Latinum and Questions

Posted on 19 Aug 2026 @ 9:43am by Lieutenant Ryan Collingway & Lieutenant Nicholas Miller
Edited on on 19 Aug 2026 @ 2:04pm

2,034 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: The Doldrums
Location: Lieutenant Miller's Quarters
Timeline: Just prior to 'Living in Chaos'

///Outside Lieutenant Miller's quarters///=

For the life of him, Ryan couldn't remember the last time he had talked to Nick. There had been his acting promotion, the carnival, and the latest mission that sent him back to 1984. Had it really been that long ago? Slightly concerned, he went to his friend's quarters after his shift was over and activated the door chime.

Miller looked up from his project, it was rare for there to be a visitor and he was curious. Upon opening the door he grinned. "Ryan! Good to see you, how's it going?" he asked, turning back towards the couch and chairs surrounding his coffee table. On the table was an irregular lump of clay with a stone plate under it, bowls of water and sponges surrounding it. Seeing the look on his friend's face Nick laughed.

"Yeah decided to try sculpting......" He paused for a moment and smirked, for someone with as many interests as himself some were bound to be tougher than others. "With diligence and effort I am firmly convinced I'm terrible at this." Nick shook his head. "It was supposed to be a horse but now I'm leaning towards manatee."

"I feel like every time I see you, I can expect the unexpected," Ryan said with a smile. "I'm doing okay. Last mission was a bit challenging. I was sent into 1984 and disappeared for a day. How about you? How's the counseling going?"

At his prompting he sat down on the couch, making sure the area was clear of any potential potential clay stains.

Miller reached out and picked up a mug from the table, the coffee inside having long ago turned tepid. "Pretty busy with all the recent chaos." He took a sip and put the mug down before nodding. "But that is a good thing, it means the crew is beginning to have more belief in the Department." Some of the officers had shared details that while interesting had also made him relieved to have not been involved. "So what was it like, finding yourself in a completely different time?"

Ryan hesitated. "Strange," he admitted. "It was almost a completely different life. I was still me, but without Starfleet protocols or rules to guide me. Now that I'm back, it feels like a lot of people are watching me to make sure I don't look for any tools from 1984 instead."

He shrugged. "I've been...trying to figure myself out a bit more lately. I think this mission just made things more confusing," he said with a laugh.

Nick nodded, more to show that he was listening than to demonstrate he was understanding. He hadn't endured the same situation and was just trying to absorb as much information as he could. "That had to be a challenge....." Abruptly he stood and shoved a fist into the clay on the table. "Welp, I just ended the dinosaurs......" He quickly etched his name in the clay, taking credit for the meteor impact that ended the reign of the giant lizards though science argued they were closer to avians.

"I think that's the hardest part for all of us really, trying to figure out who we really want to be." He took a sip of his mug and shook his head for a moment, so many sessions had recently centered around conflicts of reflection and self valutation. "Hey do you feel like some cards?"

Without warning Nick stood and took a deck of cards from under the coffee table. "Ever play some poker? Blackjack?" he asked as he shuffled the cards. "I'm pretty good at Euchre...." Ryan had always been a bit tough to connect with but over time Miller had found a true friend aside from his official duties.

"Sure, some poker sounds fun." As Nick shuffled, Ryan studied them, looking for any markings. Not that he expected Nick to cheat, of course, but some habits were harder to break than others. While living in Xin, knowing cards was a necessity. As well as knowing when their opponent was planning a few tricks. "Playing for fun or gambling for some reward?" he added casually.

"Interesting proposal....." Nick said with a light grin. "Five car, draw, no wilds?" he asked before dealing. "We could wager to make it interesting, could dip into my rainy day fund." One of the things his father had been determined to teach him was the value of having a back-up plan for any situation and quite often a source of financial means was often the most efficient. Whether to gain leverage, favor, equipment or information it always paid to have a few slips in one's pocket. "But no hard feelings should one of us just mop the floor with the other." he said with a laugh.

"I can wager a little," Ryan said, his face mischievous. "And to make it more interesting, whoever loses a hand has to answer one question truthfully. 'Tell me your most embarrassing story, for example'. That would be good motivation not to lose." He laughed.

"Well then...." Nick reached out and slid the clay project aside to leave room as he laid out the cards. Once everything was in place he reached under the table for his stash. "I have a few slips set aside for just such an occasion...... I'll wager those in lieu of questions." There was more value into understanding the Arawyn's crew than monetary gain, particular after he'd offloaded his questionable cargo before boarding post-carnival.

As he picked up his own cards and had a look at them Miller did his best not to frown. He had little leverage and would have to draw but it was Ryan's call first. "You could still put a little latinum up if you don't want to share." The idea itself amused Nick, how much would another officer pay to keep a counselor quiet?

"But then I would have to go back to my quarters, and spend half an hour searching for latinum. I'll just take yours," Ryan said. Truthfully, he had no idea if he had extra credits or not. He had spent a considerable amount at that carnival. His face was completely neutral. A practiced poker face. "Call."

"Well how about I can wager finances and you.... well let's call it a favor. For use at a later date?" Miller shrugged with a bit of a chuckle, there were quite a few ideas that came to mind and most were on the side of ridiculous. "You never know....."

"Plus, to be fair, it honestly matters very little." Nick took a few moments to look at his hand and did his best to conceal his displeasure. This was not a good way to start the game, the cards gave him little leverage and he'd have to apply influence through other means. He placed a few of his small pile of slips into the center and smirked. "I raise you one honest question"

Ryan could see faint looks of displeasure from Nick, but it was hard to say if he was bluffing. He himself had two pairs. A decent hand, though not the strongest. He gave Nick an easy question. "Wildest story from the Academy days?" he asked.

"I used a trick my father taught me and locked all the doors before a ceremony so everyone was late." Nick said with a smirk, getting busted for doing so had been totally worth it. "Drawing two..... how many you want?" he asked. Miller glanced to the pile of clay and shook his head. "Let me move that....." Standing he grabbed up the art supplies and moved them to a table near the corner before returning to his seat. Looking to his cards Nick wasn't excited at his leverage but had to work with what he had.

"Raising five slips...." As Nick slid the bet into the center he sat back. "So how's things going in your neck of the woods?"

Ryan shifted a little. That wasn't an easy question to answer. "Um, it's going. I've been busy with being a CEO during the day, and I am studying advanced leadership training in my off-hours."

He put his cards down on the table, forgetting them for a moment. "Lately I've been having flashes. A suppressed memory of something that happened before I joined the Academy. Commander Batenburg has offered to help me with it, but I've been putting it off. After what happened on the away mission, my brain could probably use some rest from hidden memories."

Nick laid his cards down and sighed after a few moments. "Alright you got me this time....." As he reset the game Nick looked up and was curious for a bit. As Miller deal the next hand he watched his friend, more had been said than spoken. "Well.... to be fair I would say anyone needs a break now and then. Every machine ever built at some time in history required time spent to make sure it is in order. And no, it's not always convenient."

"When is it convenient?" Ryan questioned, looking at his cards. "I told people that my entire existence could have been wiped away. And the response back generally is that I should expect things to be weird. Almost like I shouldn't complain if an away mission goes sideways." He didn't know why this bothered him so much. Maybe it was because his own identity was incredibly important to him. It was one of the few things he couldn't afford to lose.

He sighed. "Sorry...you're my friend. I made it clear that you're not my counselor. Ignore that." He glanced at his hand. Unlike last round, this one was pretty abysmal. Still, he kept a poker face as he smirked a little. "Want to give up? I'd hate for you to lose more chips. I have a pretty good hand."

"isn't a real friend a little of both?" Miller asked with an amused expression. "It's actually quite hard to have a real 'buddy' in my line of work. If anyone is trusted less than a counselor...." Looking at his hand Nick knew that he had a solid pair but wasn't sure what Ryan was holding. "I call." He glanced to the failed clay sculpture and shrugged. "Show me what you got."

"Argh, fine," Ryan said, showing that his hand basically had nothing. With a smirk he returned the latinum. "Here. I'd hate for you to lose shore leave funding. And I suppose I owe you a favor for spotting me in the first place...though I might regret that later."

He yawned. "It's getting late. I'm going to pack it in for the night and do some more studying. Thanks though, for the break. And for the record, I think you're wrong. You're a pretty trustworthy guy. I'm sure other people feel the same way, including your patients."

Nick smiled, it wasn't often that any counselor got a genuine, personal compliment. He had to be doing something right. "Well thanks...... be ready for that favor." As he chuckled Miller moved the latinum into a small pile, he wasn't rich by any means but the next shore leave would have decidedly more options available. "You know where to find me bud." Miller stopped for a second, the term 'buddy' had been held in high esteem by his father and was not a moniker to be taken lightly. It surprised him for a moment, he had genuine trust in another officer. Not out of responsibility but out of an actual personal connection.

As Collingway left he waited until a few seconds after the door had closed. "Guess I better clean up....." he muttered to himself before grabbing the slips in one hand. With the other he reached towards the failed sculpture and peeled his fist impression back. Inside laid several more slips, an unexpected bounty via random encounter with a fortune teller. The medium's random gift had been too dangerous to bring back aboard the Ararwyn but he'd easily found a willing customer simply wandering the starbase and doing what he did best. Conversation.

--- End Log ---

Lieutenant Ryan Collingway
Acting Chief Engineer
USS Arawyn

Lieutenant Nicholas Miller
Counselor
USS Arawyn

 

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