Robotic Essences - SCENE 90 – "A Totally Normal Lunch"

INT. THE CUBE – NOONISH

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The gang—Jason, A, K, Josh, Violet, and baby Emily in her pod—are gathered around the cube’s modest table.

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Someone found a tablecloth. It’s wrinkled and uneven.

There are some actual chairs. And one overturned crate that Jason is now using because K stole his chair.

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Plates are set. Food is… not fancy. Reheated packets and some "grilled" synth-meat Jason swore was edible.

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Everyone is trying very hard to pretend this is not the weirdest lunch group ever assembled.

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VIOLET (cheerfully)

“So, A. K. Ever think of getting a pet? Maybe a little drone you can train to do flips?”

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K (blankly, slicing his food with claws)

“I had a pet once. It tried to eat me in my sleep.”

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VIOLET

“Oh?”

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K (still calm)

“I ate it first.”

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Josh pauses mid-bite.

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JOSH (quietly)

“…Awesome.”

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Jason nearly chokes on his drink.

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JASON (coughing)

“K. Stop trying to assassinate the mood.”

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A gently adjusts Emily’s pod next to him, carefully placing a tiny spoon of nutrient gel beside it like she’s gonna eat it.

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A (softly)

“She doesn’t eat food yet, right?”

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JASON

“Not unless you want your insides rewritten by infant code corruption.”

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A quickly retracts the spoon.

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Josh still looks shell-shocked, trying to act normal.

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JOSH

“You know what’s wild? I came here thinking it’d be like, ‘Oh look, our old pal Jason being weird again,’ and now I’m dining with killer robots who are surprisingly better at childcare than Jason is.”

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JASON (mouth full)

“Surprisingly? Rude.”

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VIOLET (smirking)

“He's got a point, Jay. You hid from a crying baby like she was a tax audit.”

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JASON (defensive)

“She screamed at me! I’m a security unit, not a therapist!”

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K (deadpan)

“You sure? Because you whine like one.”

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A hides a snort behind his hand.

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Emily chirps again—one of those sweet, garbled beeps that makes everyone pause.

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K reaches over and gives the pod a gentle tap.

It lights up with a happy ripple of soft pink.

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K (softly)

“…Weird kid.”

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Josh watches this silently.

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Then, after a long breath:

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JOSH

“Okay. Okay. Maybe this isn’t the worst idea.

But if my daughter starts talking about plasma bombs or high-efficiency kill protocols, I’m deleting your entire entertainment collection, Jason.”

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JASON (grinning)

“Deal. She’ll be a warlord by Friday.”

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A whacks him with a spoon.

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Everyone laughs.

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Somehow, despite the chaos, it really does start to feel like a normal lunch.

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Or at least—their version of normal.

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