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People Who Like This
#30

SCENE 27 – “Errands and Egos”

Author Author
Apr 20, 2025 72 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!UgF8pTZksdWYDIKMEFSlposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. CENTRAL CITY – CONVENIENCE STORE – EVENING

76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0PYkX7ePQ

[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.]

76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefR2OXS6Kz

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?”

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SD-A (squinting at a can)

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

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JASON (takes the can and squints at it too)

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

76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsekP0aLIfk

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

76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5lWR52CI3

JASON

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

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SD-K (flat)

“Perfect.”

76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AJMjsq6AB

[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.]

76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAPhT7oCFm

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---

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EXT. BANK – SHORTLY AFTER

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[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.]

76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvurzhIOOkJ

[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.]

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FRONT DESK BOT (icy)

“Purpose of visit?”

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JASON

“Withdrawal. Just a little.”

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FRONT DESK BOT

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

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

76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITLjPSniGV

JASON (trying to sound casual)

“Gimme 300.”

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FRONT DESK BOT

“For food and batteries again?”

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JASON (deadpan)

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

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FRONT DESK BOT

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

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

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JASON

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

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[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.]

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SD-K (low voice)

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

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SD-A

“To be fair, you probably are.”

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[Jason returns, waving the cred chip.]

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JASON

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

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---

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EXT. MARKETPLACE – EXIT – MOMENTS LATER

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

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JASON

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

76Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaS5o0vsHWV

[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.]

216.73.216.144

ns216.73.216.144da2
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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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