I Am The Swarm

General Masai mulled it over. Although the unauthorized deployment of nuclear weapons could escalate into a serious issue, dealing with someone of Cross’s background through official channels was nearly impossible.

Better to sell Major General Porter a favor instead. It would strengthen ties between their factions and provide a potential avenue for cooperation during future resource distributions.

After a round of enthusiastic, business-like flattery with Porter, Masai smoothly brushed the matter aside.

“Send a message to the other captains. Say it was a nuclear test to evaluate the damage yield against the nest.” Masai fabricated a reason, preemptively addressing any suspicions. If he didn’t explain, he’d soon be flooded with inquiries.

Since the detonation site fell within Porter’s factional territory, Masai trusted that Porter’s people would corroborate the excuse.

“General, we’re detecting a faint nuclear reaction in Area 39—it’s moving rapidly!” a crew member suddenly exclaimed from the monitoring station.

Masai’s face darkened. He set his drink down, exasperated. Someone was clearly stirring up trouble.

“Check who’s over there,” he ordered.

The crew quickly accessed the data and reported, “General, we don’t have any operational units in that area. It’s the shallow sea zone!”