The Enigma Gamers - A CATS Tale

Juan cocked his head as he surveyed the area then commented, “It must be a series of white noise columns that somehow isolate each of the guest tables. I for one will enjoy this quiet time with you while I sit back and sip some of that Jamaican Rum that Chen mentioned. And you, my love, would you like a glass of the French Chardonnay we shared earlier at the resort?”

Julie flashed one of her coveted smiles and said, “I would like a glass and perhaps some fresh vegetable bits to snack on.”

Soundlessly, within seconds of her response, a robotic waiter placed their glasses on the table followed by a tablet for each of them that flashed pictures of the available cuisine for the main courses and desserts.

“Juan, this is amazing. All the food is pictured, so there is no confusion on what will be served.”

“You’re right, honey. This is fun, but let’s skip the octopus as the tentacles, cooked or not, still give me the creeps.”

“I agree.” Julie laughed and then added, “I think that a nice scallop salad with the main entree of rice with shrimp would be more than enough for me.”

“That sounds pretty good, except I think I would prefer the filet mignon, medium, with the steamed vegetables on rice for the side, more to my liking.”

Their snack of cold vegetables with a wasabi ranch dipping sauce arrived while silent mechanical hands removed the tablets. Juan offered a toast to their love, good fortune, and their last night in Macau. It promised to be totally memorable.

 After a delicious dinner culminated with a fresh lemon mousse, Juan declared he was ready to try his hand at the tables. Julie was happy to walk along or sit next to him as he moved from one table to another. Julie looked around when they stopped at the Baccarat table as Juan declared there was no skill required to play this game of chance.

There were people dressed up with flashy jewelry that advertised their wealth. Couples and groups laughed and chatted at all the tables within sight. Some laughed and clapped with their success while others asked the mechanical waiters for additional drinks. In many ways, Julie thought it very efficient, yet still inviting. Juan had found some level of success at each table they had encountered, including this one. He promised that he would spend only a short while at each type of game.

The casino floor was enormous with muted lighting and soft rugs of gold and red with dragon characters of various colors seemingly creating a path to walk from one area to the next. There were only a handful of casino personnel that could be identified by their name tags and non-descript apparel. These people smiled at the guests and looked around to make certain all were having fun and all robots were functioning. Julie noticed the sensors on most of the items and recognized that what Chen had said regarding their spoken words was very real.

A young man caught her attention as he appeared to be fixing a machine. His well-groomed blond hair along with his tailored black uniform and polished boots were enough to get him noticed. Yet, what Julie was drawn to was his rapid hand movements and flipping of switches. She studied him closely, trying to put words to what she was seeing. She scanned the ceiling for the monitoring cameras and easily detected four or five that should have him in their sights. Then she wondered why anyone would attempt such a clumsy skimming play on Euro coin slots with that many cameras present.

Juan leaned over very close to her ear and whispered, “That young rogue has quite the moves. Do you find him that attractive, my love, or are you trying to see exactly at which point he is lining his pockets with the Euros he is extracting from the machine while resetting the counters? Makes me wonder if the management is even aware.”

Julie shot Juan a megawatt smile and laughed, “That was exactly it. How did you spot it so easily? I thought you were playing your game.”

“I told you, sweetheart, this game takes no skill. I can play and still enjoy watching you and seeing what fascinates you, or what captures your attention.”

Julie leaned in and kissed Juan soundly then commented, “You, honey, fascinate me. I like seeing you play and win. Show me some more of your winning streak.

“I hope he doesn’t get caught. I suspect they would frown upon that sort of action. Glad it’s not our problem.”