13. All Together 3

It took a little longer this time but a few minutes later two more figures appeared. One was a young man with a slighter appearance than the rest, with dark brown hair and dressed in a black suit with gray details and silver-rimmed glasses under his golden eyes, walking with a firm and direct posture that seemed to know very well where to go. I was going, even with a book in my hands.

Beside him, laughing at something he had probably said, walked a young woman with her hands behind her head in a relaxed pose that accentuated the beauty of her body that could be seen in the men's sailor clothes.

Strangely, the clothes she wore had the design of the infamous corsairs from the ancient period of the earth, from the time when it was still believed that the earth was flat, she wore a linen shirt under a sea blue overcoat with tight black pants matching the shiny leather boots and a tricorn hat beneath her fiery red hair.

"Hahahahah, even with all the knowledge you want accessible with a simple thought, do you still really like holding books, Cami?" The woman said loudly.

"It's exactly because I have all this knowledge at my fingertips that I prefer books." The young man, Camil, said. "The feeling of holding knowledge in your hands is invigorating, the smell of the paper, the texture of the pages. All of this somehow makes reading itself a more pleasurable act than just having knowledge in your mind. I think you understand how sensation helps in understanding things Rosemery." Camil concluded for the woman.

"Okay, I don't disagree with that" Rosemery said, remembering that this was also one of the reasons she dressed up as the lie she did. "But we can all understand any and all knowledge and new information we want. The feeling you say would have no influence whatsoever, and if what you want is a feeling of pleasure, we know better ways to find it, don't we?" She said with an amused look at the young man who blushed slightly.

"That may be, but what I'm trying to say is that even though we have a preference in what we want to keep in our own minds and what we just want to file as information in the neural network. With physical books, the desire to keep that knowledge in our own minds is certainly more stimulated."

"Okay, okay, but the question is—" Before she finished to argue with the young man further, she noticed everyone's eyes already focused on the table.

"Ohh?! Oops, sorry, was I being too loud?." Rosemery asked without any air of regret but genuinely embarrassed.

"A little yes, but that doesn't matter, do you really continue with this nitpicking about physical books and is there a neural network even after 2 thousand years?" Hooku-há asked.

"What can I say, it's fun to irritate him." Rose said.

"For what I hope is the last time: Let's focus on the matter at hand." Old Zuhn said, exasperated.

"Hey hey calm down old man, you're not going to have a heart attack." Rose said jokingly as she raised her hands.

"Very well, so far how many of us are here?" Old Zuhn asked, not to the other members but to the holographic globe.

[Answer: currently presents; Lucien, Zuhn Kan-Lo, Lauriel, Maeelus, Hooku-há, Ulik, Alyssa, Kalina, Lin-Wú, Ethel, Rosemary, Camil.

Currently absent; Lorelai, Mussa, Anari, Jean, Ad-juru and Born.]

"Basically the usual latecomers." Zuhn said.

As soon as the absentee roll call was completed, two more people entered.

A young man similar to Lucien but with completely white and straight hair, a complete contrast to his darker skin. He had golden eyes that seemed to shine and he wore clothes that facilitated movement, with an appearance similar to that of a sword dancer from the ancient land, except for the shoes that, like those of most of those present, seemed to be made of a fabric that did not protect the feet. . He had a proud and graceful posture, which meant that each movement was made with natural elegance, which could be seen with both the grace of a dancer and the cautious steps of a predator. Dangerous and mesmerizing would be the best words to describe him, although the words provocative or inciting could also be used, by both women and men, including those present.

The woman who came next to him carried an instrument that resembled both a lyre and a violin without the bow. Like him, she had a graceful bearing but also exuded an air of danger, as mesmerizing as his. She had long curly hair that reached her back, violet in color and majestic eyes with a golden rim near the pupils.

Just like Lauriel, she had a stunning body that would once arouse lust in almost everyone present (although even if not taken by lust, everyone agreed that she had the most desirable physique possible).

Fortunately, that time has long passed and everyone had already gotten used to the mesmerizing beauty of the two, even if they still admired their beauty.

"Time, looks like we're not late again Lori." The man said to his closest friend.

"Nothing that isn't already expected Musa." Lorelai replied.

Both had known each other since they were little and had reached their current state by helping each other and completing what the other was lacking, not only to survive but also to live. With Lorelai creating music and songs and Musa creating choreography and even stories to complement Lorelai's songs, giving them even more depth and emotion.

"And what would be the reason for the delay this time. Did they create a new piece for Camilo to keep?" Maeelus asked, really curious if it was because of that, or because the two had preferred to spend intimate time.

"Yes and no, we made another exceptional piece for Camil to keep so that we can all enjoy it later. Inspired by one of the ancient earthly operas with touches of the culture of Halian-3327, I'm sure you'll love it." Musa said smiling and remembering what it was like during the process of his newest creation. "But that's not the only reason we were late, we've already made contact with the new life forms and established a helpful communication channel for them."

Everyone was, to say the least, surprised by this statement. After all, the two are known for being freer spirits who rarely take initiative in various matters. This does not mean that they are negligent or lazy in their duties, far from it, in fact they are extremely dedicated to them so they can have time for their "hoobies". But that's not the issue here, rather the fact that they did something on a large scale for the first time since the last attack there was a deployment of the last crazed survivors.

"Have you already made contact? You remember that our purpose with this meeting is exactly how we should act towards them, right?!" A voice behind the two spoke in a serious tone, slightly frightening the two, because even with their senses enhanced to the maximum, let alone even beyond physical limits, they still did not feel the approach of the hooded individual. Neither them nor anyone else in the room, except perhaps Lucien for already expecting his old friend to make an entrance similar to that.

"Why do you feel this almost compulsive need to scare someone when you appers, Ad-juru?" asked Ulik with a slight bad mood for the newcomer.

"Several of you have asked me this for millennia even though you know the answer and still expect a different one. You know that the definition of that is insanity, right, my dear Ulik?" The hooded man spoke with a deep voice that didn't seem to match his physique that had been slimmed beyond a healthy level.

"I prefer to say that it is a collective hope, even if it is vain. But I do not deny that this is in fact an unnecessary circular discussion." The little giant replied.

"I prefer to also consider this as a unique form of greeting for us when we get together." Lucien said, trying to alleviate the slight discomfort that others naturally felt in the presence of their former friend.

Not that he could blame them, after all, unlike Hooku-há, a mutated living being who regained his sanity. Ad-juru, on the other hand, was a undead.