Subspace Casino

''SUBSPACE CASINO'' An interactive story by Alyssa Vargas [[Start]]

You notice a man dressed in physical clothes instead of a programmable holosuit [[Don't invite him over]] [[Invite him over]] [[Take a break]]

The man comes over anyway. [[Comment on his apparel]]

"What's with the real clothes?" The man raises his eyebrow at you. (text-colour:yellow)["I didn't think anyone would notice."] You finish shuffling the cards. "Blackjack?" He nods. [[Play a game and talk]]

"Well it's hard not to notice when you walked by those lights." (text-colour:yellow)["No reflection?"] "Exactly." (text-colour:yellow)["I see I'm dealing with someone with a keen eye. Say, have you seen anything unusual?"] [[Respond you haven't]]

(text-colour:yellow)["It's your turn to ask a question."] [[Why did you come to my table?]] [[What are you really doing here?]] [[What are you hiding?]]

(text-colour:yellow)["It wasn't really planned, but I'm glad I did." ] He hands you a card with his information. (text-colour:yellow)["Keep an eye out for anything weird, would you."] He leaves without finishing the game. [[Pocket the card, Darian Aubrey, Private Eye]]

Your boss swings by the table. (text-colour:orange)["What was that guy's tell, why did he leave?"] [[Lie.]] [[Truth.]] [[Change the subject.]]

Walking through the casino, you struggle to get through the crowd. The smell of alcohol overwhelms you as you push past them. People are wobbling around and leaning on the machines. Everybody seems incredibly intoxicated, but, is that really unusual? [[Go to the break room]]

You turn on your interface and check the business website for bad reviews or some clue to what he might be referring to. Nothing out of the ordinary, people claim they've been scammed. [[Head to the bathroom]]

Opening the bathroom door, you see a woman slumped over the sink and another running toward you. (text-colour:#dd4bc9)["You have to help! She just blacked out!"] [[Approach the woman over the sink]]

Her eyes are fluttering and red, drool leaking from her nose and mouth. You check for a heartbeat, it's slow but at least she has one. [["What did she have?"]]

The second woman looks to the ground before stuttering an answer. (text-colour:#dd4bc9)["Just a few drinks."] [[Press her to tell the truth.]] [[Believe her friend]]

"I can't help her if I don't know what happened?" (text-colour:#dd4bc9)["W-we were offered some drugs by one of the dealers. Or at least he was dressed like a dealer-"] She's cut off by her friend suddenly starting to cough. [["You need to call an ambulance, now!"]]

The coughs increase in intensity and blood runs from her nose and down her dress. Her friend screams. [["Now!"]]

The door slams open and two bouncers run in. (text-colour:#dd4bc9)["My friend, s-she-" ] The men rush over to your side. (text-colour:cyan)["Lemme see." ] They push you out of the way. The men examine her for a moment, talking quietly to each other before picking her up. [["Call an ambulance!"]]

They start to walk away. [["Where are you taking her!?"]]

They usher the friend along with them before acknowledging your presence. (text-colour:cyan)["Don't worry, we have a doctor on the premises." ] They leave you in silence in the bathroom, your hands still covered in the woman's blood. [[Call the card]] [[Chase them]]

''Day 2'' Clocking in, you are approached by one of the bouncers from last night. [[Stay silent]] [[Start a conversation]]

(text-colour:cyan)["She's okay, the woman from last night. Her friend wanted me to thank you for your help."] [[You don't completely believe him. "I'm glad she's alright."]]

(text-colour:cyan)["People can be pretty reckless mixing drugs and alcohol. If something like that ever happens again just let one of the boys know. I'll let you get on with your day."] [[Did the other woman tell him about the drugs? Or did he know along.]]

Walking to the blackjack table, you wonder how long this has been happening. Obviously long enough for a PI to get involved. [[Take a detour]] [[Head to the table.]]

Taking the long way to the floor, you pass by a few closed doors. You need more information to give Darian when he stops by. [[Attempt to listen in]]

None of the doors give off any sounds. Figures. Dejected, you make your way to the floor. [[Maybe one was open?]]

You're already in deep anyway. You attempt to open all the doors. None budge an inch. [[Shit!]]

You slam your hand against the wall next to the closet door. A click. The opposite wall slides open revealing a staircase. [[Head up the staircase]] [[Take a photo.]]

Taking a step inside, the panel slams closed behind you, leaving you in almost total darkness. [[You make your way toward the only light]]

It seems the bouncer was telling half of the truth. A large room is filled with beds. Dozens of men and women are hooked up to machines. A man sits at a desk covered in vials near the back, a stack of medical charts next to him. A few of the beds near you still have their charts. [[Sneak and grab one]]

The man just so happens to drop something behind himself. His cursing and grumbling cover your scurrying. He won't be distracted for long. [[Open your interface and transfer the file]]

Scanning the document creates a digital and holographic copy. Hopefully, Darian can find something useful. [[You return the chart and run]]

Sitting behind the blackjack table feels like torture. You don't trust yourself to accurately determine how much time has passed when Darian walks toward you. "Did you-" [["Let's play a game!"]]

He understands your cue and nods. You hand him his cards with one extra. He pretends not to notice as he slips in into his sleeve. [[Breath out a sigh of relief]]

Darian's sleeve is grabbed and pulled down. (text-colour:cyan)["Looks like we got a cheater." ] The bouncer hands the card over to the Boss behind him. He taps the card, exposing its secrets to the room. The Boss's face falls. (text-colour:orange)["How did he get this?"] [["I gave it to him."]]

You speak without a plan, feigning confidence. "I'll hand over my copy if you can beat me at a game." The Boss laughs. (text-colour:orange)["Why the hell would I do that?"] [["You're a betting man aren't you?"]]

The Boss grunts in approval, snapping for another dealer to take your place. The only other human dealer on the floor approaches. (text-colour:orange)["Standard blackjack rules." ] The dealer nods, shuffling cards and throwing them your way. Your face card is a 2, the other card in your hand a 7. Glancing over to the Boss, he has an ace face up. He doesn't even look at his other card. (text-colour:orange)["Stay."] [["Hit me."]] [["Stay...."]]

A 10. It adds up to a grand total of 19, but your confidence in your hand is wavering. [["Stay"]]

You both reveal your hands. The Boss unveils a 21. He chuckles. (text-colour:orange)["First round goes to me." ] New hand. Your face card is a 10. [[Look at your hand]]

You exhale a sigh of relief looking at the face card, an 8. But should you go for it? [["...Stay"]] [["...Hit me."]] [[Wait for the boss's move.]]

The Boss glances at his cards. (text-colour:orange)["Hit me." ] The dealer slides a card over. (text-colour:orange)["Bust." ] He flips over a 10, 3, and another 10. [["Last round decides it all"]]

The dealer shakes handing out the last cards. Your face card is a 3. Not looking great. 10. Hmm. This isn't high enough to stay, but you can easily bust. Shit, shit, shit! [["Hit me"]]

Your hands shake as you look at your card, 8. "21" ''END''

"You wanna play a game?" The man looks around to make sure you were talking to him. He comes up to your table. (text-colour:yellow)["Sure, why not?"] You make small talk while you shuffle the cards. [[Comment on his apparel]]

(text-colour:yellow)["Do you want the truth?"] [["Yes."]] [["No."]]

You sense that this man will bring a lot of drama to the workplace. You don't have the energy or patience to deal with that today, might as well take your five and get out of here. [[Head to the break room]]

The break room is the same as usual. You check the news on your interface while you snack on some chips. Nothing holds your interest, but you somehow manage to spend 10 mintues scrolling. Your going to be late heading back, but who cares. [[Go to the bathroom]] [[Look for the odd man]] [[Take the long way]]

As you wash your hands, you hear the thomping of the music dully. Maybe you should have engaged with the man, this day is rather boring. [[Head back to the floor]]

The slot machines glow and flash in your peripherals as you navigate through the crowd. So many people are focused on their machines and games, chugging down watered down drinks. [[Bump into someone]]

"Oof" This really is your fault, you were the one distracted. As you both adjust yourself, you notice you've bumped into the man with the physical clothes. "I'm so sorry" (text-colour:yellow)["No don't worry about, I wasn't paying attention. Actually I saw you before, I wanted to ask you something."] [[Nod your head]] [["Sorry I have to go"]]

Darian Aubrey, Private Eye. What is he looking for here? A casino isn't a place with a spotless reputation, but your casino isn't that bad, right? [[Wait at the card table]]

Sitting at the table, you monitor the floor with more scrutiny. But nothing seems out of place here. Out of the corner of your eye, you see motion. Two bouncers are carrying a woman out of the bathroom, she seems to be unresponsive. At a first glance, it looks like she's wasted. But you notice blood trickling from her nose, and well as her crying friend trailing behind them. You understand why Darian is here now. [[Call card]]

"How's the woman from last night?" (text-colour:cyan)["She's gonna be okay. I was actually looking for you. Her friend wanted me to thank you for your help."] [["I'm glad she's alright."]]

(text-colour:yellow)["That's not a very fair question. But I'll tell you the truth. There has been a lot of drug related activity in the area, and it seems to be centered around here."] You sit in silence for a moment. "You know I expected something more along the lines of, 'I cheated on my wife' or something." He laughs. (text-colour:yellow)["I don't think my partner would appreciate that very much. Thanks for the game."] He hands you a card and slips away. [[Pocket the card, Darian Aubrey, Private Eye]]

"Isn't that Tony flirting with your wife by the Cashout counter?" (text-colour:orange)["God dammit, not again Tony."] Thank god Tony's a whore. Your boss chases him down and forgets all about Darian at the table. [[Take your break]]

Sitting behind the blackjack table feels like torture. You don't trust yourself to accurately determine how much time has passed when Darian walks toward you. [[You breath of sigh of defeat.]]

''Day 2'' Clocking in, you notice one of the bouncers carrying the woman from last night. [[Ignore him.]] [[Approach him.]]

Walking to the blackjack table, you wonder how long these shady events have been happening under your nose. Obviously long enough for a PI to notice. What is really happening? Hopefully Darian can put the pieces together. [[Take a detour]] [[Head to the table.]]

"Hey, so is that woman from last night okay?" The bouncer looks startled, he takes a moment before responding. (text-colour:cyan)["Oh, you mean the drunk woman. H-ha sorry, we deal with so many incidents a day, it's hard to know which one you were talking about. She just had too much to drink."] [["Okay."]] [["But she was bleeding?"]]

No way are you going to investigate this shady shit by yourself. Better let a professional handle this. You add some notes on your interface and save it to the photo on your way to the floor. [[Head to the blackjack table]]

You don't have any information for Darian. He looks disappointed in you, but you can tell he's trying to hide it. (text-colour:yellow)["Okay. I'll check back tomorrow."] You never saw him again. ''END''

What's the point of getting another card. You know he's going to win this hand. You both reveal your hands. The Boss reveals a 21. He chuckles. (text-colour:orange)["First round goes to me."] New hand. Your face card is a 10. [[Look at your hand]]

A 5. You start to shake. You can't come back from this. 2 losses. Game over. The Boss snaps the card in half and laughs. (text-colour:orange)["And by the way, you're fired."] ''END''

The Boss glances at his cards. (text-colour:orange)["Hit me." ] The dealer slides a card over. (text-colour:orange)["Bust." ] He flips over a 10, 3, and another 10. [["Last round decides it all"]]

(text-colour:yellow)["Have you seen anything odd while working here?"] "No. What sort of things do you mean? What should I be looking for?" He looks around, before slipping you a card. (text-colour:yellow)["Just keep an eye out, okay?"] He slips away back into the crowd. [[Look at the card]]

He decided to leave out the details about the blood covered woman. Is he involved in what's happening? Or is he just doing his job? "I hope she's alright." (text-colour:cyan)["We made sure she was, thanks. If you see any more unruly guests, just call one of us over."] [[Head to the table.]]

The man pauses again, clearly deciding which story to tell you. (text-colour:cyan)["She slipped and fell in the bathroom. You should've seen her heels. I got a meeting to get to, so I'll see you around."] He's obviously lying. [[Take a detour]] [[Head to the table.]]

(text-colour:yellow)["There has been a lot of drug related activity in the area, and it seems to be centered around here."] You sit in silence for a moment. "How long has thi-" (text-colour:yellow)["We shouldn't talk here. Gimme a call to continue our chat."] He hands you a card, then walks away from the table. [[Pocket the card, Darian Aubrey, Private Eye]]

(text-colour:yellow)["Fair enough. If you see anything, give me a call."] He hands you a card and walks away from the table, vanishing in the crowd. [[Pocket the card, Darian Aubrey, Private Eye]]

Sitting behind the blackjack table feels like torture. You don't trust yourself to accurately determine how much time has passed when Darian walks toward you. "Did you-" [["Let's play a game!"]]

"He threw a fit cause he lost. Stormed out before I could stop him." Boss gives you a nod as he scans the floor. (text-colour:orange)["Keep up the good work, Sloan. Why don't you take 5."] He slaps your shoulder a couple times before heading up to the penthouse levels. [[Take your break]]

"He's looking into the casino. Don't know if it's for money or something else." He nods. (text-colour:orange)["Thanks for telling me, Sloan. Go take your break, we'll look into this."] [[Go to the bathroom]]

Your boredom gets the better of you as you wonder the floor in search of the man in the physical clothes. You find him peering down the corner towards the service elevator. "Can I help you?" The man jumps before turning to face you. He sheepishly laughs before speaking. (text-colour:yellow)["Would you believe I was looking for the bathroom?"] [["Don't think so."]] [[Pretend not to see anything]]

You dread going back to the floor. The thought of shuffling cards for the next 5 hours doesn't exactly seem appealing. [[Steal some cherries from the bar]] [[Loiter in the bathroom]]

(text-colour:yellow)["H-he thought so."] You raise your arm to flag a bouncer your way. (text-colour:yellow)["Wait!"] The man reaches out to stop you. "What are you-" (text-colour:yellow)["You can't blow my cover alright, I'm looking into something big here!"] [[Continue raising your hand]] [[Put your hand down]]

"Sure, I'm not payed enough to really care anyway. But if you're trying to take the service elevator, you're out of luck. It's been broken for months." (text-colour:yellow)["Oh, thanks."] You start to head back to your station. (text-colour:yellow)["Excuse me! Before you go."] The man hands you a card. (text-colour:yellow)["Gimme a call if you see anything unusual, no matter how small."] [[Look at the card]]

(text-colour:yellow)["Shit!"] The man runs past you and out the door before the Bouncer finally arrives. (text-colour:cyan)["What happened Sloan?"] "This weird guy was snopping around over here. I didn't catch his name or anything, but-" The Bouncer cuts you off, speaking into his radio. (text-colour:cyan)["Tony here. Sloan spotted our suspect by the service elevator."] [[Attempt to overhear]]

You decide to hear him out. "What are you doing here? Besides searching for the bathroom." The man laughs before handing you a card. (text-colour:yellow)["There has been a lot of drug related activity in the area, and it seems to be centered around here."] You sit in silence for a moment. "How long has thi-" (text-colour:yellow)["We shouldn't talk here. Gimme a call to continue our chat."] The man walks away, and leaves the casino. [[Eye the card]]

You want to believe him, but can you really trust him? (text-colour:cyan)["People can be pretty reckless mixing drugs and alcohol. If something like that ever happens again just let one of the boys know. I'll let you get on with your day."] [[Did the other woman tell him about the drugs? Or did he know along.]]

"You pride yourself on winning this casino the same way." The Boss thinks for a moment. (text-colour:orange)["You're on."] [[Sweat profusely, "Best of three?"]]

Strolling by the side of bar, you sneak behind the counter. The bartenders give you a quick glance, but noticing your uniform, they continue making drinks for the crowd on the other side. Grabbing a cup from the counter, you fill it with neon red cherries. You smile as you sneak back onto the floor, your eyes on your tasty prize. [[Bump]]

Opening the bathroom door, you see a woman slumped over the sink and another running toward you. (text-colour:#dd4bc9)["You have to help! She just blacked out!"] [[Go toward the woman over the sink]]

Her eyes are fluttering and red, drool leaking from her nose and mouth. You check for a heartbeat, it's slow but at least she has one. [["What did she have? This can't just be alcohol."]]

The second woman looks to the ground before stuttering an answer. (text-colour:#dd4bc9)["Just a few drinks."] [[Accept her lie]] [[Press her]]

"I can't help her if you don't tell me the truth!" (text-colour:#dd4bc9)["W-we were offered some drugs by one of the dealers. Or at least he was dressed like a dealer-"] She's cut off by her friend suddenly starting to cough. [["Call an ambulance, now!"]]

The coughs increase in intensity and blood runs from her nose and down her dress. Her friend screams. [[Now!!]]

"Some water and rest will help her, if all she had is drinks." (text-colour:#dd4bc9)["Well, actually, w-we were given them here."] "Who gave them to you?" (text-colour:#dd4bc9)["He was a dealer, or he was dres-"] She's cut off by her friend suddenly starting to cough. [["Call an ambulance, now!"]]

"Call an ambulance!" They start to walk away. [["What are you doing?! Where are you taking her!?"]]

You chase after them, pushing through the crowd. Nobody seems to notice the bloody girl being carried off, as they pull the levers and toss the chips. You look around for anyone to help. [[Spot someone in the crowd]] [[Signal a bouncer]]

''Day 2'' Clocking in, you notice one of the bouncers carrying the woman from last night. [[Ignore Bouncer]] [[Approach Bouncer]]

You see the man with the physical clothes staring directly at you. "HELP!" The man rushes toward you. (text-colour:yellow)["What's going on?"] "The woman!!" [[Point]]

Quickly, too quickly in fact, a Bouncer comes over. "What's happening?" "Th-The woman! She's hurt!" You point toward the service elevator where they are headed. "Oh, um, they're just gonna patch her up before an ambulance can get here. Why don't you head home for the night. We'll take care of this." The Bouncer starts to speak into his radio as he walks away. [[Listen and follow]] [[End of Day 1]]

Walking to the blackjack table, you wonder how long these shady events have been happening under your nose. You the urge to investigate, but what can you do? You have no allies and no support. Even if you find anything, where would you take it. [[Walk to the blackjack table]]

Sitting behind the blackjack table feels like torture. You scan the crowd seeking out anybody, anywhere, someone. [[Sigh]]

You feel an overwhelming sense of defeat. It grows stronger each minute you spend behind the table. You think about the man in the physical clothes from yesterday. Would he have helped you? Or was he in on it to? As you clock out from your shift, you realize, you'll never know. ''END''

"I'm so glad she's okay" You try your best to believe his answer. The more you repeat it, the more you'll believe it, right? [[Walk to the blackjack table]]

"But she was bleeding?" The man pauses again, clearly deciding which story to tell you. (text-colour:cyan)["She slipped and fell in the bathroom. You should've seen her heels. I got a meeting to get to, so I'll see you around."] He's obviously lying. [["..."]]

"I'm glad she's alright." The bouncer rushs pass you, giving you a nod before leaving the break room. [[Walk to the blackjack table]]

Quickly, too quickly in fact, a Bouncer comes over. "What's happening?" "Th-The woman! She's hurt!" You point toward the service elevator where they are headed. "Oh, um, they're just gonna patch her up before an ambulance can get here." The Bouncer starts to speak into his radio as he walks away. [[Follow and listen]]

You see the man with the physical clothes staring directly at you. "DARIAN, HELP!" The man rushes toward you. (text-colour:yellow)["What's going on?"] "The woman!!" [[Point towards them]]

You point toward the service elevator that's been broken for months. You and the man push through the rest of the crowd, reaching the elevator just after it closed. The man desperately pushed the elevator call button, but to no avail. (text-colour:yellow)["Why won't it cal-"] [["That elevator has been broken for months."]]

(text-colour:yellow)["Dammit!"] The man slumps against the wall. (text-colour:yellow)["Can you tell me what happened?"] [[Tell him about the bathroom incident]]

You point toward the service elevator that's been broken for months. You and Darian push through the rest of the crowd, reaching the elevator just after it closed. The man desperately pushed the elevator call button, but to no avail. (text-colour:yellow)["Why won't it cal-"] [["That elevator hasn't worked in months."]]

(text-colour:yellow)["I see. Thank you for the information." ] He starts to walk away. "Wait, who are you? What's going on?" (text-colour:yellow)["My apologies."] He hands you a card. Darian Aubrey, Private Eye. [["You still haven't answered my question?"]]

(text-colour:yellow)["Dammit!"] Darian slumps against the wall. (text-colour:yellow)["Can you tell me what happened?"] [[Tell Darian about the bathroom incident]]

(text-colour:yellow)["I see."] Darian frowns for a moment, before meeting your gaze. (text-colour:yellow)["Can I ask you to do something that could be, dangerous?"] [["Yes"]] [["No"]]

He hands you a card. (text-colour:yellow)["It's not safe here. Gimme a call."] He walks away. [[Glance at card]]

Darian nods. (text-colour:yellow)["During my investigation of this casino, I've noticed somethings that don't feel right about the people leaving."] [["What do you mean?"]]

"Something, slightly less dangerous then?" [["Fine."]]

Darian rests his hand on his face. (text-colour:yellow)["Well if I had any sort of lead, anything at all."] "What should I be looking for?" (text-colour:yellow)["It's not safe to talk here. Gimme a call before you come in tomorrow."] [[Call the card]]

Darian smiles. (text-colour:yellow)["I hoped you'd say that. Gimme a call tomorrow before you head in."] [[Call the card]]

You can't make anything out from the radio, but Tony nods along. "What direction did he go?" What aren't they telling you? Did they already know about the man? What is going on here? [[Truth]] [[Lie]]

You point him outside. (text-colour:cyan)["Copy."] "What's-" Tony leaves without another word. [[You walk back to the blackjack table]]

You point him to the left, towards the bar. (text-colour:cyan)["Copy."] "What's-" Tony leaves without another word. [[You walk back to the blackjack table]]

You pick up the deck of cards at your station. Underneath, sits a single business card. [[Look at the card]]

Darian Aubrey, Private Eye. You wonder what he was hoping to find near this broken elevator. [[Take your break]]

"Oof" You stumble backwards, dropping several cherries on impact. The person turns around. It's man with the physical clothes. (text-colour:yellow)["I'm so sorry"] "No don't worry about, I wasn't paying attention. Actually I saw you before, I wanted to ask you something." [[Nod your head]]

(text-colour:yellow)["Wait!"] The man grabs your free hand, and shoves a card in it, before walking back into the crowd. [[Look at the card]]

(text-colour:cyan)["Boss, it's Shaun. Got another one heading up."] He waits for a response on the radio. It sounds just like static to you, but Shaun nods. (text-colour:cyan)["Not really. Sloan was freaked but they'll calm down. Got it."] You decide not to pursue them further, hearing your name made you aware of how much you are shaking. Before you head home however, you slip the busines card out of your pocket. [[Call the card]]

Darian Aubrey, Private Eye. [[End of Day]]

Once in the safety of your home, you call the card. [[Call card]]

Sloan sits behind a blackjack table [[People watch]]