Casino night

Posted on Sat Nov 30th, 2024 @ 9:35am by Marcus Grey Horse & Commander Alex Flynn & Doctor Intharia T'Zor & Lieutenant Commander Atna & Ensign Irik Sul & Staff Warrant Officer Umet'Okan & Freddie & Doctor Tref & Doctor Toh
Edited on on Sat Nov 30th, 2024 @ 9:39am

1,525 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: DownTime [1]
Location: Freddie's, Civilian Sector
Timeline: 2024 Hours - MD01 (Before away mission)

"Is it true they don't let Vulcans in casinos because they can't help but count cards?" Ensign Sul asked Doctor Toh.

"Any Vulcan who would enter a casino with the intention of gambling currency is likely worthy of rejection by a legitimate establishment." The bald Vulcan doctor responded.

“Yeah. They don’t let Betazoids in for a lot of the same reason. Or they make you wear a dampener.” Sul responded, as he finished dealing cards to the table. The game had been going for a while now. Doctor Toh was doing well for himself, as were Dr T’Zor and Umet’Okan. Chief Grey Horse had only just come away from the leading position after Umet’Okan revealed a devastating royal flush against the Chief’s full house.

Flynn and Atna had played conservatively and still had most of their chips. Tref had to keep buying in because he was just terrible at the game generally, but he at least didn’t hold up play. He was surprisingly deft with the cards given he had crustacean claws for hands, and he didn’t touch them with his more prehensile mouth tentacles.

“Doctor T’Zor, may I ask of your universe?” Toh asked as another hand was settled to Flynn’s favor, but she didn’t win much.

“Of course. Any of you may.” Thari said in a way she hoped conveyed grace.

“What of Vulcan? What orbits the Eridani star? Is Eridani even in your sky?” Toh asked as he checked.

“There is a planet that is comparable to Vulcan in the same orbital position, but it’s conditions are significantly harsher, only bacteria and subterranean lifeforms had any chance.”

“Fascinating. Thank you, Doctor T’Zor.” Toh responded with a nod.

“A pleasure.” She said with a smile.

“You guys never invented warp, right? How do you get around?” Alex asked as Tref made another ill-considered raise.

“For the longest time we used ancient devices known as mass relays. They created mass effect fields that allowed for superliminal travel, and they could catapult entire armadas at speeds that you would call transwarp. We also had much slower element zero engines on larger craft comparable to your warp drive, but the relays were the preferred option. The original network was destroyed in a war when I was young, but much of it was rebuilt over the century that followed. There was something of a renaissance of eezo engine design while the network was down.” Thari explained with more detail than she’d intended. It felt like a pleasant nostalgia to speak of home, she chose to indulge.

“Could you teach us of this mass relay technology?” Umet’Okan asked as he dealt out the next hand.

“Unfortunately it requires an element that doesn’t exist in your universe, and cannot be successfully synthesised. It is the basis of essentially all our technology.”

“What of your weapons?” Umet’Okan asked

“Mostly they’re energy based, but militaries and any criminal groups who can get their hands on them use kinetic energy weapons that charge their ammunition with mass effect fields.” She rolled up her sleeve to show the scars on the back of her upper left arm, three circular discolorations. “One of the few wounds our science can’t easily fix. I’m lucky.”

Umet’Okan seemed almost flustered at the sight of her scars, and did not speak again except to announce he would fold as it came to be his turn again.

“Do humans still celebrate Christmas in this universe?” Thari asked as she collected her winnings from the hand.

“Don’t let anyone know I told you, but the Commander loves Christmas.” Alex said. “It’s his favorite time of the year. Even Vulcans can get into it.” Alex wondered what month they were in. She thought it was August, but she didn’t really check the Earth calendar all that regularly.

The mood was light and the evening enjoyable, but slowly the players started to peel off. First Tref, then Grey Horse. Later, Sul and Toh. When only Intharia, Flynn, Atna and Umet’Okan remained, they abandoned the game and went to the bar. After a few drinks Intharia and Umet’Okan decided to depart to see the nhuk’leth match at the holostadium, which was to be followed up by some of sumo’s greatest matchups and the Vulcan atheletics championships from the 23rd century.

“She seems to be fitting in fine. I’d say that’s job done.” Alex told Atna, hoping the Vulcan would agree.

“Indeed.” Atna responded simply. She was watching Freddie pour an exotic tea he’d picked up from a passing merchant that all the other Vulcans couldn’t get enough of. He seemed to be straining it through a chambered piece of fragrant wood.

“What about you? Making friends?” Alex asked.

“I am quite satisfied with the quality of my staff and the rapport we have developed. It is fortunate to be among those like yourself with whom I am already familiar.” Atna explained as Freddie finally finished her tea, crushing some small red berries and sprinkling them in.

“Starbase 51 feels like a lifetime ago now, right? Well maybe not for you I guess, you’ve got twice my life expectancy.” Alex said.

“It was a curious time. I do not desire to return to the gamma quadrant any time soon.” Atna responded, sipping her tea. She had to pause and put it down for a moment. It was perhaps one of the most agreeable things she had ever tasted.

Freddie watched her carefully from the other side of the bar, knowing her reaction was what he’d hoped for. He didn’t say anything, but smiled to himself as he started wiping up for the trio of non-coms who’d just left the counter next to where Flynn and Atna sat.

“What about your love life? Found anyone worth breaking all that kolinahr for?” Alex asked.

“There are few suitable males aboard, but it has been said that I am overly discriminating.” Atna responded. The tea had a relaxing quality.

“Few isn’t none.” Alex responded with a vulcanesque raised eyebrow, taking another sip of her stout.

“Indeed. I would like to speak further with the head nurse. I find him aesthetically agreeable.” Atna admitted.

“Akendjaaq? Yeah, I guess I can see it, I just have a hard time getting past the pink. I didn’t know Klingons came in pink.”

“He is only half-Klingon. His mother is human. And Klingons are one of the most extensively genetically altered species still in existence. At different points in history they’re completely unrecognisable even to each other. Many Vulcans worry our increasingly declining stringency in enforcing genetic manipulation codes may lead to similar crisis.” Atna explained, taking another sip of her tea.

“Yep, everything’s going to hell. Kids don’t respect authority. Music isn’t as good as it was in the 24th century. Augment supermen are going to be our superiors. Same as it ever was.” Alex said with a smirk.

“Be glib if you wish, but I should think any human aware of their own history would be rightly concerned by the prospect of eugenic conquest.” Atna said.

“Not so long ago we were being spared from certain death by a naked blue man with magic powers. We’ve got a hole between ours and every other possible reality a few minutes away. Eugenics wars round umpteen isn’t on my list of worries.”

“You are correct to point out that our present situation is more pressing. I believe this tea is having a soporific effect. Freddie, what did you say it was?” Atna asked.

“It’s Poyani sap-tea. Poy is a desert world not unlike Vulcan a few days from here. I haven’t had a chance to try it on the commander yet, but Toh, T’Vath and P’Lar are all crazy for it. Romulans though, not fans. Funny that.” Freddie explained.

“The Romulan metabolism has changed significantly since the exile from Vulcan. Romulus was verdant but very few native Vulcan plants would take root there.” Atna explained.

“You, my darling, have a brain to make a hologram’s subroutines jealous. Tell the Commander about that tea, would you?” Freddie said as he passed through the bar to collect some glasses from a table that had just departed on the other side of the room.

Alex asked her combadge the time, and when it told her she realised it was time to call it. She drained her pint and stood up. “Well it’s been a pleasure as always Lieutenant, but I’ve got to be busy in the morning.”

“Indeed. Good evening, Commander.” Atna said, remaining behind to finish her tea. After she wished Freddie good evening she considered wandering past sickbay to see who was working, but decided against it.

Once both were gone, Freddie dealt with their dishes. With everything clean, all his prepwork done and nobody to serve, he decided to relocate to the holostadium, at least until someone set foot in the bar again.

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