Ensign Meris - Rule 62 in Action
Meris/Brian
(( Main Mess Hall - Deck 3, USS Artemis-A ))
As play continued around the table, Meris observed closely, still trying to understand the rules of the game. Many of the locations on the board appeared to be hazards to avoid or spaces that demanded a penalty to the Holo-NOT-Grok.
Cole: ::exasperated sigh:: Can’t help but feel like you're shaking us down, Grok. ::dropping 50 bars into the pot::
Tho'Bi: ::to Cole:: Shake down translates into Ferengi as business as usual.
Meris: I believe I am fortunate to be skipping my next turn.
It was Bancroft's turn next. The Doctor leaned forward and spun the wheel. It landed on thirteen, and he counted the spaces aloud in a mock-dramatic whisper as he moved his tiny Defiant.
Bancroft: One... two... three... temporal nonsense... five...
The square he landed on read TEMPORAL ANOMALY. The Holo-NOT-Grok grinned wickedly.
Holo-NOT-Grok: ::smiling evilly:: You’ve been aged forty years. Pay 100 bars of latinum for genetic reconstruction or lose 3 turns due to back pain.
Roy grumbled and slid the payment into the central pot.
Bancroft: ::muttering:: Forty years older and still not eligible for early retirement. At this rate I’ll be dead and working overtime.
Cole: Could be worse - could be forty years older and still an Ensign. ::laughing::
K'Wara: Well, pretty sure a temporal anomaly doesn’t hand out pips, so he’s living that nightmare now.
Tho'Bi: ::to Bancroft:: Could be much worse - Ferengi collect debts even after the Captain airlocks you. ::beat:: There's no escape.
Meris: I am beginning to suspect the object of this game is simply to be the last player with any latinum.
Bancroft: Response.
The Andorian’s turn came round, a small arc of ten gold-pressed latinum bars zipping toward him. The dabo wheel spun - twenty-one light years. A rundown space station was in range, and he could increase his profits from the Holo-Suites tenfold.
The tiny Enterprise NCC-1701 REFIT landed on the rundown station, and suddenly, the lights dimmed. A bright white spotlight snapped on at the center of the game. A floating throne and a shadowed figure appeared.
Meris blinked, unsure of what was happening.
Meris: oO This game should come with a seizure warning. Oo
The figure stepped into the light.
Holo-NOT-Q: Sorry to disappoint you, Ensign! You won't be increasing your profits this turn... Oh, I know - the Universe can be so unfair. ::glint in the eye:: ...and it's about to get a whole lot less fair!
::snaps fingers::
Flash of light. A holo-lute appeared in the Andorian’s hands.
Meris: Who is this supposed to be?
The Holo-NOT-Q looked offended but turned back to Tho’Bi.
Cole/Bancroft: Response.
Holo-NOT-Q: Sing for your supper, Andorian! ...or lose all your money and forfeit the game!
K’Wara: Well, that’s certainly a twist.
Another bright flash - Holo-NOT-Q vanished. The spotlight remained, falling on Tho'Bi, who now held a small wind instrument Meris didn’t recognize.
Meris: Is that a flute?
K'Wara/Cole/Bancroft: Response.
Tho'Bi gave Cole a pointed look. Meris briefly wondered how the two knew each other.
Cole: Response.
As Tho'Bi began to sing, the lute played itself, keeping time to an Andorian tune Meris had never heard before.
Tho'Bi: ::passible singing:: Vrel’sha’mar, vrel’keth’nor. Zal’norash kethni’del. Kagh! Kagh! Kagh! Vrel’sha’mar, vrel’keth’nor. Zal’norash kethni’del. Kagh! Kagh! Kagh!
K'Wara started applauding.
Meris: ::to Tho'Bi:: An impressive cultural display, Ensign. ::light clapping::
Cole/Bancroft: Response.
K’Wara: Bravo-
Tho'Bi launched into a second verse.
Tho'Bi: ::passible singing:: Lex’jal’tor, vrel’keth’nor. Zal’krasha kethni’del. Kagh! Kagh! Kagh! Lex’jal’tor, vrel’keth’nor. Zal’krasha kethni’del. Kagh! Kagh! Kagh!
The spotlight clicked off, lights returning to normal. The lute vanished, and Challenge Completed rotated above the Andorian’s head.
K’Wara: Very good! Bravo, Tho’Bi.
Tho’Bi bowed slightly.
Tho’Bi: ::to K'Wara:: Thank you. Sorry about the second verse.
Meris: I would be interested in learning the etymology of that song, Ensign Tho'Bi... ::a beat:: ...at a suitable time, of course.
Cole/Bancroft: Response.
The game rolled on with Ferengi trickery, holographic surprises, and fortunes changing at the spin of the Dabo Wheel.
K’Wara: That was an Andorian song, I take it?
Tho’Bi: ::to K'Wara:: Yes. I sang it with my mother when I was young. She is an Engineer too. It is a song of her clan - the Birev clan.
Meris listened with interest.
Tho’Bi: ::to K'Wara:: ...the Engineer's clan. ::smiles::
K’Wara: Interesting. Can’t say I’ve heard much Andorian music. I like it.
Meris: It's not Tamarian throat-singing... but an impressive rendition nonetheless.
Cole/Bancroft: Response.
The Cygnian’s turn came. They paid a steep penalty to the Holo-NOT-Grok when their version of USS Voyager had to replace an entire cargo-load of not-quite Self Sealing STEM Bolts.
K’Wara: Sometimes I’ve realized since joining Starfleet - despite space travel being common, not many civilians actually do it. Did any of you travel much before joining?
Tho'Bi: Ferenginar, a few times. Places around Deep Space 3. Some non-Federation worlds - which was cool.
Meris: I never left the J'naii homeworld before the Academy. Off-world travel is virtually unheard of among my people.
K'Wara/Cole/Bancroft: Response.
The Andorian’s turn came again. The Dabo Wheel spun - fifteen light years. Cargo Job? Simple enough. The Holo-Ferengi appeared, dressed as a 23rd-century Starfleet Admiral, topped with a poorly fitted wig.
Holo-Ferengi: Captain... the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 REFIT must... journey to Deep Space Station K7 to... collect a shipment of... Quadrotriticale grain and... transport it to Sherman's Planet. Do you... accept this challenge?
Meris: That sounds vaguely familiar...
K'Wara/Cole/Bancroft: Response.
Tho'Bi: Challenge accepted.
The Holo-Ferengi laughed so hard his wig fell off - except it wasn’t a wig anymore, but a chirping, trembling lump.
Tho'Bi: Uh oh.
Meris: Is that a...
K'Wara/Cole/Bancroft: Response?
A holographic avalanche of Tribbles buried Tho’Bi.
Cole: Response.
Meris: Oh dear...
K'Wara/Bancroft: Response.
Tho'Bi: ::grinning:: Look out, Doc! You’ve got one under your nose.
Meris: I must disagree. What is under Doctor Bancroft's nose more closely resembles the larval stage of the burrowing fen worm from my homeworld.
K'Wara/Cole/Bancroft: Response.
Finally, having sat out a turn due to their earlier penalty, it was Meris’ turn again. The Dabo Wheel spun, morphing into a great vortex.
Holo-Ferengi: Quantum slipstream drive!
K'Wara/Tho'Bi/Bancroft/Cole: Responses.
Meris watched their aircraft carrier piece travel through a tunnel and emerge over a familiar blue-green planet.
Meris: Is that Earth?
And, orbiting at the edge of the Sol System, was Starbase One.
K'Wara/Tho'Bi/Bancroft/Cole: Responses.
Holo-Ferengi: Congratulations! You may purchase Starbase One for 200 bars. An expensive purchase, but with comes a 10% royalty on all penalties paid by others because, as Rule 62 states, 'The Riskier the Road, the Greater the Profit!'
Meris: Oh my... I will purchase Starbase One.
They handed over the 200 bars, confident they would earn them back in two turns at most given the rate of penalties in the game thus far.
K'Wara/Tho'Bi/Bancroft/Cole: Responses.
Tags/TBC
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Ensign Meris
Helm Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240207M14