I Am The Swarm-Chapter 627: Intelligence

As a collection of code, Lumina serves as an impartial and rigid enforcer and witness. While it inspires a certain level of wariness, this wariness remains superficial. All its taboos are laid out clearly, visible to all. As long as one does not violate these rules, the presence of Lumina can bring a sense of security to many.

However, if Lumina were truly aware of and involved in this matter, things would take a strange turn. A rigid enforcer of rules, if capable of adapting to circumstances and exercising flexibility, would no longer be a mere collection of code. It would signify that Lumina had developed the ability to think, possessing intelligence—a hallmark of sentient beings.

As the saying goes, “You may know a person’s face, but not their heart.” As a sentient being capable of thought, its mind would become complex, and its actions would become unpredictable.

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If it were just an ordinary sentient being with limited resources, the threat it posed would be minimal. But what is Lumina? It controls more than half of the Ji race’s mechanisms of violence. This level of power would allow many of its ideas to materialize. If, on top of intelligence, it also developed emotions, the situation would become even more dire.

Emotions are a double-edged sword. They can be optimistic and uplifting, or they can be depressive and pessimistic. If a destructive personality were to emerge, things could get very interesting.

If this were true, and Luo Wen were to reveal it, the Confederation would likely descend into chaos. After all, “If they are not of our kind, their hearts must be different.” Compared to Lumina, all other foreign races could be considered kin, as they are all organic entities, fundamentally different from the ethereal existence of Lumina.

The many member races of the Confederation have evolved from primitive life forms to their current state. Although they may have received some external assistance along the way, their essence remains unchanged. This makes them highly demanding in terms of their living environments—temperature, air composition, and so on. They are also vulnerable to external threats such as bacteria and high-energy radiation, making them quite fragile.

The reason the Swarm has become a target of hostility is that, compared to the member races of the Confederation, the Swarm’s survival capabilities are too strong. Not only do they have minimal requirements for their living environment, but they also possess strong resistance to external threats. They can even survive directly in the vacuum of space, something many races find unimaginable.

This adaptability gives the Swarm a significant advantage in the struggle for survival. Things that are considered taboo by others are of little consequence to the Swarm. Lacking such constraints, this uniqueness naturally invites hostility from other sentient beings.

For example, in the early days of civilization, nations deterred each other with nuclear weapons. Because of this mutual fear, relative peace was maintained. But if a species emerged that not only feared neither the explosive power of such weapons nor their residual effects, and even thrived on them, the existing species would likely unite to counter this new threat.

Even if the new species were benevolent, it wouldn’t matter. This isn’t an issue of subjective good or evil; it’s a matter of self-preservation for the less evolved species, defending their living environment and space.

No matter how these complex reasons are dressed up with high-intelligence diplomacy or other excuses, they cannot negate this fundamental truth.

The Confederation is unaware of Luo Wen’s existence. If we compare the Swarm to Lumina, the latter poses a far greater threat to the various races of the Confederation.

No matter how different the Swarm’s biological makeup may be, it is still a carbon-based life form. But what is Lumina? A nebulous network lifeform? Its manifestation in the physical world is mechanical bodies, intelligent machines, warships, and cannons? In a sense, Lumina’s life form bears some resemblance to Luo Wen’s. However, Luo Wen has remained hidden from the beginning, while Lumina has been in the public eye since its inception.

People understand it well, even its underlying code, much of which is no secret. Precisely because of this, they also understand how terrifying and powerful Lumina would be if it were to develop intelligence and emotions.

Luo Wen shook his head. The information he had just speculated on was vast, and perhaps the situation wasn’t as he had imagined. If this were merely Lumina acting alone in secret, Luo Wen might have been able to confirm his suspicions on the spot.

But now, others are involved in this matter. Luo Wen isn’t sure how many people are involved, but at the very least, Elder Sade is among them.

As a distinguished elder of the Ji race, Luo Wen finds it hard to believe that Elder Sade would be unaware if Lumina had undergone any changes. Elder Sade, being a participant in the events, would likely have a clearer understanding and reach the above conclusions sooner than Luo Wen, who is merely a distant observer.

Although Elder Sade is a member of the Inheritor Faction of the Ji race, which advocates for friendly relations with Artificial Intelligence, this does not extend to sentient lifeforms. There is a vast difference between Artificial Intelligence and sentient lifeforms. The former is merely a program with more refined algorithms and comprehensive big data, while the latter is a different kind of lifeform capable of thought and emotion.

The difference between the two is as vast as that between an animal rights protector and an alien lifeform. The animal, or whatever it may be, is within their understanding. They stand at a higher, more superior level, offering charity from a position of strength. Even if an animal, such as a lion, could kill them, it cannot completely erase this sense of superiority.

But now, this animal has been replaced by an alien with a completely different form of life, one that is at a higher and more superior level than them.

Luo Wen does not believe that the so-called Inheritor Faction cannot distinguish between these differences. Originally, the factions were divided over issues like whether cities should allow dogs or not. But if dogs were suddenly transformed into super-strong and intelligent dog people with the potential to enslave them, even the most staunch dog lovers could not equate local canines with alien dog people.

Luo Wen believes that even a three-year-old in the interstellar age would understand this. Elder Sade, being no exception, must also be aware. Yet, there has been no reaction from within the Ji race, which might prove that his earlier speculation was incorrect.