Chapter 9: The Vortex
The next morning came all too soon to the group as Katy rose from her slumber.
She found that she was already dressed and swimming alongside Ecco following his lead towards the city of New Atlantis.
It is about time you got up Icarus said
What is going on? Katy asked
We have made contact with the city of New Atlantis and already they wanted us at the city for a briefing so I would advise you to let me stay in control worm seeing as you wore yourself out last night running from that shark so I had to rest a bit before waking up early and repairing the minor muscle damage to your body then going with the fish…
Dolphin he is a dolphin a mammal that breathes air Katy implied
Do not interrupt me vermin! I can say what I like about him and if he is a fish he is a fish! Icarus stated
Anyways before I was interrupted we managed to make contact with the main council at New Atlantis after working to get that crystal working right. It was damaged from the attack and all I saw besides destroyed buildings was dead bodies.
There are about three survivors two Outcast and one Clan member a young calf just gotten his rights passed to him. So it looks like they are outnumbered Icarus sounded smug.
Katy growled at the arrogance of the Goa'uld.
They remained silent throughout the entire trip to the city going along speedways that were made from ocean currents and to Katy's astonishment a pathway in the air called the Sky Ways or Hanging Waters is what made the trip even faster.
They have a mini current to them which allows any Singer great and small to pass on through and into the sky. As they swam Katy was astonished by the passing birds and…flying dolphins?
(Those are Sky Singers they are adapted to be our aerial patrols around the land and the sky. They can survive outside of the water where we can't and have telekinetic abilities that surpasses any normal singers. They are masters of the mind and of the body having helium sacs that allows them to float and swim in the sky. It was with their help that we managed to create the sky ways.) Ecco said as they entered a check in station that was from a floating rock.
(Do you have floating rocks all the time?) Katy asked
(Oh these are a strange mineral as they are lighter then air. In fact our scientists said that they contain magnetic properties which bounce off our gravity wells so they can float) Ecco replied as they passed by a service whale this one a small Minke Whale with dark black skin and white stripes along his fins with a star just above his right fin held a floating crystal in front of him with words in what Katy assumes is the language of the Singers.
(Destination Please) the chirpy noise of the Minke said to them as they neared the tube that would take them to New Atlantis.
(New Atlantis please?) Ecco stated
The Minke eyed Katy a bit before singing a tune to the crystal and it lit up Katy looked out the water filled port and water appeared right before her eyes.
Well actually it was a bridge of water that led around towards an island.
Ecco whistled his thanks before leaping into the bridge with Katy following.
The pathway towards the city was a long ways off which many obstacles that both had to work hard at avoiding such as more floating rocks that had no water inside. They would constantly go into the way of the water and Ecco and Katy would have to constantly leap over them or jump to another pathway to get around them.
It took them another four hours before they reached the city.
As soon as they entered the ocean once again to see many singers both large and small trying to crowd around the floating waters generator.
I am so glad to get out of that thing! Katy said feeling dizzy
Glad I was the one controlling the body Icarus stated
And what does that mean?! Katy demanded
It means that if you were in control then we would have fallen to our deaths a while ago Icarus stated
Katy did not say a word as they swam through the now busy streets of New Atlantis.
Ecco was always vigilant of others even when they stopped because of the Blue Whale that was crossing the street. Icarus stayed in control focused on the destination while Katy looked at the sights.
Even though the Goa'uld was in control of her eyes at the moment Katy watched others swim by as they tried to make a mad dash towards the machine. As they dashed through all shapes and sizes the monitors over there tried to stop them.
Ecco led them further into the city away from the traffic as singers of all sizes would stop and stare at the human.
As Katy and Ecco made their way through the city they finally came upon a building unlike anything Katy has seen.
In a way it resembled one of them old Greek buildings but its size was magnified to adjust to the whales and dolphins that swam from it.
Ecco was the first to notice the shadow that came from the depths above. Katy also noticed it as well. Icarus let out a curse as the Vortex hole loomed over them and without warning dropped their machine down and began to suck the life from the sea floor. Struggling both dolphin and human with Icarus in control they fought to find a place to hide. Unable to they were forced into the vortex into the dimension beyond.
Darkness soon consumed them as they refused to move from the pain of their journey.
Ecco and Katy both came to at the same time and found themselves in an ocean dead of life.
(Where in the seas are we?) Ecco asked
(We are on the Vortex world) Icarus stated.
(I need air) Ecco said and looked around him for places to breathe.
As luck would have it Air was found but it was oily and stale smelling. Ecco nearly coughed with the pollution that it had in it.
(The water is filthy!) He said to Katy as she took over from Icarus who needed to rest.
(It is rather hard to breathe here,) Icarus stated
Katy agreed from the back of their shared mind.
Both started to swim away towards the surface again.
(I don't understand it the Vortex always comes exactly five hundred years this is a year too early!) Ecco said
(Don't know fish maybe they made something that goes faster) Icarus stated and Ecco just glared at him.
They swam for about two hours trying to find something that they could use as shelter and a way to find the others.
It was about three hours later that they finally spotted something.
(Um what is that?) Katy asked
Ecco turned and sent a sonar click in that direction the sound that returned had his fins freeze in fear.
(Ecco what is it?) Katy asked the star speckled dolphin.
(We should flee like…NOW!) He stated and turned and swam with Katy following.
The thing started to chase them and Icarus took over just as panic started to get at Katy.
(What is all this fish?) He yelled
(That is a Vortex Drone he is always hungry and they have almost impenetrable armor. Not even the powers of vigor and sonar can stop it!) He said and Icarus moved along side him.
(Is that why you created the clan? To help you defend against the Vortex?) Icarus more like demanded the answer form Ecco.
(Yes they worked at first and then slowly they started to diminish because they could not reproduce fast enough before the next wave comes.) Ecco stated that fact.
Icarus had to think since it was his life at stake as well. Even if he is all for self preservation he was in for using someone.
Even if it means getting his own ends done.
In the end Icarus wanted nothing more then to become ruler of the universe and then he would achieve godhood.
But first he must overcome use of this body! He was only allowed to use this body if his oh so gracious host would let him. But when not being able to he could just cause her pain.
But she had grown a tolerance to it which annoys him to no end.
He returned his focus to swimming with that fish until they came to somewhere where he can breathe air safely and hid back in the chamber they had taken shelter from. The creature zoomed past them and disappeared beyond some of the strange outcropping.
As they remained there Katy discovered that it had an air pocket for Ecco to breathe with.
(So tell me since we are now stuck here oh great fish how did this whole mess with the Vortex begin anyways?) Icarus demanded.
Ecco did not say a word till Icarus used Katy's hands to grab him by the beak.
(You will answer the question and you will tell truthfully fish!) Icarus demanded again.
(I am not a fish I am a mammal!) Ecco said clearly distressed by all this.
(You are what I say you are understood!) Icarus demanded.
Icarus stop! Katy demanded of the Goa'uld but he blocked her from his mind. It was a lot of effort but he had to do it.
He wanted answers and he wanted them now!
(I want to know how this got started fish! And you are going to answer me or I will kill you myself understand!) Icarus stated.
Ecco nodded easily shaken by the strength that Icarus demonstrated to him.
Katy sat back and watched while the dolphin took a deep breath from the air pocket before beginning.
(It was long ago I guess when the first of our kind came to this world. It was dry barren and uninhabitable. The ancients that were with us had begun terraforming this world because it was the same distance from the sun as Earth. It was ideal to begin life here so they terraformed this world using a machine that draws air particles from space. There was a nearby ort cloud that provided the suitable gasses needed to created life on this planet. They started out by bringing air to this planet then they used the Ort cloud to create water and added minerals from the planet itself to make it suitable for our needs. And doing so allows them to settle on the islands that littered the planet for their use. Since there was a small number of them they also built underwater cities for both of our races to coexist together.) He stopped to take a breath again from the bubble above.
From the looks of it the bubble replenishes itself from a generator above.
Seeming to sigh Ecco continued his history lesson.
(The time we spent building our cities and making the planet inhabitable was watched by envious eyes. At first we called them the Foe for we did not know of their name. They attacked us when we least expect it being so far from out home galaxy.) At this moment Ecco took another breath of air and then returned to resume his history lesson.
(They came in hordes and harvested what we planted on our planet. He fought back of course but the humans were killed having no natural defense in the water. We on the other hand are of the sea and knew what we can use against them. So in time we fought them off only to have them return later with a machine that sucks up life from our planet.
Every five hundred years they returned ravaging our world and taking all that is on it till barely anything remains. We singers have hidden underground shelters for when they strike but they discovered them and destroyed them leaving us defenseless against their might.
It was then that we turned to science and volunteered ourselves as a ways to fight off the foe. It was also then that we found out the true name of our enemy … The Vortex.) He then looked sad as he said this.
(We created and engineered many from our own stalk volunteers who would provide a ways to defeat our enemy and rebuild our world. It was then that we created the Movers, The Circle, the Crimson, the Clan and the Outcast amongst others. They were failed experiments until the Clan proved to be valued fighters in keeping the Vortex out of our cities. The Movers were good at building and transporting items. The Circle were resilient chemists and the Crimson were masters of stealth technology they are the ones who provided the information and the means to help us Fight the Vortex.) Ecco stated
(Then why have you failed?) Icarus demanded of him in fact ordered him to answer.
With a glare Ecco realizes that Icarus is a creature not used to asking but more of demanding.
Taking another breath he continued his tale.
(The Vortex have outsmarted us each time we come up with a defense against them they are intelligent and it does not take them long to defeat us. There only weakness is their Queen whom one of our operatives before he was discovered managed to get that information to us. We also found that she is the most defended of all the Vortex structures. She relies on machines to fight off her enemies since she is too large and too bulky to do it herself. She is mostly egg laying machine but she is still dangerous and her mate is just as dangerous as her. So we tried to break into the palace about five hundred years ago but they slaughtered us before we made it in. We could not have known how impenetrable the place is until we have looked.) Ecco said sadly
Icarus thought about it then smirked with Katy's lips.
(Well the fault is not yours to begin with it is the fact that the Vortex obviously have a spy on your planet) he stated
(A what?) Ecco asked
(The Goa'uld would monitor a planet using a person who would act as a spy and that person would then communicate all the weakness and faults of ones defenses to their superiors. When that happens plans are set and invasion begins.) Icarus stated
Ecco began to think about it then replied (Why would they do that though? Why would one betray us that way what would they gain if they did?)
(I don't know,) this time is was Katy who had resumed control.
She placed a comforting hand on Ecco's melon which the dolphin appreciated.
Icarus took over again seeing as Katy was also distressed.
(We need to get moving and find out more about what is going on and how to get back to your planet) he stated.
Ecco nodded his head in agreement. Taking a breath of air again they both began their journey into the city of the Vortex.
As they traveled they came across various alien creatures that are probably native to this planet. Ecco was indeed frightened as was Katy but Icarus gave no sign that he was scared. In fact he was currently in control while Katy watched.
The trio moved together and around debris and other things indicating life. As they swam they were careful to avoid anything that would look like a drone. Silence was golden as they approached a large set of buildings.
They realized real quick that this is where they are taking all the creatures of Ecco's planet. He could see them being prodded along and among them were members of the Clan and Outcast. Peeking out from their hiding spot it was by luck that they found a glyph that was thrown into a pile. Taking it Ecco realized that it was the power of Air just as he needed. And she was glad he took and she took another one along with a couple of other glyph crystals just in case.
They swam into the building staying well out of sight of the guards. As they swam they were frightened of the results they found in the building.
There were bodies all around them some already gutted and some already eaten by the various drones. Mostly sharks and large fish and coral and such but there were some whales and dolphins. Ecco felt sick to his stomach and Katy nearly screamed until Icarus took over and forced her to the back of their consciousness.
Silence is what we need now idiot! Icarus scolded Katy
How can you keep a cool head in a time like this? Katy asked
I have the memories of Goa'uld before me so I can remember the deeds that they did and preserve our secrets. I have seen horrors that you have not yet witnessed in your life and I have kept hidden from you to prevent this situation. Icarus stated knowing that if he were to reveal those memories Katy would fully panic and he would have no control what so ever on his host.
Previous Goa'uld would relish their host in these horrible memories just to see them suffer, but they did not have a host as strong willed as Katy Saotome.
They swam further into the building or as Katy called it, 'The Slaughterhouse' and passed several more carcasses. Ecco and Icarus truly felt afraid now since they have no defense against the Vortex. Katy felt the same way as they traveled through the dark room.
They spotted a red light off in the distance and so they swam towards it. When they got there they found to their surprise a vast room filled with fish all being held by an invisible force.
At the center of it all is a machine and many pods on the ground.
Why does this remind me of a bad horror flick? Katy said
I have looked through that memory of the movie you saw as a child that frightened you correct? He asked
You stay out of my memories you pervert! Katy said
You should have not kept them open like that Icarus replied with a sing song voice.
FUCK YOU! Katy screamed at him and the Goa'uld visibly flinched at that shout.
Ecco continued on with Icarus behind him as they entered the room. As they explored the fish that have been caught earlier were plucked one by one by the machine and placed just above one of the pods. It tried to swim away but the pod opened from above and sucked the fish in. what emerged from it was nothing but bones stripped clean of every single piece of flesh. Ecco and Katy were horrified by what those capsules contain.
Off to the corner one of the capsules finally opened again and the creature that was in it emerged. It was just like the creatures that they saw outside.
(This must be some sort of Hatchery?) Ecco stated
(Whatever it is we must destroy it) Icarus said
(And how are we going to do that split fluke?) Ecco stated
(We have to destroy that machine up there seeing as it is the one to feed them) Icarus said
(Ok but if something goes wrong then I can blame you for it) Ecco said
(Noted) was the reply.
TBC
