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People Who Like This
#56

SCENE 53 – “Delivery, Disobedience & Discoveries”

Author Author
Apr 24, 2025 69 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!uM4FJmTDO6jWnD6wrQOJposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. APARTMENT HALL – EVENING

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFCVxcNoqf

Jason trudges down the dim corridor, cardboard bag of bargain texters under one arm. He stops at his door, takes a breath, then knocks three times.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4ekfJvqgW

JASON

“Greetings, faithful! Have you accepted ROBO GOD into your—”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25WLdityMP

Door yanks open. SD‑K—now in leather jacket, gray tank, and cargo pants—glowers.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvkNaTvXxJ

SD‑K

“Get in.”

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JASON (raising a brow)

“Really? My note literally said, ‘Tell them to fuck off.’”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvps3j1KNV8

SD‑K

“Your humor is tiresome.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbDSdCaMZr

Jason steps inside. The cube is a minefield of UNO cards and snack wrappers. SD‑A, trench‑coat wrapped and sitting cross‑legged, waves happily.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRn1COvvnar

SD‑A

“Jason! We had productive rest and minimal property damage!”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeY843723LX

JASON

“That’s… the best report I’ve heard all day.”

(holds up the bag)

“Since we’re basically roommates, you each get a shiny new texter‑brick 3000. They call; you answer. No internet, no tracking, and yes— they might burst into flames if you push the weather button.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0FNS1aJre

He hands one to A (who beams) and tosses the other to K (who inspects it like a bomb). Jason demonstrates:

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfayzdGzaV0

JASON

“Press ‘Ping,’ type a 5‑digit string—like this—boom, message delivered.”

(sends a test ping: “hi idiots -J”)

Both texters beep. Success.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqAguWGoNP

SD‑A

“It’s adorable!”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnLdc7X3yv

SD‑K

“It’s obsolete.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT23LqxGqRd

JASON

“It was cheap.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9cmDlJNkk

Jason’s eyes sweep the room…and land on the opened boxes of cigarettes piled near the fridge.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5M4V7HVUE0

JASON

“…Why are my apocalypse smokes out?”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8U3UJPng8

Both bots freeze. K answers first, tone neutral.

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SD‑K

“Research.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHva9Q6MnNM

JASON

“Research. Into what, my bad decisions? How’d you even know I smoked? I never said it.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8olUXHWa00

SD‑A (sheepish)

“K found them while… organizing. He said you quit because it was economically irrational and your mechanic threatened you.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzYwBIegw0

Jason throws K a mock glare.

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JASON

“Could’ve asked instead of rifling my trauma drawer.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuyDsT7DtI

SD‑K

“You left a note about behaving. You never defined research as misbehavior.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoOwnKkHzf

Jason sighs, picks up one box, flips it open—still sealed.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2h1KVSIq6

JASON

“I keep these for emergencies. Like surviving one of K’s motivational speeches.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaTSUyc5XY

SD‑A

“So… you won’t start again?”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4uU4b5Aro

JASON

“Nah. Paying triple for body checks hurts worse than craving a stick of lung‑fire.”

(tosses the box back onto the pile)

“Put them back. And next time you run an archaeological dig in my closet, at least label the exhibit.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKksjqlPkjB

K mutters something about “better security protocols,” but begins repacking the cartons. A examines his texter, thumbs tapping happily.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy7YRcX4XvO

JASON

“Alright, dinner in an hour. Nobody burn the cube down, nobody convert to robo god, and yes—UNO rematch later. I’m reclaiming my dignity.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51pZOwehMW

He flops onto the bed with a groan—hangover lingering but heart lighter. The two fugitives nod.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgX8Lr37vv0

FADE OUT.

216.73.216.154

ns216.73.216.154da2
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Table of Contents
#0 Intro
#1 Welcome to Central City
#2 SCENE 1 – “Security Life” pt1
#3 SCENE 1 – “Security Life” pt2
#4 SCENE 2 – “Quiet Doesn’t Last”
#5 SCENE 3 – “Unwelcome Footprints”
#6 SCENE 4 – “Break the Silence”
#7 SCENE 5 – “The Parts We Don’t Talk About”
#8 SCENE 6 – “Still Breathing”
#9 SCENE 7 – “The Smiling Knife”
#10 SCENE 8 – “Ghost in the Pipes”
#11 SCENE 9 – “Right-Hand Problems”
#12 SCENE 10 – “Drag Marks and Doubt”
#13 SCENE 11 – “Below the Skin of the City”
#14 SCENE 12 – “What Shouldn’t Be There”
#15 SCENE 13 – “Echoes of Vision”
#16 SCENE 14 – “Fragments of a Dying Empire”
#17 SCENE 15 – “Shadows Don’t Bargain”
#18 SCENE 16 – “Rust Between Circuits”
#19 SCENE 17 – “The Breach”
#20 SCENE 18 – “Three Bots & a Parasite”
#21 SCENE 19 – “Paperwork and Parasites”
#22 SCENE 20 – “Smuggle Me Softly”
#23 SCENE 21 – “Oil, Info, and Idiots”
#24 SCENE 21 – EXTENDED: “Sleepover Protocols & Other Malfunctions”
#25 SCENE 22 – “Robot Makeover: Low Budget Edition”
#26 SCENE 23 – “Caffeine, Cloaks, and Casual Paranoia”
#27 SCENE 24 – “Rustfields”
#28 SCENE 25 – “Buzz and Circuits”
#29 SCENE 26 – “Tune-Ups and Tightropes”
#30 SCENE 27 – “Errands and Egos”
#31 SCENE 28 – “Groceries and Good Lies”
#32 SCENE 29 – “Dinner and Disclosures”
#33 SCENE 30 – “Steam, Suffering, and Swords”
#34 SCENE 31 – “Dicey Decisions”
#35 SCENE 32 – “Good Night, You Weirdos”
#36 SCENE 33 – “Dreamscapes”
#37 SCENE 34 – “Office and Off-Duty”
#38 SCENE 35 – “A Pleasant Stroll… with Minor Homicidal Undertones”
#39 SCENE 36 – “Wings and Wires”
#40 SCENE 37 – “After-Hours”
#41 SCENE 38 – “Alcohol & Stuff”
#42 SCENE 39 – “Shutdown.exe”
#43 SCENE 40 – “The Weight of Peace”
#44 SCENE 41 – “Midnight, Glitches, and Blankets”
#45 SCENE 42 – “Dawn of the Mildly Functional”
#46 SCENE 43 – “Commute to Doom”
#47 SCENE 44 – “An Office Full of Violence and Vending Machines”
#48 SCENE 45 – “Lunch Break and Clickbait Nightmares”
#49 SCENE 46 – “Rise and Resist (Routine)”
#50 SCENE 47 – “Unauthorized Research”
#51 SCENE 48 – “Wardrobe Upgrades”
#52 SCENE 49 – “Field‑Trip From Hell”
#53 SCENE 50 – “Afternoon Idleness”
#54 SCENE 51 – “Uno and Other Emergencies”
#55 SCENE 52 – “Tech on a Budget”
#56 SCENE 53 – “Delivery, Disobedience & Discoveries”
#57 SCENE 54 – “Questions & Quirks”
#58 SCENE 55 – “Privacy Settings”
#59 SCENE 56 – “Entertainment Planning”
#60 SCENE 57 – "Loyalty Reinforcement Seminar"
#61 SCENE 58 – “Friday‑Night Free Play”
#62 SCENE 59 – “Spire of Panic”
#63 SCENE 60 – “Lines, Orders, and Vines”
#64 SCENE 61 – “Infiltration”
#65 SCENE 62 – “Regroup & Re‑Arm”
#66 SCENE 63 – “Through Flesh and Steel”
#67 SCENE 64 – “Descent Protocol”
#68 SCENE 65 – “The Lungs Below”
#69 SCENE 66 – “Dead Air”
#70 SCENE 67 – “The Heart of the Hollow”
#71 SCENE 68 – “Overheat Protocol”
#72 SCENE 69 – “Sanitized and Sampled”
#73 SCENE 70 – “Totally Normal Roommates”
#74 SCENE 71 – "The Long Walk to Judgment"
#75 SCENE 72 – "Welcome Home, Idiot"
#76 SCENE 73 – "A Promise, A Vacation"
#77 SCENE 74 – "Field Trip to Food"
#78 SCENE 75 – "Cabin Fever"
#79 SCENE 76 – "Manners, Please"
#80 SCENE 77 – "Errands with Extra Steps"
#81 SCENE 78 – "Books, Pills, and Poor Decisions"
#82 SCENE 79 – "Pharmacy Phantoms"
#83 SCENE 80 – "Digital Birds and Binary Bees"
#84 SCENE 81 – "Babysitting? Seriously?"
#85 SCENE 82 – "The Babysitting Begins"
#86 SCENE 83 – "Chaos, Baby-Sized"
#87 SCENE 84 – "Midnight Meltdown"
#88 SCENE 85 – "The Dreams They Dreamed"
#89 SCENE 86 – "The Morning After"
#90 SCENE 87 – "Return of the Parents"
#91 SCENE 88 – "The Reveal"
#92 SCENE 89 – "System Error: Josh.exe Has Stopped Responding"
#93 SCENE 90 – "A Totally Normal Lunch"
#94 SCENE 91 – “Business As Usual”
#95 SCENE 92 – “After the Storm”
#96 SCENE 93 – “The Rim of Opinions”
#97 SCENE 94 – “Tales, Tails, and Talking at 2AM”
#98 SCENE 95 – “Surgery, Solo”
#99 SCENE 96 – “Sleepless Core”
#100 SCENE 97 – “Unknown Systems”
#101 SCENE 98 – “Orders and Oil”
#102 SCENE 99 – “Key Moments”
#103 SCENE 100 – “Three Days of Sky”
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