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ESPR

Does Omega Dream of Electric Friends? · Chapter 2

Omega in Wonderland

???

Tiptoe, tiptoe... sneaky, sneaky...

Omega

Phew, made it out. No one saw.

...Wow.

So this is NOA...!

Omega

So many sounds! So many people too!

Tasty smells! Fun smells!

What's that?! What's this?!

Cube Palace

Request to reconsider current action.

Omega

Huh? Cube? What's wrong?

Cube Palace

Omega Control's objective is the Welsh Museum of All Things.

Please be careful not to stray from the shortest route.

Omega

Right! That's right. Thanks, Cube!

Omega is off! Destination, the museum!

Looking straight ahead only!

Shop Owner A

There we go. Swirl it around and... ta-da, cotton candy!

Omega

How'd you do that?! Is it a projection?!

Did Daddy make you too?!

Shop Owner A

Haha, first time in the city, huh? Haven't had a customer this excited in ages.

Tell you what, this one's on the house!

Omega

Wow! Thank you! Omega's gonna eat it all up!

Cube Palace

...

Shokas Executive

Hahaha! It's over for you, Stellar Rangers!

Stellar Rangers Red

Tch... Am I going down here?!

I need everyone's cheers to win!

Boy

Go! Stellar Red!!

Girl

You can't lose!!

Stellar Rangers Red

Wooooah! Power's surging through me!

Shokas Executive

This... is the power of bonds!!

Omega

Don't be afraid! Don't back down!!

Stellar Rangers Red

Haha, thanks for cheering, little friend!

Omega

Get him, Shokaaas!!

Stellar Rangers Red

What.

Shokas Executive

...Me?

Cube Palace

...

Omega

Hehe! Hehehe!

So fun! So exciting! NOA has cool stuff everywhere!

???

I told you, it's not that I don't have the money!

Omega

Huh? What's all that about?

Trish

I just hit a rough patch 'cause I missed a big bounty this time!

Look here, old timer. I'm a bounty hunter, right? I need my weapon to make money.

So if you give me my daggers back, I can earn the repair fee with them!

The way of the top-tier hunter! Never stiff someone, since that's not cool!

Blacksmith A

And throwing a fit to pay me back once you've won big? That's cool?

Omega

...

Cube Palace

Not recommended.

Omega

Eh? But Omega hasn't said anything yet!

Cube Palace

Maximum-level busybody alert detected from Omega Control.

Now is the only chance to intercept.

Omega

Cube's so smart!

But it's fine, Omega's gonna help!

Cube Palace

Irrational decision-making detected. Requesting brief stand—

Blacksmith A

I don't care if you're a top-tier hunter or Lady Alicia herself. The answer's no.

No credit. You want them, pay the repair fee.

Trish

Kgh...

Omega

Omega has arrived!!

Trish

Huh? A kid...?

Blacksmith A

Know her?

Trish

No, never seen her before...

Omega

Omega heard everything!

Omega can help!

Trish

Help how?

Omega

Mister! Can Omega have some "money"?

Blacksmith A

Just looking is fine, but... don't run off with it, all right?

Omega

Yup! Thank you!

Story illustration

Trish

What're you gonna do with one coin...?

Omega

Like this! Watch!

Story illustration

Omega

Nom.

Blacksmith A

Did you just put it in your mouth?!

Trish

Hey, watch out! You'll choke on that!

B-be a good girl and spit it out now!

Omega

...

*Gulp*

Blacksmith A

You swallowed it?!

Trish

You actually swallowed it?!

Wh-what do we do?

Should we turn her upside down and shake her?!

Omega

...All done! Scan complete!

Now, like this... Hi-ya!

Omega

Ta-da! Money!

Omega will give it to you! Here you go!

Trish

...It's money, all right.

Blacksmith A

...Yeah, money.

It's purple... with some weird shimmery glow.

Omega

Oww...

Omega got scolded... got slapped on the back...

Trish

*Sigh* Well, kid aside, I got kicked out too.

Omega

Omega's sorry... Omega just wanted to help...

Trish

...Hah, it's okay!

Didn't seem like you did it on purpose. Your intentions were good.

The way of the top-tier hunter! Never nitpick over stuff like this!

Don't worry about it. This old timer here was just smacking your back to make you cough up the coin.

Watching it just pop right out of your mouth was pretty surreal, though...

Omega

But... Omega doesn't really get it.

Omega just wanted to help. But he got mad.

Why...?

Trish

Well, you almost became a counterfeiter just now...

More importantly, you do know what money actually is, right?

Omega

Yup! Omega knows!

Luna's always saying, "Gotta hit the casheeno, lemme have some money!"

So money's like a ticket. But it's not only for casheenos.

Trish

Well, that's... not entirely wrong, I guess?

Omega

Right? Right? Isn't Omega smart?

...Huh? Wait.

Then... you need money to get into the exhibition?!

Trish

Exhibition? What exhibition?

The special exhibition being held in the Welsh Museum of All Things, huh...

Not sure of the details, but I doubt it's free entry.

Omega

I see...

This is bad... Omega doesn't have money...

Trish

Ugh, looks like we're both in the same boat, money-wise.

Seriously, if I had my pair of Blue Fangs back, this'd be a piece of cake...

...Wait.

You made a coin out of thin air earlier, right? Can you make other stuff too?

Like... a dagger, for instance?

Omega

A dagger? You mean a pointy triangle?

Like this?

Trish

Can you make the edge a bit lighter?

Omega

L-like this?

Trish

Make the handle a bit longer, add some curve to it...

Omega

Ugh, this is hard...!

Trish

This is...

Omega

Badump, badump...

Trish

...Perfect! Approved!

It's all purple, so it's not exactly stylish... but it fits my grip perfectly!

Omega

Wow! Omega did it!

How was that?! Omega did good, right? Omega's helpful, right?!

Trish

Nice work, assistant!

Heh, that's right...

Hey, how about you and I do a job together?

Omega

Huh? A job?

Story and illustrations © Studio B-Side. An unofficial reading archive — for questions or requests, see the About page.