Regis III
This imaginary planet is a symbolic domain. In some ways, the closest metaphor might be hell itself, because the types of life that exist on Regis III are horrifying and antithetical to human life. The robotic lifeforms that exist there are violent and deadly, and if it weren't for the lost crew of the Condor, the planet would be somewhere no one would ever want to go. This planet is an archetypal symbol for the chaotic underworld, a constant signal for panic and horror.
The Condor
The ship called the Condor is a symbol for the value of human life, because Rohan and Horpach argue about the worth of saving the people who might have survived from that crew, but when they go to find the humans, they only find their dead bodies. The Condor is a symbol for human life and its meaning or meaningless, depending on the point of view. The dilemma is deeply symbolic, because they must continue hoping for even one survivor after encountering each dead body.
Robotic animals
The symbolic fusion of technology and organic life is one of the major aspects of the novel's horror. The odd confusion of biology and technology is symbolic, because it underlines something true and creepy about normal animal life (that animals are somewhat robotic), but without the warmth or familiarity of normal animal life. This is a symbol for the sterility of nature, as if to suggest that nature doesn't view one type of life as essentially more valuable than another.
The question of future desolation
There is a deeply troubling question that arises when the crew of The Invincible realizes what they're up against. In fact, the name of the ship underlines the question. Are they truly invincible? If these undying biological technological lifeforms can have this much success defeating the humans, what is to say that they are not in serious jeopardy? Even if they leave, can they really forget that there was a superior kind of life to our organic bodies? The question symbolizes the likelihood of future defeat.
The alien landscapes
The book's suggest of life on other planets is a symbol, and it is beautifully explored. Just like nature on earth is an obvious source for symbolic meaning, so also Rohan, while trying to find survivors, encounters beautiful landscapes full of inorganic fauna. The robotic lifeforms that decorate the alien wastelands are an anti-natural symbol. The suggestion is that perhaps the presupposition that human life is inherently sacred or special might actually be a misunderstanding of the universe.
