Ade sat at the card table and brought out his leather bag from under the table. He began setting up the table with his credit chips and strips of Latinum from the back of the bag. He placed his packs of cards on the table from his box, and began to shuffle them.

he looked reflectively out of the picture window at DS-K5. Banned from Joe’s Dragon bar, and from the entire Fantail Lounge, he had moved the card game to the Forecastle Lounge instead. NE Beaker was obviously not invited to this game any longer, but everyone else was welcome. There was a much better view here and the furniture was more comfortable. Usually considered as the Junior Officer, Enlisted and NE ranks lounge, it also had a better class than Joe’s Bar and Grill.

Ade was still annoyed that his mild disability had got him banned from the Fantail. He still saw it as prejudicial treatment and clear discrimination, but he hadn’t bothered to take it to the XO or CO. In fact, the Fantail was too noisy for a card game, and the Forecastle suited him much better. One couldn’t think straight with that screaming Orion woman around. Unfortunately, there was some noise from the Game’s Locker area and the Cinema, but he would have to deal with that when it happened.

Hunter checked where Ade was,he finally found him at the Forecastle Lounge , on entering the doctor looked around it was deserted except for the dentist ‘’Sorry to disturb you , the Orion woman has two of her teeth broken. It’s something that falls under your expertise ‘’ Hunter spoke in a neutral tone ,he had no idea the dentist still harbored resentment .

“Yes, that’s supposedly my occupation,” Ade replied. “She’ll have to come down to my surgery in Sickbay. I’m banned from that Bar in any case. When I’ve examined them, I’ll see if I can repair them or Crown them. I expect that you have given her pain relief already, but she’s a little wild, is that one! I’ll have to give her an anaesthetic so that she doesn’t bite me! I can’t abide all that wailing she is fond of!”

“How did she manage to break teeth anyway? Can’t Joe afford bottle openers?” Ade asked.

Looking at the cards the doctor’s interest peaked ‘’How is it played? ‘’ Hunter asked pulling a chair .

“Ah! Another day, I think …if I have a patient waiting now”, said Ade, already packing away the cards. “There are many, many different card games, but I usually play Poker. You aim to create the best five-card hand from your two hidden cards, and from the five shared community cards. However, the game is really all about the betting. There are options to call, where you match another bet, to raise, where you increase the bet, or else to fold and to give up your cards. The player with the highest-ranking hand at the end wins the pot of all the bets placed, but he can win by forcing opponents to fold by betting more than they are willing to risk. So, it is a game of bluff more than a game of luck and skill, and of how much you can afford to lose too. When in space, the crew of a starship has always played cards and dice. Though normally busy, you know only too well that there are those moments of absolute dullness. You are welcome to join me next time?”

Ade threw everything into his leather bag. “I’d better get down there pronto. I can’t remember when I last had a patient. It must be months ago, and I that was only because someone got elbowed in the face… that time when the Captain held that Briefing for the entire crew in his Ready Room.”

• Ade, Ship’s Dentist