INT. THE CUBE – EARLY MORNING
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The golden light spills lazily into the room.
Dust particles dance like tiny fairies in the air.
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Jason groans and rolls over, trying to bury himself deeper under the blanket like some kind of angry mole.
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JASON (muffled under the blanket)
"Why is existence so loud…?"
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A sits up first, looking strangely refreshed considering last night’s chaos.
He gently checks Emily, who’s still asleep—small, steady breaths puffing from the little data pod.
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A (whispering)
"Survived the night… barely."
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K is already awake, sitting cross-legged by the wall, scribbling strange, unsettling doodles again like nothing ever happened.
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Jason finally drags himself out of bed like he’s being summoned to his own execution.
His optic sensors are dim and half-shut.
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He stumbles toward the kitchen corner like a sleep-deprived zombie.
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JASON (grumbling to himself)
"Need… caffeine… now… or someone's getting set on fire…"
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He fumbles with the coffee machine, hitting the wrong buttons, muttering dark curses at every beep it makes.
Finally, a cup of burning hot coffee brews, and Jason clutches it like a lifeline.
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A watches, half-amused, half-concerned.
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A
"You know, for someone who lectures about responsibility, you sure crumble fast."
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Jason gives him a look that could kill a mid-range battle unit.
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JASON
"I didn't sign up to fight boss monsters at 3 AM."
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K (without looking up from his drawings)
"You’re weak."
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Jason flips him off half-heartedly, too tired to even argue properly.
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---
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After a while, A makes some simple breakfast—basic nutrient packs heated and served with something resembling synthetic eggs.
(They’re suspiciously bright orange. No one asks why.)
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They eat quietly at first, still shaking off the remnants of their dreams.
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Emily stirs, letting out a soft, whimpering noise.
A immediately picks her up and rocks her gently, while Jason sighs heavily into his coffee.
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JASON (dryly)
"You're way too natural at this. Starting to think you were a dad in your past life."
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A (grinning slightly)
"Maybe I just have more patience than you."
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JASON
"Patience is a scam invented by people who don’t have to deal with crying blobs at night."
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K, for once, chuckles under his breath—a rare, soft sound.
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Jason notices but doesn’t say anything, just quietly tucks that moment into the back of his mind.
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Despite everything—the exhaustion, the chaos, the absolute loss of sanity—
there’s a strange peace filling the room.
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Like maybe, just maybe, they’re figuring out how to be something almost like a family.
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