I Am The Swarm

The Captain switched his helmet’s vision mode once again and pulled out a two-centimeter bullet-shaped device. He activated it, linking it to his helmet. After a brief setup, Warwick’s countdown ended.

The room’s door slid open silently. As soon as a small gap appeared, the Captain flicked the device inside. Once airborne, the device transformed, extending a pair of wings and deploying a stinger from its surface. After a quick spin midair, it locked onto its target and plunged the stinger into the neck of the room’s occupant before he even realized something was happening.

By the time the door opened halfway, the Captain had already slipped inside, quickly crossing the room to catch the Rat Folk before he could hit the floor.

“All clear. Come in,” the Captain said, exhaling with relief as everything went smoothly.

The rest of the team entered the room. Some began searching for hidden documents or other confidential information, while Blanca joined the Captain. From a pouch on her belt, she retrieved a syringe and injected it into the Rat Folk’s body. Thirty seconds later, she pulled out another device, ran a few tests on the Rat Folk, and nodded at the Captain.

Understanding her signal, the Captain removed the stinger from the Rat Folk’s neck and applied a dab of milky-white ointment. The ointment quickly absorbed into the skin, healing the puncture wound left by the stinger.

Moments later, the Rat Folk groaned softly and began to wake. However, his glassy eyes made it clear he was still in an altered state.

Although the Ji primarily focused on mechanical technology, they had made considerable advancements in other fields. Developing advanced interrogation agents was no challenge for them. The one used here had no side effects, leaving the subject unaware that anything was amiss after waking.

“Your name?” Blanca asked softly as the Rat Folk regained consciousness.

“Your position?”

“Royal family, administrative officer of the Red Moon Base.”

Blanca nodded at the Captain, confirming that the information matched their prior intel. It was time to delve into the real questions.

“What is the relationship between the Rat Folk and the Swarm?”

Despite his dazed state, Keller froze noticeably. His eyelids began twitching violently, and the device monitoring his vitals started blaring alarms.

“Calm down, calm down, calm down,” Blanca repeated urgently, finally managing to soothe the trembling Rat Folk. “No good. His subconscious is resisting this question strongly. Forcing it could be dangerous.”

“Ask something else!” the Captain ordered.

Blanca nodded, her mind racing before settling on another question. “Keller, do you know the name of the First Empress?”

Keller’s reaction was even more intense this time. Blanca opened her mouth to speak, but the Captain’s eyes sharpened. “Give him another dose!”

“That could have severe consequences!” Blanca protested.

“These two questions are critical. We must get answers!”

After a brief hesitation, Blanca relented. She retrieved another syringe from her pouch and administered it. Keller’s trembling body went rigid, and foam dribbled from the corner of his mouth.

But the drug worked. “Sarah,” Keller croaked.

“What?” The Captain leaned closer, unable to catch the faint response. “Repeat that.”

“The First Empress was named Sarah Kerrigan!” Keller’s voice grew louder, and the information he provided was now complete.

The Captain quietly recorded the name, but Blanca couldn’t shake a sense of familiarity. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she clapped her hands over her mouth in shock.

The Captain quickly noticed her reaction. “What is it? What did you realize?”

Blanca steadied her nerves. “It might just be a coincidence,” she said hesitantly, though it was clear she didn’t fully believe her own words.

“What’s going on?” The Captain’s tone became stern.

Watching Blanca falter was frustrating, especially in enemy territory where every second carried significant risk. There was no time for hesitation or cryptic remarks.

Blanca shook her head to refocus. She had just pieced together several fragments of information, and the fog of mystery was beginning to lift. But the Captain’s interruption forced her back to the present. “It’s complicated. Back then—”

Before she could finish, a voice came through the comms channel. “Captain, someone’s heading your way! Looks like they’re here to see the administrative officer!”

This was the residential area, where foot traffic was relatively high. Fortunately, Keller’s quarters were in a quiet section, giving the team a small window to react.

The Captain gestured sharply, and the team quickly restored the room’s original appearance. Those searching through Keller’s belongings stopped and rearranged everything. Blanca carefully wiped the residue from Keller’s mouth and smoothed out the creases in his clothes. She then retrieved another syringe from her belt and injected it into Keller.

“Warwick, is the doorway clear?” the Captain asked.

“No, Captain. Leaving now risks detection.”

“Then I hope you’ve got another plan!”

“Three meters to the right, there’s an air duct. It’s large enough to hide you. I’ve already sent the 3D layout to your helmets.”

The Ji squad acted immediately. They activated the anti-gravity modules built into their suits, allowing them to hover. Jets of compressed gas kept them stable as they moved toward the duct.

Following Warwick’s guidance, the team quickly located the air duct. Wright extended a plasma blade about ten centimeters long and sliced through the ceiling panel. He nodded to his teammates, then grabbed the removed section and stepped aside as the others swiftly climbed into the duct.

The Captain and Blanca finished positioning Keller on his bed before slipping into the duct themselves. Wright was the last to enter. He pulled the ceiling panel up with him and held it in place while another teammate used a spray device along the cut edges. The spray released a mist of nanobots that filled the gaps and repaired the seam.

Within moments, the room looked completely untouched, showing no signs of tampering or damage.

“Warwick, can we retreat directly from here?” the Captain asked.

“The risk is too high. The air ducts are highly complex and laced with numerous standalone alarm systems. I can’t disable them all remotely.”

“Understood. Let’s hold here for now. If worse comes to worst, we’ll have to risk a retreat.”

The team nodded and maintained complete silence.

Inside the room, Keller groaned softly and sat up, looking confused. The final injection Blanca administered had accelerated his recovery and waking process while muddling his memory of the past few minutes.

Keller shook his head, glancing back at the bed as though trying to recall something. Scratching his head, he seemed lost in thought.

Hiding in the air duct, the Ji squad monitored the room’s surveillance feed on their personal terminals. Warwick had patched the live footage directly to them.

Tension filled the confined space as they watched Keller closely, hoping the two doses of interrogation serum wouldn’t cause any complications.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!