Cosmic Insect Swarm - 3
Ratan Planet Defense Command. Generals in uniform scrutinized a hologram depicting the planet. Rows of people sat with neural interface helmets on, monitoring the planet's interior, while periodic announcements from the planetary defense AI echoed from another area.
Planetary defense network operating normally.
Current planetary stability: Maximum grade maintained.
No spatial distortion detected.
This was where Yuna had been summoned due to the Level 3 alert imposed on a fringe planet of the Super Galactic Empire Federation.
Thud. A black-haired beauty plopped down on a small sofa in one corner of the command center and let out a long yawn. Her face was full of boredom, tedium, and annoyance.
Whispering Star Cluster asks if this is a serious situation.
"It is a serious situation... but the Cosmic Insect Swarm was spotted pretty far away."
Ratan Planet was on the federation's outskirts, but not that remote. It belonged to a star system at a reasonable distance from the true edge.
"We're barely on the edge of the area projected to be affected by the Cosmic Insect Swarm. If even a single egg lands here, it'd be a disaster, but surely..."
Whispering Star Cluster says it saw a Cosmic Insect egg escaping the fleet's attack.
"Yeah... that could happen. Operating a fleet isn't cheap, after all. Their firepower might've fallen a bit short..."
She paused mid-conversation, her eyes trembling slightly. What now?
"Huh?! But aren't constellations only able to view federation star systems? I thought the extermination op was in deep space?"
Whispering Star Cluster says it modified the AI info body provided to constellations.
"Wha— Galaxy spirits can do that kinda stuff?! Ah, well, makes sense since Silent Starlight made it."
Yuna was flustered by the revelation that the constellation had tweaked the AI info body to peer beyond deep space. It only now hit her—constellations' info was more public than she'd realized. With so many avatars contracted to them in this galaxy... Of course it was all over the internet; this wasn't the Middle Ages.
"I hear lots of constellations complained about the features, but not a single one could touch it until now..."
Even Silent Starlight probably couldn't make one. The AI info body was the work of an Outer God—like carving a soap bubble into a star shape, the pinnacle of power control. No mere galaxy spirit could pull off that feat.
At that moment, a Defense Command staffer monitoring the planetary hologram shouted.
"Unidentified object approaching the planet at high speed! Estimated arrival in about 4 minutes—projected impact at the heart of Delta-4 Sector in the southern continent!"
"Wha...! A Cosmic Insect? Four minutes? That's insane! Not enough time to vaporize it in the atmosphere..."
"They're getting smarter. Another mutant?!"
"Multiple stealth functions detected on the unidentified lifeform! Wave absorption membrane, resonance suppression, thermal signature absorption organs confirmed!"
"Definitely a mutant Cosmic Insect egg. Yuna, apostle, please prepare as discussed."
The apostle stood with a quiet response. The hologram manipulated by the staff showed a round object. The AI info body displayed a white egg hurtling toward the planet—a spherical mass the size of a decent city. Inside lurked a horrific monster, a Cosmic Insect. One drop could wipe out nearby cities—a catastrophe.
"Issue evacuation orders and disaster alerts now! What about high-yield weapons to pierce the insect's carapace?"
"If it hits a residential core, most heavy weapons are restricted. Can't shell a city. But if civilian evac is quick..."
The command center grew frantic. Yuna donned combat gear and moved out with the troops. The AI info body fixed on her in one panel and zoomed in on the target city in another.
* * *
Inside a small transport shuttle belonging to the Planetary Defense Force. Yuna, clad in form-fitting black gear, listened to a man's briefing. The troops around her injected enhancers, donned assist gear, and prepped for battle—making her look strangely out of place.
"Even for a Cosmic Insect, crashing at that speed would cause massive damage. It'll definitely slow down before impact using mutant psionics. That's our window for the military to draw its attention. To minimize civilian casualties, we need to..."
"Got it. I'll make it happen somehow."
Monsters using bizarre powers was common knowledge: high-speed movement, phasing through objects, mind control, immunity to physical interference. Lumped together as "psionics," but different from constellation-granted power?
"Does the falling one have confirmed psionics?"
"Yes. Likely mutated by malignant constellation influence or commanded by a superior specimen... Anyway, the situation's urgent. Apostle, please draw the insect's aggro and buy time."
Hold on. Last time, that ghost-like water wraith Yuna caught was also immune to physical attacks. Psionics fused with evolution? Or meddling by federation-hating constellations? Intriguing either way.
"Fortunately, your power scale and output are enough to grab the insect's attention..."
This dimension had planet-eating monsters prowling my body too. They burst when I focused, but I didn't spawn them. I'd thought such history-tied beasts were amusing creations by that dimension's Outer Gods. Guess my hypothesis was wrong. Whether they spawn naturally remains to be seen. If monster-begets-monster cycles persist, some might evolve to new heights or produce variants. The federation housing my apostles might be at risk.
* * *
Ratan Planet, Delta-4 Sector. A bustling metropolis, a proper big city teeming with life.
Weeeeeeng—
The alarm pierced the peaceful daily routines.
The sudden broadcast shattered the calm. Frowning civilians soon spotted the shadow blanketing part of the city—a white egg plummeting down.
Shoooooo—
"W-what the hell!"
"A real Cosmic Insect?! Why our planet..."
"Kyaaaaah!!!"
The massive egg hurtled down at terrifying speed, as if to crush everything. Covered in cracks from orbital attacks, it looked fragile enough to shatter at a touch. Yet its size rivaled a small city's diameter.
Just before the cataclysmic impact that would erase the area, the falling egg slowed dramatically in midair. As if giving whatever was inside time to emerge.
"Combat Roster E Company, scramble! Draw its eyes here!"
"Descent slowing! Railguns, fire!"
"Target the moment the mutant manifests psionics!"
Boom boom!! Kaboom!
Troops swarmed from all sides, hammering the egg with weapons, but too late.
KieeeEEEEEE!!!
Defying gravity, the egg halted in the air and shattered in an instant. The Cosmic Insect burst forth with a deafening screech. Its visible body spanned kilometers, back studded with thousands of spore organs. Viscous, dark-red slime drooled from its maw.
It crashed into the city heart.
Krummmble BOOM!!! Rummmble...
Screams, troop shouts, and explosions drowned in the city's collapse. Gray polyseramic panels shattered instantly; elastic magnetic particle high-rises crumbled. Overwhelming mass and grotesque fluids demolished human civilization.
The insect gaped its hideous maw wide and chomped. An entire residential block housing hundreds vanished into its gut. Destruction worthy of the name disaster.
Then, something dropped from the sky, slamming into the insect's eye.
Shwoooom—
KABOOM!!
KieeeEEEE!!!
One of its dozens of eyes, but it hurt—the insect howled in agony. Green fluids sprayed everywhere.
Some stared up in confusion. What they saw: a black-haired woman pummeling the monster's head alone. Like a superhero from a movie. A comic panel turned real.
A lone hero charging a beast meant for armies.
"Apostle Yuna, entering the fray!"
Only then did Ratan's people remember.
"A—an apostle!"
"Right... our planet has one too..."
Catching monsters was always the apostles' job.