Read Online Gabriel's Redemption by Steve Umstead - Free Book Online Page A

smile. Same reaction I just had.
    “Don’t get your hopes up, ladies and gentlemen,” Gesselli called from the top of the steps as she started to make her way down. “I’ve just been loading the mission data into the system for you. I won’t be joining you,” she said as she reached the bottom. “But I’ve given you enough information to go over that you won’t miss me at all.”
    Gabriel’s neuretics caught a faint trace of a burst from Sabra to Lamber, so short he had no chance to intercept it. Again with the two of them, he thought. He ordered his snoop program to maintain a passive watch on their bursts; maybe he could pick up what they’re talking about.
    “Your combat gear and all personal weapons are stowed in the hold,” Gesselli continued as she walked up to Gabriel. She held the code-locked plasteel case she had brought from Toronto, the lid now opened. “And Commander, I’m uploading an additional secure command file, please open a channel.”
    Gabriel opened a secure neuretics file storage, and he watched as a compressed file flashed from her case through his system, too quick to even get a whiff of its contents. “Locked?” he asked.
    “It will autoflash to you at a predetermined time in the mission. Please be prepared to receive it,” she replied drily.
    She snapped the case shut and turned on her heel and faced the rest of the team. “Good luck to all of you. Admiral MacFarland sends his best wishes,” she said, ignoring an anonymous snicker. She strode to the transport without another word.
    “Well,” said Sowers. “That was a pleasant sendoff. No kisses?”
    “Saddle up,” said Brevik in a low voice. “Sir,” he said to Gabriel, almost apologetically.
    “Absolutely Lieutenant, let’s get this show on the road. Haze gray and underway.” Gabriel stepped onto the metal steps and climbed towards the hatch. The rest of the team followed as the Rolls Royce jets spooled up in the background.

    Santander woke up in a fantastic mood, but not entirely sure why. He rose from his bed, stretched, and looked out his picture window across the city and over Pavonis Plain. He slept alone last night; that couldn’t have been it. Oh right, the plant. Satisfying.
    Dust devils were just starting to form outside the dome in the morning light. No cars on the street, barely any windows lit in the prefab condos. Far below he could see the local coffee vendor cranking open his stall’s awning.  
    He walked around the bed and had his neuretics flick on the holowall to catch last night’s baseball feeds from Earth. No sports on Mars, another nail in the coffin. Not even a decent golf course, just some broken-down arcade with a three hole putt-putt course down the block. Didn’t even sell beer. What’s the point of golfing without a beer? he wondered, not for the first time.
    He dropped his shorts near the bed and was just about to step into the air shower when his neuretics signaled an incoming call relayed from Earth. As he was about to dismiss it, the ID popped up and he paused. Dredge MacFarland, Christ. He shut off the shower and put on a robe, went back into the parlor, and opened his balcony doors. The neuretics signaled again. He sat on a wicker chair and wished again he wasn’t here…ten floors up, but no oceanview. No damned ocean at all. He sighed and took the transmission.
    It was delayed, of course. Mars’s current position put Earth at one of its closest approaches, but it was still a six minute lag each direction. He took the transmission in Mindseye.
    An avatar of MacFarland popped up in his vision, appearing to float on the edge of the balcony railing. “Santander, it’s MacFarland. This is a Blue Four encryption, we’re secure. I’ve got a new mission for you. I know you’re on delay, so just listen and send me an acknowledgement when it’s done.”
    Santander sat back in his chair and wondered where this was going. He did feel a slight sense of optimism about the