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People Who Like This
#56

SCENE 53 – “Delivery, Disobedience & Discoveries”

Author Author
Apr 24, 2025 71 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!3oODc8HcnuOTuxOqfANOposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. APARTMENT HALL – EVENING

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpIY47ET3F

Jason trudges down the dim corridor, cardboard bag of bargain texters under one arm. He stops at his door, takes a breath, then knocks three times.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡySGLLySGfP

JASON

“Greetings, faithful! Have you accepted ROBO GOD into your—”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVpIOHpUiW

Door yanks open. SD‑K—now in leather jacket, gray tank, and cargo pants—glowers.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkqpnxdv0rw

SD‑K

“Get in.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGaRaumoz2

JASON (raising a brow)

“Really? My note literally said, ‘Tell them to fuck off.’”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4XCoRHtKp

SD‑K

“Your humor is tiresome.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbt9LSSSPDV

Jason steps inside. The cube is a minefield of UNO cards and snack wrappers. SD‑A, trench‑coat wrapped and sitting cross‑legged, waves happily.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPVHYozqTj

SD‑A

“Jason! We had productive rest and minimal property damage!”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb06C8neV5B

JASON

“That’s… the best report I’ve heard all day.”

(holds up the bag)

“Since we’re basically roommates, you each get a shiny new texter‑brick 3000. They call; you answer. No internet, no tracking, and yes— they might burst into flames if you push the weather button.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuG0In6owc

He hands one to A (who beams) and tosses the other to K (who inspects it like a bomb). Jason demonstrates:

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vLgeiQLK8

JASON

“Press ‘Ping,’ type a 5‑digit string—like this—boom, message delivered.”

(sends a test ping: “hi idiots -J”)

Both texters beep. Success.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyCDXDSOKYd

SD‑A

“It’s adorable!”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Y02ASvpTL

SD‑K

“It’s obsolete.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡia45N9aQCJ

JASON

“It was cheap.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCwvM27cxSF

Jason’s eyes sweep the room…and land on the opened boxes of cigarettes piled near the fridge.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZgbGH9mU2

JASON

“…Why are my apocalypse smokes out?”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBT2lYGVsEU

Both bots freeze. K answers first, tone neutral.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacMOf0yVuv

SD‑K

“Research.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUhBZ82RRi

JASON

“Research. Into what, my bad decisions? How’d you even know I smoked? I never said it.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BrnLf8exq

SD‑A (sheepish)

“K found them while… organizing. He said you quit because it was economically irrational and your mechanic threatened you.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGW9sCpRQdY

Jason throws K a mock glare.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWXBoZXgp3

JASON

“Could’ve asked instead of rifling my trauma drawer.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmBBVe65OQ

SD‑K

“You left a note about behaving. You never defined research as misbehavior.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbISrstEH9

Jason sighs, picks up one box, flips it open—still sealed.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhybDHBnR56

JASON

“I keep these for emergencies. Like surviving one of K’s motivational speeches.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2z7XEsixI

SD‑A

“So… you won’t start again?”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfcyoZGlCr

JASON

“Nah. Paying triple for body checks hurts worse than craving a stick of lung‑fire.”

(tosses the box back onto the pile)

“Put them back. And next time you run an archaeological dig in my closet, at least label the exhibit.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGurAw2hRLo

K mutters something about “better security protocols,” but begins repacking the cartons. A examines his texter, thumbs tapping happily.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxaBDrTlIS7

JASON

“Alright, dinner in an hour. Nobody burn the cube down, nobody convert to robo god, and yes—UNO rematch later. I’m reclaiming my dignity.”

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFWaHpl4nM

He flops onto the bed with a groan—hangover lingering but heart lighter. The two fugitives nod.

75Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpoYXhWloP

FADE OUT.

216.73.216.197

ns216.73.216.197da2
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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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