Space is a big and dangerous place. The established trade routes between Earth and Mars take around six weeks to travel, even for the most advanced ship engines. Longer for others. If a ship crew were to find themselves damaged and adrift, it could be a long time before anyone finds them, if ever. In an attempt to make space travel safer, the Central Government established the Rescue and Assistance Guild. The guild employs and licenses independent ship captains to patrol the trade routes and areas around Earth, Mars, and several space stations, searching for ships in need of mechanical or medical assistance. Captain Joseph Shaw has had his ship, Crash Wagon, licensed with the guild for over seventeen years. His three main priorities have always been the safety of his crew, his ship, and the people they manage to rescue. Shaw's rescue record with the guild is one of the best. He enjoys his crew and his job. But, when the dark and shrouded past of two of his crew members catches up to them, loyalties aboard the ship are questioned. The crew find themselves caught in a struggle between warring organized crime families and faced with the very real possibility that some aboard the Crash Wagon may not be what they seem. Crash Wagon was inspired by several science fiction westerns and science fiction adventure stories. It takes place in a sci fi future that includes the colonization of Mars. Crash Wagon: Book One - Family Ties is the first book in the science fiction series and is 19,561 words long.