INT. THE CUBE – EVENING
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUFDXVTQU3
The soft glow of the overhead light bathes the room in warm yellow as they prep for bedtime.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBlRF3nXez
Emily’s pod rests on the center of the mattress now surrounded by pillows. A sits cross-legged beside her, a thin, worn storybook in his hands.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iZwjXc5tU
A (serious, determined)
"I'm reading her a bedtime story."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLYhduUBWO
Jason sprawled nearby, fiddling with a blanket, raises a brow.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjL8DUUuYG
JASON (teasing)
"You sure you don't wanna tell her about the cruel reality of taxes instead?"
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBZSJwGjz2
A (ignoring him)
"This one is called 'Rust and Steel.'"
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22v8kznKna
He opens the book and starts reading.
The story tells of a Labor bot and a Security bot—their quiet friendship blossoming into deep love despite the odds.
But misunderstanding, class prejudice, and fear from other robots rip them apart.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3Ds5TSZxo
By the end, the two characters sit under different skies, forever separated.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhior1p2WZ
A (softly, closing the book)
"...and they never saw each other again."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9HaOfFMLQ
Silence.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVV2JBIiKgb
Jason stares at A like he just summoned a thunderstorm into the room.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rZyuZBw3I
JASON (deadpan)
"Great. Depression o'clock.
And you yelled at me for teaching her about tax fraud."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvTrpuu2MG
A frowns.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPYDLhsPHq
A (quietly)
"I thought it was beautiful."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5shFD1DTEs
Jason opens his mouth to argue—and then just... sighs, defeated.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCc4QfHDs0A
JASON (grumbling)
"Whatever. If she grows up and writes emo poetry about failed love, it’s your fault."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJ6Uq4OcWe
K (flat, already laying down)
"Appropriate emotional preparation for existence."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHJgiUEKTo
They laugh lightly.
One by one, they drift off to recharge mode, soft whirring of cooling fans filling the room.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyl7Mrc6SF
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CGfffbNhw
---
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtIrXgM9OH9
TIME SKIP – MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDQaApOj2U
INT. THE CUBE – 2:41 AM
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybW4WfunDk
Emily’s pod begins to tremble.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrquLUIz8e
A soft whimper.
Then a louder one.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO100Zj8qWp
Then full-blown siren-level CRYING noises.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡteaS4hKFoJ
Jason bolts upright in pure panic.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhfy9ZjC0A
JASON (blinking, hoarse whisper)
"Whuh—fire? Earthquake?!"
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6Z11pz63k
A shoots up immediately and grabs the manual Josh left.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxvKAjziSU
A (focused, flipping pages)
"She's crying!"
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJ1JgCHWFt
K calmly walks over, checking the pod’s readout.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIGZJg4NK5
Jason stumbles around like a headless chicken.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO853sctM5f
JASON (panicked, cursing)
"Dammit, dammit, this is why I don’t want one of these miniature nightmares!!"
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZQuY7EN0Z
Emily keeps crying—loud, mechanical sobs echoing off the cube walls.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviKYTEiROM
A (reading manual aloud)
"Try feeding! Try holding! Try—uhh—singing??"
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDXUlHYnRh
Jason stares at him.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WaKazy2JG
JASON (flat, horrified)
"I’m not singing. I will not be a part of this cult ritual."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreqPZ49VmZ
Meanwhile, K gently picks up Emily, cradling the pod like it’s made of glass. He softly, almost rhythmically, rocks her.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCZaHRh8Na
Jason meanwhile, flings himself under the blanket, dragging it over his entire body.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQSNYXaAvz
JASON (muffled, despairing)
"I was not built for this...
I was built for slamming idiots against walls...
I was built for Security protocols... not this tiny crying gremlin!"
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhLN9HOe8h4
He curls up tighter, murmuring into the fabric.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaH1Mu796rC
JASON (muffled, nearly breaking down)
"This is why I don’t want a kid... they cry, they hate you, they grow up and call you a dinosaur and leave you in a scrapheap nursing home—"
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaizH9ayCjs
A gently sits beside the blanket burrito that is Jason.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwI1n2IF70
A (softly, soothing)
"It's okay. You're not alone."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDFuLujCW6
Jason peeks out a single optic, pathetic and betrayed by the world.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHf2K8zLPvC
Meanwhile, K—efficient as ever—manages to calm Emily down.
He rocks her with the soft mechanical equivalent of a hum, and the crying slows to a tired whimper.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVQV5etULN
Finally, Emily’s pod goes back into a gentle sleep mode, lights pulsing softly.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX600VGa6zT
Silence returns.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7vwd19Wng
Jason finally peels himself halfway out of the blanket, looking at K like he's some kind of wizard.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyEH1ZU4NV
JASON (grumpy awe)
"...How the hell did you do that?"
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGjWSsxMeP
K (dry, simple)
"I used to hunt things. Making prey sleep is survival."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIhdJXlTBo
Jason blinks slowly.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvL9UJeC33
JASON (tired sigh)
"I don't know if I should be impressed... or terrified."
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaF1vo39yJo
They all collapse back onto the mattress around Emily, exhausted beyond comprehension.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47nhNrVL9S
Somewhere, Jason mutters something about "never trusting data pods again," but he’s already half-asleep.
87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZh0ZPVZV3
And Emily?
Peaceful, snuggled safely between the three most dangerous babysitters in the whole damn city.
ns216.73.216.238da2
