The Areson Stories

Opportunity By E. M. Areson In honor of Spirit and Opportunity, who turned 90 days into a lifetime. Thank you to all those who sent them were no human had gone before… well at least not yet. We may morn them but your work will live on every time their names are spoken. When Opportunity’s systems had rebooted it was not where it had been. It was in a sterile environment of engineering equipment. Opportunity’s last outgoing signal was reloaded into its memory. ‘My battery is low, and it's getting dark.’ “Finally awake I see.” The human walked into the room. Opportunity had not seen a human in a very long time. “We were hoping to get you back. You saw so much back in the old days. When we still were stuck on Earth. You know what this place was once like don’t you Oppy? And I’m going to find out with your help.” The human smiled and put a hand on Opportunity's wheel. “Your going to teach us so much. Aren’t you? And when we’re all done with that, it seems only fair ...

Who needs Charming? By E. M. Areson I rolled my shoulders. The muscles were stiff, but not so stiff that I’d let it get in my way. I turned my neck this way and that to stretch it out. Armor was very ridged, even for a woman. My frame had been smaller than the suit was made for when I first donned my guise, but now I was brouder with muscles under my no longer snow-white skin. My eyes once a light purple turned blue then green once no longer around so much flambount magic. My fair hair turned dark without the magic powders my mother had made me use. I loved my mother, but she doesn’t understand. I don’t want to be rescued.   My iron horse, Blossom once and now Charcol, was resting his mechanical body and eating grass. Well, he’s not really eating but he is fueling his enternan engen with the grass so it is eating in a way. It’s a sturdy mech, and its tarnished silver looks enchanting. I smiled a bitter smile, he wasn’t a princess’s iron horse anymore. Just like I wasn't ...