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People Who Like This
#56

SCENE 53 – “Delivery, Disobedience & Discoveries”

Author Author
Apr 24, 2025 25 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!MrNDvujdc0o6jn85LLORposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. APARTMENT HALL – EVENING

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwCibiLc7D

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.

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HTOaNWBpM

JASON

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IS277N1i4

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡscv3BTnO27

SD‑K

“Get in.”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ukBaq3ODR

JASON (raising a brow)

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsS08y7lZHA

SD‑K

“Your humor is tiresome.”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSdMRizry0

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.

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoOiRHRtcm

SD‑A

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84wkyqbyEm

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.”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeaCh3aCT0O

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBoY2JGfb4

JASON

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

(sends a test ping: “hi idiots -J”)

Both texters beep. Success.

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSFNuq6t6Q

SD‑A

“It’s adorable!”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMc0zdag0o

SD‑K

“It’s obsolete.”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYuJBr2hy8

JASON

“It was cheap.”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8heA9LmdVr

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb72vX5NP51

JASON

“…Why are my apocalypse smokes out?”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5zNf3AYfu

Both bots freeze. K answers first, tone neutral.

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SD‑K

“Research.”

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JASON

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVlrNxd3Td

SD‑A (sheepish)

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrCS8nQfE0

Jason throws K a mock glare.

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JASON

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUlW17uyxl

SD‑K

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

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

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JASON

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

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SD‑A

“So… you won’t start again?”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfilIatDxp

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.”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TOMEqmzg7

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPaXbAEd1Mx

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.”

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbNzX9BVWIj

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

29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8rYJorAZD

FADE OUT.

18.189.184.99

ns18.189.184.99da2
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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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