Michael Sage is alone. He's been alone for a long time. But that is the way he wants it; that is why he chose the job.
Living on a secluded moon in a remote sector of the galaxy at the behest of a huge corporation is a quiet existence for Michael. But when an unexpected visitor arrives with shocking news, his world is thrown into turmoil.
Ethan Spier (Gary Walkden) was born in the middle of England in 1980, and grew up listening to music by The Beatles and reading books by Roald Dahl.
He started writing novels in his mid-twenties after having a history of penning a number of short stories. His first novel, Kinesis, was published in 2012 under the pen name, Ethan Spier. It has since been downloaded over 100,000 times around the world.
Two sequels (The Kinetic and Corona) were published in the subsequent years, as well as a standalone thriller called Kaleidoscope.
Gary is currently writing his fifth novel - a humorous science-fiction story with a focus on VR/AR technology called 'The Memory Engine'. This will be released under his own name later this year in eBook and paperback formats.
Excellent short story, very much my cup of tea. Tense but with a tragic heart, this is a bleak vision of the future and at the same time a heartfelt testimony to the bonds of family. More short stories please!