The Fifth Di... September 2017

By J Alan Erwine

The September 2017 issue of The Fifth Di... brings you the story of a man caught in an experiment gone wrong...waking up to a different reality every day, and not sure if he will ever be able to get home. You can also read the story of a human that meets the Scorpii god, but there’s something familiar about this god. Also, a woman who knows the way of magic is attacked on a train by a power that only she can see...or is there someone else. And finally, an old man has isolated himself and is ready to die, but the past won’t let him be alone anymore.
This issue features the fiction of Fredrick Obermeyer, Eamonn Murphy, Keith P. Graham, and Mike Murphy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nomadic Delirium Press
• Release date: Aug 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781310253515

J Alan Erwine

J Erwine was born Oct. 15, 1969 in Akron, Ohio. Early in his life he was exposed to science, and specifically astronomy. From there on, J's passion turned to science fiction, a passion that's never died. Due to family issues, J eventually found himself in Denver, Colorado, where he still lives (well, right outside now.) From the time he could put subject and predicate together on paper, J has been writing stories. None of those early stories exist anymore (thankfully), but that passion for writing has never waned. After several years of rejection, the story Trek for Life was eventually sold to ProMart Writing Lab editor James Baker. It wasn't Asimov's, but it was a start. Since that time J has sold more than forty short stories to various small press publishers. In addition ProMart also published a short story collection of J's entitled Lowering One's Self Before Fate, and other stories, which is still available. ProMart also published a novel from J entitled The Opium of the People, which sold a few copies before going out of print. The relevance of the novel after the events of September 11th caused J to self-publish the novel, as he felt the story had a lot to say in the new reality we now find ourselves living in. Now, this same book has been re-released by Nomadic Delirium Press. Eventually J would become an editor with ProMart. Then, after the untimely death of ProMart editor James Baker, J would move on to ProMart's successor Sam's Dot Publishing. J also spends most of his time working as a freelance writer and editor. J's novel was voted a top ten finisher in the 2003 annual Preditors & Editors contest, and his short story The Galton Principle won a ProMart contest for best story over 5,000 words. In addition, a number of his stories have been voted "best of" in various issue of The Martian Wave and The Fifth DI… and have been included in Wondrous Web Worlds Vols. 2, 3, 4, and 6. In 2009, the Ephemeris Role Playing Game was released. J is the co-creator of this game, and has written numerous supplements for the game. J has now sold three novels and four short story collections, all of which are still available from various sources, including Smashwords. J currently lives with his amazing wife, three wonderful children, three cats, and a very quiet turtle.

Book preview

THE FIFTH DI…

September 2017

Edited by J Alan Erwine

Published by Nomadic Delirium Press at Smashwords

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright 2017 by Nomadic Delirium Press

All stories are copyrighted in the names of their respective authors

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage and retrieval system, without the written consent of the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passes in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, broadcast, etc.

Nomadic Delirium Press

Aurora, Colorado

Table of Contents

The Yesterdays That Weren’t by Fredrick Obermeyer

The Scorpii God by Eamonn Murphy

The Ulmer by Keith P. Graham

Never Too Late by Mike Murphy

The Yesterdays That Weren’t

by Fredrick Obermeyer

Sylvain Denet hadn’t been arrested the previous night, but the next morning he found himself in a prison cell. He sat up on the smelly bottom bunk bed that he was lying on and rubbed his aching back muscles. Fear struck his heart as he examined the white cell bars and the olive green-painted concrete wall. Someone lay on the bunk above him, snoring as loudly as a slumbering ox.

Sylvain saw a calendar on the wall across from him. Today was April 27th. So, time was still progressing day-to-day as usual. It was just the past that was constantly changing.

Not for the first time, Sylvain kicked himself mentally for participating in the experiment. Three months earlier, the French government had offered him fifty thousand euros to volunteer in an experiment concerning the exploration of altered consciousness.

Having recently lost his job as a data entry clerk in a metal plating firm and living at home with his parents, Sylvain had eagerly accepted the offer. The scientists had injected him with an experimental drug called Lot 447 and placed him in a special pod designed to amplify his consciousness.

When he awoke, it was the next day chronologically: January 28th. But his normal past had been replaced with an alternate reality version of the same, none of which he remembered. The following day, January 29th, a different new past had appeared. And with each subsequent day, he awoke in a new location to yet another different history that he could not recall.

How in the world did I ever end up in this awful place? Sylvain thought. As a matter of fact, where is this place?

Sylvain stood and looked at his bunkmate. He was an enormously fat and tall man with curly black hair, a large beer belly and numerous jailhouse tats. Even lying down, the man looked imposing.

A buzzer sounded and the cell door slid open.

Is it morning already? the convict said. Damn days keep on getting shorter and shorter.

The convict rubbed his left love handle, farted and rolled out of the cot. Along with his intimidating presence, the con stank of menthol cigarettes, body odor and dried sweat.

Sylvain had woken up to some bad alternate pasts before, but never one like this. Though eager for information, big men like the convict scared Sylvain.

In one reality, he had started asking too many questions to a bunch of bar patrons and one huge, drunk brute of a man struck him in the face with a whiskey bottle; the blow broke his jaw and knocked most of his teeth out. After that painful experience, he always hesitated somewhat before asking anybody in a new reality questions.

Better to wait a little bit, he figured.

The convict grabbed the cigarettes in his shirt pocket, shook one out and stuck it in his mouth. He lit it with a plastic lighter from his pocket and trudged out of the cell. Sylvain frowned and followed