The Solar Federation: The First Four Stories

By J Alan Erwine

The first four stories of J Alan Erwine's Solar Federation series are now available in one collection. Tag along with a crew sent on a desperate mission. Meet up with the newest graduate who is going to face some tough challenges. Get inside the mind of a captain who has lost his ship and is at risk of losing his entire crew. And finally, spend a night at Sharon's Bar and meet Sharon, the most popular character in the series...so far...

• Language: English
• Publisher: J Alan Erwine
• Release date: Mar 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215278161

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 Solar Federation

The First Four Stories

By J Alan Erwine

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Copyright 2023 by J Alan Erwine

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.

Contents

Mission Unknown

Greenie

A Thin Line

One Night at Sharon’s

Mission Unknown

The ship lifted off from the dock at Mare Insularum, pushed off the surface of the moon by magnetic beams. Onboard the ship, Captain Rick Jamieson monitored his crew and the various displays that surrounded him on the bridge.

10 kilometers away, safely under the dome of Lanaberg City, dozens of government representatives of the Solar Federation watched the ship rise from the surface. Many of them shifted from foot to foot, others chewed on nails, while others simply stared. Milling about the government officials were hundreds of Lunar citizens, trying to go about their day to day business. To them, it was just another launch, but to the officials, it was so much more. The citizens had no idea where this ship was going, but the government officials did. Only they and Captain Jamieson knew the true mission of the SFS Lincoln. Even the captain’s crew didn’t know, and he wasn’t the least bit eager to tell them.

Once the magnetic pulse beams had disengaged, and the SFS Lincoln was clear of the moon’s gravity, Cap. Jamieson entered the coordinates of their destination.

I’ll need a fifty-minute burn, Jenkins, he said to the pilot.

Lt. Andrew Jenkins turned. Fifty minutes, sir? Where are we going?

Jamieson could see the concern on the young lieutenant’s face, but now wasn’t the time to talk about their mission. Not for the first time, Jamieson realized how much Jenkins reminded him of a younger version of himself. The young Lieutenant had dark hair, like the Captain used to have. He now realized that a few dark strands among numerous gray ones couldn’t be called dark. He had gray hair, end of story. The Lieutenant also had the joyful enthusiasm on his face that the Captain remembered he used to feel. Now the Captain feared he’d become too jaded. Jamieson repressed a sigh realizing that mostly Lieutenant Jenkins reminded him of the young man he used to be, a young man he could never be again.

We’re going where the Federation tells us to go, was the only answer he could give.

Jenkins nodded, turned, and engaged the engines.

Cap. Jamieson pushed the intercom button beside him. Sit back and relax, everyone, he said. This is going to be a long burn.

The crew was used to working in zero or low gravities. The 1.5 G push of the ship’s acceleration would be uncomfortable for most of them, but it was necessary.

*

A fifty-minute burn is a pretty big thrust, Captain, his first officer, Elena Castillo said across the table.

The Captain grunted as he continued to eat his lunch. He never liked to talk about missions when he was eating, but