Baldwin's Legacy: The Complete Series

by Hystad, Nathan

  The description sparked a memory from Treena’s time at the Academy: a passing lecture about a gaseous being that had been discovered by the crew of Longspar. “You were with Captain Munter?”

  Teller nodded, smiling again. “That’s right. Munter took all the credit for the find, but it was really me and Galz.”

  “I have no recollection of Galz. Do you know what happened to her?” Treena asked.

  “I pushed her after that. She went from being safely inside the engineering deck to joining a Border patrol vessel, trying to rise in the ranks. She died a year later,” Teller said, his voice growing low.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It was a long time ago.” He patted his knee and returned his gaze to her.

  “Do you want to head to the surface on this one, Commander?” she asked the old man, and he hesitated before answering.

  “I’d better leave that to the younger crew. Like that strapping Tekol over there.” He pointed at Brax and leaned toward Treena. “But thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Treena had misjudged the man and was glad to see him opening up about his past. Perhaps he did have some wisdom and advice to share with a new captain after all.

  She watched the world grow in the viewscreen as they headed for it, and hoped Reeve and her team could find out where in the universe the Nek-modified drive had sent them.

  ____________

  Brandon clutched his weapon, hoping he didn’t need it. They’d waited a full day after the life support cut out, as a precaution, but there was a possibility of live crew members inside. He didn’t like the idea of suffocating them out, but they were the enemy, even if they didn’t think so.

  Most of the president’s ships were manned by robotic crews after the Invaders had provided the technology to replace the erratic and untrustworthy humans. It was a huge part of the problem.

  The corridors were dark, dim emergency strips glowing in unison along the floor. Carl and Devon were behind him, each armed as well, and Kristen walked at the rear, covering them.

  His scanners were jamming, and it wasn’t clear if there were life forms aboard or not. Brandon tapped the handheld device to his EVA’s arm, and it blinked, the results unchanging. “Might only be us and the bots.” His voice was loud in his own ear, and he glanced at Carl, who seemed ready for anything coming at them.

  Carl had worked for these guys for twelve years before he understood the atrocities they’d done around the world. There were a lot of theories behind the president and just how the Invaders had affected his judgment, but no one knew the truth. Carl had begun seeking out others of a similar mindset, and that was when he and Brandon had teamed up.

  They were about to acquire an Earth ship, and Brandon was more nervous than he’d been in years. As he walked through the corridors, trying to listen for sounds of movement, he wondered if he’d made the right choices throughout the course of his life. People on Earth could live out their lives in relative peace.

  Brandon had been one of the lucky ones, only forced to work in the food supply chain. But he’d seen too many things during those ten years. All the deaths because the Invaders thought a region was over-populated. The meat factories had been something Brandon could never unsee. Even thinking about the writhing piles of flesh, he nearly gagged within his EVA, and he shoved the memories from his mind. Focus, he told himself, and stopped as the corridor turned at a forty-five degree angle. With his back to the bulkhead, he moved forward, gun raised, but the hall was empty.

  He turned, seeing the others were copying his movements. He saw, too late, the silent robot entering the hall behind Kristen. The bot lifted an arm, the weaponry sparking as it shot bullets from short barrels. The first one bit Kristen in the leg, and she dropped to the ground, her helmet striking fiercely. Devon barreled over Carl, shoving him firmly, and took a series of bullets to the chest. Brandon couldn’t move; he was frozen in place as Devon’s arms fell to his sides. He groaned, letting loose a few swear words before charging at the robot.

  “Devon, stop!” Brandon shouted, but the man was on a mission. His gun tracked forward, and he blasted at the robot while it fired more rounds of ammunition into his body. It passed through the fabric of the EVA with ease, but Devon managed to hit it, incapacitating the bot at the same time.

  They tumbled together, Devon landing on top of the robot as they crashed to the floor. Brandon ran to his friend’s side, but he was clearly dead. The robot’s head was half melted, its eyes powered off.

  “Brandon, over here!” Carl’s voice was urgent, and he returned, helping seal Kristen’s EVA with a sticky patch. It worked, but she was injured.

  “Use the injectors, Kris.” He held her helmet, and she nodded, pressing the controls on her arm. Her pupils dilated slightly as the painkillers entered her bloodstream. Brandon helped Kristen to her feet and asked if she was okay to continue.

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured them.

  An hour later, they’d managed to deactivate the whole robotic crew, and Brandon led their group to the bridge, ready to reboot the rover.

  “I was wondering who it was,” the voice said as Brandon entered.

  He lowered his gun and saw the tall man’s slim weapon pointed directly at Kristen.

  “Who the hell are you?” Carl asked angrily.

  “I work for the president,” he said.

  “Then you know we aren’t turning ourselves in.” Brandon took a step toward the guy, and as he neared, he saw the man was older than he’d assumed at first in the poor lighting.

  “Stop where you are,” he hissed. “Or she dies.”

  Brandon turned to face him. “What do you hope to accomplish?”

  “You really don’t get it, do you? The president is a reasonable man, but he can only be stretched so far. He’s entrusted me to end this silently and swiftly, and that means you will lower your weapons and surrender.”

  Brandon smirked at the guy, and for the first time, it clicked that the man wasn’t in an EVA. His hand trembled. It was an Invader. The man floated off the floor and started for Brandon, but Carl was faster. He pulled the device from his suit pocket, tossing it to the ground near the president’s man. It vibrated and boomed, the concussion knocking Brandon off his feet.

  When he rose, the man was struggling to his knees, but Brandon had his hands secured behind him. Kristen rushed over, limping on her bad leg, and pressed the injection into the Invader.

  “You won’t get away with this…” But they did. The Invader fell onto his front, his hands cuffed behind him.

  “How the hell do they move things with their minds anyway?” Carl asked, but Brandon could only shrug.

  “Maybe he’ll tell us later.” Brandon walked to the central computer, sitting in the chair. It squeaked under his weight, and he slapped the tool onto the screen. It pulsed, sending a surge through the electrical components, and the rover shook as it sprang to life. “Not to mention how they breathe without any damned air.”

  “It’s not natural,” Kristen said. Her pain was evident. They needed to find her some medical care, and soon.

  The viewer started, and Brandon felt better as the lights flickered on throughout the bridge, everything regaining power.

  He hated bringing one of the Invaders with him, but it was either that or kill him, and Brandon liked to think he had more of a moral compass than that. Plus, maybe the telekinetic alien could be of service to them.

  Nine

  “Why won’t you tell me what happened on Veer, Admiral?” Elder Fayle asked Tom for the second time.

  “Fayle, it’s none of your concern. Do you understand that you’re not in charge? That you’re one of the leaders of a Concord partner, the Ugna, but not in a power position where you can boss me around and demand things of me? I don’t know what you have on Benitor, but I’m not her!” Tom hated that she elicited such a reaction from him, but he couldn’t help but retaliate when she pestered him.

  She blinked slowly, and he wished that
someone else was there to distract her. He hated being her link to Nolix and the Concord headquarters. Anyone else could have done the job, and Tom didn’t believe Admiral Benitor’s reasoning for a minute. Just because he’d been on Leria with her in the village didn’t make Fayle his responsibility.

  “I did not mean to offend you, Thomas. Are you always so quick to anger?” she asked. “I have a few meditation tips for you, if you would care to review…”

  “That’s fine,” he said as calmly as he could. “We’ll be at Aruto in a few days, and we can take our tour, meet President Bertol.” It also wasn’t a coincidence the newly appointed lieutenant commander was Asha Bertol, the Aruto leader’s daughter.

  For once, Tom wished someone had been clear on his objectives before he’d been shuttled off on another diplomatic mission. With the attack on the Veerilions, and the well-manufactured fake Concord fleet, this had turned into something far different than what the objective had started out as.

  “I look forward to it. Let me know if I can be of any assistance,” Fayle told Tom, and left the courtyard.

  Conner Douglas waved at him from the café bar, and Tom motioned to the chair across from him. “Have a seat, Douglas.”

  The other man did, setting his steaming cup on the table. “What was that about?”

  “Nothing. She’s… entitled.” Tom didn’t want to criticize Fayle in front of the crew, but Conner did have a level head on his shoulders.

  “I can see that,” he said. “Aruto is only a couple of days away.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Do you think we’ll find out where these ships were built?” Conner asked.

  Tom shook his head firmly. “Not at Aruto. I think this is a trick.”

  Kan Shu arrived, rushing to their table. “Admiral, we have word from Ridele. There have been two other attacks, each in this quadrant of Concord space. Denus was hit three days ago, and Thyle RP a day earlier.”

  “Why are we just learning of this?” Tom stood, following the commander from the courtyard. Conner was on his tail and nearly ran into him as Tom slowed at the elevator.

  “Denus was struck hard. Blew out their communications. They said it was the Concord attacking. Some of the other partners are banding together, threatening a revolt.” The doors closed, and they lifted toward the bridge.

  “This is bad. We need to talk with the Prime as soon as possible.” Tom was the first to step off.

  “He’s already waiting, sir. In the captain’s office,” Kan informed him as they strode onto Shu’s bridge.

  Tom walked across the rear of the bridge and into Rene’s office, since the door was open in anticipation of his arrival. Rene looked up as he entered. “Bring the commander, please.”

  Tom brought Kan in with him, and they sat around Rene’s desk, the image of the Prime emerging on the projection between the three of them.

  “Prime Xune, it’s nice to…” Rene started, but was cut off by Xune.

  “Sorry to skip past the pleasantries, but we’re in the middle of a crisis.” He was scared: his usually coiffed hair was messy; his eyes had heavy bags under them.

  “What’s happening?” Tom asked, surprised no one had sent them notifications prior to this important communication.

  “Admiral Benitor is missing,” the Prime said.

  “Missing? What do you mean, missing?” Tom asked.

  “She’s gone. Didn’t show up at the office two days ago, and we’ve been searching for her since. It seems her place was visited by a shuttle three nights prior, according to the video feeds, but they were tampered with. We didn’t see it leaving.”

  Tom’s heart raced inside his ribcage. “And you think she’s been abducted.” The Prime remained stationary for a moment too long, and Tom put the pieces together. “That’s not it. You think she’s run off.”

  “We don’t have enough information to formulate an exact comprehension of the events or reasoning, but Benitor is gone. Whether by choice or by abduction, it isn’t clear.”

  “What about the attacks?” Rene asked. “We just came from Veer, and we saw one of the fighters with our own eyes. Someone has been making Concord-issued vessels from our plans.”

  The Prime’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why didn’t you bring me this information? Of course I’d heard of the assault, but not of the ships.”

  “I sent the information to Benitor, but if she’s not at the office, then…”

  “She didn’t receive it. Or she did, and that’s part of the reason she’s gone. What do we do, Baldwin? We have ten of our partner worlds threatening to attack Ridele. They’re congregating as we speak. I expect a real opposing force knocking on our doors in less than a week.”

  Meaning they still had some time to figure this out. “The ships originated from Aruto,” Kan told the Prime.

  “We’re being set up. Tom, is the door closed?” Xune asked.

  Tom nodded after glancing to the office exit. “Go ahead.”

  “We suspect the Ugna and the Callalay have been conspiring behind our backs. The real reason we sent you there was because you seem to have a knack for discerning trouble and dealing with it. With the attacks and Benitor’s disappearance, things have escalated too quickly. I need you to learn everything you can. Find out what Bertol knows, and for the sake of the Vastness, do not alert Fayle that we’re suspicious,” Xune ordered.

  “Do you suspect she’s involved?” Tom asked.

  “I have to assume one of the Ugna leaders would be in the know. Keep her close, but not close enough to suspect what you’re really digging for. When do you arrive at Aruto?” Xune appeared another five years older than he had at the start of their conversation.

  “Two days, sir,” Tom advised.

  “Good. Don’t delay. They’ve been unreceptive to our communications, and that’s not a good sign. I need to hear what the Ugna are up to, and if it is the two of them working against the Concord. This might be their game plan, to create dissention to attempt an implosion of the Concord. But not on my watch. We need to squash this threat!”

  “We won’t disappoint. Keep in touch, sir. Send a note if any news arrives about Benitor,” Tom told him, and the Prime stared at him from the projection.

  “Baldwin, I trust you. You’ve done more for the Concord than any one man in the last hundred years, including your grandfather. I need your help now. I’m in over my head. If Benitor was here… Just don’t fail me. Too many lives depend on it.” The Prime forced a grin, and the projected image snapped closed, leaving the three officers in the office, none of them wanting to speak first.

  ____________

  Planet X filled the shuttle’s viewscreen, and Ven glanced at Brax Daak in the pilot’s seat. The lieutenant commander was more at ease this trip, as if his experience over the past year had aided some of his hang-ups about space travel.

  “Why are you watching me like that, Ven?” Brax asked with a smirk.

  “I am only ensuring you are stable,” Ven told him truthfully. He wasn’t trying, but he felt Brax’s emotions break through his barrier. He was confident, and contrary to their dilemma of being stuck in an unknown system, far from home and their destination, he seemed happy.

  “And what did you find?” Brax asked him. He always was perceptive.

  “Why are you happy?” Ven couldn’t understand the emotion at a time like this.

  “You and I are heading to the surface of a world that no one from the Concord has seen before. They might name it after us.” Brax entered through the atmosphere, the shuttle shaking slightly at the transition. He stayed elevated for longer than normal. “Where to?”

  Ven used his mind, playing with the controls, and the tiny probes dispatched from their compartment in the underbelly of the shuttle. “We will have that answer soon.”

  “We already did scans,” Brax told him.

  “The captain asked that we be thorough. I’m going the next step.” Ven watched as the probes returned countless streams of data into the
shuttle’s system.

  “While you’re waiting, I’ll enjoy the sights.”

  Planet X’s surface was snow-covered below them, the entire landscape a frozen tundra, and Ven peered at the screen as they neared what he assumed must be an expansive ocean. Giant cracks formed in humongous icecaps, each of the sections dozens of kilometers wide. It was exhilarating, yet terrifying.

  “You wouldn’t want to be stranded at this place,” Brax whispered. “Anything good on the sensors?”

  Ven assumed he knew what Brax constituted as good, and searched for signs of life. He didn’t expect to find any and was shocked as the image of a jungle-like terrain, four thousand kilometers from their position, appeared to have man-made structures jutting from the overgrowth. “I found something.”

  Brax peered over, bumping into Ven’s shoulder. “What is it?”

  “Head to these coordinates.” Ven passed them into the computer, and Brax accepted the location, setting course on his map.

  “Someone lives on Planet X,” Brax said, smiling again.

  “More likely, someone lived here,” Ven replied. “I have sent the data to Constantine. Let us investigate.”

  Usually, they’d bring along more than two crew members on a mission like this, but Teller had suggested only they make the journey. The captain had wanted Brax to bring Nee instead, but Teller had been adamant that Ven go, for some reason. Captain Starling had accepted the proposal without preamble, but Ven had seen an odd twinkle in the old man’s eye when he’d peered over at him.

  “I’ve never seen a world so close to being a Zero-Nine,” Brax said. They were above a temperate desert, the ground nothing but rocks and dusty sand for hundreds of kilometers. “If someone tweaked it a bit, even with minor terraforming, this would be a great world for the Concord.”

  It made Ven think about the terraforming the Ugna were doing on Driun F49. “That is a valid point. When the Nek drives become commonplace, we could have access to distant planets like this with greater ease.”