I Am The Swarm-Chapter 568: Realization

The frontline base of the Confederation forces not only imposed strict physical inspections and monitoring on members of all races but also had certain psychological requirements. Each member was required to undergo regular psychological evaluations and tests, recalling past events and often being asked unexpected questions.

If any issues, whether physical or psychological, were detected, the member would be controlled and transferred to a more secure isolation area within the Confederation forces. All of this was done to prevent the Swarm, a leader in biological technology, from carrying out the kind of operations seen in science fiction and fantasy films.

But now, had the Swarm’s methods reached a level beyond the comprehension of the Interstellar Technological Confederation? Had they managed to infiltrate the Confederation forces?

Considering the Swarm’s still-unbreakable gene locks and their mysterious multi-color encryption codes, Conradus felt that this was not impossible.

Conradus looked at his subordinates with suspicion and scrutiny. If his suspicions were correct, it meant that the Swarm’s infiltration methods were undetectable by the Confederation. This would imply that, apart from himself, everyone else, including these staff officers, could potentially be Swarm spies.

In the midst of war, surrounded by comrades who could not be trusted—was there anything more terrifying? For a moment, Conradus felt a chill run down his spine.

“No!” Conradus suddenly thought of something and dismissed his earlier speculation.

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Others might not know, but wasn’t he clear about his own situation? He knew for certain that he was not a Swarm spy. He was still himself, his consciousness normal, his values unchanged. He hadn’t been parasitized or had his thoughts influenced by anything.

Yet the fact remained that, inexplicably, his thinking had been altered. Before this, he had firmly believed in the Swarm’s so-called Stellar Bomb plan without a shred of doubt.

What was going on? Conradus began to carefully recall when he had started to believe in the Swarm’s Stellar Bomb plan.

Initially, there had been multiple speculations about the tactics the Swarm might use. But at some point, more and more people around him began to support the Stellar Bomb plan. It was during this time that he had been influenced and began to believe in it as well. He had even spread his own thoughts to others, further influencing more people.

Conradus felt a headache coming on. These actions had been his own, driven by his subjective consciousness. In the eyes of others, had he, too, become a Swarm spy?

Had he really not been influenced by the Swarm? Conradus was no longer sure. Perhaps he had been influenced without realizing it.

Or perhaps he had already noticed something was off. If he hadn’t sensed anything unusual, he wouldn’t have thought of this possibility. Could it be that the Swarm’s influence was weakening, or that his own willpower was strong enough to break free from its grip?

Conradus felt it necessary to undergo the most thorough physical examination possible to see if there was anything unusual inside his body. But then he thought, what if the Swarm’s influence strengthened again? Would he forget what he was currently thinking?

To prevent this from happening, Conradus meticulously recorded his thoughts on his personal terminal. To avoid unconsciously deleting these records, he uploaded the data to the ship’s artificial intelligence.

He also set up reminder intervals, ensuring that the AI would periodically prompt him to review the records. This way, even if he forgot something, he could be reminded by reading the records.

Furthermore, Conradus set this reminder to the highest priority, making it impossible even for him to alter it. This meant that even if he were influenced, he wouldn’t be able to delete the data. Additionally, since the Swarm followed a biological technology path, even if they could influence living beings, they should be powerless against the AI in the mechanical network.

Although the battlefield situation was ever-changing, with billions of units engaged in mutual bombardment, it would take some time to determine a victor. As the supreme commander, Conradus could step away for a short while, but not for too long.

After arranging the next few hours of work, Conradus wasted no more time. He repeatedly reminded himself to get a physical checkup to reinforce his memory and quickly made his way to the medical bay.

In his mind, if the Swarm had indeed been influencing him without his knowledge, they would surely try to stop him from uncovering the truth.

Yet, as he entered the medical bay, explained his purpose to the medical staff, and lay down in the examination machine, none of the things he feared happened. He still clearly remembered everything he had thought of earlier.

His consciousness gradually faded into darkness. To facilitate some deeper examinations and to rest briefly from the intense command duties, Conradus, with the help of the machine, entered a deep sleep state.

Time passed, and Conradus slowly opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling of the chamber, his consciousness still hazy from the deep sleep.

Suddenly, a sharp alarm rang out. It was the reminder he had set on his personal terminal. Conradus sat up and opened the notification. As he read the information, his consciousness quickly returned to full alertness.

“What are the results?” Conradus asked with a frown.

“Please wait a moment, sir,” the medical officer replied, carefully examining the data in front of him. The Rashudia’s technology was highly advanced. If there had been anything hidden in Conradus’s body or any other issues, the machine would have alerted them long ago.

But even after Conradus woke up, the machine showed no signs of activity. The medical officer was now just going through the motions, conducting a manual review as a formality.

“No issues, sir. Your body is in perfect health,” the medical officer reported. The Rashudia primarily followed a mechanical technology path, but they also had significant achievements in biological technology. Most diseases had long been eradicated at the genetic level, and even other ailments had mature solutions.

As a high-ranking member of the race, Conradus’s body would normally not experience any major issues before his death.

“Is that so?” Conradus asked again, seeking confirmation. The results were completely different from what he had imagined. His emotions were mixed—part of him hoped something would be found, while another part wished for everything to be normal.

“Yes, sir. No abnormalities were detected in your body,” the medical officer confirmed. He understood Conradus’s concerns. After all, as part of the medical system, he was well aware of the precautions taken against the Swarm.

What the medical officer didn’t understand was why Conradus, in the middle of a war, had taken the time to rush over for an additional examination. Had he discovered something?