INT. SECURITY HQ – JASON’S OFFICE DESK
87Please respect copyright.PENANAtQKXE3ec0a
[The glowing blue of the screen reflects on Jason’s face as he slouches deeper into his chair. Hours have passed. The pile of unread reports hasn’t shrunk—it’s just moved slightly to the left.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANAS3OrNRoJpG
[Jason’s screen now shows a Security-approved entertainment portal, which is just a flashy name for “barely functioning internet.” He scrolls through: mindless robot sitcoms, low-budget drama vids, weapon reviews, reviews of weapon reviews… and—ah yes—MechaFeed, home of rumors and nonsense.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANAyzTeBzuYcl
[Click. Click. Scroll. Clickbait title pops up.]
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TITLE:
“This Bot Claimed He Saw a Robot Melt Into Metal and Crawl Inside Another—You Won’t Believe What Happens Next.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANApo0uELnWfa
JASON (muttering)
“…I probably will believe it, and that’s the problem.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANAoMFjEdI9ko
[He clicks it.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANA5CMGMsfHkB
POST (Voiceover in Jason’s head)
"Saw something weird last cycle. Bot was twitching near the waste zone, like it was getting eaten from the inside. Whole side peeled open like wet foil. Something crawled out, climbed into another chassis, and—no joke—started moving like nothing happened."
87Please respect copyright.PENANAdftAP5ZXLm
[Jason pauses. His optics narrow. He zooms in on one blurry frame attached to the post. A twisted heap of metal. Something vaguely organic… spreading.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANAjnYeB7ho5R
JASON (V.O.)
“That’s either a very convincing fake or I just found a friend of the thing we sliced up the other night.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANAGlaL49IDHv
[He opens three more tabs. Cross-referencing data, local sightings, encrypted rumor boards. As much as 87% of it is garbage. But the other 13%? Hits a little too close.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANAsAKg4tStmm
[He taps his finger on the desk. Then his stomach lets out a robotic grumble—like a dying fax machine.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANAzYE8h4NzWi
JASON
“Right. That’s lunch.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANAYR7QtR1fmq
INT. SECURITY HQ – CAFETERIA
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[The cafeteria is a minimalist slab of metal and glowy screens offering selections like “High-Octane Oil Gel,” “Battery Nibbles,” and “Mystery Paste #8.” Jason grabs a tube of oil, a discount heat snack, and a coolant-flavored energy capsule.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANAFzxB9EilTO
[As he turns toward the checkout, he spots COLT-31, another Security bot, leaning against a vending machine.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANAK8Rtd6RAti
COLT-31
“Look who finally crawled outta that paper pit.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANASOlrhrcE7E
JASON (faking a smile)
“You mean my workspace? Nah, I live there now. Thinking of putting in curtains.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANAeBwkIjGmQB
COLT-31
“Thought you'd be puffin' on one of those death sticks by now.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANA2ovai9V58F
JASON
“Quit. Two months ago.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANACuj5Y0oepj
COLT-31 (grinning)
“Because of your lungs or your wallet?”
87Please respect copyright.PENANAi4znL0P3yK
JASON (sighs)
“Josh threatened to triple my monthly checkup cost. Said if I wanted to corrode my parts early, I could pay for the privilege.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANAXJwq77pFsr
COLT-31 (laughing)
“Damn. The big guy really got through to you.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANA3VBfcXs7Zv
JASON
“Yeah. Turns out fiscal death is scarier than physical.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANA8mh0p3ZN5Y
EXT. SECURITY HQ – ROOFTOP – MOMENTS LATER
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[Jason exits onto a quiet rooftop, nestled between cooling vents and signal towers. His “secret spot.” A single folding chair, old scorch marks, and a great view of Central City’s skyline—if you squint past the smog.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANAIwTM7KXg3I
[He sits, opens his snack. Stares at the distant spires.]
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[Wind hums. Somewhere below, a siren wails.]
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JASON (V.O.)
“Used to come up here and smoke until the smell of burning wire reminded me of what I was becoming.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANAccqAOkwLGg
[He munches quietly. The wind tugs at his coat.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANA7gVms1EJrF
[In his HUD corner, one of the tabs from earlier flashes. Another post. Same clickbait site. New report. Same symbol. Same melting.]
87Please respect copyright.PENANASUUZHYEq8y
[Jason doesn’t open it. Not yet.]
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JASON
“…Yeah. I’ll ruin my appetite later.”
87Please respect copyright.PENANALlI9K7bVdE
[He leans back, chair creaking. Lunch break’s ticking away, but for now? Just him, some awful synthetic food, and the headache of knowing something very wrong is happening again.]
ns216.73.216.210da2