When Friends Collide

Posted on Thu 9th Aug, 2018 @ 9:16pm by

1,066 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Oblivion
Location: Deck 1553: Hunt's Fortune
Timeline: MD 13, 2035

Cheya had a black knee length dress on. It was tight and showed her body off, but she was going to a casino, that meant fancy right? She wasn't sure, but she decided it was good enough for the occasion. Before she knew it, she had arrived at the casino. She had missed the main opening, because she was too busy deciding what she wanted to wear and also thought that there was no real rush to lose money. Besides, she was only going by herself so no one needed to know.

She smiled at the doorman when he asked her for ID. She happily showed him some identification before moving into the casino. She was thoroughly amazed by it. It had a hint of upper class, without being too posh to scare those of lesser class away. She admired the decor and the arrangement of flowers around the place. She could see that to the left there was an array of poker tables and blackjack tables. There were some other tables that she didn't recognize as well. Most of them had screens above explaining the rules and also one which displayed the table, which she assumed was a way to deter cheaters.

Cheya hadn't realized she had been standing in the way looking around until she was interrupted by a familiar face.

"If it isn't my new friend!" Serena exclaimed, touching Cheya on the arm. They made a nice contrast because Alia had worn a red dress with a swirly skirt that hung past her knees and sparkled when she moved. It covered both shoulders with a scoop neckline, and somehow managed to be enticing without revealing anything. In each ear hung three strings of small black drops, and her hair was up and wrapped with a red velvet ribbon.

"Things are a little crazy in here, aren't they?" she said, looking around from the right side of the steps down into the players' area. "Did you check out any of the booths outside?"

Cheya looked at Serena. She looked beautiful in what she was wearing, almost putting her to shame. Still, Cheya wasn't one to dwell on that kind of thing. "Serena! It's mental. A much better turnout then I could have imagined! Ahhhh I put my head across a few of them but didn't really stop to interact with any. Maybe later when it's a bit quieter out there. Did you go to any?"

Serena nodded, "A couple. They reminded me of the harvest fairs back home. New Paris doesn't have much in the way of an agricultural base, beyond what's needed for the planet itself, but it does have a lot of tech, medical research, art, literature ... and money. The harvest fairs are about the only "homey" things there. It was a bit of a nostalgic walk through the booths, almost like a midway at the fair outside Candide, where I grew up. You should take a look before you leave tonight. I don't expect those are permanent, but just for the opening. There are rides, too, if you are daring enough to go among the children and teens!"

"I think you sold that to me, almost like you're working for them as well," Cheya let out a small laugh. "God, that sounds horrendous. I do my best to avoid children and teens. Probably why I was too happy to run inside this building where they can't get in!"

"They're not so bad in small doses," Serena smiled, thinking of her nieces and nephews. "But, yes, I don't spend a lot of time around them. My sister says if I ever have my own, I'll feel differently, and she's probably right. She usually is."

"Changing the subject, Alia asked, "Are you ready to pick a game to try? I think we have to go over there," she nodded toward a wall of cashiers, "and change our money for theirs. Seems rather odd, doesn't it? I suppose it means that they don't have to have expert money changers at all the tables, though."

Cheya smiled at Serena, "Yeah, I certainly am. Have you been to a casino before? The money changing is a little strange. Maybe you can change it at the tables as well? But I don't want to be the one looking silly, so let's change it with the cashiers!"

After watching a moment, Serena shook her head. "I don't think anyone at the tables can do it. We'll play it safe. I'm surprised people aren't a dozen deep at the windows," she said as they started down the few stairs and walked toward the cashiers. "Maybe they were earlier, or maybe there are other places scattered around where you can buy tokens."

"If I was to make the casino, then there would be at least two on each floor. Well, that would make sense," Cheya said.

"Um, probably, and that may be the case. Yes, to answer your question," Alia continued. "I was at this casino when it first opened, and I've been to a couple on Earth. After we've tried a couple of games, what do you say to trying the food? On Earth, there are always wonderful meals available, pretty cheaply, at casinos. When there's a lot of competition, like Las Vegas, they are sometimes even free. Or they were. I haven't been back there in several years, not since Ms Lantz took the restaurant out to the stars. Is this your first time visiting one?"

They arrived at the cashiers and within a short time, both had acquired the tokens they felt comfortable losing and walked back toward the games.

"How does this compare to them?" Cheya asked. "I've been to one before. This is luxury in comparison. Although they used to serve free drinks at the tables and the food was dirt cheap to keep you in. I'm assuming it would be a similar kind of shindig here. What game did you want to try first?"

"This is on the luxurious side, but there is one on earth that has an overhead circus going on every hour or two," Serena remembered. She looked around again and said, "Do you know black jack? I'm okay with roulette, too. There's only one thing to watch there!"

"Overhead circus? Some people have the craziest ideas! I'm good with both. Let's start with blackjack and work our way to roulette!"

 

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