Riding in a smart taxi through the central district of Settlement 26, David felt his eyes couldn't take it all in fast enough. The buildings had sharp, clean lines, their exteriors mostly reflective alloy or reinforced glass, gleaming with a cold light under the simulated sky. Overhead, air vehicle lanes were meticulously regulated; below, an endless stream of hover-cars flowed in an orderly, almost oppressive, fashion.
Passing a multi-story office building, he immediately spotted the familiar logo—an eagle gripping a drill bit, with the bold letters "PIONEER MINING GROUP" beneath it. There it is. The promised land. People in business attire or engineer uniforms streamed in and out of the main entrance. Occasionally, a few black ground vehicles bearing the corporate logo slipped into an u
