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People Who Like This
#92

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

Author Author
May 2, 2025 69 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!FcYJdMzFNUz5n7cwTnIFposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. THE CUBE – STILL THAT DAMN MORNING

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9xq5xnrEQ

Josh is still frozen.

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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.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CLW0hwhVL

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

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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?”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCNR9yX4TZ

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

Horrified.

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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.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiph8j7umRc

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

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JASON (muffled, desperate)

"Why am I friends with her. Why.

Why did I agree to babysit.

Why is my life like this."

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIN8CFPYwm0

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

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

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgf9whTWnY

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.

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ftjmmdaxx

JOSH (softly, repeatedly)

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

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

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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.”

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Josh turns his head slowly toward K, optics twitching.

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JOSH (numb)

"You live here too."

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K

“Exactly.”

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Jason lets out a pathetic pffff into the blanket.

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JASON (still muffled)

“He’s not wrong.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCOkzFUpOf

A (innocently)

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

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWpwdQIsFG

VIOLET (chuckling)

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

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

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JASON (groaning as he turns his head)

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

Go to your emotionally stable murder uncle.”

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGsZ81pN7G

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

73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBiiRPwQJj

It’s peaceful.

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In that deeply unhinged kind of way.

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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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