Free Legacy Code by Autumn Kalquist Page A

are the codes for specific cubes in the archives. The descriptions contain keywords for information they want us to find that they don’t have the codes for.”
    Mali gestured and pulled up a search grid next to the words and used her index finger to draw one line of search terms into the grid. “You can drag the terms or say ‘new entry’ to search manually.”
    Theory; Artificial Environments; Dome construction; Blueprints.
    Era’s breath caught in her throat. Artificial environments? Dome construction? Did this have something to do with Soren?
    Mali hit scan, and a new list appeared.
    “The first cube code usually matches the query best, but not always,” Mali pointed to the top code on the list. “So we send that one up first. If executive sends down for more information, we send them the next relevant matches, in order.”
    “Why would they be searching for—?”
    “Era,” Mali said, her voice low. “You do not discuss what you see here. Not ever. Cube orders are confidential. Our job is not to analyze why they call up these cubes. Our job is to care for the archives and no more.”
    “I understand. But—as an archivist, have you ever…looked at one of the archive cubes?”
    Mali rubbed the back of her neck. “Only in very rare instances and only with prior approval. Though we do have access to cubes that relate to our archivist duties.”
    Mali cocked her head to the side, considering Era. “Every time a cube from the archive is accessed,” she said carefully, “it logs an eyepiece signature to show who accessed it.”
    Era swallowed. “I understand.”
    Mali held her gaze for a moment and nodded. “Good.”
    She brought up the cube order again, the keywords replaced by a list of codes. She pulled the order from the stationary and pushed it into the slot on her handheld. Then, she picked up the archive case. “While I return these and get the new order, you sort the comms and label them like I showed you.”
    “Can I—”
    “If you find one from your husband, you can look at it. I won’t make you wait.” Mali headed for the archives.
    Era grabbed the comm case and unlatched it. Eleven containers lay within. The twelfth space was empty. It would have held comms for executive sector. The rest of the containers were labeled with the names of each of the ten dekas and Soren: all the places messages could come from or be sent to. Era reached for the container labeled Soren.
    Something turned over within her womb, and her hand flew to her stomach. Then another small movement, more obvious this time. The baby .
    She’d almost convinced herself she hadn’t felt anything that day in helio sector, that it had just been her imagination. But there it was again, the fluttering sensation.
    The Defect is a lie.
    Era’s amnio results were probably ready by now, but she hadn’t gathered the courage to go to Medlevel and schedule her appointment. She couldn’t put it off much longer. Zephyr said she’d go with her, but that didn’t make any of it more bearable.
    Era took a deep breath and glanced at the holo. The search results were gone now, but the holo was still logged into the search grid. She really should turn it off and begin sorting the comm cubes like Mali had asked her, but what the traitor had said…
    She took a quick look around to make sure she was still alone. Mali had entered the archives, and only a few colonists waited on the benches to record messages.
    She tapped the grid.
    “New entry,” she whispered. “The Defect. Legacy Code.”
    The words appeared on the entry line, and Era selected scan to begin the search. A long list of cube codes appeared, and Era’s pulse quickened.
    What was she even hoping to find? The Defect wasn’t a lie. The Defect from the Legacy Code was real, and here were all the files to prove it.
    Era memorized the first result, repeating it over and over until it stuck. CD-1 dy34b .
    She accessed the program’s memory core and wiped her search. What was she