×

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
#76

SCENE 73 – "A Promise, A Vacation"

Author Author
Apr 29, 2025 22 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!Ee6B7hL82RsjJhADrj41posted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. JASON'S CUBE – AFTERNOON

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs16dMAzOA9

The lazy golden light of the afternoon drips through the dusty windows.

The cube, cluttered as usual, hums with a strange, easygoing energy.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThmHIHHmXM

Jason sprawls on the couch, one arm thrown over his optics, half-napping.

A sits on the floor nearby, fiddling with the battered texter Jason gave him days ago, occasionally sneaking glances to make sure Jason's still there.

K occupies himself on the other side of the room, poking through some ancient board games they rescued from the fridge, looking deeply unimpressed.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WjaN87BWs

It’s been a strange adjustment—Jason actually staying put for more than a few hours.

But he’s keeping his promise.

Three days off. No patrols. No HQ calls. No Maglev rides straight into explosions.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCz1CJlZZu0

Just... this.

Him.

The cube.

And the two weirdos he somehow ended up calling family.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVds18CZ54V

JASON (groaning into his arm)

"...This is the first time I've taken more than one day off since, like, my fifth body frame upgrade."

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dgkS7t28l

A looks up from the texter.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCsBVrm1ca

A (gently)

"You needed it. You still need it."

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSYml1sIgi

Jason snorts, rolling his head to the side to squint at A.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2QQAWkgLA

JASON

"Yeah, yeah. 'Rest or else,' huh? Is that an official order from Commander Worrywart?"

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCK6QM0EUv

A’s optics flicker slightly, but he nods.

Jason tries not to smile too much at that.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBsVfaHzHUC

Across the room, K flips the lid off an ancient, battered UNO box, sifting through the dusty cards.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RTmktiSq3

K (flatly)

"These are all sticky. I think something died in here."

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2DeKHazvn

Jason waves a hand lazily.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQkXXMQFc5

JASON

"Welcome to the cube. Everything's either sticky, broken, or cursed."

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqONcVXh9E

K (deadpan)

"Or all three."

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyrJncf5Zg

Jason chuckles quietly.

The easy flow of conversation, the warmth despite the mess—he didn’t realize how much he missed... this.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQVoLeoXaU

Just being.

Not running.

Not fighting.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uE0slsSAK

A leans back on his hands, tilting his head.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDZUbQg38W

A

"...We should do something. To celebrate."

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5nQhLHaM5

Jason raises an eyebrow.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvUrpxPC7N

JASON

"What, you wanna throw me a 'Congrats For Not Dying' party?"

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqjZPed1xU

A (serious)

"Yes."

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnZxR69rP2

Jason blinks.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjNncterUA

Then barks out a laugh that startles even K into looking up.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTaV2H8FYx

JASON (grinning)

"Alright. Fine. But only if I get a crown and a parade."

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJz0jq0dH4t

K tosses a UNO card at him without looking.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgnX7GKIDo

K

"Your funeral."

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCbeau2EvG

Jason catches the card lazily, still grinning.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxi047htjHy

The cube hums with the sound of the old ventilation kicking on, the texter buzzing with some notification A ignores, the lazy rhythm of a life Jason didn’t realize he was starting to crave.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqYYPfND3W

Outside, the city rumbles on—chaotic, broken, alive.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB2EGLzFrD

But in here?

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyDiJ5Hh1v

Here, things are... okay.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwLJloNXfu

At least for now.

26Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLxTaPxcYdN

FADE OUT.

3.147.140.129

ns3.147.140.129da2
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: