The beginning of Kern’s dream
It was all stage-setting, though, to make way for Kern and her dream. We are - I am - what all this works for.
The novel introduces Dr. Avrana Kern, who is overseeing the project of sending apes on unpopulated planets to create human life. It is clear that she stepped over the brink of being a committed scientist, and started to see herself as a God among humans. It is an ironic introduction that also foreshadows her future situation, trapped in a satellite above the green planet.
The irony of the evolution of humans vs. the evolution of spiders
There is a parallel between the evolution of humans on Gilgamesh and the evolution of spiders on the green planet. Humans aboard the Gligamesh are remnants of a dying planet, but also equipped with vast knowledge and technology of the Old Empire. On the other hand, spiders on the green planet are only starting to develop and move forward in their evolution. As the novel progresses, the humanity is slowly crumbling down, turning back in their evolution, while the spiders are moving forward and slowly shedding their old and primitive ways.
Human destructive nature
It is difficult to cheer for the remnants of humanity as they are approaching the green planet dominated by the intelligent spiders. They have no other choice but to settle down on the planet, but their destructive nature - the same nature that left their old planet riddled with death and disease, pushes them to attack the planet and eradicate life on it to make it a clean slate, instead of trying to compromise and search for mutual existence.
The irony of the end
At the end, the humanity doesn’t win in the sense that the expected they would. Showing that even when their existence is threatened they aren’t ready for compromise and peace, but destruction of everything to make place for themselves, they proved that there is an inherent flaw in the nature of humans. The final solution that the spiders provided is the solution of the complete change of DNA - they inject them with a substance that changes them to be empathetic and understanding of the spider species, to see them as their own kin, instead of a threat.
