The High Cost of Free Play

This story takes place in the same universe as "The Audit" and "In-Flight Entertainment."

Amber focused on her game for the most part, but did glance up now and again. Well after midnight in a casino on the Vegas strip, it was sparsely populated, but by no means empty. It would be a few more hours yet before the floor would be all but deserted as the destitute and hungover dragged themselves to their hotel rooms to sleep it off or cry it out.

Finally able to go to come to Sin City for the first time as money, time, and age finally conspired to make it possible, it was an opportunity she was going to waste sleeping the night away. She'd already hit some shows and had generally gone on a bit of a tear since arriving, including talking herself out of a drunk and disorderly charge. Maybe she was a good talker, or maybe the cop just liked how she filled out a bikini top.

Either way, she was smart enough to know that she probably should lay low for a while and not go out of her way to catch attention again. To that end, an empty bank of slots were as good a place as any to be. She'd just let the machine slide another of her twenties down its greedy gullet and started the rapidly rolling columns, only to watch them stop on, while not a loss, not a win of anything that mattered. The instant the play ended, a cheery voice made itself heard from her right. "Hi. How are you?"

She turned to see a beautiful, young, nothing short of Amazonian woman standing before her, clipboard in hand. Brown hair cut in a bob made a nice frame for her face and those unique gray eyes. Hints of her powerful physique could be seen even beneath the clean lines of the black blazer with emerald trim, knee-length skirt, and heels that marked her as casino management. The gold nameplate said "Traci," and Amber filled in the rest. "Sorry. I'm not here enough to make a player's club card worth it to me to bother signing up for."

"Oh, I could sign you up if you like, but that's not why I wanted a moment of your time. I'm Traci and, as you might have guessed, I'm from LTL Resorts. Are you staying with us in the hotel or just enjoying the gaming floor this morning?"

"I'm just losing at your slots right now. I'm staying farther down the way." Amber had to admit Traci's delivery was smooth and she seemed genuinely friendly. "I don't really want to sit through a time-share that I can't afford anyway for your version of 'free tickets' either."

She smiled. "Well, I'm not here for that either. I'm just wondering if you'd be interested in twenty-five hundred dollars in free play?"

That piqued her curiosity and it showed in her dark eyes, but Amber wasn't a stupid girl. "For that much money, what's the catch? Do I have to play forty-year old legacy stuff in the back or what?"

Traci had a bit of a cornered expression and Amber enjoyed the little victory. "The thing is that we'll be asking you to play new slots that no one has played before. And, after you've spent the free play funds we'd like you fill out a survey with all the usual things: Are the icons interesting? Did you like the game? Did you like the bonus games? What could we do better? You get the idea."

"Also, they're set to be a little loose on purpose so we can plot payout schedules, test the how the win and loss sounds effect the player, things like that. Anything left on the game after the free play card amount has been spent is yours, regardless of amount."

Amber was definitely interested in what she was saying, in part because she really had no clue that designing these things was so complicated, but, mostly because she could keep anything that was left. Even if I just get my twenty bucks back I'm good. I'll sure as hell play ones that are loose on purpose. "Sure, I'll do it."

Traci smiled broadly. "Wonderful." She put forth her clipboard. If you could sign these, I'll take you our testing area."

Amber's senses piqued again. "What am I signing?"

Traci pointed to each form in turn, flipping papers up to display each. "The top is simply our understanding written out: that you agree to play, we agree to give you the free play, and you get to keep anything on the machine beyond the amount we offer you."

She continued, not losing a bit of her enthusiasm, "The next one is a standard non-disclosure agreement. You won't talk to anyone, post to social media, etc, about any part of the game until after it's been rolled out."

Traci blushed ever so slightly, "This one is your notice that you're okay with being exposed to adult content." Her voice dropped slightly. "Some of the bonus games are a little...raw? We're just looking at new ways of keeping people in their seats."

Amber thought it was a little crazy. "It's Vegas. It's pretty wall-to-wall raw already. People really get freaked out over naked women on a slot machine?"

The manager sighed. "Yeah, some of the older players can be a little sensitive about that. They're used to wild animals and jewels in their games, not naked girls."

Amber rolled her eyes. Old people. "Got it." She skimmed the paperwork, not bothering to sit and really read any of it, but it all looked pretty standard so she signed.

Traci looked everything over herself. "Perfect. If you'll follow me, please?"

She followed behind Traci, watching her put one foot in front of the other in almost a march; it had that sort of sense of certainty to it. There was also a certain tempting sway. Amber guessed that maybe she'd once been a showgirl, or a dancer, or something. She followed as Traci led her from the gaming floor through a secure door that Traci used her keycard and code to open, leading her through a long corridor. The walls were a clean white while the brown and black game floor carpeting followed them through there as well.

About three-quarters of the way down the hall, she swiped and coded her ID at another door before leaning down so that her right eye could be scanned.

"You guys really take this stuff seriously."

"With proprietary...well, everything...you have no idea."

They entered a dimly lit entryway and once the steel door closed Traci turned to her and reached into her jacket pocket to give her what looked like a credit card that was mostly black but with flecks of glitter throughout and the number '007'. Traci sounded excited for her. "Here's your play card. Just head down that way, first entry on your right, you can't miss it. The card matches the machine number. When you're done, just take the only exit left to you and head on to the follow-up area.

Amber nodded. "Pretty straightforward."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Amber headed down the hall, the path darkening as she went until the lights of the machines in play acted as a beacon. She turned to see a large room with there rows of four machines. In the room were half a dozen others, four women and two men. One blonde hit a bonus and clapped for herself and giggled as the machine counted up her winnings. A couple of the others were so engrossed in their play that they just stared into the screen as they hit re-spin over and over.

She found machine number seven and smiled at the irony. It was Jayne Spectre versus the Evil Doctor. The artwork on the front had the artistic rendition of a buxom woman, one leg long, one leg bent with her elbow resting on it as she blew the smoke from a discharged, silenced weapon. She noted that the brown hair and those gray eyes reminded her of Traci in a way. She kept her grin as she made herself comfortable on the black leather bar stool and slid her card where the player's club card would have gone, just above the play screen and waited.

Seconds later, her credits went from zero to a cool quarter million credits. Amber wished she could cash out now, but she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to. She really was wondering what the game would be like, but, ultimately was just sort of thrilled to be able to play the night away on someone else's money.

She touched the screen and skimmed the rules and paylines. There were lesser icons like a silenced pistol by itself, open file folders, fancy cars, and a private jet. There were also the usual jewels like diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. What she needed for the bonus games, she saw, were renditions of Jayne Spectre like the cabinet art on reels one, three, and five.

Here goes. She hit "max bet" and started to play.

Amber played through spin after spin, seeing that they did indeed seem looser than the slots on the floor, as she was getting three and four lesser symbols every few spins that kept her bankroll up, but that about half of the winnings were going into a 'payout' position opposite her 'credits' tally. It made Amber happy, as it looked like she just might make some decent money out of this thing, even if it was set up so that she'd be there playing awhile.

More spins played and Amber watched as three huge sparkling diamonds lined up on both rows one and five, followed by and explosion. They all glittered as diamonds rained down the screen, sparkling as they did while a sultry voice said, "Excellent."

Adrenaline rushed through her at the substantial win watching her payout credits grow nicely. Anxious for the next win, she hurried up and hit "max bet" again. She was already going to come out of this better than a hundred dollars ahead. Yay me.

She kept spinning, but wins became fewer and farther between to the point where Amber was becoming just a bit frustrated until the diamonds promised to appear again, this time four in rows one and five and three in each row between. Her anticipation notched upward as each jewel settled in place. Come on.

They settled and the sounds sparkled as the diamonds glittered and fell and that sexy voice was heard again. "Soooo gooood."

This time Amber let her frustration go. It was a good win and she wasn't going to rush it. Instead, she was going to savor it. Besides, she thought, maybe that's how it was set up because it was new; maybe if you didn't let the bonuses play out it messed with the payouts.

And, it really was fun to just watch her money count up and the sparkling diamonds fall like rain. The graphics really were pretty; relaxing even. Each jewel seemed to pulse in its own rhythm, but the way they all came together. It was...fun to watch, so she relaxed and watched the diamonds fall and her money count upward.

But mostly she watched the diamonds fall.

Another smaller diamond jackpot appeared before her a few spins later and she smiled as that counted up, waiting patiently while it played out as it would. A few spins after that, excitement took her once again as Jayne Spectre appeared on reel one...

...then three...

...then five...

The soft thud of silenced gunshots could be heard before she looked up to see the bonus game unfold. On the screen appeared a thoroughly proper British gentleman in his perfect suit and tie, eyes a smoldering brown, and in every way the stereotype of a cultured Brit. Amber thought that somehow the only thing missing was a monocle and maybe she'd suggest it if they asked.

He spoke pleasantly enough and directly to the screen. He was a good actor if nothing else. "Ah, Ms. Spectre, there you are. I realize that this is a bit unusual; for a recruit to be called into my office, but your skill and aptitude scores are off the charts. Add to that that you are absolutely stunning and I think you'll be perfect for a very special mission. First though, all that's left is your final marksmanship test, so why don't you see to that, and I'll discuss the particulars with you later."

Amber found herself actually having fun with watching Jayne make her way to the elevator and down to what was probably going to be the firing range. It made a sort of sense to her: make the bonus games part of a narrative and maybe you get people putting more money in just to see how it all comes out.

Jayne approached the short, skinny man and they engaged in some witty banter as the perspective changed from first-person to third. Amber wanted to giggle when she saw the visual pan out to see Traci standing there. At least it looked like Traci, though with very subtle differences in the nose and cheeks. Must be her twin. Amber had twin cousins and, over time, those subtle differences are just how you learned to tell one from the other.

The tech motioned to the ear protection. "Aren't you going to...?"

"That depends, Michael," Jayne began as she quickly, skillfully loaded her weapon, not even watching herself do it, as though it was second nature, "are the people you're going to send me after going to wait for me to do it before they start shooting?"

Michael said nothing.

"I didn't think so," she replied coolly before she turned toward the targets and began to fire rapidly.

The screen switched to that of a black and white paper target with five red and white bullseyes beneath with, "Pick a bullseye. Two misses ends bonus."

She picked the third one from the left and it flashed red and Amber watched the comic style 'Bang!' pepper the target, with each one displaying a credit amount. Amber liked the money coming in and she liked the way the red, orange, and yellow that surrounded the graphic all folded together and moved.

So entranced by it, it took prodding by the sexy 'bonus' voice with, "Pick another, honey." to get her to stop watching and pick another. She picked the last one and, "Miss."

Michael's voice was uncharacteristically cold. "You have to do better than that Jayne, otherwise you'll have no chance."

His tone bothered her, but not in the way she might have thought it should. She actually...felt badly. "Do better. Be Better," he said.

Do better. Be better

She picked the second bullseye and was thrilled to see, 'Bang!'

Credits came and she was happy. She did better and she was happy.

When she missed with the next selection she was disappointed in more ways than one, but was content to go back to the game.

A lion roared at the other end of the room and Amber glanced upward long enough to see another woman at the other end of the room pull her pay slip from the machine and smoothly walk toward the exit.

Amber kept on spinning the reels, hoping that the reels stayed loose because she was well past three hundred dollars on what she was going to get to keep and had plenty left on what she still had to spend, so she was going to be here for a while.

That was okay though. She liked the game and the bonus was pretty fun, though she'd have to do better at the next bonuses, whatever they would be. Five diamonds on five rows and the sultry voice purred, "Ohhh, yeah." in a tone that dripped sex.

Amber exhaled completely and watched the white sparkles rain and the jewels flare brightly in her eyes. The patterns were actually beautifully complex, but you had to let go and look at them. If Amber let go and just looked at them, it was like one intricate lattice layered upon the next.

It was beautiful.

A few nothing spins later and the Jayne Spectre bonus appeared for Amber once again. She looked up to see Jayne's boss who congratulated her on her performance, which made Amber happy indeed as he sat Jayne down to give her the details on her mission. "Women are going missing," he intoned with some dread.

"Women often do," Jayne said plainly. "Most unfortunate, but how does that rise to the level of something that should concern us?"

"When the daughters of men in the upper echelons of politics go missing, we tend to take note," he answered dryly slipping her a file on the missing women; one blonde, one brunette and both striking. The blonde, was, in fact, well-known runway model Fawn Kirby. The other, Robyn Wile, was the daughter of the Defense Minister.

"We, quite frankly, have little to go on beyond the fact that they were last seen at the Club Erotique just outside Paris in the company of one Jannette Lefevre, owner of said club. I suggest you start there."

It faded to black and, when the screen lit again a moment later, it did so to display a standard cityscape of Paris that narrowed its focus to one very busy nightclub. Amber watched in rapt attention as Jayne made her way into and through the club, engaging in witty banter with Lefevre and her painfully thick accent before Jayne slipped away upstairs to look through the office files and hack the computer with a USB to rifle through those files as well. Lefevre opened the door, flanked by three proper goons.

"These aren't your offices," she pointed out.

"I was looking for the ladies room, actually," Jayne quipped. Amber smiled. It was all pretty cheesy, but decently acted and very fun to watch. She wanted to find out what happened next.

"We have quite a few downstairs."

Jayne's gray eyes were downcast for a moment as though she were slightly embarrassed by her response, "Painfully shy bladder."

Lefevre smiled. "I have good news then; when my men break you in half, your shy bladder will be the least of your concerns." She gestured to them and they came at her like hungry wolves towards a fat rabbit.

Jayne's response was powerful and quick. Sensing which would strike first she elbowed him in the jaw, sending him reeling before unleashing acrobatic moves and powerful strikes that Amber thought would have put the Sable Arachnid from those comic book movies to shame.

Jayne stood surrounded by the heap of broken men as she smoothed out her black evening gown before looking over the dismayed club owner. "Shy bladder, immodest reflexes."

"So it would seem."

Jayne rolled her eyes as Lefevre ran. The chase was on through the dance floor and out of the club, Jayne dispatching bouncers as quickly as she did the goons upstairs, but not quickly enough to prevent Lefevre from escaping in her sporty convertible.

Spectre watched with frustration as she peeled away, tires squealing. Thinking quickly, she headed towards the black sports car that had just rolled up to the valet. "Do pardon me," she said, sliding in as the smarmy playboy stepped out, squealing her own tires as she drove for her quarry.

Amber's heart was pumping as the view pulled back to display the view behind the vehicle as the city lights blurred and smeared in an illustration of speed before displaying a countdown with the instructions, 'Select left or right to continue the chase. Two misses ends bonus.'

The cars careened through traffic and Amber watched excitedly, not wanting to fail. She needed to do better than last time. Lefevre disappeared from sight and the arrows appeared with Jayne's voice being heard. "I can't lose her. I have to do this right. Everyone is depending on me to be as good as they think I am."

Amber wanted to see the story evolve. She even, strange as it sounded to her own mind at first, wanted to help Jayne. Amber took the words to heart. She had to be good and help. She had to help Jayne. She had to help the casino and the game's designers. After all, they were essentially paying her to be there. She held her breath and touched the left arrow.

It flashed green and Amber was happy as the city blurred again in video game fashion leaving only the winding road and the trail of tail lights as the chase continued.

Hairpin turns, more screeching tires, and more heart-pounding for Amber. More twists and turns through the streets of Paris later, choices appeared again along with Jayne's determined voice. "I have to do well. People are depending on me to be good. People need me to be good."

It was true for Amber, too, she realized. The people here needed her to be good. If she wasn't, all the effort they went to to give her this opportunity. She closed her eyes for a moment to quell her anxiety welling up inside her. Her finger reached up, hesitated for a moment in the center of the screen, then selected the left arrow again. When it flashed green and the chase continued Amber was as relieved as she was excited.