Breaking Point Read online

  It was the most awful thing Galen had ever seen. He wanted to run away, to vomit, to cry out himself. Russ wasn’t getting a quick death because Galen could not give it to him. He would never betray his daughters, not for anyone or anything. So Galen would not dishonor the man by looking away, no matter how terrible the experience.

  The reaper started cutting into Russ. And what they did to the poor man made Galen retch, but somehow, he managed to keep his eyes locked on the screen. They used an arcane device to keep him alive as they began harvesting organs, placing them into a container unit. Russ faded in and out of consciousness, but the reapers never let him stay out for long. They wanted him awake as he suffered for Galen’s benefit. Finally, once they’d harvested everything useful from his flayed and ruined body, the reapers let him die.

  Galen then watched them disposed of the parts they did not want, using a machine to grind the flesh and bone into a slush.

  Eventually, the viewscreen went dark. Only then did Galen look away.

  Kroz loomed over him. “Tell me where you hid the data card, Ambassador, and spare the rest of your team.”

  “I will tell you nothing.”

  "You think you are strong now." Kroz's face creased with displeasure. "But we will see what strength you have when we process the next one."

  The viewscreen turned back on, this time showing a different cell. Another member of his security detail cowered, whimpering in the corner as the Tekk Reapers entered. Galen observed them slicing through the poor man for what seemed an age. Again, he did not look away, no matter how desperately he wished to.

  "I am not going to give in," he announced when it ended. He hoped he was speaking the truth because his ability to close off his emotions was weakening. He wasn't sure how much more he could withstand before his empathetic abilities would lock onto the final two security team members as they suffered.

  Kroz slammed Galen onto the floor. “Think on what will come next.”

  After Kroz stormed out, a reaper brought Galen a cup filled with a purplish liquid. “Drink.”

  Galen sniffed it cautiously. The fluid smelled like old meat and berries.

  "Drink, or we'll pump nutrients into you—painfully."

  Galen gulped it in three swallows and barely kept it down. It tasted far worse than it smelled.

  Within minutes, he was lying on the floor and falling into sleep. Maybe from exhaustion. Maybe from something in the drink. He didn’t care either way.

  Sometime later, Kroz kicked him awake. “Ready to talk, wretch?”

  Galen gasped for breath. “No.”

  Kroz jerked him up to his feet and forced him to watch the viewscreen as another member of his security detail was diced into bits the reapers could use while the rest was shredded. Galen didn’t take his eyes off it, and he didn’t talk. His ability to lock away his empathy failed, but it didn’t matter. Exhausted, he’d gone numb to the horror and violence.

  Kroz angrily ordered the last member of the security team to be slaughtered, and still, Galen didn't give in.

  Kroz roared when it was over and hammered a fist down onto Galen’s right shoulder. Kroz kicked at him until he was barely conscious.

  Then the reaper captain knelt beside him with his scalpel out. He cut a thin line across Galen’s right cheek. “I only need your heart and brain to function to get what I want. The rest…”

  The reaper smiled cruelly, revealing his sharpened metal teeth.

  Galen made no response.

  “Something to think about, maggot.”

  3

  Galen Vim

  Galen woke to a light touch on his shoulder. His eyes snapped open. He flinched but didn't back away. Hovering above him was the face of what he at first believed to be a young girl, maybe twelve years old.

  She was cute, with elfin features, a head shaved except for a pink topknot, a tattered cloak, and grungy clothes that hadn’t been fashionable since he was a teenager.

  What didn’t fit this image was the arsenal she carried: two shock-knives hanging from a leather belt, a plasma pistol strapped to one thigh, a machine pistol on the other, and a laser rifle slung across her back.

  As she knelt, she moved her arms up to flip the hood of her cloak back over her head. Her sleeves shifted, revealing the mesh armor beneath her clothes.

  In a husky voice incongruous with her youthful appearance, she said, “Get up! We need to get out of here fast.”

  He mentally adjusted his assessment of her age. She couldn't be a child. But she couldn’t be very old either. Surely no more than twenty. So around the same age as his Kyralla.

  "Who are you?" he asked.

  She grabbed his arm and tugged. “We don’t have time for talking.”

  Galen resisted her. "I don't know who you are."

  “Does it matter?” she snapped. “I’m here to get you out. That should be more than enough.”

  "How do I know going with you won’t be worse than staying here?"

  She laughed coarsely. "You think I’m worse than a Tekk Reaper?”

  Galen sighed. "No. But you might be a—”

  “Figment of your imagination? Maybe an illusion designed to gain your confidence?”

  “Exactly,” Galen responded with a nod. “You are going to have to convince me you aren’t. Otherwise, I’m not wasting my energy.”

  “I can’t persuade you. And I’m not going to waste time trying.”

  Ironically, he found that argument reasonably convincing. Of course, the trick might be using his thought processes against him.

  "The way I see it, you can take the risk and come with me, or you can stay here.”

  While Galen considered what she'd said, the young woman stamped her feet like a petulant child. How old was she?

  “Damn it!” she cursed, stomping a foot again. “We have to go. Unless you want to stay here and die…”

  “Just tell me why you came here to rescue me.”

  "I swear to you that I will not harm you, Ambassador Vim. My reasons for rescuing you, however, are my own."

  Though he still felt as if she were a trick, that they’d fitted the circlet back onto him while he was sleeping and this was an elaborate strategy to get him to reveal his secrets, he summoned the energy to follow her.

  “Your name?”

  “‘Nevolence’s tits!” She leaned down, placed her lips beside his right ear, and whispered. “My name’s Tamzin Moi. Happy now?”

  “Yes.”

  With her help, he stood. His knees wobbled, and his head swam. But he didn't vomit, and he didn't fall. Leaning on her, he took one step then stumbled and nearly collapsed. She caught him by both arms and held him up.

  “Are you injured?”

  He shook his head and winced. His neck was stiff and sore, and there was a swelling knot on his forehead. Both shoulders felt jammed, and his thighs felt like giant bruises.

  “Not in any meaningful way… I don't think. They roughed me up. And I've been sick. Dehydrated. They messed with my head.” He tapped his left temple. “They took my chippy, so I can’t do a medical scan. But I'm okay…I think.”

  “You obviously have a concussion."

  "That would explain a lot."

  Tamzin didn't disagree. He took a few more steps, and with each, his strength grew. He was weak. There was no denying that. The Tekk Reapers had given him little water and even less food. But his strength was returning as he moved, so he must not have any severe injuries.

  "You can stop there,” she said. “You may not be mentally well enough to shift, but physically you’re able. And that’s all I needed to know.”

  Galen cocked his head quizzically. “What?”

  She didn't respond.

  He glanced around. He had a concussion. Otherwise, he would've scanned his cell already.

  The reapers had left the video screen behind, magnetically attached to the wall, but it wasn't currently on. They must have active scanning equipment for this room, video and sound and heat, may
be other sensor types. Why hadn't they detected Tamzin? Surely, they weren't so confident that they'd leave the room unmonitored.

  The door leading out into the corridor was shut. Based on the lights on the control panel, it remained locked. He could be wrong but… No, he was sure the lights all glowed red when it was sealed. When the reapers left and entered, the lights flashed green for a moment then went back to red.

  He glanced around again and carefully examined the floor and ceiling. He couldn't figure out any other way to get out. The only other entry point here would be through the air vent high on the wall. But to get through it, you'd have to be no bigger than a fat starkat.

  "How did you get in here?"

  Tamzin drew a black cube from a pouch hanging from her belt. The cube fit perfectly in her hand. There were no markings upon its glossy surface. There was, however, an indented button on one side and another on the opposite facing.

  “We’re leaving the same way I got in.”

  Suddenly, a klaxon blared. The squeal pierced through the cell and Galen’s head. He flinched and covered his ears. Then he sagged and nearly collapsed.

  "We've taken too long,” Tamzin said with a curse.

  Pounding footsteps headed their way, echoing down the corridor.

  With the cube still in hand, Tamzin wrapped her arms around him. "Take a deep breath.”

  He heard a click behind him as she pushed the buttons. He inhaled as a bright swirl of light formed around them. The world shifted, everything turning blue then fading purples then grays and finally a misty white. And then…

  And then he was somewhere else.

  4

  Galen Vim

  Galen stumbled and fell. The ground his knees struck was soft and damp. The ship's grimy metal floor and walls were gone. The entire Tekk Reaper starship had vanished. In its place were barren earth and dense mists.

  The ground was reddish, the mists white tinged with blue. His line of sight extended no more than ten to fifteen meters in every direction. If there was anything else here, he couldn’t see it.

  It was quiet here…too quiet.

  His mind fuzzed over as something pressed in on his thoughts and emotions. The experience was similar to that from the gadget the Tekk Reapers had used on him. Except, no one pushed or guided his thoughts this time.

  Instead of reliving past experiences, the past felt incredibly distant. In fact, it was hard to focus on his thoughts at all. His emotions, on the other hand, swung from excited to numb to terrified to weeping, shifting so rapidly he couldn’t express them much less explore them.

  Tamzin crouched beside him. “The first time here is never easy…so I’ve been told.”

  “The first time…” His voice trailed off as a sudden wave of sadness moved him to tears.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Should I be?”

  She shook her head. “Not really, I guess.”

  Galen managed to brace himself in a kneeling position, hands resting on his thighs. “I have no idea where we are or how we got here.”

  The obvious explanation was that this experience was part of a Tekk Reaper ruse, though if so, he wasn't sure what it was supposed to accomplish. He wasn't sure he cared.

  The young woman smiled sadly. “Welcome to wraith space, Ambassador.”

  He gaped at her in surprise. “We…we’re in wraith space? How is that possible?”

  She held up the black cube, tossed it into the air, caught it, and then tucked it back into the pouch she’d drawn it from earlier.

  “That device brought us into wraith space?” he asked incredulously. “Now I know this is a trick.”

  Tamzin snorted with irritation. “You question too much.”

  He laughed hysterically. “And I’m sure doubting is exactly what you don’t want me to do.”

  Her face twisted in anger. As it did, her features shifted from cute and impish to devilish. Horns sprouted from her head, puncturing through the hood she wore, and her eyes glowed a vibrant crimson.

  Something moved nearby, a towering figure that stirred the mists at the edge of visibility. Smaller, dog-sized figures danced around it. He couldn't make out their appearances, just their general size and shape, so he had no idea what they were.

  He pointed beyond her. “There’s something out there. Something…terrifying.”

  How he knew it was frightening, he had no idea. He had not seen it, and he had not scanned it using his empathy. He had not read Tamzin either, which was more evidence of exhaustion and a concussion. Usually, he would have immediately studied her using his ability. And now, here in wraith space, it was impossible.

  Tamzin didn't turn to see what it was. She merely shook her head. "There's nothing of substance here except for you and me. You're simply seeing…"

  “Wraiths,” he said. “Obviously. How stupid of me.”

  Galen stood, but a wave of dizziness forced him back down. He bent over and retched. There was nothing in him. The hacking merely strained his throat and neck, making him feel more miserable.

  After a few moments, he stood again. Tamzin helped him take several faltering steps.

  “You’re a mess,” she noted.

  “Thanks. You know, I have been—”

  The towering figure leaped out of the mists and charged toward them. It was half Tekk Reaper and half squid. The little creatures dancing around it were smaller copies of the horror.

  He screamed and retreated, stumbling away. Tamzin didn’t flinch. She stood her ground, paying the creature no heed.

  “Whatever you’re seeing, Ambassador, it’s not real.”

  He fell and scrambled back as fast as possible. The creature charged through Tamzin, leaped into the air, and plunged toward Galen. He threw his arms up, tucked his head back, and cried out.

  The monster didn’t drive its fists into his chest and rip out his heart as he’d feared it would. It merely fell through him and dissolved away. A cold chill raced across his skin, leaving behind a dull ache. And that was it.

  The smaller ones danced around him, but now they didn’t scare him. Instead, he found their antics amusing, so much so that he doubled over laughing. After a few minutes, they too dissolved away.

  That left him so sad that he sobbed uncontrollably until Tamzin kicked him in his left shin.

  “What the hell?!”

  “We need to get going.”

  She helped him up again, and they walked for maybe thirty meters, but then he couldn’t go any farther.

  “I have to rest.” He sat and hunched over, straining to take deep breaths. “How can you stand to be here?”

  “Wraith space is like a second home to me.”

  “Are you a delver?”

  She shook her head. “No more questions about me.”

  “That’s not acceptable. I need to know why you are rescuing me.”

  She forcefully tugged him up. “I’ve already told you my name. That’s all you’re getting.”

  Galen knew he had to accept that for now. She had been his way into wraith space. Now she would be his only way out.

  They trudged on. Tamzin seemed to know exactly where she was going. How, he had no idea.

  Frightening new wraiths formed and swirled about. Sometimes they charged. Whenever they got close, he attempted to flee. And when they attacked, nothing worse than aches or chills happened to him. He knew they weren’t real, yet no amount of understanding made him able to resist the fear.

  Again and again, he was overcome with dizziness and brought to his knees by the effects of the place. Eventually, he began to cry while laughing.

  He desperately begged her to return him to real space. “I can’t take it. I have to get out!”

  Tamzin shoved him to the ground. “Sit your ass down and chill!”

  He tried to get up, but she stomped a foot on his right shoulder and pinned him. After a few moments, his emotions turned to happy, and he relaxed.

  She withdrew her foot from his shoulder. “Now t
hat you’re feeling a little better, focus on breathing and staying calm.” She reclined beside him and pulled back her hood. “You’re suffering worse than I expected.”

  He took a few deep breaths then nodded. “I’m not surprised.”

  “You’re not?” Before he could tell her why, Tamzin figured it out and shouted a forceful curse that nearly made him blush. She pounded the ground with a fist. “You’re a damn empath, aren’t you?”

  “I am,” Galen replied. “A level two, untrained.”

  “Shit!” Tamzin ran her fingers across her bare scalp next to her pink topknot. “I had no idea. I should have figured it out sooner. Not that it would’ve made a difference.”

  “No one knows I’m an empath. Given my job, it’s a huge advantage. So I like to keep it secret.”

  “It’s a secret?” she asked. “I thought empaths were supposed to register with the government.”

  Taking deep breaths was starting to help. Or maybe he was beginning to adjust. His emotions continued to shift, but to a lesser degree than before.

  "You're supposed to be scanned and cataloged before the age of eighteen," he told her. "But my father was a powerful man who wanted my abilities kept secret, so he made arrangements. Were you tested?"

  She eyed him with an odd yet seemingly curious expression. He wished he could read her emotions right now. She didn’t answer.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “No,” she replied with finality. “Ready to continue?”

  “I’m not sure how much longer I can manage this.”

  “You’re going to have to push on. There’s no other option. If we return to real space now, we’ll be too close to the Tekk Reaper ship.” She moved her head around as if scanning the terrain, only her eyes were closed. “We can’t exit here anyway.”

  “Wraith space doesn’t exactly match real space, right?”

  “Are you sure you want to keep talking?”

  “I want to be distracted,” he said.

  She narrowed her eyes and frowned.

  “So?” he asked.

  “It depends,” she replied with a disgruntled sigh. “It would be fair to assume this world here in wraith space is a duplicate of Titus II. But it’s not. This planet is larger. However, this region roughly matches up on both sides.”