EXT. BACK LOT BEHIND SECURITY HQ – NIGHT
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMvBnoyd2A
[Jason crouches behind a pile of rusted-out vendor bots, scanning the surroundings like he’s about to rob his own place. His eyes lock onto a large cargo crate sitting unattended near a stack of expired vending modules. He sprints over and knocks on it—hollow and big enough.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2h2sOv72S1
JASON
(to himself)
“Spacious. Questionably clean. Smells like old coolant and regret. Perfect.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eA0xhCcdu
[He yanks the lid open and jogs back across the street to the beat-up car where SD-A and SD-K are still crouched.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NLjFuTv7L
JASON
“Alright, lovebirds, you’re up. Into the box.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKh6TiE5xg
SD-K
(flatly)
“Into the box.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4V0LTT5MW
JASON
“Yup.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9LF2kFvPR
SD-K
“You want two war-grade fugitives with metal murder-wings to cram into a used shipping crate… and sneak through one of the most populated housing zones in the city.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WIa1U3bZj
JASON
“That’s the spirit.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4t5B0kZo0
SD-K
(to A)
“Your friend’s an idiot.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUxjvLhXEZ
SD-A
“He’s not my friend. He’s a contact. With a trolley.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzgcDHvsrE
[Cut to: the crate now sitting on a squeaky old platform trolley, wobbling with every bump. Jason grunts, pushing it slowly across the industrial backlot and down a slope toward Central City’s inner housing district.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4GJphi0BY
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKXVi1MFdp
---
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMYCgXq5JQ
EXT. CENTRAL CITY – APARTMENT COMPLEX – NIGHT
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1ZGhtL8Sb
[A towering maze of concrete cubes, glowing signs, wires hanging like sad confetti, and the buzz of robot chatter from behind cracked windows. Bots of all shapes and factions wander the halls—some recharge, others argue over power bills.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dJ5PMvx9L
[Jason rolls the trolley in, forcing the squeaky wheels to move with all the subtlety of a malfunctioning parade float. He mutters under his breath with each creak.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4ZzLGBdcJ
JASON
“Yep. Totally normal. Just an average Security bot... pushing suspicious freight... past thirty tenants and one probably-drunk Operator bot.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfs8K2sVpoV
[He nods at a janitor Labor bot passing by, who eyes the crate.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4zI0uYRvz1
JANITOR BOT
“What’s in the box?”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVY9rmJPnh
JASON
(grinning too wide)
“My dignity. Had to ship it express.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXSh9kocYV
[The janitor stares at him for a long beat before continuing down the hall, muttering.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZOG5YRO5i
JANITOR BOT
“Security guys are all weird.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4gZLVJkJR
[Jason sighs in relief and turns the corner, nearly running into a couple of Operator bots deep in a debate about microprocessors and existential dread. He ducks his head, forcing a polite smile.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF21cs8vbPp
OPERATOR #1
“Is that… rust I smell?”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLPdJW95bH
JASON
(nodding earnestly)
“That’s just me. Natural cologne. ‘Essence of Battery Fire.’”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV48ZdHAOBr
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioeb1wsUjn
---
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw38NsH3NO7
INT. JASON’S APARTMENT – MOMENTS LATER
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvO2SZ6MCC
[He finally reaches the door to his concrete shoebox—wires hanging everywhere, a flickering light barely illuminating the “DO NOT REFORMAT” sign duct-taped to the wall. He unlocks it, wheels the crate inside, and shuts the door behind him with a long exhale.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldy5Ctimic
JASON
“Alright, kids. Home sweet cube.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡflUUXLAUhZ
[He pries open the crate. SD-K immediately stretches and grumbles like he just lived in a vending machine.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MR26ifk3G
SD-K
“This is how I die. Cramped, oily, and surrounded by rent-bots.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6u0jme4mG
SD-A
(already scanning the room)
“You live in a closet.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPP7jBgfupc
JASON
“Yeah, well... closets don’t come with questionable wallpaper and a neighbor who screams in binary at 2 AM.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvwapMzCIZ
[A loud, unintelligible mechanical screech echoes from the wall next to them. Jason holds up a finger.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH088kATbU
JASON
“Speak of the devil.”
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZN81kGZLM
[They all stand still for a moment. Safe. For now.]
157Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyFHh3mSHm
FADE OUT.
ns216.73.216.54da2
and then Add to home screen.