Robotic Essences - SCENE 92 – “After the Storm”

INT. THE CUBE – LATE AFTERNOON

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DOORWAY

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Josh holds Emily’s pod with both arms, looking hesitant to leave but clearly exhausted. Violet waves playfully, already halfway into her dramatic farewell.

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VIOLET

“Next time, we’ll watch season two. It gets really existentially inappropriate!”

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A (flatly)

“Please don’t.”

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Jason leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, amused.

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JASON

“Tell your daughter I’ll teach her how to forge pay stubs next time.”

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JOSH (panicked)

“Please don’t.”

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Jason shuts the door with a chuckle. Silence. Calm.

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INT. THE CUBE – MOMENTS LATER

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Jason tosses himself onto the bed dramatically, bouncing a little as he lands flat on his back like a robot-shaped pancake. He lifts his newly reattached right arm and twists it around with exaggerated flair.

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JASON

“Behold! The arm of a thousand malfunctions, reborn like a phoenix from garbage fire.”

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A sits nearby, still staring blankly at the floor. K is in his usual corner, tail loosely curled, flipping pages in one of his books without much interest.

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A (numbly)

“Jason.”

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JASON (still stretching)

“Yeah?”

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“…I saw things.”

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Jason lowers his arm slowly.

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JASON

“…Violet?”

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A (quietly)

“She said you can…invert polarity with joint tension and tail sync rhythm.”

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K freezes. Jason sits up like he’s been jump-scared.

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JASON

“She what.”

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A (horrified whisper)

“She acted it out. With her hands.”

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K softly closes his book and just whispers, “I hate this planet.”

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Jason groans, face in hands.

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JASON

“Why does she do this to people? She weaponizes innuendos like it’s psychological warfare.”

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“I don’t think I will ever look at docking stations the same way again.”

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Jason flops back again.

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JASON

“Okay. Mental reset. We’re gonna do something fun and harmless today. No babies. No trauma. No Violet.”

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“That rules out most of this planet.”

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JASON

“Shut up and let me pretend we’re normal for one day.”

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He stretches again, circuits clicking as the reconnected arm finally stops making weird little ticking noises.

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A looks at him and nods slowly.

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“…Movie?”

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“Not romance.”

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JASON

“Fine. How about a documentary on ancient murder bots?”

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“…Wait, is that actually a thing?”

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JASON

“It is now.”

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The three of them settle into their awkward, strange, very-not-normal peace.

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Fade out.

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