I Am The Swarm

Two weeks passed, and the Swarm’s researchers learned at an astonishing pace. Reggie surmised that while the Swarm appeared to be a biological civilization on the surface, they possessed a surprisingly solid foundation in mechanical theory.

The questions they posed to the Rikens became fewer, and Reggie noticed that the Swarm managed to deduce much of the information and technology he had considered his bargaining chips in a very short time.

Reggie understood that the researchers on the ship were merely the tip of the iceberg; behind them lay an even larger team, likely numbering in the thousands or even tens of thousands.

This was a truly formidable civilization.

He felt foolish for initially dismissing them as primitive beasts. Looking back, his naivety was laughable.

As their bargaining chips dwindled, so did their value. No one would expend resources on maintaining something worthless. Many among the Riken crew realized this, and unease began to spread.

Their fears weren’t unwarranted.

A month later, two Rikens were taken away.

Due to the lack of a central gathering place, convenient communication devices, or AI assistance, it took two days for the others to notice their absence. These two had been members of the guard unit, rarely interacting with the rest, so their disappearance went unnoticed until their captain sought them out.

Reggie had no idea where they were taken. When he asked Morgan and the other researchers, they merely smiled enigmatically without answering.

Now, those smiles felt entirely different from when he first encountered them. They no longer seemed friendly but rather sinister, even terrifying.

Reggie began to feel like a piece of meat on a butcher’s block, helpless and at the mercy of others.

Gradually, word of the disappearances spread, and fear permeated the ship.

Half a month later, two more Rikens vanished.

Many Rikens were on the verge of collapse upon learning this.

Some began cooperating more readily with the Swarm researchers, eagerly answering questions or even volunteering information.

Others, however, adopted a defiant attitude, utterly unbothered by their predicament.

The Rikens quietly split into two factions, antagonizing one another and viewing the other with disdain.

The disappearances continued, with two Rikens vanishing roughly every fortnight, affecting both factions indiscriminately. The Swarm appeared to have its own selection criteria, unaltered by their attitudes.

“Do you know where they’re being taken?” Lute asked.

Reggie shook his head.

“Aren’t you close with that Morgan? Didn’t you learn anything useful from him?” Lute pressed, unwilling to relent.

“Ha!” Reggie let out a bitter laugh, tinged with self-mockery, resentment, and frustration.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lute, his own emotions unstable, rolled up his sleeves, ready for a fight.

“Ha!” Reggie scoffed again, this time with pure derision.

As Reggie’s long-time friend, Lute recognized the underlying challenge in that laugh: Come on, if you dare.

It seemed Reggie, too, needed to vent.

“Enough!” Camis interjected. “From the moment they boarded our ship, we were as good as dead. That we’ve survived this long is already a bonus. Don’t disgrace yourselves in front of the crew now.”

The two men, poised for a brawl, cooled their tempers at Camis’s words.

Indeed, what would a fight accomplish? Best to maintain their dignity to the end.

“You know, I think every day about where those missing people are taken,” Lute said, deliberately changing the subject. “The Swarm is a biological civilization. Do you know what that means?”

“What does it mean?” Reggie asked, playing along to defuse the tension.

“It means they’re more interested in us than in those mechanical components. After all, alien lifeforms from another star system might provide more significant insights into their technology.”

Reggie and Camis were both startled but then felt a sense of grim acceptance.

They had considered this possibility before but had chosen to ignore it. Lute’s blunt statement now forced them to confront it.

Fear, helplessness, and despair surged within them.

Six months later, the Swarm had stripped the Cat’s Ear Spaceship of anything valuable, including its AI storage system. Their researchers gradually left, signaling the completion of their analysis. The ship, now devoid of worth, became a true prison.

When the Swarm researchers had been present, the atmosphere was one of scientific inquiry, and the crew didn’t feel the weight of their captivity as acutely.

But as the Swarm personnel withdrew, the oppressive reality became undeniable.

As time dragged on, Rikens reacted differently. Some shouted and screamed in the cabins, venting their emotions. Others descended into madness, weeping uncontrollably or lapsing into silence. Eventually, all fell into a state of apathy.

They waited, each silently anticipating their turn to be taken.

And they hoped it would come soon.

The waiting was far more excruciating than the unknown fate awaiting them.

Two Years Later.

Reggie was emaciated, the prolonged mental torment having reduced him to a shadow of his former self. Once robust, he now looked inhuman.

A year earlier, the Swarm had stopped adhering to a consistent schedule for taking Rikens. Sometimes, several would be taken in quick succession; other times, months would pass without a single abduction.

The Three Giants speculated that something might have gone wrong with the Swarm’s research.

But what could they do, even if they knew?

Six months ago, Camis was taken.

A month later, Lute followed.

Reggie was the last of the Three Giants. The once bustling ship now felt desolate, with only a handful of Rikens remaining.

Reggie envied those who had been taken. At least they were no longer suffering.

Footsteps echoed—steady and firm, devoid of any hesitation.

On the Cat’s Ear Spaceship, only a non-Riken could walk with such confidence.

The sound was like a heavenly melody.

A figure appeared before Reggie, who sat slumped against the wall. Slowly, he raised his head.

“Is it finally my turn?” he rasped, his voice unrecognizable from its former vigor.

“Impatient, old friend?” came the reply, laced with a smile. The speaker used perfect Riken language, their voice betraying nothing of their alien origins.

“Ah…” Reggie sighed deeply, a sound tinged with a mix of longing, reluctance, resentment, and relief, with a faint hint of joy.

“Let’s go,” Morgan said softly.

Morgan helped Reggie into a protective suit. Together, they walked out of the cabin, flanked by two guards clad in fearsome bio-armor.

A mature bio-ship awaited at the exit.

Reggie, seeing it for the first time, realized it could transport people. Reflecting on his time aboard the Cat’s Ear Spaceship, he felt his earlier intelligence gathering barely scratched the surface.

Smiling wryly, he asked, “Is it alive?”

Morgan paused, then smiled. “Of course. Not only is it alive, but it will also continue to grow.” As he spoke, he stepped ahead and stroked the ship, which responded with a slight tremor.

Reggie’s eyes widened. “You mean… the ones that attacked us earlier?”

“Yes, those were larval bodies. This is what they grow into, and they’ll get even bigger.”

Reggie had initially thought the bio-ships resembled the soft-bodied creatures that had attacked them, assuming they were merely different models.

Like the differences between small and large aircraft in mechanical technology, their principles were similar, so their designs appeared related. He hadn’t imagined they were the same organisms.

Was this what it meant to be a biological civilization?

“Incredible technology,” Reggie muttered, his thoughts turning to his people. Could the Riken race truly contend with such a civilization? Their potential for war didn’t even seem comparable.

Inside the bio-ship, the interior was surprisingly comfortable. Yet, there were no windows or visible interfaces. How did the aliens perceive the outside world? Did the ship act autonomously?

It was utterly baffling.

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