Absolutely. I'll keep the chapter essentially unchanged and make Dimitri's longer dialogue feel slower and more deliberate, using pauses, sentence breaks, and small hesitations. I'll leave his short/direct lines alone rather than artificially breaking every sentence.
The eight freshmen gradually settled into Priya's room.
Her supplies had been arranged across the tabletop beside her desk, leaving just enough space for everyone to sit in a loose circle.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
The room felt different now.
Not because anything had physically changed.
Because they knew they were running out of time.
Three days.
Corvin rested his forearms on his knees and looked around the circle.
"Alright. Let's start."
"One moment."
Dimitri's voice came quietly from the other side of the room.
The notebook in his hands was already open.
"I have been looking at the most recent eruption data."
Marco raised an eyebrow.
"You've been doing homework while the rest of us were moving supplies?"
Dimitri didn't look up.
"Satellite observations. Geological reports. Atmospheric measurements. Published models."
He turned a page.
"And historical eruption records."
Corvin leaned forward.
"Historical?"
Dimitri nodded.
"I didn't want to rely only on the current eruption."
He opened another section of his notebook.
"The measurements we're getting now tell us what the volcano is doing."
He paused.
"They don't tell us everything that happens afterward."
Aisha frowned.
"So you looked at older eruptions?"
"Large ones."
Dimitri tapped several pages filled with numbers and handwritten notes.
"Supereruptions. Major explosive eruptions."
He paused again.
"Events where we have enough geological evidence to estimate ash volume, sulfur output, atmospheric injection..."
His eyes moved briefly across the page.
"...and climatic effects."
Marco leaned closer.
"Toba?"
Dimitri nodded.
"Toba. Yellowstone. Taupō. Others."
He paused.
"None of them are identical to this eruption."
"Then why use them?"
"Because they give us reference points."
Dimitri turned the notebook toward Corvin.
"The old eruptions give us boundaries."
He let the words settle for a moment.
"The current measurements tell us where this event might fall between them."
Corvin studied the pages.
"So you combined the historical data with what we're seeing now."
"Exactly."
Dimitri's finger moved across several columns.
"Estimated sulfur emissions. Ash volume. Eruption intensity."
A short pause.
"Height of the plume. Atmospheric circulation. Stratospheric injection."
He looked up.
"The current data is incomplete."
His expression became more serious.
"And the historical data is even less precise than modern measurements."
Aisha crossed her arms.
"So how reliable is your result?"
Dimitri hesitated.
"Not reliable enough to call it a prediction."
He closed the notebook halfway.
"It's a range."
Corvin nodded.
"Go on."
Dimitri took a slow breath.
"The current estimates put the Indonesian eruption at VEI Eight."
The room seemed to shrink around them.
Priya's fingers tightened around the edge of her chair.
"That's the highest category?"
"Yes."
Dimitri looked down at his notes.
"And if the current atmospheric measurements are correct..."
He paused.
"...this will not be a normal volcanic event."
He turned another page.
"The eruption has injected an enormous amount of material into the atmosphere."
A moment passed.
"The larger ash particles will settle relatively quickly."
He continued carefully.
"But sulfur compounds and other aerosols reaching the upper atmosphere can remain much longer."
"And that's what causes the cooling?" Aisha asked.
"Primarily the aerosols."
Dimitri looked around the circle.
"They can reflect incoming sunlight..."
He paused.
"...and alter atmospheric chemistry."
His eyes returned to his notes.
"The more that reaches the stratosphere, the greater the potential climatic effect."
Marco frowned.
"So what does your model say?"
Dimitri was quiet for a moment.
"Based on the current measurements..."
He glanced down.
"...compared with the historical eruption data..."
Another pause.
"Several years of significant cooling are possible."
"Several?"
Dimitri nodded.
"In the worst scenario."
He took a breath.
"Approximately a decade of volcanic-winter conditions is the range I'm getting from the models."
Nobody answered.
Marco's usual smile disappeared.
"A Decade?"
"Possibly."
Dimitri immediately raised a finger.
"But that number is not a promise."
His eyes moved between them.
"The historical eruptions happened under different atmospheric conditions."
He paused.
"We don't know exactly how this eruption will interact with the current climate."
His fingers rested against the edge of the notebook.
"My model can only estimate what is plausible."
Corvin nodded slowly.
"Then we plan around the possibility, not the certainty."
"Yes."
Dimitri looked back at his notes.
"And that is why I don't think we should assume this will end after a few months."
Corvin stared at the tabletop.
Somewhere in his room was a semester's worth of unfinished work. A laptop filled with plans. Messages from people who expected him to come home after university.
A decade meant those plans weren't simply being postponed.
They might never happen.
Marco finally broke the silence.
"Alright."
He exhaled slowly.
"How soon does the first major ashfall reach us?"
Dimitri checked his calculations.
"The first major ashfall should reach this region in approximately a week."
Aisha's head lifted.
"A week?"
"Approximately."
Dimitri pointed toward the campus map.
"If Senior Ali's information is correct and the university begins its lockdown four days before that, we have three days to prepare."
Corvin studied the map.
"That's not much."
"No."
Dimitri turned another page.
"And the ashfall itself will not necessarily remain the same throughout those six months."
Everyone leaned in slightly.
"The historical data helps with this too."
Priya frowned.
"How?"
Dimitri tapped the pages.
"Different particle sizes behave differently in the atmosphere."
He paused.
"Large particles settle relatively quickly."
Another pause.
"Fine ash can remain suspended longer."
His eyes moved toward the window.
"Aerosols can persist much longer still."
He looked back at them.
"So I don't expect six months of identical ashfall."
Corvin nodded.
"What do you expect?"
Dimitri considered the question.
"The first phase should be the most severe."
He pointed toward the first section of his notes.
"Roughly two months of heavy ashfall."
Priya swallowed.
"Two months?"
"Approximately."
Dimitri's voice remained calm.
"Visibility could be extremely poor."
He paused.
"Ash would accumulate quickly, especially around roofs, entrances and exposed structures."
His eyes moved across the group.
"Going outside regularly would be dangerous, particularly without respiratory and eye protection."
Aisha's brow furrowed.
"And after that?"
"The material should become progressively finer."
He moved to the next section.
"For perhaps another two months, the concentration of larger particles should decrease."
A brief pause.
"Outdoor movement may become more manageable..."
He looked up.
"...but fine ash would still remain a serious respiratory hazard."
"So we'd still need protection."
"Yes."
"What kind?"
"Respiratory protection. Eye protection when conditions are bad. Covered skin would also help."
Dimitri paused.
"But we should not assume the conditions will be identical every day."
Corvin nodded.
"Then we adapt."
"Exactly."
Mei Lin glanced toward the window.
"And the final two months?"
Dimitri's expression softened slightly.
"If the models are correct..."
He looked toward the glass.
"...the direct ashfall should eventually give way to a much finer atmospheric haze."
"A grey sky?" Chase asked.
"Something like that."
Dimitri looked toward the window.
"Much of the larger material should have settled by then."
He paused.
"But fine particles and aerosols may remain suspended."
"How poor would visibility be?" Priya asked.
Dimitri considered the numbers.
"Potentially extremely poor."
He looked back at them.
"We may barely be able to see beyond the immediate area during the worst conditions."
Priya's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"So we'd be safe?"
Dimitri shook his head.
"Safer."
He closed the notebook halfway.
"The direct ash hazard should be much lower by then."
A pause.
"But I would not call the air harmless without measurements."
He glanced around the room.
"We will need to test the air before deciding how much protection is necessary."
Aisha nodded.
"So..."
She counted the phases on her fingers.
"Two months of heavy ash."
Dimitri nodded.
"Then roughly two months of finer ash. Still harmful, but more manageable."
"Yes."
"And another two months of grey haze. Terrible visibility, but much less ash falling."
"That is the expectation."
Aisha leaned back.
"So basically, six months before things outside become significantly easier."
Dimitri gave a small nod.
"If the models are correct."
Corvin looked down at the campus map again.
Six months.
Not six months of constant heavy ash.
Six months of progressively changing conditions.
That distinction mattered.
They wouldn't have to survive the same disaster every day.
They would have to survive different versions of it.
"Then we prepare for all three," Corvin said.
Dimitri nodded.
"Exactly."
Corvin placed a finger on the map.
"First problem. Shelter."
His finger stopped over Favilla Hall.
"The building is old, but the main structure is stone. The roof is steep, and the central section is reinforced."
Dimitri nodded.
"That helps."
"But it won't make us invincible."
"No."
Dimitri pointed toward the lower sections of the building.
"Ash will collect wherever the roof changes angle."
He paused.
"Gutters. Ledges. Entrances."
"How often do we clear it?"
"Every forty-eight hours would be a reasonable starting point."
Aisha frowned.
"Starting point?"
"We don't know the actual accumulation rate here."
Dimitri shrugged.
"If it's slower, we adjust."
He paused.
"If it's faster, we clear it more often."
Corvin nodded.
"Fine. We monitor the building and adjust as we learn."
He looked around the circle.
"But shelter is only the beginning."
His finger moved across the map.
"We need to think beyond the first few days."
Mei Lin followed his finger.
"The River Phoenix?"
Corvin nodded.
"The university has an entire water purification plant near the outskirts of campus."
Chase looked up.
"The one beside the river?"
"Yes."
Corvin tapped the location on the map.
"It's not just a building with a few filters. Dozens of workers and engineers maintain it under normal conditions."
Chase nodded.
"I've seen them working there."
"Then that's one less system we have to build from scratch."
Dimitri looked at the map.
"Assuming the plant remains operational."
"Which means we learn how it works."
Chase leaned forward.
"And how to maintain it."
"Exactly."
Chase studied the map.
"I can help with the physical side. Pumps, filters, pipes. Whatever I can learn."
Corvin gave him a nod.
"Good."
His attention shifted to another marked area.
"And electricity."
Aisha immediately sat forward.
"The grid?"
Corvin shook his head.
"No. Something better."
He pointed toward the River Phoenix.
"The university's electricity isn't entirely dependent on the external grid. There's a hydroelectric plant in the river."
Chase raised an eyebrow.
"Here?"
"Yes."
Corvin traced the location on the map.
"It supplies a significant part of the campus."
Dimitri leaned forward.
"How large is the facility?"
"Large enough to matter."
Corvin looked around the circle.
"Like the purification plant, it's maintained by a dedicated group of engineers and technicians."
Aisha smiled slightly.
"So we have our own water and power."
"For now," Corvin said.
He tapped the map.
"But both systems depend on infrastructure continuing to function."
Chase nodded.
"Which means we need to understand them before something goes wrong."
"Exactly."
Corvin looked around the room.
"We shouldn't treat those facilities as background infrastructure."
His finger remained on the map.
"They're part of our survival plan."
He moved his hand across the campus.
"And there's another advantage."
Everyone looked at him.
"The wall."
Marco frowned.
"What wall?"
Corvin looked at him as if the answer should have been obvious.
"The one surrounding the entire campus."
Mei Lin's eyes widened slightly.
"I'd almost forgotten about it."
"Most students do."
Corvin leaned back.
"This place wasn't originally built as a university."
Aisha looked toward him.
"What was it?"
"A fortress."
The room became attentive again.
"The site was originally a fortified complex. The walls were designed to surround and protect the entire settlement."
Corvin pointed toward the campus perimeter on the map.
"During World War Two, the fortress was heavily damaged and eventually destroyed."
Priya frowned.
"And the university was built afterward?"
"Rebuilt."
Corvin nodded.
"The old foundations and parts of the original structure were incorporated into the campus. The university was constructed here because the site was already strategically positioned and had access to the river."
Chase looked toward the window.
"So the wall survived?"
"Parts of it."
Corvin tapped the map.
"Enough of the perimeter was restored and incorporated into the modern campus that we're effectively surrounded by a large defensive wall."
Marco smiled faintly.
"So we're living in a fortress."
"More or less."
Corvin looked around the circle.
"Think about what that means."
Nobody answered.
"It gives us a controlled perimeter."
His finger traced the entrances.
"Limited access points. Easier security. A physical barrier between the campus and whatever is outside."
Aisha nodded slowly.
"That could become very important later."
"Exactly."
Corvin looked back at the map.
"The campus has problems. A lot of them."
He paused.
"But compared with most places, we have advantages."
He began counting them on his fingers.
"Stone buildings. A large enclosed perimeter. Our own water purification plant. Hydroelectric power. Medical facilities. Food reserves. Workshops. Laboratories. A library."
He looked around the circle.
"And thousands of people who know how to operate all of it."
Dimitri added quietly,
"If they stay."
Corvin nodded.
"That's the part we can't control."
The room fell quiet again.
For the first time, the campus map no longer looked like a collection of buildings.
It looked like something they might actually be able to defend.
Corvin placed the map back on the table.
"We use what this place gives us."
His attention shifted to another section of campus.
"Food."
Mei Lin spoke immediately.
"The convenience store."
"Exactly."
She looked toward the door.
"Once the campus is locked down, we won't be able to rely on it. Anything useful should be moved inside before then."
Corvin nodded.
"And Drake should have emergency reserves."
"How much?" Chase asked.
"I don't know."
Corvin thought for a moment.
"The university keeps unusually large emergency stores because of orientation and large campus events. If they're still intact, they could buy us considerable time."
Marco raised an eyebrow.
"How much is considerable?"
"Enough that food shouldn't be our immediate problem."
Dimitri closed his notebook.
"But it will become our problem."
Everyone knew what he meant.
"We cannot store enough food for a decade."
Corvin nodded.
"Which means agriculture."
"Eventually," Dimitri agreed.
"Outdoor farming?" Priya asked.
"Not conventional outdoor farming."
Dimitri shook his head.
"Reduced sunlight. Lower temperatures. Ash deposits."
He paused.
"We don't know what the soil will look like after months of exposure."
He glanced at the others.
"We experiment."
Marco raised an eyebrow.
"That's your solution?"
"It's the only honest one."
Dimitri gestured toward the map.
"Existing soil. Compost. Hydroponics. Artificial lighting. Different crops."
He paused.
"We test what survives."
Corvin nodded.
"Good."
He wrote something down.
"Food production becomes a long-term project."
Priya raised a hand.
"Medicine?"
Astrid spoke before anyone else.
"The university has medical facilities."
Corvin nodded.
"And a pharmacy."
Astrid looked toward him.
"I want to learn as much as I can."
Aisha smiled.
"Looks like we've got a doctor."
Astrid immediately shook her head.
"No."
Her voice was quiet.
"I just want to be useful."
Corvin met her eyes.
"You will be."
Astrid gave a small smile.
"Thank you."
Priya shifted in her chair.
"What about everyone else?"
The question landed differently.
"What happens to the people who leave?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Priya continued.
"And what happens when they realize the campus has food, water and electricity?"
Corvin's expression hardened slightly.
"They may come back."
Marco leaned forward.
"When food starts running out elsewhere, people won't necessarily behave rationally."
Aisha nodded.
"Which means we can't assume everyone who arrives will be friendly."
"Exactly," Marco said.
His usual smile was gone.
"Desperate people don't always make cruel choices because they're cruel. Sometimes they make them because they think they have no other choice."
The room went quiet.
Corvin nodded.
"Then we'll have to be prepared for both."
He looked down at the map.
"But we'll deal with that when we have to."
Mei Lin's eyes moved toward another building.
"The library."
"The library?"
"If we're going to survive for years, that might be one of the most important buildings on campus."
Corvin followed her gaze.
"Knowledge won't matter if the building burns."
Mei Lin nodded.
"Which is why someone needs to make sure it doesn't."
Corvin considered that.
"You're right."
He made another note.
"Faculty will understand its importance."
"They'll protect it?"
"They'd better."
Nobody laughed.
The silence that followed was different from before.
They were no longer discussing how to survive the next week.
They were discussing what might remain after years.
Aisha broke the silence.
"Can I say something?"
Corvin looked up.
"Sure."
"Every time someone has a question, everyone looks at you."
Marco nodded.
"She's right."
Corvin frowned.
"So?"
Aisha shrugged.
"So you're already acting like the leader."
"I'm not the leader."
"Maybe not officially."
She looked around the circle.
"But everyone is trusting you to make decisions."
Mei Lin nodded.
Astrid followed.
Chase leaned back.
"I don't disagree."
Priya smiled.
"Neither do I."
Dimitri looked around the room.
"The consensus appears unanimous."
Everyone turned toward Corvin.
Dimitri continued calmly.
"You may object."
He paused.
"But I do not believe you have much of a choice."
Marco grinned.
"Congratulations."
Corvin sighed.
"Fine."
A few people laughed.
The applause that followed was quiet, almost embarrassed.
Corvin shook his head.
"Then let's make sure I don't regret agreeing."
He looked around the circle.
"We have roughly six months before conditions outside should become significantly more manageable."
"Manageable," Marco repeated.
"That's one word for it."
Corvin ignored him.
"Everyone needs something to do."
He pointed around the circle.
"We still have classes to finish."
Marco stared at him.
"You're seriously going to make us study during the apocalypse?"
"Yes."
"You're horrible."
Aisha laughed.
"I'll use the gym."
She shrugged.
"If we're stuck here for months, I'm not losing my fitness."
Marco looked down at his hands.
"I have no idea."
He gave a helpless laugh.
"I've never planned for the end of civilization before."
Astrid smiled.
"I'll read medical books."
"So you'll know what to do if someone gets hurt."
"Exactly."
Dimitri looked down at his notebook.
"I'll keep a journal."
Marco smiled.
"History book?"
"Perhaps."
"Future bestseller."
Dimitri gave him a blank look.
Mei Lin thought for a moment.
"I think I'll try relaxing."
Everyone's attention shifted toward her.
She smiled faintly.
"I never really had the chance before."
"Why not?" Priya asked.
Mei Lin shrugged.
"I was always told that relaxing was unproductive."
Priya smiled.
"Then you're going to become very productive at it."
Chase chuckled.
"I'll write music."
Aisha looked at him.
"About the apocalypse?"
"I haven't decided."
Priya raised both hands.
"I'll keep everyone entertained."
Marco nodded solemnly.
"Finally. A professional."
Priya smiled proudly.
"Exactly."
Footsteps sounded in the hallway.
The conversation stopped.
The door opened.
Alex Aguilar stood there.
He looked at the eight freshmen sitting around Priya's room.
"Of course you're all here."
Marco smiled.
"You know us too well."
Alex pulled a chair closer.
"Mind if I sit?"
He sat before anyone answered.
"So."
His eyes settled on Corvin.
"Are all of you leaving on the buses tomorrow?"
"No."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
Corvin shook his head.
"Some of us are international students. Flights are already being grounded. We can't simply return home."
Alex waited.
"And?"
Corvin met his eyes.
"We don't want to."
Something shifted in Alex's expression.
For the first time, he looked genuinely impressed.
"Interesting."
He leaned back.
"We thought some students would make that decision."
His gaze moved around the room.
"I didn't expect freshmen to make that that decision though."
He went to entrance reached beside the door and tossed a canvas bag toward Corvin.
Corvin caught it and opened it.
Four professional handheld radios sat inside.
Marco blinked.
"A reward?"
"Something like that."
Mei Lin studied Alex.
"Are you leaving tomorrow?"
Alex smiled.
He didn't answer.
Instead, his eyes moved to Corvin.
"By the way."
Corvin looked up.
"You still have the convenience-store keys?"
Corvin stared at him.
"Why?"
"I'm hungry."
Marco burst out laughing.
Corvin reached into his pocket and threw him the keys.
Alex grinned.
"So you really did take them. I wasn't only guessing."
Alex slipped the keys into his pocket.
He looked around the room one last time.
"Try not to get into too much trouble."
A faint smile crossed his face.
Then he opened the door.
"Be careful."
And he left.
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
Chase picked up one of the radios.
He turned it over in his hand, studying the buttons.
"So these actually work?"
Corvin glanced at him.
"Probably."
"Only one way to find out."
Chase pressed the transmit button.
The radio immediately crackled.
"Unit 15-C, What is your emergency? I repeat what is your emergency?"
Chase's eyes widened.
He released the button.
"Uh…"
Everyone looked at him.
Aisha stared.
"What did you do?"
"I may have found the wrong button."
Static filled the room again.
Then the same voice returned.
"Unit 15-C, stand by."
A few seconds passed.
"This is not an emergency. Repeat, this is not an emergency."
Chase slowly lowered the radio.
"I didn't say it was."
Marco covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.
The voice continued.
"Unit 15-C, switch to the private frequency indicated on your emergency communications sheet."
Corvin immediately reached for the paper inside the canvas bag.
"Got it."
He adjusted the radio.
Static.
Then silence.
A moment later, another voice came through.
"Unit 15-C?"
Corvin pressed the button.
"Receiving."
"Good. This is Nia."
Everyone froze.
Priya's expression changed first.
"Wait."
Aisha looked at her.
"You heard that too?"
Priya nodded slowly.
"That's Senior Nia."
Marco leaned toward the radio.
"No way."
Mei Lin's eyes widened.
"It is."
Corvin stared at the radio for a moment before speaking.
"Senior Nia?"
"Yes."
A smile appeared on Priya's face.
"You're actually the person talking to us?"
A small laugh came through the speaker.
"Apparently."
Chase looked at the radio in his hand.
"I didn't know you worked emergency communications."
"I don't. I am the leader of Radio club."
Nia's tone became more serious.
"I'm helping with the university's emergency network."
Corvin glanced at the sheet Alex had left them.
"So these radios are connected to that network?"
"Some of them are."
She paused.
"The ones Alex gave you are."
That got everyone's attention.
Corvin looked at the four radios sitting on the table.
"Who can hear us?"
"Depends which channel you're using."
Nia's voice became more deliberate.
"The frequency you accidentally opened is for emergency traffic. Campus security uses it. Emergency command uses it. Certain faculty members are on it."
She paused.
"And senior administration."
Marco raised an eyebrow.
"How senior?"
"Even the President can hear you on that channel."
The room went quiet.
Chase looked toward Corvin.
"So even the Vice President?"
Nia laughed softly.
"Yes. Even the Vice President."
Priya leaned back.
"So Chase accidentally called the Vice President."
"I didn't call him."
"You opened his channel."
"I still didn't call him."
Marco grinned.
"That's going in the history books."
Chase gave him a look.
Nia interrupted before the argument could continue.
"Jokes aside, that's why you need to be careful."
The room settled down.
"Those channels aren't for casual conversation. If something happens on campus, that's where information moves between the people handling it."
Corvin nodded.
"And the private frequency?"
"That one's different. It's for smaller groups."
"So we can contact you there?"
"Exactly."
Corvin looked down at the radio.
"And if there's an emergency?"
"Use the emergency channel. Keep the transmission short, identify yourself, and state what you need."
"Understood."
Nia paused.
"Also, don't transmit unless you actually need to."
Chase raised his hand despite nobody being able to see him.
"Point taken."
Priya laughed.
Nia continued.
"You've got four radios?"
"Yes."
"Keep them with the people who need them most."
"We will."
There was a short silence.
Then Corvin remembered.
"Senior Nia."
"Yeah?"
"You were there when Ali warned us."
"Yes, I remember."
"He said the lockdown would happen three days before the ash arrived."
Nia didn't answer immediately.
When she finally spoke, her voice was quieter.
"He was right."
Nobody joked this time.
Nia continued.
"After three days, the university will seal the campus."
"Then we'd better get started."
"Yeah," Nia said.
A faint crackle followed.
"Good luck."
The connection went silent.
Corvin picked one up.
"I'll take one."
He handed another to Aisha.
"You'll need one."
She nodded.
Astrid received the third.
"For medical situations."
The fourth went to Marco.
"You know more people around campus than most of us. You'll probably hear information first."
Marco nodded.
"Fair enough."
Corvin looked around the room.
"Then that's it for tonight."
Nobody moved.
"Get some sleep."
He glanced at the clock.
"We have three days."
His eyes drifted toward the dark window.
"And we're going to need every hour."
The next three days passed in a blur.
Favilla Hall was inspected from roof to basement to seal any openings for Ash to come in.
Doors were checked.
Windows were reinforced.
Emergency equipment was also bought.
The campus map slowly filled with markings.
Lists became plans.
Plans became revised plans.
Outside, the university emptied one student at a time.
Some left with relatives.
Others boarded the buses.
A few simply walked away with everything they could carry.
Every departure made the campus quieter.
Every empty room made the decision feel more permanent.
By the final evening, the silence had become strange.
Nobody said anything.
There was nothing left to say.
They had chosen to stay.
And now there was no turning back.
At exactly 6:30 a.m. on the fourth day, every radio system across Drake University suddenly came alive.
A sharp emergency tone echoed through dormitories.
Across administrative buildings, through classrooms, across public areas.
Sleeping students jolted awake.
Doors opened.
Lights flicked on.
People stepped into hallways, confused and half-dressed.
Then a voice filled the campus.
"This is Vice Director Morales."
A pause.
"May I have the attention of everyone currently present on campus."