Lieutenant JG Meris: The Summons

[Meris/Brian]

((Meris' Personal Quarters, Deck 5, USS Thor))

 

The mist settled lightly across Olive’s leaves, catching the ambient light in a soft sheen as Meris adjusted the nozzle for a more even spray. Standing in a black tank top and boy shorts, they worked with quiet precision, rotating the pot a few degrees to ensure full coverage before inspecting a leaf and brushing away the excess moisture with their thumb.

 

Meris: The first scenario relied on pressure. Artificial urgency designed to encourage impulsive decisions. I did not comply. Panic is inefficient. Predictable. Avoidable. ::a beat:: I was pleased I got to pilot the Thor through some non-standard maneuvers though. I do wish Commander Veris, my Academy instructor, could have seen that.

 

They angled the plant toward the light, studying how it caught along the edges of the petals.

 

Meris: The second scenario was on an Andorian ice moon. You know how I hate the cold. And there were wild animals involved. At first I thought it was a Kreshaal from J'naii but, of course, that would not have been appropriate to the scenario. Instead it was a Thal’cha. An Andorian Frost-Stalker. A juvenile. Perhaps a year or two old. I was quite pleased to leave that scenario... though I did feel our departure was a bit premature.

 

Their gaze lingered on Olive, expression neutral but attentive.

 

Meris: Your assessment?

 

They gave a small, almost imperceptible nod a moment later.

 

Meris: Agreed.

 

oO Reliable as always. Oo

 

Their hand lowered, but did not fully withdraw. Something lingered, not in the room but just beyond it, pressing faintly at the edge of their awareness. Meris stilled, head tilting slightly as their focus shifted inward, analyzing the sensation with the same care they had given the test scenarios.

 

oO Not external. Not environmental. Internal. Persistent. A summons. Oo

 

Meris: That is... inconvenient.

 

The feeling did not dissipate. It clarified instead, resolving into direction with quiet insistence.

 

Meris: Deep Space 14.

 

They straightened, decision forming with calm certainty. Their duty uniform soon replaced the informality they preferred in their quarters. Meris paused only briefly beside Olive before departing, their voice softer but no less deliberate.

 

Meris: I will return.

 

They closed the final clasp on their uniform jacket.

 

((Gangway, USS Thor))

 

The transition point between ship and station hummed with routine activity, but Meris moved through it with singular focus. Crew and civilians passed in either direction, unnoticed as the subtle pull guided them forward, sharpening rather than fading.

 

oO This is either a mistake... or the beginning of something deliberate. Oo

 

They stepped across onto Deep Space 14.

 

((The Starlit Decanter, DS14))

 

This was only their second time aboard Deep Space 14, and navigation was still an imprecise exercise here. Meris allowed the unfamiliar pull to guide them, moving without a defined destination. They passed the patio where they had once drawn a picture of Naledi.

 

oO And then they ate it... Oo

 

The memory produced the faintest shift at the corner of their mouth before fading as quickly as it came. This was not that moment. This was something else.

 

Soon, they found themself entering a bar. Meris paused just inside, noting the scent first. Mahogany, or something approximating it, layered with aged spirits and a trace of spice.

 

They approached the curved counter, studying the bottles on display.

 

oO Were I summoned for... a drink? Oo

 

Meris: Excuse me...

 

Proprietor: Welcome, if you’ll follow me, you’re expected.

 

Meris blinked once, slowly.

 

oO That is unexpected. Oo

 

Still, curiosity prevailed.

 

((Backroom, The Starlit Decanter, DS14))

 

Meris entered a half-step behind the bartender, their pace slowing almost immediately as their attention shifted from the doorway to the room itself and its occupants. The space mirrored the bar’s exterior aesthetic, but with greater intentionality. The lighting was softer, more controlled, guiding the eye with subtle precision. Shelving lined the walls, each compartment displaying objects that resisted immediate classification.

 

oO Not random. Not decorative. Curated. Oo

 

Their gaze moved methodically from one display to the next. Model ships. Compact weapons. Jewelry. Technologies. Living specimens. The arrangement suggested purpose without explanation.

 

At the center of the room sat the table. Octagonal. Wood-edged. Felt-lined.

 

oO Social structure. Competitive framework. Controlled variables. Oo

 

A voice broke the stillness.

 

Tam: Is'Kah, what are you doing here?

 

Meris’ attention shifted upward, finding Divya Tam positioned on a ladder.

 

They remained still, observing. As Is’Kah turned, Meris took in zhen appearance with quiet precision.

 

Is'Kah: I’m not exactly sure why I am in this room besides trying to find you.

 

Meris glanced briefly between them, then back to the table.

 

Meris: Commander Tam, do you know this person?

 

As they spoke another figure entered the room and the pilot glanced back to see Morro Caras entering.

 

Caras: Response.

 

Divya slid down the ladder and embraced the unfamiliar Trill.

 

oO That answers that question. Oo

 

Tam: It’s so good to see you. How did the rest of you end up here?

 

Is'Kah: Hello there! Friends of Divya?

 

Meris considered that carefully. Divya had been among the first to welcome them aboard the Thor. That had been significant for the J’naii.

 

Meris: Yes. I am Lieutenant JG Meris, the Thor's Helmsperson. And you are?

 

Carras: Response

 

Is’Kah bowed. After a fractional delay, Meris mirrored the gesture, slightly less pronounced.

 

Is’Kah: I am Lieutenant Is’Kah Xiron, USS Valkyrie’s Chief of Tactical and Security. I primarily use zha/zhen pronouns, but she/her is also acceptable.

 

Meris noted the phrasing, committing it to memory with immediate precision.

 

Meris: Noted, Lieutenant. A pleasure to meet you.

 

They extended their hand, a learned human gesture that still felt faintly performative but socially effective.

 

Tam/Carras: Response

 

Is’Kah: Divya and I have been friends since the Academy. We were both stationed in the Par'tha Expanse when she was on the Astraeus while I was on the Chin’toka.

 

Meris inclined their head slightly, processing the shared history.

 

Meris: I see.

 

Tam/Carras: Responses

 

Is’Kah: It would appear that we all found our way here for a reason. I found what I was looking for, but what about the two of you? Divya seemed surprised to see you.

 

Meris followed Is’Kah’s motion toward the table, then returned their gaze to Trill/Vulcan hybrid.

 

Meris: I'm not sure I can fully explain it. I was talking to Olive... that is, I was in my quarters when I felt this summons to come over to Deep Space 14.

 

Tam/Carras: Response

 

Is’Kah: I see. Fascinating how the universe conspires against us. Well, since we’re here, shall we play a game?

 

Meris studied the table again, then the others.

 

Meris: I am not entirely certain why but, for some reason, that feels like the correct course of action.

 

Tam/Carras: Response.

 

Meris took a seat and reached for the deck of cards at the center of the table. The cards were not standard Starfleet issue. The material felt smoother, slightly warmer to the touch, with an almost imperceptible luminescence along the edges. The suits were standard and the backs appeared slightly holographic.

 

They began to shuffle. Clean. Efficient. Then... something else.

 

The deck split, cascaded, interlaced, and bridged with fluid precision that suggested practiced familiarity far beyond their conscious recall. The cards snapped together in a perfect arc.

 

Meris blinked.

 

Meris: I... did not know I could do that.

 

Tam/Carras/Is'kah: Response.

 

They looked down at their hands, turning one slightly as if expecting an explanation to present itself.

 

oO That was... statistically improbable. Oo

 

Meris placed the deck back on the table with care.

 

Meris: What game shall we play?

 

Tam/Carras/Is'kah: Response.

 

Meris straightened slightly.

 

Meris: Poker has numerous variants. Five-card draw, Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Stud variants, lowball structures, high-low splits, Vulcan Es’tow, Andorian Chillet. Each carries different strategic implications, probability distributions, and behavioral expectations. Does anyone have a specific variation in mind?

 

Tam/Carras/Is'kah: Response.

 

There was a small pause before the pilot responded.

 

Meris: I became familiar with the game at the Academy. It was... socially instructive.

 

They didn’t add that Senior Cadet Annika Parker had been the one to introduce them to the game.

 

oO Oh the things I would have done on Parker’s behalf had the fellow cadet just asked… Oo

 

Tam/Carras/Is'kah: Response.

 

---

Lieutenant JG Meris

Helmsperson

USS Thor

A240207M14