“Life is not perfect, individuals will always be flawed, but empathy – the sheer inability to see those around them as anything other than people too – conquers all, in the end.”
The conflicts in the narrative are majorly contributed by evolution, religion, power, sexism, and the human condition. As such, the reader observes the decline of human civilization with their internal conflicts, thirst for power, and inability to see eye to eye. Similarly, the spiders in Kern’s world descent into warfare with other insects as they seek to have the ultimate control. Moreover, there is gender inequality in this world where one group fights to receive the same treatment akin to their counterparts. All this is attributed to the fact that one group views the other as inferior or a threat that must be eliminated. Also, a clear line of communication between the humans and the spider fails to take place due to a lack of understanding. When first contact happens, spiders use a nanovirus to infect the humans, which allows for a higher understanding among the species. Through their combined efforts, both species embark on a mission that aims to create harmony and advance their knowledge as a collective.
“This is the future. This is where mankind takes its next great step. This is where we become gods.”
Human beings viewing themselves as the center of the universe is to some extent the main motif of the narrative. The idea of terraforming the green planet for humans to maintain their civilization is an extension of imperialism in space. The statement illustrates the sentiment of the first expedition that was later adopted by Gilgamesh and the moon colonist mutineers. Amusingly, some including Bianca believe the data conveyed by Doctor Kern is a divine message from a godlike entity. Though true to some degree, the religious zealotry in Kern’s world is far-fetched and permits the quotation to become a reality. But then, the problem of conquering new territories seems not to be a human condition since it cuts across species. As a society grows and develops through generations, certain ideologies are debunked while others crop up. This puts them on the same path that humanity took as the spiders seek to control and gain more knowledge.
“That is the problem with ignorance. You can never truly know the extent of what you are ignorant about.”
The events of the narrative take place in the course of thousands of years as different species and civilizations evolve. The story introduces the human civilization that has reached its peak and needs a new planet but a new civilization arises as a result of this endeavor. Not only does the nanovirus sent by human uplifts a species of arachnids but also allows for societal development to occur. In Kern’s world, the spiders have developed a new form of communication that is far more complex than the human language. While humans are regressing—contributed by cryogenic sleep—the arachnids continue to evolve surpassing the humans. Conflict arises between the spiders and ants since they have different intellectual capitals and seek to conquer each other. Furthermore, the religious fanaticism among the spiders leads to a clash between the believers and non-believers. This social development demonstrates the evolution of philosophies as the species acquire new knowledge and understanding through generations.
