Tallulah Fairwind smoothed the felt of the table with one hand, idly playing with her chips with the other. Across the table, Caliban-8 wore a green dealer's cap and looked stricken.

The Ahamkara looked like somebody's kindly old grandpa just now. And it could play a mean hand of cards. "Twenty," it crooned as it raised the stakes. She saw Caliban's eye sensors dilate.

The game had started so well. And it seemed like a great story they could have told back at the Tower. How was she supposed to have known? "Call," said Caliban, tension in his voice.

She looked down at her hand. "All in."

The Ahamkara's grin grew larger. Caliban shook his head.

"Don't you do this, Lulah. Don't you leave me here! I can't do it!"

The cards went down.

She'd lost.

The Hunter Vanguard tossed her bow to the Exo as the Ahamkara came around the table to collect his winnings. "A dare's a dare, man. Good luck."

She didn't scream. Wouldn't have been dignified.