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#71

SCENE 68 – “Overheat Protocol”

Author Author
Apr 29, 2025 66 1 Min Read
x
No Plagiarism!Nrlvr23vEZ2Qavk6VbMlposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. HQ UNDERGROUND – CORE ROOM EXIT – NIGHT

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUpKx1NOgg

ALERTS begin to flash across the patrol’s HUDs.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEP8S79MM2

[COOLANT RESERVE: 12%]

[CORE TEMP RISING]

[OVERHEAT WARNING – SHUTDOWN IMMINENT]

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDaU0jjAdP

A shrill, synthetic whine pierces through the silence—automated systems crying out as their limits approach.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWzXtlprdNK

SCIENTIST UNIT (through comms)

“All units, you’ve got less than five minutes before core temperatures breach tolerance. Initiate retreat protocol now!”

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfSS5VTRDa

JASON

(gritting his teeth, watching steam hiss from his arms)

“You heard the nerd. Fall back! Mark your routes as you go—don’t get cocky.”

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiOwquL6rN

SECURITY BOT 07

“Exit’s behind us, shaft’s stable. Dropping signal beacons.”

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXLNsDFCck

The team moves fast, metal limbs straining, servos whining with heat-stressed effort. Flare tags and electronic markers are punched into organic walls—burning through layers of soft flesh and latching in with anchors.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YRRCB9LR4

As they abseil back up the elevator shaft, it feels more like escaping the stomach of something alive. The vines around them twitch and tighten, but don’t attack—just observe.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHi6PCnBVA

SECURITY BOT 11

(panting)

“This place... It wasn’t finished growing.”

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2g4culoUn

JASON

“Then let’s not stick around for its birthday party.”

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT58cNOLDgy

Up, up, climbing back toward light and metal and breathable air. The howling fades, replaced by the rhythmic clanks of boots and grapples.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDL8s4pwj2z

They emerge through the blasted hole in HQ’s lower level, panting, limbs trailing vapor like they just crawled out of hell.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzS2zDTIaDm

Cool air slams into them—clean, industrial, painfully sharp.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb78zjesXum

SCIENTIST UNIT (on-site)

“Your vitals are off the charts. Coolant flush stations are ready—move!”

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rbOiKCQKm

The team rushes toward the temporary triage station, collapsing into position, coolant streams hissing as it floods through systems.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GEC7KvakN

JASON, seated on the ground, looks back at the gaping hole behind them. The glow of purple light still faintly visible through the breach.

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEoy5HXFUbl

JASON

(quietly, to himself)

“We found the heart... but we still don’t know what’s pumping it.”

70Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjU1HxVHW4

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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