The Federal Space Administration

By Leland Martin

The year is 2137. The Federal Space Administration is certifying a revolutionary new spaceship from Frontier Space called the Event Horizon. Frontier Space is a new up-and-coming company with wealthy backers that was founded by engineers; not businessmen. Tyler Patton is the engineer in charge of the certification for public safety. However, as the Event Horizon’s design flaws become apparent and the Certification of Public Safety stalls, Event Horizon calls on powerful friends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leland Martin
• Release date: Feb 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310622144

Book preview

The Federal Space Administration

By: Leland Martin

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Prologue

In those days, man took to space.  Adventure on Earth couldn’t be found. Earth was stable and comfortable.    

The planet itself became controlled. After the invention of the Peterson Device in 2052, man gained power over the elements. The need for irrigation ceased as the global climate was regimented. Floods and droughts were relegated to the history books. Land that was once unsuitable for anything was turned to lush paradise. A number of innovations replacing the touch of a human hand finally completely removed man from food production. Hunger ended; the horrors of industrialization slowly receded.  All the roofs of every structure became covered in solar panels. As the sun rose, it powered mankind, and as the night fell, the rains came to water the Earth.

Trade united all people. Borders dissolved as the connections between people became closer. Wars became smaller and smaller as the people of the world lost interest in nationalism and turned to individualism. A person didn’t think of himself as nothing less than his own sovereign.  

Bureaucracy wasn’t tolerated anymore. It could only survive in a faraway place from the eyes of the people of Earth; in Space.  

Chapter 1

September 2, 2135

It’s gonna be huge.

Zachary Dell traveled as soon as he could to the moon. He was invited, but more or less invited himself. He stood in front of a massive singular window without seams. It was two stories high and greater than a hundred feet in length. Even as well-traveled a businessman as he could look at the planet known as Earth out beyond the window with wonder.  

Dell had been trying to get a meeting with Adam Lockard for some time. Lockard was a man with more money than he knew what to do with. His father had made a killing in asteroid mining, but as a son, he found it much more engaging to spend money than take on the family business. He elected one of his father’s old partners to run the show while he found himself satisfied to collect a check at the end every quarter. It was the typical rags to riches to rags in three generations, and Adam was the middle phase. Dell found it imperative to get his money as soon as possible, before it disappeared.  

Between Adam’s cruises around the solar system, palaces on distant moons, terraformed asteroids, and expensive girlfriends; the money seemed to escape his wallet at terminal velocity; but what Adam really found engaging was space ships. It was his only passion. He knew all the makes and models, and was intimately known by many dealers (his frequent business helped). He went to all the shows: the Mars Space Expo, the International Space Fair in orbit around Earth, and the Lunar Space Show. With all his money at his disposal, he bought ships by the handful.  In total he had around twenty-one, which was more than some manufacturers made in a year. He especially loved classic ships, from a much more treacherous time in space travel. While the new ships were faster, and in all measurable ways better on paper than the old ships, he felt they lacked some personality. Of course, that didn’t stop him from buying more than two or three new ones a year.

Then he saw the Event Horizon, a new ship from a new company: Frontier Space. He first saw a prototype at the Venus Space Show a month ago. It was simply stunning to him. It made him feel as though he was looking up at the stars for the first time. Needless to say, he was already a huge fan of the man behind the project, Zachary Dell; who used to work for General Space, and more specifically the Griffin Division. During his time at Griffin, Dell turned the fledgling subsidiary that was making small freighters to exhilarating ships of speed at a low cost. Adam Lockard had six Griffin ships in his personal hangar, more than any other make or model.

The two sat in plush chairs facing Earth. The living room was designed with opulence in mind. And what was luxury? Enormous amounts of empty space. Contrasted against the tight corridors and small rooms of most residences in space, Lockard had a living room like a gymnasium; save for a few chairs and sofa in front of the window, the room was bare.

I’m very excited about your new project, Mr. Dell. When are you moving to production? Lockard eagerly asked, trying to piece together a date in the future where he could purchase the Event Horizon. In a lifestyle without deadlines, a man needs something to wait for.

Dell went about spinning a web around the man. That’s what I’d like to talk to you about Mr. Lockard…

Please. My friends call me Adam, Adam politely interjected. Lockard hated formalities, another holdover from his lifestyle.  

Dell knew exactly which cards to play. Well Adam...my company, Frontier Space is very new; and I’m trying to secure investors so I can begin building a state-of-the-art factory. That’s the only way I can make my ship. Dell began tantalizing him.

I heard you were being financed by some the top guys from General Programming. I’ve also heard that Space Platform CEO Alvin Lee is a big investor. How much more do you need? Adam asked unconvinced.

Uh-oh, Dell thought to himself. It seems as though Adam was just as proficient in space ship enthusiast circles as he led on. He had to make a change of direction. He was sure a simple explanation would get Adam back on track to opening his wallet.

"I’m sure you’ve looked at the ship Mr.Lock...Adam. It’s the best there is. And we’ve spent a lot of that money on development. I will confess...I let my strategy of ‘no compromise’ get the better of the bottom line. I think of it as