Wanderer - Extinction: Wanderer's Odyssey, #5

By Simon Goodson

Jess and the Wanderer race to save the Universe from extinction… but will saving everything just mean handing it to the Taint?

The destruction of the Universe has started and only Jess and the Wanderer have the slightest chance of stopping it, but that's only the start.  Jess must also find a way to stop the all-consuming Taint once and for all.  Failing will just swap the extinction of the Universe for the extinction of humanity, and every other free-thinking race.

Join Jess and the Wanderer on their thrilling journey, as they race to save everything and everyone, including the woman Jess loves.  Find out whether they succeed in Wanderer – Extinction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dark Soul Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Apr 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781910586075

Book preview

Part I

Chapter 1

Six months earlier…

---

Nova shrieked as a whip cracked inches from her cheek but she didn’t dare stop what she was doing. In fact she made her hands move even faster, sorting through the piles of shattered rock in front of her.

The guard with the whip grunted and moved on. He hadn’t said anything, but his point had been clear. Nova hadn’t been working fast enough for his liking. Or he was bored. Or he needed a bit of amusement. Or… well, there were many reasons for the whips to come out and only a few she or the other prisoners could do anything to prevent.

Nova’s hands were shaking, making it difficult to keep working so quickly. The whip had missed her face, but only by the narrowest of margins. She knew full well the guards weren’t that accurate. It’s tip could have easily taken her eye out, or left her with a vicious cut on her face.

She would have been forced to work though the pain of the cut, which would have been bad enough, but if she’d lost an eye she would have been in far more trouble. The agony and probable infection would be left untreated and could easily have killed her.

If she’d survived then with one eye she’d still be considered next to useless as a slave. To the Empire slaves were almost valueless. There would always be more around than were actually needed, which meant any who were badly hurt or unable to work effectively were surplus to requirements. On a good day that could mean a bullet to the head. On a bad day… well, the Empire had many ways for the deaths of such slaves to be useful.

Watch out girl!

Nova jumped at the hissed warning from the man beside her. She’d slowed down without realising it and the guard was returning. He was still ten metres away but was stamping towards her position. Nova knew he couldn’t see her work yet, the tunnel they worked in was too narrow, but it wouldn’t be long.

She focused hard, forcing her hands steady by willpower alone, even as she shuddered inside. She scrabbled through the pile of shattered rock in front of her even faster, pulling out any pieces showing signs of gemstones and dropping the rest into a chute by her side.

The rock was delivered automatically and at a steady pace. Nova’s pile was larger than it should be, evidence of her slowdown, and there was no way she could clear it down in the next few seconds.

That left only one option. An option which could land her in an awful lot of trouble. She had to smile at that thought. She was already in trouble, and in a lot more if she didn’t get her pile down. Reaching out she started taking chunks of rock and dropping them straight into the rejection chute without checking them at all.

If the guards caught her doing it then her life would be over, but she had no choice. She did it as fast as she dared, having to go slow enough not to draw the attention of the prisoners around her. If she missed something valuable and it was found at the end of the chutes then everyone in her work detail would be severely punished. That was more than enough incentive for someone to sell her out to the guards.

She dropped the last unchecked chunk of rock into the chute just as the guard reached the man beside her. Now the guard could see what she was doing. She made certain she examined each piece of rock carefully, but still moved through them quickly.

You see what you can do with a little incentive? asked the guard, his voice deep and rough.

Nova didn’t reply. She just nodded her head. She’d learnt the hard way how to deal with questions like that. Answering inevitably led to a punishment, but so did not responding at all. A simple nod or shake of the head meant she could avoid punishment; most of the time, at least. Sometimes the punishment was coming no matter what she did.

This wasn’t one of those times. The guard laughed then moved on. Nova’s hands were shaking again, but this time she didn’t let her pace slacken. As she fought to keep her hands steady she longed for the next meal break… whenever the guards decided that should be.

Nova squatted on the floor, eyes constantly moving as she spooned the weak soup into her mouth. Around her the other prisoners did the same. Most were squatting or sitting in small groups, but Nova wasn’t the only one eating alone.

The food was far from filling, but it was all they would get until the end of the day and the faster she ate the less chance there was of it being taken from her.

Movement caught her eye. Her stomach sank as she realised who it was. Blade. And he was moving her way. Blade was bad news. Six feet tall and heavily built, he was the strongest and toughest of the prisoners she was currently with. He was smart too. Smart enough not to cause trouble when the guards were likely to notice. Smart enough not to slack off, or appear to anyway. And he was heading for Nova.

She glanced at her bowl. She hadn’t got through more than a third. She lifted the bowl closer to her mouth, trying to get through more of the food before Blade arrived but without him noticing. Much as she needed the food she didn’t need a beating. As soon as Blade spoke to her or got close enough she would have to stop and meekly pass over her food.

This was how Blade managed to stay so strong. He regularly stole the food from other prisoners. His own food would have been left on the floor where no one would dare to touch it.

You! Give me that. Now!

Nova almost choked on her mouthful as Blade’s deep voice boomed out. The spoon was almost in her mouth but she lowered it, not daring to anger him. Heart hammering she looked up, hoping her guilt wasn’t obvious to see. If Blade even suspected she’d been trying to shove extra food down before he arrived then his reaction would be extremely painful.

She raised her head enough so she could see his face and nearly laughed in relief when she realised he was looking at someone else. She managed to stifle the laugh before it drew his attention. Laughing at Blade was something few people survived.

Despite having been in the same prisoner detail for three months, this was the first time she’d had a chance to study Blade from so close without being the focus of his attention.

His body was strong but it still showed signs of his life as a prisoner. His skin was pale and pasty looking. His arms were criss-crossed with scars from the heavy work he almost invariably got stuck with. His head was bald and covered in more scars, but those came from shaving it with improvised tools.

Nova couldn’t get past his eyes, though. They were a deep blue colour, deeper than she had ever seen before. Beautiful eyes. She found herself mesmerised.

Blade must have sensed her study. He glanced at her with a scowl. Nova immediately dropped her head, heart hammering again. Blade was unpredictable. She might get away with a sharp word or he might let loose on her. As the seconds stretched out the need to look up, to see what he was doing, grew stronger and stronger. She resisted as best she could, knowing doing so could trigger the attack.

Finally he muttered something and she heard him turn away. Her hand trembled as she spooned soup into her mouth once more, but as she focused on the task it steadied.

Blade appeared from behind her, walking slowly as he ate his stolen soup. Once he was safely past Nova risked a quick glance behind. Blade’s victim was obvious. He hadn’t been touched, but he was sitting with no bowl and a mixture of anger and fear flowing across his face. Nova hoped the fear won out. She had seen people challenge Blade before. It had always been a messy mistake.

What Blade had done was none of her business. She needed to concentrate on her food, on getting it down as quickly as possible before Blade or someone else decided to take it off her hands. Eating enough could easily be the difference between life and death for a prisoner.

Nova was spooning the last few mouthfuls of soup into her mouth when she noticed Blade was on the move again. This time there was no doubt about it, he was heading straight for her. The sneer on his face was bad news.

She kept her head down, not meeting his eyes as he approached but able to see him stop only a couple of steps away. He just stood there for a few seconds, before breaking the silence.

Stand up, he barked out.

Nova stood quickly. Blade towered above her. She found herself looking at his chest. Meeting his gaze would have put a crick in her neck. It would also have been a sure way to invite an attack.

I didn’t like the way you looked at me, Blade said, his voice controlled. There was a playful edge to it. He was enjoying himself. Nova certainly wasn’t.

I’m sorry, Nova said softly.

What? I didn’t hear you?

I’m sorry, she said, louder this time. She had a problem. Insane though it was, she was getting angry with Blade. She wanted to shove him away, tell him he was a bully and an idiot, tell him that she wouldn’t take it any more.

Sorry? That’s not good enough. The way you looked at me, it made me feel dirty. Even my boots feel dirty. I want them cleaned. Take your jacket off. Now!

Nova stared at him without moving. She had a thin vest on underneath and nothing else. She was cold enough with her jacket on. She would freeze without it.

I said now.

Blade’s voice held the promise of violence, but Nova’s anger was getting the better of her. Whatever Blade planned would involve humiliation and probably pain. More importantly, it would leave her without her jacket. Even a few hours in the cold without it would probably prove fatal in the long run. She would quickly get ill and the guards were less than sympathetic towards anyone who was unable to work. The cure was generally fatal.

Nova looked up, craning her neck to meet Blade’s gaze. She could see the anger bubbling there, the violence brewing. Steeling herself she shook her head.

No, she said softly. She had meant it to be a defiant shout. Fear had muted it.

Blade’s eyes widened for a moment. Then he struck, moving so quickly Nova didn’t have a chance to tense. Pain exploded in her stomach where Blade’s fist had landed and she collapsed to one knee. The pain was bad but it paled into insignificance as she fought unsuccessfully to draw in a breath. The muscles in her stomach had locked solid.

She didn’t see or feel the next blow. One moment she was on her knees, struggling to breathe, the next she was laying on her side with her head ringing. As her vision cleared she saw Blade’s legs. Saw him pulling back his foot ready to deliver a kick. She couldn’t do anything about it. She still couldn’t even breath.

Pain lanced through Nova’s body, screaming down every nerve. For a moment she thought Blade’s kick had done serious damage, that she must be dying. Then the pain cut off as suddenly as it had started.

Nova lay on her side, panting as she finally managed to draw a little air into her lungs. As her vision cleared she made out Blade laying in front of her, his body twitching. Nova grimaced as she realised what had happened. The guards had activated the control collars that she and the other prisoners wore. They had saved her life in doing so, though Nova doubted that was their intent.

Groans around her bought home what had happened. The guards had activated every collar within range, so every prisoner had suffered. Because of her. Well, mostly because of Blade but Nova doubted anyone would dare blame him, especially after what he had done to her. Which left Nova.

Stop lazing around, bellowed one of the guards. Back to work, right now.

The prisoners struggled upright with a series of groans and curses, then headed back to the work area. Several sent angry looks Nova’s way. Blade walked beside her for a moment, matching her pace.

This isn’t over, he said, voice almost pleasant. Not by a long shot. Now I owe you for the collar too. Next time there won’t be any guards to save your sorry hide.

He lengthened his stride, stalking away from Nova. She trudged after, eyes burning a hole in his back. She knew he meant it, and that he would make her suffer. She thought he would probably kill her. There were only two ways to avoid it. Get away or kill Blade first.

Escaping was impossible, her collar ensured that, but getting away from Blade might not be. If the guards decided to move some or all of the prisoners around then she would try to end up in a different group to Blade. It was a faint hope, though. She doubted Blade would wait longer than he had to. That meant he would come for her during the sleep break. The guards paid very little attention when the prisoners were supposed to be sleeping, and the occasional dead body didn’t seem to worry them.

That left one other possibility. Killing Blade. Even the thought of it made Nova’s pulse pound. She’d never killed anyone. She’d never tried to. She wasn’t sure she could do it, even to save her own life, and how was she supposed to kill Blade? He would almost certainly be awake and coming for her. He was much bigger and stronger. She wouldn’t stand a chance.

What she needed was a weapon. That would at least give her a chance. But she was a prisoner, where was she going to get a weapon?

Chapter 2

Time was flying past but Nova was no closer to solving the problem of Blade. She worked on automatic, extracting anything valuable and sending the worthless rock on its way. The only weapons she could think of belonged to the guards. There was no way she’d even get her hands on one, let alone get a chance to use it on Blade. The moment she touched one all control collars within a hundred metres would activate.

Without a weapon she was dead. She couldn’t think of anything. Prisoners weren’t allowed knives of any sort. Spoons were made of a soft material that bent long before they could cause harm. The guards didn’t want prisoners having easy access to weaponry.

She picked up another chunk of rock and started to turn it gently this way then the other, searching for any signs it contained anything valuable. It was heavy in her hand, one of the larger chunks she would have to sort through. Nothing. She went to discard it, then stopped and stared at the rock. She’d found her weapon! It seemed obvious as soon as she thought of it.

It presented some problems though. All the prisoners were carefully searched when they left the area, to make sure they hadn’t taken anything valuable. The rock she held was worthless but it would still be confiscated. That meant she would need to take on Blade before they left the area. It would be dangerous, but she really didn’t have a choice. Moving the rock to one side she continued with her work. The last thing she needed was to attract notice from the guards.

Form up. Time to go.

Nova jerked at the guard’s shout. She’d been lost in her thoughts, thinking through what she would have to do. She’d had to fight on occasion, but she’d never set out to kill someone before. That was what she planned to do. Kill Blade. Anything less and she would be the one dying.

She grabbed the rock and managed to hide most of it up her sleeve. The rest was sitting in her cupped hand. She hoped no one would notice it before she closed in on Blade.

The other prisoners started to shuffle forwards. Nova went with the group, trying to spot Blade. His size made him easier to spot, but her own lack of height meant she had to peer past her fellow prisoners as they shuffled forwards. She had to find Blade quickly. It would only be a few minutes before they reached the checkpoint, and once there she would have to abandon the rock.

Gaps opened and closed but she couldn’t spot Blade. Most of the time she couldn’t see more than a few people in front. As time slipped away Nova found herself breathing harder, her pulse starting to pound. It was hopeless. She would never find Blade this way.

She glanced around. To her left was a prisoner whose name she didn’t know. He was tall, though. Not as tall as Blade but not far off it, though he was gaunt where Blade was bulky.

Hey, Nova said, touching his arm. I need your help.

The man jumped slightly at her touch, then eyed her suspiciously. Prisoners talking while being transferred wasn’t officially banned, but often the guards clamped down hard on it.

What is it? he asked quietly, eyes darting around.

I need to know where Blade is. Can you see him?

Blade? Why are you looking for him? Do you want to die?

No, Nova replied, thinking frantically. I want to avoid him. But I can’t see where he is.

The man relaxed a little, nodding to himself.

Yeah. I can see that. He glanced around, then motioned with his head. He’s that way, about six people in front of us. He keeps moving around, though. I think he’s looking for you.

Thanks, Nova replied. Ice flooded her veins and the rock suddenly felt too heavy to carry. Blade was looking for her already. She shook herself. This was it. This was her only chance. Whether Blade intended to finish her now or just remind her what he would do later, she had to deal with him. She moved forwards, slipping between two women in front of her.

Hey, what you doing? hissed the tall man.

Nova ignored him and kept moving, using her small size to slip forwards without causing a stir. The other prisoners would have complained if she’d been shoving them, but other than that they didn’t much care who reached the checkpoint first.

She caught a glimpse of Blade ahead. She could see his head turning from side to side. Then he was gone, hidden by the bodies in front of her. Steeling herself she slipped forwards past several men and two women.

She found herself behind an older looking man who struggled forward on a damaged leg. Nova knew he didn’t dare let it slow him down. One sign of weakness from someone so old and the guards would end his life, and not necessarily quickly or painlessly.

Blade was in front of the man. His attention was focused forward for the moment. Something had caught his attention. Maybe he thought he’d found Nova. That suited her. Let him keep thinking that. Let that be the last thought he had.

She let the rock slip down and clear of her sleeve, then tightened her grip again. Her hands were suddenly slick with sweat and she was certain Blade would hear her panting for breath. Her heart hammered in her chest. This was it. She wouldn’t get a second chance. She had to make the first swing count.

Nova darted around the old man, then swung her arm back preparing for what she hoped would be the killing blow. She stared at the back of Blade’s head, her arm trembling, and prepared to strike.

Her arm trembled and a huge weight seemed to have settled on her chest. She couldn’t breathe. Her vision was starting to pulse in time with her rapid heartbeat. She started to swing… and stopped.

She couldn’t do it. Despite everything, she couldn’t do it. It wasn’t fear. Yes, she was scared of Blade, terrified even, but that wasn’t what stopped her. She just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t strike him down, especially from behind.

Nova didn’t realise she had stopped until the old man bumped into her. He cursed loudly, giving her a shove forward. Blade’s head shot round, seeking the disturbance. When he spotted Nova a huge grin split his face.

There you are. What’s the matter, did you miss me?

He stepped close, towering over Nova once more. Staring into his eyes Nova realised this was it. She thought of trying to run, but her legs were filled with lead and refused to move.

What’s the matter? Too scared to talk? That’s fine. I’ll soon have you pleading for me to stop. Or screaming.

He reached out with one of his powerful hands, grabbing her chin and squeezing hard. Nova gasped in pain. Blade just grinned and squeezed harder.

Oh, this is just the beginning. I’m going to take my time with you. You’ll be an example to the others.

He squeezed even harder. Nova felt her legs try to buckle, but Blade’s grip prevented her from dropping to the floor. The pain was forcing tears from her eyes. Blade laughed, eyes alight. Nova realised he was really enjoying this, that causing her pain was fun for him.

That was the turning point. All the terror, all the pain, was swept away by white hot anger. She let out a strangled scream, focusing her rage. It was muffled by his iron grip and he seemed to take it as a further sign of her suffering. He was too focused on what he was doing. He didn’t notice her arm start moving, swinging faster and faster as the rock in her hand accelerated towards his head.

Something must have tipped him off. Maybe it was a flicker of Nova’s gaze. Maybe he caught the movement from the corner of his eye. At the last moment he shoved Nova away and tried to pull back.

He wasn’t fast enough to avoid the rock. It clipped the side of his head, just above his eye, opening a nasty cut, but it didn’t cave his head in as Nova had hoped. It didn’t even knock him out. He shook his head, slightly dazed, but he’d survived the first blow.

Nova desperately tried to halt the rock’s swing so she could reverse direction. Maybe she could land another blow while Blade was still dazed.

Her bad luck continued. Even before she’d stopped the swing Blade had recovered enough to step in again. He grabbed her elbow and her wrist, then twisted sharply. Nova couldn’t help but drop the rock as pain spiked through both joints.

Releasing his hold Blade grabbed Nova by the back of her neck with one hand and wrapped the other around her throat. His grip immediately tightened, cutting off her breathing. His muscles tensed and he lifted her off the floor.

Nova struggled desperately in his grip. Her vision was already dimming at the edges. She kicked out, landing several blows to his body, but he didn’t even seem to notice. She tried to reach out for his eyes, planning to gouge at them, but his arms were too long. She couldn’t quite reach.

She reached up to her neck, trying to prise his fingers free, but she couldn’t shift any of them. He was far stronger than she was at the best of times, and now her strength was flowing away along with consciousness.

The ringing in her ears became deafening. The darkness closed in on her vision. She found herself staring into Blade’s eyes, saw the anger and the hatred there, and knew he wasn’t going to relent. There would be no dragging out her death now. Blade was caught up in a killing rage.

Die bitch!

She saw his lips move and faintly heard his words. She thought he must have shouted but it only registered as a whisper. Her mind felt heavy now, sleepy. All panic had gone. Her vision narrowed down so all she could see was Blade’s eyes. Such deep blue eyes. Then the blackness closed in completely and swept Nova away with it.

Chapter 3

Nova woke with a start, gasping for breath. Her throat burned but she managed to draw down some air. The second breath was almost as wonderful as the first. Her head still felt fuzzy and something was hammering at the inside of her brain. She blinked her eyes and made out a rough rock ceiling above.

Was she still in the tunnel? And what had happened? She remembered the look in Blade’s eyes. The killing rage. He’d wanted her dead. Someone must have intervened, but who? None of the other prisoners were a match for Blade, not even if several ganged up on him. Was Blade still dealing with them now? Maybe. She could hear quiet groans around her.

She wanted nothing more than to stay where she was, but she had to move. Once Blade was finished with whoever had distracted him he would finish what he’d started with Nova. Despite that, a part of her wanted to stay put. To wait for Blade. To get it over with. She fought against it. She wasn’t ready to die yet, especially not at the hands of Blade.

Nova’s head was clearing but breathing was still painful, her bruised throat complaining with each breath. At least the hammering in her head had eased a little. Taking a deep breath she rolled onto her right side, biting her lip to avoid screaming at the pain.

Tears blurred her vision. All she could see were a few blurry shapes. Why did her body hurt so much? Had Blade switched to kicking her while she was unconscious? Normally she wouldn’t have been surprised, but he had been far beyond such control. She wasn’t dead so someone must have stopped him, but then why did her body hurt so much?

She could still hear groaning, but now she thought of it there were no hints of a fight or a beating. She couldn’t hear any blows being landed. She couldn’t hear Blade’s voice either, which was particularly unusual when he was in a fight. Hope flared in her chest. Could someone have actually beaten Blade?

The tears were easing off. She was still in pain but now she had stopped moving it had ebbed from burning intensity to dull aching. Shaking her head and blinking several more times cleared her vision. Lifting her head a little she stared in confusion at dozens of her fellow prisoners, all curled up on the floor.

A few were stirring but most lay still. The groans she had heard came from those who were starting to wake. One woman managed to lift her hand to her neck and pulled at the control collar there.

In that moment Nova realised what had happened. The guards had activated everyone’s control collars, and not for the normal short period of time. With so many still unconscious there was a good chance some of the weaker prisoners would have died or would be left with such serious complications that the guards would put a bullet in their brain.

That explained why her whole body was in pain. Every muscle would have been affected, tensing as the collar fired. She’d only experienced the collars being used for an extended period a couple of times before. It was horrific. Breathing had become impossible as her chest muscles spasmed. It had seemed to last for hours as she fought to survive. Then she had lost consciousness.

The aftermath was even worse. Agonising pain which had left her unable to move or think for what seemed like an age. Strangely she didn’t feel so bad this time. Was it because she had been unconscious when the collars were activated? She certainly seemed to be recovering much more quickly than her fellow prisoners.

She lowered her head again, groaning more loudly than she really needed to. She didn’t want to let on to the guards that she was recovering quickly. She needed to use the time to think. Suffering the effects of the collar would make Blade even angrier. She needed a way out before he became a threat.

Why had the collars been activated? Was it because of her fight with Blade? It wasn’t impossible; the guards would sometimes intervene in fights, but not normally when only two people were involved. Mass brawls led to injuries and loss of productivity. Having to replace a number of slaves created more work for the guards. Individual fights barely registered. Besides, the guards would only use the collars for long enough to break up a fight. This was something different.

So if the guards hadn’t stepped in to save her, why had they activated the collars? Try as she might, she couldn’t think of a reason. She heard a groan from behind. A deeper groan than most of the prisoners made. A chill swept through her body. Blade! It was Blade! And he was recovering.

She mentally kicked herself for wasting time wondering what the guards had been doing when she should have been thinking about Blade. She flopped onto her back with a groan, then rolled onto her left side. It was risky. None of the other prisoners had regained so much control yet, but she had to take the chance.

Tears blurred her vision again but the pain was less this time. She was quickly able to blink them away. As her vision cleared she found herself staring into Blade’s deep blue eyes. His face contorted into a snarl as he saw her. He tried to move but only managed a slight judder. Still, the hatred burning in his eyes warned Nova that she only had a little time to live.

Her brain went into overdrive as she tried to think of a way out of the situation. She could probably move now but that would bring the guards down on her. Even without the guards it would be pointless. There was nowhere to run to. She could probably avoid Blade for a few minutes once he was able to move, while his body fully recovered, but it would just be delaying the inevitable, and not by long.

There was only one other option. She’d been unable to kill Blade before, but something had changed inside. She could still feel his fingers locked around her throat. She could still feel the panic inside as she fought unsuccessfully to draw breath. She could still remember the look in his eyes. She would not, could not, allow that to happen again. Even if it meant killing him.

Blade had fallen only a couple of paces away. She started to wriggle towards him, wary of moving too fast and attracting attention from the guards but aware Blade was recovering. If she was going to do this then it had to be done soon.

She froze as a guard moved into her sight, walking slowly past the edge of the prisoners and studying them as he went. Blade has his back to the guard. He tried to move once more, body vibrating. This time his arms jerked a little. The guard’s attention snapped to Blade. He watched as the huge prisoner shook and tried to move. Nova saw the guard nod to himself with a slight smile, then move on.

As soon as the guard had moved far enough Nova grabbed her opportunity. She slowly reached out towards Blade to avoid drawing any attention from the guards. Heart hammering she placed her hands around Blade’s huge neck. Even with both hands she could only just manage to reach.

Then she started to squeeze. It was difficult. She was fighting against herself as much as against Blade’s strength. She knew this was necessary, she knew it was him or her, but part of her still recoiled in horror at what she was trying to do.

Tears blurred her vision again but she refused to stop. She felt Blade’s neck muscles tense and tried to squeeze even harder. Blade forced his chin down almost onto his chest.

Shaking her head to clear the tears she focused on his chest rather than his face. To her dismay his chest continued to rise and fall. It wasn’t working. Blade was still breathing. And soon he would recover enough to kill her.

Panic set in, robbing her hands of strength. She lifted her gaze back to Blade’s face and was met by a chilling smile. Blade knew she didn’t have the strength to finish him. It was just a matter of time now.

Anger flared in Nova. The smile was the final straw. She wanted to wipe it out. Obliterate it. Taking her hands from Blade’s throat she stuck one over his mouth, blocking out the smile. Blade shook slightly as he tried to move. Staring into his eyes she saw his confidence vanish to be replaced by fear. But why?

His breath blowing against her hand gave her the answer. She had covered his mouth, preventing him breathing through it. He was breathing through his nose now, dragging in air in short pants. Steeling herself against what she felt inside Nova reached out with her other hand and pinched Blade’s nose closed.

This was even worse than trying to strangle him. She could feel through her hands his desperate attempts to breathe. The pressure changes in his nose. His attempts to drag air in through his mouth. When those didn’t work he tried to move again. It was too soon. He couldn’t manage more than small shakes, nowhere near enough to dislodge her grip.

His attempts to breathe became more desperate but less and less effective. Nova found it horrific. She could feel his life ebbing away. Something within her was dying at the same time. She was crossing a line she’d never thought she could. She was becoming something evil. She was becoming a murderer, but there was nothing else she could do.

Chapter 4

Blade’s struggles were weakening. His eyes bored into Nova. The anger was gone now, all she saw in his eyes was fear. Fear and pleading.

She screwed her own eyes closed, not trusting herself to follow through if she had to watch the life ebb from his body. She kept her hands locked in place, refusing to weaken, refusing to hear the voice inside that cried out against what she was doing.

Strong hands suddenly grabbed her wrists, dragging them away from Blade’s face. She jumped in surprise. The grip remained in place. Blade! He’d managed to overcome the effects of the collar. She’d missed her chance. Fear lanced through her as she realised the tables had turned. She would be at Blade’s mercy. With his grip on her wrists she couldn’t even try to get away.

Her eyes met Blade’s once more. Sure enough the anger had returned, even more intensely. He hadn’t enjoyed being made to feel helpless. Now he was going to take it out on Nova. His face contorted into a grin and he winked at her once.

Then her wrists were released. Nova blinked in surprise. Was Blade giving her a chance to run? Dragging this out so she suffered even more?

No. She realised his hands were still where they had been before. It hadn’t been Blade that prised her hands away from his neck. Who then?

Before she could consider the problem any further her world lurched. She found herself dragged upright by two guards. She couldn’t stand yet so they held her by one arm each, her feet dangling uselessly.

This one? one of the guards snapped out.

No. Not her.

The reply was curt. She couldn’t see who it came from, they were standing behind her. Then her world lurched again as the two guards let her go. Her legs were still useless but she managed to turn the fall into a sideways roll, using her arms to shield her head. It still hurt, a lot, but it saved her from cracking her head open.

Head spinning slightly she saw the guards move on and struggle to drag Blade upright.

This one for sure, one of the guards said.

Nova didn’t hear the reply but the guard nodded, then the two of them dragged Blade out of her sight. Nova felt hope surge in her chest. The guards were choosing people, singling them out. That normally meant one of two things. Either those chosen were being shifted to a new group or they were being sent on a mission, normally a dangerous mission. If it was the second then there was a good chance she would never see Blade again. If it was the first then it was pretty much a certainty. Maybe, just maybe, she would survive the next few hours after all.

First, though, she had to avoid attention from the guards. She’d been passed over but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t change their mind, especially if she seemed exceptional in any way. So she lay still, groaning occasionally, and watched as the guards moved amongst her fellow prisoners.

They were taking far more people than normal. By the time they finished they’d taken almost everyone and left only four that she could see. She heard the guards moving through those prisoners behind her, but continued to keep her head down.

In front of Nova a youngish boy managed to struggle into a sitting position. He looked around fourteen and judging from his face anger was driving him to throw off the after-effects of the collar. Almost as soon as he sat up two guards homed in on him. Dragging him to his feet they took him away, not even waiting for confirmation. Nova continued to lay still, not wanting to share his fate. Not wanting to be taken to the same place as Blade.

Soon the guards passed her again, dragging two final victims, then disappeared from sight. She heard an engine roar into life and a vehicle of some sort pull away. Still she kept her head down.

The two prisoners she could still see, both women, slowly roused themselves, first sitting then finally standing and stretching. Nova heard muted talking behind her too. Finally she allowed herself to stretch and moved into a sitting position. That would do for now. Something very strange had happened and she still didn’t want to risk drawing undue attention.

Turning her head she saw another eight prisoners behind her, all women apart from one elderly man. He must have been taken prisoner late in life. No one lived long enough to look so old if they were born a prisoner. In all, the guards had taken more than a hundred people from her group.

Standing cautiously, Nova studied those who had been left behind. She was surprised to find she was almost the tallest. Only the elderly man was taller, and he only just. It was a strange feeling because she was so used to being much shorter than those around her. Being amongst the tallest made her feel slightly dizzy.

She and the others had little in common other than their height. Their ages ranged from early twenties to however old the man was. Nova and two others were in relatively good health for prisoners, while the others were thin and malnourished. There was a mix of features and skin tones.

Nova shook her head. Was the only reason they hadn’t been taken their size? But why bother leaving so few of them? Normally all the prisoners would be thrown into a task. If a few couldn’t keep up or couldn’t survive, so be it. Prisoners were only normally singled out for specific jobs where spaces were limited. Why choose so many? And what was in store for those who had been left behind?

The second question was soon answered. The crack of a whip announced the arrival of two more guards. Not bothering to speak they simply pointed down the tunnel, towards the exit. Nova and the few prisoners still with her started to trudge back towards their cell.

Nova lay curled up on the floor of the cell, trying to sleep. For once she was warm enough. Maybe even too warm. The few belongings of all those who had been chosen still remained in the cell. Nova found that a bad sign for them.

She and the few others who remained had taken advantage of the situation, grabbing several blankets each. The guards had remained near the cell, something else that was unusual, and quickly discouraged any hint of conversation between the prisoners. Nova and the others hadn’t even been allowed to settle down anywhere near each other. Each was too far from the others to speak without the guards hearing.

Being warm as she went to sleep was a novelty for Nova, one she could get used to. Normally she had to curl up with other prisoners, huddled together for warmth with a single thin blanket covering all of them… if they were lucky.

Sleep wouldn’t come. She couldn’t switch off from whatever was happening. Something was very different to normal, and in a slave’s life different meant dangerous. Many questions chased themselves around her mind, but two stuck above all else. Where had most of the prisoners been taken? And why had she and a few others been left behind?

An hour later she was still awake and no closer to any answers. She simply didn’t know enough. Finally she gave up, deciding it would be better to get some rest. Whatever was coming in the morning she would need her strength, and maybe sleeping on the questions would lead to an answer.

Getting to sleep didn’t prove easy, though. The combination of not being cold and not having others to press up against made it hard to slip into sleep. Finally the warmth lulled her into a light doze which quickly turned into a deep sleep.

Nova woke to the sound of guards shouting. This was how most of her days started. She yawned and stretched carefully, not wanting to kick or punch anyone by accident. To her surprise she didn’t make contact. Something else was wrong. She couldn’t stretch fully, something was constricting her movements.

In a panic her eyes snapped open and she thrashed out against whatever was holding her. After a few moments of panic the blankets around her started to work free, and she realised where she was. Controlling the panic she was able to loosen the blankets more and sit up.

Glancing around she saw what she had feared to see. The cell was almost empty. Only herself and the ten other prisoners inhabited it. This was more space than she had ever had. Often she had wished for more space. Now her wish had come true she wished it hadn’t.

The guards quickly made it clear talking was still not allowed, then had Nova and the others move out of their cell and towards the food area. As they walked Nova wondered why there was such a need for silence. What could they possibly say to each other which would cause the guards any concern? The rule was being viciously implemented, though. One of the women had a nasty looking cut on her cheek from a whip, a warning when she dared to offer two words to another prisoner.

Breakfast was half-stale bread and a mug of water. Standard fare for prisoners. Then they were moved on. Not to their recent work location, though. They were marched down a tunnel which soon merged into a metallic corridor. Then they were sent into a dark room. They could only see a few feet in by the light spilling from the corridor but Nova could tell from the echoes that it was a large room.

The door clanged shut behind them, plunging the room into darkness. Nova’s heart drummed in her chest as she started to imagine what could be in the room with them. She sensed movement but kept herself frozen. What if something in the room hunted by sound or by movement?

Slowly she realised something was standing nearby. Her skin prickled and her breathing sped up, even as she tried to keep herself calm. She started to reach out with her hand, then stopped — scared of what she would find. She stood for what seemed an endless time, hardly daring to breathe and frozen to the spot.

She swore as harsh light suddenly blazed out across the room, blinding her. She shielded her eyes with her arm, then froze. Was whatever stood in front of her also blinded? Or was it watching her, studying her?

Squinting hard and blinking the tears from her eyes she slowly lowered her arm. Sure enough, something stood almost straight in front of her, easily close enough to touch. It took a moment for her eyes to focus, then her stomach dropped.

It wasn’t a something standing in front of her, it was a someone. The someone she least wanted to see. Standing in front of her, staring at her with his cold blue eyes, was Blade!

Chapter 5

Nova stood frozen to the spot, mesmerised by Blade’s eyes. Waiting for him to recognise her. Waiting for the hatred to blaze from those eyes.

The moment stretched on… and on… and on. Blade’s blank expression didn’t change. Nova didn’t realise she was holding her breath until the burning need to draw air overwhelmed her and she dragged a lungful of fresh air down.

Still Blade didn’t react. Confusion started to overcome Nova’s fear. She slowly raised a hand, waving it in front of Blade’s face. No response. Surprising herself she reached up and pinched his cheek, hard. Still no response. Not a twitch.

Blade blinked. Nova stepped back, heart pounding as the fear flooded back in, but he didn’t move or react. Nova took another step back then moved around him. Still no reaction.

She stepped in again, heart pounding for a different reason. Reaching up she placed one hand over his mouth. No reaction. Then she pinched his nose with the other. The memory of Blade’s hands around her throat was still sharp in her mind. She didn’t understand what was happening, but she wasn’t about to pass up this chance. Now she was with Blade again her survival once again depended on his death.

It wasn’t any easier than the last time. Once again she could feel him trying to breathe. Passive though Blade was, she still had a fight on her hands. A fight against herself, against the urge to simply let go.

A few seconds passed. Then Blade reacted. Fast as lightning his arm flashed out and swept both her arms away. Nova gasped in fear then leapt backwards, half crouched and ready to flee.

Blade did nothing. He didn’t move towards her. He didn’t even look at her. He simply carried on staring vacantly ahead. The only movement came when he blinked, once, then he was still again.

Heart still hammering Nova inched around Blade, still wary of any sign he had noticed her. She stopped behind his back, then took several steps further away in case whatever had him so mesmerised suddenly ended.

Only then did she glance around. She didn’t take in her surroundings. All she noticed were the missing prisoners, scattered around the room. And every one was standing stock still. Just like Blade.

Moments later a door swung open on the far side of the room. Several guards walked in, followed by someone else in uniform. Nova didn’t recognise the uniform but the way the guards deferred to him showed he was important.

She stood still, not wanting to draw any attention. She noticed the others from her group doing the same. They weren’t quite as still as those frozen in place, but there wasn’t much in it.

The man in the uniform walked through the statue-like prisoners, examining them. He stopped, gesturing towards the old man from Nova’s group and saying something Nova couldn’t catch to one of the guards.

Yes, Captain, replied the guard in a louder voice.

So, he was a captain. Before Nova could ponder his presence any further he spoke again, this time more clearly.

You, you and you, he said, pointing to three of the frozen prisoners. Two women and one man.

Yes, Sir!

The three snapped out their reply in unison. A chill raced down Nova’s spine. Something felt very wrong.

Kill him, the captain said, pointing to the old man again. Rip him apart.

Yes, Sir!

Once again the reply was snapped out in unison. Then they rushed forward, showing no signs of stiffness from their long inactivity. The old man barely had a chance to move before they were on him.

Nova stared in horror as the three dragged the old man to the floor. Then they proceeded to carry out the captain’s order. Working as a team they held the old man down and started to tear at him. His screams were terrible. Tears blurred Nova’s eyes, but they didn’t hide what was happening.

The worst part was the expression on the three attackers’ faces, or rather the complete lack of expression. There was no rage, no hatred, no sorrow. Nothing. They were literally tearing the old man apart with their bare hands yet were showing less emotion than most would have while kicking a stone along the floor.

The old man’s cries quickly subsided into silence and his struggles stopped. He was beyond pain now, beyond caring, but the three attackers didn’t stop. Covered in blood they continued to carry out their orders until the Captain gave a curt order to stop.

Then they stood, returning to their statue-like poses. Only the bloody mess at their feet and the blood staining their arms and clothes marked the horrific act they’d just committed.

The captain was smiling, nodding his head at what he had seen. Nova felt anger rising. How dare he smile after what he had ordered. Life as a slave was often brutal but this was far worse than anything Nova had ever seen before.

She glared at the captain, fighting the urge to storm over. Every instinct she had was screaming at her to look away. To avoid attention. The anger was too strong. She had to clench her hands to stop the shaking.

The captain spoke to the guard again then turned. He caught sight of Nova as he did so. As their eyes locked Nova felt ice flow into her body where it fought with the fire of her anger. She couldn’t move, couldn’t show the captain what she thought of him, but she also couldn’t back down. She stood frozen for what seemed like long minutes.

Without breaking eye contact the captain spoke to the guard, while gesturing towards Nova. The guard nodded, looked at Nova, then looked slightly to each side of her. He glanced down at a screen in his hand.

Seventeen and ninety-one, the guard barked out. Secure the woman between you.

Nova sensed movement to each side and her instincts kicked in. She dropped low and lurched forward. With her short height the move put her out of easy reach of most prisoners. Guards too, but she’d never used the move on them. Guards controlled the collars. You couldn’t cross the guards.

Even as she started moving she realised she’d made a mistake. The prisoners weren’t grabbing for her for their own reasons, they had been ordered by the captain. That meant she was disobeying an order, and that meant she was in trouble. A lot of trouble.

The thought was cut short as a hand clamped around her right bicep, dragging her to a halt. Moments later another hand grabbed her left. The two prisoners had caught her. How had they moved so fast?

Glancing to each side she saw two women. Neither looked particularly healthy or athletic. Neither looked particularly strong either, yet their grip on Nova’s arms was like steel. Worse, though, were their expressions. Like Blade, they showed no awareness of their surroundings, no understanding of their actions. The sense that something was terribly wrong returned.

You didn’t enjoy the demonstration?

Nova hadn’t noticed the captain approaching and jumped at his question. His voice was soft, gentle, but Nova wasn’t fooled. The demonstration had shown her all she needed to know about this man.

She shook her head, not wanting to speak and get herself into even more trouble.

That’s a shame. We need more demonstrations and you’re going to have a front row seat.

He chuckled but Nova hardly noticed. She felt shaky inside. The captain wanted another demonstration, and she was going to be it. She started to struggle, pulling against her captors as hard as she was able. She couldn’t even shift their arms, let alone break free.

The captain stepped back slightly, watching with a smile. Finally, as Nova started to tire, he nodded to the guard.

Form up, yelled the guard. Exit through the north doorway and follow the corridor until you are told to stop.

Nova had only been half listening. Her brain was busy imagining what it would feel like to suffer the same fate as the old man, to be ripped apart like that. When the two women holding her started to move she yelled in fear and tensed against the coming pain. But there was none. She was whisked across the floor, struggling to keep up with the pace the taller women set. As she went she caught a few final words from the captain.

Load the Limited aboard the ship. The rest of the prisoners too. We need to test them against the Taint. If they fail that test then this has all been for nothing. They had better not. I don’t want to report failure to…

The rest was lost to Nova as she was marched away, but she’d heard enough. It seemed she wasn’t going to share the old man’s fate, but what she now faced could be even worse.

Even slaves had heard of the Taint, though the stories were distorted by untold retellings. Some themes came through in all the stories. The Taint enslaved your mind. It stole your soul. It turned you against everything you ever loved. It made you do the same to others. The thought of it had always filled Nova with horror. Now she was being sent to face it head on. She strongly doubted she’d survive the experience.

Chapter 6

Nova sat, staring at nothing, arms wrapped around her knees. She kept shivering even though the room was warm and stuffy. All she could see was the old man as he was ripped apart by three of his fellow prisoners.

She just couldn’t shake the image, couldn’t shake off the horror of what she had seen. Life as a slave had always been tough. At times it had been brutal. She’d seen many terrible things — slaves tortured and killed by the guards, slaves attacked by their fellow slaves. She’d picked up her own fair share of scars along the way.

The old man’s death went way beyond any of those. Not because of the brutality, it wasn’t that much worse than some of the things she had seen, but because of the complete lack of emotion on the attackers’ faces. They’d shown no trace of emotion, good or bad. That was what had Nova upset. That was what had her shivering where she sat.

Around her were the other nine slaves from her group. None were talking. All stood, sat or lay in silence, most still looking shocked at what had happened.

Karina, one of the oldest, levered herself up and started pacing, muttering under her breath. Every now and then she would stop and shake her head violently until she swayed where she stood. Then she would resume her pacing.

Nova watched for a few minutes, Karina’s antics helping to push the horrors of the old man’s death from her mind. Karina stumbled after a particularly heavy bout of head shaking. Nova jumped to her feet and rushed over, catching the swaying woman just before she fell to the floor.

Thank you, dear, Karina said, then pulled free and began her pacing once more.

Karina, are you OK? asked Nova, moving with her.

Oh yes, dear. I’m fine. Absolutely fine. Couldn’t be better. How about you?

The question caught Nova off guard and she answered without thinking.

Not good. What they did to him… the blank looks… they killed him and it was like they were stacking rocks or something.

Karina stopped, frowning distractedly for a moment.

Oh! That! Yes. She patted Nova’s hand. Not good. No, not good at all. We should… oh… I nearly lost my place. Sorry my dear.

She resumed her pacing, moving across the room in random lines. Now many of the head shakes were replaced by smaller nods, and even occasional smiles.

Nova ground her teeth, fighting the urge to go shake the old woman. She quickly threw it off. Karina had been in Nova’s group of slaves for a couple of months now. Nova had soon realised Karina’s grip on the world was shaky at times, though she had always coped well with the simplistic tasks the guards normally set. If not she would soon have been killed.

As the anger drained away Nova found herself actually envying the old woman. Whatever had her distracted it meant she wasn’t constantly remembering the horrific death of the old man, or worrying over what was going to happen next.

There was something about Karina’s movements, though, something that nagged at Nova. They seemed to be random yet there was the hint of a pattern to them. Now Nova watched more closely she saw that Karina was tilting her head to one side or the other most of the time she walked, as if she was listening for something.

Without Nova noticing it her dark thoughts were replaced by fascination with Karina’s activities. Several times Nova moved towards Karina, intending to ask her just what she was doing. Each time she stopped, worried she would interrupt the process.

Time passed. Now Karina was walking more slowly, almost never shaking her head. She had a perpetual smile upon her face. Whatever she was doing was clearly going well.

Nova was once more considering speaking with Karina when the door to the room clanged open. Nova’s heart hammered as Blade entered the room with three more of the slaves who had been in his group. All wore the glassy-eyed expression. What had she heard the officers call them? The Limited. It certainly fit.

Like Nova, everyone else in the room had frozen in place when the door crashed open, even Karina. What Nova hadn’t noticed was she was the closest to the door. Two of the Limited, a man and a woman, walked