Corporal Josselin Rollier the Third is an artificial soldier, a symbol of the shock branch of the army - the Alien Legion of the Earth Federation. By the will of fate, Josselin becomes a witness and participant in the dramatic events that led to the beginning of the Second Martian War. In an effort to resolve the contradictions inherent in him by his creators, the corporal proves that not only a creature born in a state maternity hospital can be called a human.