I Am The Swarm

Reggie quickly grasped Lute’s implications and concerns.

Indeed, while the planet’s surface ecosystem appeared relatively normal, something unfathomable seemed to lurk beneath.

Was that giant creature an anomaly, or merely the tip of the iceberg? If an entirely separate, hidden ecological system existed, then using that monster’s capabilities as a baseline, encountering creatures capable of leaving the planet didn’t seem implausible.

If such entities emerged, could the spaceship in orbit still be considered safe?

And if too many of the crew entered stasis, a sudden threat could spell disaster.

“Major Camis, does the escort team still have the capability to investigate the site where Staff Sergeant Hasmu detonated the nuke?” Reggie inquired.

Camis deliberated before responding, “We suffered heavy losses earlier because we were unprepared. Now that we are forewarned, a preliminary survey of anomalies should be manageable. However, conducting an in-depth investigation might be beyond our current capacity.”

“That will suffice. For the time being, Major Camis, focus on gathering as much useful intelligence as possible. The more we uncover, the greater our accomplishments. Lute, assist Major Camis with your team.”

Lute and Camis exchanged glances and nodded. With their interests aligned, cooperation was natural.

“Don’t worry, reinforcements might arrive sooner than expected.” Reggie offered an enigmatic reassurance. Lute and Camis both pondered the remark, their thoughts unreadable.

—

“Overlord, it seems the aliens have given up on killing Godzilla,” Morgan reported. He still didn’t understand why the Overlord had named the creature “Godzilla,” as it was out of character for his usual naming style.

Through the shared vision of various Swarm entities at the scene, Godzilla was seen retreating toward the ocean. The Riken vessels and personnel had withdrawn, even abandoning their VECs.

Luo Wen let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Godzilla must not fall into Riken hands. If it faltered, Luo Wen was prepared to intervene.

Thousands of the latest Type II Spider Combat Bugs had already been stationed nearby, lying in ambush. If Godzilla showed signs of defeat, Luo Wen would have ordered the destruction of the artillery positions, even at the cost of exposing the Swarm prematurely.

Fortunately, Godzilla had proven resilient enough to escape the predicament on its own.

“Overlord, should we confiscate the alien weapons?” Morgan asked.

After a moment of thought, Luo Wen rejected the proposal.

The Swarm’s priority was to wait for the right opportunity to annihilate the Riken spaceship. Sacrificing secrecy for a few weapons wasn’t worth alerting the aliens prematurely.

“Have the bugs withdraw and clean up all traces.”

“Yes, Overlord.”

Some bugs had ventured too close and were caught in the periphery of the battle. Though none were killed outright, a few unlucky ones lost limbs. All traces needed to be removed.

Godzilla returned to the ocean without incident, but instead of heading back to its lair, it lingered in the shallow waters nearby. Satellites and reconnaissance bugs hovering overhead often captured its shadow swimming below the surface.

The Riken made no further moves.

“It seems they’ve run out of options.”

“After all, it’s just a reconnaissance ship with limited weaponry.”

“What a shame. Hopefully, we can glean something useful from their spaceship.”

“Overlord, should we dispatch reconnaissance units toward the M37 Star System?”

Luo Wen shook his head. It wasn’t the right time. The Swarm’s foothold in the neighboring star system was too weak, lacking the Megastructure Electromagnetic Launchers necessary for rapid deployment.

For now, any action would rely on older hyperbolic launchers to randomly fire Swarm meteors toward M37. While this would help establish a monitoring network along the way, the approach was imprecise.

In the Genesis Star System, however, the Swarm had already launched numerous reconnaissance units toward M37. Given the 9-light-year distance, it would take nearly a century for these units to arrive.

Fortunately, the M37 Star System’s civilizations seemed to lag in engine technology, potentially granting the Swarm an early advantage in intelligence.

In orbit, the Cat’s Ear Spaceship unfurled part of its solar sail. Beyond aiding propulsion, the sail served as a massive energy collector and signal amplifier.

Interstellar communication consumed enormous energy. Reggie needed to prepare in advance.

The Swarm’s intelligent entities quickly deduced the Riken’s intentions.

“They’re transmitting a message back to their home system.”

While the Swarm wished to prevent this, they lacked the capability.

Fortunately, Luo Wen had been cautious, maintaining a low profile. Aside from minor anomalies in the underground cavern, the Swarm had left no visible evidence of its presence. The Riken would only be aware of Godzilla and might suspect the existence of other subterranean creatures, but they remained oblivious to the Swarm.

Time passed, and the Riken escort teams resumed activity after recuperating. Instead of aimlessly searching, they focused their efforts around the underground cavern where the nuclear explosion had occurred.

Bringing in excavation equipment and instruments, they attempted to dig a tunnel to investigate further. However, with the explosion site located nearly a kilometer underground, the task proved daunting.

“Captain, the transmission equipment is ready,” a communications officer reported.

Reggie nodded, handing over the prepared data.

Outside the Cat’s Ear Spaceship, the solar sail spanned several kilometers despite being only partially deployed. Acting as a colossal energy transmitter, its shimmering brilliance was visible even to Swarm reconnaissance units stationed on Great Ursa Planet.

The energy waves, carrying encoded information, were amplified and transmitted across a 5.1-light-year span, relaying the message back to the homeworld.

As the energy fluctuations subsided, the transmission was complete.

“Recall the escort and research teams. It’s time for us to prepare to leave.”

After deliberation, Reggie, Lute, and Camis decided to move the spaceship to the orbit of Planet T855, over a hundred million kilometers from T853. This position allowed for remote monitoring of the Great Dawn Planet while maintaining a buffer from potential threats. It also provided an opportunity for the crew to enter stasis in shifts.

Watching the spaceship detach from orbit and drift away, Luo Wen was filled with questions.

“They’re leaving already?”

The Cat’s Ear Spaceship’s propulsion system was slow, designed primarily for interstellar travel. Even with its solar sail extended, its acceleration was minimal.

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