The hum spread across the platform in a steady note that held the metal and air together. It was the kind of vibration that settled into clothing and rails, a quiet force that seemed to steady the entire structure beneath the students' feet.
Many of them leaned forward slightly as if listening, though none of them meant to. The sound drew attention without demanding it.
Above the dais, the ring's projection kept rotating in its calm rhythm, tracing its familiar circuit of mountains, valleys, and lakes.
A professor in a plain field jacket stepped forward. He was not usually the loudest presence in a room, but he carried a clear voice that held its shape even when the wind pressed against it.
He lifted a comm band to his mouth and spoke into the net. His voice traveled through every wristband and every speaker along the shuttle ramps and walkway rails.
