothing else. Everything up till now has been done without any memories from when I had barely any consciousness or when I was human."
"One last thing then…Are these using electric?"
He pointed to one of the lights on the ceiling which had primitive cables running through them.
"….What's electricity?"
"That's right! Of course we'd have different terms for things! In that case can you tell me what you're using to make them glow?"
"Oh! I have this big wheel hooked up behind my house that spins from water and makes these things glow."
"So a water wheel?"
"Eh?! You know that that is? But I thought I was the first to make it!"
"I'm sorry but from where I'm from that was invented nearly 3,000 years ago."
"That long?! I guess I'm really behind then…"
"No no! Compared to everyone in this forest you're easily the most advanced in terms of science."
"Really?"
She was making puppy dog like eyes while nearly letting out a tear from learning that she wasn't the first to invent the water wheel.
"I mean this is the first I'm seeing electricity anywhere, I find it really neat. The closest thing to technology is my smart phone."
"Smart phone? What's that?"
"I can show you if you'd like."
She nodded furiously and he took out his phone to put onto the table.
"Is it just a thin brick or something-Oh there's light!"
He had turned the screen on and unlocked it to show a game he had downloaded and been playing a lot of recently.
"What is this marvelous thing?! I need one!"
"This isn't all it can do."
He stood up and walked to the side of Kei to take a picture of the both of them.
"Voilà a picture made instantly."
"Woah! Is there anything else it can do?"
He showed the rest of the features possible and explained the ones he couldn't show, like making calls or sending texts. He opened his gallery and showed her some of the things from where he came from. TVs, cars, amusement parks, schools, skyscrapers, video game consoles, computers, the current style of clothing and all the other things to basic life that he happened to take pictures of.
"This is all so incredible! I want to see it all! Can you take me to these places?"
"If I find a way to get out of the forest then sure, I'll show you everything I'm able to show you."
"So first we need to find a way out of the forest…In that case I can take it up as my next research project. Sounds like it'd be more fun then the teleportation tech I've been working on, see ya! I'm getting to work now! You can leave out the front doors!"
She ran up the stairs and Haruto was left shocked with what he had just heard.
"T-Teleportation? Did she really mean teleportation or is it just another case of different words defining things?"
Haruto was unable to ask as he didn't want to interrupt Kei in her new research study she had just began. He went back to the palace and tried to clear his mind of the fact that he may have just accidentally stopped the production of what would have possibly been one of the most useful technologies ever made.