Subject: Grail: "Unexplored Spaces" - The Young'un and the Old ----- (Brinn/ Terrakian)

<<Stardate: 47307.18- 17:30>>

<<Holodeck 4>>

Captain Epic Terrakian stepped off the turbolift and swung left for the Holodeck. He had made an intentional effort to make Brinn wait. She needed time to cool off. Actually, she needed time to get sane, but that wasn't likely ever going to happen.

And the Counselor they had just taken on, Jall Trellor, Hades! He was even more paranoid than she was. No real therapy there.

Epic made an affectation of looking up to the Heavens. `Why are you doing this to me?', he asked the Four Deities. `Do you WANT me to fail? Do WANT all these people to die for nothing?'

And he answered as if he didn't really believe They did.

`Then stop making all my allies my enemies. This is going to be hard enough.'

Epic stopped outside the Holodeck and saw that there was already a program running. He checked the panel.

::Brinn- Dublin- circa 2000- 19:30 hours::

Dublin? Earth? How strange. Neither of them were from Earth, though they had each been there extensively. Epic stepped up to the doors. They opened with a heavy thunk of metal.

When the doors closed behind him, Epic found himself standing on a paved road that stretched in either direction for a fair distance. The moon was full and the light was fair. In the near distance, he saw an intersection. He approached it.

A metal pole supported a pair of crossed metal signs. They showed a bizarre language, but there was a Federation Standard translation beside them. They indicated to the north, Belfast. To the south, Wexford and Waterford. To west, Shannon and Trahlee. And to the east, Dublin and Bryn. Epic smiled and began walking east.

The air smelled clean still, even as Epic left behind the unlit paved roads of the country and entered the city of Dublin. It was that remarkable a contrast, too. One minute, he was in the dark, walking alone. And then, over a shallow rise, and he was walking down the cobbled streets of a romantic Terran city.

Small autocars forced Epic to use the side walkways to avoid being struck. It was all so quaint, he almost forgot why he was here.

But, he remembered when he saw the young woman with the slight limp making her way around a crowd in an effort to see a trio of street performers.

And when Epic saw her, all the charm of the place was lost. And all the efforts at humiliating him that she had made since they met came to him at once. Without preamble, and without a seconds thought, he walked up behind her.

They were both powerful empaths. In effect, though, their powers almost cancelled each other out. Neither could read the other. Perfect.

With a furious kick, Epic knocked her newly crafted prosthetic leg out from under her. She spun on her good leg in surprise and reached out for his throat with claw like hands. But, before she could grab him, Epic swung his other leg up in a snap kick, driving the wind from her midsection as she fell backward onto the cobbled street. The music stopped.

With unexpected agility, Brinn arched her back, swung her legs, such as they were, and threw herself back into a standing position. Epic was about to administer another kick when the unexpected happened. The holographic crowd, seeing him attack a disabled woman, fell on him with fury.

Epic managed to struggle free of the indignant mob, kicking and punching until they fell away into a circle around him. No one was any closer than ten feet.

Then, one side of the crowd parted. And Athalya Anne Brinn entered the circle, her prosthetic limb back in place.

Epic took one look at her face and all he could say was, "Uh oh." Athalya Anne laughed. She was grinning like a fool. "You wanted a piece of this old woman, boy, you got it." Epic had made the mistake of coming late and allowing her to stew in her juices. "Ya still think you can handle me, boy, or you 'fraid to try?" Epic lunged at her. Athalya Anne deftly made two left steps, catching his left wrist and knocking his left foot out from under him, and then kicked him in the chest and teeth. The end result was a winded captain with a bloody mouth. "This old bitch could beat you with a false leg and her hands tied behind her back." Epic rolled away and was up on his feet in half a heart beat. He spit out a few broken teeth.

"Ya want more, boy?" She taunted him, "Cummon, give it to me." They circled each other like wolves about to fight for terretory.

Athalya Anne lunged this time, catching him almost by supprise. But not quite. However, she managed two hits to his midsection and another to his right temple. She threw left to his nose. Blood spewed out of it like a gas pump and leaked onto his uniform. Epic recoiled with a quite unexpected hand to her throat. Before she knew it, Athalya Anne was suspended at least three inches up against the ground, with the cold hard brick of a building at her back. Athalya Anne's hands went up to his eyes and started to claw them out. Epic let her drop.

Athalya Anne, still gasping for breath, tried to put some distance between herself and Epic. No use. He was on top of her like a june bug on a duck.

Epic scored a hit to her back and floored her. She rolled away and on to her feet. Athalya Anne was on top of Epic this time, cussing, spitting, biting, hitting and clawing for the life of her. Epic's resistance was futile. They rolled near a waiste basked. Athalya Anne put some distance between the two of them, and then tackled Epic, catching him by the waist and stuffed him into the trash can, and rolled him down the hill. Several cars knocked him around. The croud broke out into applause. Athalya Anne smiled triumphantly. "Computer, end program."

Dublin faded to the black and yellow squares of a holodeck. Epic lay there. Athalya Anne sighed. She felt the effects of the fight kicking in, too. But her sympathies were with Epic. She had been down the same street in the same way. "Ya arright, Cap?" she asked without emotion. Or ennunciation. Epic had gotten quite a punch to her mouth in there.

Epic blinked and nodded. Eventualy he managed to stand up and exit.

Athalya Anne counted to sixty, giving him time to get to sick bay, or where ever it was he was going, before she went to go celebrate.

Cpt Epic Terrakian and LMaj "Old Bitch"