Galaxy Man
by Mark Wayne McGinnis
The year is 2117. Out at the farthest reaches of Earth’s territorial space—a spree of depraved murders have the local cattle ranchers fearing for their families. A fear, they will soon discover, is more than justified.
Apparently, John Gallic’s reputation proceeded his arrival to the fringe-world of Muleshoe. A reputation suggesting he be given a wide berth. As the new Territory Abettor, commonly referred to as a Frontier Marshal, Gallic would be there for the long haul.
Formally titled Detective Chief Inspector of the Spatial Colonial Police—District 22—he’d investigated only the highest profile murders and was a rising star within the department. But that life was in the past. Gallic now provided an assortment of backwater law enforcement services to the burgeoning deep-space frontier territories. Sure, there was an occasional smalltime crime to investigate, but more often than not Gallic spent his days—commissioned by the big Interstellar banks—repossessing billionaire ranchers’ high-priced spacecraft. A glorified repo man. He was fine with that. It gave him spare time to do the one thing more important than anything else—find the murderer of his wife and child.
Piloting his voluminous spacecraft, the Hound, Gallic arrives on Muleshoe expecting his latest assignment to be no different than the hundred other repo jobs he’s performed. Typically, no one gets in his way. Then a Vid-Message call comes in from D-22—the Hammer and Nails Killer is at it again. Right there within the frontier worlds. Soon, Gallic would be chasing the very same cunning serial killer who, mercilessly, stole his once-perfect life away from him. The line between prey and predator becomes blurred and the Galaxy Man will have no problem sacrificing himself to kill a killer.
Apparently, John Gallic’s reputation proceeded his arrival to the fringe-world of Muleshoe. A reputation suggesting he be given a wide berth. As the new Territory Abettor, commonly referred to as a Frontier Marshal, Gallic would be there for the long haul.
Formally titled Detective Chief Inspector of the Spatial Colonial Police—District 22—he’d investigated only the highest profile murders and was a rising star within the department. But that life was in the past. Gallic now provided an assortment of backwater law enforcement services to the burgeoning deep-space frontier territories. Sure, there was an occasional smalltime crime to investigate, but more often than not Gallic spent his days—commissioned by the big Interstellar banks—repossessing billionaire ranchers’ high-priced spacecraft. A glorified repo man. He was fine with that. It gave him spare time to do the one thing more important than anything else—find the murderer of his wife and child.
Piloting his voluminous spacecraft, the Hound, Gallic arrives on Muleshoe expecting his latest assignment to be no different than the hundred other repo jobs he’s performed. Typically, no one gets in his way. Then a Vid-Message call comes in from D-22—the Hammer and Nails Killer is at it again. Right there within the frontier worlds. Soon, Gallic would be chasing the very same cunning serial killer who, mercilessly, stole his once-perfect life away from him. The line between prey and predator becomes blurred and the Galaxy Man will have no problem sacrificing himself to kill a killer.