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People Who Like This
#73

SCENE 70 – “Totally Normal Roommates”

Author Author
Apr 29, 2025 16 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!Ky3KdU2wgY0q8naZERmrposted on PＥNAＮＡ

EXT. HQ PARK – EARLY MORNING

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pcXSWShka

Jason sits slumped on a concrete bench under a half-dead synthetic tree, one leg up, arms draped over the backrest. The plaza is quiet now, buzzing only with distant cleanup drones and the low chatter of exhausted Security units scattered around.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkd0obU1TJ

He flicks through the post-op status report on his texter. Systems: stable. Coolant: refilled. Dignity: unrecoverable. He sighs, tilts his head back...

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6diDN8f5Gy

Then freezes.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1O4jlBS1T

JASON

(eyes wide)

“...Holy molly.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5sbz2sS0Q

Smash cut to a rapid flurry of taps on his texter as he mutters under his breath:

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvLunKIEBE

JASON

“Those two idiots. They’re still waiting for my messages.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYF8qNFkv8

He sends a hasty text:

JASON: i’m alive. no i didn’t melt. don’t panic.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8AcO8I83P

The reply is... immediate. And horrifying.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeolAcF5YdL

A: FOUR. HOURS.

A: JASON I THOUGHT YOU WERE DELETED.

A: I MADE AN ALTAR OUT OF SPOONS.

A: WE HAD A VIGIL. K ATE THE CANDLES.

K: not candles. wax sausages. tasted weird.

A: HE IS LYING THEY WERE NOT SAUSAGES

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWP1mvh8vLI

Jason stares at the screen, thumb hovering.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgp8TcUNwu

JASON

(murmuring)

“Yeah I’m dead when I get home. RIP Gearman. Gone too soon.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4DSrJcJFO

From the bench across from him, SECURITY UNIT WENDY‑43 squints at his screen.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQpXEGEMOH

WENDY-43

“Whoa. Are you... texting? You have friends?”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFzHhDtYZA

Jason, startled, yanks the texter close to his chest.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cUjyJWC1Z

JASON

“Define friends.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhj7VgiS6G

WENDY-43

“You know, people you talk to without threatening? That aren’t vending machines?”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKx0H1kBU3M

Jason shrugs like it’s no big deal, but his optics flick sideways.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4GYgtbtvX

JASON

“Eh. Roommates. Real annoying. Real alive. Real dramatic.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEILf4wEfMJ

SECURITY BOT REX-9 leans in, curious.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHcJJU2PQlY

REX-9

“You’re co-living now? With other robots? Didn’t peg you for the domestic type.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHuez4GjYU

JASON

(nervous laugh)

“Well, you know, city’s expensive. Gotta split rent. Totally normal roommates. Not murderers or anything.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnb8bkqBDG

WENDY-43

“Nobody said anything about murderers.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ140Zhum9lL

JASON

(coughs)

“Didn’t say that.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiWo8ovNIz

He quickly checks the texter again. More messages incoming.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tQGMPRB7I

A: WE MADE A CURSE JAR. YOUR NAME IS IN IT TWICE.

K: i made pancakes. a stabbed one. it was fun.

A: I SWEAR TO ROBO GOD JASON YOU BETTER BRING BACK SOMETHING SWEET OR I’LL THROW THIS TRENCH COAT AT YOU SO HARD

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tCRdMAe6z

Jason slumps back on the bench, rubbing his face.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjURUjR73s

JASON

(grimacing)

“I should’ve just stayed in the hell-spire.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5YbttO0SU

REX-9

(grinning)

“This is what you get for caring about people.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG97jkio8En

JASON

“Shut up, Rex.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWTzw9PLAS

He pockets the texter and stands, sighing like a condemned man on his way to judgment.

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9lQq8OkSq

JASON

“Well. Time to go home to hell.”

20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4LDT9rRU9

FADE OUT.

18.227.21.218

ns18.227.21.218da2
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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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