Subject: Grail:"The Great Brightness"-'And it's off!'

<<Stardate:47307.30- 10:45>>

<<Chief Engineer's Office>>

Janice re-entered Main Engineering, walking towards the finished probe. She

was tired. There were too many thoughts running through her head - too many

things to think about, besides this mission. But she forced herself to

concentrate on the task at hand.

"Computer, level one diagnostic on the probe," she said confidently, but

feeling none of the confidence she appeared to have. The results were just

as she expected - the probe was ready to go into work. She tapped her

commbadge. "Hargen to Bridge. The probe is ready to go. Flight control,

I'm going to get it moving, then you guys follow my lead. Good luck." She

ended communications and turned to the computer.

"Computer, transport probe approximately 100 kilometers off starboard side

of the Grail." Her hours of hard work disappeared before her eyes. She

watched it slowly shimmer into nothingness before she moved to the console

beside her - its secondary remote control center.

"All systems functional," she mumbled to herself. "K'tel, come here and

man the secondary control panel," she ordered, motioning towards the panel

before her. The Klingon obeyed without a word, but glancing around

curiously, as if to find Lt. Brennan. She managed a weak smile at the

confused engineer. "Lieutenant Brennan has transported herself to sickbay -

she may have contracted the virus. It's just you and me," she added

encouragingly. Or what she hoped was encouragingly. "I'll be on the

bridge. Delagi, you have run of engineering while K'tel is working with

me. Good luck, crew." With that, she entered the turbolift and directed

it

towards the Main Bridge.

Once the doors closed, she sagged against the wall. Her thoughts flooded

in

on her the moment she didn't have to think about the probe. *Do they truly

think that Epic and I are lovers?* She shook her head, thinking of how

ridiculous that seemed. *Then why did I deny it so hotly? Why did it upset

me so much?* She ran a hand through her curly hair nervously. Luckily, the

doors finally opened onto the bridge, her mind focusing again on the probe

and the mission.

She walked directly over the engineering console, powering it up, and it to

access the probe's controls. "Okay, navigating the probe into the Great

Brightness. Here goes," she announced. The bridge went silent in

anticipation. She prayed the probe would function correctly.

She waited, tense, for the first information to come in from the probe after

it had entered the dense cluster of stars. Finally, a rush of information

flooded her console. Janice grinned brightly. "It works," she proclaimed

happily. The palpable strained atmosphere on the bridge eased suddenly.

"Routing information into the flight control console."

From here on out, it would be easy. All she had to do was make sure the

probe obtained readings from the appropriate locations, and they would be

perfectly fine. She set to work, following the directions of the flight

control officer on duty regarding where she should obtain the most

information.

{OOC: Okay, who's piloting the Grail?! <g> Whomever it is, we may want to do a joint post, or just reply to this one. thanks! I just wanted to get us moving...}