Free Landfall (The Reach, Book 2) by Mark R. Healy Page B

say.”
    Knile began to move toward the entrance, taking a moment to check the street outside through the peephole.  There were no Enforcers waiting out there for him from what he could see.  He reached for the handle, then stopped as he heard the whisper of footsteps on the carpet behind him.
    Honeybul was charging at him with an indignant, murderous look in his eye.  A blade flashed in his hand.
    Knile stepped out the way and easily avoided the old man’s attack.  As Honeybul stumbled past, he rammed his fist into the old man’s face, causing him to crumple to the carpet like a rag doll.
    Knile kicked the knife away, then leaned down and gave him a slap on the cheek, but the old man was unconscious.
    Good idea, Honeybul.  Take a nap while I take care of business.
    Knile straightened, a slight smile on his face.  He wasn’t usually one to go around beating up old men in their bathrobes, but in Honeybul’s case, he was happy to make an exception.
    Knile opened the door and stepped outside, then got moving toward Elk Parade.
     

 
    10
    “Good evening.  We hope you’ve enjoyed your journey aboard the Himura OrbitPod, a product of the Himura Corporation.  Travel in style, comfort, and safety with the leader in off-world conveyance – Himura.”
    Ursie blinked in surprise at the woman on the display panel.  She was in her mid-thirties, neatly groomed with her hair pulled back in a bun, and she wore a collared suit that was a light shade of grey.  Her smile was steady and sure.  She seemed to stare expectantly at Ursie, who shifted u ncomfortably in her seat, uncertain of what to say.
    The image stuttered and distorted as if a spike of interference had gone through it, then righted itself again.
    Ursie opened her mouth.  “Uh…”
    What the hell is an OrbitPod?
    The woman began to speak again.  “We would like to advise that you are now approaching your destination.  Please wait until the docking procedure is complete before removing your harness.  Also please note that, once disembarked, you should not stray outside the yellow markings on the walkway.  Your commanding officer will have further instructions for you at the appropriate time.”
    The image of the woman abruptly disappeared, and Ursie realised that what she was seeing was merely a pre-recorded announcement that had been developed for military personnel in the far- distant past.  It was not a live video feed.  Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at her gaffe.
    She leaned forward and peered up through the bubble window at that rapidly approaching object she’d seen before, which she could only assume was the termination point of her journey, the habitat.  Now she could make out more details.  It was large and shiny and had rounded edges.  The inner section was angular and segmented, as if the habitat had been built in a modular fashion, with many of the segments poorly matched to those adjacent.  Ursie wasn’t sure what she had been expecting of Habitat One, but this wasn’t exactly it.
    The panel came to life again.  The woman was back with her ever-present, vacuous smile.
    “Himura Corporation would like to remind you that Habitat Thirty-O ne is a fragile environment, and there is a strict no firearms policy.  Please ensure that any sidearms are stowed before entry.”
    Habitat Thirty-One? Ursie thought, perplexed.  What the hell is that?  What happened to Habitat One?
    She thought back to the moment she had fallen asleep in the chair, and wondered if something had happened to her while she had been out.  Had she been drugged and taken to another location, placed on the wrong railcar?
    But that was impossible.  There was only one railcar.
    Wasn’t there?
    “Docking in sixty seconds,” the woman said.  The image glitched and then disappeared again.
    “Where am I?” Ursie said out loud, panicked.  She tapped on the display panel, but it seemed oblivious to her attempts to activate it.  “What’s going on?”
    Ursie