I Am The Swarm-Chapter 671: The Choice

The Knox squad made a choice, but not everyone would make the same decision. Knox and his team were just one of many Z-series robot control squads. There were always some who believed they could become heroes and turn the tide.

“Squad leader, what do we do now?” Almost identical questions arose in a cabin identical to the one where Knox and his team had awakened, following the assembly broadcast.

This was one of the many ordinary, standard warships in the Komok fleet, unremarkable in every way. Yet, it also carried several Z-series squads, and the team in this room was clearly one of them.

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“What do you all think?” Like Knox, this squad leader also sought the opinions of his team when it came to decisions that would affect everyone’s fate.

“I think we should go to the assembly. It’s the captain’s order, after all.”

“Although as soldiers, we must follow orders from our superiors, I feel that the captain might have been forced to issue that command. So, whether we should obey it is debatable.”

“But even if we don’t comply, what can we do? We couldn’t fight the Swarm earlier, and now, without the bridge’s command and information support, it’s even more impossible.”

“However, if we go, we’ll truly have no other options. Without our weapons, we’ll be like lambs waiting for slaughter. I’d rather die in battle than be in a situation where we’re helpless, like chickens or ducks waiting to be butchered.”

“Maybe the Swarm won’t do anything to us?”

“Have you forgotten what the records say about how brutal the Swarm is?”

“But those are just Confederation propaganda. This is our first real encounter with the Swarm.”

“I’d rather believe the Confederation’s records than gamble on the Swarm’s morality. A race that uses beasts to fight—I doubt they even have a true societal structure. How could savages like them understand what civilization is?”

“Are our mechanical robots any more advanced? Those Z2s are just metal spiders. Does that make us inferior?”

“Hmph, there’s a clear difference between machinery and flesh.”

“You’re beyond saving. How can you slander a race with such advanced combat capabilities based on just a few records?”

This squad clearly lacked someone like Gale—strong, rational, and capable of keeping the team in line. As soon as the discussion began, two team members started arguing before anyone else could speak.

“Enough! Don’t waste time on irrelevant topics. We don’t have much time left; we need to make a decision quickly.” Finally, someone stepped in to steer the conversation back on track.

“I think we should hide. Not because I don’t trust the Swarm or the captain, but because the Swarm won’t be able to figure out how many of us are on the ship in such a short time. That means they won’t know we exist based on numbers alone.”

“The captain and the mainframe have the crew’s roster.”

“If we were dealing with a mechanical civilization more advanced than us, or even on par with us, that would indeed be risky. They could use various methods to extract the data they want from our mainframe. But the Swarm is different. Their path makes them powerful, but it also means they might not have that capability.”

“That’s just your speculation. Maybe the Swarm has its own way of infiltrating the mainframe. Or maybe they have those mind-controlling bugs from the movies to extract information from the captain.”

“That’s also just your speculation…”

“True, but the Swarm are experts in biological technology. Who knows if they have something like that?”

“Alright, regardless, we’re all just speculating. With limited information, we have to take a gamble. If we go to the assembly, we lose all possibilities. But if we stay out here, even if we’re useless, there’s still a chance for something else.”

“How do we hide? We don’t know where on the ship it is absolutely safe. And those Swarm creatures could be anywhere; we wouldn’t even notice them. If we’re exposed, we’re in danger.”

“No, while it’s true we can’t detect them, I do know one place where they definitely aren’t.”

“Where?”

“Right here, in this room.”

“You mean…?”

“Exactly. This room is definitely free of them.”

“That’s not certain. Maybe they’re somewhere in the room, watching us. And the only reason they haven’t attacked is because we surrendered.”

“Alright, nothing is absolute, but the possibility you’re suggesting is incredibly slim, almost zero. Think about it: after receiving the captain’s broadcast, we exited the control mode and opened the control pods. From the moment we woke up until now, we can be sure that no Swarm units have entered this room.”

Seeing the others nod in agreement, the team member continued, “And before that, we were in combat with the Swarm. If there had been Swarm units in this room at that time, we would have been killed already. After all, while in control mode, we were completely defenseless.”

“But there’s still a possibility: the Swarm could have entered this room earlier but didn’t know what the control pods were, so they didn’t discover us lying inside. And when we got up, the fighting had already stopped, so they didn’t attack us.”

“Alright, that’s a possibility, but it’s still extremely low. Now is the time we need to take a gamble. If we go to the assembly, we’re out of time; we need to leave now. If we decide to seek more possibilities, then we should hide back in the control pods. We can even link up to the Z-robots and perform some operations. Even if they’re destroyed, it won’t affect us.”

“Then let’s vote.” The squad leader glanced at the timer. There was no more time for discussion; they had to make a decision now.

The result of the vote was unexpected. A full Z-series squad had twelve members. Perhaps it was distrust of the Swarm, or a desire to maintain more control over their fate. Or maybe it was just a hero complex, seeking that slim chance to turn the tide.

In the end, the vote was 7 to 5, with the majority supporting staying in the room.

The squad leader looked up at the team, nodded silently, and was the first to lie back down in his control pod. The lid closed soundlessly, and the room returned to silence.