Temptations

Chapter 39 - Games

May, 2269

Spock and Kirk sat in the rec room, the chess board between them. Both men were staring at the board as though they had never seen one before. The noise level in the room around them was not high, but they had both tuned it out, nonetheless. The day had been long and hard, and they were both slightly injured, although one could not tell that by looking at them. Perhaps they were too tired to be playing this game, which required excellent concentration and clear thinking.

After some time, during which neither man moved at all, Kirk uttered a deep sigh. Spock slowly raised one eyebrow, looking at his captain. When there was no further vocalization, he spoke. "Do you wish to concede?"

"Concede? We haven't even begun yet?"

"Have we not?"

"No, we most certainly have not! Look! All the pieces are still in their starting positions." Kirk glared at his first officer. "Concede my great aunt Hortense!" He fussed and fumed for several minutes, and then moved a piece, seemingly at random.

Spock leisurely reached out one long, pale hand, and made a countermove. Kirk looked at the new position of his piece, made some calculations, started to move another piece, stopped, thought again. Finally he made his move. Spock carefully made his next move, exactly five point three seconds later.

Kirk sputtered. He glared at Spock. He tilted his head first one way and then the other. He made several abortive hand movements, finally jerking a piece to another location. Spock reached out and made a countermove.

"Don't you ever stop to think before you move? You just stick that hand out and move something. Do you even have a plan?" Kirk was slowly getting red in the face.

"I have sufficient time to think while you are deciding on your next move. I calculate your next probable move and the next six possible moves after that and decide which piece would be the most advantageous to move." Spock was completely calm.

"Wait! My move doesn't even figure into your strategy? I could just move any piece and you'd do the same thing?"

Spock raised his eyebrow again. "Your moves have some purpose? You have a plan? Something that would actually affect my consideration of the board?"

Kirk jumped up, almost upsetting the board. "That's enough! I'm outta here." And he stomped off, heading down the corridor rapidly.

Spock sat quietly for several moments. Kirk had reacted as predicted. He was now energized again, out of the tightly contained, barely functioning funk that he had been in since that disastrous incident on the planet they had just visited. He had been successful. He rose from his chair and headed for his quarters. Nyota would be there by now. She would provide the calmness that he needed now. He was looking forward to it.

*"***"

The usual crew was gathered around the poker table. The light was bright over the center of the table, dim elsewhere. There were bowls of snacks scattered around the rim of the table, and damp bottles rested on coasters. The cards in the hands of those seated there apparently were not what was desired, because there were frowns on most of the faces. One face, however, was serene. That of the first officer betrayed none of the emotion so prevalent on the others. One by one, the others threw down their cards in frustration, and Spock raked in the pot. It was only when he gathered up the cards without showing his own hand that the howls began. "Gentlemen." One slanted highbrow rose high.

"You've got to show us what your hand was, Spock!"

"It's nae fair, mon. We need tae see your cards."

"You green-blooded hobgoblin! I'll bet you were just bluffin' the whole time!"

Spock began to shuffle the cards, glad to see some liveliness return to the faces around him. "Is that not the game?"

There were mutters and dire threats, and the poker game continued, the danger they had been through in the last few days forgotten in their anger, real or not, over his tactics.

She lay upon him, breathing slowly, his hands stroking gently through her hair. "Did it work? Did you make them forget?"

"Indeed. They were much too irritated with me to remember what had transpired."

"I don't see how you can keep doing that, and they never catch on."

"They are not expecting it."

"I guess that's it." She was quiet for a while, her fingers drifting through the silky hair on his chest. When she spoke again, her voice was soft. "You care for them so deeply, and they don't even know."

"They do not have to know. It is not necessary. It is only necessary that you understand how much I care about you." His voice was low, almost husky.

She made a soft sound, and turned her face to his, meeting his mouth hungrily. "I understand, love, truly I do."

"That is all I require. That and the continued proper functioning of the crew. Together they are sufficient."

She sighed now, nibbling on the skin under his chin, making him growl slightly at her. "You are much more than sufficient. Very much more."

He rolled her over, hovering over her. "Necessary. Required. Desired." And he proceeded to show her just how much.