Excerpts Science Fiction Read an Excerpt From The Sixth Nik by Daniel Kraus Deep into space soars The Sickness: a ship woven from biomatter and capable of reacting to every need of its human crew. By Daniel Kraus | Published on June 2, 2026 Comment 0 Share New Share We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from The Sixth Nik by Daniel Kraus, a science fiction novel publishing with Saga Press on June 23rd. Deep into space, far past the triworld outposts, beyond range of the lethal trollbot internet, soars The Sickness: a ship woven from biomatter and capable of reacting to every need of its human crew. Sisilla, a nine-year-old cultist with a brain enhanced by arcane tech known as “niks,” has boarded to investigate the enigma of Fém—a plague-riddled planet that has abruptly gone rogue.The mysterious crew includes a faceless assassin, a beautiful engineer jigsawed by plastic surgery, a peyote-addicted medic, and—most lethal of all—a rugged, NonModded captain with a score to settle with Sisilla. Other dangers abound. A hacked robot begins to believe Sisilla is its daughter. The Sickness itself is mutating, possibly even pregnant. And the secret of Fém is more horrific than anyone could have imagined. To survive, Sisilla will need to forsake her predetermined fate and embrace the unknown. “Are you all right?” I asked. A long silence preceded the Murder’s reply. “We find ourselves wishing to answer that.” “Then do,” I encouraged. “The answer shouldn’t matter. Acceptance of the Murder Tenet negates all physical, emotional, or intellectual emotions. And yet.” “And yet you were ready to hurt Arzan.” “Yes.” “Ready to befriend Jayne.” “Yes.” “Ready to feel loss over Feng’s death.” Murder 005 continued to stare. I felt empathy. Niffakoq, too, were trained to execute a task and nothing else. A peculiar thought entered my mind. What if the whole ship, not just the placentapool, was a womb? Only inside it did full-grown adults like Murder 005 and Arzan develop at rapid rates. I was preparing to posit this theory when my nikking struck a spike of caution. Something in Murder 005 had shifted. Though I nikked no negative feelings toward me, I detected unambiguous danger. Murder 005’s blue lenses blazed. “You sense we might hurt you,” they said simply. It was unthinkable. But true. I monitored my pulse. “Yes.” “So strange, all these things we feel.” Doubt did not conform well to a Murder. My discombobulation re-called the time Tûma and I had blundered into a goliath musk ox on the Petermann Glacier, rabid and unnikkable. I mentally traced an escape path to Captain Arzan, who had, at least, demonstrated a willingness to ply both axe and sword. But I did not flee. Murder 005 had lost their legs to protect me. It was illogical they would harm me now. “It’s often believed Murders don’t care for people,” they said. “In fact, we care deeply. We care more than anyone. Culling humanity is not easy work. Imagine harvesting a field of grain in which every stalk believes it has the right to live.” “Humans do have that right.” “Right? Or privilege? If one doesn’t contribute to furthering the species, they are, in the end, only chattel.” “You are speaking of individuals. Real individuals.” “The Murder Tenet is rooted in the awareness that individuals aren’t worth knowing. They’re weak. Greedy. False. Craven. In a word, disappointing.” I did not disagree with these adjectives, though I would have added considerably more. Giving. Loyal. Stalwart. Courageous. No description of humanity was complete without contradictions. I regretted that the mask Murder 005 wore, metaphorically speaking, did not allow them to see this. Regret expanded into sadness. Murders had one purpose, and now, with their legs gone, Murder 005 would struggle at it. “Do you find me disappointing?” I asked. Murder 005 at last looked at me. The synaptic lights from scar tissue turned their lenses the color of the Grønland Sea. “The opposite, Sisilla. We’ve come to respect you. No, that’s not the truth. It’s worse than that. We suspect we’ve come to like you.” Not even while suffering crushed legs had Murder 005’s voice had been so shaky. It was indisputable that they wanted to hurt me, more with every passing second. Yet I could not quell my desire to comfort. “Is it so wrong to like someone?” “Look out the windows, Sisilla. The cold, the dark. The unforgiving infinity. Our universe is absent of mercy. We Murders were taught to reflect this mercilessness. It’s the sole means we have to bring fairness to an unfair world.” “Perhaps the world only works if it is unfair.” Buy the Book The Sixth Nik Daniel Kraus Buy Book The Sixth Nik Daniel Kraus Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget “What do you mean?” “Perhaps the boldest acts of advancement only happen from the backs of tyrants. Heartless capitalists. Ruthless politicians.” “It’s a dour thought,” Murder 005 said. Then they produced a huff I nikked as a caustic laugh. “You see? We shouldn’t be capable of thoughts classifiable as dour. Or cheerful. We shouldn’t have opinions on capitalists and politicians. Murders must stay apolitical in order to effectively murder.” With the windblown thrill of standing upon the striped cliffs of the Segelsällskapet Fjord, I ignored the pleas of my niks and stood beside Murder 005. “You are not apolitical to me,” I said. “As I am not apolitical to you.” Murder 005 lifted lenses that were somehow sad. “You’re right. Your safety has always been, and will always be, our first concern. Which is why it brings me great discomfort to do what I must do.” At that moment, I cared little for my own destruction. “What must you do?” I asked softly. “This,” my bodyguard said. Murder 005’s lack of muscled legs had no effect on their upper-body vigor. The blow came with the speed of a striking viper: a twist of the torso away, then slingshotted forward, a sledgehammer fist against the side of my face. Excerpted from The Sixth Nik, copyright © 2026 by Daniel Kraus. The post Read an Excerpt From <i>The Sixth Nik</i> by Daniel Kraus appeared first on Reactor.