Page 2 of 3013: Dreamer
“You’re mad it got past your initial scans,” she teased.
“Damn right, I am.”
Charm chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll punish him for you.”
“Thank you, Alpha Barra,”Evo responded primly.
“Make sure you keep recording the bastard. I want enough evidence to bury him.”
“I would be delighted to help you bury the bastard.”
She really did get a kick out of the AI system having such a fun personality. Of course, that was partly due to the Artane brothers and their mate, who had all had a hand in programming Evo to be that way. Still, with the way it adapted and learned, it actually did feel like she was speaking to a real person instead of a computer system most of the time.
“Evo, now that you know what to look for, can you run a scan to see if anyone else in the casino is using the same device?”
“Of course, Alpha Barra.”
If the device had gotten past Evo’s scans, that meant it was new. If it was homemade, catching the thief would put an end to the problem. But if the device was something a few people were using, it could potentially be manufactured on a larger scale. If that were the case, they would be finding more people trying to use it in Wonderland.
And not just there.
While it pissed her off, it wasn’t the first time someone had tried to trick the security system since they had opened, andit certainly wouldn’t be the last. Cheating was common in any casino. At least, attempting to was. People were always coming up with new ways to try to get rich quick, and the staff had to constantly be on guard for new tech. Since they often shared information with other casinos as a courtesy, she would have to spread the word about the new device once they thoroughly analyzed it.
The galactic slot machines had some of the biggest payouts in that section of the casino. It was reasonable to assume the human had paid the Reema to create a distraction so he could steal from the slot machines across the room without anyone focusing on what he was doing.
A classic misdirect.
Players within the casino were given metal bracelets that carried their credit balance. When the bracelets were scanned at the machines or tables, credits could be used or added to the balance. Once they were done gambling, a player would scan the bracelets at one of the bank stations and exchange the balance for actual credits or transfer the amount to their own personal account.
The system had been introduced at the casino on New Vega back when it had first been established and was now standard at most places. While chips were still used at the tables, the bracelets made playing easier and more secure. However, no matter how many safeguards were put in place, people kept trying to figure out how to cheat and steal.
Running a casino wasn’t easy, but since it had been her idea to build one at Wonderland, she couldn’t really complain too much. While the Krytos operated many different sanctuaries throughout the known universe, each of them was independently controlled. Some had casinos on the premises, while others focused on other forms of entertainment.
No matter what, the foundation of all sanctuaries was the same.
They were a safe haven for people in trouble.
When the Artane brothers had offered the Barra siblings the opportunity to create a sanctuary on the new planetoid they had purchased, Charm and her brothers had been delighted by the prospect. Well, that was partially true. She and her oldest brother, Raek, had been all for it, but their brother, Fenris, had taken some convincing before he had completely jumped on board.
As a famous tattoo artist, Fenris had enjoyed the freedom of traveling and working in a variety of shops. He’d never wanted the responsibility of running his own tattoo parlor, so the idea of owning and operating a sanctuary was a big change.
Back on Earth, Raek had been a celebrated chef who had been given free rein at the restaurant he had worked at. While he had been excited about running a new sanctuary, he didn’t exactly have much experience.
That’s where Charm came in.
When she had aged out of the group home she and her adopted brothers had grown up in, she had gone to work at Haven, the female-run sanctuary located in Jade City. She’d always had a dream of opening her own sanctuary, but she knew she needed experience to do so.
Working at Haven had allowed her to learn all the aspects of operating a sanctuary. It also helped her realize she had an aptitude for management. Not only was she super organized and good at multi-tasking, she had an eye for details and that natural instinct that kicked in when something was wrong.
Charm enjoyed the excitement and fun of working in a sanctuary. But more than that, she loved providing a safe environment for people who needed it.
No matter how much hard work went into running such a large-scale operation, she was all for it. She thrived in the chaos of trying to control the uncontrollable and enjoyed the challenge that came with handling the unexpected.
However, she was less thrilled about living on a planetoid that had been turned into a live-action version of a video game.
When the Artane brothers had designed Evolution, she had thought the new video game was just another one of their ingenious creations. Hearing they bought a planetoid for the purpose of bringing that video game to life hadn’t surprised her. Despite it being a new level of crazy, the Artane brothers always pushed the boundaries of what was imaginable.
Because of that, she had never doubted they would accomplish it.