- This page is about the
books character. For the TV incarnation, see Erich (TV).
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 TV character
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Erich is a childhood friend of Timmy, A.K.A. "Amos Burton", from Baltimore, Earth.
| “ | I'll never be the toughest guy in any room unless I'm by myself... but I'm usually the smartest. | „ |
| — Erich | ||
Appearance[]
As a result of being badly beaten as a child, Erich has a shortened, scarred left arm no larger than that of a six-year-old child, and he walks with a limp. When agitated, he has a tendency to clench the fist of his bad hand.
Biography[]
Background[]
Erich worked as a computer hacker for Burton's organization, specializing in creating false documentation and identities.
History[]
Beyond making small time fakes, Erich was known to make more comprehensive false identities for people like Burton. During a crackdown on crime in Baltimore, Erich has to flee and is forced to abandon his deck in a squatter's camp. It is confiscated by Star Helix Security personnel. His fingerprints are on it, which effectively ruins his own chances of leaving Earth with a clean identity. It also means that if he is arrested they can connect the deck to him, and from him back to Burton.
When Burton hears of this, he sends Erich's own friend, Timmy, to end his life. Timmy doesn't go through with the assigned murder. He kills Burton instead. In thanks, Erich gives Timmy the identity he created for Amos Burton, along with a ticket on a spaceship, and a coveted apprenticeship on Luna.
 “Catching fire” — Spoilers for Nemesis Games follow.
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Decades later, when Erich informs him of Lydia's death, Amos returns to Earth to discover the circumstances. After meeting Lydia's widower, Charles Jacob Allen, in Philadelphia, he travels to Baltimore and to find Erich. Erich is now quite successful as the boss of Burton's former criminal enterprises. During a tense meeting with Amos, Erich agrees to support Lydia's widower as he supported Lydia after Amos left Earth, so that Charles can continue to live comfortably until he dies. Erich does so partly because he'd prefer not to have a Timmy on his street. After giving Amos a box of real Earth tequila, the two part amiably, but agreeing it would be open season if Amos returned.
Two weeks later, after the rocks dropped, Amos again returns to Erich's steps and insists on another meeting, this time, Amos has a job. Amos and Clarissa explain to Erich the plan of leaving Earth. Initially Erich is hesitant, but Clarissa gives a speech about a women in prison who killed her kids and lost everything but pretends they are still alive. Surprising Amos, Erich burst into tears and cries for 15 minutes on Clarissa's shoulder.
Agreeing to the plan, Erich gathers his best crew with Butch and the group leaves in a helicopter for the opulent private spaceport which Clarissa visited as a child. When the group arrives at the spaceport near a lake, they find a group of servants, one of which happened to be familiar with Clarissa. The group of servants lead them to a hangar that has a ship, but is not working. Luckily, Clarissa and Amos are skilled mechanics with experience dealing with the dangerous fusion drive. While Erich runs some diagnostics on the ship, Amos and Clarissa chase some bad electrical leads on the ship. After replacing the bad connection, Erich runs the final diagnostic, which if he didn't run, would have lead to losing the attitude controls on the ship, Zhang Guo.
After a group of two local security are pushed away from the hangar, a greater security team begins to surround the hangar. As the ship begins to warm up, the group of servants and Erich's crew enter the ship, with Amos being the last. After a fast launch into the Earth Orbit where every one except Amos passes out, the ship lands on Luna. With Amos's contact, the acting UN Secretary General Chrisjen Avasarala, the ship does not need to be boarded. Erich, who is in debt to Amos at this point, offers to give up control of his crew to Amos. Amos declines, choosing to return to his own tribe. Erich is initially scared but relaxes, proving the excitement of a new challenge of making a life in space.
Thirty years after the Free Navy Conflict ended Erich had moved to the colony Auberon where he established a new criminal network. At some point during this time he had his crippled arm replaced by a robotic prosthesis. When the Laconian Empire sent Biryar Rittenaur to the planet as the new Governor, Erich attended a party in Biryar's new residence. When he got the new governor alone, Erich unsuccessfully attempted to bribe him before leaving.
Moving between hideouts, Erich continued his criminal business. During one encounter, he had three men killed when they shot at him using a hidden flechette turret. The new Laconian security forces attempted to find Erich for weeks, but could not find any trace of him, believing he had fled the planet.
Erich attempted to find leverage over the new governor. This included forcing a news presenter indebted to him to attempt the "Honeypot" with new governor in order for Erich to blackmail him. This failed however and he had Agnete look for anything incriminating on the governor's wife instead. This information was found in which the governor's wife Mona Rittenaur had been moving funds for research projects completely unauthorized. He brought this information to the governor knowing that the Laconian law stated that her crimes merited the death penalty.
Upon meeting the governor and revealing this, to his shock the Governor pulled out his gun and attempted suicide. Erich's robotic arm however reacted instantly and grabbed the handgun saving Biryar Rittenaur's life. He made the governor realize that the Laconian head of security Major Overstreet would eventually discover this and that if anything would happen to him that local security forces could instead take over and the governor's secret kept. The governor agreed to this and Erich and got the mutual understanding he wanted. His criminal network then had Major Overstreet assassinated.
See also[]
- Burton
- Lydia Allen
- Butch
- Baltimore
References[]