Kill Screen
High scores are deadly business
She walked up to the front door of Adelardo’s Pizza just as the men were unloading the new addition. It had been years since she’d seen an authentic arcade cabinet, let alone a vintage one like this — original panels judging by the decades of scuffs and whacks by impatient brats. They moved the machine into a corner between the big window facing the street and a row of booths and returned it to life with a snap of sparks.
“Afternoon, Deborah,” said Mr. Adelardo from the tiny porch. The old man was sharp enough to recognize his regulars and never let them go without a few friendly words.
“Afternoon.” Deborah studied the machine through the window. “Adding to the décor, I see.”
The old man laughed. “Time was, every pizzeria had at least one game machine, or even a couple. Great draw for the kids, you know. It was a shame that they went out of style before I ever got one of my own!”
“Hey, I’m sure glad they’re back. Probably leave a fair amount of change right…” Deborah fell silent as her eyes drifted from the attract screen to the cabinet’s facade. “Holy shit, you got ‘Conquerors of Nekron’? That one’s legendary”
“It’s a classic, all right! Just the one I wanted when I was starting out. They used to do tournaments on that one, you know. Lines…
