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Robotic Essences - SCENE 66 – “Dead Air” | Penana
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Robotic Essences
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Robotic Essences
ISSUE #69
Author: Author
Robotic Essences
Author: Author
ISSUE #69
SCENE 66 – “Dead Air”
No Plagiarism!ixG4wev7E7FXZim7E95yposted on PＥNAＮＡ

INT. JASON'S CUBE – NIGHT

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MxZfgICvE

The small cube is quiet—too quiet for how loud their thoughts are.

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The cartoon terminal is off. The fax machine is quiet. Even Spoon-King has been turned toward the wall.

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sUp1OL8DU

A sits by the door, hugging a pillow, knees curled to his chest, coat sleeves too long and tugged over his hands. His optics flicker anxiously every few seconds toward the texter machine on the table.

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAkZtAvaMs

K leans against the wall, arms crossed, one leg up on the crate-table, unreadable but tense. His blade flicks in and out, a nervous tic he’d never admit to.

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOXcsDP40G

A

“...He didn’t text anything back.”

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K

“I noticed, thanks.”

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVGPAV6IDV

A

“Maybe he just forgot? Jason forgets things. Like that time he put peanut butter in the fridge and it turned into a brick.”

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIENgVSwvB

K

“That was a tactical decision. He wanted it to last longer. Still idiotic.”

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0wc1wmQdNx

A

(quietly) “What if something happened?”

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K

(beat)

“...Then he’d probably come back angry and bleeding but alive. You’ve seen what he walks away from.”

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A

“But what if it’s not something you can walk away from? The news didn’t even say anything. Just said ‘minor infrastructure malfunction’ and ‘no civilian access.’ That’s—! That’s lying! That’s a lie!”

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCj77QX0Sg3

K walks over to the window—pulls the curtain back just a little. Nothing but fog and dark towers beyond.

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K

“They blocked everything off. S.R.S. doesn’t play around unless it’s serious. And the Texter’s dead silent. That’s not good.”

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A

“You think he’ll come back tonight?”

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7XMNvC8rM

K

(softly)

“I don’t know.”

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBDML9lpsk

That hangs in the air. Thick. Heavy.

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A lowers his head onto his knees.

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMVSz8Wi63

A

“I don’t like this. He always texts. Even when he’s mad or annoyed or... being weird.”

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDI96c6EMy

K

“I know.”

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A long silence.

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K

“He’s not the type to just disappear. If he’s not back by morning, we go looking.”

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A

(staring at the door)

“...Okay.”

212Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3bf67VjlE

FADE OUT.

216.73.217.114

ns216.73.217.114da2
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Robotic Essences
Sci-Fiction
Dystopia
Last updated: May 2, 2025
Total word count: 50,475
Total reading time: 234 Minutes
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