Rewilding

[SPOILERS]

1. The primary *country* in Rewilding (a version of the USA) is a dystopian corporate state. The remnants of the old judicial and legislative systems exist, but they are dominated by the oligarchic company that is the SBI. Valdez does not start his journey within the SBI, but desperately wants to join their ranks. He's unable to do so at first because Henry Roth, a man with political influence within the devolved legislature, is willing to raise a fuss regarding any further fusion of the courts and the SBI (despite how closely they already collaborate). Now, Director Bellerophon could absolutely overrule Henry Roth and appoint Valdez at the start of the novel, but a consistent theme with Bell is his desire to handle things quietly and methodically. Bell won't appoint Valdez from the judiciary into the SBI's hierarchy because Roth would complain, and Bell understands how fragile the SBI's position actually is given their geopolitical circumstances as well as domestic unrest. 

Now, because the company and country are de facto one and the same (though not de jure) the company goes to war against the Synarchistas. 

There's also the matter of the client banks, who provide financial assistance to the devolved legislature and SBI alike, though I didn't heavily flesh them out as a concept. Reflecting back now, I see the client banks as just another apparatus of the SBI.

2. Gerald and Emma's true role is as inconsistent as the SBI itself. On paper they would be vocal ambassadors speaking to the human population about how they've *reformed* and how noble the SBI's mission is... with the caveat being that they can live comfortably outside a preserve as long as they play their parts. However, their position veers into being personal confidants / entertaining pets of the Stavrogin clan.

3. The SBI's entire mission is built on lies, and their attempt at recovering nature is deeply flawed. The subjects they alter cannot even naturally reproduce, and the SBI is unable to overwrite the human mind. (Henry Roth is a special case because he was in a vegetative state when animal instincts were introduced through his metamorphosis). The SBI, once groundbreaking with its technology, has surrendered to stagnation. Lumbering ahead, they don't care about the obvious flaws in their plans or vision.

Stagnation is a recurring motif.

Rewilding covers many themes, but one specific to the SBI / Valdez plotline is the conflict between  plan and (animal) impulse. Bathin acts on impulse. General Vercingetorix acts on impulse. Most of the Stavrogin clan focus on their own vices versus actually administering their behemoth of a company. Valdez, after seeing his plan unravel with revelations about Bell's true nature, starts deviating from his plan and acting impulsively (see Elise) and truly surrendering to his vices. This is part of his temporary downfall, but ultimately allows for his moment of success... 

Now why is that the case? Because for as much as Bell schemes, Bell rarely takes action. He's as stagnant as the SBI itself, which is what allows Valdez to seize power in one final, violent action.

With Rewilding, I wanted to attempt a different take on the "big, bad megacorporation" trope that's prevalent in sci-fi, my take specifically being that the SBI is surprisingly incompetent.