I Am The Swarm

Capturing Lieutenant Colonel Cross was only part of the mission; once the conversion was complete, the Swarm would need to return her undetected.

Thus, to ensure the success of subsequent plans, the Swarm’s displayed abilities during the capture operation had to remain within the bounds of what the Riken people could plausibly accept.

Fortunately, with over a hundred “operatives” already embedded, the Swarm overcame this formidable challenge.

First, the Swarm needed to isolate Cross Base from external reinforcements.

This problem had been anticipated when the “operatives” were initially sent back. By exposing the survival of Riken personnel, the Swarm knew that, regardless of the circumstances, the commanders would initiate rescue operations.

The Swarm’s deliberate reduction of patrol team members near the “grain storehouses” proved to be a meaningful ploy.

The Riken people, “luckily” noticing this trend, were compelled to expedite their operations.

The Swarm’s plan involved luring forces from other bases deep into underground nests while occupying them with drawn-out skirmishes. Meanwhile, a massive swarm would gather to launch a blitz on Cross Base.

The plan unfolded surprisingly smoothly. While the Riken demonstrated caution—using flamethrowers to clear paths slowly rather than advancing recklessly—most of Cross Base’s military strength was dispatched to support other bases.

Due to the operatives’ low ranks, the Swarm only learned of this development shortly before the attack.

Initially, the Swarm had amassed over 30 million Raiders around Cross Base, prepared to deploy them as needed. If the base had been heavily defended, the Swarm would have committed large numbers, risking exposure but ensuring success. Such an outcome would have raised alarms within the Riken fleet about the Swarm’s vast scale.

However, the timely intelligence altered the strategy. Adding to this, the unexpected involvement of an operative among the guards shocked Sarah and the Blades, as it revealed just how understaffed Cross Base truly was.

Previously, due to the low status and injured condition of the operatives, their movements within the base were limited to avoid suspicion. Consequently, the Swarm had little detailed knowledge of the base’s internal structure.

Now, with an operative embedded among the guards, Cross Base’s defensive layout was fully exposed to the Swarm. The Swarm could bypass minefields, sensors, and automated defensive weapons, reducing the need for large-scale deployments.

Although the Riken might question how the Swarm avoided their defenses—concluding that the Swarm possessed intelligence—this was an acceptable loss. The Swarm had already hinted at this capability during previous encounters.

Using an already exposed detail to obscure the Swarm’s true scale was a worthwhile trade-off.

Moreover, lacking sufficient context, the Riken could never deduce the true source of the breach.

With the operatives’ assistance, the Swarm bypassed defenses and reached the perimeter of the base’s main structure. Exposed outposts and hidden sentries stood no chance against the Swarm’s various observational units, especially with inside help.

Still, the operatives’ role ended here. The Swarm would not jeopardize a valuable card by having them open the gates.

It would have been foolish to expose such an asset for something so trivial.

Thus, the operatives were eliminated at their posts. While their bodies perished, their consciousness returned to the Swarm Network. As long as Luo Wen remained, the Swarm’s intelligent entities were immortal.

For the heavily fortified gates, specially designed acid-bugs easily dissolved the barriers. These readily produced creatures were expendable tools, and exposing their existence posed no risk.

The base’s general layout was already known to the Swarm thanks to the operatives. The Swarm Network’s capability for secure, real-time communication proved invaluable in wartime, allowing attacking forces to head directly for the command center.

The Blades surmised that Cross was most likely there. Even if she wasn’t, micro-scout bugs were already spreading throughout the base. These expendable bugs served as decoys, drawing attention away from the main attack.

Simultaneously, the Swarm’s aggressive assault heightened pressure on the defenders, forcing Cross to expose her position.

True to expectations, the Swarm soon received word from an operative pinpointing her location. However, this revelation came with a downside: Riken reinforcements would arrive sooner than anticipated.

Attempting to capture Cross inside the base and then escape presented two problems. First, time constraints made it likely they would be cornered by the reinforcements. Second, such a direct action would contradict the Swarm’s image as only semi-intelligent, making it clear the capture was deliberate.

Furthermore, it would make Cross’s eventual return problematic. A prominent figure intentionally targeted by the Swarm, rescued after the fall of an entire base, would undoubtedly raise suspicions.

Thus, the situation called for an “accident” that would compel Cross to leave the base on her own.

The Swarm intensified its attack, maintaining enough distance to create tension without breaching the base. The pressure led to a “reasonable” suggestion being relayed to Cross, subtly influencing her decision-making.

The suggestion was simple: the base couldn’t hold against the Swarm, but the bugs couldn’t fly. Escaping in an airship would ensure her safety.

Because the suggestion was “reasonable,” it was adopted.

Under the cover of “heroic” sacrifices by patrol unit “survivors,” Cross boarded a gunship.

By this stage, the plan was nearing completion. The Blades, monitoring the situation, breathed a sigh of relief.

With both the ground resistance and the gunship’s pilot under Swarm control, Cross was effectively in their grasp.

The Swarm escalated its assault. The defensive commander, “forced by necessity,” ordered the dome opened to allow the gunship’s escape.

Acid-bugs lying in wait outside easily damaged the ship with the pilot’s cooperation.

Billowing black smoke, the gunship made a “reasonable” emergency landing far from the base. Even if the gunship hadn’t been damaged, it would still have landed, and any investigation would attribute the incident to pilot error under duress.

After all, a rookie patrolman operating in such high-stress conditions could reasonably make mistakes, right?

Wherever the gunship landed, there would “coincidentally” be a Swarm nest nearby. Cross Base’s surroundings were riddled with underground passages, ensuring no matter where the gunship landed, a nest was always conveniently close.

During the Swarm’s “hunting period,” the gunship’s occupants being captured was entirely “reasonable.”

Thus, the plan to capture a high-ranking Riken commander concluded perfectly.

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