Subject: Grail: "Unexplored Spaces"-`

<<47307.26 12:43>>

<<Mess Hall- Deck 10>>

The Mess Hall wasn't as crowded the past few days as it had been

during those first few days. Most of the people ate in silence, with the

occasional murmur passing between them. The ship was looking more and

more like a large casket with warp nacelles, and this sentiment seemed to

echo in the realms of silence.

Vincent sat there behind the counter, looking over the somber

crew. He was the only one on shift, since most of the kitchen staff had

sucumbed in various degrees to the sickness. Vincent had been lucky...

too lucky he thought. With his job, he managed to come in contact with a

third of the ships occupants every day. It would be easy for the disease

to strike him or anybody else.

But Vincent had one advantage over everybody else in this matter,

that is, if you would call it an advantage. Without accessability to

places like the holodecks and such, he was able to stay away from most of

the places where people gathered for long periods of time. He had been

living in room quarantine long before the orders were given.

Yes, Vincent was lucky. But his luck would turn as it often does

in people's lives.

The sound of vomiting broke Vincent's train of thought. Turning

around, he noticed one of the humans doubling over in his seat, wretching.

As if by unison, the people around him migrated away from the sick fellow,

many with looks of shock on their face.

=/\= Rogers to Sickbay. Someone is vomiting in the Mess Hall. I

think they may have that virus. =/\

=/\= This is Sickbay. Can you identify the injured person? =/\

Vincent grumbled under his breath. Of course he couldn't identify

the person. He was never really good with names of people, and that was

for people he knew well. Several hundred faces pass by on his shift, and

just about all of them are nameless to him.

Luckily for Rogers, a young Ensign grabbed a hold of the victim

and ordered Sickbay to energize their transporters. With glow and a hum,

the two were beamed to the medical station. Vincent thought about the

young ensign, and how he was probably going to suffer the same fate soon.

Then, with a sudden revelation, Vincent realized that everybody

was exposed in the room. This could be a bad sign. The thought of the

virus crawling through his body made him feel so unclean. Things were

going to have to be taken care of soon.

=/\= Rogers to Sickbay. What is going to be done about the rest

of the people in the mess hall? A lot of them have been exposed. =/\

There was an eerie silence for a moment. All time seemed to stand

still as Vincent's mind raced over the things he had heard about this

disease. Though he knew hope was around the corner, he also knew he could

possibly die before things worked out.

=/\= You all will be placed under room quarantine until it can be

ascertained that you have the virus. Please notify everyone that they

will be transported to their rooms. Also, we suggest that you close down

the mess hall until a biological scrubbing can be performed. Please, try

to keep everyone calm. =/\

Vincent shook his head. Keep everyone calm? Hell, he was scared

out of his mind at the moment. Stepping around the counter, Vincent took

a deep breath and began to speak.

"Calm down, people. The mess hall is now completely closed until

the spill can be taken care of. Now, before you attempt to leave, let me

tell you that we have all been placed under room quarantine. Just stand

still and you will be transported to your rooms, where you will stay until

they can find out whether you are infected or not. Now, I remind you that

you should stay calm."

The clamor began to rise as people looked around from one to

another. The panic of dying must have passed through several of them, as

it was written in their faces. Vincent tried to keep a calm manner about

him, but he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

And one by one, the personel were beamed away, to be taken to

their rooms where they would stay until test could be performed. About

several minutes later, Vincent found himself dematerializing and

rematerializing back in his room. Now, with no work, he would be left

alone to think about a lot of things, now including death.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

ooc: Sorry about the long delay. It's crunch time here at school, with

tests and papers thrown at me from everywhere. Well, I guess I should get

back to my Biology.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

--Ken

Yeoman Vincent Rogers

Mess Hall Cook

U.S.S. Grail

ICQ: 8178648

Chivalry is not dead!

It's in a trailer park in Michigan with Elvis and Bigfoot.

Acting chivalrous is a way of hiding the fact that

you haven't a clue as to how to deal with women.