CHAPTER 39: Who Is To Be The Next Caesar?

Admiral Augesburcke turned off the tape of “Alexander of Terra, Conqueror or Friend?” and addressed the assembled CODOTS team. “Ladies and gentlemen, this broadcast aired within the Chem Empire two days before we blew their spy ship out of space. We seem to have answered their question, any thoughts?

“It was an unfortunate incident, Admiral, but hardly uncalled for,” Admiral Sampson replied.

“Maybe, but the timing couldn’t have been worse,” Doctor Koto said. “You see, Alexander single handedly built a bridge of communication between the Chem and Terra. Indeed, he’d been our representative to the galaxy, and we couldn’t have chosen a more effective one.

“He won their respect, and even their admiration. I’m not blaming the military. Their actions were logical and well justified. The question we now face is, do we give in to the prospect of total war or is there a way to rebuild this bridge of communication?”

“They’ve stopped transmissions from Pantrixnia,” Faizah Sadat pointed out. “I can’t say that Alexander is portraying the best of Terra, but I must admit it fulfills the need of the situation admirably. If his actions are calculated then he’s an astute individual, if not then we’re very lucky indeed. Either way this is an unfortunate turn of events. We need him whoever he is. However, I don’t see how he can help us anymore.”

“The Chem cut the transmissions after their formal declaration of war,” the Admiral told the assembly. “They wouldn’t let the media build their adversary into a hero.”

“But they’ve already done that to a certain extent,” Doctor Koto said. “There is, perhaps, a way we can use that.”

Augesburcke spread his arms wide in resignation. “I’m not sure how we can, Doctor. The Chem’s association with Alexander was quite specific. I don’t think they’re going to transfer his qualities to our Fleet. Just because I’m a flag officer and I’ve driven a tank doesn’t make me Rommel. That is our biggest problem, as Ms. Sadat has previously pointed out: our complete lack of legitimacy. We’ll have the ships to face the Chem, but that’s not the point. The military might of Terra is a legend, and we’ve no way to flesh it out.”

“You’ve hit upon a possible solution, though, Admiral,” Koto told him. “We must associate ourselves with the legends of the galaxy. The Chem must believe that they face the Fleet of Alexander. If their psychology is anything like ours it would be an enormous advantage.”

“Doctor I hear what you’re saying and I don’t disagree,” Admiral Augesburcke told him. “We’ll put up a good fight, but we’ve got the most inexperienced military in the history of the galaxy. We may be all right in the planetary battles, but in space? I can’t promise any military genius there.”

“Admiral, you miss my point entirely,” Koto smiled. “We don’t have to do any such thing. The Chem have already done it for us.”

“What do you mean?”

“We should use Alexander.” The room went silent, and everybody wondered whether Koto had gone mad. The Doctor stood up and paced around the table. He was excited, as if he’d just discovered the answer to all things great and small. “The Chem have already drawn the parallels between our Alexander and Alexander the Great. Look at the past life memories they’ve shown. He’s a violent and powerful man. All of his history confirms this. The Galactic legends say that one day Alexander will return and Terra will conquer the stars. It’s grown into a phobia for them. They’re wondering whether this Alexander is the incarnation of Alexander the Great, and our Alexander has done nothing to make them doubt this.

“On the contrary he has caused them great doubt and consternation, and at the same time he fascinates them. He’s become a counter culture hero to the galaxy because the establishment fears him. We need Alexander, here, and in command of the Fleet,” Doctor Koto told them, and he pounded his fist on the table. “This one man can give us legitimacy. Even if he’s a figurehead, Alexander may be able to bluff the Chem out of battle. If we offer them an honorable way out they may very well forego a battle with Alexander, and who could blame them?”

“And what would this honorable way out be?”

“For that answer we must go to the expert,” Doctor Koto said. “Alexander’s been dealing with the Chem from the beginning. Ms. Sadat is quite correct when she says Alexander is an astute individual, but she doesn’t realize how astute.”

“In what way, Doctor,” Sadat asked. “He’s the prototypical American “Rambo.” No doubt he was impossible to be around on Terra, but now he’s found his niche and he fits in it quite well.”

“You’re usually a better guesser, Ms. Sadat,” Doctor Koto told her colleague, and then he took his seat and elaborated. “Alexander Thorsson on Terra is very similar to what we’ve seen, but much more subtle and well rounded.”

“Explain,” Augesburcke asked.

“What we are seeing, ladies and gentleman, is not a new man—it’s a makeover. Alexander is Scandinavian and Scottish by birth, areas with rich warrior traditions that Alexander was very proud of. He was also highly intelligent and widely talented. He participated in professional sports and the like, but he was also a painter, a pianist, an avid reader of the classics with a thirst for Shakespeare.”

“Doesn’t sound like his cup of tea,” Augesburcke barked.

“No it doesn’t; does it? You don’t see those qualities in him now, except possibly for the Shakespeare which makes its appearance in his verbiage now and again. What does this mean? It’s actually quite simple. Alexander examined the need at hand and molded himself to meet it.

“Remember his first experience in Chem hands, the trial, where the Chem proclaimed Alexander as the representative of all Terrans. He tried to argue his way out of it, but failing that he gave the Chem exactly what they were looking for.”

“You mean he’s portraying a Terran as the Chem wish to see us, or think to see us?” Sadat looked perturbed. “That is taking a huge gamble.”

“You are not quite correct,” Koto replied, bringing up two slides showing personality traits along the bottom and columns above them. The traits were common to both charts, but the columns varied in height. “This will explain, somewhat. On the left is a personality profile of Alexander before his capture by the Chem, built by myself from interviews from friends, colleagues, family, etc. On the right is Alexander’s personality profile now. All the traits are still there. It is only magnitudes which have changed. We see the character of Alexander change from a well balanced individual to a person with very singular purpose.”

“He’s adapted to his environment,” Sadat commented. “Impressive, and necessary, I would venture to say that’s what’s kept him alive.”

“He’s done so very quickly,” Augesburcke noted. “It takes a great deal to accept so radical a change, and then adapt to it. It’s a pity he’s out of reach.”

“You still don’t quite see,” Doctor Koto explained, jumping up again and striding round the conference table. “You don’t fully appreciate Alexander’s transformation, nor understand why he was able to accomplish it. Both are extraordinarily important points if you are to understand the man, and how he may still be of use to us. You see Alexander’s adaptation didn’t come through acclimatization. It was not, as is the classic scenario, the gradual emergence of survival instincts and traits over time. His change was sudden, indeed it was almost instantaneous. Let me show you the entirety of the Chem trial from the first moment of Alexander’s appearance.” Koto showed the hologram beginning with a naked Alexander awakening in the Chem cell.

“We see the humble beginnings of Alexander’s emergence with his realization that he’s not on Terra. He retains the memories of Scythian capture and swiftly ascertains his position. The trial begins and the new Alexander quickly emerges.

He’s built upon the old Alexander, but stressing a new set of needs: strength, courage, a demand for respect. There’s more. Alexander draws upon his ancestor’s warlike nature but he tempers it with honor, a quality the Chem so obviously revere. He builds this new character very quickly, and I’m certain his intention was to portray himself, and Terra, not as we are but as we ought to be.”

“That is not exactly as I would have chosen,” Sadat said.

“Nor is it what any of us would have chosen,” Koto told her, “but Alexander had only himself and a few precious seconds to work with. In this new world, with no rules of society or law, he recreated himself as he would like to be seen. He is warlike, but driven by honor and justice. Think of what he portrays: Terrans as supremely powerful enemies if crossed, but trusted friends if respected and left alone. Alexander’s purpose is completely transparent. He’s calculated his position, and the Chem intentions, and is doing everything in his power to convince them that Terra is not worth going to war with.”

“At what price though,” Sadat mentioned. “It seems that Alexander has compromised himself. He can’t beg for a reprieve without destroying the image he’s created. His only possible release from his death sentence is just that: death.”

Koto’s expression turned serious. “It’s obvious that Alexander considers himself expendable.”

Augesburcke nodded, and said, “He’s a military man, Ms. Sadat, and this is a one way mission—no return. He knows that it’s not just his life that’s at stake it’s Terra. It’s a fair trade.”

“Until we shot the Terran scout ship out of space he may well have been close to accomplishing his goal,” Doctor Koto said, and then he sat down. “However, despite the obvious fact that Alexander was willing to trade himself for Terra there are certain indications of a subplot. Alexander has had some contact with Nazeera of the Triumvirate, a person of some importance on Chem.”

“She’s leading the Chem Armada,” Admiral Augesburcke told them. “We’ve built quite a profile on her through Scythian information and on the galactic ethernet. The Galactics don’t take many pains at secrecy, and they’re as ravenous about information as we are. Nazeera is certain to succeed as Chem’s Elder. Without going into all the details I would hazard to say we have a very potent adversary.”

“Yes, and Alexander has gone out of his way to mention her by name,” Doctor Koto told them. “Nazeera, on the other hand, made the primary interrogation of Alexander at his trial and is the author of his exile to Pantrixnia. She was also, as stated by the automaton on Pantrixnia, the one who tried to get Alexander eaten by the Tyrannosaurus.

“However, her latest involvement was a personal message, delivered directly to Alexander by the automaton praising his bravery and wishing him success. It’s not entirely consistent with the Nazeera we’ve seen previously. There is a mystery there. Then there’s Bureel, with whom Alexander has an open challenge of honor. That may be his attempt to get off Pantrixnia.”

“Possibly, but there’s another consideration,” Sampson offered. “We found out this morning what now turns out to be an interesting point. We’ve been trying to identify all the players in this soap opera. Well, here’s one. Bureel is, as we knew, a relatively minor member of the Assemblage. What we didn’t know was how he got the position. He entered into a marriage arranged by his father who was owed a debt by the father of a current member of the Chem Triumvirate.”

“Let me guess, our very own Nazeera,” Augesburcke whistled.

“You bet. We got it from the Golkos, who are not big fans of the Chem and only too willing to cause them scandal or embarrassment,” Sampson noted.

“This does paint an interesting picture,” Sadat mused with a smile. “Did Alexander and Nazeera get to know each other somewhat better than we imagined?”

“You’re late, Ms. Sadat,” Sampson smiled, “the Golkos have already played up that line. Their conjecture is that Alexander is truly Alexander the Great’s namesake. He will kill Bureel in a duel and marry Nazeera, joining the Terrans and the Chem as one. Then he will launch a galactic war of conquest.”

“I like everything but that last part,” Sadat said.

“Well, it doesn’t matter a wit,” Augesburcke said gruffly. “Whatever personal schemes Alexander and Nazeera may have had are all a bunch of garbage now. We saw to it when we blasted the Chem ship out of space. If there was an understanding between them, which I hope to hell there wasn’t, things are worse now. Alexander always maintained we were ignorant and planet bound.

“We’ve made a liar out of him, and I hate to sound sexist, but Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, or lied to. Nazeera’s either out to remove a threat to her people’s existence, or out for revenge, or both. From what we know, she’s not a character you want to have hating you. Suggestions?”

“There’s only one person we should be asking, and I would say we ask him,” Koto said.

“I thought you would say something like that, Doctor,” Augesburcke sighed. “Very well, I don’t disagree, but how do we get him?”

Koto smiled, and said, “For an Overlord go to a man with delusions of grandeur; for a kidnapping go to the Scythians—they’ve been abducting Terrans for ten thousand years.”