Hi! Welcome to the Tome of Tales. This is a site dedicated to putting fiction, by the people for the people, on the net. If you would like to make a submission or comment on any thing you see here please email me at :- [email protected] Enjoy your stay and good reading* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Disclaimer :- I reserve the following rights; To refuse publication of submitted material To edit all material as i see fit To remove material from the site with no prior consent or notice Authors of material published on this site should know that; You retain all legal owner ship and copyright of material published provided you give me your name (I will width hold your identity from publication if you give me consent.) I or any other legal body other than the author will have NO right to sell the work on this page* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Vortices by Andrew Lewis* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *He gazed out till his vision fell upon the main display screen. "Initiate first test firing." His command was compelling for the crew who saw him through the eyes of children watching Father work. "Bringing Prometheus engines on line in two. One, two." Acknowledged the helm. "Very well. Continue." Commander Lexion Haum returned his attention to the crew manifesto in his hand. This was his ship. He had been born here, as had the past nine generations of his family. This ship was in his blood. The `Equilibrium` Her name still felt like a sensation of honey in his throat. She was one of the Vortex class destroyers. The layout of the ship had remained essentially unchanged for decades, but the ship itself was less than a year in age. Every September she was commissioned to dock at the purpose built Vortex hanger. In one month, (The only month of leave any of them had in a year,) fifty thousand engineers, technicians and system construct workers would sweep over her and remove every last component. EVERYTHING. They would all be replaced with freshly cast and formed parts all of which being upgraded to current standards. However on a Vortex current meant they always had a foot in the door of the future having been given the all technological advancements that had been achieved over the year. She and her sisters were the elite core of the fleet. Shining spears of brilliance in the perpetual night of space. Now it was October and their sixth day back on board. New engines to test were today?s priority. Then if successful, on to Border-guard station 12 to off load the contingency Omega drives. By December they would be back on escort duty between Earth and the Tartarus penal colony, "Commander," His mind flitted back to the moment, "Helmsman Jonus, problems?" "No sir, well not with the engines at least, but two Acolyte class fighters have just popped up on our sensor array." The Commander detected the concern in his voice. Now was the time for strong leadership, with such a high number of rookies having been drafted aboard this year a small disturbance could quickly escalate to panic. "Open communications, channel eight, band nine. I?ll talk to the." The channel was audio only. He knew they may well be alien hostiles, but if their un-introduced guests had the sense to use the Acolyte?s translator he could avoid the crew knowing that for the moment. "This is the Equilibrium, Vortex class destroyer of Earth." He waited for a few minutes. No reply. Damn. This really didn?t help matters. All right then, he would have to do this the hard way, regrettable but the situation had forced his hand. "Conduct tactical and biological scans of their crafts." If he could at least expose his friends out there, he could keep fears onboard in check. A crew would only fear that which it did not know, that would probably account for the majority of his distrust of inexperienced staffing. He had to admit, the uncertainty of this particular silent stand off the two Acolytes presented was beginning to intimidate him too. "commander, the Prometheus engines are ready for testing, shall I give the order for them to stand down for the moment?" This new face, probably a technical advisor had presented him with the first sign of initiative in this new crew. "What?s your name crewman?" " Sol, Doctor Ephis Sol. Chief of research Sir." Truly promising dwelled the Commander tact guile and sense could I actually have someone sane on my hands? "Very well Chief give the order, but tell them to be ready to fire the engines in an hour. Current events should be well in hand by then." It was weird he thought. The bridge staff seemed almost to inhale the confidence from his spoken breath. That kind of na�ve faith was danger plain and present. The worried look on Sol?s face told him that he had seen through his rallying little farce and saw the anxiety that was the more staple sentiment of the declaration. "Commander, the bio-scan is complete. The two pilots are human, both dead." "Hold position till the tactical scan is complete, then dispatch an engineering platform and a munitions squad to disassemble them." "Why munitions? Why not systems or engineering?" Sol had not left the bridge, the engine room was obviously waiting on his return to commence the tests. Sol?s own intrigue had rooted his feet to the Bridge?s floor some twenty centimetres from the transport shaft. "Simple my dear Mr Sol, if they are weapons to be used against this ship I would rather have them disarmed before I lose some of my key technical staff." He had deliberately ignored Sol?s rank as the research chief had preferred to speak out above his. "Now Chief, I believe you had an order to give." Sol was allowed to walk away with his dignity. This time. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * An hour later they had recovered the two fighters and gleaned some alarming facts from the two flight recorders. The commander stood in utter disbelief. "So your telling me that not only were these two from the Arbitrator, but that according to the data the Arbitrator was the very ship that fired on them?" The Arbitrator was also a Vortex class ship. Helmed by Commander Pindar. The Arbitrator was charged with the role of fulfilling the duties of the other Vortices whilst they were being up graded in the hanger. "What was the date of the attack?" "September seventeenth." Came the sombre reply of a crewman. "There?s more." Typhon the Commander?s tactical officer spoke for the first time since the meeting had began. Typhon had served on the Equilibrium for six years and was the closest thing the Commander had to a friend. Should the Commander have had breath to waste in colloquial exchanges. "The personal logs of the pilots contain reports of the Arbitrator turning renegade. They suggest that Commander Pindar has formed an alliance with the mercenary Dars Coden, figure head of the malcontent prisoners of Tartarus. It would appear that Coden provided Pindar with men from the colony to help him seize power over the crew of the Arbitrator that remained loyal to earth. These two were on re-con when the ship was taken over by Tartaric forces. A engineer contacted them using a remote coms station and warned them before they docked. Apparently they were coming to warn us when a squad of the compromised Tartaric fighters disabled them with an E.M.P. burst. They must have lain crippled out there without life support for days." The Commander?s face was thunder. "GET ME EARTH ON COMMUNICATIONS NOW!" "I WANT THOSE ENGINES ONLINE IN THE NEXT TWENTY MINUTES!" Typhon ventured a guess as to the Commander?s intent, "Are we to move upon Tartarus?" "No. Why would they still occupy the scene of the crime when they know that their number is up as soon as the fleet is mobilised against them. If I was Pindar, I would try to compromise the fleet be fore if could challenge me. And the fleet has but one weakness. The Hanger. It?s the only way they could destroy another Vortex class with out taking casualties. It would also prevent the fleet from gaining a technological advantage over them and slow down re-armament." A voice asserted it?s self in the room over the coms speaker. It was Sol?s, "Prometheus engines on line Commander, That was in four minutes for your records." The Commander knew brevity was not the courtier of chance, "Commence testing, destination: the Vortex Hanger." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Earth had confirmed it. The Arbitrator was rogue.