G'morning.

What do a comet, slot machines and police badges all have in common? Well, continue reading to find out.

Dayne Gearner

Agent 6371 flashed his badge, and the crowd quieted.

"We have to evacuate this area," he said in a terse voice that left no room for argument.

The crowd didn't argue--they knew things were hopeless. The only news that anyone had heard for months was about the comet--how it would hit Earth. Those who didn't die under its actual impact wouldn't live long due to the rising cloud of dust, which would obscure the sun's light, causing a break down in the food chain.

Agent 6371 pointed down the street, as he met the eyes of an obnoxious twenty-something male.

"You can't make me move," the young man said. His eyes were wild as if he'd been drinking. "That blasted comet ain't gonna hit me!"

Agent 6371's eyes scanned the sky, where the comet's coma was so large that stars were no longer visible.

A slot machine fell out of the sky, crushing the kid.

Agent 6371 sneered. "Guess you were right. The comet didn't kill you."

Meg Allison

Zephaniah Stone watched as Halley’s Comet flashed across the sky, leaving a trail of sparkling debris in its wake as it meandered over the Las Vegas horizon. He fingered his police badge as he stepped back from the telescope and wondered if such a sight meant good luck or bad? Maybe he should try the slot machine one more time before calling it a night. Then again, maybe he should just thank his lucky stars he had the night off. Comets and other celestial events seemed to bring out the craziest of the crazies.

Muncy Chapman

Under the Las Vegas moon, Audrey snuggled into the embrace of Ron’s strong, bronze arms. Even when her cheek pressed against his cold police badge, she felt nothing but warmth in his presence. She wanted to remain here forever.

The slot machines had been kind to them tonight, and Ron, his pockets bulging with coins, had called her his "lucky charm."

They had walked out into the garden and waited for over an hour to witness the glorious phenomenon of the rare comet scheduled to make its annual appearance this magical night. Suddenly a streak of light blazed over their heads. "There it is," Ron said, pointing into the night sky with his one free hand. "Only one other thing could make this night more special."

"Oh? And what’s that?" Audrey hoped she already knew the answer to her question.

When Ron pulled a small velvet box from his coat pocket and snapped open the lid, Audrey knew she had truly hit the jackpot.

Deb Kinnard

"Look!" Gina pointed at the sky, only semi-dark against the bright lights of the Strip. "What’s that?"

Brady reluctantly tore his eyes from trying to read the badge of the officer trying to complete his parking ticket. "Huh?"

"That light in the sky."

The cop squinted. "That must be Halley’s comet. I heard about it on the news. It wasn’t supposed to be visible tonight."

"It’s a sign!" Gina marveled. "Tell you what, Brad, forget the slot machines. Let’s drive out into the desert, somewhere dark, and scope out the sky-show instead."

"Miss," the officer drawled, "mind if I finish this citation before you leave?"

Laura Hamby

Officers Harrison and Logan stood idly chatting while they kept an eye on the crowd gathered in the desert just outside Las Vegas to witness the passing of Slot Machine Comet.

"Ya figure the guy who got to name this baby has a gambling problem, perhaps?" Lila Harrison shook her head at the antics of the ten year old boy a few feet away.

"I don't know. I figure it must light up brighter than the slots when you hit the jackpot. Otherwise, how are we going to see it with all those casinos behind us?" George Logan shrugged. "You'd think aliens were landing from the way folks were reacting."

"Like an aliens would stand out in this crowd," Lila joked.

The crowd quieted and all heads swiveled skywards.

Lila glanced upwards herself, to watch the comet streak by. "Hmmm. That was disappointing. I expected dollar signs on ol' Slot Machine Comet."

George laughed. "You aren't the only disappointed sky gazer. Back to work."

"Yep. Time to start flashing our handy dandy  police badges about," Lila agreed.

Susan Atwood

Rissa pulled her car over to the side of the road just past the entrance to Red Rock Canyon and killed the engine. She got out, hopped up on the hood of the car, leaned back, and breathed in the scents on the night desert air. In spite of the fact that it was eighty degrees, the light breeze sent shivers up her bare arms. Somewhere in the distance a burro brayed, then there was silence. Even this far out the stars struggled to shine in a sky grayed by the glow of Las Vegas. But there—just west of the Big Dipper—the comet rode the sky with a plume spread out like the tail of the wild mustang that roamed the area.

Rissa didn’t bother to look around when another car pulled in behind hers. She heard gravel crunching beneath heavy feet and a gravelly voice said, "Car trouble?"

"Nope, just comet watching." She looked into the dark eyes and handsome face of a Metro officer. What little light there was reflected off his badge, mimicking the light of the comet.
"Out here alone? This isn’t the best place. If you want to gamble, try a slot machine."

Denise Patrick

What were the odds? Jim flashed his police badge at the man guarding the convenience store door, then stepped inside. To his right the lights on a slot machine blinked, but his attention was drawn to the body on the floor in a pool of dried blood. This was the third homicide tonight – and it was only ten o’clock. What had the psychic said? Under the influence of a comet that zooms in our night skies once every 100 years, Death would prowl the streets. He watched the forensics team for a few minutes, then moved to the side of the detective taking notes.

"This one died just like the other two," Carmen said. "Murder made to look like a suicide."

Robin Bayne

"Wow! Do you see that? It’s like long lasting fireworks!" Sandy pointed at the comet’s tail, a new mark in the night sky. "You won’t see that again for a hundred years or so."

"I’m surprised we can see it at all, with all the lights in this city." Ron looked around the brightness of Las Vegas and shook his head. "Good idea to come up here on the roof to check it out." They studied the sky in silence for a few minutes.

The door to the access stairs flew open and a uniformed man stepped out. "Evening, folks," he said, then flashed what appeared to be a policeman’s badge. "Is one of you the downstairs casino manager?"

Sandy tensed. "I am. How can I help you?"

"I think you need to come down with me. There’s a problem with a slot machine. It’s spitting out dollar bills."

Loree Lough

Harry fed his last quarter into the one-armed bandit and hoped the old wives’ tale was true: Gamblers won big when Halley’s Comet appeared. He figured Lady Luck owed him one, especially since she’d turned her back on him during the sting operation that cost him his badge. He pulled the handle and grit his teeth as one set of cherries, then two, inspired the machine to sing an off-key ka-ching. If the third card matched, he’d give up gambling for good….

Cindy Green

With the Lewis-Bodie comet zooming through the night sky, I hurried to my spot next to the slot machines. I felt my gun below my coat ready to grab it when necessary, my police badge inside beside it. The scene felt tense as I arrived at my location. This was Las Vegas and most people were on edge trying to relax but tonight was different. It may have been related to the comet making its appearance once again on its one-hundred year cycle or maybe it was just me nervous about setting up my first bust, the adrenaline in my body swirling around waiting for the release.

Gina Hartoog

Kylie Jensen gunned the engine of his 2002 Jeep and swung her into gear. In less than an hour he checked into a motel on the outskirts of Las Vegas and unpacked his bags. Kyle knew his assignment was an important one and he would do everything to make sure his editor got some of the best shots of Dobson’s Comet. The comet hadn’t been seen for the past 100 years and the desert was a great location to catch the first glimpses of it. The trip to Vegas was a dream for the young photographer and he didn’t plan to spend the whole week working. Kyle planned to hit the slot machines in a big way. He’d even brought along extra cash. But he also knew the lure of the casinos, the women and the booze were a dangerous mix. He’d have to be very careful. The bottle was his energy and he couldn’t afford to slip. The last thing he needed now was a nosy cop flashing a police badge in his face.

Judy Jarvie

"Can’t we go back to the hotel yet, Oscar? I swear that man in the car has a police badge and he thinks we’re up to no good."

Mandy’s posterior was hard as iron. Sitting in the hired car in an empty car lot wasn’t her favorite place to be whilst on honeymoon. All that action and she was staring at the sky while Oscar scanned the great black yonder for the comet that didn’t exist.

"It’s happening tonight, I can’t miss it." Oscar’s face was as earnest as his astronomical hobby was fast becoming an obsession.

"Some men would bring me here to kiss and cuddle, not to hold the telescope and coffee flask."

Their Las Vegas honeymoon should be romance, glitz, slot machines.

The amazing much sought-after comet zipped straight overhead glowing silver like a beacon of hope. Mandy pulled him down to kiss her.

"Phenomenal night, Oscar, now can we get back to our honeymoon?"