Gabriel: Zero Point (Evan Gabriel Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF

auto-injectors from penetrating your skin in the proper locations. Hence, paper underwear.”
    Gabriel grimaced, still staring at the briefs. “Why not just a birthday suit?”
    Her eyes twinkled again. “That’s completely up to you. However, there is some disorientation when coming out of the tank. I’d hate to have you wandering around Cielo, buck naked and dripping wet, wondering where the bathroom is.”
    Bathroom . “Wait. You said twenty hours? What about food, or… waste?”
    “All handled by the oxy fluid. It will nourish your body, though not like a double cheeseburger, and remove waste as well.”
    His stomach growled at the mention of a burger. “So I’ll be breathing in my own waste?”
    Knowles cocked her head. “Hmmm, never thought of it that way. Good point. We’ll have to look into that in the future. But in the meantime, Biermann says you haven’t eaten in quite some time, which is good. So let’s get started.”
    “Fantastic,” he muttered. He slid his gear bag under the table with one foot and tossed the briefs on the table. Knowles turned her attention back to her nanoscope. He took one last glance at the capsule, then stripped down.

Chapter 4

    The plastic was unnaturally cold against his skin as he stretched out in the capsule. It felt more metal than plastic. The glass lid perched above his head, still hinged open, blurring the designs on the ceiling panels, probably leftover from the original luxury suites. He wriggled to find a comfortable position.  
    “All set, Lieutenant?”
    Knowles’s face appeared above him, looking down into the capsule.  
    “The underwear itches,” he replied. “Other than that, yeah, I suppose so.”
    She smiled. “Itchy underwear will be the least of your annoyances. I forgot to tell you. The oxy fluid is ice cold. And the scout nanites will be injected prior to sedation, so you may feel some… discomfort the first few minutes.”
    “Scout?”
    “They pave the way for the rest of the machines. Scouting pathways, blood vessels, arteries, and the like. Just making it easier for the others. But some patients have complained of some initial pain. No worries, Lieutenant. You’ll be under sedation in a matter of moments after the process begins.”
    “This gets better and better,” he growled.
    Knowles’s face disappeared for a few seconds, then returned. “Tank is online. Relax, take a few deep breaths. Like I said, the fluid is ice cold and will startle your body when it enters your lungs. Go with it. In the womb, we all breathed like this. It’s natural.” She smiled. “Sort of.”
    Her face disappeared and reappeared again. “The process has started,” she said as the glass lid began to slowly descend. “I’ll see you on the other side, Lieutenant Gabriel.” Just before she pulled her head back, he saw the same flicker of emotion on her face he had seen a few minutes ago. Sadness? Worry? Before he could say anything, her face was gone.
    He closed his eyes as the lid connected with the capsule with a thunk. He heard air hissing, then from under him came the freezing cold fluid. His body tensed and he clenched his teeth, trying desperately to push the thought of drowning aside. The liquid poured in and cascaded over the tops of his legs, then stomach and chest. His skin puckered at the cold and he took short, sharp breaths. His fingers curled, nails pressing into his palms.  
    The liquid reached his mouth and he squeezed it shut, involuntarily holding his breath. He knew the process; it was the same as long-range high-acceleration ships used for inertial dampening for crewmembers in stasis. But to a human body, it was completely unnatural, regardless of what Knowles said about the womb.  
    He was now completely submerged and shivering uncontrollably. His lungs burned for air. He opened his eyes, and the freezing liquid stabbed at his eyeballs. It was as if looking through pale blue gelatin.  
    His lungs could take no more, and he gasped