Upstarts

"Upstarts" by L. J. Stecher, Jr. is a science fiction story set in the early 1960s that thrusts readers into a world of interstellar intrigue. John Crownwall, an Earthman, faces off against the Viceroy of the powerful Sunda Empire on Vega III. Earth's sudden technological leap has turned heads galaxy-wide, particularly among those who see humanity as a catalyst for disrupting the established order. Crownwall must navigate treacherous negotiations with the Vegans, balancing Earth's aspirations for dominance with the ever-present threat to its survival. The story becomes a deep examination of the price of progress when our protagonist and his people realize their rise may come at the cost of their place in the universe, leaving them pondering their existence in the lonely expanse.