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People Who Like This
#92

SCENE 89 – "System Error: Josh.exe Has Stopped Responding"

Author Author
May 2, 2025 70 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!0NG4wigGeuxjC3Hvatrdposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. THE CUBE – STILL THAT DAMN MORNING

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8y51cSx6z

Josh is still frozen.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsYXGTuZOJ

Mouth slightly open.

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Optics flickering.

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Processor fans audibly whirring.

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He’s about two seconds away from blue-screening.

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Violet, on the other hand, is vibing.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOD2j4jY5zk

She leans forward from the couch, elbow on her knee, chin on palm, and smiles sweetly at A like they’re old friends.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzEJPmGXNV

VIOLET (grinning)

“So, A—question.

If you had to... I don’t know... turn Jason into a battle mount during a Purification raid, where would you install the saddle?”

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTyZqxsdyh

Jason lifts his head just enough from the blanket to glare at her with one glowing optic.

Horrified.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hRS8RAhVd

A blinks. Processing.

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Clearly not understanding it’s a joke, he thinks for a moment with a hand on his chin.

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A (serious tone)

“I’d say upper back region.

Between the shoulder joints for optimal balance.

He’s sturdy enough to carry one full-grown unit and a side-arm drone.”

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToRLcLoFef

Jason groans in spiritual pain, then collapses again, face-down into the blanket, limbs dangling lifelessly over the couch like a crime scene outline.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48T80C29OX

JASON (muffled, desperate)

"Why am I friends with her. Why.

Why did I agree to babysit.

Why is my life like this."

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQEFkTdq3Y

A gently pats Jason’s back, hand resting lightly between his shoulders in a comforting rhythm.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWcyYzvPjs

Exactly like a parent consoling a five-year-old after they dropped their lollipop.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZNBixOzz1

Meanwhile, Josh is still stuck in Loading...

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His eyes just kind of glow in a disconnected way, and he’s whispering the same phrase over and over.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7z0p6yi6z

JOSH (softly, repeatedly)

“They’re Purification bots... in a cube... with a child... in a cube... with Purification bots…”

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzr97X1Ch5

K leans against the wall beside him, arms crossed, looking mildly empathetic.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PvQPxaFmL

He gives Josh a slow nod like a monk who’s seen things.

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K (calmly)

“I know your feelings, mate.

Living with these emotionally unstable psychopaths... it’s exhausting.”

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYv5qwUwsyd

Josh turns his head slowly toward K, optics twitching.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3z1EnQdA6

JOSH (numb)

"You live here too."

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtMLdnxcGBq

K

“Exactly.”

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXytD1d8w34

Jason lets out a pathetic pffff into the blanket.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW4aNRijq5O

JASON (still muffled)

“He’s not wrong.”

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEOkXBRJbR

A (innocently)

"I don't think I'm emotionally unstable. I log emotions properly and react within functional range."

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyay30dW5fB

VIOLET (chuckling)

“Oh, sweetie, you tried. That’s cute.”

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxy775rknr

Emily lets out a little chirp from Violet’s lap, reaching a tiny arm toward Jason’s collapsed body.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnR6i7H6Pe0

JASON (groaning as he turns his head)

“No, child. Don’t come to me. I’m dead.

Go to your emotionally stable murder uncle.”

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgs0AFq8PST

A chuckles softly and shifts closer to Jason, sitting down beside him while gently dragging the blanket up over his shoulders.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNTYbrFSIW

It’s peaceful.

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In that deeply unhinged kind of way.

74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtq04PmqFEO

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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