FLAMING ROBOT OF LOVE – written by Jon Ashby for the hell of it.

Late at night, JORDAN sits staring trancelike at the TV.  The lights are dim, and the empty pop bottles and junk food indicate that he has been there for some time.  The audio from the TV is in a foreign language.  Enter MARTY, who has been trying to sleep unsuccessfully.

				MARTY (tired and squinting)
		Hey J.

Jordan doesn’t respond.

				MARTY
		Jordan.

Still nothing.

				MARTY
		(muttering) Oh for god’s sake.  JORDAN!

Jordan doesn’t look away when he finally replies, quietly.

				JORDAN
		Yeh what?

				MARTY
		It’s 4:30, I’m trying to sleep.

Jordan isn’t really paying attention.

				JORDAN
		Oh yeh.

				MARTY
		So..

Jordan, still not looking, lifts his hand to tell Marty to wait.  Something happens on screen to which Jordan nods approvingly.  Marty, annoyed, walks over to see what his roommate is watching.

				MARTY
		Cartoons.  I’m gonna be wasted for work tomorrow
		because you’re watching cartoons.

				JORDAN
		It’s anime.  Watch this part, you’ll love this.
				MARTY
		Chinese cartoons?

				JORDAN
		Japanese.

Marty shakes his head, then suddenly stops seeing something on screen.  Jordan smiles.

				MARTY
		That chick is naked dude.  Kids watch this in Japan?

				JORDAN
		These are for adults.

				MARTY
		Cartoons for adults.  Why is the robot there?

				JORDAN
		Use your imagination.

A strange sound effect eminates from the TV, at which point both guys tilt their heads to the left in sync.

				MARTY
		Whoah.  What’s wrong with these animators man.

				JORDAN
		Don’t take it too literally.

Their heads tilt back to normal.  Marty sits down, entering into Jordan’s transfixed state.

				MARTY
		Ok.

Another machine sound effect.  They both react in time.

				MARTY
		Fuck.

				JORDAN
		Obviously.

				MARTY
		No I mean..  um.. so .. where do you get these?

				JORDAN
		It’s on the Fortune City Network every night.  I just
		flipped it here one night.. and.. there it was.

A new sound effect comes on, something squishy.  Marty weakly lifts his hand to point.

				MARTY
		What’s with the tentacles.

				JORDAN
		Alien.

				MARTY
		Oh.  ..   Ooh.

After a moment they are both transfixed, expressions changing in time with one another.

				MARTY (cont.)
		So what’s this called?

BLACK WITH TITLE – ‘FLAMING ROBOT OF LOVE’

Credits