Game of Chance

The Traveler dusted off his clothes in front of the entrance.  As always, the doors were never locked.  

Upon entering, the Traveler could see that the entire casino floor had been deserted.  But it hadn't been for long as the bells and whistles of the slot machines overwhelmed the silence.

Cards were still on the tables and drinks were deserted at the bar.  Whatever had caused everyone to vanish had occurred only recently.

On the far wall across from the entrance, were the spray-painted lines that could yield a clue:

Capitalism was a cut of the take                                                      

But Communism stole the ball

UBI is table scraps

While war and famine kill us all

The Traveler could see that the paint had not yet dried.  He turned to leave the building, not wanting to meet the writer of such dark prophecy.  And this is when he heard the door close.

He walked to an unlighted area on the far corner of the casino.  Again, the door was unlocked, and the Traveler walked onto yet another casino floor, this one smaller than the one he had just left.

The area was filled with Players, each looking excited at the chance of winning the game.  The Traveler sensed that there was something amiss, but he couldn't figure it out.

In the middle of the casino floor stood a woman looking at him.  The Traveler approached her.

"Why aren't you playing like the rest?" The Traveler said as he stood beside the woman.  They were both watching the Players along with their minds being sucked into the game.

"It's all one big scam," said the woman.  "And never more so than now."

"Please explain," said the Traveler.

"Let's start with the empty casino that you just left," said the woman.

"This game was played under the Capitalist system.  Under this regime, the House always gets its skim off the top."  

"But that leaves the Players to rob each other," she continued.  "This is why some Players lived well while most did not, especially when the House increases the skim."

"So it's a predatory system in itself," said the Traveler.

"Yes," said the woman.  "But under this system, at least some of the Players lived above the subsistence level.  That is until the owners changed the rules."

"What do you mean?" asked the Traveler.

To this, the woman pointed to a placard on the wall located above the roulette game:

Roll the dice or spin the wheel

It matters how it makes you feel

We present to you our brand new chips

With margin calls we make the shift

No skills required, why live in the past?

We offer you our game of chance

The Traveler looked around in disbelief.  "This is a Communist system?"

"That's right," said the woman.  "And it's in the later stages where the Players become dependent upon the House."  

With this, she pointed to the poster located above the exit:

Come back next month and try again

The chips are free so take the spin

With nothing to lose and nothing to gain

Our pleasure will become your pain

"Everything is tied to the casino," said the Traveler.

"Everything but you and I," said the Anarchist.

"But this casino is doomed for failure also," said the other Anarchist.  "Then we can start over with something more equitable."

The two spoke for a while longer and then the Traveler moved slowly towards the exit.

The other anarchist created a diversion by betting the entire amount of chips given to her by the House on one spin of the wheel.  

After the excitement had died down, the Players noticed that the poster above the exit had been crossed out, with new lines spray-painted next to it:

The Game is rigged, the chips aren't real

The House wants trade for your soul to steal

Go out and make it on your own

And you will see that you're not alone

Their systems of control have died

All that's left are the same old lies

You're not on this earth to be ruled by scum

A sovereign life is for everyone

A few of the Players soon departed the casino after reading the sign.  But most stayed in spite of knowing the truth regarding their condition.  

After all, they would be getting their new batch of chips next month.