At Destiny's End
Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I don't own SGU or anything pertaining to SGU.
Warning: Mild violence and language.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, life's been busy! I have decided that some chapters may include multiple Kino clips. I have a vision in my mind of what the video looks like and I'm hoping to share it with readers. Some of the really brief clips won't include a back story but should help to set the mood for the video.
Feedback is always appreciated.
This one's for Riley.
xxxxx
Colonel Young glares at someone or something not shown on the screen then turns to the Kino.
"Get that out of my face, Eli!" he snarls while raising his right hand to shield himself from the view of the offending orb.
xxxxx
A group of five sits around a table playing poker. Riley calls and one by one they show their hands. Two of a kind. Nothing. Two pair. Straight. Full house. Riley wins. Volker picks up the cards and starts to shuffle.
"That's it for me," says Greer while rising from his seat.
"Aww, come on!" cajoles Riley. "The night is still young. One more hand?"
"Says the guy who's been kicking everyone's asses all night," Greer retorts. "Some of us have responsibilities. Some of us have to get up early."
"He's just mad because he is now in the hole $135," laughs Eli as Greer walks away.
"It's pretend money!" protested Riley. But Greer was already out the door.
xxxxx
Despite the near constant state of emergency aboard the Destiny everyday life was pretty mundane. People went through their day to day routines with as much enthusiasm as could be mustered under the circumstances and fielded the crises as they arose. Days blended into weeks. They adapted, at least to an extent. With the passage of time they learned more about what they could expect during their stay on the Destiny.
The biggest challenge for most of the crew was learning to live with the fear. Fear of being stuck aboard the Destiny for the rest of their lives. Fear that those lives wouldn't last much longer. Fear of running out of food, or air. Fear of never seeing their loved ones again. Fear that their loved ones were adapting to a new life without them so that even if they found a way home it wouldn't be the same place they left behind. The fear was constant and it gnawed at them, leaving them raw and feeling exposed to a degree that no one was quite comfortable with.
Survival aboard the Destiny also meant dealing with many more tangible challenges. Even with semi-regular stops they seemed to always be short of supplies. Food and water were scarce and short rations led to short tempers. They were also cognizant of their more finite supplies. While food, water, and life support were certainly the most vital they were also the most easily replenished. When it came to items such as clothing they would have to make do with what they had indefinitely.
Poker served several functions. It was one of the few recreational activities available to the crew. It was a distraction. It was a means to bond, to find common ground. Above all the poker games helped create a semblance of normalcy.
To an outsider the poker games would have looked like any found on Earth, albeit lacking the customary beer drinking, smoking, and betting.
Those aboard the Destiny recognized the more subtle differences in their games and those played back home, though they never vocalized their observations. For example on the Destiny, unlike most social circles on Earth, poker games were seen as an acceptable means to mark nearly any occasion. Facing imminent death? Play poker. Mourning a lost friend? Play poker. Finally succeeded in growing a fruit that most of the crew was able to swallow on the first try? Play poker.
Dale Volker was not the kind of guy you would expect to find at your typical poker game on Earth. Neither was Eli Wallace. Tonight, however, like many nights before they played.
Eli was having fun. On Earth he hadn't been the kind of person who got invited to poker games. The occasional LAN party sure. On the Destiny, however, he found himself in high demand thanks largely to the fact that he was able to keep a running tally in his head. Moreover the other players seemed to genuinely enjoy his company during the games. It felt nice to be wanted for something other than (or at least in addition to) his math prowess for a change.
After months of contemplation Dale still had yet to determine why he enjoyed the poker games so much. He thought that the social interaction was probably the biggest draw, but that in and of itself puzzled him. He had always been the scholarly type and had spent most of his life devoted to his studies and his work. He hadn't given much thought to his personal relationships while at home but now he found that the friendships he'd formed with the other crew members helped him to get through the day with his sanity still reasonably intact. Thus while he'd never had any desire to partake in a poker game on Earth, or Icarus for that matter, he found himself inexplicably drawn in whenever he came across a game on the Destiny.
That night's game started like all the others. A soldier, bored and looking for entertainment, asked another soldier if he wanted to play. The game started early and ended late with various crew members being dealt in and out as the night progressed. At some point Eli came looking for something non-work and non-Chloe related to occupy his mind. Dale happened by on his way to his quarters and found himself dealt in without being quite sure how it happened.
The numbers dwindled until only Riley, Eli, and Dale remained. The three carried on until the early morning hours, each thinking to himself that he should have gone to bed far sooner. Those thoughts were confirmed when they arose early the next morning after minimal sleep and were confronted with a day full of PT, short rations, and stressful technical issues.
Some weeks later Dale sat in his quarters alone in silent contemplation. It was funny how time and distance could change your perspective on so many different subjects. Life aboard the Destiny had changed his perspective on the game of poker. And now death had changed it once more. The day after that poker game he had been irritable from exhaustion and had sworn he wouldn't stay up that late for the sake of a game again. Later, when he realized that poker game had been Riley's last, he wished that he'd stayed up later, insisted on one more hand.
Dale rose and made his way to the hallway. There he encountered Eli, who seemed to be heading in the same direction. "Hey," he said, "I was thinking about joining the poker game tonight. You heading that way?"
"Yeah," Eli replied. "You know, I was thinking. The last time any of us played was…well, the last time Riley played. Kinda weird, huh? I mean, I know things have been crazy what with the hostile takeover and supplies running low and everything, but still weird, you know?" the younger man rambled, finally trailing off as his eyes met Dale's.
"Yeah," Dale answered, and left it at that knowing that there was no need for further discussion. He was certain that Eli, like himself, had spent more than enough time mulling it over. The two men continued down the corridor on their way to a few hours of distraction. It was already late, but a bit of sleep deprivation was a small price to pay for the solace that comes from knowing that if you've just spent your last moments then at least you've spent them in good company.
xxxxx
(Back at the party.)
Volker still hadn't responded to his question, so Colonel Young sat and waited. Years of training had taught him how to divide his focus so that he could keep an eye on many things all at once. While outwardly it appeared the Colonel was watching the video, in actuality he was watching the video, Volker, and observing the rest of the crowd as well.
Colonel Young had never considered himself particularly close to the scientist, but over the years he had learned a great deal about Volker. As he watched the clip of the poker game he was reminded of one thing in particular he had learned: Volker had a tell. He was actually a rather adept poker player, and most wouldn't have even noticed the ever so slight tremor in his left hand.
As the next clip started to play he caught it out of the corner of his eye: the tell. "So that's what this is all about," he thought. "It's always a woman, isn't it?" he sighed. Across the table Dale's hand clenched around his glass, all signs of the tell-tale tremor now departed.