Atom: The Beginning

This is our challenge...

No, it's our spirit of adventure.

What the heck are you talking about?

Pistons embody man's spirit of adventure!

Go! 1,000 horsepower!

What?

Five years have passed since the Great Catastrophe.

The reconstruction and technical innovation it brought about offered a place for robots in our society.

The robots do the jobs humans have provided them without fail.

And they have now become indispensable to humans.

Here, take one.

Whee!

Ah, my balloon!

Here, have a balloon.

But robots are not human.

Here, have a balloon.

Robots don't have hearts. Here, have a balloon.

Robots don't have hearts.

Here, have a balloon.

Ouch! O-ow...

Ah, jeez, Umataro, hold still!

I am, aren't I? I know you can see me clenching my teeth!

Try patting more gently, Hiroshi.

I did warn you not to do that.

Your clothes are covered in oil and you even managed to get yourself injured...

Well, it is true I didn't plan for this to happen.

You know, Six is an artificial intelligence robot constructed for research purposes.

Why make him so ridiculously strong?

It's all the better he's strong!

And it's cool, too!

"Cool," huh?

I really like that childish side of you, Umataro, you know?

Calling me childish is just rude!

Say it's my philosophy! My philosophy!

He's got 1,000 horsepower! 1,000 horsepower! That's as much as two semi trucks!

What you gonna use all that for?

Don't be silly. A106 is a research robot, alright?

This robot here will make our next-generation AI "Bewusstsein" known to the world at large.

He needs specs that we can be proud of no matter where we show them off!

I've already gone ahead and updated the version of our experimental program.

You mean the prototype of the beta version of the test version of the experimental version, right?

Well, yeah.

I also greatly augmented all of the sensors!

I've also installed some superhero-esque logic routines!

And besides that...

What are you doing fiddling with him so much?!

Eh?

We don't even have the budget!

We have to show some real results by the next faculty meeting...

...or we're finished!

"Finished...?"

AHH! That's right!

We've used up the research funds that were earmarked for Seven,

the culmination of the A10 series, so we're already down to zero!

That's why we got part-time jobs, right?

Part-time jobs!

Part-time jobs... That's right.

A101, what time is it right now?

It's 11 o'clock.

It is time to leave for your part-time job.

Oh, to think I was worried. We've still got time...

We're gonna be late!

Tch, that's a rudimentary error of the Bewusstsein we put inside A101, huh?

You mean a rudimentary error of a version of Bewusstsein even more rudimentary than

the prototype of the beta version of the test version of the experimental version, right?!

More importantly, we've got jobs waiting!

Anyway, you go on ahead, Hiroshi!

I'll change in a flash and be right behind you!

O-okay...

Alright, I'll go on ahead and get things set up!

Oh, I left a croquette sandwich over there, so go ahead and eat that on your way. I'll be waiting!

Okay!

Alright.

A croquette sandwich from the school cafeteria, huh?

The interplay between the sauce and crisp croquettes makes this thing simply exquisite!

Yep, yep.

Hurry, hurry now.

But, you know, this croquette sandwich really is simply the best.

The sauce goes so well with the soft bread...

It's exquisite!

Excuse me, I wasn't watching where I was going and...

Moriya Tsutsumi-san from Lab 1?!

Yo.

I can't believe I managed to collide with the top research student at Nerima University!

I'm so sorry!

If something were to happen to the most genius mind in all of Japan...

It's fine. Besides, are you alright yourself?

Of course, I'm perfectly fine!

Uh, allow me to go pick up your wheelchair!

No, you needn't worry about that.

See?

Wow!

Well, you should get going.

From what I could tell, you're in a hurry.

My part-time job! My job!

Oh, that's right, my croquette sandwich. My croquette sandwich!

My croquette-

Here, your croquette sandwich from the school store.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

Well then, please excuse me.

Eh? You aren't going to properly acknowledge me? Jeez...

You got jilted, huh, Motoko?

Well, how about you, Big Brother?

Did I not just see that "never-topple robo-chair" of yours get knocked over?

Yeah, seems this thing still has some room for improvement.

So, who exactly is that "courageous" boy who dirtied your chair?

I believe he's a graduate student from Lab 7...

Lab 7... The one on the far side of the campus' West Building...?

Yeah.

He's using it together with some weirdo named Umataro or something.

It's a fitting place for trash like them.

Hey now, Motoko, you're not getting any funny ideas again now, are you?

Yeah, yeah, I know! "Hanging around trash will get you dirty."

But, ridiculing the likes of that trash is pretty fun...

Here at Mecha City, symbol of the reconstruction, for a limited time we're holding a collaborative event:

"Mayor Camecca's Corps vs. Hell's Hebihebi Devil Army"!

Hey, Ran! "Mayor Camecca's Corps vs. Hell's Hebihebi Devil Army"!

Big Brother.

So you came.

Yeah.

Haven't seen Umataro, have you?

The guy that hangs out with you?

Yeah, him.

Haven't seen him.

What the heck is that guy doing?

I mean, we finally got this high-paying gig...

Where's Six?

I left him back at Lab 7.

It's not like I can just bring him to my part-time job.

Lab 7...

See ya.

You're after Six's parts again, aren't you?

Yeah.

No, just no. We don't have the budget to buy any replacement parts, okay?

Today, just be a good girl and watch me have my moment of glory out there.