We follow a stream of virtuals into a theater.
The theater looks very much like a planetarium, but already, I sense that this is not a place for viewing planets and stars. The virtuals are dressed casually but smartly. Michael and I adjust our virtual dress to match. As we approach the theater, I observe the inflow at one of the entrances.
At one entrance, a woman greets us, giving us the customary greeting. "Welcome."
Her feeling and greeting are warm and intimate. I bring my fingertips to my temples and touch them with sacred intent, bowing my head forward slightly.
Inside the entrance, streams of virtuals congregate inside a foyer. Some of us send telepathic signals expressing a desire for interaction, while others wait to pick them up.
I send a signal, and in less than a second, a couple nearby looks in our direction and approaches us.
An exquisitely dressed couple of indeterminate gender greets us warmly.
"Your signal is highly advanced," one of them remarks.
I smile. "It takes one to know one. Have you been away from the Free Zone for long?"
"We just arrived."
The other one comments: "we're as much in the dark about the popularity of this event as you are."
"Which I suppose only adds to the element of surprise," I rejoin gamely.
I send another signal. Another couple approaches. All six of us exchange pleasantries, and we realize we're all recent visitors from the Free Zone, with nothing to add to the question in mind.
I send another more qualified signal. A slight delay ensues before another couple approaches. The eight of us establish a group mind as a matter of course. No exchange of pleasantries is necessary. We quickly establish the reason for the popularity of this event.
After the event proper - a performance from the world that Knows No Bounds - the Leader of the Council is scheduled to address the fate of the Pleasure Zone.
