Space and Speculation: Short Stories of Rich Feitelberg

By Rich Feitelberg

A collection of science fiction stories including Mission to Centuri B, a first contact story, Timekeepers, a time travel story, Gray's World, space opera, and Carbon Footprint, a look at the near future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rich Feitelberg
• Release date: Apr 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9798727864081

Rich Feitelberg

Rich Feitelberg is a poet and novelist, author of the fantasy series, the Aglaril Cycle. He also has collections of short stories and poetry available too. Rich is an avid map collector, and student of popular culture. Growing up on a steady diet of comic books, science fiction, and fairy tales of all kinds, Rich soon began weaving his own tales at a young age. These activities continue to this day, as Rich is working on many new projects, and writing more poems and stories.

Book preview

Space and Speculation

Revised 2nd Edition

Rich Feitelberg

ManaSoft Books

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

PRINTING HISTORY

Gray’s World originally published January, 2014

Telescopevision originally published February, 2014

Return to Gray’s World originally published September, 2014

Carbon Footprint originally published November, 2014

First Collected Edition September, 2015

Second Printing January, 2016

Third Printing September, 2016

Revised Second Edition: March 2021

Copyright © 2010-16, 2021 by Rich Feitelberg

Visit http://feitelberg.net/aglaril/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aglarilcycle

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may not be reproduced or transmitted in whole or part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission by the author.

To my brother Stephen,

Who likes to perform stories

Gray’s World

Jonathan Gray walked into his darkened office. Instantly the lights snapped on. He looked at the Spartan arrangement of his workspace. The white walls held no pictures or adornments; the wooden floor was equally bare. The only furniture in the room was a black metal desk and a matching leather chair on wheels.

Neat and clean, thought Jonathan. Just the way I like it.

A voice said, Good morning, Jonathan.

Good morning, George.

Jonathan walked around his desk and sat down. Are today’s reports ready?

Affirmative. The flat screen on the desk brightened and a list of reports appeared. As you will see, there are reports on planetary resources, their consumption, and the reserves we have left.

Very good. Jonathan began reading. After a few minutes, George, Jonathan’s personal artificial intelligence, spoke again.

There is an urgent bulletin coming in from the Empire’s news service.

Let’s see it.

The message appeared on the screen.

The scout vessel Zephyr, while patrolling the edge of Known Space near the star Sagitta-Epsilon, discovered a new star system, designation QJZ-385216470 at 13:00 hours, galactic standard time. Planet 4 of the star system appears to be inhabited and enveloped in an unknown energy field. The Zephyr moved into the planet’s upper atmosphere to study the phenomena.

A distress signal was received from the scout vessel at 21:00 hours. It appears that the ship has crashed on the planet. Coordinates of QJZ-385216470:4 have been given to the Star Gate and Science divisions. Science vessel Curie is on route now to examine and identify the energy field. A rescue force is standing by at Star Gate SG-39581 awaiting word from the Curie as to the nature of the energy field.

Jonathan had barely finished reading the message when George interrupted again. Your brother, Joe, is requesting a video link.

Connect him.

Joe’s white hair, cropped short, and pleasant gray eyes appeared on the screen. Have you seen the report on QJZ-385216470?

Yes, said Jonathan. Hope there were survivors.

Yes, so do I.

"There is a new bulletin on the Zephyr," said George.

Relay it so Joe can hear it.

The Empire, George declared, "is now reporting that the Zephyr had a ship-wide power failure just prior to crashing. The cause is unknown, but many suspect the planet’s energy field."

Which means, Joe added, they probably weren’t able to launch any life pods before they went down.

Jonathan sat silently mourning the loss of the 100-man crew.

Others will claim it was an attack from the planet, Joe continued. They’ll want an excuse to launch a full-scale invasion.

Probably, Jonathan agreed, but they won’t go to war immediately. Not until they understand the nature of the energy field they’re facing.

Right, but they’ll annex the star system, in the meantime, especially if the inhabitants of the planet aren’t spacefaring because there’ll be no one to stop them.

Sounds like the Sirius incident all over again.

It does, said Joe, and the Siriusians still distrust the Empire two centuries later.

Do you blame them? quipped Jonathan.

Joe shook his head silently.

Jonathan continued on, It was an aggressive act that we should never have tolerated.

"And we wouldn’t have if the Empire hadn’t been able to keep the peace across a dozen or more star systems for the last several centuries. Let’s face it, the only reason the Empire continues to exist is they keep everyone in it safe.

True enough, said Jonathan nodding his head.

I don’t suppose they’d let you deploy a scouting expedition?

Jonathan pursed his lips. "They might, but only as a last resort. They are hoping that the Curie will be able to identify the energy source around the planet, compensate for it, and rescue any survivors." He paused as another thought occurred to him.

Why do you ask, Joe? Aren’t you busy enough in the infirmary?

I am. But I wouldn’t mind a field assignment just as a change of pace.

I’ll keep that in mind. He smiled at his brother and Joe got the message.

Satisfied that his point had been made, Joe said, "Well I gotta go. Talk to