I Am The Swarm

“Silja, are you sure about this?”

“Of course! I wouldn’t joke about something like this, especially not now,” Silja, the social relations expert, replied firmly.

The clues they had painstakingly pieced together seemed to hit another snag. If the Rat Folk’s so-called god wasn’t the Swarm, then what could it be?

“Does anyone have any other findings?” Blanca asked, her purple markings furrowing deeply in frustration. It seemed their inability to uncover the truth was due to a lack of sufficient information.

When the others shook their heads, Blanca clapped her hands to encourage them. “Don’t worry. We’ve only just accessed the Rat Folk’s intranet. We’re still unfamiliar with it, and the time we’ve had so far is far too short. It’s normal not to have any major breakthroughs yet. Keep at it.”

In the days that followed, as they delved deeper into the Rat Folk’s data, they uncovered more information bit by bit.

“I found something interesting on a rather obscure website,” Amina reported first. “It said that after the so-called divine punishment, the Rat Folk were guided by their god to survive those harsh years. However, for over ten generations, their ancestors lived underground and never saw the sunlight.”

“That sounds exaggerated. I’ve looked into their records, and while the Rat Folk have short lifespans, they still average around sixty years. If we calculate ten generations, they should’ve only recently emerged from underground,” Wright scoffed.

“Not necessarily,” Silja interjected. “I’ve found that the Rat Folk tend to be a rather precise and meticulous species. They rarely exaggerate.”

A male Ji team member nodded, his fingers dancing rapidly across the input device before him. Soon, a virtual sphere appeared on the screen.

After reviewing the data displayed, he said, “Over the past few days, with Warwick’s help, we’ve reconstructed a model of Genesis Planet. Using surveillance records, remnants on the planet’s surface, and some of the Rat Folk’s records, I’ve roughly calculated the mass, composition, velocity, and angle of the meteorite that struck Genesis Planet. After factoring in atmospheric data from a thousand years ago, the impact would’ve kicked up enough dust to block sunlight—but only for less than a century.”

Blanca nodded in satisfaction. “So, if the Rat Folk’s records are accurate, their average lifespan a thousand years ago must have been less than ten years?”

“They likely hadn’t started evolving at that point. Considering their poor medical conditions and harsh external environment, it’s possible their lifespan was that short. However, it’s rare for a species to show such drastic changes within the same lineage. I suggest examining skeletal remains from different periods to get more accurate data,” said one of the Ji team members, an expert in life sciences.

Blanca nodded again. “We’ll consider that if the opportunity arises. But I still think the Swarm must have played a role in this.”

“Highly likely,” another team member agreed. “The longevity plants from the Riken Star System were obtained from the Swarm. Additionally, records show that the Swarm Empress and a few of her ministers who’ve appeared in public haven’t aged at all. With their technology, extending the Rat Folk’s lifespan wouldn’t be an issue.”

Blanca agreed and meticulously recorded these findings, flagging the lifespan-related issue as a key point. Longevity-related topics were often prioritized in research.

If the Ji in the Riken Star System learned of this, those research fanatics might even resort to abducting Rat Folk to uncover the Swarm’s methods. After all, they had been coveting the Swarm’s technology for a long time.

“Anything else?” Blanca asked, ready to jot down additional findings.

Silja raised her hand to speak. “I’ve discovered that our assumption about the Rat Folk civilians not knowing about the Swarm is incorrect.”

“What do you mean?”

“I forged a Rat Folk identity, registered some social media accounts, and attempted to interact with Rat Folk from different social strata.”

“You didn’t outright ask them if they knew about the Swarm, did you?”

“Shut up, Wright!”

Silja rolled her eyes. “Of course not. I wasn’t that direct. I posed as a Rat Folk and asked them what they thought about ‘our colonies and fleets’.”

“What did they say?”

“They believe all of those things belong to them,” Silja shrugged. “Especially the less educated Rat Folk—they don’t care at all. Rat Folk society offers substantial welfare benefits. They can live comfortably without working, and the only thing their government requires of them is to have children.” 𝙍âƝ𝔬ᛒÈS̈

A Ji team member raised his hand to interject. “The Rat Folk government shares very little information about events beyond Genesis Planet. Only on highly specialized websites can you find details like a new colony being built or a specific ship model entering service. Moreover, the Rat Folk impose strict controls on astronomical telescopes and observation equipment, so ordinary civilians have little to no understanding of what’s happening in space.”

“Exactly,” Silja continued. “The Rat Folk I mentioned don’t care about these things. However, the well-educated Rat Folk clearly know something. When I used accounts posing as ordinary Rat Folk to talk to them, they were vague and evasive, even subtly probing for my personal information. But when I used an account posing as a senior engineer, they were more open. Although reluctant to speak much, the details in their words made it clear that they were aware of the Swarm’s existence.”

Seeing everyone intently absorbing her report, Silja added, “I believe the Rat Folk have been deliberately divided into two groups. One group remains ignorant and complacent, tasked only with increasing the population. The other group is exposed to the truth of the world.”

“Keeping the masses ignorant to avoid distractions while allowing the elite to execute plans effectively—what an intriguing system,” Blanca remarked with a click of her tongue. “The Rat Folk ruler who devised this strategy was quite visionary. Can you pinpoint when they implemented this policy?”

Art raised his hand. “Based on historical records, the Rat Folk transitioned from a confederation of nations to a unified state in less than a century. After unification, the first Empress concentrated the entire nation’s resources on developing space technology. However, curiously, after their first lunar rocket failed, there are almost no subsequent records. I used to think they abandoned their space ambitions due to resource constraints, but after hearing Silja’s findings, it seems more likely that they used that time to divide their society.”

“The first Empress?”

“Yes! A remarkable ruler who reigned for decades, founding the Kerrigan Dynasty, which continues to this day. The Rat Folk deeply revere her. It’s said that when she passed away, a blood rain fell from the sky, and they believed the heavens themselves mourned their queen.”

“What was her name?”

“That’s another peculiar point. All the records refer to her as the ‘First Empress’ or the ‘Kerrigan Empress.’ I’ve found no mention of her personal name.”

“Perhaps the Rat Folk sought to deify her, given their beliefs,” Wright scoffed dismissively. “A native ruler, no matter how impressive, is still just that—what’s the big deal?”

But Blanca fell into deep thought. “Is there anyone else in Rat Folk history granted such an honor?”

“None,” Art said with certainty after a moment of thought. Amina, also responsible for historical research, nodded in agreement.@@novelbin@@

“Interesting. I have a feeling the identity of this First Empress holds crucial information. Uncovering it might help us complete our mission more effectively.”