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People Who Like This
#14

SCENE 12 – “What Shouldn’t Be There”

Author Author
Apr 18, 2025 102 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!6rKRZzrmu7BemXazwCYBposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. MAINTENANCE TUNNEL – BELOW CENTRAL CITY – NIGHT106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvCByBEaayX
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pfxnNWtBE
[The tunnel is barely wide enough for Jason’s shoulders. His flashlight-arm illuminates the narrow path ahead—metal walls groaning softly as the city above shifts in its sleep. There’s a low hum. Not from machinery. Not natural.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIu8JKkv57S
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMg0ebayqo
[He presses forward, eyes locked on the streaks of oil and scratch marks.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOAGLxWp1J
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQFFlX2GeO
[Then he sees it—light reflecting off something wet, just ahead.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wdR2l8kzY
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKS7Tw6KqA
[He emerges into a cramped side chamber filled with hanging wires, blown-out consoles, and a single Labor bot—slumped, twitching, back propped against a wall.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBrmbBKIXV
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcf8G5QNkh0
[At first glance: standard unit. Rusted. Oil leaking from the abdomen. But then—Jason freezes. The bot’s chest cavity is… wrong.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4kP9CKm12
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lbvFfN62V
[A spiderweb of black tendrils coils out from the seams. They're organic-metal hybrids, squirming faintly—alive. They pulse slowly, like a machine breathing.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkD5z00gZYD
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinEXV6vEDM
JASON106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgDQgDVQL2
(low, guarded)106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQwLCQnrTB6
“…What the hell?”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8B8eZqNPD
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKw1EcZnPi
[The Labor bot’s eyes are dim red, blinking erratically. One arm tries to lift but fails, fingers spasming. Jason steps closer, railcannon aimed. The tendrils respond—contracting inward like they’re hiding.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTJaGyhrH6
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1uwcLGBSc
[He crouches, scanning.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeTbWwwYyI
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Sxf1fr4NL
JASON (V.O.)106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUV3C1UOh8
“That’s no hacking virus. That’s infestation.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSeWm2BeC6
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtefbbsCDnS
[The bot jerks its head slightly, jaw creaking. Its voice module is corrupted—glitchy, broken.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LE6T047Am
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaTeVL1AnE
LABOR BOT (GLITCHED)106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAFaRvsA6D
“h̵̼̖̐͊ē̷͕͗͝l̵̢̛̍̐͗p̴̘̿̎̕… ̷̻͉̓͆m̶̯̼̐͐͝e̷̢̥̎̈́̐…”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiPtH7FLpb
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdvJgoBEui
[Jason stares. His hand twitches. For a second, the tough-guy façade slips. Just a second.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdM7aa8EL4t
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKs1Cm6QdmG
JASON (V.O.)106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZJKM86tXC
“I’ve fought bots trying to kill me. I’ve fought bots programmed to kill. But this… this looks like something forgot how to die.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7egg9licYS
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfvuwuZklP
[Suddenly, one of the tendrils lashes out, narrowly missing his head. Jason blasts it, and the bot shrieks—a distorted, multi-pitched sound that echoes off the walls like metal screaming.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzmu74TArc
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqepfRqxNM
[The tendrils retreat into the bot’s torso. Its frame convulses violently. Jason raises his railcannon again.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8wZc13s9o
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMQzvZjE55
LABOR BOT (GLITCHED)106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV4UMpNNg8W
“d̷͕̒o̴̘͊n̷͔̽’̸̦̔t̵͚͋̕… ̷̟̊l̸̤̎ē̸̪t̵̯͌.̴̤̐̚.̶͚̐.̶̼͑”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbmvc9fX5I
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThwokEefZy
[Jason pauses. Then fires a single, clean shot into the bot’s core. It collapses, finally still. The tendrils curl, blackened, twitch once—and die.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdLC8YsxFG
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qIpuLzqbj
[Silence.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXRJILAxFO
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrrDrOio6i
[Jason kneels, wiping splattered oil from his face.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWc8aKOJQo
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBLoAgwPTX
JASON106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqWMPpcVFCG
(softly)106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2W43G34Y7
“This wasn’t a bot anymore.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiS0IKokrM
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoXjfPMAvn
[He looks at the remains of the parasitic mass.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8K4iUWkSfR
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfHA95T7sw
JASON (V.O.)106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93jOSsdiqk
“Whatever this is… it wasn’t built. It grew.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEIYu4YQI5
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapXiGmwzLN
[He pulls a blade from his side holster, slicing off a fragment of the tendril and storing it in a sealed tube. He stands, breathing heavier than usual. Not from exertion—but unease.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPzxQEWtLa
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgo6SIBHbY
[Suddenly—thud. A distant sound from the tunnel ahead. Not footsteps. Something… dragging.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNESMwlmqQF
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78VFus5AGc
JASON106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡys45BmCbsD
(to himself)106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3reGztbLY
“Round two already? Great.”106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfdBfIS4TT
106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGr3JLzx37b
[He turns toward the sound, eyes glowing sharper now. One last glance at the dead bot. Then—onward.]106Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AiF9uOk6c

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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