Free The Stars Came Back by Rolf Nelson Page B

ing entertainment establishment
    Helton sits at a card table with seven others. All are nicely dressed, steampunk -ish general style, and there are a lot of chips on the table. Three players are women. A half dozen people watch the game. Helton has the smallest stack, but it’s substantial. He eyes his cards, and the lone ten of spades in the center of the table, then tosses in a pair of chips. The next person folds silently. The next pushes in two to meet and raises by three chips of a different kind. There are murmurs from the onlookers.
     
    DISSOLVE TO
    Down to six at the table, and Helton’s heap of chips is about average compared to the others. He pushes in a stack of ten brightly colored chips next to the three of diamonds, adding to the pile already there, prompting many surprised exclamations by the observers. Beside him, a long-haired woman slams down her cards in disgust. The next man only has ten chips of the same kind left. He nervously eyes the pot, his hand, his chips again, swallows, and pushes his stack in. The next guy folds. A dozen people are now watching.
     
    DISSOLVE TO
    Only two other guys left in the game. Two dozen people watch. Only a small pot, and three-fourths of the chips not in the pot are in front of Helton. GrimGuy (skinny, long flowing hair, goatee, shades) has most of the rest. Trembler (average build, sharply dressed, short hair) only has ten chips left. The center card is a nine of clubs. Helton carefully looks over the other two players stacks and pushes forward a pile, about half what GrimGuy has remaining. The dealer rakes it closer to the pot but keeps it carefully separate. Trembler trembles, realizing he’s forced out, or at least can’t win from a large side pot. GrimGuy matches Helton’s bet, and again the dealer keeps it slightly apart. Trembler trembles more.
    Dealer:. ( To Trembler) All in with a side pot, add money, or fold?
    The largish crowd of onlookers exclaim and murmur.
    Trembler: No. No . You can’t force me out like this. You CAN’T! I need the whole pot!
    Grim Guy: Shut up. You know the rules.
    Trembler: You CAN’T!
    Dealer: If you cannot add money to match, you’re only in the main pot.
    Trembler looks around at the other two players and the crowd desperately, seeking a way out of his bind, looking like he’d like to beg but knows it wouldn’t help him.
    Trembler: But… but… how … how about my ship?
    Helton and Grim Guy both study him. The surrounding crowd hushes to hear.
    Helton: ( Flatly) Your ship?
    Trembler: ( Starting scared, then more convinced) Yes. Yes . I have a starship at the port over in Adelaide. I… I’ll put the title in the pot to match you (looking at GrimGuy). It’s worth far more than that, and-
    He cuts himself off, fearing he’ll scare them into refusing. GrimGuy and Helton look at each other. Then at Trembler. At the pot and side pot. At each other.
    Trembler: Hey, it’s not that unheard of. Some famous ships have been won in card games!
    Grim Guy: Title?
    Trembler pats his vest pocket. The crowd murmurs in surprise.
    Helton: Verify it before accepting?
    Trembler produces a slim packet of fancy paper with a credit-card sized hunk of plastic bonded into one corner. The dealer brings out a handheld scanner unit. He scans Trembler’s face, hand, and title, scanning close to the corner smart card. The unit beeps.
     
    INSET - Scan unit reads “100 percent ownership of the twenty-thousand ton starship Tajemnica verified.”
     
    The dealer nods to the other players, indicating it’s his to bet.
    Dealer: Are you pledging this ship, the… (awkwardly butchering pronunciation) uh, Tajemnica (tah-JEM-ni-ka) as collateral?
    Trembler: It’s Tajemnica (TA-zhem-NEETZ-ah)
    Dealer: Ah, OK. You pledge the, er, Taj … ah, this ship, for the bets on the table for this hand, of your own free will, and promise transfer of ownership to the winner, effective immediately, if you do not win fairly?
    Trembler: ( Faintly) I do.
    Dealer: Do both