×

menu
Penana
US
search
search
Popular Tags
What Others Are Reading
Loginarrow_drop_down
Registerarrow_drop_down
Please use Chrome or Firefox for better user experience!
close
Comments close
Show more...


favorite
0
comment
0
arrow_back_ios_new
Prev
arrow_back_ios_new
Next
format_color_text
Style
open_in_full
Expand
list
Menu
coins
Sponsor
campaign
Request update
share
Share
report
Report
×
Login first to show your name as a sponsor, or donate with Pena Coins.

× Pena Coins Credit Card

Close
People Who Like This
#92

SCENE 89 – "System Error: Josh.exe Has Stopped Responding"

Author Author
May 2, 2025 64 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!mV7XHPCtVuBTo9XiNCpHposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. THE CUBE – STILL THAT DAMN MORNING

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkPHj72fb0

Josh is still frozen.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2ggxIlwUc

Mouth slightly open.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2W8xunpVv

Optics flickering.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvb6fu3tHf

Processor fans audibly whirring.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SbcCWuY8M

He’s about two seconds away from blue-screening.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6tCYHHzlC

Violet, on the other hand, is vibing.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIKYxQnvcy

She leans forward from the couch, elbow on her knee, chin on palm, and smiles sweetly at A like they’re old friends.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RdTmQGJE1

VIOLET (grinning)

“So, A—question.

If you had to... I don’t know... turn Jason into a battle mount during a Purification raid, where would you install the saddle?”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipLIve5dxm

Jason lifts his head just enough from the blanket to glare at her with one glowing optic.

Horrified.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFctWpKtwno

A blinks. Processing.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFIQJZ6LMm

Clearly not understanding it’s a joke, he thinks for a moment with a hand on his chin.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvrF0bFnn0

A (serious tone)

“I’d say upper back region.

Between the shoulder joints for optimal balance.

He’s sturdy enough to carry one full-grown unit and a side-arm drone.”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡja5bO84Be3

Jason groans in spiritual pain, then collapses again, face-down into the blanket, limbs dangling lifelessly over the couch like a crime scene outline.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6cYChZkkV

JASON (muffled, desperate)

"Why am I friends with her. Why.

Why did I agree to babysit.

Why is my life like this."

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNpNiEdBmQ

A gently pats Jason’s back, hand resting lightly between his shoulders in a comforting rhythm.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFNLDDnBHK

Exactly like a parent consoling a five-year-old after they dropped their lollipop.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXSNkzVfZU

Meanwhile, Josh is still stuck in Loading...

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHncfAzZ1I

His eyes just kind of glow in a disconnected way, and he’s whispering the same phrase over and over.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAvyYASaTS

JOSH (softly, repeatedly)

“They’re Purification bots... in a cube... with a child... in a cube... with Purification bots…”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡykCS1ck9H3

K leans against the wall beside him, arms crossed, looking mildly empathetic.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6OUfIsH9d

He gives Josh a slow nod like a monk who’s seen things.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mcBsmQiW3

K (calmly)

“I know your feelings, mate.

Living with these emotionally unstable psychopaths... it’s exhausting.”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrFDMrGpSR

Josh turns his head slowly toward K, optics twitching.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC92LcOKwMh

JOSH (numb)

"You live here too."

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwBKWEV7JR

K

“Exactly.”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNx8QUtTe8

Jason lets out a pathetic pffff into the blanket.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EL2FtkKvq

JASON (still muffled)

“He’s not wrong.”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmpayZTl8E

A (innocently)

"I don't think I'm emotionally unstable. I log emotions properly and react within functional range."

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwMUSH7YY0Y

VIOLET (chuckling)

“Oh, sweetie, you tried. That’s cute.”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESRkJvgS37

Emily lets out a little chirp from Violet’s lap, reaching a tiny arm toward Jason’s collapsed body.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNNYzljg3x

JASON (groaning as he turns his head)

“No, child. Don’t come to me. I’m dead.

Go to your emotionally stable murder uncle.”

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2f0yWPebp8

A chuckles softly and shifts closer to Jason, sitting down beside him while gently dragging the blanket up over his shoulders.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfid3v0FQZ

It’s peaceful.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjUXTg6ONJ

In that deeply unhinged kind of way.

68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0tYTbrU5m

FADE OUT.

216.73.216.166

ns216.73.216.166da2
favorite
comment 0
coins
0 likes Suggest Edits
Be the first to like this issue!
Next Issue >
close
Robotic Essences
home
Bookmark!
campaign Request update 0
Table of Contents
#0 Intro
#1 Welcome to Central City
#2 SCENE 1 – “Security Life” pt1
#3 SCENE 1 – “Security Life” pt2
#4 SCENE 2 – “Quiet Doesn’t Last”
#5 SCENE 3 – “Unwelcome Footprints”
#6 SCENE 4 – “Break the Silence”
#7 SCENE 5 – “The Parts We Don’t Talk About”
#8 SCENE 6 – “Still Breathing”
#9 SCENE 7 – “The Smiling Knife”
#10 SCENE 8 – “Ghost in the Pipes”
#11 SCENE 9 – “Right-Hand Problems”
#12 SCENE 10 – “Drag Marks and Doubt”
#13 SCENE 11 – “Below the Skin of the City”
#14 SCENE 12 – “What Shouldn’t Be There”
#15 SCENE 13 – “Echoes of Vision”
#16 SCENE 14 – “Fragments of a Dying Empire”
#17 SCENE 15 – “Shadows Don’t Bargain”
#18 SCENE 16 – “Rust Between Circuits”
#19 SCENE 17 – “The Breach”
#20 SCENE 18 – “Three Bots & a Parasite”
#21 SCENE 19 – “Paperwork and Parasites”
#22 SCENE 20 – “Smuggle Me Softly”
#23 SCENE 21 – “Oil, Info, and Idiots”
#24 SCENE 21 – EXTENDED: “Sleepover Protocols & Other Malfunctions”
#25 SCENE 22 – “Robot Makeover: Low Budget Edition”
#26 SCENE 23 – “Caffeine, Cloaks, and Casual Paranoia”
#27 SCENE 24 – “Rustfields”
#28 SCENE 25 – “Buzz and Circuits”
#29 SCENE 26 – “Tune-Ups and Tightropes”
#30 SCENE 27 – “Errands and Egos”
#31 SCENE 28 – “Groceries and Good Lies”
#32 SCENE 29 – “Dinner and Disclosures”
#33 SCENE 30 – “Steam, Suffering, and Swords”
#34 SCENE 31 – “Dicey Decisions”
#35 SCENE 32 – “Good Night, You Weirdos”
#36 SCENE 33 – “Dreamscapes”
#37 SCENE 34 – “Office and Off-Duty”
#38 SCENE 35 – “A Pleasant Stroll… with Minor Homicidal Undertones”
#39 SCENE 36 – “Wings and Wires”
#40 SCENE 37 – “After-Hours”
#41 SCENE 38 – “Alcohol & Stuff”
#42 SCENE 39 – “Shutdown.exe”
#43 SCENE 40 – “The Weight of Peace”
#44 SCENE 41 – “Midnight, Glitches, and Blankets”
#45 SCENE 42 – “Dawn of the Mildly Functional”
#46 SCENE 43 – “Commute to Doom”
#47 SCENE 44 – “An Office Full of Violence and Vending Machines”
#48 SCENE 45 – “Lunch Break and Clickbait Nightmares”
#49 SCENE 46 – “Rise and Resist (Routine)”
#50 SCENE 47 – “Unauthorized Research”
#51 SCENE 48 – “Wardrobe Upgrades”
#52 SCENE 49 – “Field‑Trip From Hell”
#53 SCENE 50 – “Afternoon Idleness”
#54 SCENE 51 – “Uno and Other Emergencies”
#55 SCENE 52 – “Tech on a Budget”
#56 SCENE 53 – “Delivery, Disobedience & Discoveries”
#57 SCENE 54 – “Questions & Quirks”
#58 SCENE 55 – “Privacy Settings”
#59 SCENE 56 – “Entertainment Planning”
#60 SCENE 57 – "Loyalty Reinforcement Seminar"
#61 SCENE 58 – “Friday‑Night Free Play”
#62 SCENE 59 – “Spire of Panic”
#63 SCENE 60 – “Lines, Orders, and Vines”
#64 SCENE 61 – “Infiltration”
#65 SCENE 62 – “Regroup & Re‑Arm”
#66 SCENE 63 – “Through Flesh and Steel”
#67 SCENE 64 – “Descent Protocol”
#68 SCENE 65 – “The Lungs Below”
#69 SCENE 66 – “Dead Air”
#70 SCENE 67 – “The Heart of the Hollow”
#71 SCENE 68 – “Overheat Protocol”
#72 SCENE 69 – “Sanitized and Sampled”
#73 SCENE 70 – “Totally Normal Roommates”
#74 SCENE 71 – "The Long Walk to Judgment"
#75 SCENE 72 – "Welcome Home, Idiot"
#76 SCENE 73 – "A Promise, A Vacation"
#77 SCENE 74 – "Field Trip to Food"
#78 SCENE 75 – "Cabin Fever"
#79 SCENE 76 – "Manners, Please"
#80 SCENE 77 – "Errands with Extra Steps"
#81 SCENE 78 – "Books, Pills, and Poor Decisions"
#82 SCENE 79 – "Pharmacy Phantoms"
#83 SCENE 80 – "Digital Birds and Binary Bees"
#84 SCENE 81 – "Babysitting? Seriously?"
#85 SCENE 82 – "The Babysitting Begins"
#86 SCENE 83 – "Chaos, Baby-Sized"
#87 SCENE 84 – "Midnight Meltdown"
#88 SCENE 85 – "The Dreams They Dreamed"
#89 SCENE 86 – "The Morning After"
#90 SCENE 87 – "Return of the Parents"
#91 SCENE 88 – "The Reveal"
#92 SCENE 89 – "System Error: Josh.exe Has Stopped Responding"
#93 SCENE 90 – "A Totally Normal Lunch"
#94 SCENE 91 – “Business As Usual”
#95 SCENE 92 – “After the Storm”
#96 SCENE 93 – “The Rim of Opinions”
#97 SCENE 94 – “Tales, Tails, and Talking at 2AM”
#98 SCENE 95 – “Surgery, Solo”
#99 SCENE 96 – “Sleepless Core”
#100 SCENE 97 – “Unknown Systems”
#101 SCENE 98 – “Orders and Oil”
#102 SCENE 99 – “Key Moments”
#103 SCENE 100 – “Three Days of Sky”
× Share Email
Click to Share!
Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
 content_copy
Copy link to clipboard
 share
Other options
Share this Publication by Email
Add a personal message
×

Proceed

×
format_size
remove_circle_outline 20 add_circle_outline
format_line_spacing remove_circle_outline 20 add_circle_outline
REGISTER
LOGIN

Forget Password?
OR
Login with Facebook
×
Subscribe
Go to the magazine
/
+ Add tip
The tip will be charged every payment period
+ Add promotion code
Apply close
Recipient Name

Shipping address



Phone Number


JOIN
Pay with
xxxx xxxx xxxx
Update payment method
Confirm Cancel
This is a one-time purchase.
If you don't cancel before the trial ends, you will automatically be charged the subscription fee every until you cancel. Renews automatically every , unless you decide to cancel. You can cancel your subscription at any time.
You can pay with non-card methods if you subscribe for 12 months.
Please leave your contact phone number here..
We will reach you soon by Whatsapp at the tel number you provide.
Please enter phone number.

Credit card payment

You have subscribed to this plan already!

Never miss what's happening on Penana!
Turn on notifications
Later
Close
×
Interface Language:
Story Language: