STF

Side sim: Holodeck - Journal Club (open thread)

Posted July 2, 2022, 3:59 p.m. by Captain Willow Taylor (Commanding Officer) (Calé Reilly)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side sim: Holodeck - Journal Club (open thread)

Posted by Chief Petty Officer Oscar Cameron Cascarrabias Demalia (Chief Engineer) in Side sim: Holodeck - Journal Club (open thread)

Posted by Lieutenant Surra Almikaz (Chief of Psychiatry) in Side sim: Holodeck - Journal Club (open thread)
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snippity Do-dah>
The federation being wiped out. That was a scary thought. “I can’t imagine there’s not someone in the federation with an eye fixed on this if it is real or some random officer who wanted to scare their crew started the whole thing having a good laugh somewhere.”

She pondered if a campfire and ghost stories would have been more fun than journals and changes. Turning to look at both Weir and the resident grouch Willow smiled coaxingly. “What have you got from the world of engineering gentlemen?”

Willow Taylor
Rank at the door

“Nothing particularly interesting on that front,” Oscar said. “Well, nothing that’s actually been published, at any rate. I do read a lot of collectors’ journals, though. Anyone here play kal-toh?”

Oscar paused just long enough that somebody might think he was waiting for a response, but too short for anyone to actually answer. He then soldiered on.

Her mouth full of her drink willow had but time to give a slight nod before he was off again.

“Seems like more people around the Federation are getting a little jealous of the Vulcans, what with them being the masters of a game that they invented. But, because the newer players aren’t all Vulcan, they’re finding the original setup to be… boring. So, sort of like Chess or Go, they’ve started making variations. Some people say that it will add interest, while some are saying that it corrupts the intention of kal-toh as a game of logical perception. I’m just interested in collecting the new stuff, but what do you all think about the development?”

Oscar withheld a smile. If someone else was going to bring up scuttlebutt off of a starbase, he doubted that he was going to be censured for bringing up something that was from a hobbyist journal.

Oscar Cascarrabias
The Grouch

“I have never played kal-toh, but I have found that variations or ‘editions’ of traditional games often give a different perspective or new challenges to an already familiar game. Perhaps that is not the point of kal-toh? But those who do not like the variations can always play the game traditionally.” Alexis commented. “Though giving variations may cause the part that is an essence of the Vulcan culture to be lost. Perhaps that is the objection? Have you asked any of our Vulcan crew mates for their perspective, Chief?” Alexis was simply curious.

Bonner, AMO

Oscar shrugged. “My past experience with Vulcans has proven that they mostly don’t care for my knowing - flavor, sorry, translator - of candor. Haven’t asked anyone on the ship because I don’t know any of them socially. As for why some people don’t like it, yeah, it’s mostly about Vulcan culture and whether kal-toh should be altered at all in order to appeal to those who don’t like the traditional form or are bored of it.”

“I haven’t played in years. We should replicate some and some of the variants and test them. If you have blue prints?” She said and waited to hear his response to Alexis, she was curious too.

Willow Taylor
(Running out if things to sign off with)

Surra scrunched her face at this idea.

“Not exactly, but I did discover that the replicator can at least make different colors of the game. Based on one article submission, I managed to make one that takes a cue from the Altonian brain teaser, where the colors are completely prismatic until a player succeeds, and it changes to a solid color. The color depends on how many moves it takes to succeed. I haven’t made any others - my actual collection is mostly because of hand-crafted deliveries, not replication - but it probably wouldn’t be difficult.”

Mariah listened contentedly to the group as they discussed everything from viruses, synthetic lifeforms, and now traditional or nontraditional Vulcan recreation. No one had addressed her directly, so that allowed her to quietly observe the group while enjoying her snacks. She hadn’t realized quite how hungry she was, having had later meals to accommodate time for sessions and clinical notes. No matter how fast the computer or how easy the dictation, no modern clinician could escape the horror of red tape. “That sounds like fun, although fair warning,” Grayson added, “I haven’t played much at all, so traditional or not, it’s all foreign to me.”

~Dr. Mariah Grayson, Psychiatrist

Willow smiled at Mariah, “I’d be happy to try and teach you some time.” She said

Solal had entered some time ago, and sat quietly listening, now at the mention of kal-toh he spoke up, “The newer variants change the game fundamentally, personally, I prefer the original game. I used to play it often.” Solal was half Vulcan, but raised on Earth, and studied the ways of Vulcan logic. “Playing the variants and studying the differences may be… an interesting endeavor.”

~ Solal

Oscar nodded.

“Apparently, the most complicated variation in active production ends in an open-sided hexadekahedron, but it’s got a base the size of a go board,” Oscar said.

Oscar Cascarrabias
The Grouch

“No thank you,” said Surra shaking her head. “My father, who was half Vulcan by the way, used to make me sit and play kal-toh as a particular form of punishment. Especially if I got reprimanded at school and he found out about it. I could probably master any variation of it but I will never know because I have vowed to never look at or touch kal-toh again as long as I live.

Surra
(If they break out the kal-toh rods and start playing she is leaving!)

Solal raised his brow in a movement worthy of Spock himself. “I suppose that may not be the only Vulcan practice you don’t like, then?” The comment had a hint of Vulcan condescension. “Making it more complicated does not always make it more interesting to solve.” Apparently, Solal was not a fan of the variation Oscar spoke of.

~ Solal

No, you are mistaken Mr. Solal, I appreciate many Vulcan practices, just not kal-toh since it was used to punish me. I am quite offended you would think that. My father raised me by himself when my mother died, so of course, I love and honor everything he was. The Vulcan logic my father passed to me has taught me to be a critical thinker, stopped me from making rash decisions, and showed me how to clear my mind in stressful situations. I would not be where I am today without it.” She raised her glass toward the Vulcan man and then took a drink.

Solal raised his glass respectfully, not wanting to start a fight with the new CoP. It wasn’t his intention to imply she didn’t like her father, rather that he might have used other practices as punishments. For Solal, the ways of Vulcan logic had been a life saver, and he was very proud of his Vulcan heritage though neither of the parents that raised him were actually Vulcans, rather Humans. It wasn’t a topic worth continuing, at least not here.

“Well we obviously don’t want to cause upset with our discussions, though perhaps a games night with people from the ship who want to play could be organised and we can test the variations of the games there? We could even have something of a tournament going.” She pondered and sipped her drink,

“Variations in games always seems to divide people. Has anyone tried an old earth game, very old earth game actually, called monopoly?” Ok…so it wasn’t a journal but it was topical she reasoned.

Willow Taylor
(I’m the dog!)

“I have heard of that game. Its basis is American economics, right? That is a game I would love to play.”

Surra
(Proud of her quarter Vulcan DNA)

Oscar snorted slightly. “Sounds like a game that Ferengi would love… well, honestly, any society with a mercantile economy. Not sure that I would care about it.”

He wasn’t sure why the Captain had followed along with changing the discussion to table top games, but it amused him slightly.

Oscar Cascarrabias
CE

Solal nodded. “The Ferengi would be quite taken with that game indeed. My family used to quite like it… mostly to teach about the problems associated with societies who put too much focus on mercantile society.” He shrugged indifferently, “There is little logic in the game, it relies mostly on chance. One’s best chance to win is that they land on the squares with the highest probability of being landed on first and raise the rents of those squares as soon as they are able.”

~ Solal

“We should replicate some of these different variants of kal-toh and monopoly and have a games night!” Willow said the idea sounding appealing.

“Any one have any other journals?”

Willow Taylor
Off duty


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