Glory on Mars Read Online Free Page A

"What are you
talking about? I'm on my way to Mars. I'm at Spaceport America
now."
    "I know that," he said. "But you can do more for the
company on Earth than on Mars. Would you rather take over the
future Colony Mars contracts?
    "I want you to stay."
    Emma stopped dead in the hallway.
    "What? You encouraged me to go. What about all those
speeches you made? What we learn will benefit humanity - the lure
of the unknown - the noble experiment to inspire future generations
- that exploration is in our DNA. What about the benefits to the
company by ensuring our bots are part of a scientific
breakthrough?"
    "It's not just the company." He wore an odd, strained
expression.
    "To survive you've got to maintain a bubble of Earth
on Mars. If that bubble bursts, you'll die."
    "You've seen the technical specs..."
    "No one knows the technology better than I do." He
took a deep breath. "I'll miss you, hon."
    "We never see each other anyway." Emma waved her
hands in exasperation. "We can trade messages - just like always,
every couple months." She felt inexplicably angry.
    "You don't have to give up Mars. I've got contracts
right here at home for future missions. Take your pick."
    "Look, Dad. I'm going. Nothing changes between
us."
    "I'll miss our dinners together when I'm in town." He
sounded hurt.
    "You want me to give up a dream for dinner once a
year?"
    Liz glanced over a shoulder at her. Emma took a deep
breath and calmed the shrillness in her voice.
    "Dad, you've got pre-launch jitters. Everything we've
planned over the past few years - me and you - it'll all be good,
you'll see."
    She hurried to catch up with the crew and whispered
to Liz what her father said.
    "His wavering is natural," Liz said. "It's hard to
say goodbye. But we're lucky. We'll have contact with our families,
and all our favorite book and picture files. That's more than most
immigrants had throughout history."
    "Did it give you second thoughts? Saying goodbye, I
mean?"
    "I've cried, but - no. Mars or bust." Liz shook her
fist with a thumbs-up.
    "What about Ingra? You have medic training - do you
think someone else will go crazy?"
    Liz shook her head. "Who knows? But it's worth the
risk. Expanding the spiral of creation is the purpose of life."
    Emma retreated to her own thoughts. Liz belonged to
SolSeed, dedicated to seeing life take root among the stars, as
she'd often said. Mars was humanity's first step and Liz wasn't
worried about personal deprivations. Emma didn't have a cosmic
purpose to comfort her.
    In the small conference room, Colony Mars
functionaries ushered the crew to seats at a long table.
Logo-festooned banners hung from the table and two staff
psychologists were already seated. A dozen folding chairs faced the
table, all empty. Emma was used to these internet press meetings.
As each journalist was tapped by the coordinator, their hologram
would pop up in a seat and a question would be read into her ear in
English, out of synch with the lip movements of whatever language
the questioner spoke.
    Most questions tonight were about Ingra's suicide and
Emma was happy the psychologists answered those. They offered
assurance that the colony would survive - serious answers tinged
with optimism.
    A dark woman popped up in the front row.
    "My viewers wonder, how is this colony different from
the space missions we're used to, from the European Space Agency or
from NASA?"
    The public information officer answered, but Emma
could imagine Filip Krast nodding for all the mission
controllers.
    "Letting the settlers manage their own lives in
space, accepting that we're not in charge anymore. It's as hard as
any engineering challenge."
    Finally there was a familiar question, one asked all
the time.
    The image of a pale man with sagging jowls appeared
on their left. The crew turned their heads. It was easier to be
engaging if they pretended he was really there.
    "Why go to Mars? You'll be the most isolated humans
who ever lived. Why, especially, do you want to live the