Mickey7

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

Mickey7 is nervous to meet with Marshall, as Marshall has never liked any iteration of Mickey. He recalls the first time they met. Mickey went up to the Himmel Station with his fellow colonists of the Drakkar expedition before they left Midgard. 

Marshall told everyone they couldn’t have their personal items, which angered the colonists, including Mickey. Mickey questioned Marshall’s decision, making an enemy of Marshall, who condescendingly explained that weight is an issue, which is why 90% of the colonists came aboard as embryos (they are lighter than people). To Mickey, Marshall’s false bravado was obvious, and it meant that Marshall felt insecure about his role—he was ground commander, meaning his role on the expedition didn’t begin until they made landfall. 

Marshall also expressed contempt for Mickey’s role as the Expendable. Dugan, a biologist, explained that Marshall is a Natalist, a member of the religious sect that believes in the “sanctity of the unitary soul,” meaning each soul matches with one body (70). Natalists view Expendables as abominations. Dugan advised Mickey to stay alive, as Marshall would like him only in his original body.