Chapter 5: Don't Shoot! I'm a Law-Abiding Bug!
The oppressive aura of the Path transformation finally ebbed. The rigid paralysis that had locked his alien joints dissolved, receding like a tide pulling away from the shore.
First came the antennae.
Two long, segmented stalks, previously stiff as radio towers, gave a violent twitch. Then, his six thorny legs, tightly curled against his heavily armored thorax, jerked downward, tentatively seeking the floor.
"He moved!" March 7th swiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, letting out a massive breath. "Uncle Yang, look! He's alive!"
Although he hadn't actually done anything helpful—and had, in fact, caused a massive headache for everyone involved—March 7th still felt a deep wave of relief wash over her.
"Bzz... Help... bzz... a hand..."
A raspy, mechanical synthesis of human speech vibrated from the creature's back.
Dan Heng stepped forward. His expression remained entirely neutral as he extended Cloud-Piercer. Hooking the cold shaft of the spear under the edge of Rekka's heavy side carapace—much like one might hook a piece of oversized luggage—he gave a sharp, practiced flick of his wrist.
Clatter—!
The massive beetle tumbled through the air, landing with a heavy, metallic thud as all six spiked legs firmly planted themselves onto the deck.
Rekka's mandibles clicked together in sheer, unadulterated gratitude.
Thank you, Dan Heng. I'll repay this favor when I ascend to immortality.
Rekka shook his heavy, armored head. His massive compound eyes reflected the Astral Express crew in hundreds of tiny, shimmering hexagonal squares. The visual experience was utterly mind-bending. It felt exactly like sitting in a security room watching hundreds of surveillance screens simultaneously, while also possessing a perfect 360-degree view of everything behind him and directly above his head.
The strangest part was how his brain effortlessly stitched these fragmented images into one cohesive, panoramic picture, allowing him to fast-forward or slow down his perception of the world at will.
"Alright, alright, it's good that you're fine!" March 7th clapped her hands together, her natural curiosity overriding her caution. She leaned in close, pointing directly at Rekka's broad back. "Hey, look at this pattern on his shell! Doesn't it look exactly like a grimace?"
"That is a mimicry pattern," Welt observed, adjusting his glasses as he studied the markings. "Many creatures evolve intimidating designs to scare off apex predators. It seems even products of the Path follow basic evolutionary logic."
Rekka took a step. His six legs moved in perfect synchronization, possessing an unexpected, fluid smoothness, as if he had known how to scurry since the moment he was born. The sound of his chitinous exoskeleton tapping against the metal floor was crisp and oddly pleasant.
Tap, tap, tap.
It was highly rhythmic.
"Alright, let's pause the encyclopedia of insects for now." Himeko glanced at the communicator on her wrist, a soft, amused smile touching her lips as she interrupted the chatter. "Ms. Herta is waiting for us. And... I think she will be highly interested in Rekka's current state."
"I have a... bzz... bad feeling... bzz..."
"Don't worry!" March 7th boldly slapped his rock-hard thigh—mostly because she couldn't reach his shoulder. "Ms. Herta might have a strange temper, but she won't casually dissect her guests! Maybe... she'll just draw some blood? Or take a tiny carapace sample?"
"Your comfort... bzz... is worse than saying nothing... bzz..."
By now, Rekka had somewhat mastered the delicate art of vibrating his wings at specific frequencies, allowing him to briefly articulate full sentences.
"Ouch, slow down!" March 7th jogged beside him, waving her hands. "Don't bump into the doorframe! That's a sensor door, not something you can just crash through!"
"Vision... bzz... a bit blurry... bzz..."
It was entirely because the world viewed through compound eyes was far too fantastical to process while walking in a straight line.
"This way," Dan Heng called out, stopping at an intersection. "Don't go over there. That's the trash disposal chute."
"Thanks... bzz..."
The group marched out of the docking platform, forming a grand, bizarre procession.
The moment they rounded the corner into the main corridor, they ran face-first into a heavily armed patrol of space station defense personnel.
The squad leader, a young man gripping a standard-issue particle gun, casually looked up. His eyes locked onto a giant, terrifying beetle emitting a strange blue glow, charging directly toward him while waving its spiked limbs wildly in the air.
"The Swarm! The Swarm is invading!!!"
The previously quiet corridor instantly erupted into absolute chaos.
Before the station's automated alarms could even trigger, the defense personnel reflexively hoisted their weapons. A dozen glowing muzzles aimed squarely at Rekka's massive, armored head.
"Fire! Shoot it! Don't let it close the distance!"
"Don't... bzz! Don't shoot... bzz!" Rekka frantically waved his front legs in a universal gesture of surrender. "I'm a good bug... bzz! A law-abiding bug... bzz!"
The corridor fell dead silent for two agonizing seconds. The only sound was the low hum of charging particle weapons.
"Did... did he just say he's a good bug?" a defense officer whispered, his finger hovering over the trigger.
"I heard that too. He also said he's law-abiding."
"So... do we still shoot?"
The squad leader's face went pale. "This is bad! We must have inhaled the hallucinogenic scales of a True Sting! We're having auditory hallucinations!"
Rekka's compound eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated outrage.
Hallucinogenic scales?! Bullshit!
"Look closely... bzz... I am pure Coleoptera... bzz... Where would I get powder from?!" Rekka buzzed furiously, deeply offended by the biological inaccuracy. "You're mixing me up with... bzz... Lepidoptera... bzz... The True Sting subspecies... bzz... is the one with powder... bzz!"
The guards blinked, utterly bewildered.
"He says he has no powder."
"I heard that too. He said he's Coleoptera." The officer swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly around his rifle. "But... would an alien insect actively classify its own taxonomy? Isn't that a bit too particular?"
"Wait, don't True Stings in the Coleoptera order also have powder?" another guard asked, squinting down his sights.
"Um, if I may..."
March 7th finally couldn't stand the sheer absurdity of the standoff anymore. She poked her head out from behind Rekka's massive, armored bulk, waving her hands frantically.
"Everyone, please don't be nervous! This isn't a Swarm invasion! This is... uh, this is a new passenger for the Astral Express! Although his appearance is a bit unique right now, he really is a good person! I mean, a good bug!"
"Miss March?"
The defense personnel instantly recognized the lively, pink-haired archer of the Astral Express. The crushing tension in the corridor dialed back a fraction. The young squad leader lowered his weapon slightly, his brow furrowing as his gaze darted back and forth between the cheerful girl and the terrifying giant insect.
"This is... a new passenger?" The squad leader looked deeply conflicted. "Have the Astral Express's recruitment standards become this... diverse?"
"The explanation is a bit complicated," Welt said, stepping forward with an air of calm authority. "In short, he is currently trapped in a special life form, but his consciousness is entirely human. We are heading to see Ms. Herta precisely to resolve this matter."
"Is that so...?" The squad leader remained highly skeptical, his grip tightening on his gun. "Apologies, Mr. Yang. It's just that his appearance is too... it looks exactly like that thing."
Although the defense personnel slowly parted to clear a path, their gazes remained glued to Rekka's every twitch, and their fingers never left their triggers.
"We are Trailblazers of the Astral Express, and this companion... whose current form is rather special, is one of us. We have come specifically to visit Ms. Herta to discuss matters related to his physical condition," Himeko said, offering a polite, disarming smile. "If you are not reassured, you can immediately contact the Main Control Section and verify with Ms. Herta herself, or Station Master Asta. I believe they should have received our visit request."
"Alright then." The squad leader tapped his earpiece. After a brief, hushed conversation with command, his rigid posture finally relaxed, though his vigilance didn't completely fade. "Ms. Herta's office has confirmed your appointment. Apologies, everyone. We overreacted."
"It is your duty to protect the station. We completely understand," Welt nodded slightly.
"However..." The squad leader cast a wary glance at Rekka's massive, spiked body. "For the safety of the other researchers on the space station, we need to escort you directly to the Main Control Section. Is that acceptable?"
"Of course," Himeko agreed gracefully.
However, as they began to move, the formation felt less like a polite escort and far more like a maximum-security armed transport.
Along the way, the bizarre procession attracted the attention of absolutely everyone on the space station.
"What is that? A new rare artifact collected by Ms. Herta?" a researcher whispered loudly from a doorway.
Rekka's compound eyes took in the myriad expressions of the crowd. He saw curiosity, sheer terror, researchers eagerly leaning in for a closer look, and several scholars who had already pulled out datapads to frantically record his biological structure.
"March... bzz..." His wings vibrated softly, carrying a tone of deep resignation. "I... bzz... have become a zoo animal... bzz..."
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