> Self-reproducing machines are capable of covering the surface of the planet, yes. There's one right now (covid). But there's lots of energy and oxygen up here and they rarely displace other such machines (species) or even displace much of any earth and water. And because they're self-contained and self-reproducing, [...]

Your analogy is weak and also false: viruses can't self-reproduce, but need to bind to a host's protein synthesis pathways.