Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series

by Hystad, Nathan

  They were still a hundred meters from his position, when the android’s transmission relayed into his headset too, and he slowed, trying to make out the choppy words. He stepped closer, finally receiving a clear feed.

  “You do not seem to comprehend my message. You are to stand down and await the arrival of our team. You will be kept alive if you cooperate,” the robot told them with a neutral tone.

  “And you listen here, you bucket of bolts…” Jun started to say, but Carl raised a hand, silencing her.

  “How did you reach the surface?” Carl asked it.

  Brandon noted the gun on the robot’s arm. It was built into its forearm, and the android was likely extremely quick on the draw.

  “That is none of your concern. This colony is hereby unsanctioned by President Gordon Basher on behalf of Earth and its residents. You have been labeled insurgents and will be treated as such,” the android said.

  “Look, we only left to escape his tyranny. We aren’t harming anyone,” Carl pleaded, and the robot stepped closer.

  “You have misspoken of our leader and will be brought to justice.” The bot’s arm lifted, and Brandon made his move. He bounded across the empty space between them, using his years of training to pass the distance in seconds. The android turned to face him, sending a blast. Brandon jumped, using the low gravity to his advantage, and spun in the air, rolling forward as he struck the ground. His weapons tracked on the android, firing twice. The first blast missed the target, but the second struck the android in the leg, damaging its knee.

  Brandon didn’t relent. He kept moving, making himself more difficult to pursue, and shot another volley of blasts, this time striking the robot a few more times.

  “You will regret this, insurgents.”

  Brandon heard its voice in his headset, but it only fueled his anger. “You came to us, uninvited, interrupting our chance at a fresh start. All we ask is to be free. Send that to your leader.” He pointed the weapon at the robot, who was lying on its back over the red dusty ground. It was dark, but the stars cast a dim glow over the ominous landscape. Their time had come to an end. All this effort. For nothing.

  “You will cease fire and do as order…” Brandon fired from close range as it attempted to sit up, and the blast hit the target on the smooth-featured metallic face. It fell, circuits exposed with flashing arcs, quickly dying.

  Jun raced to his side, and she kicked the metal device with her EVA boot. “Damn it! What are we going to do?” She turned to Brandon, her eyes glowing with the soft green reflection of her helmet’s HUD.

  “We’re going to do what we’ve always done,” Brandon told her.

  Carl walked over, staring at the ruined android. “That’s correct. Prepare to fight.”

  One

  Admiral Thomas Baldwin exited the elevator on the top floor of the Concord’s administrative headquarters in the center of Ridele, the capital city of Nolix. Everything was so pristine: the floors stark white, the walls glass, the lighting glittering and opulent. The style somewhat matched the fleet ships like Constantine, but that was where the parallels ended.

  Thomas had been coming to this office for the last couple of months nearly every day, and he still hadn’t grown used to it. Walking into the space felt like he was a stranger in his own clothing. The sounds were unfamiliar. He heard them now: the shuffling of the breakfast delivery man’s feet, the chatter at the reception desk, the muffled voices speaking behind closed doors as he made his way toward his own office.

  There were currently ten admirals. After the debacle with the Statu had revealed the old regime’s lies and cover-ups, the entire organization had been reset, with Admiral Jalin Benitor, the Callalay leader, at the helm.

  Tom strode past Prime Xune’s office, which usually sat empty unless he was in town. For most of Tom’s first two months, the Prime had been traveling throughout Concord space, meeting with each partner, giving rallying speeches, and encouraging transparency. Tom didn’t have much of a stomach for politics, but even he could see that Xune, previously a Zilph’i advisor, was the right man for the job.

  Xune was bringing the partners together like never before, and his passion was paying off, according to Benitor. The Concord had been in shambles only a year or so ago, but their foundation had been rebuilt, and Tom was proud to be part of the reason.

  He stopped in front of Admiral Benitor’s office, which was right beside Xune’s, and poked his head in, seeing she was scrolling through messages on her projected screen.

  “Any news for me?” he asked. They’d been waiting for a message from Elder Fayle, but she’d been circumspect on the details of what exactly occurred when the Vusuls attacked Driun F49. Reeve Daak had been a witness, along with Ven Ittix, and they’d reported the events.

  “Still no sign of Keen. I want you on this, Thomas. He was your capture, and…” Benitor didn’t even glance up from her screen as she spoke to him.

  “Don’t go there. I wasn’t the one who freed him from the prison. You’d do well to remember that,” he told her.

  She finally broke her stare from her work and met his gaze. “Thomas, just locate him. You know where he’s going. How difficult can this be?”

  “I have eyes on them, but this isn’t going to be as simple as standing in the bushes waiting for Keen to appear at his wife’s house. He’s not that impulsive,” Tom told her.

  “Fine.” She seemed ready to return to her work, but she paused, waving him inside her office. He did so, and the door slid closed behind him. Tom looked past her, at the marvelous view of the city. The panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows gave one of the best angles of Ridele. Even though he didn’t love being in a city, there was no denying it held some sort of magical beauty he rarely saw elsewhere.

  Dozens of large transport vessels moved between the giant sky-piercing towers, carrying the locals from one section of the city to another. Ridele was spread across a hundred kilometers, but this quadrant, the core of Nolix, was the most impressive. Millions of lives, so close to one another. Tom shuddered to think of how much devastation could result from an attack, and blinked away his gawking stare, settling it on Benitor.

  “I hear you’ve been doing some digging, Baldwin,” she whispered.

  “Is that so? Do you see a shovel in my hand?” he asked, and from her reaction, she wasn’t pleased with his flippant remark.

  Benitor rose, her chair squeaking slightly at the reprieve. She turned around, staring at the view like he’d been doing. “This is the pride of the Concord, Tom. Nolix. Do you know why?”

  “The Tekol are a great people. They’re a Founder, and the location was ideal for an information and supply hub. From Nolix, you can reach almost every corner of the Concord within three weeks,” he told her.

  She shook her head. “The Callalay were the first to conceive of this partnership. Aruto is majestic. Have you ever visited it?”

  “No, I haven’t.” Tom had always wanted to, but his grandfather hadn’t brought Tom along when he’d traveled there. “I hear it’s wonderful.” This was the truth.

  “Aruto is. But there’s a reason we haven’t been such a central focus as Earon, Leria, or Nolix.” Benitor turned to face him, and for the first time in his memory, he saw that she was upset. Emotional.

  “What is it?”

  “Stop digging, Thomas. The Ugna were welcomed into the Concord with open arms. The Prime has asked me to ensure that they stay happy, and that was part of the reason you joined our ranks,” she told him.

  He understood this already, but there was something she wasn’t saying. “And you want me to passively sit around, waiting at Fayle’s beck and call?”

  Her misty eyes hardened as she frowned at him. “No. I want you to do your job. Find Keen. While you’re doing that, you’ll be the Founders’ liaison—not to Elder Fayle, but to the Ugna. She respects you, and you have befriended Ven Ittix. You were the perfect man for the job. Don’t make me regret bringing you into the fold.”

  He
wanted to counter, to say that he might be the one full of regret. Two months. Already he felt different, changed, from being grounded on a planet. He missed Constantine, both the ship and his grandfather’s AI. He’d bonded with the crew—from Brax to Reeve to Ven, and certainly with Treena Starling. She was the most capable officer he’d ever worked with, and he was positive she would be an astounding captain, but a huge part of him wished he was still behind the helm.

  “You didn’t tell me what happened with Aruto,” he said.

  “You’ll find out soon enough. I’m sending you to meet with President Bertol.” The elderly Callalay admiral smiled, years slipping off her face with the gesture.

  “You are?”

  “That’s right. Elder Fayle will also be going. It was her request,” Benitor said.

  “I thought you said I didn’t work for her,” Tom reminded her.

  “That’s right. You work for me, and for the Prime, but most importantly, for the Concord,” she said, taking her seat once again.

  “When do I leave?”

  “In two days. I’ve asked the crew of Shu to accompany you.”

  Tom had been hoping Constantine would have taken him, but it was probably for the best. They had their own imperative mission on hand, and as much as he wished he could join them, it wasn’t to be. He’d accepted this role, and he wasn’t going to start to complain about his choices now. “Very well.”

  Admiral Benitor returned to her inbox, scrolling through messages as they emerged on her projected screen, and he let himself out without another word.

  He entered his own office, which held the same impressive sight of the city below—only with windows half as wide—and took a seat at his desk. It was uncluttered. He looked around at the walls, seeing that they were bare. There were no plants, no personal mementos. He realized it felt like the office was empty, like no one would notice if he walked away at this very moment.

  “Can I get you anything, sir?” a young Tekol man asked, waiting outside Tom’s door.

  “Can you help him track down Lark Keen?” another voice asked from out of view, and Tom bristled.

  “Uhm, sir, I don’t think…” the assistant stuttered.

  “It’s okay, Gill. I’ll have a cup of Raca, please, and feel free to ignore Admiral West. He probably forgot to eat his morning snack,” Tom said. The young man rushed the steaming beverage inside and continued on, pushing the hovering food cart.

  “Oh, Baldwin, I was only having some fun,” West said.

  At my expense, Tom thought. West was everything he despised in a coworker. There were three human admirals, and Tom wished Anthony West wasn’t one of them. He was ten years older than Tom; his head was clean-shaven, but he sported a thick beard. It was more gray than brown, but it was obvious the man had undergone a lot of procedures to hide his age. He had that unnaturally smooth skin only modifications could create.

  “If you don’t mind, I have work to do,” Tom told him, and West tapped his wrist tablet. The time projected above it.

  “Interesting. The rest of us arrived an hour ago. I guess you don’t need to put the work in,” West goaded him, walking away.

  Tom liked to give people the benefit of the doubt, but he truly despised the man. Being on a ship, he’d been in charge. Even when he wasn’t the highest-ranking officer, others had looked to him to lead, had deferred to his judgment. Tom hadn’t dealt with a workplace bully before, but he could tell that West was more bite than bark.

  Tom sipped from his cup and reviewed his messages, hoping for a clue to Keen’s whereabouts, and wondering how it was possible to have escaped from the transport in the first place.

  ____________

  “I can’t do it,” Treena said, trying to sit.

  “Yes, you can.” Conner Douglas was ten feet away, arms outstretched like a doting father waiting for his toddler to hobble over for the first time.

  Treena wore robotic braces on her legs, which assisted the process, and she’d worked herself down to only using them at twenty percent power. It had been Conner’s idea to try to walk without them, but she didn’t think she was ready.

  “Listen, how about we call it a day?” she asked, sweat dripping over her spine.

  “No.”

  “It’s my…”

  “Just try it, Starling!” he shouted, catching her off-guard. “You’ve been pushing yourself so hard. Look at you! Did you think that after only two months you’d be almost walking? Your eyes are far better, your mobility is impressive.” His voice lowered, along with his arms. “Do it. Not for me, but for you.”

  Treena took a deep breath, wobbling in her stance slightly. It was only ten feet. How tough could it be? She took a step, her knee wavering, but it held. Those exercises to build up her idle muscles were working. Compared to operating her android body, this felt like torture, but if she was ever going to be herself for good, she needed to push it. The next foot came down, and she smiled as it settled. “I’m doing it…” Her left knee caved, and she sprawled out on the ground, landing on her hands.

  “Are you okay?” Conner rushed over, crouching near her. His touch was warm on her skin.

  She laughed, rolling onto her side. “Am I okay? I’m great!” she exclaimed. “I walked by myself. Or I stepped, at least. I can’t believe this is really happening.”

  Conner helped Treena to her seat, and she flicked the leg-assisting device on, settling it to fifty percent. She stood up unaided and saw her reflection in the gymnasium’s mirror. She was used to seeing this version of herself on the bed, being plugged into the android, but here she was, moving about with the damaged and worn version of Treena Starling. Her hair had grown longer, and she’d left it. It was time for a change. Aimie Gaad had offered to remove the scarring, and Treena knew she might take her up on it one day, but for now, she didn’t think it was necessary.

  “What’s next?” Treena asked.

  Conner peered over at her, grinning. “I’m leaving in two days. I guess Shu is taking Baldwin and Fayle to Aruto.”

  Treena wondered if she heard that right. “Aruto?”

  “Yeah. Have you been there before?” Conner asked.

  “Never. It’s rare for anyone to visit, isn’t it?”

  “I’ve seen it a couple of times. I don’t know what all the fuss is about. It’s a nice place, but the mere fact that one of our Founders—arguably, the main Founder—is reluctant to have others drop in has always struck me as a little cagey.” Conner walked her to the edge of the gym, and she flipped the robot-assisted leg device to eighty percent before heading into the halls. This entire floor of the R-Emergence building was closed off for her use, and she had access to countless rehab specialists.

  Today, she’d asked them to take the day off as Conner came to visit, which he’d done at least twice a week over the last couple of months. She stopped in the dim corridor, staring at the man she’d grown close to, and didn’t have to squint to see him any longer. They’d completed the surgery on her retinas, and she could see as well as in her artificial body.

  Conner seemed to feel her stare, and he stopped walking, turning to face her. “How about you? When do you leave?”

  “A few days after you. We’re going to stop by and pick up Ven, and I meet my new commander tomorrow,” Treena said.

  “I’ve only heard stories,” Conner told her with another grin.

  “I hope they’ve been embellished.” Treena was upset they’d given her Constantine with the caveat of making her take on an ex-Concord captain to be her second-in-command. She’d been told it was only for this one mission. If it was up to her, she would have stolen someone like Conner and promoted Ven or Brax to commander. But she hadn’t been given the choice, and Treena had a feeling that Benitor would continue to tug on her strings for her first few assignments. Tom had put up with a lot, but Treena wasn’t Thomas Baldwin. She’d been through the wringer for the Concord, and after what R-Emergence had done to her, she deserved some compensation.

  The
y entered the elevator, heading for the top floor, where their respective shuttles waited. The tower was one of the tallest in the city, and she felt a wave of vertigo she wouldn’t have experienced in her artificial form. Conner rushed to her side, clutching her arm, steadying her. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just not used to this yet,” she assured him. The city spread out in every direction as far as she could see. “I can’t believe Baldwin took the role.” She said this quietly, as if to herself, but Conner replied.

  “I know. Rene was flabbergasted. She’s also upset you were requested for the Earth mission instead of her,” Conner admitted as he walked past the first five parked shuttles to the Concord-issued model. Hers was next, with the First Ship logo painted on the doors of the white vessels.

  “You never told me that. Why?”

  He shrugged. “She didn’t want anyone to know, but it’s you and me, right?”

  Treena didn’t respond at first, but the air was thick with tension. She took a step toward him, her entire body aching from today’s efforts. She wasn’t going to win any beauty contests with her ragged body, but she had to know. “What do you want?”

  “Adventure, a good book, a nice glass of Vina,” Conner said with a laugh.

  She stood beside his shuttle, straight-faced. “That’s not what I meant. Why have you been visiting so often, pushing me?”

  “Because you seemed like you could use a push. And a friend,” he said softly. She got the sense there was more behind his words, but nothing else parted from his lips.

  “Okay… good.” She watched as he entered the shuttle, stopping to catch her eye.

  “Keep in touch.”

  “Thanks for… coming,” Treena told him, and the shuttle’s door closed, leaving her alone on the top of the R-Emergence tower.

  Two

  “It is a shame you have to depart soon,” Hanli told him as they walked along the river’s edge.