<<USS Grail- Battle Bridge>>

Epic nodded. "You know how to do your job, Commander. Do what you gotta do."

Janice nodded urgently. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Thank you, sir." With that, she turned and left the dimly lit bridge. She walked through the corridors with a determined, quick step that told everyone to step out of her way. She didn't think that Epic realized the extremeness of the situation. She hoped he didn't have to find out, either.

Janice stepped into the turbolift and cursed. *My quarters are on the other half of the ship!* she realized angrily. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to think of an alternative location. *My office is not an option. Too many people around... but I need somewhere capable of handling the input...*

"Computer, do the science labs have the capabilities of handling the input required to repair several main systems on the Grail?" she asked hesitantly, trying to think.

[Science lab 4 on deck 12 is capable of such.]

Janice almost leapt with joy. "Is it occupied?"

[Science lab 4 is not currently occupied.]

"Computer, deck 12. And lock out all access to anyone attempting to enter Science Lab 4, authorization Hargen-Beta-Gamma-12."

[Acknowledged.]

Janice paced back and forth through the turbolift as she waited to travel the 3 decks needed.. she was wasting precious time. As she stepped out of the turbolift, she felt the ship rock and was thrown against the side of the corridor. She began running to the lab, yelling out commands to the computer.

"Computer, unlock Science Lab 4. What is the status of the Grail's shields and phasers?"

[Science Lab 4 unlocked. Ship's shields are currently at 24% and falling. Phasers are now at half effectiveness.]

Janice cursed as she ran into the lab, un-braiding her hair at a superhuman speed. "Computer, lock doors to Science Lab 4, maximum security clearance required to open. Is there a terminal able to access a external positronic network in Science Lab 4? Or one that can be configured quickly to do so?" she asked, quickly opening the flap on her head, revealing the flashing lights of her positronic brain.

[Terminal beta can be configured to access an external positronic network in approximately 3.2 hours.]

Janice almost screamed in frustration. The ship rocked again, almost throwing her to the floor. "Computer, status!"

[Ship's shields are currently at 12% and falling. Phasers are now at one quarter effectiveness.]

Janice forced herself to sit down and think rationally for a moment. "Computer," she began in a calm voice. "How long would it take to configure beta terminal to access a positronic matrix if given the exact specifications on such matrix?"

[Approximately 2.3 minutes.]

"Yes!! Computer, get ready to configure!" Janice reached her hand up into her network and retrieved a isolinear chip - the only one in existence that contained her specifications. Exactly why she carried it around on her person. She inserted the chip into the terminal and ran over to the replicator.

"Computer, replicate a relay, approximately .9 meters long. It must be able to connect to a i1082 processor circuit on one end and the terminal access connector on the other. Examine relay Hargen-12." Within seconds, the long wire appeared. Janice snatched it up and began connecting it to the memory circuit required.

"Computer, begin randomly alternating the backwash of the phaser energy between the primary and secondary heat exchangers at 5.2 second intervals. And give me updates on status of the phaser banks every 30 seconds, as well as the shields."

[Alternating... phaser bank efficiency is steady at one quarter effectiveness.]

*Thank God it's not declining anymore..* Janice thought, a bit more relieved.

She reached up to attach the relay to her neural processor matrix. Knowing they were next to her parallel subprocessor units, she felt around, looking for the tell-tale ring of isolinear chips. Once she found it, she attached it, pushing hard. She had to make sure it clicked in, or else she could fry the terminal as well as her own processors. Janice grit her teeth, anticipating the quick pinch as she attached the cable. She could hear the click vibrate through her head. A quick intake of breath, and it was over. She pulled lightly on the relay, making sure it was connected securely, just as the computer informed her it was done with the terminal's configuration.

"Computer, reroute all engineering functions to this terminal. Block all other access to damage control and engineering functions, authorization Hargen-Beta-Gamma-12," she told the computer. All of a sudden, she was nervous. She hadn't done this more than twice - and never with a computer as large or powerful as the Grail's.. and never alone.

[Lockout complete.]

"Hargen to all engineering and damage control personnel. Please restrain from accessing damage control functions or any engineering functions until further notice."

Summoning all her courage and willpower, she initialized the connection sequence.

Janice could feel the transfer begin to occur. She couldn't help but mechanically cock her head in the traditional android fashion as she felt the onrush of power enter her. It was... overwhelming. Nothing at all like what she had experienced the previous two times. They had been awful - like being shoved into a horribly configured maze, almost like living a surrealist painting. She had just wanted to get in and out of them as soon as she possibly could. Nothing at all like what she was experiencing now... this was glorious. She stretched out with her mind, encompassing the entire ship. It was beautiful. So grand, so sleek... and so deadly. She was suddenly engulfed with the utmost respect for the vessel that carried them.

She could feel her body, but only remotely. It was so wonderful to be free like this, to be incorporated into the entire ship. She wanted to be everywhere, see everything. And she could. She could feel the colossal... power around her. There was no other word to describe it. Just power.

She kept her mind on the task at hand. She was here to repair the ship. Nothing more. She swallowed, reluctantly pulling herself away from the beauty of the ship, the Grail. She had a mission to perform - she couldn't forget it. The feeling decreased intensely as she returned her mind to her android body. It was almost like a physical pain, taking her away from such grace and beauty.

She checked the shield status. It was getting critically low. But inside the ship's computer, any delay the simplistic console impeded her with was gone now. She could actually feel the shields. Literally feel them with the mental hands she outstretched. She could shape them to her will. It was amazing. She concentrated on strengthening them, and it happened. Not easily, of course, but it happened. She could feel the strength building within them. They became thicker, more impenetrable. Janice could feel the sheer energy behind them. It was more than she had ever experienced before in her life.

Quickly, she ran through the other systems, one by one, checking and repairing the major problems, leaving the minor ones to the repair teams. She could fix things easier and more efficiently here, but she could feel the experience draining her as well. It was so much to

handle - so much power, and so much burden. It was exhilarating and also tiring. But she didn't want to leave this feeling for anything.

Finally, she was done. Well, as done as she could be. She didn't know how much time had elapsed - time did not exist in the Grail's computer. She had raised the shields back up to 89%, at least, and had gotten phasers back to full power without a problem. Janice wished she could just stay in there forever. She was a much more effective engineer here than anyone could be anywhere else. But the exhaustion was getting to her. She worried that if she did stay here much longer, then she could possibly lose her own identity.. the computer was an overwhelming presence. She began to slowly pull herself away and back into her own

body.

She fell back into her own android body with a jolt. She closed her real eyes now, swallowing hard. She could still feel the computer, but to a much lesser degree... as if from a distance. She stifled the urge to cry. It was like being given a little piece of heaven, just for a moment, then taking it away, but not so far away so that you weren't be reminded of what you were missing. She felt... empty.

She was overcome with the loss. It washed out of her like a flood. She was carried away in it, lost and confused. This rush of emptiness filled her android body, and she longed to escape from it... but she knew that if she did, she would probably never return. It was so

wonderful in there....

She had to detach herself now. Because if it wasn't now, then it never would be anytime at all. She reached her hand up and grasped the connection, beginning to sever all mental ties with the computer, hoping that she would be able to ease the shock that way.

Janice braced herself for the feeling of loss that she was sure she would experience. Although she had chosen to leave the beauty to stay in body, just the soothing warmth of the connection made everything okay. But to sever that connection.... Janice managed to only wince as she detached the cable from her neural network. But she was feeling

such a vacuum of space inside her, she was sure she could collapse inwardly. She stared longingly at the terminal she leaned heavily on, trying to regain her balance, and knowing what a paradise it held inside for her... but knowing that she shouldn't return. The temptation was too great. She firmly got a hold of herself, trying to clear her mind. It seemed so empty all of a sudden...

Janice stood. She had work to do. A wave of dizziness overcame her and she gripped the terminal again for support. "Computer, end block on computer access to engineering and damage control systems. Also, end lock on Science Lab 4." She slowly removed her isolinear chip from the terminal and placed it back into her positronic network - where it belonged.

[Acknowledged. Access returned.]

"Captain, I thank you for your indulgence. I shall return to the Bridge shortly." She reached up and closed the flap on her head, but she was too exhausted to even think about braiding her hair back into the French braid she liked to place it in while on duty. Closing her eyes, she willed the dizziness and the emptiness away. The ship still needed her. And Kait was in the saucer section. *No one to cover for you but you, Janice. Now get moving.*

Releasing her death grip on the terminal, she took a step forward and collapsed in the middle of the room.

<<USS Grail- Science Lab 4>>

LtComm Janice Hargen