| abstract | - Kamal: Okay, here come your card counters. Phil, Cassie, Molly-- Aiden: She's cute. Kamal: Zack, and your ringleader, Antonio. Aiden: Show him the thing. Kamal: Okay, I've wormed into their private CP channel and built an audio mask out of the voice archive samples you gave me. Then I wrapped it around a zero lag sequencer that jacks into the-- Mr.F: Jeezus, just show me the thing already. Kamal: I talk... (voice mask activates) and it sounds like Antonio. Mr.F: Holy crap. Aiden: See, Mr. F? Kamal: Okay, I'm going to slip into their chatter line now. I'll send a feed directly to your chatter. You'll hear exactly what Antonio's gang is hearing. (chatter beep on) Antonio:Cassie, your deck is light on face cards. Set your count at -7 and hit on anything up to 16. Cassie: Got it. Antonio: Molly, you're at 3. Phil, you're at -5. You want this, don't you? Beats the hell out of competing with every book-worming refugee from the glassworks for a real job, don't it? (with accent) 'What did the colonial say to the garbage boy?... put me down!' (laughs) Dealer: Excuse me? Molly: Oh, sorry. No, just remembering a joke I heard. Hit me, please. Antonio: Alright. Zack, dealer's looking strong, not your hand, get out. Molly, whoa, you're up at 9 now. Bet 3/4 of the table max, on the next hand. (chatter off) Aiden: Now that colonial crap just isn't right. These kids go to a school and everything... Kamal: They're just saying what everybody thinks. We're, you know, book smart hicks and grade-grubbers who act like if you fail one crummy course... Aiden: ...You might lose your student visa and get sent home to die. Kamal: Pull up the house record of the decks. (beep) Okay. This is what Antonio's looking at when he tells the others how to bet. Aiden: It bothers you though. Kamal: Not really, I've heard it all before. Mr.F: One thing makes me want to face-peel a guy, it's intolerance. Aiden: Antonio's way over by the slot machines, looking real innocent and out of sight of the others. Now we send him for a little time-out? Kamal: Yeah. (comm beep on) Mr.F: Paolo, take him to the unwelcome visitor's lounge. (comm beep off, on) Aiden: Frank, fresh decks on 2, 4 and 5. Use the ones I gave you. (comm beep off) Mr.F: Okay, the show's on monitor 6. Watch what Paolo does to this sonuvabitch. (sounds of a beating) Kamal: Jeezus Christ. If they hit him again, I'm walking. Mr.F: What, you feel sorry for this guy? Kamal: I'm done. Mr.F: Jeezus... Fine! Fine, have it your way. (comm beep on) Mr.F: Paolo, treat Mr.Antonio real nice. (comm chatter) Mr.F: I don't know, buy him something with an umbrella in it. Use your initiative. (comm beep off) Kamal: You promised me nobody would get hurt if-- Mr.F: Do the thing, Kamal! Kamal: Okay! Okay. I'm going live in 3...2... (voice mask on) Molly that last card puts you way positive. Time to double down. Zack, bet the minimum. Dealer's about to beat you. Phil, cash out, head to table 5 and get in on the next hand. Phil: But that's the 10k table. Kamal: If you were seeing what I'm seeing, you'd already be there. (chatter beep off) (Mr.F enters) Mr.F: What's wrong? Aiden: The slots. Antonio said the slot machine sound effect loop just cut out. Mr.F: But-- Aiden: Don't worry, he'll cover it. (chatter beep on) Kamal/Antonio: People, I know we've taken a beating so far, but it's all camouflage. The stars are lining up. This is-- Cassie: What are you doing, Antonio? Standing in the parking lot or something? Keep playing the slots, otherwise it looks suspicious. Kamal/Antonio: Gimme a sec, there's-- oh ho, come to papa! Cassie, we need a times 10 bet here. We're about to make it all back. Cassie: Are you kidding me? Kamal/Antonio: Molly, double down. Cassie, hit. Cassie: On a 17? Are you kidding? We're getting killed out here. Kamal/Antonio: No time for bitching, people. Do it. Cassie: If we lose this one, we're back where we started. Kamal/Antonio: We're not gonna lose. (chatter beep off) Mr.F: Hey hey! And the bastards are down to even! Aiden: Okay, Mr.F, you got your money back. Mr.F: Yeah, hey, Kamal... Stretch 'em a little... Kamal: What? Mr.F: You heard me. String'em along! Kamal: You said that we were onl-- Mr.F: --I changed my mind. About you too... You're in for 30% of the take. Whatever it is. Kamal: ...Baby needs a new pair of shoes! (voice mask on) Kamal/Antonio: Cassie, sit down. Your deck is empty - repeat, empty of face cards. But there's aces everywhere. Zack, that 9-3 is solid gold! Molly, double those 7's and hit-hit-hit! Phil - split those kings... how can you lose on that? Phil: You tell me, I've lost on everything else. Cassie: Where's Antonio? Antonio, where are you? Kamal/Antonio: I'm right—Cassie, for the love of money, hit that! Cassie: Where are you? Kamal/Antonio: Hit the damn card! Cassie: Fine, there. *ech* dammit! Happy? Phil: No way, I just bust both my kings. Cassie: Let's get out of here, Antonio's gone. Kamal/Antonio: I'm not gone, I'm right here. Look, I'm standing up and waving at you! Phil: Antonio, when we get out of here, I'm gonna kick your head in. Kamal: (voice mask off) Actually, Antonio got laid off tonight, and a colonial took his job. Cassie: Who the hell are you? Kamal: (with an accent) Just another bookworming refugee from the glassworks. Cassie: It was just a joke, for God's sake. Kamal: Yeah, but it's so much funnier now. (chatter beep off) Mr.F: Okay, party's over. (chatter on) Paolo, send the staff to escort our players out. Make sure they understand how much they owe me before they go, and, uh give Antonio my lawyer's card would you? (chatter acknowledgment) Mr.F: That's pretty good work there, kid. I, uh, better have my security watching for you now. Kamal: I promise you you will never see me in here again. Mr.F: Eh, you'd be surprised. (Aiden enters) Aiden: Payday, Kamal! (pours chips on table) Aiden: Man what a massacre out there. Makes me wish people would try that more often. Kamal: Gee, uh, chips... Um, actually, if you could just drop a number into my account that would be easier. Mr.F: Not for me. You know so much about blackjack now, why don't you play a little? Kamal: What, or I'm going to end up in a ditch? Aiden: Kamal, come on. Don't get angry. Play a little. Try your luck. Here, these little chip clips go on your belt. Keep them in front or people will rob you blind. Mr.F: Don't spend it all in one place. (smirking) Kamal: Huh, a tangerine chip. And it plays a vid. Okay, that's cool. (counting) Huh, well, maybe just blackjack. Deal me in. Dealer: Um, you can't play that chip here, sir, this table has a ten thousand limit. Kamal: Oh, uh, what about these uh, caramel colored ones. Dealer: Taupe, sir. Kamal: Yeah, can I play these at this table? Dealer: The cashier's over there, sir. Would you like an armed escort? Kamal: Armed? Uh, no, no thanks. (walks to cashier) Cashier: How can I help you, sir? Kamal: I'd like to cash this out please. Cashier: (alarmed) Oh, uh... I'll, uh, have to get a manager to open the vault, sir. It'll be just a moment. And, we'll get you a basket. No uh, no, uh, some crates, and a dolly, perhaps? Kamal: Crates? Uh, never mind, I think I'd better just uh-- Cashier: (relieved) --Take it back? Kamal: (amazed) Take it back... Cashier: Ooo, you have a fine evening, sir.
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