Captain Quasar vs. the Gamer

Captain Bartholomew Quasar is back in action, thanks to the fine folks at Ray Gun Revival. In "Captain Quasar and the Fastest Thumbs on Zeta Colony Four," the governor of a backwards moon requests the captain's help in getting rid of a wicked gamer named Kaasjager. Here's an excerpt where Quasar readies himself for an old-fashioned shoot-out, waiting for the villain to make his grand entrance:

Quasar set his jaw; the muscle twitched on command. He would not run from adversity—at least not before he saw the shape and size of the adversity he'd be dealing with here.

A boy crossed the street about halfway and stood there, his attention glued to the gamepod device in his hands. At the same time, a hush fell over the crowd. Would Kaasjager gun down such an oblivious lad if he stood in the way of a scheduled gunfight?

"Clear the street, son," Quasar called, gesturing for the youth to move quickly. "You might want to look up from that gizmo every now and then." He chuckled amiably. Young people and their fascination with gadgets! It was adorable.

But as shocked gasps coursed through the townsfolk, the situation suddenly became clearer.

"Ah. I see." The captain composed himself. "You're Kaasjager."

The kid's bloodshot eyes glanced up from the screen in his hands. He was no kid at all, just an undersized twenty-something with the makings of a beard that hadn't decided what it wanted to be when it grew up. "You the gunfighter?"

"I am Captain Quasar of the Effervescent Magnitude, here to ensure that justice prevails!"

Kaasjager snickered, catching the governor's eye. "Where'd you find this guy?"

This story was my Write1Sub1 for February, and it's the sixth Captain Quasar tale to be published so far. There's only one more that has yet to find a good home, besides the NOVEL of course. Speaking of which, I'll be diving into the third draft this week and hope to get it to an interested editor by the end of the month.

How about you? Have any of your characters demanded a novel of their own?