Light and Warmth
There is an imagery of light and warmth created by the description of the air recyclers barely running, the full-spectrum LEDs glowing white-gold, and the description of sunlight running in lines above in a bright blue ceiling sky. This imagery creates a feeling of comfort and security for Mei, who is the protagonist in this passage. She is surrounded by lush, wide hallways full of plants, and the light and warmth of the environment make her feel safe. The imagery also reflects her relationship with her father, as she gets joy out of getting the names of the plants right for him, which makes him smile. This imagery of light and warmth suggests that Mei feels secure and loved in her environment and her relationship with her father.
Ganymede
Ganymede's landscape is described as "mostly silicate rock and water ice a few degrees warmer than space," with an atmosphere "so thin it could pass as an industrial vacuum." It is also noted that Ganymede does not change much without a catastrophic event and that the footprints from the day before will outlive the person walking them. The imagery of this passage creates a feeling of desolation and isolation as if Ganymede is a dead and forgotten planet. This imagery emphasizes the idea that Ganymede is a place of hardship and danger, a place where the Marines are sent to fight and protect, and a place where death is a real possibility. The imagery also conveys a sense of loneliness and insignificance, as if the Marines are small and insignificant compared to the vastness of the planet they are fighting on. It is a stark contrast to the Martian landscape described earlier, which is full of life and movement. This imagery serves to reinforce the idea that the Marines are fighting a battle in a place where they are not welcome, and where the odds of survival are slim.
Sensory Overload
One imagery used to help set the scene is that of Bobbie being overwhelmed by the sensory overload of the UN complex. The author uses vivid descriptions of smell, sound, and sight to illustrate this. The smell of plants, soil, oil, and hot metal from a fabrication lab is blended with ozone from electric motors, creating a complex and almost overwhelming atmosphere. Additionally, the author mentions the sound of people talking, construction machinery, and electric cars, which all blend to create a cacophony of noise. Finally, the author mentions the impossibly blue sky that stretches on forever, which contrasts the grey walls of the UN complex and further emphasizes the sense of agoraphobia Bobbie is feeling.
Heat Trap
The imagery of a heat trap is used to represent the gruesome reality of the current situation. The heat trap is described as having "a few dabs of generated pheromones on a heat-resistant fiber swatch under the big long-wave full-spectrum lighting units." This imagery is used to illustrate the captors' use of a cauterizing drill on the injured Pinkwater man to seal his wounds, invoking a sense of dread and helplessness. The heat trap highlights the captors' inhumane actions, as the heat of the trap is used to kill the moths, similar to how the captors are using the drill to "seal" the injured man's wounds. The imagery also conveys the sense of inevitability and hopelessness of their situation, as the moths were also unable to escape the heat trap and are ultimately doomed, similarly to the captives.
