The Swarm

Edition No. 5 The Surviving Unified Government Department for Population Viability Assurance Year 2154 Applicable throughout all subsurface sectors.   This memorandum contains mandatory regulations for maintaining stable interaction between subsurface communities and surface bio-organisms (“swarm forms”), as well as excerpts from the report by Thomas Kleim, “On the Nature of Collapse and the Biological Limitations of Swarm Organisms.” The document is issued in accordance with Decree No. 11/TK and serves as a supplement to Section III of the aforementioned report.         2. General Provisions     2.1. According to Kleim’s report, the Earth’s surface represents a stabilized biospheric layer with a high level of organic activity.   2.2. The subsurface environment is officially classified as a biologically neutral zone due to the absence of sustainable sensory, vibrational, and metabolic conditions, rendering prolonged activity of swarm forms impossible.   2.3. Human presence on the surface, under controlled vibrational exposure and chemical background, does not provoke aggression from insects, except in cases not accounted for by current regulatory models, commonly attributed to the will of the King.   2.4. The widespread misconception of “predatory swarm behavior” is refuted in the relevant section of Kleim’s report.         3. Physiological Limitations of Swarm Organisms     3.1. According to the report, the sensory system of insects depends on micro-vibrations, thermal contrasts, and concentrations of pheromonal signals.   3.2. Subsurface rock formations possess the properties of a fully damping medium, depriving the swarm of acoustic and chemical orientation.   3.3. The absence of stable vibrational and thermal reference points leads to colony disorganization and the cessation of collective responses.   3.4. Documented cases of swarm fragment mortality are listed in Table 5.2 of Appendix A of Kleim’s report.         4. Reasons for Avoidance of Underground Structures     4.1. As stated in Section 4.1, the swarm demonstrates a persistent instinct to avoid zones where odors of protein decay are detected.   4.2. Thomas Kleim classified this reaction as a colony death reflex, resulting from neuroplastic memory formed during the catastrophic period.   4.3. Subsurface sectors utilize this effect to maintain a stable chemical barrier (see Instruction No. 221/K-B and Section 6.3 of the present document).         5. Practical Application of Kleim’s Findings     5.1. Upper-level ventilation chambers must operate in a mode of controlled smoldering of organic waste.   5.2. The duration of the process is determined according to the Kleim method (Appendix D, Clause 3) and must be no less than six hours every three days.   5.3. Monitoring of gas chemical composition is mandatory in accordance with the parameters listed in Table 7.4 of the report.   5.4. A change in smoke color or the absence of odor indicates a decline in barrier effectiveness.         6. Contact with Swarm Forms 6.1. In accordance with the conclusions of Section 5.6 of the report, direct contact does not pose a threat in the absence of aggressive stimuli and hunger, but is not recommended without necessity. 6.2. Vibrational, light, and thermal exposure to the swarm is strictly discouraged. 6.3. The use of chemical agents emitting decay odors without extreme necessity is prohibited due to limited provisions (see Kleim’s clarification, Clause 6.2.1).         7. Additional Clarifications     7.1. Thomas Kleim’s report is the only officially recognized source explaining the causes of the catastrophe and the current biological equilibrium.   7.2. The dissemination of alternative interpretations (including theories of a “self-organizing swarm intelligence”) is equated with undermining sanitary stability.   7.3. All citizens are required to be familiar with the key theses of Kleim’s report (Sections 1.2, 3.4, 4.1, and 5.6).   7.4. Knowledge control is carried out by a commission under the Department of Biosecurity. Conclusion “Swarm forms do not possess will. They are neither enemies nor allies. Their behavior is limited by environmental laws. As long as these laws are observed, we exist.   According to Kleim’s conclusions, insects avoid the smell of decay and protein breakdown. Burning fat and organic residues must last no less than six hours. The use of open flame on the surface is prohibited until sunset due to increased oxygen levels.   According to Kleim’s conclusions, swarm forms feed primarily on mammals but exhibit a pronounced tendency toward cannibalism. Kleim classified this behavior as functionally sustaining short-term viability while simultaneously weakening overall colony resilience.   They are forced to maintain contact and engage in exchange with human populations due to the extinction of most mammalian species. They are incapable of surviving underground due to sound absorption by rock, resulting in disorganization.”   — From the report of Thomas Kleim, concluding statement, Section 8.3.