1.07: Juno Steel and the Day That Wouldn't Die (Part 1)

They thought they’d gotten away with it.

They were just kids when it happened. Juno Steel, Sasha Wire, and Mick Mercury – they were just kids when they did it. It was supposed to be a game, the kind kids play when there are no adults around to talk to… when there’s nobody around to tell them just how deadly their little game could be.

Detective Juno Steel has had that game on his mind a lot lately. Today is the twenty-fifth anniversary of that terrible day, and he hopes to spend it forgetting. Get a few drinks with Mick, get a few more drinks with Mick, and then pass out on the couch. Easy enough.

But this day wasn’t easy the first time, and it won’t be easy the second. The pieces slide into place, slowly: wasn’t this bar where that day all started? What’s Sasha Wire doing back in town? Within hours the game is set again – and deadlier than ever before.

Welcome to the Penumbra, dear Traveler. We hope you enjoy your stay. If you miss us between episodes, remember to follow us on Facebook (The Penumbra Podcast), Twitter (@thepenumbrapod), and our website (thepenumbrapodcast.com) for updates, information about the cast and crew, and irresistible witticisms.

You can find transcripts for all of our episodes here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OLddnnYamZuglgZc8pM2gqToPOwEBccM?usp=sharing

Attribution:

Music:

"Kind of Girl" by Jeris, featuring spinningmerkaba: http://ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35657

“Now We’re Talkin’” by Jeris, featuring lrockhq:

http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/50337

Sound Effects:

“Glass Break – Medium Jar” by RoganDerrick

http://freesound.org/people/RoganDerrick/sounds/260434

“Airport/Runway/Landing Strip Sounds >> Runway Ambience” by cliftonmcarlson

http://freesound.org/people/cliftonmcarlson/sounds/251977

“Whisky Bottle (opening) by ultradust (Andi Roselund—Sangwha Comm)

http://freesound.org/people/ultradust/sounds/167195

“Sitting on chair 2.wav” by renatofarabeuf

http://freesound.org/people/renatofarabeuf/sounds/232667

“Pouring tea” by MrAuralization

http://freesound.org/people/MrAuralization/sounds/324937

“Clothing_ShirtsandPants_Rustling.wav” by duckduckpony

http://freesound.org/people/duckduckpony/sounds/204016

“RG Alien Drink.wav” by cmusounddesign

http://freesound.org/people/cmusounddesign/sounds/95832

“metal02.flac” by dobroide

http://freesound.org/people/dobroide/sounds/11475

“walking on carpet.aif” by MAJ061785

http://freesound.org/people/MAJ061785/sounds/85565

“Toy Robot.flac” by Iwan Gabovitch, 2013, CC-BY3 license

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

• Alcohol
• Death and violence
• Gore
• Deception and gaslighting
• Sudden loud noises
• Claustrophobic spaces
• Past trauma
• Natural disasters

For early and ad-free episodes, production scripts, commentary tracks, blooper reels, livestreams with the creators, and much more, you can find The Penumbra Podcast: SPECIAL EDITION at: https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com(In old episodes, you will often hear us mention Patreon, which was our old platform and is no longer live. Please feel free to ignore!)

For tickets to our live reading of If Memory Serves: A Juno Steel Mystery on November 21, 2026, visit: https://therockwell.org/calendar/the-penumbra-podcast/ Join us at The Rockwell, home of our first two live shows, in Somerville, MA, for Joshua Ilon's one-night-only reading of an excerpt from our Juno prequel novel to be followed by a Q&A with Harley and Kevin. We can't wait to see you there to celebrate the release of the full audiobook!

We are also currently running a subscription sale on our Supercast and Patreon subscriber platforms to celebrate the conclusion of our first full season of Thirst. Visit https://thepenumbrapodcast.supercast.com/ or patreon.com/thepenumbrapodcast to get 28% off all tiers!

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