ZSROTU 02 - "It's A Win-Win Situation"

"Awright, player bets the lot with no change-ed cards. Dealer sees player. Dealer draws 2. Dealer lays them out. Show 3 supernovas and 2 planets. A full house. That beats your single triple, player !"

PRESS CTRL = (EQUALS) TO INCREASE THE PAGE SIZE AND CTRL 0 (ZERO) TO RESET THE PAGE SIZE   Lost In Space      Want to read this in a different language ? Change the TO field to your own country and click the TRANSLATE button after going HERE LOST IN SPACE Zachary Smith - Ruler Of The Universe © January 2017 Written by David Wicker Please do not reprint without permission This will be my new main Tuesday writing until the story is complete. [ CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CHAPTER ] * * * These entries are Rated: EVERYONE 2. IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION Last week as you recall we left Dr. Smith playing the gambling machine while Penny and Judy collected alien wildflowers. Judy, Don, and John were still working on power converters for the shield generator. Will and the robot were out finding rocks and mineral samples. Everyone was unaware of what a simple card game would turn into with the lives of everyone aboard the Jupiter 2 being changed by it ! Dr. Smith took the 5-cards handed him by the gambling machine and looked them over. He had 2 black-holes and 3 quasars. "Place yer bets !" the machine crowed. Dr. Smith took the total $50 from his loaned amount and put it on the table. "What'd I just tell ya about blowing your rubes in one load !?" the machine barked. Smith smiled, "Oh, but I feel very comfortable with these. Very comfortable indeed." "So-es, you don't wants a card ?" "Not at all. These are fine." "Awright, player bets the lot with no change-ed cards. Dealer sees player. Dealer draws 2. Dealer lays them out. Shows 3 supernovas and 2 planets. A full house. That beats your single triple, player. I win and you're out of money now and in debts to me !" At once a rifle pistol poked out to point straight at Smith, intent on shooting him should he intend to welch his wager. Smith was nonplussed, "Oh but good sir, I think what you mean to say is - that is - when you say, 'I win' that in fact, I did win. Me, of course." The machine spun its lights for a second as if unsure of something. Something hiccuped inside and the machine spoke again, but this time in a tone of utter confusion. "That's not. I mean to say. Okay. You win. You have this hand and gain 50 rubes." The tip of the rifle retracted safely back in the machine. "Ready for the next hand ?" it spoke. "Oh, indubitably, good sir." Smith said with a smile. Apparently his rewiring job had paid off literally. He had crossed a few circuits in the back with its logic system - and now the machine was very susceptible to suggestion. The machine took the cards and issued new ones. Smith didn't even bother to look at them and, like before, bid his entire stack of money. A few hours passed and the tone of the gambling machine turned from friendly to frantic as it truly could not understand how Smith had consecutively won every single hand given him. "I don't get it !" the machine said in frustration. "Are you some kind of jinx ? I took you to be a pushover but now you're playing for real. Which is Jake with me. But still - your luck's gonna run out sooner or later, and I'm going to be there to collect it all !" Smith grinned, "Oh I completely agree with you. My luck simply MUST run out - sooner or later. It will." Then to himself, "Much much later, I hope." The sky started to get dark. The whole machine's front row of lights were on to mimic its frustration in Smith's "remarkable" luck. "Place your bets ! Place your bets !" the machine fairly shrieked out. Smith took the large pile of money, well over 100,000 dollars now. "We can continue this most interesting game tomorrow." "That we can." the machine said. "You may be the big cheese - for now. And your luck will change. No-one but no-one can have-ah such a winning streak as you have." Smith stood up from the chair, "No hard feelings then ? Goodnight, sir." then went back to the Jupiter 2. Young Will Robinson was the first to speak around the dinner table. "Doctor Smith, where were you all day ?" * * * Don spoke for him in a cheery tone, "Does it matter ? He wasn't getting you in trouble and he wasn't breaking anything we were working on so I say wherever Smith went and whatever he did today was away from us. Just stay out of our way like you've been doing, Smith, and we'll get along just fine." Smith responded respectfully with a lowered head, "I could not agree with you more, Major. I am indeed busy. Busy busy." and that's all he would say on the matter despite the needling from Will and Penny. Will finished his meal early and went to his room. The Robot was there and he spoke to it. "Smith is up to something. I'm going to follow him tomorrow." The robot responded with a moral as he often did, "Better a certain enemy than a doubtful friend, Will Robinson." Will nodded and went to sleep while the robot kept vigil outside the Jupiter 2. The night passed uneventfully and it was a beautiful morning the next day. Smith of course was up early to get double-portions for breakfast from Maureen. As Smith gobbled down his food she did inquire gently, "Just where are you going today, Smith ?" "To paradise, my dear lady, to paradise indeed." She shook her head but smiled. She had more important things to think about than where Smith was gallivanting off to. Smith finished his breakfast and took off. He was aware that Will was following him so he circled around a few times and finally doubled back right into him. "William !" Smith said in a dark tone. "Shame, shame on you for following me !" Will looked down at his feet. He really was neatly caught. "Aww, Dr. Smith, I just wanted to see where you were going - and what are you doing ?" "It's none of your concern, dear boy. Why don't you go spend some time with Penny ? I'm certain she would appreciate the company." "You're not going to tell me what you're up to ?" Will asked one more time. Smith shook his head. "Not just yet. But I promise you, very soon, I will. I will tell you personally all about it. But not now. Now, off you go. You don't want to jinx it now do you ?" Will headed out and Smith, looking around and seeing he was no longer being followed, went straight to where the gambling machine was. He sat down and it lit up, speaking, "Oh, it's you again. Mr. Lucky Cards himself. I say your luck is going to change-ah today and I means it !" "Indeed it may, yes, indeed it may. But we won't find out until you deal the cards, dear boy." "You brought the jack, big boy ?" it asked. Smith pulled up a burlap bag he had by his side and set the money on the table. "It's all here, dear friend." "Then let's go !" the machine said. It internally shuffled the cards, then spit out 5. Smith, like before continued to bet his entire amount without ever asking for an exchange. The machine continued to be perplexed by how it would announce that it would win and somehow that turned into a win for Dr. Smith. Finally the machine blew out a light on top with a pop and shatter, broken glass shattering on the ground. Smith immediately went on the defensive. "What's that, what's wrong ?" he asked in alarm. "You. You. You ... !" the machine sputtered. Another light bulb blew out, this time with a loud sparking sound of electricity. Smith's eyes were wide with fright now. Finally it settled down. "Calm yourself sir. The house cannot pay the amount of winnings you have for the last-ah hand. It can, however, offer you something of great-ah value in exchange." Smith rubbed his hands gleefully together. "This is just what I was hoping for. Yes ? What is it ?" "A magic lamp. Already 2-wishes have-ah been used, but there is one remaining." Smith sniggered, "You expect me to BELIEVE that ? That a grubby old lamp has a wish on it ?" "It's easier to believe that than you winning every single hand since we started." the machine said in an even tone with just a touch of disbelief and malice. The tip of the rifle poked out, not all the way, but to show that Smith that he had better accept this as collateral. Smith himself had seen many MANY strange things before. Aladdin's lamp didn't seem to be too far fetched considering. He conceded, "Oh, alright. But if it doesn't give me the wish I want, I will be back to take a very rusty screwdriver to you !" The machine jerked slightly causing Smith to lose his seating slightly. Then it spoke, "I don't think it will-ah come down to that. In any case, you haven't won it yet. I do offer it though, if-ah and ONLY if you can win this next hand and you do indeed bet your entire load as-ah you've been doing." "Very well," Smith said. Then held up his fingers to count, "4 million, 6 million, 8 million space credits ! That is my bet for these cards !" "Dealer sees you with the one wish lamp as collateral." A slot opened from the gambling machine and a lovely lamp, not made out of gold or copper but the very beauty and essence of fine crystal spat out. "Lovely." Smith was greedy to grab it. "Not so fast, you piker." The machine said. "Not until-es you win." Smith bit his lip and put it back on the counter. "Of course. Let's do this." The machine shuffled the cards. Then again. And AGAIN ! Smith was getting impatient, "What are you doing you mechanized moron !?" "Please to keep your temper, good sir. I am-ah merely shuffling these here cards. Thoroughly. Your luck has been awful good lately and I want to see that these cards are fair and square-ah this times." Smith waved a dismissive hand, "Very well, continue, but don't take all day !" The machine shuffled the cards two more times, 7 times in all. Then spit 5 out for Smith to examine. Smith did the glib thing again, the machine claimed victory, Smith turned it around to say that actually he had won, and - the machine resigned to loss. The magic lamp was his now ! (to be continued) Return back HOME   You are Earth Visitor #