Class is in Session

Whether from the reporters out front, her interaction with Seal, or some other source, word had spread about the professor's return to the Academy.

The desks were not only filled, but students lined the walls at the top of the terraced seats. Soon they were even sitting on the stairs of the aisle.

Eventually, there were so many people that Noble made someone at the back shut the door.

"Clear the aisle. I don't want a safety hazard in my classroom. I might be able to float, but the rest of you shouldn't run the risk of being trampled." Noble smiled to soften her command.

A ripple of laughter flowed through the students as they made narrow walkways among the crowd. It was better than nothing.

'I know they are just humoring me, but I'll take whatever I can get.'

It had been more than two months since Noble had set foot in her classroom and longer than that since her last lecture.

With all eyes on her, she suddenly felt very nervous. She could feel all her students' anticipation, some far more eager than others.

But it was clear they had all come to see her, and unlike Queen Bee, Noble had no mask to hide behind. So she forced a smile and the words from her mouth.

"Good morning, Sleepers. I am Professor Noble. In case you are unsure what room you wandered into on this fall day, you have found your way into Memory Assessment and Utilization."

The statements came easier than she expected. Years of practice could not be wiped away so easily.

Taking a relieved breath, the professor continued.

"How many of you have a Memory in your possession?"

Every hand in the room shot up. Noble nodded as her gaze moved across the room. The only one who did not have a hand in the air was the Android in the front row.

Thankfully, Bee Two was too busy taking notes to notice the slight amusement on Noble's face.

"Good! Then we will have plenty of material to work with!"

Noticing the curious glance of those near the front, Noble cleared her throat lightly.

"I will start off today by introducing my faithful android, Bee Two. My assistant will be taking notes right now, but should you need a Memory examined or any of the other resources when I am absent, Bee Two will assist you."

The android turned around completely at the waist and waved. If not for the uncanny way Bee Two was facing backward, the action would have looked natural. The professor's hand instinctively went to her stomach as she suppressed the queasy feeling of imagining how such a bizarre position would feel.

"Thank you, Bee Two. I had forgotten how flexible you are," Noble said with a pained smile. 

"You also didn't mention that I am an excellent bodyguard and proficient substitute lecturer." Bee Two supplied.

A ripple of laughter passed through the students.

Noble's smile turned genuine, "I'll be sure to include that in my next introduction. Now…"

While all the other hands lowered, one stayed up and began moving side to side, distracting Noble from her typical speech.

 Rather than ignore it, the professor pointed at the unorthodox interruption.

"Yes…" Noble paused with her outstretched hand.

"Lorne." The man in the dark hat seemed almost giddy. Noble tried not to be off-put by his exuberance.

"Good to meet you, Lorne. Did you have a question?" Noble folded her hands neatly in front of her.

Lorne stared and smiled a little too brightly at the sound of his name. It wasn't until the person next to him elbowed him that he decided to continue.

"Oh, um. It's just an honor to meet you, Queen—Professor Noble," Lorne stumbled over his words. He pushed on his hat, revealing a silver strand of hair underneath. "Will you let us know your office hours? You know, in case we would prefer to work with you directly?" Lorne looked poised to write down anything she said in response.

Noble chuckled lightly. "Let me see if I can answer your questions first during this lecture. If not, I will see if I can schedule a time to look at the Memory that concerns you."

'Quite an eager one. Glad Bee Two wasn't offended by his preference to meet with me.'

Noble straightened her back. "And since I am guessing that none of you have had a class with me before, I will be starting with the absolute basics of Memories. If you are looking for a more advanced class, you may want to come back at a later time."

No one moved, which disappointed Noble a little. She had hoped to thin the crowd so she could focus on those needing the most help next.

It was also a little flattering. Certainly, many of these Sleepers did not need to hear the basics, yet they wanted to hear her speak anyway.

"Alright then. Let's continue. Who can tell me the four main types of Memories?"

Dozens of hands shot into the air. Lorne even went so far as to make an "ooh!" sound in order to attract her attention. Noble selected the student next to him.

The girl looked significantly younger, with a dewy-eyed innocence that tugged at Noble's heart.

"Yes, you!"

"Me?" The girl's lovely eyes opened a little wider at being picked. She sat up in her seat to try to project her voice. "Thank you, ma'am! I'm Talitha, and I believe categorizations are armor, weapon, charm, and tool?"

The lifting of her voice at the end of her sentence made her words sound tentative.

'So nervous!'

"Excellent, Talitha! You are correct! The majority of Memories will fall into one of these categories. Some will actually fall into more than one. I'll give you an example." Noble allowed a rain of sparks to form around her. Everyone leaned forward in their seats.

But when the [Loyal Tabard] formed over her clothes, she could feel as well as see her student's disappointment.

"What?" She asked reflexively.

A Sleeper on the front row slowly raised his stylus. "I am not sure about everyone else, but I was just hoping to see your Dreamscape armor of your estoc."

"Oh…" the professor saw a sea of nodding heads.

Of course, she knew they hadn't come to see Professor Noble. Lorne's slip-up in his first question had made that clear. All of them were here to see Queen Bee.

And why not? If she were a Sleeper, then wouldn't she seek out who she perceived to be the best at the Academy and learn at their feet?

"Perhaps we can look at that armor later," Noble offered. "But my estoc was destroyed in my recent Nightmare by a Terror."

The students began to whisper.

The air hummed with the excitement of such a revelation. Queen Bee had lost her signature weapon!

"How did you survive? Did your echo help you?" Someone called out loudly from the back row.

"Did you get a new Memory to replace your estoc?" Another voice overlapped the first.

Suddenly the room was popping with questions from all directions.

Noble held up a hand and the class went silent.

Her usual lecture was not going to cut it today. Her goal had been to build rapport with the students and hopefully provide some information that would help them in the Dream Realm.

"I…" Noble heard her communicator buzz on her desk. It was probably Fort wanting to see how her first class went, not realizing it had just begun. She tucked the device in her drawer. She would write him back at lunch.

Shutting the drawer, Noble pulled out the chair and hovered over it. She studied the expectant faces carefully.

"It seems we have different goals today. I want to teach you about Memories and you want to ask about Queen Bee." The professor dismissed the Loyal Tabard and frowned. "How about a compromise? For every piece of information I am able to give you about Memories, I will answer one question. But only if you are paying attention and learning. Deal?"

More than a hundred heads nodded in unison.

"Great!" Noble dismissed the tabard and smiled softly. "Now I need a volunteer. Dont worry. It won't hurt…probably."