Storm Strider

Marisol had heard of ‘Swarmsteel’ before, of course—some sort of magical equipment made from the parts of dead giant insects—but as a desert bumpkin who’d never participated in any of the humans versus giant insect wars, she’d never actually seen one before.

Let alone one that swallowed itself, ate into her nape, and was now manifesting as some sort of spirit bug in front of her eyes.

[Greetings, Marisol Vellamira,] the bug said, waving one of its legs at her. [I am designated ‘Archive’, your personal bug assistant, here to support your integration with the Altered Swarmsteel System. This vessel will sink in thirty minutes, and if you do not leave before then, you will die. Would you like to choose from one of four insect classes?]

And there was one appropriate response.

“... Ew!”

Her mama’s bug-smashing sandal skills were hereditary; she swatted the tiny black bug off her shoulder so hard it made a little splat against the wall, but the metallic voice clicked its tongue in her head. She tried to glance at her own nape to no avail, and by the time she turned back around, in full-fledged panic mode, the bug had reappeared on the floor in front of her.

It waved its legs at her again, although its jerky motions made her feel it was just a tad bit pissed off.

[I understand you must be very confused. However, you are not currently in a situation where you are allowed to panic,] it said, its voice bouncing around her ears. [You must remain calm. Remember your mama’s teachings. Come a blizzard or a sandstorm, a Sand-Dancer must–]

“Comport herself with the utmost dignity,” she breathed, eyes going wide; then she scrambled onto her knees, peering down at the little black bug with her brows furrowed. “You’re not real. You have no weight. You’re… some kind of sand mirage. How are you–”

[Swarmsteel are ‘magical’ equipment created from the parts of dead insects, and I am the most advanced Swarmsteel there is. The wandering bug-slayers call us ‘Altered Swarmsteel Systems’, but you can call me ‘Archive’, an artificial lifeform created to assist its user in all things related to slaying giant bugs,] it said, dodging to the right as she tried to poke it with her finger. [Antonio Saranno was my previous user. Unfortunately, he has perished in battle. Now, it is your turn to perish, but if you do not want that to happen, please refrain from interrupting any further. I shall proceed to explain your current situation.]

A talking ‘artificial lifeform’, she thought, pulling back reluctantly as she nodded slowly. I thought Swarmsteel were just swords and armour made from giant insects. To think there are people out there who can make worms that can talk–

[You have forfeited all mental privacy rights the moment you integrated with me,] the Archive said suddenly, making her freeze. [Worry not, Marisol. I will not judge your thoughts. Neither of us can afford to do so—as of this moment, a twenty-metre-class leviathan is swimming below our vessel. Left unchecked for thirty more minutes, it will eventually deduce there are no remaining fighters on board and proceed to sink the entire vessel. You are two thousand and forty-one metres away from the continent’s shoreline where you set sail from. If you are stranded out here on a plank of wood, you will die.]

The fact that the worm in her nape was talking to her still had her a little stunned, but she managed to nod, breaths quickening.

“Got it,” she breathed. “Big water insect under ship. Far from shore. It’s stormy and the waves are strong outside, so we ain’t gonna last five minutes as sitting ducks.”

[Correct,] the Archive said. [If I were not here, your chances of survival would have been zero. The backup rowboats have all been destroyed, and the sails are all torn. You cannot sail this broken vessel by yourself. However, Antonio Saranno requested I integrate with you as his dying wish, so I must comply according to the Hasharana Code. To that extent, the breadth of assistance I can offer is allowing you to choose your own insect class, of which there are four. Now, please–]

“Stop.” She raised a palm, placing her other hand over her mouth as she suddenly felt a bit seasick; the waves were rocking the ship hard. “I know the Hasharana… are, like, bug-slayers who go around the continent soloing giant bugs, but ain’t nothing more than that. Don’t give me options to save myself when I don’t even know how the word ‘option’ is even spelled in your tongue.”

The little bug dipped its head apologetically. [Then, for a brief explanation: do you know how humanity has been waging war against the Swarm so far?]

“Yeah. We eat… we eat the flesh of insects we kill, and that mutates our bodies to gain those same insect traits,” she said hesitantly. “If you have a ‘system’, you can control how your mutations manifest, so the more insect flesh you eat, the stronger you are. That’s about it, right?”

[That is the gist of it. The presence of a system converts all consumed biomass into ‘points’, and you use those points to increase your attribute levels and unlock new mutations. What mutations you are allowed to unlock are based on your insect class,] it added, raising its head to stare at her with beady black eyes. [Typically, the system chooses your class for you at the moment of integration, and the class you get depends on a variety of factors: your physiology, the environment you grew up in, your dietary habits, and your idiosyncratic preferences, et cetera. Your assigned class should, theoretically, be the most fitting for you, but it appears you are a little… special.]

The Archive paused for a moment, but she tilted her head and picked it up immediately.

“You’re offering to let me choose from four insect classes instead,” she said. “Why?”

[... You have equal aptitudes with the four insect classes I am about to let you choose from,] it said, after a bit of thinking. [It is already quite rare that a single person can choose between two classes, let alone four. You must have lived a colourful life and accrued a variety of physiological experiences.]

She managed a small, cheery smile. “Thank you. But I’m only a humble Sand-Dancer from the middle of nowhere, and the most peculiar thing about me is my bloodline. My parents hail from the far west, so they’re attuned to the seas, but I grew up in the sands–”

[I know that much from reading your memories, yes. Three of the four classes I am about to offer you are based on desert insects. Without concern for why you are special at the moment, shall I list out your options? We do not have much time left—the vessel will sink in approximately twenty-seven minutes.]

The mental timer wasn’t helping soothe her nerves, but if the Archive’s intention was to have her make a decision quickly, then it was a working strategy. She sat up straight on her knees, folded her hands in her laps, and bit her lips as she nodded down at the little bug.

“Tell me.”

The Archive nodded back. [First, a brief introduction to class selection. The moment you pick and confirm a class, you cannot revert the decision, and I will begin rearranging myself to unlock the specific mutation tree for your selected class. Under normal circumstances, I would have you think long and hard about which class you want to pick, but I can also offer recommendations if you have no particular preference.]

“Got it. Anything else?”

[Second, the moment you confirm a class, the tier one core mutation—the most basic ability specific to your class—will begin manifesting on your body,] it continued. [It might be a painful process depending on what you mutate. Please prepare and brace yourself for the minor inconvenience. I can assure your safety throughout the mutation process, so there is no need to concern yourself over your potential demise–]

“Just hurry. What classes am I allowed to pick?”

The little bug waved one of its forelegs, and a series of black boxes lined with white edges flashed into existence, hovering next to her head. She winced and reeled back from the sudden light, almost toppling over as the ship rocked hard right again—the Archive vanished from the floorboards and reappeared crawling on the floating box furthest on the left, tapping its leg at the words on top.

[Option #1: Desert Locust]

[Brief Description: Short-horned, highly mobile, long-winged—the desert locust is capable of rapid adaptation in response to changes in the environment. By itself, a desert locust is not capable of doing much damage, but in groups of up to a thousand desert locusts, gregarious behaviour will emerge and enhance the physiology of the entire group]

[If you pick the ‘Desert Locust’ class, the tier one core mutation you will immediately unlock is ‘Migratory Wings’, which will mutate wings between your shoulder blades and allow you to fly downwind at speeds of up to fifty kilometres an hour,] the Archive added, crawling down to highlight every written line in the description box. [As the storm is currently blowing back towards the continent, even an inexperienced flyer like you will easily be able to return to the shoreline. It is not the most powerful individual insect class, but I recommend the desert locust if you wish to return home.]

She blinked. Being able to grow wings and fly immediately sounded like a great option already, to the point she wasn’t even sure if she had to hear the other options. What more could she want from a beginner mutation?

She came from a cheap household. She couldn’t ask for more–

[Option #2: Giant Mesquite Bug]

[Brief Description: Muted colouration, complex patterning, highly defensive—the giant mesquite bug is the largest flying insect within the order of ‘True Bugs’. It employs noxious chemicals for defence that can kill even mantids and tarantulas, while also possessing muted colouration for camouflage and heavy chitin scales for armour. A giant mesquite bug is a flying fortress]

[If you pick the ‘Giant Mesquite Bug’, the tier one core mutation is ‘Armoured Wings’, which will mutate two sets of giant wings between your shoulder blades. The hard forewings known as ‘elytra’ will protect the membranous flight wings underneath, allowing you to fly downwinds at speeds of up to twenty kilometres an hour,] the Archive continued. [Considering the violent force of the cutting winds, having armoured wings will prove to be extremely useful. While further mutations would make you bulkier and more sluggish, I can recommend the giant mesquite bug if you wish for ultimate safety.]

There were small blueprint-like diagrams under each of the description boxes so she could see what each insect looked like, and, in all honesty, she didn’t even think the giant mesquite bug looked that sluggish. It might be big, sure, but the vibrant colours on its leg segments and the diamond patterns on its wings made her wonder if she’d look just as pretty if she unlocked the further mutations. The kids back home would love her dancing with a bunch of new colours.

But now she knew. The other options were just as good as the first. For her third option–

[Option #3: Tarantula Hawk Wasp]

[Brief Description: Long body, bright wings, incredibly painful—the ‘Tarantula Hawk Wasp’ has one of the most painful stings in the entire world. Its long blue-black bodies and bright orange wings are designed to ward off insects far larger than itself, but if a predator gets close, it strikes with a paralysing sting that is often described as ‘electric’. A tarantula hawk wasp is the ultimate defensive wasp]

[And for your final option, the tier one core mutation of the ‘Tarantula Hawk Wasp’ is ‘Aposematic Wings’, which will mutate brightly coloured wings between your shoulder blades and allow you to fly downwind at speeds up to seventy kilometres an hour,] the Archive finished, jumping onto the diagram of the final hovering box. [While this is typically a class chosen only by bug-slayers, owing to its incredibly powerful stinger mutations, its wings are still good enough for you to fly back to the shoreline with. You enjoy dancing, correct? The brightly coloured wings should enhance the shape of your silhouette as you twirl and caper. I can fully recommend the tarantula hawk wasp if you wish to keep me in you even after you return home.]

An equally ‘pretty-looking’ option compared to the giant mesquite bug. She really, really liked the orange wings on the diagram of the hawk wasp, almost as much as the patterns on the giant mesquite bug, and almost as much as the compactness of the desert locust’s wings—any one of the three options would be completely fine with her.

There were just two things, though.

“... What if I don’t want to go home, though?” she whispered, waving the hovering boxes away and making the Archive vanish. “You keep saying downwind speed, downwind speed… I don’t want to fly back to the shoreline. I wanna reach the Whirlpool City. Are any of the three class’s wings strong enough to carry me all the way there?”

The Archive made a clicking noise inside her ears, as though trying to calculate an answer. [Unfortunately, not at the moment. You will only unlock the tier one core mutation of each class the moment you select one, and without points to increase your stamina, your strength, or any further mutations to enhance your wings, it will be impossible to fly headwind against this storm. As I am also unable to contact any bug-slayers due to you being an unregistered user of the Altered Swarmsteel System, please prioritise your own safety and return to the shoreline.]

“...”

[Please prioritise your safety and return to the shoreline. Please prioritise your safety and return to the shoreline. Please prioritise your safety and return–]

“You said there are four classes for me to choose from,” she said, narrowing her eyes at the Archive. “You only mentioned three. What’s the last one?”

If an artificial lifeform could look ‘fidgety’, the Archive certainly looked the part, rubbing its forelegs together uncomfortably.

[It is an insect class nobody chooses. It is a terrible insect class that will most certainly not help you survive. The abilities its mutations afford are nigh-impossible to control, and the risk-reward ratio is not worth it even for a highly trained bug-slayer. For the purpose of expediting your class selection, I elected to omit the option–]

“Is it a class that’ll let me go forward in this storm?”

[...]

“Show me,” she said firmly. “What’s the fourth class?”

[... Very well.]

And the moment she saw the final hovering box pop up with the diagram, she knew she’d made the right choice asking for all her options.

[Option #4: Water Strider]

[Brief Description: Hydrophobic, long-legged, fearlessly fast—the water strider is anatomically built to run and skate across water. Its hydrophobic hairs allow it to bend water beneath its legs and prevent drops from weighing it down. On the open seas, there is no insect that can move and dance faster than the water strider]

[Please do not pick this class]