Page 58

A Game of Chance

Marsh can’t tell if she feels the thunder of applause or hears it first. As the darkness lifts, she looks eagerly around the chaotic, bustling room. There are no windows, but lots of bright lights, neon signs, and wall-to-wall carpet in a terrible geometric pattern. Tables are everywhere, each one tightly packed, and people are laughing, crying, shouting, and everything in between. Somewhere, a bell begins to ring, and another excited cheer rises up from the back corner.

It’s a casino, Marsh realizes.

Is she in Las Vegas?

“Ah, there you are!” a brown-haired woman in a fancy business pantsuit cries from the table nearest to her.

She looks familiar to Marsh, but amid all the chaos, Marsh can’t place her. Is she from Mendoza-Montalvo and Hall? Or perhaps from Pallissard? She knows she’s seen her somewhere before, but nothing seems right.

“We were about to finish the match without you!” the woman continues, gesturing to an open chair. At the same table, Ren and Jo are also waiting.

“We’d never finish without Marsh,” Ren bellows, and slaps the green surface in front of him, more fired up than Marsh has ever seen him.

“That’s right,” Jo agrees. “It wouldn’t be a proper victory if I won without beating the reigning champion.”

“You wish!” Ren chuckles villainously. “That prize is all mine.”

“Take your seats, please,” Victor says. He’s in a suit, standing alone on one side of the table, and holding a deck of cards. Marsh’s eyes finally focus on the giant banner on the wall behind him.

ANNUAL WORLD SERIES OF POKER TOURNAMENT

FINAL ROUND

In this life, they’re all world champion professional poker players?

Marsh grins as the casino roars.

This will be fun.

Still gaping at the sign, she manages to drop into her chair. She has no idea what all of the stacks of colored chips in front of her are worth, but if this is the final game, it must be millions. Another bell rings, another match won somewhere, and the crowd begins to gather around her table now. From the mezzanine above, even more onlookers lean over, eager to witness the final event.

Behind her, a tournament jumbotron broadcasting the action cuts to a tight shot on Marsh as she gets settled. As she watches, the Bubble senses the tweak she wants, and zooms so the close-up is even more extreme. She, as she always does now, looks fantastic—might as well enjoy it.

Victor clears his throat. “Now that all the players have returned, let us continue the final round of this tournament!” he proclaims—part dealer, part announcer, it seems. “Good luck to you all.”

“Prepare your concession speech!” Ren crows at Marsh. Clearly, his tactic is to bluff his way to victory with that unshakable confidence. “Don’t worry, you’re all invited to my after-party!”

Marsh can’t decide what to make of this new Ren. He’s so much cockier and showier, which is interesting, but he’s also obsessively competitive. She gets the sense that his ultimate goal in this path, the thing he’s been working toward for decades, has been to be at this table, in this tournament, playing against her. Perhaps they’re lifelong rivals? He’s so happy to be here, he hasn’t stopped grinning since the scene began. So much so, in fact, that he almost seems the opposite—so maniacally thrilled that he can’t control it. Marsh is faintly concerned that, whether he wins or loses, he’s going to flip the table and launch himself at poor Victor.

The only thing constant about Ren is that he’s always different. She sighs.

It’s nearly too much for her to keep all his versions straight. She can’t imagine how confusing it would be for Ren if he could remember each of his incarnations.

“If you please,” Victor says to him. “This is a tournament for professionals.”

Jo snorts. She, at least, seems the way she usually does. She’s got the same focused, lethal expression she has during closing arguments—it turns out being a lawyer makes one well suited to cards. It’s impossible to tell whether she has a killer hand or just a killer poker face.

Well, it’ll make it that much more fun to best them both, then, Marsh thinks.

Peace restored, Victor shuffles the deck dramatically, then assumes a stoic pose after he’s dealt. Jo, Ren, and the mysterious pantsuit woman peek at their cards with polished nonchalance, and Marsh tries to keep her face neutral as she does the same.

PokerChamp888: Pay attention, everyone! We might only get one look at their hands!

Fortunata111: Wow! What great cards Marsh has!

Moms4Marsh: A www, Ren has all hearts, because he’s full of love!

Marsh smiles. Her pulse is starting to quicken, and she’s getting into the excitement. She tries not to look at the comments, but there are simply too many poker enthusiasts spouting off, and she can’t help but learn what everyone else is holding.

Well, why not use her loyal viewers to her advantage? She shrugs as she and everyone else push a handful of chips forward as their starting blind. Her newfound expertise in this life ought to start filtering into her consciousness at any moment, but after all, wouldn’t doing everything she can to push the odds even more in her favor be in keeping with the spirit of the show?

“Everyone’s in,” Victor announces, and then deals the three communal cards face-up on the table to start the round.

PokerChamp888: Incredible! Now Marsh has four-of-a-kind with those two aces! She’s practically guaranteed to win!

Schneckchen: Marsh ist die Beste!

Marsh is certain she’s going to give herself away, but it doesn’t matter. There’s so much energy buzzing in the casino, it’s emboldened everyone at the table. She can feel the adrenaline in her own veins, urging her to play recklessly.

“Bets, please,” Victor says, looking first to the mysterious woman.

Marsh holds her breath as the woman turns and examines her, rather than her own cards, with intense seriousness. At last, she pushes every stack of chips in front of her forward without a word.

“All in!” Victor cries, his voice hitching slightly at her daring. “That’s all in.”

TopFan01: Wow, how bold!

YanYan242: This is a high-stakes game!

“All in, too, then!” Ren shouts, with a slavering enthusiasm that makes the crowd jeer. He shoves forward all his chips—somehow, they each have exactly the same amount, Marsh notices—which makes her heart beat faster.

Next, Jo glares like it’s a cross-examination. She doesn’t have the cards to be competitive, Marsh knows, even as she still withers beneath her friend’s intimidating gaze.

At last, she sits back.

“I fold,” she says.

The mysterious woman chuckles haughtily.

Her business-y suit, the sensible heels, the short hair—it’s all frustratingly familiar to Marsh.

She’s got to be a lawyer, she thinks, still trying to place the unknown player. Right?

But now, it’s Marsh’s turn, and every gaze is riveted to her.

To stay in the tournament, she must match Ren’s bet, and go all in herself. But she’s not worried. With her four aces, she’s got the best chance of winning out of everyone.

And, after all, this is All This and More .

The show would never let her lose.

“All in,” Marsh finally declares, pushing every chip in front of her into the pot as the whispers of surprise at the drama swell.

Frónverji: I thought there were still two more cards to go! What happens now that they’ve all bet everything they have?

PokerChamp888: The dealer will still deal the last two cards—and then, whoever ends up with the best hand wins!

Moms4Marsh: This is so exciting!!

“As per the tournament rules, if at least one player is all in, all players participating in a hand must show their cards, because further betting is impossible,” Victor announces for the benefit of the crowd, and then turns back to the table. “Players, if you please... show us your cards.”

Marsh, Ren, and the mysterious woman all look at one another as they turn their cards over in unison.

“Damnit!” the mysterious woman wails, her smug expression crumbling into one of dismay as she sees that Marsh’s aces have her queens beat. “I can’t believe it.”

Ren, in contrast, is still nearly vibrating with energy, despite having the worst hand of the three of them. He appears on the verge of either tears or laughter, he’s so swept up in the game.

“So far, it looks like Marsh’s victory is all but assured,” Victor says, drumming up the audience.

His hand lingers on the deck.

“Are we ready?” he asks.

“Yes!” the crowd chants.

Yes, Marsh agrees.

At last, he deals the penultimate card.

“Ten of hearts, jack of hearts, queen of hearts—with this king, Ren now has a royal flush!” Victor affirms, to jubilant applause. “Incredible!”

LunaMágica: Oh no! Ren now has the best hand possible!

Moms4Marsh: What does that mean???

PokerChamp888: It means that there’s no way Marsh can win, no matter what the last card turns out to be

N3vrGiv3Up: What?? No!!! She has to win! I know she will!

“Better luck next time,” Ren needles Marsh, preening. At the center of the table, his towers of chips sway, and one falls with a rushing hiss, as if to punctuate his taunt.

Marsh is still staring at the king of hearts, stunned.

She can’t believe she’s lost the upper hand.

How could this happen? How could the show allow it?

And what is she supposed to do now?

SharpTruth104: Ignore the game—I’m begging you all to look at what’s happening to the Bubble!

[Automatic security filters have deleted this account]

SharpTruth105: Screw this

SharpTruth105: ***MARSH!*** If you see this, look at your fourth player! LOOK at her! She—

[Automatic security filters have deleted this account]

The comments continue to harangue the troll who’s now taken Notamackerel’s place as most-hated commenter, but SharpTruth’s panicked, direct request startles Marsh enough to seize her attention.

Has that ever happened before? she wonders.

Her viewers often shout all kinds of encouraging things at her, but it’s always with the understanding that she’ll almost certainly never notice any particular one, not with the millions of posts streaming by every second. But SharpTruth has not only also noticed that something’s off about her season— her Bubble —but is trying to tell her directly.

Marsh studies the woman in the pantsuit intently.

It was hard to see with all the commotion in the casino and the thrill of the game—she wasn’t sure it even mattered, anyway. But if one of her viewers also has noticed something might be wrong, it must be important.

As Marsh stares again, curious anew, recognition finally hits her with the sudden force of a car crash.

She gasps.

Is the mysterious woman actually the old head of Sharp Entertainment?

Is that really Julie Pabst?

It has to be. Marsh recalls her face now. She was always behind the scenes, but is famous for being the executive that green-lit the idea for All This and More and got the show onto the air in the first place.

But why is she here, in this poker game? Are there even more people from the old crew hiding in Marsh’s Bubble?

Her eyes snap back to the comments, but SharpTruth is gone, locked out until they can figure out how to get around the Bubble’s security filters once more.

It doesn’t matter. Marsh is sure that it’s Julie Pabst, and now, certain that something weird is going on.

For some reason, part of the old crew is in the Bubble with her.

How did SharpTruth know that?

Who is this strange viewer?

Marsh furtively casts around, scouring the rest of the casino’s audience. During Talia’s season, the Sharp team was as close as family. So, if Sharp’s old CEO is in the Bubble, then surely her handpicked composer—the man who became world-renowned for coming up with All This and More ’s signature musical jingle—will turn up, too.

Rafael must be around here somewhere.

“I’ve been looking forward to this tournament for a long time,” Julie says to Marsh, once she realizes she’s being studied.

Marsh narrows her eyes.

“Ever since the first season?” she tries, even though discussing the show is against Talia’s rules.

But Julie just cocks her head.

“Since when?” she asks. “The first tournament, you mean?”

Marsh frowns. Julie doesn’t seem to know she’s part of the cast, instead of the crew.

Just like Alexis didn’t, either.

But the game has continued on. Around their table, the crowd titters excitedly as Victor prepares to deal the all-important last card.

SharpTruth106: C:\ATAM\Bubble\episode_8\access

[Automatic security filters have deleted this account]

StrikeF0rce: This is unacceptable! Anyone who tries to hack the poker game should be banned!

SharpTruth107: Marsh, I’m trying, but you have to—

[Automatic security filters have deleted this account]

Victor hasn’t set the final card down yet, but Marsh looks up from the comments, confused, as a familiar jingle filters in over the casino’s intercom system.

She knows what that sound means.

It’s time to make a big choice.

But why here, why now? This is just a card game.

How is a poker hand going to significantly influence her season?

She looks back at the waiting deck as the chatter swells in anticipation.

Or rather, at the paisley design on the back of its top card.

That’s how, she sees now.

“You okay?” Jo asks her.

Even ferociously competitive Ren looks concerned.

But Marsh can’t answer. She stares at the intricate pattern.

She doesn’t know how she didn’t notice this before, either, but it’s unmistakable.

At the center of the design is a butterfly.

LunaMágica: Dios mío... there it is again

Marsh looks up, lost.

This path was supposed to be a fun diversion, a chance to get her thrills in before settling down into her final life. But now she can’t deny it any longer.

No matter how far she runs, no matter what path she chooses, Chrysalis will still find her.

Would it be worse to keep playing now that it’s here, or to quit the tournament? With Ren’s royal flush, her commenters say that she can’t win, but this is All This and More .

What if she manages to pull off a victory, somehow?

What if she can’t?

To try to escape the game: Turn the page

To keep playing: Go to High Stakes