The Strangest Dream =================== by Gisela Roemer Starbuck entered the officers' lounge, hoping to find there at least a little diversion from his last, exhausting reconnaissance flight, a sip of ambrosa and perhaps a nice little game of pyramid. He arrived just in time to join a round of players assembled around a table, mugs filled with ambrosa standing before them. Surprised, he stared at the face of a man he had never seen before, and Starbuck liked to boast of knowing every fellow crewmember aboard the GALACTICA. But Boomer, Jolly and the interested observers seemed not to care and so Starbuck shrugged and approached the table. "Anyone mind if I join this game?" he asked. The stranger, an inconspicuous man with short, curly brown hair and with what Starbuck classified a poker face looked at him and politely answered, "Not at all. Please feel free to join us." The others nodded agreement. After signaling the barkeeper to bring him a mug of ambrosa, Starbuck sat down. "Okay, folks, I assume all of you know the rules of pyramid. So how about starting the game?" Boomer nodded and began to deal the cards. During the first few games Starbuck noticed the stranger to watch rather than wager. Apparently the man felt not familiar enough with the game to risk too much. However, the man's penetrating blue eyes registered everything that happened; the players changing their cards as well as the behavior of the players themselves. Even as Starbuck proudly showed a perfect pyramid and raked in a big amount of cubits the stranger's face remained expressionless. "What's with you, buddy, don't you envy me for my luck?" Starbuck addressed him. "I'm a professional gambler, my reputation is well-known. Watch me and you might learn from me. I have this certain charm that attracts luck." The pilot showed a winning smile while his friend Boomer shook his head slightly at these words. Many times only his strong determination to end a game before it resulted in total financial disaster for Starbuck and the ones who had been foolish enough to back his stakes had saved them both. "Or is it my reputation as a gambler scares you away?" "I take it you wish to challenge me," the stranger dryly observed. "You can bet on it, poker face," Starbuck replied. "I accept the challenge. After watching for a while I am sure to have learned enough of this game to match you." "Big words, man. See that you prove 'em. And don't say I didn't warn ya." A grin appeared on the lieutenant's face. His opponent remained unimpressed. "What about the bet you suggested? Do you wish to bet me?" "Wanna lose every cubit you've got? Okay, if that's what you want... I bet you three to one that I will beat you. Anyone else interested?" He looked around. The faces of the observers of the game showed doubt. They were not sure if the stranger was just a greenhorn or perhaps a seasoned gambler who knew exactly what he did. "No one dares to join my wager?" Starbuck asked. "Okay, you cowardly folks, then I'll do it on my own." He pulled out twenty cubits and put them onto the table for all to see. "Twenty are my stake." The stranger calmly put the same amount next to Starbuck's pile before he looked at the other man. "Remember, should you lose you would have to triple the sum." "You'd rather bother for _your_ money than for mine," the pilot replied lightly. Boomer gave his friend a warning look, "Don't press your luck," before he dealt the cards to the three of them. Jolly had wisely decided to get out of the game for his own safety. Starbuck ordered two new cards and shoved the old ones back to Boomer. As he took the new cards up to fit them into his hand he felt a surge of joy. He had just gotten the chance to complete a first _and_ a second level pyramid. "I'll double my stake," he said coolly and shoved ten additional cubits to the center of the table to join the considerable pile of coins there. Boomer whose cards were not at all promising backed out. "And what about you? You also turning tail?" Starbuck asked his other player. "I see no cause for that. I will double your ten. Are you in?" Starbuck frowned. Was the other one bluffing? The probability of him beating his two pyramids was small, incredibly small. Was it a trick? A challenge? Could he really beat his hand? Nope. "That's okay with me." He filled up his stake accordingly. "And now it's see and weep, pal. You've got no chance. First you'd have to beat my two pyramids!" With a victorious smile he put his cards onto the table. "To me there appears to be no reason to weep. I appreciate your concern for me, however, it is unnecessary as you can see," the stranger said and showed his cards that contained a perfect pyramid. The blond man stared at them, dumbfounded. Only slowly Starbuck became aware of having lost the game as well as the bet. He took a deep breath before he started to reach into his pocket for the missing cubits for his three-to-one bet. "Me and my big mouth." Again the stranger had watched him carefully. "I detect considerable surprise and regret on your side. You seem not accustomed to losing." "You can say that again," Starbuck muttered under his breath. For a second the stranger frowned. "That would not change the situation in any way and therefore I consider it useless." The lieutenant stared at him, surprised. Was the man pulling his leg? That did not appear to be the case because he calmly continued, "Since your pride seems to be hurt you certainly wish revenge." "I do, of course, but I can't afford it. Take the money and go boasting how you won over Starbuck, but go." The other one looked at him questioningly. "Would you change your mind if I rejected the money? I find this game quite interesting and I am not that dependent on the money. You could possibly win it back if you agreed to play with me again. Will you?" Starbuck did not dare to trust his ears. "You risk what you just won only to play against me again?? You're either stupid or very, very trustful in your luck." "I do not believe in luck. As I said I do not play for the money but for the experience. If you win this time you will get all your cubits back plus mine. Does that not sound like a profitable offer to you?" He still couldn't believe it. But if he could get back his money so easily he'd be a fool not to try. The chances were promising. "Okay, I'm in. Let's play." Boomer decided to just deal the cards and to stay out and watch. He felt no desire to lose more of his hard-earned cubits. His fortune was a very unreliable companion. Starbuck realized that he would lose the second game also. With growing anger he threw the cards away and rose. "It's no use! You've beaten me again. Are you satisfied now? Is that what you wanted?" With only the slightest hint of an amused smile the stranger shook his head. "I do not feel satisfaction. What has become of your ambition, lieutenant? As far as I have heard you are not known to give up that easily. You can still win back your money as I offered before. Do you wish not to beat me, a beginner, in your favorite game?" "Yes, I do, but..." "Then prove it to me. Show me your talent as a master of bluffing, dealing and winning. Try to live up to your fame." Starbuck sat down again. "Well then, you asked for it, pal. Boomer, gimme new cards. And see to it that they are good ones this time." This time he had an excellent hand including a capstone and as he ordered a new card in exchange for a rather useless one he got the last third to complete a perfect third level pyramid. He _had_ to win. The stranger had watched him intently as usually and had not missed a rise in Starbuck's mood. Although the lieutenant's face remained calm and empty other little body signs betrayed him. As Starbuck raised the stake his opponent shook his head slightly. "It will be of no use, the chances are against me. My cards have proven to be not very useful." "You can't know if I really have better ones," Starbuck bluffed. "You in or out?" "I am out. Look for yourself." He put down his hand for the pilot to see. Starbuck smiled. "My victory would taste much better had there been real danger to face. With the help of this little baby here," he pointed at the capstone, "I got a perfect third level pyramid. Anyway, I win." He reached out to collect all the cubits, then thought otherwise. The stranger cocked his head slightly while watching him. "The money is yours. You earned it rightfully. Do you enjoy your victory now?" "Yes, I do... I think. It's been no real challenge. What say we play again? Same conditions as before." Starbuck's blue and the stranger's even bluer eyes met. "Agreed." In the following Starbuck was never able to repeat his easy victory instead had lost seven out of ten games to the stranger. Now he felt the touch of luck again and raised the stake. To his amazement he finally had the better hand and won. The stranger shoved the big pile of cubits over to him. "Take it. It is all yours. You earned it." He reached into his pocket, pulled out forty cubits and added them to the gleaming pile Starbuck stared at unbelievingly. "My debt from our initial wager as you will remember. You betted me three to one to win the game. And finally you did. Congratulations, Starbuck." The lieutenant was still trying to understand what had happened when his opponent started to get up and leave. "Wait a minute. Thanks. Thanks for the money. You're a peculiar pal to deal with." The stranger looked at him and for the first time a real smile showed on his face. "Thanks to _you_ for a lesson in gambling. It has been a very interesting one centar, twenty-six centons and fifty-three microns." "What?" Starbuck looked questioningly at the other man, then shrugged. "I'll stand a round of drinks. I can afford it now." His words were followed by various cheers. "That includes you, pal. What's your name, anyway? You never told me." "My name is Questor." With that he shortly nodded acknowledgingly at the lieutenant before he went out. Starbuck awoke and found himself lying uncomfortably on the floor. "Uhh..." Where was he? Slowly he rubbed his eyes and looked around. He lay under one of the casino's tables. "What a night." He had probably drunken too much while celebrating another little victory over the damned Cylons. Very carefully Starbuck rose to look around for his companions. What a strange dream that he had dreamt. --------------------------------------------------------------------- It just came over me after I had read the pyramid rules and several fanfic stories dealing with the crew of my favorite starship, "Battlestar Galactica". Since Starbuck is known to be a passionate gambler I became curious of how he would react had he a suitable opponent. And because I am also very fond of Questor, the android from "The Questor Tapes", it had to be him. Although pyramid is not the kind of game of chance to make Questor win as easily as at the craps table for example, he at least benefits from his superior senses which enable him to register the slightest changes in a human -- e.g. change of heartbeat rhythm, breathing frequency, skin moisture, skin color, etc. -- especially while concentrating on a risky game. (Any other Questor fans out here? Please contact me, I'm looking for others sharing my interest in this apparently little known TV movie.) Since I had no idea of how these two universes could meet in a believable way, for Questor is not meant to fly around in space, I finally came up with the idea of a dream. In your dreams you can experience the strangest things. By the way, this is a premiere for me in two ways. First, it's my first crossover story between the two of my favorite TV shows/movies and second, it is my first story thought out and typed into my computer in English before writing the German version. Usually I come up with the story in German and then perhaps translate it -- which I find rather difficult. Maybe this little story is not as amusing as you expected, but I enjoyed writing it nevertheless. Comments, complaints, encouragements? Send e-mail to: Shaliccara@t-online.de Hannover, FRG 19+26 April 1998 GR