Is There Life on Mars?

06-16-2308

I was on hold. When there’s not a humid pink haze hanging on the morning, the sizzling scarlet disc burns it away makes the Martian day intolerable anywhere but indoors. Its not even noon but I can already feel its orange heat radiating through the plexi-panes of my living room window. With the eye of my texti fixed on my face, I stared outside dreadful of the atmosphere the walls of my unit kept at bay. I was trying to get home on the line before it’s too late in the day there. I’m usually not even awake this early, but with all the time zones between here and Earth, I had to make sure I was reaching my family during regular banking hours. I had to get a hold of Earth so I can go back to it.

Since I just finished my classes, I still have no job and my roommate is on Europa, I figured it a good time to take a vacation myself. I think I could use some time off the surface of Mars too, though I wish I could travel to the outer worlds. I called up Earth to get my dad to wire me credits for the trip, snatching the last available seats on a flight back to Mars three weeks later.

PREV: CH. 12 «Respite from my Texti»

NEXT: CH. 14 «Still Stuck on Mars»