A Collection of Short Stories

By Arthur W. Matcham

This is a collection of short stories I wrote after completing The Seed of the Guardians, my first novel. They are different genre such as Science Fiction, Fantasy, Humor and Fiction. Hopefully they will entertain you and perhaps give you something to think about.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365140716

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A Collection of Short Stories

A COLLECTION OF

SHORT STORIES

BY

ARTHUR WILLIAM. MATCHAM

INTRODUCTION

This is a collection of short stories I wrote after completing  The Seed of the Guardians, my first novel. They are of different genres such as Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy and Humor.

Hopefully they will entertain you and perhaps give you something to think about.

Enjoy

Arthur William Matcham

COPYRIGHT

MATCHAM PUBLISHING SERVICES

A Division of Matcham Technology Consultants

Matcham Publishing Services

4094 Bryant Park Drive

Dublin, Ohio 43016

A Collection of Short Stories

Copyright © 2012 by Arthur William Matcham

Front Cover Artwork © 2012 by William A. Matcham

ISBN 978-1-105-72929-4

Published by William A. Matcham

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Legal Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any incidental resemblance to actual people, places, names or ideas is strictly coincidental. Author and publisher assume no liability.

THE TRADERS

of the House of Salamer

by

Arthur W. Matcham

The Empire, ruled by the House of Herad, lasted a thousand years. In that thousand years astounding advances in science and technology came about as the Emperors channeled vast resources in that direction. The benefits passed to the people.

Peace reigned.

Towards the end of the thousand years the Great Expansion took place. Ships filled with colonists spread out in every direction, searching for new worlds. Also about this time the children of the then current emperor, four male, two female, decided they wanted their inheritance immediately. The palace coup was swift and bloody, as was the division of the empire and suppression of any resistance. Their iron grip squeezed the life-blood from the people. Only the ruling Houses fared well. The colonists were forgotten.

A hundred years of terror and slavery ended in a blood bath so horrendous that many of the ruling Houses turned against the Emperors. Some Houses perished along with their planets.

The Federation that formed to fill the void left by the collapse of the Empire helped to bring order and a measure of peace to the remaining Planets. They also formed the scout units to search for the lost colonists.

The scout ships were old Imperial Essix class two man shuttles, converted for scout duty. Originally there had been 500 of the little ships. Now only nine remained, each manned by a crew of one. Their main search mission had been completed, and these remaining ships were doing mapping runs.

The Commander of one of these ships was Harold of the House of Salamer. He sat in the galley contemplating the last sip of wine in his glass.

Today was his seventy-fifth birthday. At five feet ten inches, his two hundred pounds left some padding on his otherwise sturdy frame. Grey eyes matched the touch of grey in his brown hair. His skin was copper colored and leathery. Hot suns and frequent trips to the med lab do that. The uniform hid his scars. He had spent most of thirty birthdays alone in deep space, commander and sole occupant of his craft and had twenty five more before mandatory retirement. A smile crossed his full lips as he remembered one of the rare birthdays he had spent off ship. Rodha! Red haired, full bodied; the vision was shattered by the five minute warning of the drop from light speed.

He stowed the glass and bottle, stepped from the galley into the hall and headed for the bridge. The weightlessness that occurs during the transition into and out of light speed did not bother him. Bouncing around the cabin did. He entered the bridge and was in mid-stride to the pilot's chair when all gravity ceased as the ship dropped from light speed. He shot up and forward into the overhead control