by Black, Jake
Peter had brought Achilles to the Hegemony to monitor his correspondence with his former allies in Russia, China, Thailand, India, and Pakistan. But the study was not as useful as Peter had thought it would be. Peter gave Achilles a new assignment: Assistant to the Hegemon, and they were to work closely together so Peter could control Achilles.
Achilles knew what Peter was doing and was playing his cards in such a way that he hoped he would again rise in power and position, free from being Peter’s prisoner. In fact, he’d secretly been winning the game from the start. It was revealed to Bean, who passed the information on to the Wiggins, that Achilles had arranged his own rescue from the prison convoy, passing it off as information from former Battle Schooler Han Tzu.
Peter’s parents realized what happened and took Peter from the Hegemony compound. Achilles tried to discredit Peter by claiming he was embezzling funds from the Hegemony. Peter countered the claims and asserted his authority and position as the rightful Hegemon through a full disclosure press conference.
In Brazil, Achilles tried to make it appear that Suriyawong was the new Hegemon, but no one bought in to his attempts at the power grab. Worse, Peter discovered that Achilles was still working with the Chinese government, and the world hung in the balance.
Peter had gone into hiding in space, and with the help of Hyrum Graff and Chamrajnagar, set a plot in motion that would expose Achilles’s evil intentions. The group sent an empty shuttle from space, claiming it carried Peter. Achilles shot it down, and the International Fleet subsequently authorized an Earth-bound attack on him.
In the meantime, Achilles set a trap for Bean. He claimed to have Bean and Petra’s stolen embryos, though he had actually implanted them in other surrogates previously. Bean joined Peter in storming the Hegemony compound. Bean remained calm and didn’t fall for any of Achilles’s lies about the embryos.
Bean put Achilles back against the wall and held a gun to his face. Achilles ordered Suriyawong to kill Bean, but Suriyawong, who had never been loyal to Achilles, turned his back on him, leaving him alone to face the consequences of his actions. Bean shot Achilles in the face, killing him in vengeance for Poke and Sister Carlotta. Achilles was dead and would be buried at the Hegemony compound. But Bean still needed to know what his lifelong enemy had done with the embryos.
Flandres, Achilles II (EE, SG)
Achilles Flandres II was the ninth and final embryo created by Bean Delphiki and Petra Arkanian. He was implanted into and birthed by a young woman named Randi who had been told that the embryo had actually been created by Achilles Flandres I and his unknown wife. Randi worshipped Achilles and the work he’d done in trying to unify/take over the world. She named her son Achilles in his honor, though gave him a secret identity as “Randall Firth.”
Achilles II suffered from the genetic mutation known as Anton’s Key. His intelligence and growth were accelerated. Though born undersized, he would live to be a brilliant giant, like his father Bean, but would die at a young age.
Achilles II, under his alias Randall Firth, traveled with his mother to the human colony on the planet Ganges. He grew up on that planet, believing his mother’s stories that his father, “Achilles the Great,” sought peace and prosperity for the world. Through these stories, Achilles II grew to hate Peter Wiggin for defeating his father, and even hated Virlomi, the governor of his colony, because she undid the peace his father had created in India.
When Achilles II was sixteen, Virlomi told him the truth about his father and the reasons he was the most hated man in human history. Achilles II refused to believe her and struck her in the face. Arrested for striking the governor, and then perjuring himself afterward, Achilles II was to be exiled back to Earth.
Achilles II was the founder of a religious movement called Natives of Ganges, which based its teachings on The Hive Queen by the mysterious “Speaker for the Dead.” Sending out his teachings by ansible, Achilles II was able to use the book to discredit Ender Wiggin as a hero. Calling him “Ender the Xenocide,” Achilles got revenge on one of the relatives of the man he thought killed his father.
When Ender himself arrived at Ganges, Achilles II tried to kill him. Ender refused to fight Achilles II because he was the son of Ender’s friends. Ender revealed Achilles II’s true parentage to him. He was the son of Bean Delphiki and Petra Arkanian. Though initially angry at what he thought were lies, Achilles II soon accepted the truth. He turned from a life of anger and vengeance and changed his name to Arkanian Delphiki in honor of his parents. This hurt his relationship with his surrogate mother Randi, but it was of little consequence to him. His sentence commuted by Virlomi, he stayed on Ganges.
Flash Suit (EGS, EG, ES)
Flash suits were the uniform jumpsuits worn during combat simulations in Battle School. If a soldier took a hit in his flash suit from a flash pistol, he was immobilized.
Flasher/Flash Pistol (EGS, EG, ES)
The primary weapon used in Battle School, Flashers were small boxes that fit in the palm of the hand, glowed green, and froze their victims.
FleetCom/Fleet Command (EG, ES)
FleetCom or Fleet Command was the location of Command School. Housed on the asteroid Eros, it was the central planning location for offensives against the Formics.
Fliers (XN)
Fliers were essentially floating cars, which were used for transporation on the Hundred Worlds.
Floaters (CM)
Floaters were floating cars used for transportation on the Hundred Worlds.
Foreign Minister—Armenia (SG)
The Armenian Foreign Minister wanted his country to join Peter Wiggin’s worldwide confederation of nations, the Free People of Earth. Though a little worried that Armenia would lose its autonomy, he was more concerned with invasion from its neighbors and sought the protection of the FPE. Petra Arkanian and her husband Bean Delphiki negotiated with the Armenian leaders hoping to find a suitable path of entry to the FPE, guaranteeing protection from invasion.
Foreign Minister—China ([SH], [SP])
The Chinese Foreign Minister visited Thailand at the same time that his nation was secretly moving to take over Asia under the manipulative control of Achilles Flandres. He died of a heart attack on a trip to Washington, D.C., several months after the establishment of Peter Wiggin’s Hegemony.
Formics/Buggers (See also Hive Queen) (PL, TP, MP, [PB], [CH], EGS, EG, [WG], ES, GB, EE, IC, [SD], XN, CM)
The enemy of Earth, the Formics were an insectlike species that many thought could have evolved on Earth. Buglike in appearance, they had a hive mind, controlled by the Hive Queen. The Formics had attacked Earth twice before, only to be stopped the second time by Mazer Rackham.
The first invasion had been Earthside in China. The second led to a space-bound fight between starships. The military of Earth, led by Mazer Rack-ham, defeated the Formic invasion by destroying a queen ship. By killing the queen, all of the drones were instantly left without a controlling influence, virtually headless.
Humanity had feared a third invasion to such levels that for more than seventy years, the people of Earth had sent an attacking fleet for preemptive strikes against the Formics.
Although humans had captured some Formics over the course of the invasions, the Formics had died before anything could be learned from them. It was thought that the so-called Buggers were primarily female with sexual organs in a state of atrophy.
The Formics lived on worlds where they carved great tunnels for their hives. Almost like gigantic honeycomb, these tunnels were later explored by human settlers and built upon.
When Ender Wiggin led the fleet that destroyed the Formic home world, the Formics were thought completely eliminated. Ender felt great guilt over the xenocide he’d committed and was grateful to find a Hive Queen still alive. It was hoped that with the Hive Queen still alive, the Formics would one day reflourish.
Formic home world (EGS, EG, ES, [GB], [EE])
The home of the alien race called Formics or Buggers, th
e Formic home world was destroyed under Ender Wiggin’s command during an “Exam” using the Molecular Detachment Device.
Framlings (See Hierarchy of Alienness)
THE LOOK OF THE FORMICS
In preparing the designs for Marvel Comics’ Ender’s comic book series, Orson Scott Card described the Formics’ physical appearance:
“What we need to understand first is that these are not insects. They are descended from insects, but certain important evolutionary changes happened. They became warm-blooded. This means that they use blood and insulation and perspiration to regulate body temperature. That requires that there be an endoskeleton rather than the insectoid exoskeleton. This means that there are muscles over the bony structure, and skin over the muscles. We have to think of an evolved carapace, then, but with mammalian elements (no mammaries, though; no chest with breasts and nipples, just raw musculature for a double set of arms).
“We need, then, to work from the skeleton and musculature on out, before we worry about fur. Those middle legs are a problem. They have to be able to bear weight, though not as much as hips and thighs; the joint socket must be extraordinarily flexible, even more than shoulders. There will have to be muscles across the back, not only to allow the midarms to swing wide, but also to let them swing up and back. This is going to shape how the back looks—it won’t be either insectoid or mammalian.
“Only when we understand what the skin is covering can we then determine how fur should go. I believe they have adaptable hair. That is, in cold climates, the body grows the hair more thickly and shaggily; in warm environments, the thick longer hairs drop right off (in about two very sheddy days) and what’s left is a downy fuzz. Only then do we see the color of the skin, which will be quite different from the color of the long thick cold-weather fur.
“Only the hair on the head never changes. Think of Caesar’s look—curls, but nothing that covers the face or, especially, the eyes. And none on the antennae.
“We should be able to tell differences between different formics. Even though they don’t talk, we should at least have visual signals the way we do with smiles, grimaces, the face of rage, the face of love, etc. The mouth is going to be the most important aspect of this.”
Free People of Earth (SG, EE)
Free People of Earth, or FPE, was the name of the world government created by Peter Wiggin. Slowly, every nation but the United States joined the governing body, and it was thought that eventually the American government would, too. Peter Wiggin was the organization’s first and only Hegemon.
Free Play (EG, ES)
Free Play was a period of time in the daily Battle School schedule that allowed soldiers/students to play unstructured battles in the Battle Room, refining their skills. Ender used his Free Play to perfect his skills and to train others, which resulted in a banning of Free Play time.
Fukuda, Admiral (CM)
Admiral Fukuda was the second in command of the Lusitania Fleet, which had been ordered to destroy the planet Lusitania. He was a well-respected military man, and it appeared for a brief time that he would be given command of the fleet after his superior, Admiral Lands, tried unsuccessfully to resign.
Fushimi, Shigeru, Jr. (CM)
Shigeru Fushimi, Jr. was a respected businessman on the planet Divine Wind.
Fushimi, Shigeru, Sr. (CM)
Shigeru Fushimi, Sr. was a respected businessman on the planet Divine Wind.
Gales (See Hundred Worlds)
Game Room (EG, ES)
The Game Room was a portion of Battle School where students played holographic games. Teachers watched the students play the games to study each student’s individual strategies.
Ganges (See Hundred Worlds)
Giant (EG)
The Giant was the primary antagonist in the Battle School game, the “Giant’s Drink.” He was killed in the game by a virtual mouse controlled by Ender Wiggin. His body decayed, though the game world around it continued to grow and evolve. His body ultimately became a grassy hill.
Giant’s Drink, the (EGS, EG, ES, [EE], XN)
Designed as the final part of the Fantasy Game at Battle School, the Giant’s Drink was a seemingly unwinnable game where the player, appearing as a mouse, is presented with two drinks by a Giant and promised that if the correct one is chosen, the player would be taken to Fairyland. However, both drinks were deadly, and it was impossible to win. Ender Wiggin grew frustrated with the game, and dumped out both drinks. He jumped upon the Giant and killed him by burrowing through his eye.
Ender returned to the game and explored the world that surrounded the decaying body of the Giant. He was confused by the game’s message: “This is the end of the world.” Eventually, the Giant’s body decomposed to the point that it became a grassy hill. Ender returned to the hill a few times.
During two separate return visits to the game, Ender saw a mirror in a castle. The face looking back at him in the mirror was not his own, but his brother Peter’s. This image was very damaging to Ender, as he realized that with all the deaths he’d caused in the game, he was no different from his murderous brother.
Years later, while serving as governor of a human colony, Ender and an eleven-year-old boy named Abra discovered the hill that Ender had seen in the game. It had been created by the Formics as a way to ensure that Ender found a surviving Hive Queen, and was patterned after Ender’s memories of the game.
It is thought that the game led indirectly to the suicide of a Battle School student named Pinual, though that theory has not been verified. See also Jane and Hive Queen.
Giria (EG)
Slang language similar to modern pidgin on Earth. Giria was used by the uneducated.
Glass (XN)
Glass was a pequenino, the sentient native life on the planet Lusitania. He was training to become a scientist, and worked as an assistant to Ela Ribeira von Hesse. He helped unlock the genetic manipulation that had been forced on certain people on the distant planet Path. He was also responsible for discovering that Si Wang-mu, a servant in the house of Han on Path, had experienced the mutation, but had evolved beyond it. This discovery was the key to unlocking the manipulation.
He was also the test subject for the antivirus, the recolada, which removed the deadly Descolada virus from all the life on Lusitania, but allowed the creatures to maintain their sentience. The virus worked, and Glass was made into a worshipped fathertree, the highest honor the pequeninos gave their own.
Glideways (CM)
Glideways were a mode of transportation similar to a moving sidewalk, used throughout the Hundred Worlds and on spacecraft.
Good Ship Lollipop (EE)
Good Ship Lollipop was the nickname given by Valentine Wiggin to the first colony ship carrying human settlers to former Formic Worlds. The ship’s official name was IFcoltrans1.
Gold Bugs (GB, EE)
Gold Bugs were large insectoids, bred by the Formics to mine for precious metals on one of their worlds. When that world was colonized by humans after Ender’s victory against the Formics, the Gold Bugs were discovered by xenobiologist Sel Menach and his assistant Po Tolo.
Their exoskeleton was seemingly made of the precious metal they mined, making the bugs a precious natural resource themselves.
Grace Drinker’s Daughter (CM)
Like the rest of her family, Grace Drinker’s daughter seemed insignificant when standing next to her mother. Of Samoan descent, the daughter was a smart-alecky child whose comments were often insightful. She lived with her family on the planet Pacifica.
Grace Drinker’s Husband (CM)
Grace Drinker’s husband was known throughout their home planet of Pacifica as a large, almost jovial Samoan man. He had great strength and was supportive of his wife’s work as a teacher of the planet’s religious traditions. He joked often, but the jokes were warnings masked in laughter.
When Peter Wiggin II and Si Wang-mu sought counsel with Grace Drinker, her husband mocked the alien couple, even subtly threatening them.
Grace Drinker’s Son (CM)
To Grace Drinker’s son, the world revolved around his mother. A happy young man, he liked to joke with his family, with whom he lived on the planet Pacifica. He was present when Peter Wiggin II and Si Wang-mu sought audience with Grace and her mentor, the revered prophet Malu.
He was partly responsible for making sure Pacifica’s computer networks were non-Jane compliant, but under secret directive of the sentient computer, also helped to ensure their old computers were still able to hold Jane’s consciousness if the need ever arose. He revealed this to Peter II and Wang-mulate in their visit to his world.
THE HISTORY OF HYRUM GRAFF
Hyrum Graff’s personal history has not yet been fully examined. However, in an upcoming novel by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston, many more details about the future commander of Battle School and Minister of Colonization will be revealed. Aaron Johnston explains:
“The novel (or series, should there be more than one) attempts to answer how Battle School came to be. And it does so by telling the story of young Hyrum Graff.
“About thirty years have passed since the Second Invasion, and the International Fleet claims to have posted a huge army of warships out beyond the comet shield to protect Earth from another Formic attack.
“Many on Earth resent the I.F. for this strategy, preferring instead to have the fleet’s protection much closer to home. If the people knew the truth, that there is no fleet at the comet shield, that the fleet is in fact heading toward the Formic home world to destroy it, and that Earth is even less defended than believed, there would be even greater political unrest.
“Amidst all this is sixteen-year-old Hyrum Graff, who lives on a farm in the Midwest with his parents and six siblings. Hyrum is fascinated with Formic technology and has been studying it on the nets for years, even going so far as to make modifications to the farm’s equipment and machines, using principles of Formic engineering.
“Despite his dedication to the farm, however, Hyrum always seems to be in the shadow of his older, stronger brother, Quin, on whom his father dotes.
