I Am The Swarm

The Raiders were ultimately just low-tier cannon fodder. After catching the Riken soldiers off guard initially, the weaknesses of a single-unit assault force became increasingly apparent.

The gunships in the sky soon locked onto the tunnels from which the Raiders were emerging. Concentrated fire rained down, scorching the ground with thick red energy beams, obliterating countless Raiders before they even had the chance to surface.

The Raiders already on the ground found themselves without reinforcements and with no path of retreat. Though they had inflicted considerable casualties, their numbers dwindled rapidly under the soldiers’ firepower.

For over a century, the Rikens appeared to have devoted most of their research efforts to ship engines and related technologies. While energy weapon lethality had not improved significantly, firing rates had increased substantially, aided by advanced targeting and locking systems. Against such firepower, the remaining Raiders quickly succumbed.

After the battle, the land lay in ruins. Many of the components and equipment that had been transported and assembled were destroyed. The soldiers couldn’t focus on safeguarding the materials during combat, and the Raiders themselves had utilized these metallic constructs as cover—what better bullet shields than sturdy machinery?

Post-battle statistics revealed approximately 500 tons of irreparably damaged metal materials, which could not be replenished quickly. The battle had also cost the Rikens over a thousand soldiers, 80% of whom were killed outright, demonstrating the Raiders’ high lethality.

The Riken commanders were somewhat relieved, however, that most of the casualties were inexperienced recruits. The special operations forces, busy manning the gunships, emerged unscathed. Moreover, the surviving recruits began transforming into hardened veterans, with noticeable improvements in combat effectiveness.

In total, over 5,000 Raiders were killed during the engagement, most of them obliterated before reaching the surface. Had all of them emerged, Riken casualties would have been at least double.

Both sides revealed a bit of their hand during the battle, though the Swarm took a slight loss. The Rikens’ tactics and technology were largely what the Swarm had already expected. Conversely, the Raiders lost their mystique, greatly diminishing their intimidation factor.

“Gentlemen, the dissection report on the Insectoid Swarm has been distributed. Let’s have Dr. Balt deliver a briefing,” began General Masai.

Dr. Balt, the rare Riken biologist, explained, “From the data, the Swarm’s internal circulatory, digestive, and nervous systems closely resemble those of the surface creatures we’ve previously captured. While there are minor differences, these can likely be attributed to variations in survival era or environment. This rules out the possibility of the Swarm being an alien species—they are clearly native to this planet.”

The attendees nodded. Although not all were experts, no one had reached their current rank without a solid grasp of basic analysis.

“So, these creatures are not the same species that attacked the Cat’s Ear Spaceship?” someone asked.

“Definitely not. These Swarm creatures lack the physiological adaptations required for survival in space.”

“I’m not so sure,” a ship captain interjected. “We’ve only identified three varieties so far. Couldn’t there be a strain adapted to space?”

“Impossible. Evolution doesn’t work that way. A single species cannot exhibit such extreme divergence,” Dr. Balt asserted firmly. “The Swarm’s physiology is unremarkable aside from their unique forelimbs. These adaptations fall far short of what’s needed for survival in space. Suggesting otherwise is absurd.”

“Fair enough, I’ll defer to the expert,” the captain conceded, realizing his question might have been naïve.

The discussion shifted to practical matters.

“This battle revealed some of their secrets, but it hasn’t improved our situation. They can emerge from underground at will, but we can’t remain on high alert constantly,” a strategist observed. 𐍂ΑNổʙЁ𐌔

“Agreed. Without knowing their exact numbers or devising effective countermeasures, our ground bases remain in significant danger.”

“This isn’t a major problem,” Dr. Balt interjected. “These creatures have very specific environmental requirements. Just as we can’t breathe directly on the surface of T853, once we terraform the atmosphere to suit the Riken physiology, these native creatures will struggle to survive.”

“Understood. So, the challenge now is defending against their attacks during the terraforming process.”

“That’s correct, but the terraforming project spans decades, possibly centuries, involving base construction, space habitats, and environmental modification,” another officer added.

“Dr. Balt, are there alternative solutions?” asked a captain.

“Perhaps. We might develop a specialized toxin targeting their respiratory and nervous systems. This would require extensive experimentation, but it likely wouldn’t take decades,” Dr. Balt replied thoughtfully.

“Then we’ll rely on you. Until then, we’ll have to bolster our defenses against the Swarm.”

“Any further questions or comments?” General Masai asked.

A strategist raised his hand. “General, I have one concern. Does the Swarm exhibit intelligence?”

“It’s something I’ve wondered about myself,” a captain replied. “Their ambush on the patrol displayed precise coordination, suggesting higher intelligence. But today’s battle seemed to show them acting more like beasts.”

“Perhaps their earlier actions were merely instinctive?” another strategist speculated.

“It’s possible,” another captain agreed. “I’ve doubted from the start that such primitive creatures could coordinate on a global scale.”

Dr. Balt added, “One more point: these Swarm specimens lack organs for long-range communication or even basic vocalization. However, we captured a few live specimens for study. Observing their behavior, I discovered they use rapid limb strikes and friction to produce sounds, combined with pheromones, to communicate.”

He paused before continuing. “We might exploit this trait. If we decode the meaning of their sounds and pheromones, we could disrupt their coordination—or even drive them to attack one another.”

“An excellent idea. But you’re saying global coordination isn’t feasible for them?”

“Correct. In simple terms, while these Swarm creatures are the same species, they don’t belong to the same hive.”

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