Chapter 342: Alarm
The Rikens, being the native inhabitants of their star system, had spent countless years establishing their presence there. Despite being cornered into holding only the orbits of planets 3, 4, 5, and 6 due to the Swarm’s dominance, most of their previously deployed observation devices remained operational.
This wasn’t for lack of effort on the Swarm’s part—they would gladly have cleared out these devices. However, the observation units were cleverly concealed, difficult to detect, and scattered across the vast expanse of the star system.
The Swarm’s Mature and Larval bodies, lacking Atomic Furnaces, were incapable of long-range operations. Clearing these devices would require the use of Primordial bodies, which, though numerous, were not infinite. Sending thousands of Primordial bodies across the system would be akin to tossing pebbles into an ocean—achieving minimal impact while risking their forces being divided and picked off by concentrated Riken counterattacks.
Thus, these “small annoyances” were left for later, and they continued to provide the Rikens with some insight into the star system’s happenings.
In a dimly lit room, ten large monitors hung on one wall, each split into a 5×4 grid of smaller screens, all currently blacked out. Opposite this wall were several additional monitors, their surfaces filled with chaotic lines, flashing red and green lights, and other symbols incomprehensible to anyone lacking technical expertise.
Between the two walls, a bored Riken soldier slouched in a swivel chair. This room, located in an underground fortress on Planet Riven, was a typical Riken-style monitoring center. The soldier’s duty was to oversee and maintain the daily operations of over 200 monitoring devices.
The external units of these devices were 2×2 cubic metal constructs coated with stealth materials. Inside, they housed a variety of sensors, optical recording instruments, transmission modules, high-energy batteries, and small engine modules.
While they seemed well-equipped, these devices were closer to disposable tools. Launched via specialized ejectors, their engine modules were compact and rudimentary, limited by the Rikens’ current technological capabilities.
Indeed, the engines relied on battery power, which provided only minimal thrust for deceleration and redirection. Propulsion was generated entirely by the launching ejectors, a design reminiscent of the Swarm’s Meteor Launchers.