Kenneth stood, just like his comrades, inside a room that looked like it belonged in a set of one of those space operas he could never get into.
The chamber was circular, its domed ceiling lined with strips of white and pale blue light that cast an almost sterile glow over everything beneath them. Not a single exposed cable was in sight. Every panel, console, and workstation seemed moulded from a seamless white alloy that reflected the light without ever becoming blinding. It was the kind of place where every piece of technology seemed designed with purpose rather than spectacle.
Dozens of transparent screens floated above sleek metallic desks, each displaying streams of symbols, diagrams and data Kenneth couldn't begin to decipher. Some shifted of their own accord, while others reacted to the movements of nearby personnel, expanding and collapsing with nothing more than a wave of the hand.
The machinery itself was eerily silent.
