I felt the craft finally slow, followed by a thump that made Kyper hiss as we stopped against something solid. Somewhere in the back, I heard the hiss of air equalizing, sharp and sudden enough to make Kyper jump. I frowned. He was already mad. I didn’t need him thinking there was a bigger cat waiting on the other side.
The captain returned and gestured for me to unbuckle and follow him. I removed the harnesses from Kyper’s carrier and myself, then pulled the carry strap over my shoulder. We followed cautiously. Neither of us wanted any more surprises.
Another hiss had Kyper on alert. I noted the air had changed. It carried a stale, metallic scent. Kyper sneezed his displeasure. A couple of men were waiting on the other side of the doorway.
“Step through the airlock, please, Ms. Hale. These two will escort you to your next connection,” the captain said, his tone purely functional. I stepped through, careful not to clip Kyper’s carrier in the tight space.
Once on the other side, one of the men held a hand forward and the other near my back, encouraging movement without touching.
“Ms. Hale, if you please,” he said. His voice rang slightly in the stillness. Everything was metal and militant, and not for the first time I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
We entered a second room, larger, with a low hum that made Kyper’s ears flatten. He made a sound, and one of the people seated there nodded without looking up.
“Good. We were wondering if the cat would survive. Interesting choice of luggage,” they said, already turning back to their monitors.
I frowned.
A doorway opened in front of me, one where there hadn’t been a door before. Beyond it waited a long metal corridor, identical to the one I’d just left. Signs lined the walls, neat and just out of reach to read. They felt expectant. Like rules that existed whether you understood them or not.
“If you’ll just step through, Ms. Hale, we can get you to your destination.”
I glanced down at Kyper. He was not amused.
I stepped through the door.
The captain returned and gestured for me to unbuckle and follow him. I removed the harnesses from Kyper’s carrier and myself, then pulled the carry strap over my shoulder. We followed cautiously. Neither of us wanted any more surprises.
Another hiss had Kyper on alert. I noted the air had changed. It carried a stale, metallic scent. Kyper sneezed his displeasure. A couple of men were waiting on the other side of the doorway.
“Step through the airlock, please, Ms. Hale. These two will escort you to your next connection,” the captain said, his tone purely functional. I stepped through, careful not to clip Kyper’s carrier in the tight space.
Once on the other side, one of the men held a hand forward and the other near my back, encouraging movement without touching.
“Ms. Hale, if you please,” he said. His voice rang slightly in the stillness. Everything was metal and militant, and not for the first time I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
We entered a second room, larger, with a low hum that made Kyper’s ears flatten. He made a sound, and one of the people seated there nodded without looking up.
“Good. We were wondering if the cat would survive. Interesting choice of luggage,” they said, already turning back to their monitors.
I frowned.
A doorway opened in front of me, one where there hadn’t been a door before. Beyond it waited a long metal corridor, identical to the one I’d just left. Signs lined the walls, neat and just out of reach to read. They felt expectant. Like rules that existed whether you understood them or not.
“If you’ll just step through, Ms. Hale, we can get you to your destination.”
I glanced down at Kyper. He was not amused.
I stepped through the door.
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