by S. J. Bryant
The more recent models had a major advantage over the old fashioned ones. The older ones could be cut out and inserted into someone else, making it too easy for security breaches and identity theft. The new models, released in the last fifty years, were intimately integrated with a person's immune system. The change meant that if a chip was inserted into someone else it would immediately be rejected. The thief's immune system would effectively destroy the chip, rendering it useless.
"There we go," said Brick. "I recommend you come back in better clothes. Cracos won't hesitate to throw you out if he feels you're wrecking his casino's vibe."
Nova rolled her eyes and pulled her arm out from under the scanner. She let him lead her back down the marble stairs to the casino's main entrance. She nodded at Brick as he took his position at the door and sauntered away from the flashing lights to where Crusader sat, untouched amongst the shiny rides.
CHAPTER FIVE
"How was it?" asked Cal as he came hovering out of the storeroom to stop by Nova's shoulder.
"He didn't have much more information. Money is disappearing but they don't know how or where." Nova frowned, deep in thought. "Crusader, start searching the Cloud for unexplained casino robberies. I want to know if something like this has happened anywhere else."
Images and text appeared on the screen, whirring past as Crusader scanned the content for something that would prove useful.
Nova nodded and headed to the food generator. She stared at the device for a few moments before deciding.
"Hamburger and chips."
At her command the device whirred into action and she could see the nozzle moving back and forth as it created her meal from the bottom up. It took only a few moments before the machine dinged and the door popped open. Sitting within was a fresh burger with crispy lettuce, surrounded by warm chips.
She grabbed the meal, and carried it back to her command centre, taking a seat and watching the content flick over the main screen.
"Anything?" she said around a mouthful of chips.
"There have been many casino heists, however it appears that in almost all cases the how was known, it was the who which could not be determined."
"Cracos said he could see no errors in the books. The money wasn't 'missing' from anywhere, just that their totals were decreasing. They used to bring in two hundred million a week. Now they're down to one ninety, but nothing else has changed."
"Searches suggest someone could be altering their books, to make the money disappear," said Crusader.
"Yeah, I'll start with the staff. Keep scanning. I'll get ready for some scouting," Nova said.
She went to the storage area where a large compartment overflowed with all manner of clothing. Thick coats for the frozen wastes of Asthar rustled against wetsuits for the ocean planets of Rabcron and many other disguises, most of which she had had cause to use at one time or another.
Nova pushed past the jackets and coats to the back where a series of dresses hung. She ran her hand over the fabric before settling on a long black gown. She stripped off her singlet and long black pants, pulling the dress over her head. It hugged her body and stopped at her ankles.
She picked up a pair of silver heels with thin silver straps from the row of shoes at the bottom of the closet. She leant against the doorframe and lifted each of her feet in turn, pulling on the shoes and doing up the straps with one hand.
"Cal!" she called as she slammed the cupboard door behind her and stomped her way through the storage area. Her heels banged against the floor with each step.
"Yes?" Cal asked as he floated into view from the command pod. When he saw her he stopped mid-air. "What are you wearing?"
Nova scowled. "I have to blend in, remember? Makeup please. Keep it simple, just the usual," she said, standing still with her eyes closed.
Cal's interior clicked and robotic arms unfolded from beneath his metal casing. He went to work painting Nova's face, outlining her eyes with black and colouring her cheeks. She rarely wore makeup, but when she did it was more convenient to have Cal do all of the work.
"Will this suffice?" Cal asked as his arms retracted into the metal casing to be replaced by a mirror.
Nova glanced at her reflection. "It'll do," she said as she ran a brush through her hair.
She grabbed her trench-coat from a bench as she hurried to the main door. She placed a small stun device in her pocket as she pulled the coat over her shoulders.
"Check remote contact," she said.
Cal flew from the storage room and out of site. Nova heard his voice within her head, "Testing remote contact."
Nova projected her thoughts, "Received."
Cal floated back into the room at her reply. The technology was old, but Nova had upgraded their system to extend its radio distance. This way she could keep in contact with Cal and Crusader without talking out loud. Cal could also perceive her visual input, effectively seeing everything she could see.
Casinos used to block all radio communication but as technology progressed it got harder, so now they dissuaded cheating through more direct means and left radio contact unimpeded.
"Wish me luck," she said, opening the door to the crowded street and the flashing lights beyond.
She strode to the casino's door and nodded at Brick as she went past. He nodded back, but his eyes moved past her to the other patrons. This time she walked past the marble stairs and through to the main casino floor. Here the sounds of the slot machines and other gadgets pounded against her eardrums. Beyond the machines were the tables. Blackjack and poker had persisted for centuries and were still a favourite at casinos. No matter how hard the casinos tried, the newer tech-based games simply didn't catch on and could never replace the classics.
There were some out-worlders, or aliens as they were sometimes known, dotted amongst the tables. Tabryn had a reputation as a very humanist colony. Few out-worlders would be welcome on the planet, let alone in the most prestigious casino. Although, Nova reflected, there weren't that many out-worlders to speak of. Of course when the space revolution began, there had been talk of the millions of alien species they would find, but it had been harder than first thought. Then there were the problems with the alien-rights movement. In the end, wars had torn up most of the galaxy and there were very few places that remained where out-worlders and humans intermixed. Instead, humans had spread out further and further, colonising more planets, like Tabryn, which resulted in planetoid sects and interplanetary warfare.
Nova's eyes swept over the tables, counting dealers and players, analysing. There were so many alternative humanoid sub-species that they could practically be called aliens anyway. Whilst Nova retained the 'traditional' look, many of those electing for cosmetic alteration also took on some 'alien qualities' in a desperate attempt for individuality. There were mandates on certain planets that genetic alterations be made so that people originating from that planet would carry a particular marker. The Gremath humans insisted on blue-hued skin. The Rabcron humans insisted on gills, although they were an advantage on the water planet.
With all of the modifications and the ever-advancing field of genetics, biologists were continually pulling their hair out as they tried to define species boundaries. Was a Rabcron human really still human if it could breathe underwater? Nova shook her head to dispel the thoughts which had taken her mind on a tangent and returned her attention to the poker tables.
There were at least ten tables running continuous games. She walked to the nearby bar and ordered a Blue Sun. The vibrant drink came in a tall glass, the liquid glowing blue and a faint smoke drifting across its surface. She sat on a nearby stool where she could keep an eye on the poker tables without drawing too much attention to herself.
The drink was good, with the perfect amount of blue lemon and soda. A cool tang spread over her tongue as she sipped and watched the tables over the top of her glass. The dealers seemed intent on their games. She couldn't see any of them glancing away or performing other suspicious
behaviour, but then this was a professional job; she wasn't likely to pick up someone straight away.
Next, she turned to the people at the tables. Most of them were what she had expected, well-dressed men and women of the upper classes. Some threw their heads back in laughter, enjoying the game for what it was. Others studied their cards and their fellow players, calculating.
As Nova scanned the faces she saw one which made her groan. Vicki.
Her gaze locked onto the other woman and her eyes burned. A hot flush spread over her neck and her fingers clenched her glass. An unpleasant taste settled over Nova's mouth that even the Blue Sun couldn't wash away.
Vicki sat in her low-cut scarlet dress, a glass of champagne in hand. She obviously felt Nova's gaze because her head turned, and the two women stared at each other across the crowded casino floor.
Vicki's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed as she saw Nova and she put her drink down by her side. She glared for a few moments before flicking her hair and turning her attention to the man at her side. Vicki's red hair shimmered in the neon lights and her eyes glinted as they turned away from Nova. Her high-pitched laugh cut through the crowd to grate at Nova's ears.
Nova threw back her head and drank down the rest of the Blue Sun. She slammed the glass onto the high table hard enough that a crack raced up the stem, before stomping to the blackjack table where Vicki was seated. Without saying a word to the red-head Nova sat down and nodded to the dealer who was just about to start a new hand.
"Three hundred," Nova said, holding up her cred-stick. The numbers counted down and the dealer handed her a pile of chips.
"Oh, Nova, how will you buy dinner tonight?" Vicki asked, her expression one of pity and false concern. Nova turned towards the other girl with a glare, but refused to reply.
Instead, she took in the other players. Immediately to Nova's right an old man sat hunched over his cards. He was one of the less well-dressed attendees; however his suit could still have paid for half of Outer Tabryn's food. He was down to his last few chips and his head hung low to the table.
Beside the older man sat two young men, both completely enraptured by Vicki, their minds barely in the game at all. They laughed as she told yet another joke and Vicki threw back her head to join them.
Nova turned away from the scene. Obviously Vicki was here as a bounty hunter as well. Nova gazed around the casino and nodded as she saw other familiar faces.
"Haven't seen you at The Jagged Maw for a while, Nova," Vicki said, batting her eyelids.
Nova kept her eyes on the dealer as she placed a chip on the table. "Busy. You know, working. You should try it some time."
"That sounds dreadfully boring," Vicki said, winking at the young men on her left who grinned back.
"You're here too," Nova pointed out. Vicki waved her hand as if it was of no consequence.
"I didn't see your rust-bucket outside," Vicki said. "I'm surprised they let you park it here."
"Interesting. I did see your new 3000, it would be a shame if it got scratched," Nova said, turning from her cards to stare at Vicki. She clenched her jaw and locked her feet behind the legs of her stool to stop herself from kicking Vicki under the table.
Vicki's face fell and her eyebrows drew together. "You wouldn't dare," she said. Her eyes darted for the door and the parked ships beyond.
"Just saying it would be a shame," Nova said, shrugging and turning back to her cards.
Vicki stared at Nova, as if judging whether her ship was indeed in danger of being scratched. She was broken out of her thoughts by the dealer gesturing for her to have her turn. Vicki blinked and waved for another card. She went bust and shoved her chips at the dealer, slumping back into her seat to glare at Nova.
CHAPTER SIX
Nova and Vicki had hated each other since the first moment they laid eyes on each other. As far as Nova was concerned Vicki was a shallow, conniving, talentless bitch whose only skill was using her fake boobs to distract men, whereas Vicki thought Nova was a brutish, rough, lower-class citizen who should have been male, and had said as much on more than one occasion. Their enmity went back years. Nova still couldn't believe that Vicki had been accepted into The Jagged Maw. She thought they had better standards than that.
Nova shook her head and turned her concentration back to the game, winning more money as play continued. The dealer was a young woman who barely seemed to notice the people she was dealing to. She looked like a de-emo, a person who elected to have their emotional centres removed. It was common in people who had suffered extreme loss or traumatic stress syndrome. They were often hired for jobs such as this where emotions could run high if they weren't kept in check.
Nova bit her lip; at least she could be pretty sure this one wasn't stealing the money from the casino. De-emos saw no value in money, much as they saw no value in almost all other aspects of life.
The young men left the table not long after Nova arrived, and Vicki's prior carefree mood turned to sullen brooding. The older man to Nova's right kept bleeding chips. After three more rounds he had none left and was forced to leave the table.
"Hard luck," Nova said as he got up and walked away. The man turned to her and nodded; his eyes downcast as he shuffled from the table.
That left just Nova, Vicki, and the dealer. Nova bit her lip as she looked at her cards, resolving to leave the game the next round. She would learn nothing more from this table and it would mean having to endure more of Vicki's thinly veiled attacks.
"You know Kero is here," Vicki said with a cruel smile.
"Oh really?" asked Nova, her jaw clenching. "Ask him how his racer's doing."
Vicki scowled. She was Kero's private cheer-leader. It must have hurt her pride almost as much as his when Nova had smashed him in the most recent bounty hunter space-race.
Nova nodded to the dealer and pushed herself from the table.
"Oh, but we were having so much fun," Vicki said, pouting her lips up at Nova.
"Ah yes; but sadly I have a job to do," Nova responded, striding away.
"You needn't bother, I think I've got it covered," said Vicki, giggling as she finished her champagne.
Nova let herself become lost in the crowds. She clenched her teeth but did her best to keep her expression neutral. The last thing she wanted was to give herself away to the thief.
She studied the rest of the casino. As part of her investigation she visited all twenty-seven bars, three pools, eighteen gambling floors, the gym, all sixteen massage rooms, both brothels, and the cybernetic upgrade clinic. She even spent half the night posing as a casino worker to gain access to the high roller room, and yet she found nothing. She was no closer to finding the thief than the moment she arrived.
With no obvious signs in the rest of the casino she turned to the cash outlet. It was the only place where the casino's books could be edited and that made the staff her prime suspects.
Nova pulled out the chips she'd won at the table, just in time for Cracos to see her as he strode past. He leant in close to her ear so that no one else could hear. "You're supposed to be finding my money, not taking it."
Nova shrugged and gave a thin smile. "Part of the job," she said, sauntering away.
At the cash outlet she placed her chips down and the woman behind the bars counted them. Nova watched her closely. She seemed good at her job, if a little bored.
"You must love working here!" Nova said in the most girly voice she could manage.
The woman behind the counter raised her eyebrows and stared at Nova. "Another bounty hunter, huh?" the woman asked.
Nova let her false smile fall. "That obvious?"
"Probably not to most, but I'm good with people," the woman said, looking back at the chips.
"Maybe you can help," said Nova. "Have you had anyone who looked suspicious?"
"If I had I would have told Cracos myself."
"Of course you would have. Of course," Nova said, clenching her fist beneath the counter. "But just in case, do you think
there are any staff members who would take money? Change the books, perhaps?"
The woman frowned and held out her hand without a word. Nova handed over her cred-stick, but continued to stare at the woman.
"No. No one would be so stupid as to cross Cracos," the woman said. "Five hundred."
Nova watched as the numbers on her cred-stick jumped up. She could have made a living playing the tables, but she couldn't stand the atmosphere. The stink of desperation hung like a cloud over the casino and no one could keep up a winning streak forever.
"Thank you for your help," Nova said, turning away.
She tried to keep the annoyance from her face until she was out of the casino. Then her expression dropped. The fruitless night combined with running into Vicki had her fuming. She clenched her hands into fists and did her best to refrain from stomping until she got to Crusader.
Once inside she lifted a hidden compartment from the side of the main hallway and placed her cred-stick inside. A ruby the size of her fist that she'd been saving for a rainy day glimmered next to the cred-stick. She closed the safe and marched to her sleeping pod.
"Cal! Scan the video footage of the casino. I want to know about any anomalies. And keep an eye on that cashier," Nova called out through the ship before dropping down onto her bed. She didn't wait for a response before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep, hoping with all her might that Vicki and Kero stayed out of her dreams.
CHAPTER SEVEN
When Nova woke the next morning, she felt as if she hadn't slept at all. Her head ached with the dreams she'd had and she wanted nothing more than to stay curled up in bed. Instead, she forced herself to stumble out to the food generator, before continuing on to the command pod, laden with a bowl of colourful rings. She shovelled them into her mouth, barely registering the sugary flavour.