Children of Time

Portia is the name given to one particular line of spiders on the Green Planet. All the iterations of Portia play important roles in the progression of the spiders’ evolution and in their scientific discoveries. Tchaikovsky’s development of the Portia characters is representative of the development of the entire spider species. Her first iteration begins as a simple hunter driven by instinct rather than conscious thought, but it is clear that she has the potential and perspective to become much more. The second iteration is also a hunter, but she is a leader and an explorer as well. A later Portia becomes a scientist who supports the more divergent minds that cure the plague. Another version becomes a priestess who is so dedicated to the religion of her species that she nearly destroys the peace between the spider cities. Yet another iteration is an intrepid explorer who is willing to risk everything to travel to the stars. The last two iterations of Portia deliver the chemical to transform humanity into allies, just as her ancestor once risked everything to save her species from the ants. The final version of Portia works alongside Holsten’s descendent to travel into space and find other species. In all of her iterations, Portia is the most straightforward of the spiders, and in every generation, she works to ensure the survival and success of her species.

Avrana Kern acts as an antagonist to the humans and a god to the spiders, and she is also the last representative of a dead civilization. Initially, she appears in fully human form as an accomplished scientist who has enjoyed such massive success that she is given the responsibility of overseeing the experiment that will permanently change the universe. She is clearly brilliant and is willing to do whatever is necessary to preserve the science that she holds in such high regard. She sees herself as an ultimate creator, more divine than any mythical god. As the narrative states, “On the shoulders of others, she had said, but she had not stopped to think about those beneath her in that pyramid of achievement” (16-17). Kern’s hubris causes her to envision herself as superior to other humans, and as her consciousness continues to exist in a warped form across time, she sees herself as a divine being in relation to her creation. She becomes her own AI over the course of the novel, losing her literal humanity and arguably coming to represent the worst of humanity in the process—its fearfulness, its hubris, and its drive to rule. For centuries, her megalomania prevents her from acknowledging the truth about the outcome of her experiment. She refuses to see that the subjects on the planet’s surface are spiders, not monkeys, and she keeps pushing them to create structures and technology that are at odds with their perspective and physiology.

Kern is very nearly the least empathetic character in the novel, second only to Vrie Guyen. However, she is eventually able to see the spiders for what they are and honors them—perhaps even more than the monkeys she believed herself to be overseeing. That one significant shift, prompted largely by Bianca’s decision to send pictures of the spider civilization, changes Kern’s entire relationship with the spiders. Instead of insisting on being their god, she becomes a mother figure. As a mother, she finds that her authority wanes over time, and she becomes more of an advisor. Although she is still held in high regard, she is no longer in charge of the decisions that the spiders make.

Bianca is the second generational line of spiders. Her development is more varied than Portia’s, but she represents the ability of the spiders to break away from instinct and tradition in order to discover a wider view of the world. She begins as essentially Portia’s muscle and wins the spiders’ first physical battle, which is necessary to obtain information. Her other iterations include a genius scientist who loses social standing for her controversial beliefs, which lead to the discovery of the nanovirus. She challenges the status quo religion and helps Fabian to transform Seven Trees into the hub of the spider civilization. Her next iteration is the inventor whose willingness to doubt Kern’s divinity results in Kern’s acceptance of the spiders’ form and nature. Finally, she is the general who develops the plan to use the nanovirus to convert the humans into allies, ultimately creating a new alliance that strengthens both species.

Fabian is the recurring figure of the male spider who demonstrates the potential of all the males in the spider society. He begins as a Seven Trees ambassador, sharing his Understanding with Portia and Bianca to help them establish the knowledge that leads to victory over the ants. His iterations slowly challenge the status quo, demonstrating their value to the powerful females in the civilization. He endears himself to Portia, and his intelligence and sense of justice develops over generations. One particularly influential Fabian saves Seven Trees from Great Nest’s inflexible rules on religion and wins an element of equality for male spiders throughout the society. His later iteration saves Portia via self-sacrifice, leading to major discoveries and advancements for space travel. The last Fabian acts as Kern’s caretaker and as an ambassador to the other spiders.

Isa Lain is the chief engineer on The Gilgamesh. Holsten sees her face as “hard, lined, with a bony chin and cheekbones, and her hair the same close crop of stubble as his own” (36). She is a secondary character who nonetheless drives a significant portion of the conflict in the human chapters of the novel. She and Holsten have an ongoing romantic relationship that quietly underscores the other elements of the plot. She is a brilliant engineer and has the ability to solve problems and maintain an objective and a lasting commitment to the survival of the human race. Lain is a foil to the power-hungry Guyen. When she becomes the ship’s leader, she acts in sharp contrast to Guyen by making sure that the next generation is educated and the ship is maintained. She acts as the mother figure to the humans and represents the measured and careful planning that humans can execute under extreme stress.

Vrie Guyen is the commander of The Gilgamesh. He acts as an antagonist to Kern, and later to Lain and the rest of the Key Crew. Lain explains to Holsten that Guyen is the commander because he “scored so high on […] long-term planning” and is “one of those people who’s always four moves ahead” (192-193). However, although Guyen makes shrewd plans, he only includes others in his plans when he determines that he can gain some benefit from their involvement. He is implicitly and thematically tied to Kern in both his characterization and his actions. Like Kern, he sees himself as a god-like figure and becomes prone to “messianic” (263) speech and intense hubris. This dangerous tendency leads him to pursue a course of action that would allow him to exalt himself and achieve an AI-based form of immortality at the expense of the human race. His desire to become immortal overshadows what ought to be his primary objective, and as a result he almost integrates his consciousness with the ship, allowing the rest of humanity to pass into obsolescence. Thus, although both Lain and Guyen lead The Gilgamesh, Lain acts as a mother and a caretaker and creates rules for long-term survival, while Guyen acts as a god or a false prophet, encouraging his followers to regard him as a figure of worship. Guyen ultimately, becomes a villain who is willing to do anything to preserve himself at the expense of others.