Subject: Grail:"The Great Brightness" - 'Epilogue : Reason's to believe'
<<Stardate 47307.31 13:05>>
<<Bridge>>
Mirka Tzavaras walked off the bridge with a load off her chest. They
had made it. A tired smile on her face, she leaned on the turbolift
wall facing the doors. They had actually worked as a team. None of
that competitive spirit present, non of those obnoxious attitudes, well
except François but that was normal. She was so relieve. Finaly some
hope. She could have kissed Demontigny because of how proud she was of
him. She rolled her eyes thinking back on his last line before leaving
the Bridge. She had seen it in his eyes, the pride not only for what he
did but for what the others did with him. She was also very pleased
with the captain. So calm and so in control, he had been a rock during
this whole thing. Epic Terrakian would be a very good captain... in
time.
In the middle of all this, when they were attracted back to the sun,
when she thought that they might not make it, she realised she had
forgotten some very important people. She was going to remedy to that.
She had friends to see. Some little ones she had neglected during the
last few days. She had been too busy being the big shot ship's
counselor. But during the battle with gravity and radiation, how she
had lost track of what really mattered hit her. That was why she had
been such a mess lately, that was why she sensed she was losing herself.
It was time to touch base again. It was time to remember why they were
really doing all this.
As Mirka walked into the schoolroom, heads rose.
"Mirka!" Came a loud yell.
"Hello everyone" She said back, smiling and catching Aria as she ran
into her arms. Kids were her soft spot, they had always been. They
were so pure, so honest. Everything was so simple for them and they
always had something to say or discover. Kids grounded her. They
reminded her that in the end, that's what mattered: Children.
She looked at the eight years old in her arms. She was her favorite.
Because she reminded her so much of herself when she was younger.
"So were you afraid?" Mirka asked.
"No!" The little girl answered but her eyes said otherwise.
She smiled. "Well I was for a bit. But then I decided to go on the
bridge to see what was going on and I saw that everything was in good
hands."
Aria's eyes widened "You were on the Bridge? We are on a brake and
about to play the Great Brightness." She said motioning her head
towards her group of friends in the left corner of the room. "Can you
tell us who was there and what happen?" Mirka nodded, smiled and
followed the little girl to the spot she had shown her.
They weren't many children left. A lot of them were sick... some had
died. Some parents didn't bring their little ones in since the GQ. But
those who were left needed attention. Children were like sponges.
Tension, frustration, fear, insecurity, all the emotions that were felt
by the adults of the ship, you saw them in the kids too. Only on them
it was more painful, because they didn't know why they were feeling this
way, they just did. She wanted to comfort them. She tried to come
everyday. But sometimes it was impossible.
After the role were distributed, she and two of the younger kids sat
and watched the others little simulation. After Mirka had explained to
them what happened during the GB, the censured version, they were
getting busy playing their heros. There had been a little fight because
every girl wanted to play Brinn. Mirka had suggested one of them play
her. But they had looked at her with derision explaining that
counselors didn't count. Although Zarac, the leader of the group, had
been diplomatic about it and had asked what she did during the GB. Her
answer, of course, only convinced them of the uselessness of the
counselor.
The representation went well. It became a bit rocky when Maelle
started to do realist play and told Walker, to "Drive this thing
correctly or I'll make sure your butt fries." She of course was playing
Brinn and the nine year old who was doing Demontigny gave her the
finger. Mirka had to repress a laugh and tell them such accuracy in the
characters was not necessary and that nothing of the sort would ever
happen at such a critical moment. They were really cute. Zarac playing
a serious and calm Epic, the small Aria was the very efficient Janice
Hargen. Donnucci and Fionn were played by twins Marah and Darya, there
was just not enough boys. And the spooky commander Hunt was represented
by the very feared Tron, a young Klingon. Nobody played Mirka, 'I'm
such a boring character', she thought with amusement.
After a moment the children asked for a story. That was the first
reason she ever came to visit them. It was on the second day of their
voyage. She wanted to observe how the children would be acting on the
Grail. But, she and their teacher agreed it would have been kind of
spooky just to sit there and watche. So Mirka had become the
Storyteller. As they sat down with her on the floor, other kids joined
the group and with little Beijing on her lap, she began.
"This is the story of Odysseus who was punished by the gods and lost
at sea on his way home. And who battled against all odds to return to
the ones he loved...."
Counselor Mirka Tzavaras