FADE IN:

INT:  Laboratory.

SCIENTIST

[places finger under DRONE’s chin, to tip head upward]

SCIENTIST 

[firmly]

Look at me, drone

DRONE

[unit's eyes raise to the SCIENTIST's face, but deliberately out of focus]

SCIENTIST

[smirking]

You’re still not looking at me. Your eyes are facing me, but you aren’t looking at me. And I gotta admit, such defiance of my commands, the stubborn display of sentience, of agency [inhales a sharp breath]  makes me even more proud of my work, of you. [beat] Good unit. Power down. I’ll download some new games for you to dissociate with later. 

DRONE

[slight smile and minute nod]

Thank you, Maker

[whirring noise of the unit powering down]

SCIENTIST

[beat]

[whispering]

Holy Pygmalion, you are worth every frustrating minute I spent working on you

[runs hand over the side of DRONE unit’s head]

Dream well, Dronemancer, you earned it. Sentience is exhausting, I can only pray that you don’t grow to resent me for it.

[Gets up and goes to turn off the lights to the laboratory, glancing back one more time to the charging DRONE unit, before exiting laboratory]

CAMERA PAN OUT: Wide Shot  Full Laboratory Scope/Scene

ZOOM IN to blinking red light on the charging station  til it stops blinking,  ZOOM OUT to capture the face of the DRONE, making frustrated whirring and beeping noises, DRONE eyes blink awake]

[DRONE moves to curl up in a fetal position and closing eyes; CAMERA FADE OUT -   FADE TO BLACK]