Page 6 of Torn from the Alien Commander

“No fair!” Quad booms, his voice echoing through the tiny room. “You play as teams. Supposed to be solo game.” He shakes his head, holding a card in each hand.

During the conversation, my Tyrxie exchanges a card with lightning speed, taking advantage of the distraction. A faint flicker of annoyance flashes across her face at seeing her new card.My sneaky little female.

“You have double the arms, so it evens out,” Hyanxa shouts over to Quad, playing up to his limb-dominated ego.

Quad gives a quick laugh, “True, I’m best player.” He scratches his head with his free hand. My attention shifts back to the food dispenser, relieved to see no indication of flashing red lights this time.That’s a good thing, right?I peer inside the clear screen, imagining what horrors the machine might inflict upon my steaks this time.

Hyanxa scoffs, “If you were the best player, you would’ve noticed that sly Tyrxie has already taken her turn,” she says, turning a tilted gaze toward Tyrxie. “Isn’t that right?” she asks.

Tyrxie only looks away and whistles, causing me to smile.

“Pfft!” Quad spits out, forcing everyone at the tables except Logarn to groan and recoil from the shower of sputum. “Of course I notice!” he declares.

“Void sake, Quad. Stop spitting on the table,” Tyrxie complains, setting her cards down to wipe the tables with an old cloth. I notice Mod leaning over, his antennae directed at Tyrxie, attempting but failing to glance at her cards.You can never trust Glaseroids!

“Hmm, perhaps I construct arcweave mouth guard for Quad, weld onto his skull? Yes?” Job ponders, his arm limbs placed beneath his mouth hole.

“Better to use toxin to suppress overactive saliva glands? No?” Mod retorts, rounding on his brother.

“No, my method more secure. Yes?” Job insists, jabbing a pointed finger at Mod.

“Your methods are like virus bomb to kill znat. No?” Mob snaps back, and the two flail and flutter their many arm limbs at each other, making strange croaking noises.

“Do they battle?” Noroth inquires with a frown, directed at the blurring motion of the two Glaseroid brothers.

Hyanxa scoffs, tossing her red hair. “No, they do this all the time. They’ll snap out of it,” she replies, sounding bored.

“Okay, I exchange card now!” Quad shouts over the strange noises. He swaps his card with another from the deck, his expression changing to one of annoyance. “This card is no good! It has minus points!” He sulks, folding his four arms.

“Quad, don’t tell the other players what cards you have, or they’ll know how to bet against you,” Tyrxie interrupts with a grimace at the Barlyxian.

“Oh,” Quad retorts, his head drifting downward, until he snaps straight, a smile beaming on his face. “Maybe I fool you,” he declares with a knowing nod.

Noroth grunts, frowning at Quad, “Slim chance of that, little Quad,” he mutters with a dark tone.

This food dispenser is too silent, too malevolent. It’s about to release a calamity upon my steaks!Unable to contain my growing worry any longer, I open the dispenser. The delicious aroma of cooked borack meats assails my senses, as I strain to see through the haze of steam.Yes!These steaks have been cooked well, lacking char or burned bits this time.

Logarn, devoid of words or emotion, swaps one of his cards, examining it with a steady eye, giving nothing away. Then, in a bold move, he pushes all his considerable forks and spoons into the center of the tables.

“All in,” he declares.

The others erupt into gasps and jeers. Even Job and Mob stop their bickering.

“I’m out,” Tyrxie declares without hesitation, followed soon after by Noroth and Hyanxa, who place their cards face down in defeat.

“Hmm, interesting,” Job ponders, placing his head goggles on, peering at Logarn, studying for any hint, any weakness. Yet Logarn sits like an unreadable statue, hands and face showing no disturbance or fluctuations. “Giant blond mammaloid gives no indication, impressive. Yes?”

“Perhaps he suppresses through drugs?” Mod speculates, also placing some magnifying object on. They now both study Logarn with wild abandon, clambering halfway over the table. “Pupils not dilated; hypothesis incorrect. No?” Mod then claps, creating a jarring noise. Yet Logarn doesn’t flinch, like he’s frozen in time awaiting his imminent victory. “Zero reaction, very strange. No?”

“What’s strange is you blowing out my eardrums,” Noroth complains with a wince as he ushers the two Glaseroids back with a sweep of his mighty arm.

“Pfft! Blondie bluffs!” Quad declares, nodding his head with absolute certainty. “He not fool me. I go all in.” He pushes his pile of utensils into the center with a lingering smug look directed at Logarn.

Tyrxie sighs, wiping more of Quad’s spittle from the table for the umpteenth time.

“Hmm, the Barlyxian lacks cranial capacity, but perhaps possesses unique ability to discern falsehoods? Yes?” Job chimes in, musing, studying his own cards.

“Unlikely hypothesis, Quad demonstrates ignorance like new pupa. No?” Mod counters, as the simple Quad glances between the pair with openmouthed wonder.

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