Michael laughed at his friends’ enthusiasm for his birthday party, touched by their feelings. He blew out the candles on the German Chocolate cake with Dutch Fudge icing, recognizing as he did so Jacine’s baking and her own brand of thoughtfulness -- Michael liked all types of cakes, anything with sugar, but their new set of friends loved chocolate and the richer the better. The decorations were for him, the cake was for them.

Pieces of the cake were passed out among the people in his room. They circulated around, chatting and laughing. Michael eyed the pile of presents on his coffee table with a bit of misgiving, hoping that nothing too embarrassing was among them. He didn’t have any worries about Jacine’s -- hers was traditional, every year, and the difference of people in this year’s group of friends wouldn’t change that; but he wasn’t so sure about anything the Trio would get him, or 23 for that matter. Shrugging with philosophical calmness, he started to spread himself as thin as he could to talk and laugh with each of his guests.

Eventually it became time to open presents. Somebody shoved Jacine up to the front. She tolerated it with a grin and Michael smiled at her. "So, Sib. What do you have for me this year?"

"More inhabitants for your abode." She brought out a beautifully polished mahogany wood box. Michael gently took it from her and opened it. Inside were four objects carefully wrapped in soft lavender cloth. Setting the box down on his yet uncluttered desk, he took out each object, unwrapped them, and let them be passed around the group with his only admonishment a watchful eye. There was stunned silence as the first of the figures started around, then the oohs of wonder started up. Michael noticed that Jacine retreated into his bedroom for the first several minutes and only came out again after the initial enthusiasm faded off. He grinned and didn’t bring it to anybody’s attention. Jacine didn’t mind praise when it was deserved, but sheer intensity drove her up the wall -- or out the door as the case in point.

"Wow." 23 looked at the figure in Azami’s hands. "Zam -- it looks just like you!"

Rhin passed the figure she was holding to him, "You obviously haven’t seen yours, yet."

The four figures were exact miniature duplicates of Michael’s four closest friends. They were each around 2½ inches tall. More precisely, Azami’s was 2½ inches, Rhin’s was closer to 2 inches, and Tamlynn and 23’s were somewhere in-between. The material appeared to be of clay, but a harder and finer clay then anybody in the room, other than Michael, had seen before. The details were precise and flattering to the subjects, in feature and form. They were painted in such a way that none who looked at them thought for a moment that the figures were painted rather than actually clothed and fleshed. The clothing itself was unusual enough for several people to remark on it with raised eyebrows and otherwise surprised and amused gestures.

Azami’s figure was dressed in light, rippling chainmail that hung down to her knees. She wore boots that were awfully similar to the type Jacine wore, but were more durable and tough enough to turn sword cuts away. The sleeves of the chainmail were multiple, overlapping layers that protected down to the elbows, but allowed full movement. Her hair was mostly twined in braided coils around the back of her head, but some of it also hung down her back. The reason was apparent if one noticed the helm at her belt, designed to fit over the coils and provide extra protection in a battle. The hair itself was incredibly detailed -- each coil could be traced and logically followed in place. Her right hand was holding a sheathed longsword that was balanced on the ground at an angled point. She was obviously not resting her weight on it, but it was a stabilizing gesture. There was a hook on the other side of her belt where the sheath would clip on. A dagger and leather pouch were also attached to her belt. Azami’s left hand was extended outwards towards an unknown person, but the smile on her lips was indicative enough for most people to recognize who the person was meant to be.

Rhin was seated on a stool, playing a harp and looking over it with the same sort of smile Azami’s character had, but was individually Rhin’s own. The harp appeared to be of the same polished mahogany wood that the case that the figures came in was. Each string on the harp was separate from the others, and when Rhin, the person, looked closer, she could see the graduations from the thicker, low pitched strings, to the thinner, high pitched strings. The tuning knobs were of such detail they looked like they could turn. Rhin’s dress was much prettier than a real medieval court dress. All layers and folds, it appeared to be made out of the thinnest satins and silks; they rippled as if in the slightest breeze while Rhin’s hair remained still -- until it was noticed that there were some individual strands that also flowed out, and the tips of each curl seemed to quiver. The figure was one of peace and tranquillity, but Michael, who knew the placement of the world, noticed a bow tucked under the stool and some arrows, fletched in a purple/yellow pattern, beside it.

When Michael saw Tamlynn’s figure, his mouth quirked up in a grin, and he looked over at Jacine, who had not yet disappeared. "Recruited one for your side, huh?"

Jacine shrugged, with a grin of her own, but very serious in spite of the grin, "Tamlynn would never allow herself to be constrained by a medieval society, no matter how ideal it is. But on the other hand, she might let herself be placed on long-term diplomatic and advisory position on the world..." She trailed off with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Michael laughed, and the others in the room also smiled, though they didn’t quite understand all of the joke.

Unlike the other two, who were dressed and equipped in Medieval styles, tools, and weapons, Tamlynn’s figure was dressed in a uniform of shirt and slacks. The uniform was blue and gray, with black piping. It fitted Tamlynn snugly, but maneuverable, showing off her every line to advantage, but also bespeaking the authority of her position. Her belt was ringed with gadgets, small and compact, but detailed in their efficiency. Tamlynn, the person, recognized some advanced medical scanners and other equipment that she had theorized about to Jacine several years ago. The patch on her shirt was small on the figure, but with a magnifying glass that someone dug out, it proclaimed Tamlynn to be attached to the "Republic of Sentients -- Interplanetary Relations Division". Tam’s figure was relaxed and calm, proclaiming to all that here was a person who would be a haven, a Shangri-La in the face of all troubles and dangers.

23’s figure was much the same as Tamlynn’s in uniform and gadgets. The main difference was that where Tam had extra medical equipment on her belt, 23 had extra electronic and computer related devices. When Tam looked over the figure, her eyebrows rose in amusement and surprise. She had known Craig-23 the longest and was familiar with him. The carving of his figure was slightly different than the original -- all changes in the direction of improvements in looks and baring. All of their figures were flattering and designed to show off all advantages, but Jacine had kept mostly true to life on the Trio’s figures. The mild deviation on 23’s suggested something to Tamlynn that Jacine probably hadn’t even recognized herself.

Eventually, the figures had made the rounds, handled in their lavender wrappings to keep fingerprints off. Jacine had come back in by that time, and Michael looked a question at her as he rested the figures on his desk. She shrugged, passing the decision back to him. Michael looked at his large, oblong boxed coffee table and all the presents stacked on top of it. He also shrugged and asked his guests to clear off the top. With surprised glances at each other, they complied. When it was cleared, Michael moved one of the decorative carved leaves on the side.

A synthesized voice spoke from the box, "Palm Print, or Retina Scan?"

Michael looked surreptitiously at his hands, "Palm Print." One corner of the top of the table glowed in response as it stopped pretending to be stained sandalwood like the rest of it. Michael placed his hand flat on the glow. There was a whirring of gears and servos being activated, and the top developed two cracks across its width. Two panels moved outward and people backed up to avoid being hit. Azami reached out an arm and pulled 23 out of the way. Things in the depth of the revealed-to-be-hollow coffee table moved and everybody watched attentively. A castle moved out the top and slid to the third of the table that had not moved. The middle panel slid shut again, and a dragon and a shuttlecraft came out of the opened first and slid to the middle. The first panel folded itself perpendicular to the ground, and in its place on top of the table, a Reception Hall moved up and stopped.

The castle, dragon, and shuttlecraft were all in proportions to each other. There were even smaller miniatures populating the landscape in and around the castle and shuttlecraft. The Reception Hall was where the figures Michael had gotten this night obviously went, for it was already peopled with figures of the same general height. Michael’s was prominent at the end of the Hall, sitting on a carved throne, with a golden circlet around his forehead. Jacine’s figure was standing near his, dressed in the Republic of Sapients uniform, her expression calm and competent.

Michael placed the four new figures into the Hall, rearranging some of the others to make room. Jacine reached in and pulled out two older ones, a handsome man and a beautiful woman both in court dress. "I think these will go in the retirement cabinet." Her brother smiled at her, but it was a slightly embarrassed smile. The woman’s figure had been placed close to his. As Jacine moved back into the crowd, she whispered to Tamlynn, "Neither were people we actually know." Tamlynn nodded in comprehension and not a little amusement.

Rhin turned to her, "Jacine, did you do all of these?"

Speaking in a much louder voice so that everybody could hear her, Jacine replied, "Oh no. I worked on most of the figures, and the mechanics of the table, but the castle, dragon, and the exterior of the table were all done by Michael." Heads turned in surprise. Michael turned a mock frown upon his sister, who responded with a wink.

After letting people look at the set-up for awhile, Michael directed people’s attention back to other things and they got around to opening the rest of the presents.