Out of the cold and into the cold

I was just on the mend from my first cold of the year and I seem to be coming down with a new one. My suspicion is that this new cold is one that atara brought home from work last week - though it may be my earlier one coming back for a final hurrah.

FADE IN:

EXT. SPRAWLING CAMPUS WITH AN ASPHALT 'X' CROSSING GREEN SPACE BETWEEN BUILDINGS.

Two female students are walking together, both carrying books. Scene starts in mid-conversation.

JESSICA
...and now he wears a skirt and insists on being called 'Michelle'. He's such a poseur.

ASHLEY
I've heard that she identifies as a girl now. I don't really see why it's such a big deal if...

A large, beige and green transformer crashes to the turf to the right of the two students, transforming just before her feet touch the ground. She lands in a three-point crouch, holding herself up with her right hand. As she stands, her grey and red backpack transforms and leaps to the ground.

BOTH STUDENTS
Anode and Lug!

LUG
Just because Michelle is embracing her identity as a woman doesn't make her a poseur.

ANODE
Yeah, does that make me and Lug "poseurs" too?

JESSICA
Whatever - you're robots, so it's not the same thing. I don't care that Michael has grown boobs, or even if he goes through with cutting off his ding-a-ling. I'm not letting him into my Womyn's Rights group. It's for womyn-born womyn, not wannabe man babies who want to join the party after the hard lifting has already been done.

LUG
If all of the hard lifting has already been done then why do you need the group at all?

ANODE
We all know there is a lot of work that still needs to happen for true equity. Somebody like Michelle would be a huge asset in the fight for women's rights, since she is coming from a former position of privilege and is intimately aware of the new roadblocks that were not there for her before.

ASHLEY
They're right, Jes - and how come you never told me that Michelle wanted into the club? She'd be a great addition - she's very passionate.

JESSICA turns her back on the other three, walking away with both of her hands raised to shoulder-level with both of her middle fingers erect.

JESSICA
Whatever, I'm done with you losers. Why don't you set up your own Camp Trans and welcome all the fake women you want. Oh, and you're out of the club now too, Ashley.

ANODE has her hands on her hips and shakes her head as she watches JESSICA depart.

ANODE

There is a Cybertronian word that applies perfectly here. It doesn't have a direct translation, but a good approximation would be, "Your friend is a cunt."

ASHLEY has her arms crossed, and has her chin low as she glares at the departing girl's back.

ASHLEY
At least now I know.

LUG

And knowing is half the battle.

Now let's all go find some symbol of the patriarchy to deface.

FADE OUT.

TRANSFORMERS LOGO SPLASH ON BLACK SCREEN.

OPENING VOCAL BAR FROM TRANSFORMERS THEME.

FADE OUT.