Humanity has achieved a dream of Musk and Bezos. It has expanded to outer space and is extremely commercial and geared for expansion; humans are used for utilitarian goals, and if your work isn’t needed just now, you are put in storage. Other systems are exploited as raw materials with little regard for any biosystems there might be, except as a source for possible advances in medicine and chemistry.
An expedition happens to a solar system where they find a large planet with a very high level of EM activity. The planet's atmosphere is very thick and hydrogen-based. The gravity is high, and the atmosphere is thick, and no light gets to the surface. It turns out that there is a lot of life that communicates with electronic signals. There should be a lot of raw materials around and perhaps some new chemistry to be utilized! A small group is tasked to evaluate if there would be any useful scientific knowledge to be gained. The plan is to land and build one, but after an accident, three people are stranded on the planet in two landers. They find that there is a lot of life. Another lander is taken apart by local animals or inhabitants, causing a big explosion when oxygen reacts with hydrogen. Another escapes with locals in close pursuit. Is there any chance for survival - perhaps if they can get to the other side of the planet where the surveying equipment is situated? But they must get there through an inhospitable planet filled with strange life, with possibly hostile beings following.
Most of the book talks about that travel and the increasing exhaustion and despair of the two survivors. They start to think their followers are sentient, but can’t be sure - perhaps they are encountering instinctive behavior, as sometimes the actions are strange. At the same time, their follower has pretty much the same thoughts: could anything that behaves so strangely be intelligent?
While escaping, the humans happen to show how flying happens, and Shroudians learn that pretty much instantly. Later, when they are rescued and the utilization of the planet truly starts, the Shroudians learn fiber optics and how they reduce EM interference, and there is practically a technological (and mental) singularity. And humans must learn how to really communicate with a new, truly intelligent and powerful being fast, or else.
The book was interesting, but perhaps my least favorite by this author so far. The middle part with the trip on the planet was far too long and not really engaging; it was mostly a description of strange things and sights, and the actual plot moved slowly. The writing was ok, but the characterization didn’t really shine; the people didn’t really feel different or real. As a whole, the book was a slight disappointment, even if it presented a really interesting life form – but the most interesting part of the story would start at the endpoint of this book.
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