“Oh?”
“If I heard correctly, you were instructing Albert and his … Bug Squad … to focus their attention primarily on detecting and correcting any computer programming inconsistencies applying to the video slots in the casino. Is that correct?”
“That’s our biggest vulnerability. Yes.”
“Well, I can’t help but wonder, sir, if it’s wise to completely ignore the other areas which might be affected by computer tampering. It’s been my experience that the people who program computers are very much like the machines themselves when it comes to dealing with users. They do specifically what they’re instructed to-usually-but seldom anything else. That is, I doubt they will address any of the other problem areas under their current instructions.”
“C’mon, Beek,” Phule protested. “You heard him. They’re going to be hard-pressed to fix the slots in the time frame we’ve got. Any other assignments will only slow things up.”
“Then you may have to consider alternative solutions to the other problem areas … sir,” the butler said blandly.
“But they’re only …” The commander caught himself and stopped, rubbing one hand across his eyes. “Okay, Beeker. Out with it. Which areas other than the slots are you worried about?”
“Well, sir, if I understand the situation, the computer also controls the lights and sound system for the showroom stage.”
“That’s right. So?”
“I believe, sir, that the showroom and its featured entertainers are one of the primary draws the casino uses to attract its clientele. In short, if there’s no show, there may not be many people attending the opening to play the slots, making the question of the slots program relatively irrelevant.”