Somehow she thought the explanation would be a lot more exciting. An all you can eat vending machine? It sounded like something the Chinese could invent in another ten years, something she probably would have been hired to steal had she kept up with the business.

But there was one thing. 'Almost anything.' How far did that spectrum go? There were a couple things Gwen wouldn't mind getting her hands on. Something that actually lets her get her hands on anything, for one thing.

"I see. Say, tell me something, Mr. Long. Is anybody here, I don't know, looking for a way out? Or is everyone too invested in playing Life for the aliens?"