(… continuing)

The transport made two further stops on its course towards the citadel. These stops were to pick up other keepers from the sheds, vineyards, and orchards. Now that the transport was within visual range of the citadel, these subsequent pickups were done in full view, and done with far less sophistication or glamour.
The quadcopter would land in a predesignated area and the keepers would come aboard. By the time they reached the citadel there were near fifty keepers squashed into the hold.

The transport slowed as it approached the wall of the citadel. A huge door slid open exposing a platform on which the transport landed. The doors closed behind the transport the moment it touched the pad.
Similar doors were now closing around the circumference of the citadel as other transports returned for the night with their load of keepers.
Within the transport, the occupants waited patiently as the transport’s four massive rotors came to rest.
When the back doors finally opened, Marr, Luna, and everyone else filed out, walked across the pad, and started to queue at a mantrap. One at a time, they entered the mantrap and waited for their logs and vitals to be scanned. A misstep here would have the person picked up by sentinels and taken away, never to be seen or heard of again. However, once cleared by the operators of the mantrap, the keepers would be free to roam the outer ring of the citadel in search of food, recreation, and rest.

Recreation was not on the minds of Marr and Luna as they left the transport pad and headed towards the nearest Hyperloop station. The signs were there. More real work was on the horizon, so if it was tomorrow, a good night’s rest was going to be essential.
Like most of those who worked outside the walls, Marr and Luna shared a h-pod near the port. It meant they had to use the Hyperloop instead of walking. But the location had its advantages. Firstly, there was always more things going on near the port. And secondly, it was rougher, so the sentinels and observers stayed clear of the bars and recreation rooms, mostly.
The Hyperloops were frequent and fast, so it wasn’t that much of an inconvenience.
“Let’s go via the stores, as I need to get a food pack,” Luna announced as they boarded the train.
“We still have two portions of cacciatore,” Marr replied.
“I don’t feel like it. I am in the mood for a curry. Besides if we aren’t going for a drink, perhaps we can get a dessert as a treat?”
“Fine,” Marr agreed.
She knew it wasn’t going to be a battle she could win or be bothered with.
The Hyperloop didn’t take long to reach their stop. The stores were on lower levels. So, they made their way down the access stairs instead of heading straight to their h-pod. The stores were busy as labourers exchanged their EUs for essential supplies and food. The habitation pods were small and had little storage so most made daily trips rather than stocking up.

Twenty minutes later, and Marr and Luna were opening the glass door to their shared space. Their h-pod consisted of a living room, two small bedrooms and a shared bathroom. The glass door opened into the living room and served as the only window. The living room contained a kitchenette, and a table with two chairs. It didn’t need much more as they were rarely there for more than showering, sleeping, or eating. The kitchen had a small storage cupboard, a basic sink and the rehydration unit used to process the food packs.
“You shower first, as it’s my turn to prepare the food,” Marr insisted as they stowed their boots.
“What level to you think observers need to be at before they can get access to have a bigger h-pod?” Luna asked as she headed for the shower.
“That is something the likes of us will never need to know,” Marr replied.

(to be continued...in the next chapter)

[Rule of Twelve, Double Take, Chapter 2 - Perspective (Passage 5 of 5)]

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