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If you are looking for the genetic clone, see Peter Wiggin II.


Peter Arkady Wiggin, also known by his pseudonym of Locke, was the brother of Andrew and Valentine Wiggin,[1] as well as the last Hegemon of Earth.[2] He was first introduced in Ender's Game.

History

SPOILER WARNING: plot details follow.

Early Life

Born in 15 BX, Peter Wiggin was the oldest child of John Paul and Theresa Wiggin. Named for two of John Paul's brothers, Peter (Piotr) and Arkady (Arek), he was a proud and often violent child.[3] At a young age, Peter was given a monitor device from the International Fleet. He did not qualify for Battle School, however, because of his violent nature and his inability to be likeable - a necessity for a good leader. His monitor was removed shortly before he turned five years old.[1]

Formics and Astronauts-0

Peter showing Ender a mask of a Formic's face, prompting him to play Buggers and Astronauts.

When his younger brother Ender received a monitor, Peter was jealous and took to torturing his youngest sibling with physical and emotional abuse, often threatening to kill him. Peter would sometimes force Ender to play Buggers and Astronauts, a game usually resulting in Ender being beaten up.[1]

Thought by his siblings to be a monster at heart, Peter actually loved his family deep down. One night, after physically abusing Ender, Peter came into his room and told Ender he loved him, though it was in private when Peter thought his brother was asleep.[1]

Two years after Ender had left to Battle School, when the Wiggins moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, Peter took to torturing and killing animals in the nearby forest. The sounds the lizards and squirrels made during the torture bothered Peter, but he couldn't stop. The rush of this great life-and-death control was too strong to be ignored.[1]

He was still jealous of Ender's being chosen to go to Battle School and was envious of their mother's attention. He stole from Ender's Christmas stocking, but was caught by his mother. She showed Peter that she loved him, but also loved Ender. The conflict had a profound effect on Peter. His jealousy of Ender did not fade, but his eyes were opened to emotions other than hate and jealousy.[4]

Locke and Demosthenes

After following the movements of Russian soldiers for some time, Peter realized that the world was preparing for an international conflict after the Formic Wars came to their end. A clever strategist and talented writer, he came up with a plan to participate in the growing conflict on Earth. Peter convinced his younger sister Valentine to create pseudonyms that would allow them both to write political commentary on the Nets, using their father's Citizen Access. The two siblings would argue political positions between each other to stir up opinions among the populace. They used several different names at first, refining their skills, but once they were perfected, took unchanging screen names. Peter was "Locke", a political analyst who attempted to stay neutral and take no sides in international discussions, and was later hired to write weekly columns often arguing against Valentine's "Demosthenes." The writings proved to be incredibly popular and all the while Peter kept his true identity - now a thirteen-year-old-boy - hidden from the world. The partnership with Valentine had a tempering effect on Peter. He no longer was the aggressive killer he'd once been.[1]

By the time Peter was fourteen, the International Fleet had figured out the true identities of Locke and Demosthenes. However, they did not censor the young columnists' work. Peter still enjoyed writing as Locke, even when Valentine nearly exposed their identities in school.[1]

After the Third Invasion and the presumed xenocide of the Formics, Peter was able to put an end to the League War that plagued humanity in the immediate aftermath of Ender's victory. The agreement, called the Locke Proposal, made it so that Ender was unable to return to Earth. Ostensibly to protect Ender, exiling the war hero would also protect Peter from being in his brother's shadow. Soon afterwards, the Hegemon resigned.[1]

Locke Alone

Valentine left Earth to go to Eros, where Ender was, and they would both become colonists on a former Formic planet.[5] They were gone, and Peter felt alone. He'd entered the local college in Greensboro, at a younger-than-normal age. He had a difficult time associating with his fellow students who did not know of his political machinations that had changed the world.[4]

The beginning of his exposure as Locke was when Peter received a message from Bean, revealing the location of Ender's Jeesh who had been kidnapped by rogue Russian soldiers under the command of Achilles de Flandres. As Locke, Peter exposed Russia's unintentional involvement in kidnapping war heros. The Russian military mounted a secret rescue mission, freeing all the prisoners except for Petra Arkanian, who remained in Achilles' clutches.[6]

Having successfully helped release ten of Achilles' captives, Peter tried to arrange a meeting with Bean and Sister Carlotta. They came to see him at his university, and in the first visit, Peter and Bean sniped at each other like children. Peter saw Bean as a sort of replacement for Ender while Bean saw Peter as another Achilles. They didn't like each other, but knew that if they were to accomplish their goals, they had to rely on each other.[7]

After enduring an annoying family dinner that included Bean and Carlotta, Peter joined his guests in a meeting where they spoke privately about him joining them in their hiding. They also determined that he should reveal his identity as Locke to the world, and crafted an intricate plan to accomplish this.[7]

Thanks to contacts in the Vatican, and to Hyrum Graff's help in the government, Locke would be considered the public's choice for Hegemon. Peter would say he was Locke, and as a teenager was too young to be considered for the office. He knew that this would raise his chances for taking the office later.[7]

He told his parents the night before that he was Locke. They had known for years, but had kept their knowledge a secret to allow Peter and Valentine to function in their roles unimpeded. His mother told him that she was as proud of what he'd accomplished as she'd ever been of Ender. The words were what Peter had longed to hear his whole life, and affected him deeply.[7]

He revealed his identity and supported Carlotta and Bean as they went to Thailand to hide from Achilles. When an assassination attempt was made on Bean, Peter used his influence in the Thai government to reassure them that Bean was loyal to Thailand and would do all that he could to protect the nation from Achilles' aggressive movement into Asia using the Indian and Pakistani militaries.[7]

With the uprising in Asia, now a year after Peter's revelation, many political observers were calling for Peter Wiggin to seek the office of Hegemon. While some doubted his ability due to his young age, many others recognized his brilliance and supported his candidacy. Peter was noticeably silent on the matter, simply watching and waiting as the events in Asia and elsewhere unfolded. But he was calculating his run for office and preparing to lead the world.[7]

Sister Carlotta sent Peter and Graff a message to forward to Bean if they didn't hear from her after a set period of time. When they learned that the plane that she was on had been shot down by Achilles' people, Peter dutifully forwarded the message.[7]

Bean determined that Achilles' goal was not to control India, but Achilles had aligned himself with China and was spreading the Indian and Pakistani armies too thin, which would allow China to take over Asia with ease. Peter, though taking a long time to do so, posted this plan on his Locke forum, exposing Achilles and his plot to the world.[7]

Peter was elected Hegemon following the crisis. Though his power was limited since much of Asia and Europe did not acknowledge his authority, he nonetheless had risen to be the figurehead of the world government.[7]

Peter as Hegemon

Peter sent a message to Valentine as she traveled to the colony world of Shakespeare, updating her on his rise to power. He also sought her advice, having grown to miss her thoughts and comments on his courses of action. The message caused a brief problem on the colony ship because it interfered with regular communications. Peter agreed not to send so large a message again in the future.[5]

He moved the home of the Hegemony to Brazil and reinstalled Chamrajnagar and Hyrum Graff in their positions as Polemarch and Minister of Colonization respectively. He made Bean, with whom he still had a tenuous relationship, Strategos, and promised protection for all Battle School graduates and their families. He gave his parents jobs in the Hegemony and sought to govern the portions of the world where he had authority fairly.[7]

A few months later, Peter made the questionable decision of rescuing Achilles from a Chinese prison. The move had potentially disastrous political consequences and drove Petra Arkanian, Bean, and their families into hiding. Peter was confident it was a smart move, though, and soon Achilles was in Brazil living in the Hegemony compound, working with the Hegemony's army.[7]

Peter had brought Achilles to the compound to study him. He hoped to learn from Achilles' correspondence with his allies in Russia, China, and the rest of Asia. He promoted Achilles to the newly created position of "Assistant to the Hegemon" and spent a lot of time working closely with him.[7]

Upon feeling that there was nothing left to learn from Achilles, Peter began the process of plotting Achilles' destruction. He was shocked to find that his mother, Theresa, was trying to break into Achilles' quarters. His initial reaction was that Theresa was betraying Peter, but after conferring with John Paul he realized she was going to assassinate Achilles.[7]

John Paul told Peter in that conversation that he loved him, but Peter couldn't bring himself to believe it. John Paul left peter to figure out what was really going on with Theresa and Achilles on his own.[7]

Peter believed that everything was under control and did not heed the warnings about Achilles actually being the one in control. His parents tried to protect Peter by claiming that Achilles was going to kill him, but that plan failed. Peter grew increasingly irritated with his parents.[7]

When Theresa and John Paul learned that Achilles had set up his own rescue and that he was playing with Peter, they convinced their son to leave the Hegemony compound and find a safe location from where he could conduct his business. Peter was humiliated that he hadn't seen Achilles' power grabs and manipulations, but agreed to flee with his parents.[7]

Though being discredited as an embezzler by Achilles, Peter held a press conference in the United States that reasserted his authority and position as the true Hegemon. Achilles had tried to play off Suriyawong as Acting Hegemon, but after the success of Peter's press conference, few aligned themselves with Achilles' vision.[7]

Hyrum Graff invited the Hegemon and his parents to stay in secret at the Ministry of Colonization, which was housed in the former Battle School, in orbit around Earth. With the pseudonym Dick Raymond, Peter walked the halls where Ender had made a name for himself years before. There was no sentimentality for Peter, who continued to write as Locke and to sway public opinion against China.[7]

The Wiggins learned that they were not safe for long at the Ministry as someone had secretly leaked their location to Achilles sympathizers on Earth. Peter created a plan with Graff that would get the Wiggins back to Earth safely and expose the mole on the station.[7]

It was all a lie, however. The Wiggins did not return to Earth, but rather pretended to in order to expose the mole. They discovered that Uphanad, the Ministry's security head, was leaking the information to Achilles. Achilles had blackmailed Uphanad by threatening his family on Earth. Peter, as Hegemon, showed compassion to the officer by not having him arrested for treason.[7]

With the mole exposed, Peter and Graff made new plans to return the Wiggins to Earth. The plan used a decoy shuttle that Achilles shot down, hoping to kill Peter. This attack led to an authorized International Fleet attack on Achilles, led by Peter and Bean. The two men stormed the Hegemony compound, accompanied by several bodyguards. Bean shot and killed Achilles, and Peter resumed his role as Hegemon.[7]

A few weeks later, Peter traveled to Damascus to meet with the Muslim Caliph, Alai. He hoped to find an ally for the Hegemony in the Muslim world, but was unsure if it was realistic. He took Petra with him, posing as bickering lovers. It was an easy role for Petra to play since she hated Peter for putting her husband Bean's life in jeopardy for his own gain. Furthermore, she resented that he would ask her to come, taking away valuable time she had with Bean, who was slowly dying from the genetic manipulation with which he'd been cursed.[8]

In their meeting with Alai, Peter and Petra told the Islamic leader that his people were murdering innocents in India and that he had little real authority. Alai believed them and undertook measures to reassert his true influence over the Muslim world politically and spiritually. He did not promise to be an ally of the Hegemon, but was appreciative that his disloyal followers were exposed. He assured Peter it would not be forgotten.[8]

Matters grew more complicated, however, when Virlomi in India caused an insurgency there that threatened to bring about a war with both the Muslim world and China. Peter turned to Bean and Petra for counsel, and they helped him develop a strategy to bring about peace once the impending war began. He would swoop in when the war seemed to be the last thing anyone wanted, with offers of peace and unity in a worldwide government.[8]

He returned to writing essays on the nets, now as "Lincoln", criticizing his own policy, along with essays of a foil named "Martel", which were written by Petra under his direction. He realized that he needed to get as many Battle School graduates, who were now weapons in a virtual worldwide arms race, off the planet. He traveled around the world to offer a new life in the colony planets to all of Ender's colleagues, but his offer was always rejected.[8]

Free People of Earth

Undeterred, Peter drafted a constitution that would unite the world in a peaceful society. He invited many Battle School graduates to ratify the document and bring their nations into the ever-growing Hegemony. He was successful in gaining the support of smaller countries such as Rwanda. The leader of the African nation insisted that in exchange for ratifying the document and joining Peter's government, Rwanda would receive Bean as leader of its armies. Peter consented, and Bean was sent.[8]

Bean discovered that Peter had been embezzling Ender's military pension to fund the Hegemony. Thinking this was a grave injustice, Bean had Ender's money transferred to a computer program from Battle School. Peter responded by cutting off the funding for Bean and Petra's worldwide search for their stolen embryos. Bean, prepared for that, had already found other funding.[8]

Regardless, Bean and Petra agreed to go to Rwanda. With Bean leading the army there, Peter was able to gain a lot of worldwide support for his constitution. Many more nations ratified it, and the Hegemony was reformed into the Free People of Earth. Peter promised to resign from his position as Hegemon, with no successor, once the wars on Earth ended.[8]

He had used the wars in Asia to ignite the world's population fear of war. This fear led to many countries joining the Free People of Earth. Bean and his armies defended member states of the Free People when they were attacked by outside nations. Their swift victories led to more nations to join.[8]

Peter had succeeded in unifying the world, to a point. He had a long way to go before all the world would unite, as most of Asia was still divided among the Chinese, the Muslim Caliphate, and India. But he was on the correct path to victory.[8]

To advance his world government, Peter traveled to a neutral site where he met with Virlomi, the self-appointed goddess of India, to negotiate India's entrance into the Free People of Earth. Virlomi refused to join his government, as she had designs of her own She tried to convince Peter to marry her, which Peter also refused.[8]

Peter called for his military to intervene when China, India, and Russia went to war with each other. China joined the FPE, adding to the government's ever-growing influence around the world. He relied on several Battle School graduates, such as Vlad and of course Bean and Petra, to help him in the wars. But during a conversation with Mazer Rackham, the hero of the Second Formic War of a century earlier, Peter realized that it was time to send Bean and three of his children into space where they could wait for a cure for their life-threatening disease.[8]

Mazer and Peter facilitated Bean's divorce from Petra, which was a crushing blow to her. He also helped fake Bean's death during a military strike in Iran.[8]

With the help of Vlad, and the eventual joining of Virlomi's India and Alai's Muslim world, the FPE had become a massive organization, and his role as Hegemon had real power. He spent much of his time helping raise Bean and Petra's children. Petra had refused to leave her responsibilities in the battlefield, and so Peter watched out for her children.[8]

More than a year later when Petra finally returned to Brazil, the military objectives of the FPE finally having been accomplished, Peter professed his love for her and her children. Though Petra still loved Bean, she eventually married Peter and together they raised a family of her five children and five more she had with Peter.[8]

The Free People of Earth continually grew in influence and size. Soon, every nation in the world save the United States had joined the government. Many biographers wrote Peter's story, but it wasn't until Peter read The Hive Queen that he found the "right" biographer.[8]

Peter sent a message via Ansible to Valentine, now comfortably living on Shakespeare, complimenting her on her recent compiled history of the Formic Wars. As a postscript, he mentioned to her that he knew who had written The Hive Queen - their younger brother Ender, saying that if he could speak for the Formics, then he could speak for him. This allowed Peter, now an old man with many grandchildren, to reconcile with Ender. The two brothers, decades apart in age, were able to put past childhood differences mostly behind them. Ender wrote the biography of his brother, The Hegemon, and it was published shortly after Peter's death.[5]

Personality

Trivia

  • Known E-Mail addresses:
    • Locke%espinoza@polnet.gov
    • PeterWiggin@hegemony.gov/hegemon
  • Peter is portrayed by Jimmy Jax Pinchak in Ender's Game (Film).

Quotes

"Guaraná? It's my duty as an American to never drink Coke or Pepsi in a country that has an indigenous soft drink. Besides which, I like it."
Shadow of the Giant, page 121
"If he can speak for the buggers, surely he can speak for me."
Ender's Game, page 323

References

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