She frowns. And not just because of the provocation and the weird little dialogue that followed.

–why does this sound so damn familiar?–

And then something she hasn't thought about in a very, very long time –a girl and two boys squaring off over a laboratory table, a shambles of some polytrope model between them; and the shorter boy snapping As if you could do better than that, Ushas; and she says Watch me; and then the taller boy, bored as hell, mutters She's going to wipe the floor with you, Theta, just give up–

Oh no. Can't be. Absolutely positively cannot possibly be—