The Emerald Assemblage

By Rivan Wells

A collection of 18 short stories and story fragments
by an 18 year old homeschooled author. Enter his
imagination and read about dryads, starships, paladins,
and a giant robot.
Walk in the rain with a stranger.
Listen to the voices in someone else’s head.
Fix a broken mech while fighting a war.
Seek forgiveness for crimes you didn’t commit.
Experience life as a starship’s computer.
Enter these worlds and more in the stories found in
The Emerald Assemblage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312754447

Book preview

The Emerald Assemblage

The Emerald Assemblage

A collection of short stories

by Rivan Wells

Copyright (c) 2014 by Rivan Wells,

all rights reserved.

Print ISBN: 978-1-312-75337-2

Digital ISBN: 978-1-312-75444-7

1st Edition

(Modified for digital distribution.)

Table of Contents

The Emerald Assemblage

Short Stories

Philomena: SteelHeart

Second face

Einar

A Brighter Gray

Refined

Starfire, after the second blockade of Arlent

Simple Infinity

Story Fragments

A Distant Warning

Feirn

She danced for kings

Without her

War

The Keeper Corps

Long time

Pilot

Susan

Understanding

Trapped

About the Author

Short Stories

Philomena: SteelHeart

The computer says in its artificial voice, Report: Pilot; Ready. Report: Second gunner; Ready. Report: Systems tech; Ready.

The captain shouts through the comms, First gunner, get to your post!

The response comes, Only a couple corridors sir!

Report: Targeting/Radar; Ready.

A shot hits the mech's shoulder, heaving everything in the cabin forward.

The computer changes tone, Warning! Shoulder, Right; cannon disabled

Ambassador Sofia leans over a handrail, I noticed, computer.

The captain shouts again, Second gunner, fire!

Should have strapped in when we told you to, ambassador, Philomena remarks.

The man at targeting says, Three aggressive targets, two fore, one port.

How come you aren't about to- Sofia puts a hand on her mouth, Make a mess?

Ha! Philomena points a wrench at her I've worked on the feet of this mech while she was runnin', after that ride it's hard for me to lose my lunch.

The ambassador falls in her chair and fastens the harness, Still not fair.

Second gunner shouts through the comms, Firing on fore!

The computer speaks again, Report: First gunner; Ready.

First gunner calls through before it finishes, Firing port!

Philomena anchors herself to a rail, Might want to brace yourself, ambassador.

She tilts her head, But I stra-

The cabin jerks back, then sideways from the recoil of the guns.

Several warning lights start flashing on the weapons console.

Not again. Philomena runs over to it.

Philom- Sofia holds her mouth shut.

Here, don't make a mess in my watch room. Philomena tosses a bucket exactly in her lap, And as much fun as it's been, I've got to go fix the-

Engineer! The captain interrupts, Get to that gun! It's jammed!

On my away sir! Philomena grabs her toolbelt, and fastens it around her while she runs to a chute.

I left very precise instructions... Philomena grabs her hammer, 'Don't forget step 5.' She starts striking the lever to dislodge it. 'And also; please don't forget step 5'

The captain interrupts her thoughts, Engineer! Why isn't that gun up yet?

Working on it sir! She continues hammering the lever, 'And finally, DON'T FORGET STEP 5!' Honestly, I might as well say If you don't actually do step 5, the gun will EXPLODE for all the good it will do. The lever finally gives, throwing the cannon into the reload sequence.

Status? Philomena says through the comlink around her neck.

First gunner responds, Port cannon shows reloading.

Good, headed back to-

The parts inside the machine crash together, making loud metallic crunching sounds that resonate through the walls.

The captain calls through, What happened down there?

Feed is caught! Gears were probably bent in the first hit, heading down!

No! Leave it! The captain shouts, Get to generator four!

On my way, sir! She tosses her hammer into her belt and starts climbing up the ladder. Halfway up another shot