Robotic Essences - SCENE 66 – “Dead Air”

INT. JASON'S CUBE – NIGHT

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MrkOiHWSx

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

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQIpm4plau

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

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAceZN8hrxJ

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.

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qtAxfU01a

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.

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTtiT2hOqc

“...He didn’t text anything back.”

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrE6fmimvOR

“I noticed, thanks.”

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tjoGq0Uxs

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

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifPxUrCZT9

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

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAHlzCl33f

(quietly) “What if something happened?”

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnze215nJ5t

(beat)

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

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KNEBanzwl

“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!”

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJw6nak6mU

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

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAagd2NdFhe

“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.”

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡirHdE1VZnH

“You think he’ll come back tonight?”

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡevKafywQaZ

(softly)

“I don’t know.”

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoiZeTjXlv

That hangs in the air. Thick. Heavy.

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJBymhTYAP

A lowers his head onto his knees.

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6SSpxdVar

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

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7zt5Ot1dD

“I know.”

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndlnAduDGo

A long silence.

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywT6ZkwItT

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

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxcS549zmL

(staring at the door)

“...Okay.”

137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2pCZU8xN5

FADE OUT.

ns216.73.216.54da2

Reading Theme:

Font Size:

Line Spacing:

Paragraph Spacing:

Load the next issue automatically