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People Who Like This
#30

SCENE 27 – “Errands and Egos”

Author Author
Apr 20, 2025 82 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!qXqpSrWqzXent527EJMFposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. CENTRAL CITY – CONVENIENCE STORE – EVENING

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpuRwJUKya

[The convenience store is a clean, fluorescent-lit space nestled in the heart of the marketplace. A conveyor belt of packaged machine oils, canned nano-pastes, small batteries, and semi-questionable snacks line the shelves. Jason leads the way, pushing a hover-basket that occasionally tries to drift off like it wants to escape.]

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgsU3PporZ

JASON

"Alright, grab whatever doesn’t try to eat you first. But we’re on a budget, so no ‘luxury-refined turbine oils,’ got it?”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehBpGU9LIR

SD-A (squinting at a can)

“...This one says ‘partially organic.’ Is that good or bad?”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBmTmgjObp

JASON (takes the can and squints at it too)

“Depends. If it moos when you open it, toss it.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvC0bxtGfAT

[SD-K grabs a six-pack of high-voltage microcells and a suspiciously bright-blue can labeled “THUNDER MUNCH!” Jason eyes him.]

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaVlk2nPZH

JASON

“You’re gonna short your entire system with that thing.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8gS2YBC6a

SD-K (flat)

“Perfect.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EzFD74D7A

[They check out. The cashier bot doesn’t say a word, just slowly scans the items with the look of someone who once lost a family member to poor social interaction.]

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiUmgw3Y7B

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC64HX8RvCR

---

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hAFaPXhjN

EXT. BANK – SHORTLY AFTER

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEitmLPI16V

[The bank looms over the street like a polished financial tomb. Its signage flickers just a bit, as if powered by debt. Inside, a line of various bots shuffle forward, most of them Labor and Operator bots with respectable chassis and posture. Jason’s slightly scorched armor earns him looks.]

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzzG6dzXpD

[They reach the front desk—a pristine, silver-plated Operator bot with a head shaped like a judge’s gavel. Its eyes dim in disdain as Jason steps forward.]

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzL638Q0b3

FRONT DESK BOT (icy)

“Purpose of visit?”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSUob5sFLB

JASON

“Withdrawal. Just a little.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqBIsA9K4W

FRONT DESK BOT

“Hm. Security Class 5. Powerline Account.” (pulls up data)

“Current balance: 1,205 cred-cores. Request?”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTroYGShCH

JASON (trying to sound casual)

“Gimme 300.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NXMCOumau

FRONT DESK BOT

“For food and batteries again?”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPFtY2NAr4

JASON (deadpan)

“No, I’m starting a hedge fund. Yes, food.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtaHD2c8Ccw

FRONT DESK BOT

“Hmph. Would recommend better financial discipline. Perhaps fewer discretionary explosions.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡycB5TSXeKK

[Jason forces a grin, grabbing the cred chip.]

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAb8WZbT0NP

JASON

“I’ll put that on my inspirational wall. Right next to ‘Don’t Die Monday.’”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9kw76FXBD

[SD-A and SD-K wait by the exit, looking uncomfortably out of place. A few Labor bots walking in toss cautious glances at them.]

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVprXyqw1X

SD-K (low voice)

“They’re looking at us like we’re radioactive.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuJNnDH7YT

SD-A

“To be fair, you probably are.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHCYOMouZy

[Jason returns, waving the cred chip.]

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeGTiIYb99

JASON

“Alright, let’s pay for our legally dubious dinner and bail before I get judged into poverty.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyYpnb040c

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKTP4BLuhX

---

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyroeJpXEJz

EXT. MARKETPLACE – EXIT – MOMENTS LATER

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBxB35GRsz

[They step outside into the cooling night air. Street lights flicker on, buzzing like old thoughts. Jason stretches and yawns.]

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWXIh6l4Cw

JASON

“Marketplace complete. Wallet emptied. Dignity surgically removed. We’re making real progress, boys.”

86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡad98bWfpWx

[SD-K groans. SD-A quietly enjoys the can of oil like it’s some sort of vintage wine. Behind them, the city hums along like it doesn’t care.]

216.73.216.210

ns216.73.216.210da2
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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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