I Am The Swarm

“Your Majesty, are we really going to join this so-called Interstellar Technological Confederation?” asked a Blade named Danton. Once a brigadier general in his former life during the post-Sarah era, Danton had been converted into an Intelligent Entity under the Swarm.

While all Intelligent Entities were technically derivatives of the Swarm Network and thus equal in principle, in practice, there were differences in access and authority. Following Luo Wen’s directives, the Swarm had established a virtual royal court, complete with various positions and hierarchies. Externally, this gave rise to a structured class system.

The visiting delegation from Troi included a major general. Following the principle of equivalence, the Swarm naturally wouldn’t deploy someone like Sarah or Morgan to meet them. Even figures like Tella or Marlene wouldn’t appear. Instead, a counterpart of equivalent rank was chosen, namely Danton.

“Of course,” replied Sarah. Among the countless Intelligent Entities within the Swarm, only a select few had the privilege of communicating directly with the Overlord outside of emergencies. Sarah was one of them.

Many questions and uncertainties from the Swarm were brought to her for clarification, and she relayed answers from the Overlord.

Sarah’s high status, proximity to the Overlord, and the fact that many Intelligent Entities were converted Rat Folk combined to make her position as the Empress of the virtual royal court a fitting title.

“But won’t this reveal many of the Swarm’s secrets?” Danton asked with concern.

His core mission of serving the Swarm drove him to think solely about its well-being, raising questions and suggestions based on the information at his disposal.

“Danton, every interaction is mutual. We may reveal some secrets, but they, in turn, will reveal much to us.” Sarah’s response echoed the philosophy that Luo Wen himself had explained to her when she once posed the same question.

Although Luo Wen was naturally cautious, he was never reckless. In this scenario, simple evasion wouldn’t suffice. No matter how strong the Swarm had grown, or how thoroughly they could crush the Daqi civilization and even the Troi fleet, they remained a small player within the Interstellar Technological Confederation. Luo Wen was keenly aware of his limits.

The Confederation consisted of over 200 civilizations spanning thousands of star systems, a massive entity rife with internal conflicts that hindered unified action. Even so, they were far beyond what the Swarm, with fewer than ten star systems under its control, could hope to challenge.

Luo Wen understood this perfectly. While the Swarm’s potential was boundless, that potential required time to materialize. During the previous encounter with the Daqi, the Confederation’s involvement could be dismissed as ignorance. But now, with the Troi civilization reaching out, such excuses were no longer plausible.

If it came down to an all-out confrontation, the Swarm, at its current level, could hold its own against the 200,000-ship Troi fleet. Even if the entire Troi civilization mobilized, or if the Daqi joined them to wage a two-front war, Luo Wen wouldn’t flinch.

But as Luo Wen often reminded himself, these were small players. Even if the Swarm defeated them, what then? Striking such a blow would provoke the Confederation as a whole.

The Ji Race, who seemed to view the Swarm with particular interest, would likely act as enforcers. The next visitors might not be minor powers like Troi but rather one of the long-established, formidable civilizations from the Inner Circle.

Fortunately, the Troi fleet commander seemed rational enough. He understood that while the Swarm’s strength was insignificant to the Confederation as a whole, it was far from something the Troi civilization could handle alone.

If the Troi fleet were to suffer catastrophic losses here, even if they provided the Confederation with critical battlefield data and intelligence on the Swarm, the immediate consequence for the Troi would be annihilation. While the Swarm might face retribution later as a cautionary example, it would be too late for the Troi—they would already be dead.

This delicate balance of power underscored the significance of the encounter now unfolding. Both sides seemed to understand that a head-on collision would lead to mutually assured destruction, even if the aftermath would vary. For now, diplomacy was the only sensible path forward.

Given this sentiment, Luo Wen was inclined to take the opportunity to join the Interstellar Technological Confederation as long as the conditions weren’t overly unreasonable.

Membership would mean the Swarm would be protected by the Confederation’s rules. Even if the Ji Race or other civilizations harbored ill intentions, they would be less likely to act openly.

Any covert schemes would likely also diminish, as attacking an ally was generally frowned upon and carried reputational risks.

Of course, this plan was contingent on there being no overwhelming profit to be gained from undermining the Swarm. Luo Wen still didn’t fully understand what about the Swarm had drawn the Ji Race’s interest. For now, his best course of action was to obscure the true nature of the Swarm Network and address any vulnerabilities that had been previously overlooked.

Meanwhile, the Troi detachment found themselves completely surrounded by massive Primordial bodies. These behemoths, their bodies soft and pliant, adhered to the Troi warships like oversized patches of biological glue, adding an extra layer of bulk to the ships.

Bular and his officers, having seen footage of these creatures in combat, understood their ferocity. Despite the fact that Troi warships were significantly larger and more advanced than their Daqi counterparts, the Primordials’ 500-meter-long, muscular tentacles could easily pummel even the sturdiest hull into scrap.

The Troi fleet, under this ominous “protection,” inched forward, spending nearly a month traversing the asteroid belt before finally reaching the A11 Swarm base.

The reception at A11 was far from ceremonious. The surroundings were utilitarian, if not outright crude.

Bular, accompanied by Kayi and several diplomats, disembarked in protective suits. They found themselves walking across a purple-gray fleshy fungal carpet, led forward by a handful of two-meter-tall juvenile Swarm bodies.

“Major General, this stuff is disgusting!” Kayi’s deep, muscular voice carried a tone of disdain as she eyed the squishy ground beneath their feet.

“Focus on the task, not the details!” Bular snapped, though he too was struggling to maintain his composure.

Like most Troi, his robust physique came with its own quirks. The dense musculature that allowed them to withstand small-caliber kinetic rounds also meant they were heavy—over 300 pounds, regardless of gender.

This unique physiology was tied to their home environment, which consisted of an ecosystem dominated by hardness and rigidity. Their natural preference for solid terrain made the soft, spongy surface beneath them almost intolerable. It wasn’t just the aesthetic repulsion; the unstable footing affected their balance and coordination.

Each step sank into the fungal carpet, which made Bular worry about accidentally puncturing it. Getting splattered with biological fluid was a minor concern compared to the potential for triggering a diplomatic incident.

Fortunately, whether due to A11’s low gravity or the surprising resilience of the fungal carpet, his fears didn’t materialize. The surface, though pliant, was tough enough to support their weight without breaking. Nevertheless, the uneven terrain left Bular feeling increasingly nauseous and lightheaded. If not for the lack of an alarm from his protective suit, he might have suspected the Swarm of poisoning them.

Suppressing their discomfort, the Troi delegation did their best to maintain composure.

Eventually, the group entered a tunnel and followed it into a massive underground cavern. The chamber was dimly lit, populated by a few two- or three-meter juvenile Swarm units, and, most intriguingly, three humanoid figures.

Bular’s pulse quickened, and the rush of adrenaline worsened his dizziness, but his excitement overrode his physical discomfort.

Could these humanoids be the true form of the Swarm? He might very well be the first in the Confederation to witness their appearance firsthand.

This moment, he realized, would be one for the history books.

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