Once Jen finally fell asleep, she slept like the dead, and she felt like she’d just closed her eyes when Sam woke her up.

“Your watch,” he whispered.

“Did we make the news?” she asked.

“The rainbows were reported, but nothing about us. We’re safe for now. Do you mind if we talk about the rest of it after I get some rest,” Sam replied?

“No problem. I know you old guys need your sleep.” She joked.

Sam replied with a tired smile and reassuring wink, collapsed on the bed, and was out like a light.

Jen didn’t know how many YouTube videos she reviewed about Lottos while on watch. In the video she was watching now, a famous YouTuber girl was saying, “It’s believed they are called lottery winners by the rainbow and its system interface because of the power it grants them,”

Jen listened to the girl while trying to comprehend her bad luck. Everyone knew the truth. It was a death sentence. People would get a message about winning the lottery and then get hit with rainbow lights and fireworks. At first, everyone had been excited, because the last rumored lottery had occurred about 200 years ago. No one really knew what would happen. The historical records read like fiction, and many people believed it had been a great hoax that seemed to resurface about every 200 years. Initially, governments were trying to keep it quiet, but soon it became public that people were actually being gifted with magical powers.

The YouTuber continued. “Flip Croupier, dean of the University of Gamble is with us today to discuss the Rainbow Lottery. Thank you for joining us, dean Croupier. Let’s get right to the issue. What is the Rainbow Lottery and what rights do Lottos have?”

In a stuffy academic voice, dean Croupier replied, “The lottery references the ticket received by the Lottos when they are chosen. We don’t know who or what is choosing them, but when Lottos are chosen, they are given access to ‘system messages’ that appear in their vision. This System notifies them of their risk of death when they are transported somewhere in 30 days. It then gives them the opportunity to select up to four people to join them, and it also gives them access to something called ‘mana’, which allows them to do magic.”

“Like the magic we read about in fantasy books?” asked the youtuber girl.

“Yes, exactly, and it makes it possible for Lottos to raise their physical traits such as strength and speed 12 times faster than ordinary people, and basically become superhumans.”

“What do you mean, superhuman?”

“Once athletes get to a certain level of physical ability, they can’t make any substantial improvements. That’s why Olympic swimmers and runners all finish within tenths of a second of each other. With the system ‘prize’ from the lottery, there is no limit to the Lottos’ physical abilities so long as they continue to increase the difficulty of their training. One Lotto became strong enough to lift a car before she disappeared! Additionally, like I said, with their ‘mana stat’, Lottos can perform feats of magic.”

The YouTuber nodded with a look of understanding, and said “So, Lottos can become super strong and do magic.”

Dean Croupier grumbled at the youtuber’s over simplified summary, but continued, “That’s all we can find out because governments and mega-corporations around the world have started to put a bounty on the capture of Lottos. They’re taking them away, and the Lottos are never heard from again.”

The Youtuber asked, “Several Lottos have been killed while simply trying to hide and keep their freedom. Do Lottos have any rights to be free from these mega-corporations and governments?”

“I’m a professor, not an attorney, but I do know that every government around the world has passed emergency laws declaring Lottos to be a threat to national security and terminating their civil rights. The mega-corporations have been granted a ‘no-liability authority’ to capture Lottos by most governments in the world. This was done all under the pretext of creating a vaccine or replicating the effects of the system. The rewards for the capture of a Lotto exceed 20 million dollars. Some Lottos even turn themselves over freely, so the reward can be paid to their family.” Croupier then sighed while looking suspiciously uncomfortable, as he fidgeted with a pen he was holding.

The Youtuber looked both scared and horrified by the prospect of these lottos being used as lab rats by the governments around the world. “Well,” she said, “I’ve never bought a lottery ticket, so am I safe? Is the system created by aliens or what?”

“As far as anyone knows, it’s purely random, and there is no way to prevent yourself from being picked. However, if a Lotto tries to select you as one of their four companions, you can deny their request. As to your second question, no one has any idea if aliens control it, or what the system even is.” Croupier said.

Jen paused the video and nibbled on a saltine as she wondered, “Why the hell did Sam demand to join me in this nightmare? Is he just trying to use the Lotto as an excuse to kill himself?”

Jen shook her head in worry and frustration with Sam, as she stretched and looked out the window, before sitting back down and clicking play on the video again.

The Youtuber continued, “Man that sucks, but what happens at the end of the 30 days?”

“On the 30th day, a rainbow appears and takes away the Lotto and any companions, leaving anything they were carrying or wearing. Only their physical body disappears. Additionally, as far as we know, every Lotto’s risk of death after transfer, has never dropped below 97% in their system messages. Last, we know that if a Lotto can beat “The Seven Decks” after they are transferred to who knows where, they can return to Earth. However, the system says that no Lotto has ever returned to Earth.”

The Youtuber finished, “Like, and subscribe, and press the notification bell so you can get alerted when videos are posted, because videos like this one are usually censored and deleted by big Tech and big government within a few days!”

Jen thought to herself, “My luck must have been working overtime when the drone-strike hit. Without the explosions and chaos allowing us to escape, we would have been captured and turned over to the Chinese government for their research. As it was, we just barely escaped the police net being put in place after the appearance of our rainbows.”