— ARK DATA STREAM —
[DATE: 27-12-2457] [LAYER: 5] [SUBJECT: Lucian. A.]
— ENTRY #000 —
The gambling den was packed tonight.
The smell of cigarettes burned the inside of his nose. In the center of the room was a poker table, the only light in the room being the spotlight looking down on him. A red rope circled the table, keeping the crowd of gamblers and onlookers just far enough away to watch
Lucian leaned back in his chair, clinking his chips.
Across the table was the man currently ruining his evening.
'What the fuck? This guy has to be cheating.'
If Lucian's stare could burn a hole through a man's skull, he wished it would right about now. The idiot sitting across from him had a reputation for being the worst gambler in the entire den.
And yet somehow, this same idiot had just beaten him with two flushes in a row.
"Don't hate the player, hate the game! Haha!"
The man kept his cards raised high, pressing them against his nose as if that would somehow hide the hideous grin plastered on his face.
Lucian smirked.
"I don't understand why you're hiding behind your cards. You have such beautifully crooked teeth."
He watched Malric's face twist with irritation, so Lucian leaned forward slightly and continued.
"Actually, I think we should start calling you Crooked Tooth Malric."
"You shut your mouth, you brat!"
Malric slammed his cards against the table hard enough to make a few chips jump.
"You're lucky Varek likes you so much otherwise I'd beat you to death! Hey, are you even listening—"
Lucian wasn't.
Malric's voice had already faded into background noise, no louder than the buzzing of the overhead lights. Instead, Lucian's gaze drifted downward.
Malric's cards had slipped from his grip during his outburst.
It lay face-up on the floor beside the table.
Lucian's eyes flicked to it for just a moment.
'Nine of hearts.'
A second card rested half-hidden beneath the chair leg.
'Jack of diamonds.'
Lucian leaned back again, an arrogant smile creeping onto his face.
The flop came down: Ace of hearts, Jack of spades, and Five of hearts, followed by the turn, a Queen of diamonds.
Lucian glanced at his hand. The ace of hearts and King of spades. Both he and Malric had a pair, but his was the highest on the table. At this point, a straight was impossible, the only way Malric could win was if the river somehow produced a Jack.
And liked his odds.
"No no, I'm listening." Lucian gave a gentle smile, "You're right, I apologize. I suppose my teasing went too far."
Bewilderment crossed Malric's face at the sudden shift from his usual cynical arrogance to soft, genuine speech. With a huff, Malric sat back in his chair and picked up his cards, "Yeah, whatever."
Around them, a few onlookers watched. There were usually spectators, but this game drew an unusually large crowd. This match was for rank after all. Lucian, who held the number one gambler title in the den, was being challenged by its biggest loser. Crooked-toothed Malric.
Or was it, teeth so crooked even a mother couldn't love him, Malric?
Wait, why was the title getting longer? Lucian shook his head. He'd already forgotten.
He looked to the dealer, a blonde-haired man with iridescent blue eyes, currently closed in a professional smile as he oversaw the game. The dealer's name was Ren, a friend of Lucians since childhood.
Ranked matches were best of three. Cheating was 'banned,' though everyone knew the only time that rule was enforced was when you got caught. Lucian had already won the first two rounds. The first was pure luck, King and Queen. They weren't suited, but it was still a strong hand. The second was a pair of five of hearts. Not the best of hands to be dealt, but nothing a little bluffing couldn't fix.
Then came Malric's double flush.
He was obviously cheating. Lucian couldn't prove it, but he didn't really care to figure out what method was being used either. He let out a sigh. Ren glanced at him. It was Lucian's turn.
Setting his pair, face down, he pushed all his chips in, a total of 102,000 credits.
"I'm all in."
Malric smirked, "You ready to get whooped again, kid?" He pushed his own chips forward, matching Lucian's.
There was no doubt Malric had cheated, but cheating was part of the game. It didn't matter. Lucian still had his trump card.
'Not like it matters; I'm winning this no—'
A Jack of hearts landed on the river.
'You're kidding, right?'
Malric leapt up, slamming his hand on the table and throwing his pair forward, "See that? Three of a kind, baby!" His grin stretched from ear to ear.
A three of a kind beat Lucian's Ace pair, true, but he still wouldn't lose. Outwardly, his face remained calm, but a slow, arrogant smile crept in. A few clicks of his tongue, fingers hovering over his pair on the table.
[System change]
He picked up his cards and threw them forward. When his fingers brushed the top card. An electric pulse shot through his fingertips. The holographic interface of the card flickered and changed. The Ace became a Ten. His hand now formed a full straight, beating Malric's three of a kind.
"Wha-Wha..." Malric stammered.
Lucian reached out and pulled the chips toward him. "I win again! Better luck next time, man."
Malric's head dropped, hanging low as he lethargically rose from his chair. "What am I gonna tell my wife this time…" he mumbled, shuffling toward the door. The crowd of onlookers began to disperse, filing out behind him until only Lucian and Ren remained at the private table.
Lucian leaned back, one hand resting on the chair behind him, and began to rise. "Well, that was a good way to end the night. Maybe I should treat myself."
But as he stood, with the room now empty and everyone out of earshot, Ren's voice stopped him dead.
"You used it," Ren said sharply.
"Huh?" Lucian turned toward him, wearing a fake expression of disbelief. A bead of sweat ran down his neck.
'Shit. He noticed?'
"What are you talking about? I won that fair n square."
"I know you've been screwing me. I hooked the cards up to my phone so it notifies me whenever you use the holographic imaging device on them." Ren picked up the ten from the table and, with a flick, it flipped back into an ace. "I'm not going to charge you for your previous uses, but…"
He held out his hand, making a gimme motion.
"You won't be pulling fast ones on me ever again."
"Tsk," Lucian clicked his tongue. "I'll wire you the money tonight."
"That works," Ren said, relaxing his hand to his side.
Unbeknownst to anyone else, inside the den. Lucian, Ren, and the boss had a specific arrangement. Ren had embedded the holographic chips in the playing cards that Lucian used. Having invented the bit of gadgetry himself. Of course, he didn't offer his talents for free. Any time Lucian used it during a game, he owed Ren half the pot. Refusing to pay meant Ren could tell the entire den about Lucian's method of cheating.
It wasn't like he'd be banned, but a gambler's pride was ruined once people discovered your tricks. Varek had found out about Lucian and Ren's antics. Instead of reprimanding them, he had laughed, saying their method was truly entertaining. Hiding anything from that guy was near impossible, but at least he promised not to let it slip.
"So." Ren finished putting the deck into its box and slipping it into his pocket. He walked up beside Lucian. "Where are we going? Out to eat?"
Lucian waved a hand, pushing Ren's face away and walking toward the door.
"I dunno."
He stretched lazily.
"Maybe eleven-seven or something."