One morning half a month earlier, Schiller received a text from Professor X: "The giant Cerebro in the Andromeda galaxy has been completed. I'm currently at the communications center and will contact you telepathically in about half an hour."
The message even came with the standard smiling emoji commonly used by elderly people. Schiller, who was making breakfast, shook his head. Professor X was still so polite—he even sent a text in advance before initiating telepathic contact.
Human intergalactic communication technology was not yet mature, and contacting the Andromeda galaxy was troublesome. A text had to pass through many communication stations before reaching them, costing a considerable sum and suffering from major delays. A message sent from the Andromeda galaxy took at least half an hour to arrive.
Sure enough, less than ten seconds after Schiller received the message, Charles's voice rang out in his mind.
"Good morning, Doctor Schiller."
"Good morning, Professor. Congratulations on completing the Andromeda galaxy communications center. Is there anything I can help with?"
"Everything here is going well," Charles replied. "I contacted you mainly to express my thanks. The Golden Apple you gave us completed the final piece of the puzzle needed for the cosmic Cerebro to operate successfully. It has kept me in optimal physical condition and made the final experiment go far more smoothly than before."
"I think it's because you and Erik have been reliving old dreams," Schiller teased. "How does it feel to return to those days when you shared the same ideals?"
"Not bad." Charles did not avoid the subject. "I used to believe that appearance was not so important. Seeing through superficial appearances and uncovering the mysteries of the mind was what people ought to spend their lives learning."
"That's not entirely wrong. What about now?"
"Erik told me