Free Spaceland by Rudy Rucker

did Momo go just now?” asked Jena loudly. “Where would she get money?”
    Right about then the stacks of bills started dropping out of the air. Seventeen thousand bucks in all. Momo swelled up into the room and stood there smiling at us.

    â€œI obtained these from the building across the street,” she said. Meaning Wells Fargo. “They were inside the great metal safe.”
    â€œOh my god,” said Jena. “Did anyone see you?”
    â€œBy no means. The building was empty and the vault was locked. I went over it and reached vinn to pull the money out. Nothing more than my fingertips was visible. These flat pieces of paper are very important to you, are they not?” She fixed me with her all-seeing eye. “I can read your lips, Joe Cube. I know of your ignoble wish to amass great wealth.” I started to mumble an apology, but Momo held out a calming hand. “I recognize your qualities, both good and bad. I accept you as you are. But let there be no thought of shirking the Great Work.”
    â€œAnd the Great Work would be something relating to the fourth dimension?” said Spazz. “Are you talking about an educational product ? Not much money in that.”
    â€œI don’t bring the fourth dimension as a theory,” said Momo. “I bring it as a fact. No one who beholds me can doubt.”
    â€œThe point of all this being what?” asked Spazz.
    â€œThat’s right,” put in Jena. “We need a clear mission statement for the business plan.”
    â€œIt is well that you have so practical a turn of mind,” said Momo. “My mission is that you make use of some very remarkable technology.”
    â€œTo do what?” pressed Spazz.
    â€œThe situation is this,” said Momo. “My family can produce a certain class of simple devices that we’d like to see you Spacelanders make use of. Rest assured that the technology is quite out of your normal ken. I’d rather not say more until I’ve decided upon the best application.”
    â€œWe’ll definitely need a sharper message,” said Jena. “Before we go out and pitch.”

    â€œI’ll tell you soon,” said Momo. “I’m researching a variety of things.”
    â€œAbout Vegas,” I put in. “Why should I bother going off to cheat at blackjack, when you can fetch us as much money as we want? Did you think of looking in the safe-deposit boxes?”
    â€œI will countenance no shirking,” said Momo.
    â€œI’m not shirking,” I whined. “It just seems inefficient to gamble when you can steal.” That didn’t sound good, so I amended it. “Not that I’m for stealing.”
    â€œIt’ll be fun at the casino,” said Jena. “Like a team-building exercise.”
    â€œVegas kicks butt,” added Spazz.
    â€œIt will be interesting to observe how you three comport yourselves,” said Momo. “And it’s not certain that I can keep visiting you. The Empress’s troops—well, never mind about that for now. It is well that you learn how to provide for yourself without me. Give a man a fish, and you feed him once. Teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” She grew larger again, a body flowing out of her head like hot wax. “Shall I transport you to Las Vegas?”
    We three looked uneasily at each other.
    â€œI think we’d rather take an airplane,” I said.
    â€œLet’s do it,” said Spazz. “We’ll drive up to the airport and get the next flight. We’re not gonna need reservations. Nobody’s gonna be booked on any flights today.”
    â€œShould we bring Tulip, too?” I suggested. I liked Tulip a lot better than I liked Spazz. I kept thinking about how she’d felt when we’d danced together. Her spicy smell, her heavy gold earrings, her oily, kissable skin.
    â€œCan’t,” said Spazz. “She’s gone