Episode 68: The Economy of War and the Thinking Swarm

I’m incredibly sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.

Updates are officially back on the menu. However, my work schedule is looking a bit monstrous, so daily updates might be a tall order. I hope you’ll bear with me.

In the lounge of the cruiser Plum, Teiro was currently doing his best impression of a discarded rug. He sprawled across the sofa, clawing at his hair in a fit of frustration.

"I don't even know what's what anymore!" he groaned.

Marl, slumped beside him, let out a sigh that could have deflated a starship. "You and me both," she muttered.

"Ultimately, corporate warfare is nothing more than an aggressive extension of a board meeting," Koume said, standing perfectly upright beside Teiro. "There is no inherent hatred for the opponent, nor is there friction caused by cultural divergence. Such things may act as a spark, but they are rarely the fuel."

Teiro gave a non-committal nod. "I get it in my head, sure. But still."

As far as the Empire was concerned, as long as a war stayed within the "approved" corporate sandbox, it was just background noise for everyone else. While humanity occasionally bumped heads with other species, this particular conflict was strictly an internal affair.

Dingo was a Wing, sure, but his lifestyle and culture weren't exactly alien. According to Dr. Argimov, his people were just a stabilized branch of human mutants. They were basically cousins who happened to have a very different aesthetic.

"But still," Teiro grumbled, "shaking hands with a guy who was trying to space us last week? That’s… well, it’s a lot to process emotionally, you know?"

"I’m having a hard time flipping the 'friend' switch too," Marl admitted. "Maybe I’m just being childish, but it feels wrong. What did Alan have to say about it?"

"He said it all comes down to the EAP’s next move. According to him, Dingo was right—we don't have to be best buddies, and the deal itself isn't half bad."

"True. It’s the logical conclusion, I guess." Marl sighed again, sounding far older than her years. She poked at a piece of chicken—or, more accurately, a slab of synthetic meat that looked like it had once considered being a chicken—before dropping it back onto her tray. She slumped back into the cushions, looking utterly stuffed.

"Careful. My grandma used to say if you lie down right after eating, you’ll turn into a cow," Teiro teased with a smirk.

Marl blinked at him, her expression completely blank. "What’s a 'cow'?"

Right. Space. No livestock. Note to self: explain cheeseburgers later.

After leaving Alpha Station, Teiro and the crew pushed hard along the Route they had pioneered.

It would be a while before the EAP's scheduled trade vessels entered the Alpha Star System’s comms range, making it impossible to get a live feed to Rin. For now, they were stuck with the galactic equivalent of snail mail—emails with a massive time lag. It wasn’t exactly ideal for discussing high-stakes interstellar politics.

"They’ve already got Directional Beacons set up," Marl noted, looking at the scanners. "That makes things a whole lot easier."

The beacons scattered along the Route were pulsing out high-powered coordinate signals, which the Plum was slurping up with ease.

"Indeed, Miss Marl," Koume chirped. "Our jump calculation stability has increased by approximately 122%. EAP intelligence also suggests they are planning regular dispersion of Drive Particles in the near future."

Teiro whistled. "That’s some big-budget infrastructure right there. What’s the price tag on a project like that?"

"It is still in the estimation phase, but we are looking at several billion to several tens of billions of Credits, Mr. Teiro. It will likely be a joint venture led by the EAP."

"They might even put a Stargate here eventually," Marl added. "If that happens, we could zip back and forth in a fraction of the time."

Even though the Route was brand new, the corporations—led by the EAP—were developing the hell out of it. When Teiro’s crew had first blazed this trail, it had been a void devoid of anything more complex than a dust bunny. Now, they were actually having to watch out for Work Ships and freighters.

It was a rough neighborhood in the outer reaches, and the Route was still twitchy, so the companies moving in were mostly the scrappy, "creative" types or small-time entrepreneurs. The whole place felt like a gold rush—dirty, dangerous, and buzzing with energy.

"Beginning our final jump, Mr. Teiro," Koume announced. "The ship has locked onto the beacon for Katsushika Star System Stargate 4."

Teiro nodded and braced himself for the inevitable "jump sickness." He squeezed his eyes shut as the familiar, nauseating sensation of weightlessness washed over him. A few moments later, the stars snapped back into place. They were home.

"Mr. Teiro! It’s been too long! You look well!"

Rin greeted them in the same reception room as before, a wide smile plastered across his face.

"Yo," Teiro replied with a grin of his own. Marl and Koume waved from behind him, everyone happy to see a friendly face.

"Not that much time has passed, but how’s the world treating you? Dingo filled our ears with all sorts of rumors," Teiro said.

A subordinate ushered Teiro toward a sofa. He reached for a glass of mineral water on the table; it had been infused with a citrus scent that smelled suspiciously like progress.

"Yes, well… nothing is set in stone yet, but the situation is… unfavorable," Rin said, his smile faltering. He nodded to one of his staff. "If you would?"

The subordinate nodded. "Pardon me."

A massive screen on the wall flickered to life, displaying a star map color-coded in vibrant blues and ominous reds.

"The red zones represent the areas bordering the Enzio Alliance," Rin explained, pointing to the map. "As you can see, it’s a staggering amount of territory."

Nearly a quarter of the EAP’s total space was bathed in red. Teiro grimaced. It was a defender’s nightmare. The frontline was just too long.

"So the Enzio Alliance is that coalition of four Alliances we heard about? Have they officially declared war yet?" Teiro asked.

"Not yet. But they are massing fleets near the Alliance Boundary Line. You can't hide a military buildup of that scale. It’s not a matter of 'if,' but 'when.'"

"But why?" Marl asked, tilting her head. "Bella said they shouldn't even be able to sustain a war anymore."

Rin sighed, looking conflicted. "Well, about that…" He tapped at a terminal, bringing up a list of economic data. "This is data gathered by the EAP Intelligence Department—though frankly, it’s so blatant it’s practically public knowledge. This is the economic breakdown of the four Alliances."

Teiro stared at the charts for a few seconds. He didn't need a degree in macroeconomics to see the red flag.

"This is insane," Teiro said. "Is their entire economy just… guns?"

"Precisely," Rin replied. "The four Alliances have been in a state of constant warfare for twelve years. There were lulls, of course, but over a decade of conflict has warped their entire societal structure."

"I see," Marl whispered. "In other words, if they stop fighting, their entire economy collapses like a house of cards."

Teiro let out a dark, dry chuckle. "What a bunch of jerks. They can't figure out how to win their own war, so they’re going to drag everyone else into the meat grinder just to keep the lights on?"

"That seems to be the gist of it," Rin said. "But that isn't our only problem. Hartmann, show them the footage."

The man named Hartmann nodded and pulled up a Tactical Radar Screen. It was a view Teiro knew all too well. On the screen, icons representing ships were dancing in a complex, deadly ballet.

"The blue icons are EAP," Teiro noted. "Is the red Dingo’s fleet?"

Rin shook his head. Before he could speak, Koume stepped forward.

"Negative, Mr. Teiro," she said, her voice devoid of its usual cheer. "The opponent is almost certainly the WIND."

The room went silent. Even Rin looked impressed that she had called it so quickly.

"Wait, Koume," Marl said, her voice trembling. "I don't believe it. Look at them..."

Teiro looked back at the screen, his brow furrowed. He saw what Marl was seeing, and a cold chill ran down his spine.

"They're moving in formations," Teiro whispered. "Are those really the WIND?"

"Yes," Rin said heavily. "Unbelievable, right? I thought the report was a prank when I first saw it. But Koume, I’m curious—how did you know?"

Koume’s chest puffed out just a tiny bit with pride. "The movement patterns, Mr. Rin. There is no fear. There is no hesitation. Those are biological responses unique to sentient, individualistic beings."

She pointed to a cluster of red dots.

"The movements are monotonous, yes, but they are clearly acting with a unified, singular intent. In this instance, they are concentrating fire on the EAP's left wing with zero regard for their own casualties. It is… extremely efficient."

Teiro swallowed hard. Hearing Koume use the words "extremely efficient" felt like a death sentence.

"This is bad," Teiro muttered to the empty air. "The bugs… they’re learning tactics?"

Silence reclaimed the room. On the screen, the EAP eventually managed to drive them off, but the blue icons were few and far between. It was a pyrrhic victory at best.

"Teiro," Marl whispered, reaching for his hand. "I’m scared."

Teiro didn't answer. He just nodded, his grip tightening on hers. He couldn't find the words to comfort her, because for the first time in a long time, he was absolutely terrified too.