Post 297: Shuffle Up and Deal Part Two

Stardate:70707.1701
Title: Shuffle Up and Deal Part Two
Authors: Salvek and Blane
Scene:Holodeck/Inside the house
Time: Following Part One
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"You are supposed to be sleeping on the couch young lady, it is past your bed time."

"Yes, Father," she said dejectedly. Salvek pushed his cards away, folding.

"OK, it's me and you, Samson." Blane declared, flipping over his pair of queens.

"Ha! I've got you! declared Samson, turning over the 2 and 4 of hearts. "I have a flush."

"That's not quite how it works, lad." MacDougal said, explaining there were 5 more cards to be played. By the end of the hand Samson's evening was over as Blane's queens stood up.

"Look guys, I really want to go for a late night surf. Thanks for the game though." Samson bid a hasty exit.

Blane shook his head and laughed. "Let's just toss his chips out and start over again. Unless of course you want to surf too, Commander?"

"No, let us continue." said Salvek.

"Good." TC replied with a smile. The thought of the Vulcan commander on a surf board tickled the acting operations chief's funny bone.

The cards were reshuffled and dealt back to the remaining players.

TC picked up his cards a saw a pair of bullets. Diamonds and hearts. TC, well practiced at hiding emotion, simply covered the blind bet. He was amazed as all at the table raised. When the bet returned to him he opted simply to call and wait to see what the community cards would reveal.

As the first of the community cards were flipped over TC noticed a problem and by the reaction of those gathered at the table, so did they. The first card flipped was an ace of hearts.

"What the hell? That can not be right!" TC exclaimed as he stopped the deal. "Look." He flipped over his cards showing the duplicate ace in his hand.

Salvek, eyebrow raised in typical Vulcan fashion, didn't speak but revealed his hand. It was identical to TC's.

All at the table followed suit and showed their hands; all of them containing the same cards as TC's hand. All looked at each other with honest confusion.

"OK, so what's going on?" TC asked.

Salvek gathered the cards up, and shuffled.

"This is what we get for using a holographic deck." protested MacDougal. "Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me. I'm going to check on the bonfire while you Starfleet lads sort all of this out."

Salvek began dealing cards to each player, face up to test the deck. First to Samson's empty seat, then K'Pajek, Blane, MacDougal's empty seat and himself. The cards came out in order... Four, Ace, a blank card, four and two.

"A BLANK????" Blane stared at the card incredulously. "Keep dealing, Vulcan." Again the same cards came out, Four, Ace, blank, four, two.

Salvek thought back to the malfunction's Blane and Trind claimed to see earlier. Perhaps there was something more to these things happening then a mere glitch caused by an incomplete program.

No matter how many times Salvek dealt, the same cards came out. "It appears to be a specific numerical sequence, 41042, but I do not see any significance to this number."

Blane rose from his seat, having seen enough."Computer, arch!"

No response.

"Computer, end program!"

Again, no response.

"K'Pajek to bridge! Respond please!"

K'Pajek stood up, and headed for the door. "Come, we need to find the females." He turned the knob on the door, which appeared to be locked. He threw his body up against the door to break it off its hinges, but it was no use.

"It appears we are trapped here, gentleman." Salvek sat back in his chair, contemplating their next play.

Commander Salvek
Acting First Officer
USS Independence

and

TC Blane
Acting Chief of Operations
USS Independence