Chapter 15: Chapter 14: New New Mexico
Orion and Zephyr walked through the barren streets of New New Mexico. There were hardly any people out, and the ones that were didn't even bother to look at them for more than a second.
"This place is kind of a dump isn't it?" Orion asked Zephyr, looking at the place in disgust.
"You really are a city kid... Compared to what you're used to, most human territories will look like shit. It's mainly because of their governments-"
"Skip the political lecture, all I care about is that serpent coil," Orion interrupted, a red light shining on his face as he looked toward the middle of the city." Behold, the reason New New Mexico's economy is below the dirt, The Swingers Casino." Zephyr made a show with his hands, smiling at Orion as the boy looked on with interest. "That thing has a whole electromagnetic field to itself... It's basically a giant EMP, no wonder everything went to shit once we were close enough.
"Probably to keep cyber-enhanced people like you from cheating at blackjack... Wanna see the inside?"
"Nah, let's find a place to sleep first, backstabbing TO agents is tiresome work," Orion said, and continued walking down the road, though his eyes never left the casino.
As Orion and Zephyr meandered through the underbelly of New New Mexico, their path illuminated by the flashy lights of the Swingers Casino, the city's decay was palpable. It was a far cry from the vibrancy Orion was used to, with the once proud buildings now just crumbling relics under the harsh desert sun.
Zephyr caught Orion's gaze fixed on the casino's allure, offering a word of wisdom about the deceptive charm of such places, hinting at the ruin they often bring beneath their glittering promises.
Orion, though curious, managed to ignore it. He had bigger things to be curious about, like where The Serpent Coil was, and who had it.
Jack had given him a warning about the owner, but he wanted to see for himself, god-like artifacts, he wanted to see what they could do.
Their quest for a night's rest brought them to a humble inn, sandwiched between more imposing buildings. The innkeeper, marked by his years and a mechanical arm, handed them a key to their room with barely a glance. Room 8 was simple and worn, mirroring the city's faded glory, but it offered them a refuge for the night.
Yet, the casino's magnetic pull on Orion's mind didn't wane. As night transformed the city, a vibrancy emerged from the shadows, a stark contrast to the day's desolation. Propelled by a desire to understand the city and its inhabitants more deeply, Orion smirked at Zephyr.
"Let's go check it out."
...
Approaching the casino, Orion noted the heavily armed guards sitting outside. All of them were at least 6 feet tall, and heavily built. With his enhancements shut down, he wondered if he'd be able to take them.
'Such a stupid thought, I'd kill them in a heartbeat.'
"See them?" Zephyr whispered as he gestured toward a row of people at slot machines. "That's the real point of the casino, giving poor people false hope and making them even poorer. The machines are rigged completely, there's only a 1 in 1 billion chance to actually win anything."
"Seems kind of fun…" Orion said absentmindedly as he looked around at the building.
"Fun? An entire territory wiped clean because of a casino business, there's a Swingers Casino in every city here, how is that fun?"
"I meant the building, it was built by someone who didn't want to be located…"
"You think-"
"It probably wasn't the person who has the serpent's coil, but the person who did make this could have had it at one point, passing it down through generations…"
"So… We'd have to go to every city to find it?" Zephyr asked, locking eyes with a beautiful woman who winked at him from a blackjack table.
"Yep, let's start here and-"
"Alright meet you back here after the search then," Zephyr said quickly, rushing off toward the woman and leaving Orion alone.
"God, maybe I should have left him in the desert instead of Luna," Orion whispered to himself, walking up to the walls and touching it.
"It's most likely the third layer, if I got rid of that... Would the casino's defenses turn off?" Orion mused, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns carved into the wall, patterns that to the untrained eye appeared purely decorative. Yet, to Orion, they spoke of ancient, sophisticated technology, perhaps even predating the current casino's construction. The possibility that these walls could be a key to understanding the city's past, and more importantly, the location of The Serpent Coil, intrigued him.
The material it was made out of wasn't hidden from Orion, this same material had lined the walls of King Arthur's throne room when he'd fought him for Caliburn. The same thing had happened then.
'That zombie king didn't know why he was there, he was so old he probably forgot, but what if this is all connected...'
"Excuse me sir, if you aren't here to play then you'll have to leave," A man said with a smile. Behind him were two of the big guards Orion had seen earlier.
"Oh is that the rule? Fine, deal me in for some poker or something, just let me go get some chips.
"Of course sir, and your name?"
"Orion."
Orion paused for a second as the man looked worried at the name, but it disappeared quickly and the dealer was off in a flash, setting up the poker table.
'Guess I'll hold off on that for a while… Maybe I should fuck with these guys for a bit.'
Orion sat down at the table, there were six others beside him, but he paid them no mind as he was passed his cards.
Orion's touch lingered on the cards, the chill of their laminate coating sending a small shiver through his fingertips. A stark reminder that, despite the digital age he hailed from, some experiences remained defiantly physical. He stole a glance at his hand, his face a mask of calm, but beneath it, a whirlpool of thoughts and possibilities churned.
The poker room felt like a different universe compared to the cacophony and flashing lights of the casino floor he'd just navigated. Here, the air was dense, filled not with smoke or perfume, but with the palpable intensity of focus and the quiet rustle of cards against felt. It was a silence punctuated only by the soft clinks of chips. To Orion, it was quickly becoming as familiar as the hum of his machinery.
All of them raised their bets, as did Orion. He looked at his competitors and smiled innocently. "So, pretty city huh?"
A few of them shot dirty looks his way, hearing his sarcasm.
"Mind your words kid, this city is the pride of New New Mexico," A scruffy-looking man said, he had an old earth six shooter at his hip.
"Woah there cowboy, I doubt this shithole is the pride of anything, the casino maybe, but not this city."
Now all of them were looking at him with hate, it was perfect. He didn't have his gadgets or his cyber gear, but he had his magic.
As they focused on him, he made a show of looking threatened, but he was looking at their cards. He quickly swapped cards around until the dealer brought their attention back to the game.
"Last call for bets."
None of the people folded, and Orion smirked as the dealer told them to reveal their cards.
"What?" One said in a surprised tone.
"But I had a-"
"Uhh... The kid wins, royal flush?" The dealer said, looking at him suspiciously as Orion collected his earnings. "Keep playing, I'm sure you guys will win one day," He said with a laugh and quickly got out of there.
"Now that all eyes are on me, Zephyr should have no problem investigating," Orion thought aloud as he went to another table.
He'd make it obvious that he was cheating, so obvious that everyone would watch him closely, hopefully so close enough that Zephyr wouldn't be caught sneaking around.
Little did Orion know Zephyr had left the building as soon as they had split off, giggling like a schoolboy as he was dragged into the back alley by the raven-haired woman who he locked eyes with before...
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A/N: Hey, Sage here. Thank you for reading this and please comment on things I can approve on. That's all I really have to say, have a great day or night.
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