Shattered Legacy by Shane R. Daley

had happened that morning. Tyler kept his recollection brief, and tried not to shade the facts with personal opinion. Dorian's blue eyes flashed when he learned that the agents had followed through on the warrant even after Tyler had contacted the U.S. Attorney's office.
    Finally, Dorian asked, “How big of a problem are we facing?”
    Tyler considered the question for a long moment. “Could be serious, but I wouldn’t want to guess until we’ve had some time to investigate the matter ourselves.”
    Dorian shrugged. “Ramona doesn’t seem to think this a big deal.”
    “I'm presenting a full briefing to her tomorrow morning. I'm sure she will better appreciate the situation once she knows all the facts.”
    Dorian made a face. He stared out the windows at the bright outdoors, drumming his fingers on the arm of his wheelchair. After a moment, he glanced back at Tyler. “Why the hell do they care what we buy?”
    “We're looking into that.”
    “We run a clean operation, Samson.”
    “I know, sir.”
    “Tell me we’re not going to get dragged into another lawsuit.”
    “Sinclair, we are in the space exploration business. There are thirteen federal regulatory bodies, two international organizations, and four global treaties that my legal department has to contend with on a daily basis. Believe me; we can handle a few trigger-happy G-men and an Assistant U.S. Attorney.”
    Dorian still looked dissatisfied. “What about those animal rights people? That environmentalist group?”
    Even before the Thomas Dorian Space Center had broken ground, environmentalists had protested the location of facility, claiming that the construction would destroy the ecosystem of several species of rare snakes and cacti. Lawsuits had delayed initial site construction by almost a year, and the ensuing legal battles had become an ongoing nuisance to the company. When Samson Tyler became general counsel, he took a hard line against the lingering suits.
    “I spoke with the EverViro executives. I told them that endangered species aside, the Dorian Space Center was already built, and that our first orbiter had already been through three test flights. I said that we weren’t going anywhere, that they didn’t have a chance of beating us in court, and that we could last longer than they could because our friends have deeper pockets than their friends.”
    “You actually said that?”
    “I also told them that if they continued to harass us, by the time we were finished with them, they wouldn't have the resources to launch a newspaper recycling drive at the local supermarket. Then I suggested a few other entities more worthy of their attention. I gave them a few telephone numbers and pointed them in the right direction. It actually worked out well for everyone.”
    Tyler did not miss the irony in the fact that now, only a few days after they beat back the environmentalists, the government starts trouble. Sometimes he wondered if Templar's mission – Sinclair Dorian’s dream - was worth the never-ending struggle.
    He decided to stretch the truth to put the old man at ease. “I have everything under control, Sinclair. We’ll be fine.”
    The old man's eyes bored into Tyler's from beneath his furrowed brow. “I’m counting on you to take care of things, Samson.”
    “I won’t let you down, sir.”
    Dorian gave a grim smile. “Good. Because I don’t want our investors to become nervous. Whatever problems -”
    Suddenly, Dorian lurched forward and broke into a violent coughing fit. He gagged, clutching the tablecloth in his fists. Color drained from his face as he wheezed and gasped for air.
    Shannon was at the doorway sooner than Tyler would have expected. She crossed the room, practically pushing him out of the way to reach Dorian's side.
    “Easy, Sinclair,” she said, drawing close and throwing her arm around the old man to keep him from falling out of his chair. Still hacking with dry coughs, Dorian tried to wave her away, but