I Am The Swarm

“But back then, the Swarm only sent 3,000 researchers, which probably broke a Confederation record for stinginess. With how tight-fisted they are, it’s no surprise they refused to help,” a male team member named Art interjected.

“You’re wrong there, Art. The Swarm’s Empress is exceptionally shrewd; that move was a masterstroke,” Amina countered.

“Oh? How so?”

“Word on the street is that of those 3,000 researchers, only a handful remain. You get what I’m saying?” Amina spoke cryptically, flashing a “you know what I mean?” look.

Art fell silent in thought, while Wright seemed to catch on and exclaimed, “No way!”

“Kid, you’ve still got a lot to learn. The Confederation runs deep. Stick with me, and if I’m in a good mood, I might teach you a thing or two. Trust me, it’ll be worth your while,” Amina said with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Hold on, it might not be that simple! What if all of this was orchestrated for us to see?” Blanca, who had been silent until now, suddenly interrupted their banter.

The Captain nodded in agreement. “I think so too. Even if their relationship isn’t great, with us acting as intermediaries, it seems unlikely the Swarm would be so blatantly dismissive.”

“I’ve reviewed the profile of the Swarm’s Empress. She’s not someone who acts on impulse.”

“The Koya Alliance’s proposal came unexpectedly, so the Swarm likely wasn’t prepared. Then they stalled us for 20 years. That suggests there’s something in the Genesis System the Swarm doesn’t want anyone to know about.”

“After 20 years, they left decisively, but now they’re refusing to return. It seems they’re trying to sever ties with the Genesis System entirely.”

“A prior internal report indicated that the Swarm first emerged in the Genesis System. This was their original stronghold. Being forced to relocate so suddenly might mean there’s something they couldn’t move or destroy…”

“Now, by cutting ties, they’re likely trying to protect whatever it is,” the Captain and Blanca analyzed together, gradually piecing the puzzle together.

By the end, Blanca’s expression was one of excitement. Licking her lips, she said seductively, “Secrets are good. Isn’t that why we’re here?”

“But where would the Swarm hide their secret?” Wright chimed in.

For a civilization like the Ji, a star system might not seem very large, but searching it for something without knowing what it looks like? That was no small challenge.

“I think the best way is to ask the Rat Folk. They’ve lived alongside the Swarm for hundreds of years; there’s no way they know nothing,” Blanca suggested after a moment’s thought.

The Captain shook his head. “We don’t have enough information. Even if we ask, we wouldn’t know how to frame the question. We need to gather more intel ourselves first—at least enough to know what to ask.” ṜãɴɵＢËṧ

Meanwhile, the construction of the Rat Folk’s Trade City was in full swing. During this bustling period, the Ji requested permission to visit Rat Folk cities under the guise of experiencing exotic cultures and learning about alien civilizations.

Being in a position of absolute weakness, the Rat Folk couldn’t refuse the Ji’s many requests. However, they cited their lack of prior contact with non-Swarm civilizations as a reason to limit the Ji’s access to only two weeks. Future openness would depend on public feedback.

The Ji teams set out, with most genuinely looking to experience Rat Folk life, though some had ulterior motives disguised by the pretense of tourism.

Two weeks later, the squad regrouped.

“Damn it, I’m losing my mind,” Wright exclaimed as soon as he entered the meeting room.

“What’s the matter, kid? Were you overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the Rat Folk females?” Amina teased.

Wright froze for a moment, then responded, “As charming as I am, I don’t think my height meets the preferences of female Rat Folk. Besides, they don’t fit my taste either. I was focused on my work, okay? How could I mix personal and professional matters to do… that?”

“Tch, you’ve got a history, kid. But go on, if it wasn’t some frivolous escapade, then what’s got you so worked up?” Amina’s rapid shifts in thought nearly threw Wright off, but after pausing to collect himself, he finally got back to his original point.

“You wouldn’t believe it. I went to one of the Rat Folk cities and stayed there for a few days. While shopping and mingling, I asked a lot of questions. They claimed not to know what the Swarm is!”

Seeing Amina raise her eyebrows but show no surprise, Wright took a moment to gather himself before continuing. “At first, I thought I was talking to the wrong crowd. So I tried approaching Rat Folk from different professions and even visited two more cities. The result? They all said the same thing—they don’t know what the Swarm is!”

The Captain waited for Wright to finish, then gestured to an empty chair. “Sit down. We’ve already been briefed on this. Do you have any other information?”

Wright shook his head and obediently took his seat. As the youngest member of the team, he had arrived late to the meeting. His exaggerated performance had successfully diverted attention from his tardiness. Now that his goal was achieved, he wisely chose to lower his profile and let the matter pass.

“This is truly bizarre. Two civilizations living side by side for centuries, and yet one doesn’t know the other exists? How amusing,” the Captain remarked as the meeting resumed.

“The Rat Folk are lying. Their leaders clearly know about the Swarm,” Blanca said, frowning.

“Our schedule and interactions were entirely random. There’s no way they could’ve prepared in advance. And even if they had, what would they gain from this?”

“It is strange. I don’t see how this benefits them at all.”

“Ordinary citizens have no idea the Swarm exists, while their leaders are desperate to distance themselves. What exactly is going on between the Rat Folk and the Swarm?”

“Now that I think about it, the Rat Folk leaders’ behavior during the negotiations felt too deliberate. I can’t tell if they were genuinely trying to sever ties or just putting on a show.”

“Could they be staging this on purpose? But what do they want us to believe?”

“A mix of truth and lies, perhaps to make us overthink and divert our attention. It’s a classic tactic to hide something bigger.”

“That’s possible. But what is the real secret?”

“Wait!” Blanca, who had been mostly silent since the meeting began, suddenly spoke up, cutting off the discussion.

“What is it, Blanca?” the Captain asked. Blanca was a veteran team member and, in the Captain’s opinion, the second smartest person in the squad after himself.

“Have you considered that by fixating on this so-called ‘real secret,’ you’ve already been distracted?” Blanca didn’t beat around the bush and stated her point directly.

Her words hit the team like a wake-up call. They realized they had been led into a mental trap. Continuing down this path would either yield minimal results or ensnare them further in layer upon layer of misdirection.

“Damn it!” someone cursed.

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