[BACK POST] The Card Without a Name

Posted on Friday, 22 May 2020 - 10:01pm by Commander DeVala Victrix Ph.D
Edited on on Saturday, 23 May 2020 - 10:18am

Mission: Operation: Recall
Location: Risa
Timeline: 2393 - Before starship launch

DeVala Victrix glanced at the deck of cards in “Doctor Deepak El-Azar’s hands as he shuffled them. “It is a bit strange to find a man such as yourself dabbling in things of this sort of nature” she said to him very inquisitively. He just continued shuffling the cards and ignored her for a few moments before returning his focus back to her.

“You do not know me very well, Lieutenant” he said to the woman who was not in a Starfleet uniform because she did not wear a Starfleet uniform. Once upon a time, yes. In the near future very likely, but not now and not recently. “Well, I should say Lieutenant Commander” he added swiftly and placed the stack of cards down upon the table face down. Victrix’s last Starfleet rank was that of lieutenant. The assignment she was going to take meant reinstating her, but she did not know anything about a promotion coming her way.

DeVala had to concede that point. “You are right, Doctor El-Azar. I do not know you. I do not know you at all. So, I’m a little perplexed how you know some of these things about me” she replied a bit taken aback. She looked at his ears. They were alien looking, Vulcanoid? No. They had looked somewhat of a mix between a Vorta and an Ocampa, but he was neither of those. At least she did not think so. “Go ahead, tell me about my future” she said almost as if she were daring the man.

The man had eyes that locked onto hers and did not yield. He began to lie out a series of cards one after the other in a linear line, several of them faced down and then he stopped. “I can tell you nothing, but the cards are our friends” he replied as he began with the card furthest on her left. He flipped it over and Victrix’s eyes were immediately drawn to it. The card appeared to be upside down at east from the appearance of it.
Deepak made a bit of a sighing sound and looked into Victrix’s eyes. “I’m sorry” he said softly. “Lovers reversed. You do not have anyone in your life sexually nor romantically past or present that has stayed very long. I suspect you did have someone once, but that is no longer the case” he added.

She held back her emotions. It was a very sore spot for her, and she did not want this man knowing about her troubles in that department, nor did she want to relive what had happened. “Happens to a lot of people. I am happy with my career. That is all that I need.”

“Foolish to lie to yourself, but maybe you’ll learn not to in time” he replied as he continued on with the next card and flipped that one over. This one was interesting, but it was not reversed. “Four of pentacles my dear. A new job is ahead for you. One that may bring about change and unfamiliarity” he said.

This is getting a bit spooky she thought to herself. She kept herself composed. “I have guards escorting me. I clearly do not come here often, and we all have jobs and jobs that change. What else do you have for me, darling?”

He ignored her goading and continued. Another card and more to say. “Six of swords a journey, one that may involve magical or divine intervention of some sort” he added. “Interesting.”

Victrix gestured to the last card. “Shall we?”

Doctor El-Azar turned over the last card, upright sat a skeleton dressed in armor riding a horse. “Ah…the card with no name” he said, but that was not any more comforting to Victrix as the name she knew. She knew because it was clearly there staring back at her.

“Death” she said her voice trembled. Then there was a huge THUMP right next to her that nearly caused her to jump right out of her own skin. She turned to find that her Efrosian guard was dead as a doornail, mouth ajar, with foam pouring out of it and his eye bloodshot. He was still warm to the touch but stiff.

She looked at the Doctor and gasped. “You poisoned us! You said it was tea” she said. Immediately the to agents came storming in from outside with phasers drawn.

Deepak had his hands up above his head. “Calm down children. I did not lie to you at all. I told you very clearly that there was no poison in your cup, just tea…perfectly safe. I did not say anything about his cup. Besides, he was paid to kill you later tonight. So, you’re welcome.” He slowly reached for the last card and handed it to her.

“Why?” she asked.

“It was not what you think” he replied. “Simply an end my dear…simply an end.”