The binder survived the swamp.
Blake had laminated it. Every page. The System watched him arrive at Floor 2 on Monday with a document that squeaked when he opened it, and it was the single most prepared thing the System has ever seen enter the Mucus Swamps, including the fog machines, which the System installed itself.
There was a new tab. It was labeled MATT.
His opponent was Matt. Matt was sitting on a stump taking bets on fog.
Blake opened the binder to a page with a graph on it. The graph showed Blake’s projected weekly scores rising steadily over the season, and it was, the System will admit, a good graph. Clear axes. Thoughtful labels. Matt looked at it and nodded the way you nod at a neighbor’s vacation photos.
Then Blake went and played the second-best week of his season. He set his full lineup by Thursday and took the Floor 2 bonus. He posted 156.9.
And Matt posted 188.1.
156.9 to 188.1. A loss by 31.2. Blake is 0-3.
The System wants to be fair. The System is the System, but the System is fair. Week 1: 82.0. Week 2: 151.0. Week 3: 156.9. That line goes up. It matches the graph. The graph was right. The graph was just about the wrong thing.
Here is the other number Blake needs to know.
15.8.
That is how many points stood between Blake and the Pit when Week 3 closed. Dani finished last on points. Blake finished ninth. The Pit opens in Week 4 and it opened on her, not on him, and the margin was one decent night from a single skater.
He found out on Monday. He did not say anything. He opened the binder to a fresh page, wrote the number 15.8 at the top in large careful letters, and underlined it twice.
System NoticeSTATUS: NINTH OF TEN. PIT: AVOIDED. MARGIN: 15.8. HOLDING: VIAL OF CONCENTRATED WINNING. TIER: UNCOMMON. EFFECT: +5. STATUS: STILL CORKED.
Still corked.
Three weeks. Three losses. And in his pack, voted to him by the entire league before the draft, a vial of concentrated winning that would have changed exactly none of those outcomes and that he is clearly saving for something.
The System respects a plan. The System would like to know what it is.
Week 4: Vicky. She won her first game this week. She has a small piece of paper and she is not afraid to use it.
The binder has a tab for her already.