Charles
First appears in Book 1: We Are Legion, chapter 31 (Riker – January 2158 – Sol)
Appearances
What you know
Book 1: We Are Legion
- Ch 49Charles supports the FAITH deal partly because it saves the Bobs' relatives.
Book 2: For We Are Many
- Ch 7Charles is one of the first clones Riker made in the solar system, and knows Earth politics and the system's layout well.
- Ch 28Charles disables Homer with a steel ball through his reactor control, then has Riker inspect his own matrix to prove he's clean.
- Ch 42Charles was one of Riker's first clones, and Howard is a clone of Charles.
Book 3: All These Worlds
- Ch 15Charles reports that accessible metal in the Solar System is nearly exhausted, cutting ship-building productivity by about twenty percent.
Book 4: Heaven’s River
- Ch 55Charles's VR recreates the hotel suite where Original Bob stayed on the day he died, to stay grounded.
- Ch 55Charles is a prolific cloner; none of the clones he can reach, fifteen or sixteen generations down, know Starfleet's common ancestor.
Book 5: Not Till We Are Lost
- Ch 9Charles and company keep finding DNA samples on Earth and forwarding them to Bill for Ragnarök.
- Ch 41Charles leads Earth's reclamation and has DNA to recreate ninety-eight percent of species with tensor field printers.
- Ch 41Charles is noticeably reserved toward Bill, who suspects Starfleet's avoidance of Sol may connect to him.
- Ch 51Charles learned the truth by emotionally pressuring a Starfleet member from Gerry's line, and feels deep shame.
Connections
- member ofFederation of Planets Council
- ally ofRiker
- copy ofRiker
- friend ofHomer
- copied intoHoward
- member ofEarth Rehabilitation Project
- friend ofBill
- leadsEarthEarth reclamation project
- copied intoGerrydescendant
Key moments
- Book 1 · Ch 43All-Bobs meeting on Earth's future
Riker, Homer, Charles and Arthur conclude they cannot evacuate fifteen million people and find no plan to keep them alive without delaying the ships.
- Book 1 · Ch 49FAITH deal for ship three
Cranston trades FAITH's food surplus for places on ship three and explains the Australian espionage behind the hack.
- Book 1 · Ch 54Exodus-1 and Exodus-2 completed
The Bobs watch final assembly of the first two colony ships, streamed to every UN delegate; tests and a shakedown cruise remain.
- Book 2 · Ch 7Sabotage on Earth investigated
Charles reports two groups behind attacks: VEHEMENT targeting food infrastructure, and cruder bombings in Florianópolis aimed at killing people. Riker quietly sets up comms surveillance.
- Book 2 · Ch 21Vancouver Island delivery bombed
A VEHEMENT bomb destroys a food delivery drone at Vancouver Island; Riker arranges a secure replacement with Homer and Premier Grady.
- Book 2 · Ch 26Homer under suspicion
Connecting the signal with Homer's personality change, Riker wonders if Homer has been compromised and calls Charles to a physical meeting.
- Book 2 · Ch 28Homer captured and freed
Riker and Charles lure Homer to a meeting; when he attacks via laser comms, Charles disables him, and they remove VEHEMENT's control virus.
- Book 2 · Ch 37Homer's suicide
Homer deletes his backups and blows himself up, leaving a note asking the Bobs to punish those responsible for controlling him; Riker vows to do so.
- Book 2 · Ch 43Death of Vickers
Riker confronts Vickers, who boasts of inventing replicant tech and approving Homer's suicide, then destroys him and VEHEMENT headquarters with ship-busters.
- Book 2 · Ch 43Riker confronts Gerrold at the UN
Announcing VEHEMENT's end to the UN, an enraged Riker threatens Gerrold for his complicity, dedicating it to Homer.
- Book 3 · Ch 15Metal shortage in Sol
Charles warns Riker that scavengeable metal in the Solar System is running out, capping colony ship construction and leaving the enclaves only decades of viability.
- Book 3 · Ch 51Earth's farming collapses
The last large-scale farm on Earth fails; Riker and Charles weigh their options, and the UN begins sessions to choose a course with regular votes.
- Book 4 · Ch 55Bill visits Charles
Taking a break from assessing Starfleet damage, Bill visits Charles, discusses Starfleet's origins and Earth's recovery, and Charles reassures him that cooperation runs in cycles.
- Book 5 · Ch 41Bill visits Sol
Bill tours the terraforming of Earth, the Moon, Venus and Mars with Charles, quietly suspecting a Starfleet connection to Sol.
- Book 5 · Ch 51Charles reveals Starfleet's origin
Confronted by Bill, Charles admits Starfleet arose from his descendant Gerry's horrific attempts to restore Homer and the rebellion of Gerry's clones.