I Am The Swarm

From the perspective of the Spore Capsule, the enormous Planet A7 loomed ahead, dominating the entire field of view. Its elliptical surface was layered with bands of various colors, resembling a multilayered cake.

A7’s rotational speed was astonishing. Despite being over a thousand times larger than the Genesis Planet, it completed one rotation in less than half the time, causing the colored bands to visibly swirl as they moved.

In the vastness of space surrounding the massive planet, several smaller, dimly lit spheres were faintly visible. One of these was growing steadily larger—the target of this Spore Capsule’s journey: A7B25.

Located in A7’s outer orbital zone, A7B25 became the first celestial body in the A7 system to be visited by the Swarm. Smaller than Yellow Moon, it was roughly one-tenth its size.

Ordinarily, the Swarm could conquer such a small satellite with a single Spore Capsule. However, for this mission, Luo Wen had decreed that every satellite, regardless of size, would receive at least two capsules for redundancy.

Inside the Spore Capsule, the propulsion system activated. Unlike the older jet-based deceleration and steering mechanisms, the Swarm had made significant technological advancements with the help of its growing number of Intelligent Entities.

This capsule featured a new hydrogen propulsion system.

Historically, Spore Capsules had been equipped with an external hydrogen balloon module. Morgan had even once used this feature to bluff Sarah into astonishment.

The upgraded system consisted of two storage chambers and a reaction chamber. One storage chamber housed special algae cells capable of generating hydrogen, while the other connected to the capsule’s internal ecological recycling system.

During operation, the chloroplasts in the ecological system released large amounts of oxygen into one chamber. Simultaneously, the other chamber produced hydrogen. These gases were fed into the reaction chamber through specialized conduits, where a chemical reaction occurred.

The reaction chamber, lined with heat-resistant and insulating materials, withstood the intense heat generated without compromising the integrity of the capsule’s other internal components.

The energy from the reaction was expelled through propulsion nozzles, enabling the Spore Capsule to fly or adjust its trajectory. Additionally, the water produced as a byproduct of the reaction was recycled back into the ecological system, ensuring resource efficiency.

Although the new propulsion system was more powerful than the older jet-based systems, it had its limitations. In space, its maximum velocity barely reached 3 km/s—just enough to escape the Moon’s gravitational pull.

This speed was far slower than Ratfolk rockets, leaving the system in an awkward position. For short-range space travel, the Swarm’s Meteor Launchers were far more efficient and reliable. For long-range journeys, despite its resource efficiency, the propulsion system’s lack of perpetual motion meant it would deplete its energy long before leaving the Genesis Solar System.

Furthermore, with the Genesis Planet’s orbital speed at 30 km/s, any such “spaceship” that left the planet’s gravitational influence would be incapable of returning under its own power.

Still, the system represented an alternate pathway. The Swarm couldn’t rely solely on ballistic launches forever; it needed conventional spacefaring technology. This propulsion system might just be the beginning of the Swarm’s journey toward functional spacecraft.

A7’s orbital positioning had delayed the launch of the Swarm Meteors until two years prior. Luo Wen assigned the hydrogen propulsion system as a deceleration mechanism for this mission, intending to evaluate its performance.

To mitigate potential risks, a second Spore Capsule equipped with the traditional jet-based deceleration system was launched for each target. This redundancy was the primary reason for the minimum of two capsules per satellite.

As the capsule approached A7B25, the lichen coating its exterior opened up preconfigured vents and observation holes. The forward vents began expelling energy, initiating deceleration.

The docking team, comprising Intelligent Entities and Blades, worked diligently. Given the vast distance between the Genesis Planet and A7, numerous variables rendered the initial calculations less precise. The team constantly recalculated the capsule’s trajectory based on live feed data and made minor adjustments using the side vents.

As the capsule neared A7B25, its velocity gradually dropped to 5 km/s. Over the next two minutes, it would decelerate further to 2 km/s, eventually colliding with the satellite at just 1 km/s.

A7B25 was a frigid world. The frost covering its surface testified to its extreme cold. Situated even farther from the star than A6, it was unsurprising that A7B25 was essentially a frozen wasteland.

The landing proceeded without incident. With the Swarm’s prior experience on planets like A4 and A6, the operation had become routine. Apart from the need to significantly reduce speed for ice-covered worlds, there were few special considerations.

Upon impact, shards of ice and rock flew in all directions. The front half of the capsule’s lichen structure was obliterated, but the interior remained intact.

Moments later, the Fungal Carpet seeds were ejected and activated. Once they connected to the Swarm Network, the landing was declared a success. The seeds of a Swarm base had been sown, ready to expand and grow.

Not long after, the second Spore Capsule equipped with the jet-based deceleration system landed 200 kilometers away. Its Fungal Carpet seeds also successfully connected to the network.

The Intelligent Entities in the docking team collectively sighed in relief, while the Blades remained emotionless.

In the following hours, Spore Capsules successfully landed on A7B3, A7B7, A7B9, A7B15, A7B21, and A7B23.

Remarkably, several of these satellites had thin atmospheres—likely a result of A7’s immense gravitational influence. However, the atmospheres were too sparse to hinder the landings.

Even more astonishing were the abundant water resources discovered on the satellites. On A7B15, for instance, the Fungal Carpet’s roots penetrated just 10 meters of rock before reaching vast reserves of liquid water.

The presence of such water allowed the Fungal Carpet to proliferate rapidly, accelerating the establishment of Swarm bases.

With the satellites secured, the main event awaited: the landing of fifteen Spore Capsules on A7 itself within the next hour.

Luo Wen reassigned members from teams that had completed their tasks to reinforce the groups managing the capsules bound for A7. Landing on a gas giant of such size was uncharted territory for the Swarm, and the operation would undoubtedly generate a wealth of data. Adequate manpower was essential to handle the unprecedented challenges ahead.

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