USF Progenitor & Crew: Adventures in Cosmos 01

[#21] Casino Reroll

The casino entrance was sparkling, lights flickering and flashing like classic casinos on Earth; Spotlights were lined up on the top of the rooftop horizontally; Laser light shows were solidly lit then patterned to flicker as the lights rotated inward. Holograms displayed advertisements, show times, and casino information.
Peter, Christopher, Ka'eo, Mana, and Stavros walked into the casino, following a group of Space Force men and women. Above them and in many other places, the name of the casino was lit up: The Motherlode.
The group noted firemen personnel walking out of the building fully suited up in the new fire safety uniforms-a creation of Baxter's Brands Co., a company focused on safety suit and PPE innovation, creating lighter and more durable solutions.
Up top above the group, inside the main lobby room, the ceiling was very tall, and the walls were embellished like a Victorian Manor. The flat walls between the columns were mirrors that looked like polished gold. The ceiling was supported by great columns, both naturally formed by the asteroid's rocky ore and transparent plexiglass-like material with a light show of glowing, flying, alien creatures on the inside.
The floor was marble, white and beige, where the sound of women's heels and their stilettos could be heard click-clacking on the marble floor. There were planters with artificially grown ferns and vines climbing up and out of their planter, though well-kempt by staff. The lobby's round benches, that spun slowly like a roulette wheel, surrounded the planters. A few people were present, sitting on the benches, eating food, talking on their PCDs, and talking to each other. The people present in the lobby were mostly Asian in their appearances, and most of them were couples. Everyone else were groups of Space Force members and corporate wigs sticking to themselves.
Peter was ahead of the pack while venturing into the casino, but he didn't know where to go from there.
Christopher noticed and felt cued to hurry in front of everyone. Christopher slowed to a walk, turned to the group and said warmly, "Welcome, guys, to the Motherlode!" He smiled and chuckled like a good-hearted host, stepping up next to Peter.
Peter walked closer to the center of the casino's entry room, looking at the gigantic swivel head a Vanderbolt turret, equipped with two 150mm laser bolt cannons. It was hanging from the ceiling like a chandelier and a museum exhibit.
"What?!" Stavros said, looking at the turret.
"Is that a turret?!" Mana asked. "What the hell is a turret doing in the casino?"
Stavros and Mana both took out their PCDs to take snapshots, still beaten by Peter who got to it first.
Christopher answered, "That's a turret, but it's not what you think it's for. They, every new ECY (Element Closest Year) host a biiig event where they-,"
"Wait, hold on-there's someone asking about our ship. Someone from Command is asking where we are and where the ship is," Peter said, reading a message on his PCD.
Ka'eo looked at Peter who was holding his PCD, remembering the old days. It felt like nothing changed. He wondered what Command was alerting them about, as a small feeling hit the pit of his stomach. He focused himself, trying to sober up. It could be urgent he thought. He asked Peter, "Well, who is it?"
Peter replied, "Captain Borges. He's also saying that-someone else is trying to hail us and has been trying to hail us for the past three STs. I'm seeing nothing from the ship, so-."
"Captain Borges? I don't know who that is," Ka'eo claimed. "Who authorized him to replace Captain Harris?"
"Yeah!" Stravros agreed. "Who authorized him?"
"Well, it seems like it's-important, so, we should probably go back to the ship now," Peter recommended.
"How important can it be if he didn't just forward you a message from whoever it was?" Stavros inquired.
Ka'eo agreed, naturally, with Stavros's down-to-earth insights. Ka'eo asked Peter, "What did he say in terms of... whether or not we need to go back to the ship right now? Is it urgent? Because I don't think we have to go right now. We can play a few games here for a little while, no problem. I want to get another drink, too. Another round of drinks! Come on!"
"Yeah, I dunno," Peter retorted. He reread the message from Capt. Borges. "I'm just saying that-that's what Captain Borges wanted to bring to our attention."
Ka'eo got rowdy, "We just got here! Come on! In! Let's go iiiin! Let's gooo!" That prompted Peter to rotate his torso both ways as though to convey his own discomfort and indecision.
"Guys, if you neeeed to go back, it's no problem, I can just go and grab my shuttle real fast or we can walk back," Christopher offered, seeming very subtly annoyed. "But, like Kai'eo is saying, we only got here not long ago. If it isn't urgent, I mean, we can play a game or two, right?"
Mana was calculating whether or not they should leave. He didn't forget the muscle men back at the alleyway, remembering one of them said something about going back to the Starport.
Ka'eo repeated, "We just got here!" He was calculating Christopher's mood against the group, wanting to find a balance. He felt like Christopher could be annoyed either because they had just gotten to the casino or because he hated how loud it was, or maybe because it seemed like bullsh$t kept lining up in the queue for their outing. He figured, maybe it's all of the above.
Christopher walked lightly, getting closer to the game room of the casino, checking around a corner near the turret. He was looking to see if the workers were there and to gauge their feelings about the group's indecisiveness. Nobody appeared to be at the front desk at that time, so he crept back toward the group. "Well, guys, we can always come back here another time, it's no biggie. If you want to stay, we might be able to sneak in and have a few games without signing up at the front desk."
"We should do that!" Stravros agreed.
"I dunno," Mana said. "We might... we should... just think about going back. I get the feeling that we should."
"That's kind of what I'm thinking, honestly," Peter admitted. "Ka'eo, we can just come back another time, man."
"I'm getting tired anyway," Mana added.
Ka'eo hated these moments where, in his mind's words, everyone would "chicken sh$t out" or "kill the party." However, he considered the group's overall feelings this time, not wanting to push and test them like he did in the suspicious alleyway. Still, he pushed a little more, "Come on! One game! One more drink!"
"So, uhh, yeah. Are we going then?" Stavros asked, ignoring Ka'eo and looking at Peter.
Peter said again, "Yeah, let's just go, and we'll come back. It isn't urgent, but Mana might be right."
"F$$$ck. Fiiiine, fine. But not before we play one game and have one drink! Come on!" Ka'eo responded. He kind of felt good about going back when he stopped ignoring the fact he himself was already tired. "Come on! One drink, at least! I'm thirstyyy!"
People in the casino quieted down and looked in their group's direction. The scene Ka'eo caused made Peter cackle.
Peter said, "No. I'm leaving!" He pretended like he was storming out of the group to the exit then walked back to the group. He laughed, "I'm just kidding."
"Well, can we get something to eat before we go back? I'm starved again," Mana informed.
Peter said, "Wh-again?! We just ate!"
Stavros chuckled. He knew, to Mana's credit, that Mana was larger in body mass than was Peter. Peter would never be able to out-eat Mana. Stavros saved Mana from feeling alone this time around and said, "I'm kind of hungry, too."
Mana felt more confident, jabbing Peter harshly saying, "Yeah, you can go and f$ck yourself, Peter. Huh?! F$cking kill yourself."
Peter chuckled like he was giving up, or like he didn't give a sh$t. He replied, "Yeh!"
Agreeing with the bullsh$tting when done was one of the group's tropes. Not giving a sh$t was nearly their motto, their modus operandi.
"Okay, you guys all decided, then?" Christopher asked, moving forward. "We leaving? Or we staying? We leaving-?"
"Yeah," the group answered unanimously.
"We're staying," Ka'eo iterated.
The group laughed.
"Well, let's go in then," Christopher insisted. He turned to Peter, smirking, and said, "We don't have much time."
"Alright, fine," Peter sighed. "But hurry the f$ck up."
Mana groaned in disapproval. "God damn you, Ka'el!" Mana said playfully with a quivering voice.
Peter and Stravros snickered.
Christopher began tip-toeing like from a cartoon further into the casino, keeping his eyes peeled on the front desk. He held an index finger up to his lips at the group and gestured with the other hand for them to hurry and follow him.
"Ka'el, go!" Mana pushed, placing his hand on Ka'eo's back and slowly pushing him toward the game rooms.
Peter said under his breath, "Son of a b$tch," and kept walking with Stravros next to him. Stravros was chuckling.
When they entered the game room, it didn't look much different from the coolest looking casinos back on Earth. It wasn't Vegas, but it was still flashy and attractive. There were lines and lines of new and old slots and virtual games, and cardgame tables in the center of all the games, with holographic servers and robotic arms.
A pit boss walked past the group, placing his hand on Ka'eo's shoulder and saying, "Excuse me." Ka'eo moved out of the way in an exaggerated side-step. The pit boss walked up to a shift boss and appeared to be reporting someone, pointing in the direction of Ka'eo's group. Ka'eo watched until he felt they were in the clear.
Christopher, smirking, asked the crew, "So, do you guys want to hit the slots? Or play some cards?"
"Black Jack!" Ka'eo shouted.
"Black Jack!" Stravros parroted.
"Yeah!" Mana said. "Let's play some f$cking Black Jack! Black people!"
A decorative light shined in Mana's and Peter's eyes. They complained, groaning.
Mana said, "What the f$ck!... Man!"
"What the hell was that?!" Peter asked, rubbing his eyes. He yelled an AAAAHHT!
Stravros started laughing.
Mana complained, "Noooh! That f$cking light over there shined right, directly into my f$cking eyes!"
Christopher glibbed, "Guys, are you okay? Follow me this way. The Black Jack tables are over here! Kai'eo!" Christopher felt like he was learning the group dynamic, feeling out when and when not to care. He walked over to the Black Jack playing tables and sat down, scooting himself in to be dealt a hand. He smiled and winked at the group, waving them over to him.
While he was interacting with the card dealer, the crew was walking over to him and then took their seats.
The card dealer introduced himself, "Hi guys! My name is Ronaldo and I'm going to be your dealer for the cycle." He notably pronounced the word 'cycle' like 'psycho.' Ka'eo had a thing for word play, not sure if Ronaldo meant that, but he quickly addressed it.
Ka'eo replied, "Hi Ronnie! So, is there a way we can order drinks from here? I want something that makes me feel less psychotic than I currently feel at this time."
Ronaldo was laughing uncomfortably while maintaining a sense of stubborn focus, trying to say, "I, yes, we have drinks, here you-."
Ka'eo intuitively spoke over him, "Here? Right now? You press the buttons here? And then you buy us drinks?" Ka'eo intensified. He cooled down a bit and asked, "On the house?"
Ronaldo laughed nervously and said, "Sure! But you have to play and win five Black Jack games in a row!" He dealt a hand to each person in the group, getting them all in on their first Motherlode game of Black Jack.
Ka'eo, after sitting down, ordered himself a shot of Grbic's Ragnarok 111 ECY Vodka. The name 'Grbic' rang a bell for him.
Some civvies touring the casino started to make some very peckish, unnecessary comments that sounded like ricochet off of the group's ears: