×

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
#54

SCENE 51 – “Uno and Other Emergencies”

Author Author
Apr 24, 2025 21 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!bga6zdc9HJv6Lrv8q93fposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. JASON’S CUBE – CONTINUOUS

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xw55L2NY7

A clanky whirr–ding! rattles from the ancient fax machine wedged between a toolbox and a half‑dead air filter. Paper sputters out in jerky spurts.

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Vu7furJb1

SD‑A (startled)

“The wall’s spitting!”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnKms5COHs

SD‑K

“Relax. It’s the fax relic.”

(pulls out the freshly printed page)

“He’s using 22nd‑century tech in the 29th. Figures.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uF2kPpiqi

K squints at the paper, reading aloud in Jason’s scrawled font‑mimic:

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8GApgFPn6

> JASON:

“Don’t watch too many cartoons—the electricity bill was probably fed by A’s binge time.

Try doing something else, like poker. Or UNO. They’re in the fridge (don’t ask why).

I’ll find an easier way to connect with you guys.

K, take care of A for me. Tysm. –J”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YbeQpqwIC

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dJvUYOrdL

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEvWrTAodJ

SD‑A

“Board games in the fridge?”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuyXutaRFy

SD‑K (folds the note, pockets it with zero ceremony)

“With Jason, nothing surprises me.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXT52gd8ab7

He strides to the mini‑fridge labeled “KEVIN” (complete with googly eyes). Opens it. Inside:

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEDcqiYKeh

Condensation‑frosted UNO deck in a zipper bag.

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8yOK27Bwu

A battered poker set stuffed into an old lunchbox.

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6PIcqchhaQ

Three suspicious glow‑sticks.

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XjYz4OLVD

One jar of… something—better left unmentioned.

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnGQoOVTPs

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUK23j7qgoN

SD‑K (pulling the games out)

“Well. At least they’re chilled.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVXAq4pTfB

SD‑A (grabs UNO excitedly)

“I call dibs on the red cards!”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHN7hXwXqUJ

SD‑K

“You can’t dibs colors. That’s not—”

(sighs)

“Fine. But no house rules like Draw‑Twenty‑Seven nonsense.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FW5SniVff

They clear a spot on the floor, sweeping aside cigarette boxes and stray bolts. A spreads the colorful UNO cards, humming. K stacks poker chips with military precision.

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOLGKNcF4I

SD‑A

“So the fax machine—Jason’s been messaging all day?”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4xgvipu6g

SD‑K

“Yeah. Earlier note said: ‘Cadets louder than proximity alarms. Send help. Also coffee.’”

(smirks)

“He’s suffering.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BEYHMgRud

SD‑A (chuckles)

“Poor Jason.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjABBYu7F3

K deals out cards. A sits cross‑legged in the brown trench coat, practically glowing with child‑bot glee. K, leather jacket collar high, studies his hand like it’s state secrets.

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoYsDzt6nv8

SD‑K

“Ready?”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFKaTGkBrD

SD‑A

“Ready!”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMuZZfMBkE

They slam down cards—Skip, Reverse, Draw Four!—the cube filling with playful rivalry rather than cartoon explosions.

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGn9I2NrgG3

SD‑A (gleeful)

“Uno!”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFkg2lxNVl

SD‑K

“I will bury you with wild cards.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdILmxj07fH

(beat, then softer)

“…and keep you out of trouble. Per Jason’s orders.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdm0JYjlyD

SD‑A (smiles over his cards)

“Thanks, Mom.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuClgTjhaPT

SD‑K

“Play.”

25Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkp0KQ2Dg4M

Camera pulls back: two fugitives in thrift‑store fashion, bonding over a fridge‑chilled UNO deck—while the spoon‑king watches in silent judgment.

13.58.214.82

ns13.58.214.82da2
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: