I Am The Swarm

“Genesis? Swarm?” Bular repeated softly.

Genesis?

That name carried a certain weight, but it wasn’t entirely unprecedented. Plenty of species had grandiose names. For example, the Troi civilization itself—while the name “Troi” meant nothing to other cultures, in their own language, it signified “Masters of the World,” which far outshined something like “Genesis.”

However, from Danton’s brief introduction, Bular was able to glean a considerable amount of information.

First, Danton had said that “we” liked the name. Due to the Swarm’s previous aura of mystery, some external analysts had speculated that the Swarm might have evolved from a kind of social organism. These analysts believed that the space octopuses were merely Swarm drones, devoid of independent thought, operating solely under the control of a single will.

But this theory had been strongly contested. On the homeworlds of many alien species, there were examples of social organisms that evolved during their planetary ecosystems’ development.

Such species had members that followed the will of a central leader, with individual units almost completely devoid of self-awareness, mechanically executing tasks.

While these groups displayed unparalleled unity and collaboration, none of them had ever evolved into an advanced species. In their primitive eras, such creatures could dominate due to their collective strength, but once other species began developing intelligence, they were quickly outpaced.

Put simply, as long as no one had developed brains, these organisms could rely on their cohesion to hold the upper hand. But once intelligence came into play, the disadvantage of a species having only one “brain” became apparent.

No matter how brilliant that one mind might be, it could never outmatch the collective brainpower of thousands or millions. With examples from countless planets as evidence, this theory was eventually discarded. However, a minority of people argued that the universe was vast and full of wonders, continuing to support the idea.

Before undertaking this mission, Bular had devoted significant effort to researching the Swarm—not just for his career prospects but also for his survival. He reviewed every piece of data, video, text, and analysis on the Swarm no fewer than ten times.

Thus, the moment Danton used the term “we,” Bular immediately picked up on it. The Swarm couldn’t be a singular-will species.

While this conclusion could already be inferred from the simultaneous presence of three Swarm members and various other details, hearing it directly confirmed was much more conclusive.

Second, Danton introduced himself by name, further supporting this inference. While it was possible that the Swarm was numerically scarce, it was clearly not to the extent of having only one individual.

Lastly, Danton mentioned his military rank—Major General. Though he used the term in Riken, this suggested that the Swarm had a hierarchical structure. Danton also emphasized that he was responsible for handling this diplomatic mission.

A Major General would typically be a military officer, whereas diplomats among most species were usually civil officials. Bular wasn’t sure if the Swarm had sent a Major General as a gesture of reciprocity, given that he himself was a Major General, or if there simply wasn’t a more precise term in Riken to describe Danton’s position.

Bular mentally cataloged these observations, planning to subtly probe for more details if an opportunity arose during future conversations.

Thus, this diplomatic meeting stretched on for nearly a month. During this time, Bular and Danton discussed many topics and solidified numerous agreements.

The most significant outcome was that the Swarm would join the Interstellar Technological Confederation. At the very least, this meant the main objective of the talks had been achieved.

Bular was already envisioning his bright future upon his return—promotions, pay raises, and a meteoric rise to glory. Consequently, the three-hundred-pound giant and his equally massive “beautiful” adjutant, along with their similarly hefty colleagues, were all in high spirits.

Additionally, there were finer details. The Swarm had earned respect through its own strength, distinguishing itself from the fledgling civilizations that were defeated and subsequently pillaged.

The Swarm would still abide by the Confederation’s rules. For example, the first batch of researchers dispatched to the Ji species would have their contributions tallied into the Confederation’s points system, with the Troi civilization taking the lion’s share of the rewards.

However, Danton made it clear not to expect a significant number of researchers—this was merely a symbolic gesture, a reciprocal acknowledgment for the Troi civilization’s decision to pursue peace instead of war.

The Troi civilization understood this dynamic. Initially, realizing they lacked the strength to conquer the Swarm, they opted for a peaceful negotiation. While this was primarily to preserve their own resources, it also benefited the Swarm. As a result, the Swarm offered a token of goodwill, providing a diplomatic middle ground.

The Troi civilization could publicly declare that they had successfully invited the Swarm to join the Confederation, and the Swarm, in turn, could join the Confederation in accordance with established rules without appearing excessively unconventional. This arrangement allowed both parties to save face, avoid conflict, and preserve their strength.

Another point of discussion involved the Riken and Ratfolk species. The Riken species had reached the technological threshold for an invitation to the Confederation, while the Ratfolk were still some distance away from meeting the standards.

Previously, both species had respective sponsoring civilizations for potential membership. However, with the Swarm joining the Confederation, they became the nearest member civilization to both species, thus inheriting the right to invite them.

This could lead to minor disputes, such as protests from the Daqi species or even some conflicts. Bular stated that the Confederation wouldn’t intervene in such matters; these issues would need to be resolved independently. Danton, however, dismissed these concerns as trivial.

At this point, the major issues surrounding the Swarm’s membership in the Confederation had been resolved. The remaining minor matters were easily manageable. The lengthy negotiations had primarily been due to two reasons.

First, Bular, a recently promoted Major General, was little more than a sacrificial pawn. Officially referred to as a diplomat, he was, in reality, expendable. If the Swarm turned out to be temperamental, there was no chance he would make it back alive.

As a result, Bular had very limited authority, with hardly any decisions under his purview. He was merely a tool, sent to the Swarm to establish a communication channel. Once the channel was set up, Bular essentially became a relay, passing information between the two sides.

Second, given the uncertainty surrounding the Swarm’s disposition, a quantum communication device was installed on Bular’s ship to ensure smooth communication.

This piece of equipment, even by Troi standards, was extraordinarily expensive and classified under Confederation technology protection protocols. As such, it was heavily secured, with its operation room equipped with multiple recognition devices that only Bular could access.

Every day, Bular had to clock in at the operation room and check that all recognition devices were functioning correctly. If he failed to clock in at the designated time or if the recognition devices were tampered with, the ship, the operation room, and the device itself would immediately trigger a triple self-destruct protocol.

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