Subject: Grail: "The Great Brightness" - Questions (Brinn)
Athalya Anne slumped in her chair, at the captain's right hand. *And why
not play the part of the captain's right hand?* She laconicly wondered.
*We all can be one big, happy family....* She tartly remarked to herself as
she watched the others arrive. She had been the second person to arrive.
Since her 'appearance' on the bridge, Athalya Anne had found herself endowed
with an odd 'feeling' of what time it was. If asked, she could have told
you the exsact time to within five seconds. Consequently, she had picked up
the annoying habit of being persisely to minuets early for any given event.
She slumped farther down in her chair. *Yes,* Athalya Anne thought tartly,
*one big happy family.* Closing her eyes, she wondered, *Why, Time? Why
me?* Executive officer of a goddanmed starship. Executive officer of a
bunch of lunatics and criminals. *Oh, and I'm one to talk?* she wondered.
She knew that there were those who would argue that she fit right in. But
then she also knew that she was just bitching because she was cranky.
Normaly, she'd be sleeping right now.
Squirming down farther in her seat, if that's possible, Athalya Anne droped
her empathic block and 'listened' to those around her. A sence of bordeom
permated the room like a bad smell. She took a count... one....two.... near
to twenty people, in all.
"Thank you all for your attendance....." The captain began. *Huh?*
Athalya Anne wondered. Weren't they still missing Mallory and Hargen? She
opened her eyes slightly and scanned the croud. Nope. They were there.
*I guess it's true.* Athalya Anne supposed. Roumor had it that Eve Mallory
was an android. But, Hargen? According to her service record, Janice
Theora Hargen was a Terran. Terrans were not esper blind. *And why in
Terra's good name does she look so much like En Kaya?*
If Athalya Anne had any saving grace, it was her paranoia. For twenty years
of her career, she had been in direct contact with androids. She was
trained to pick them out of a substantial croud. *Two androids? On the
same ship?* Athalya Anne opened her eyes. She didn't trust androids. Not
by a long shot.
LMaj Athalya Anne Brinn