×

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
#35

SCENE 32 – “Good Night, You Weirdos”

Author Author
Apr 20, 2025 92 2 Mins Read
x
No Plagiarism!Qt0NX4VtK64Hz8302SNxposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. JASON’S APARTMENT CUBE – LATE NIGHT

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3IztlEa5U

[The game board’s now in shambles. Tiny figurines lay sprawled across the faux-wood terrain, some missing arms, one wearing a bottle cap like a crown. Jason yawns dramatically as SD-A gathers his “gold coins” (read: rusted screws) into a small pile with childlike pride.]

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcyh0oA0iX

JASON

“Alright, treasure goblin, game night’s over. I’m cutting you off before you buy a fourth haunted frying pan.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuVsdfhAuG

SD-A (mock offended)

“They stack bonuses!”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcYcc8dzjL

SD-K (dry, from under the table)

“I stacked myself into a dumpster. That was fun.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdILXBBd1NF

[Jason stands up, stretches with a few joint creaks and servo hums, then gestures toward the room.]

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzyl6e52Ml

JASON

“Okay, now, bedtime. I’m serious. I got work tomorrow, and you two need to power down before you short your circuits from all the emotional bonding.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3g14FagV7

SD-K

“I don’t sleep, remember? We literally go into low-function idle mode. It's not—”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9X9YTmSkF

JASON (already pulling a rolled-up blanket from a drawer)

“Yeah yeah yeah. I don’t care. You’re sleeping. It’s mandatory. Or I’m making you cuddle A.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8eKzxNdlG

SD-K

“…where do you want me to shut down.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWoZASY6hw

[Jason smirks, tosses the blanket to a dusty corner, and pats an empty charging port beside it. A has already curled up near the bed, tucked between a stack of toolboxes and a half-finished sculpture of what might be a robot wearing a dress.]

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7bfEUsL82

SD-A (content)

“This is… cozy.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRMLSVchNo

JASON (settling into his single, beat-up bed with exposed wires hanging like sad tinsel)

“Cozy’s one word for it. Overcrowded’s another. But, y’know… I’ve never had this kinda thing before. Friends staying over, late-night nonsense, pretend dragons trying to tax me…”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhYh7LDhP6

[A long pause. Jason stares up at the ceiling, where a patch of flickering neon mimics a cracked sky. A low whirr fills the room as the bots idle down slowly.]

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBy1eJeFO41

JASON (softly)

“Honestly... this feels kinda nice.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5tZkOTtKh

SD-A (half-drowsy)

“It does.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlh3CWmC9Fy

SD-K (reluctantly, eyes dimming)

“…not terrible.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXwaYsxJOM

JASON (grinning)

“High praise from the king of cranky.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdWzdCotqi

[The room goes quiet. One by one, their systems wind down, the glow of their eyes fading like old lanterns. Outside, Central City hums faintly under the veil of cold night. Inside, three weirdos have found something almost like peace.]

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILSuTj0nTQ

JASON (V.O.)

“Tomorrow’s gonna be a mess, for sure. But tonight? We sleep. We recharge. And maybe... just maybe… we dream of haunted frying pans.”

96Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVk0hqEvJmJ

FADE OUT.

216.73.216.210

ns216.73.216.210da2
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: