I Am The Swarm

“Could it be that our initial colonial behavior appeared too aggressive?”

“But before the expedition, we had the Cat’s Ear Project. A lone scientific research ship hardly conveys aggression, does it?”

“Exactly. If they wanted to communicate with us, they would have sent a diplomatic message after capturing the Cat’s Ear Spaceship.”

“I have another idea.”

“What idea?”

“That the technological level of the Cat’s Ear Spaceship led them to underestimate the Riken civilization’s capabilities!” A senior Riken strategist interjected. “At first, they might have thought we were just a fledgling civilization barely stepping into space. Honestly, without the ancient starship’s assistance, we would have been exactly as they assumed.”

The room fell into contemplative silence.

Supporters of both theories—whether it was aggressive expansion or technological misjudgment—shared one consensus: the Swarm’s technology had not utterly overwhelmed Riken technology.

In wars between two civilizations of relatively equal technological standing, the resource expenditure was astronomical. The defense of Planet Raze was a prime example.

The Rikens had deployed three fleets there, along with a significant number of engineering and security personnel on the planet’s surface. The daily consumption of these forces was staggering—a burden shouldered by their entire civilization.

Planet Raze had no colonies or large space stations nearby, so all supplies—food, clothing, and equipment—had to be transported from the rear. This created an unimaginable logistical cost, exhausting the Riken civilization’s foundations.

Similarly, the Swarm’s supply lines were even longer. Although the Rikens didn’t know what sustained the Swarm, they assumed it consumed even more resources.

In such a context, prolonged conflict benefited neither side. For civilizations that had stepped beyond their homeworlds and could utilize resources from other planets, resource scarcity was no longer a pressing issue.

Rare metals and raw materials once scarce on their homeworlds were abundant in space. The resources within the Riken star system—ten major planets, asteroid belts, and solar energy—could sustain the Riken civilization’s development for millennia, even tens of thousands of years.

If this was true for the Rikens, it should be similar for the Swarm.

If resources weren’t the primary motivator, then there had to be another reason for the war. At this scale, it couldn’t be over something as trivial as mating disputes. Besides, the two species’ aesthetics were undoubtedly incompatible.

So, in this scenario, what was most important?

Technology—or knowledge!

One by one, the Rikens came to this realization, and a chill ran through them. Could the Swarm have discovered the secrets of the ancient starship?

Many doubted this theory. Even among the senior generals in the conference room, only about 30% were familiar with the ancient starship’s details. The rest merely knew of its existence, without any deeper understanding.

Under such conditions, how could the secret have been leaked?

Of course, for now, this was a hypothetical question—a mere conjecture.

Still, the Rikens examined themselves and couldn’t find anything else the Swarm might covet. From their perspective, the Swarm’s technology was slightly more advanced than theirs.

Returning to the senior strategist’s theory, perhaps the crux lay in the Swarm’s initial misjudgment of the Rikens.

Judging by the Cat’s Ear Spaceship’s technological level, the Rikens must have appeared as an insignificant, easily subdued civilization. However, the Rikens had foolishly provoked the Swarm by advancing with their fleets. Normally, this might not have been a problem, but the Rikens’ sudden technological leap was perplexing.

Decades ago, they had relied on solar sail engines, and now they wielded battleships with interstellar engines capable of achieving one-fifth the speed of light.

Such a rapid technological progression was difficult to attribute solely to independent research. Even the Rikens found this explanation far-fetched, let alone the Swarm.

When a minor player grows so rapidly, it suggests one of two possibilities: they either had backing or stumbled upon a major discovery.

This also explained certain perplexing Swarm tactics—such as their lack of aggression in pursuing retreating Riken forces, which at times felt deliberately lenient.

At this point, it became clear that the Swarm’s past actions reflected their own uncertainties about the Riken civilization. Concerned that the Rikens might have powerful allies, the Swarm refrained from taking extreme measures.

Based on prior engagements, the Swarm evidently operated under the direction of highly intelligent command units. Their calculated strategies, including the assault on Planet Raze, seemed more like exploratory probes.

If the Rikens had indeed had external backing and summoned reinforcements beyond their known capabilities, the Swarm’s dormant installations on Planet Raze might never have been activated.

After multiple tests, however, the Swarm appeared to have assessed certain truths and falsehoods about the Rikens, emboldening them to launch further offensives while reducing the degree of restraint.

For instance, in the latest engagement, the Swarm directly destroyed 20% of the Riken fleet. Should the Rikens fail to demonstrate any hidden strength, the next step might be a full-scale invasion.

But the Rikens had no hidden benefactor or ally to rely on.

This realization sparked frustration among some Rikens, who questioned the initial decision to explore the T85 Star System. Yet, at this point, such complaints were meaningless. They were caught in a paradox.

If they failed to display advanced technological capabilities, they would be dismissed by the Swarm as a minor threat, potentially inviting immediate annihilation. Conversely, revealing their advancements had only provoked the Swarm’s aggression further.

The Rikens in the conference room began to grasp the gravity of their predicament.

If the Swarm truly sought the “treasure” they believed the Rikens possessed, conflict between the two civilizations seemed inevitable. The Swarm had no way of knowing what the Rikens had discovered, nor could they gauge the full extent of its value or the Rikens’ potential capabilities.

In a matter of decades, the Rikens had advanced their technological level by several leaps. What might they achieve in another few decades? A century?

Judging by the Swarm’s reactions and the emergence of specialized weapons targeting Swarm tactics, the possibility of the Rikens eventually surpassing them seemed plausible.

Some Rikens bitterly wished they could slap themselves. Why flaunt their advancements? Why not feign weakness? Unveiling new weaponry had only served to provoke the Swarm further.

Would the Swarm allow the Rikens the time needed to continue their rapid development?

Placing themselves in the Swarm’s position, the Rikens could see no alternative. To ensure their species’ survival, the Swarm would logically prioritize eliminating threats—especially one like the Rikens, whose rapid technological progress was fueled by external resources.

This left the Rikens in a bind.

One possible solution, it seemed, was to offer up the ancient starship—the “treasure” fueling the Swarm’s suspicions. This might halt the war, but doing so would place the fate of the Riken civilization in the hands of another species, rendering them vulnerable and subject to external control.

Antonio, however, vehemently opposed such a course of action. To him, surrendering the ancient starship would make him a traitor in the eyes of history, reviled until the Riken civilization’s potential extinction.

This left only one path forward: resistance.

For better or worse, the Rikens had no choice but to fight against the Swarm with every ounce of their strength.

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