| Ekkedme | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Real Name | Ekkedme |
| Gender | Male |
| Class | Alien |
| Alien Species | Embe |
| Alien Traits | Chitin exoskeleton, regeneration, leaping ability |
| Social Information | |
| Citizenship | Network affiliation, deceased |
| Occupation | Researcher |
| Base of Operations | Orbital satellite |
| Affiliations | Network |
| Allies | Jube the Walrus |
| Origin | |
| First Appearance | Aces High |
| Final Appearance | Aces High |
| Creator | Walter Jon Williams |
Ekkedme is a fictional character in the Wild Cards series of books. He is an extraterrestrial alien who has a brief appearance in the second novel of the series, Aces High.
History[]
Ekkedme was a Network employee when the Network performed a routine observation of Earth in 1952. This was the point where they discovered that the planet had been used as a testing ground for the wild card virus, therefore making it interesting enough to warrant leaving behind two observers to monitor the developmental progress of the human population. Ekkedme landed the assignment as one half of the Network's observation team, manning a satellite in high orbit above the planet while Jube the Walrus interacted directly with the populace in New York City far below.
In 1985 the Swarm reached Earth and encountered Ekkedme's station. Ekkedme had little time to react and attempted to reach the surface by using a singularity shifter to teleport himself, but had been mortally wounded before he could complete the transit. He died in a New York alley, trying and failing to prevent the device from falling into the wrong hands.
Alien Traits[]
Ekkedme's powerful back legs could be used to leap great distances on his homeworld, although Earth's higher gravity is such that he was severely hampered in this ability. He also possessed conscious self-regeneration that could enable him to regenerate damaged tissue by an act of concentration.
Appearance[]
Ekkedme had an insect-like body with long back legs reminiscent of a grasshopper's legs. The nymph's body was a chitinous exoskeleton covered in white fur.
Personality[]
Much like the rest of his species, Ekkedme was well adjusted to living in complete solitude. He maintained his orbital observation post for decades with only occasional communications with Jube on the planet's surface for social contact.
Trivia[]
Selected Reading[]
- Wild Cards Volume II: Aces High
- "Unto the Sixth Generation"
- "Jube"