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People Who Like This
#68

SCENE 65 – “The Lungs Below”

Author Author
Apr 29, 2025 21 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!IfZ5xbTagAHMnEHJKysTposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. HQ SUB-LEVEL – ORGANIC PASSAGE – NIGHT

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The world beneath the HQ is not an extension of it—it’s a transformation. Metal bones swallowed by a new, pulsing flesh. A world turned inside out.

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DESCENT COMPLETE

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The squad hits ground—a wet, spongy surface, like stepping on breathing lungs. The floor gives with every step, pulsing under their weight. Searchlights struggle against the fog-thick heat. Everything glistens with sweat-like condensation.

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JASON checks his suit’s systems—coolant levels already dipping dangerously.

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JASON

“Temperature’s burning coolant faster than I burn through insults.”

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F2

“At least your mouth still works. That’s reassuring.”

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D3-MINI

“Environmental readings: eighty-five Celsius and climbing. Advise short bursts of motion, minimal power draw.”

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Their boots squelch in the soft tissue. Every vine on the wall pulses rhythmically, as if pumping... something.

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MOVING FORWARD

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They press on in a staggered line formation—quiet, focused. The air is thick with humidity and bioelectric charge, making every movement feel watched. Yet, no hostiles appear.

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JASON glances to the vines, watching their surface bulge and twitch as fluids travel within.

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JASON

“Whatever this stuff is... it’s still growing.”

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R8

“No threat signs. No motion alerts. No visuals.”

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F2

“Yeah, and that’s what’s freaking me out. It’s too clean.”

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D3-MINI

“This section appears intentionally vacant. I believe it’s... a transition zone.”

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They stop at an intersection—three warped tunnels ahead, each coated in fleshy growth. One tunnel breathes inward, a slow, drawn inhale. The others ripple subtly, as if shivering.

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JASON places a hand on the wall. It’s warm. Wet. Alive.

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JASON

“This isn’t structure anymore. It’s... function.”

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A distant gulp echoes from the left tunnel. Then, silence.

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THE SOUND OF LIFE

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The ambient howl returns, louder. Less like an animal now—more like a warning siren. Layered beneath, the sloshing churn of fluid systems.

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The team’s comms flicker briefly—garbled whispers, unreadable data pulses.

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D3-MINI

“Interference increasing. Signal contamination... it’s mimicking comms traffic.”

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R8

“Keep line of sight. No solo moves. If it speaks, don’t respond.”

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F2

“Too late. Jason’s already been talking to the walls.”

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JASON (dryly)

“They listen better than you.”

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---

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They press forward, down the center tunnel. The walls close tighter, breathing heavier, vines thicker. Still—no enemies. No signs of life. Only that terrible silence... and the constant throb of something enormous, somewhere deeper below.

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The kind of silence that always comes before something happens.

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FADE OUT.

3.144.101.157

ns3.144.101.157da2
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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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