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People Who Like This
#57

SCENE 54 – “Questions & Quirks”

Author Author
Apr 24, 2025 64 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!ZT7OMiU1C6wJNBM11D3iposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. JASON’S CUBE – EVENING (CONTINUOUS)

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Jason sprawls on the edge of the bed, rubbing his visor as the last of the headache lingers. SD‑K sits at the desk, silently sorting poker chips into perfect color gradients—therapy by precision. SD‑A, holding his new texter like a toy, scoots closer to Jason with trademark curiosity.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInEbc1hIVh

SD‑A

“Jason, can I ask something?”

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JASON (groans good‑naturedly)

“ —If it’s how babies are made, ask K.”

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SD‑A

“No, not that. First problem: The texter’s menu says ‘Contact Slots: 02.’ That’s… only you and K?”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKibByhPHPc

JASON

“Pretty much. Limited memory. Cheap model. If you need more friends, borrow mine—oh wait, I have none.”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPn42gbqdi

SD‑A

“I’ll survive.”

(thinks)

“Second problem: Why do Operator bots hate Security bots so much? On the Maglev I saw some glare at you.”

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Jason exhales, eyes the ceiling cables.

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JASON

“Because we remind them the world’s still dangerous. Operators like tidy code. We’re messy—scratched armor, weird decisions, lotta improvised violence. Makes them nervous.”

(shrugs)

“They prefer their safety sanitized. We’re the bleach that stings.”

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SD‑A

“…Bleach is important though.”

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JASON

“Tell them that.”

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Across the room, K flicks a poker chip into the air, catches it without looking.

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SD‑K (flat)

“Operator prejudice is statistical cowardice. Ignore them.”

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SD‑A

“Third problem: I saw your paperwork—Form ‘Emotional Containment’ or something. You lied, right?”

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Jason’s visor flicks to A, surprised.

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JASON

“Excuse me?”

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SD‑A

“It asked if you ‘experienced unauthorized emotional fluctuation.’ You checked ‘No.’ But… you laugh, you worry, you got mad at cigarettes. Isn’t that fluctuation?”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRiZAFaVD4

Jason opens his mouth, closes it, then gives a soft laugh.

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JASON

“You’re sharp, Fort King. Truth is HQ wants bots who follow code, not feelings. If I tick ‘Yes,’ HR slaps me with mandatory de‑frag therapy. I prefer my sanity un‑therapy‑ized, thanks.”

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SD‑A (quiet)

“Isn’t that dishonest?”

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JASON

“It’s survival. Big difference.”

(softer)

“And I trust my alert system more than theirs.”

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A processes this, nods slowly.

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SD‑A

“Okay… Last problem… What’s for dinner?”

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SD‑K

“Heavy‑grade oil stew. He already planned it.”

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JASON

“Look at Bat‑Chef reading my mind. Yeah, stew and heat‑cubes. Luxury dining.”

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SD‑A beams, hops up to help.

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SD‑A

“I’ll set the table!”

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SD‑K

“And I’ll keep counting chips until the universe makes sense.”

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JASON (smirks, heading for the kitchenette)

“Good luck with that.”

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The camera drifts back: Jason rummages for stew packs, A hums while lining up mismatched cups, K continues his meticulous chip architecture—three utterly different bots sharing one cramped cube, making it work.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUpSgsFDNR

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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