Lunchtime Chess

Posted on Tue Jun 3rd, 2025 @ 7:26am by Captain Aren T'Aevan & Lieutenant N'vok Holv

Mission: Season 6 - 5.5 - Day to Day
Location: Marine Officer's Mess, Deck 32
Timeline: Backlog
1582 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Aren stepped through the doors and into the Officer's mess. A slight smile curling the side of his mouth. Aren could've stayed on the upper decks and ate on the upper decks at one of the many coffee mess', but he always preferred the marine mess. Even when he was on station or in his past he would always eat with the Marines. Sometimes, he'd even eat with the enlisted.
"Old habits die hard I suppose." Aren said in a low voice.

He walked over to the replicator and ordered, "Steak and potatoes with a side of apple cider."
Grabbing his tray he walked over to a table and took a seat, ready to enjoy his meal.

N'vok sat down across from Aren. Setting a cup of Andorian The and a box on the table. "You have been avoiding me, T'Aevan," said N'vok. He tapped the box and it unfolded into a three-dimensional chess set, paused mid-game. "It is your move, as I recall."

Aren smiled, "I wouldn't say I've been avoiding you, it's more like I was contemplating my next move."
Aren looked over the board and scrunched his forehead in thought. Picking up his knight he moved it up one level and over one square towards N'vok's side of the board, causing the hologram of N'vok's rook to vanish.
"How are things going in the Science Department N'vok?" Aren asked as he looked over the board attempting to anticipate and sus out N'vok's move.

"Busy, always busy," N'vok said. "There is so much data being gathered, it is stacking up until we have time to sort through it all. On the bright side, job security." He said having a sip of The. "I cannot imagine there is much work for the Judge Advocate General at the moment. Are you keeping busy?"

Aren nodded, "You would be surprised. Right now I'm reviewing several contracts that Starfleet has entered into with various member worlds and a couple of contracts with non-member worlds. I've also got a couple of potential cases of illegal substances, Romulan Ale, that I may have to try. Other than that, it's all mundane things."

He frowned at the board. "Ah, yes." He slid his bishop forward. "Check."

Aren frowned before taking a sip of cider. He moved his rook out to block the bishop's attack on his king.

"What kind of data are you guys working with?" Aren asked before taking the last bite of his potatoes.

"Stellar cartography mostly," said N'vok. "We have an interesting proto-sun developing but is it unusual in that it is producing a wide spectrum of helium variants . . ." he paused. "You do not really want to hear about that though? I can continue, but I find most non-physicists' eyes usually start to glaze over at this point."

N'vok took the rook. "Again, check."

Aren looked at the board again, breathed deep and moved his queen to take N'vok's bishop.
"I have a rudimentary understanding of astrophysics. If you feel so inclined to continue I won't begrudge you. Although I am now curious as to what would cause it to produce a wide spectrum of helium variants."

"We are wondering the same thing," said N'vok. "Our current analysis suggests an unusual chemical catalyst in the gas cloud. Which raises the question of from where did those chemicals emerge. So far, more questions than answers."

He moved a pawn forward.

Aren nodded, "So determining the unknown catalyst is what you are trying to do then."

He moved his knight down to the main level of the board.

By now his steak was finished and his cider all but gone, "I'm going to get myself another drink, care for anything?"

N'vok looked in his cup. "Another Andorian The, hot, would be welcome." He studied the board while waiting for Aren to return.

Aren nodded and made his way to the replicators.
"Andorian The, hot. Spiced apple cider, hot." He picked up the cups and headed back to the table, nodding to a few marine officers who looked up at him as he moved through the mess.
"Here you go," Aren said as he handed the new cup to N'vok.

"Thank you," N'vok said, accepting the cup. "Not just determining what it is, which will be useful in and of itself. But where it came from is almost the more important question. One theory is that there is a microscopic white hole spewing matter that is causing it to form. If so, that would be quite a discovery."

He moved the pawn forward again the threaten Aren's queen.

"Areinnye" Aren muttered under his breath. He looked at the board intently for a a minute, before taking the pawn with his queen.
"That would indeed be quite the discovery. Has the Federation managed to find much on white holes? I honestly haven't kept up with the science journals." Aren said as he sipped his cider.

"We know they exist but mostly not in our quadrant," N'vok said. "So having one to study would be a coup."

He shifted the attack board and moved his knight to threaten Aren's queen.

Aren nodded, "Intriguing move." Using his bishop he moved it to where if his queen were taken, the knight would be lost as well.

"You said that was one theory, what other theories are there?" Aren asked, contemplating his defensive move.

"Well, it could always be a subspace anomaly," said N'vok. "That is always a possibility. But we are not rating that highly." He took a sip of The. "There is an indication that a comet swarm may have impacted that sector of space. We are running a regression analysis of local space to see if that might be the cause."

N'vok pondered and then moved a pawn. "Though I would prefer the white hole, I suspect the comets will prove to be the correct answer."

Aren nodded, glanced at the board and saw only two possible moves. He could move his queen and check N'vok, or he could move his knight and take a pawn. Aren had given up on beating N'vok many moves ago. Now he was just trying to chisel away his defensive line. He opted to go after the pawn. He moved his knight and then nodded again at N'vok.
"Sounds very much like you have your work cut out for you."

"I am fortunate in having an excellent team," said N'vok. "We all play to our strengths. I keep working on the mundane Stellar cartography tasks while the specialists look at comets and for white holes."

He took the knight with his queen. "Mate in six," N'vok said. "Your game is improving."

Aren let out a sigh, "I know that one. For a long time I did the work of a legal secretary. Gathering case information, checking legal precedent, getting coffees for the higher ranking JAG officers. It wasn't until about six years ago that I started actually prosecuting and defending actual cases."

Aren moved a bishop to threaten N'vok's knight, hoping to set up an attack with his queen in 3 moves.

"I would imagine that being actively involved in the courtroom is more satisfying," N'vok said, "if more stressful."

N'vok used his threatened knight to capture Aren's queen.

Aren shook his head, "It definitely is more stressful, sometimes it's satisfying, other times not. Really depends on how the case pans out. I mean, I understand that I'm not going to win every case and to assume you're going to win every case is ignorant and illogical. So the way I've always viewed a case is, if I did my best and attacked the case with passion and all the angles I can, then its a satisfactory case, regardless the outcome."

Glancing at the board Aren noticed an angle he hadn't before. He had one lonely pawn that could take N'vok's knight. It wouldn't be a big victory, but he already knew he would lose this match in 4 more moves, but taking the knight would prove to be a partial victory, and Aren moved the pawn to take the knight.

"I tend to view scientific inquiry in a similar light," said N'vok. "Sometimes your research is a dead end but that still provides knowledge even if it not very interesting knowledge. But still another faltering step towards understanding."

N'vok moved his queen down a level where it was protected by his remaining pawn from Aren's bishop. "Check."

Aren finished his cider, smiled and moved his king out of the way, one square to the left.
"Pretty sure you've got me in 2."

"I fear so," said N'vok, taking the pawn with his queen. "Again, check. But still, a good game."

"It has been indeed and a pleasant conversation as well." Aren said moving his king to the only available spot, knowing full well that N'vok would checkmate next turn, taking his last knight.

"Always, and if we in Science can every be of help, let us know," said N'vok.

He made the finishing move. "Shah mat, your king is dead."

Aren smiled and nodded, "I will keep that in mind. I fear it is time for me to get back up to my office."
Aren stood and extended his hand, "Lets get another game going soon."

N'vok grasped the offered hand. "I would like that. I hope things run smoothly for you."

Once the other officer left, he packed away the chess set, dropped his cups in the recycler and headed off to his office.