Capitalism, in fiction and in real life, depends on expendable (that is, cheap) labor. Slaves, serfs, indentured servants, children, undocumented migrants, gig workers, (now science fiction and real life start to blur) robots, assembly-line automation, “AI.” Mickey 17 extends logically next to clones, which are worked literally to death and then simply reprinted in fresh bodies for their next job. Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) signs on to a colony ship
