INT. THE CUBE – EVENING
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPqCeo0lmx
The soft glow of the overhead light bathes the room in warm yellow as they prep for bedtime.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WPZ8FNBtw
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.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRjQ7TlHhJ
A (serious, determined)
"I'm reading her a bedtime story."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgh120i94cV
Jason sprawled nearby, fiddling with a blanket, raises a brow.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeajmwd5aZi
JASON (teasing)
"You sure you don't wanna tell her about the cruel reality of taxes instead?"
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmQIwSQwVs
A (ignoring him)
"This one is called 'Rust and Steel.'"
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WTaz2JSCo
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.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAb9PMWrzF
By the end, the two characters sit under different skies, forever separated.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20ZKOnFL28
A (softly, closing the book)
"...and they never saw each other again."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtPEbx3IBu
Silence.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8M3kcITWuQ
Jason stares at A like he just summoned a thunderstorm into the room.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGX25ryTka
JASON (deadpan)
"Great. Depression o'clock.
And you yelled at me for teaching her about tax fraud."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOvFuNEPbC
A frowns.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjmlwVp43F
A (quietly)
"I thought it was beautiful."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDztIdDQ1O
Jason opens his mouth to argue—and then just... sighs, defeated.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvWpCro9eJ
JASON (grumbling)
"Whatever. If she grows up and writes emo poetry about failed love, it’s your fault."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdK7MrovcZ
K (flat, already laying down)
"Appropriate emotional preparation for existence."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYUsfxX1pu
They laugh lightly.
One by one, they drift off to recharge mode, soft whirring of cooling fans filling the room.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgDLZ19BBZ
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyGDEpr9wr
---
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZDFV43dQr
TIME SKIP – MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTyWC5Xdm58
INT. THE CUBE – 2:41 AM
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSrBDCMioU
Emily’s pod begins to tremble.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKS5eXeMca
A soft whimper.
Then a louder one.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhwq7gsU4g
Then full-blown siren-level CRYING noises.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡly7kQjrDyW
Jason bolts upright in pure panic.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtI491iafC
JASON (blinking, hoarse whisper)
"Whuh—fire? Earthquake?!"
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrLsUJ8n4B
A shoots up immediately and grabs the manual Josh left.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWw9GPz90ur
A (focused, flipping pages)
"She's crying!"
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kl2UYbxgw
K calmly walks over, checking the pod’s readout.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgnCh00cw6
Jason stumbles around like a headless chicken.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9tVXQSlG0i
JASON (panicked, cursing)
"Dammit, dammit, this is why I don’t want one of these miniature nightmares!!"
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeGsr0FcRJ
Emily keeps crying—loud, mechanical sobs echoing off the cube walls.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMWgN0R10B
A (reading manual aloud)
"Try feeding! Try holding! Try—uhh—singing??"
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXFBKTg1Ls
Jason stares at him.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQinhIMHcio
JASON (flat, horrified)
"I’m not singing. I will not be a part of this cult ritual."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw9xC90YtWp
Meanwhile, K gently picks up Emily, cradling the pod like it’s made of glass. He softly, almost rhythmically, rocks her.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjYH2ZcyBr
Jason meanwhile, flings himself under the blanket, dragging it over his entire body.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcrztbUiw5
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!"
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52V2rzzOLa
He curls up tighter, murmuring into the fabric.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfBeJip0ZH
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—"
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Mbg5EQ3f9
A gently sits beside the blanket burrito that is Jason.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcshXV1DkK
A (softly, soothing)
"It's okay. You're not alone."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBkxfKwcmG
Jason peeks out a single optic, pathetic and betrayed by the world.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwpXo04AaQF
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.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfQQRDFu9r
Finally, Emily’s pod goes back into a gentle sleep mode, lights pulsing softly.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaHmr95nck
Silence returns.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNgWx6OQ16x
Jason finally peels himself halfway out of the blanket, looking at K like he's some kind of wizard.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKLRDweogt
JASON (grumpy awe)
"...How the hell did you do that?"
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyCRNhVG6z
K (dry, simple)
"I used to hunt things. Making prey sleep is survival."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGp00f1xdS8
Jason blinks slowly.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1e8Uqb6e6x
JASON (tired sigh)
"I don't know if I should be impressed... or terrified."
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbldZfeO4vY
They all collapse back onto the mattress around Emily, exhausted beyond comprehension.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMb7GYuhIpG
Somewhere, Jason mutters something about "never trusting data pods again," but he’s already half-asleep.
97Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFLUNgHqj9
And Emily?
Peaceful, snuggled safely between the three most dangerous babysitters in the whole damn city.
ns216.73.216.82da2
