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Description
Curio sat at the top of yet another rocky dune. There were so many, and he had wandered so far. He shifted so that his back more directly faced the sun and continued playing with the sand at his feet. Bored, he picked up a rock and stared at it while he rested. Carefully, Curio opened his mouth and vibrated softly. It was a tune he remembered, though not where from. As far as he knew, this scenery was all he’d seen and all he’d ever see, so wherever the tune came from, it must have been before he actively went online.

The little tune done, Curio checked his battery levels and stood up. A bit of red dust fell from his joints as he creaked his way down the dune. It was time to continue exploring. Not that it was ever not time for exploring. That’s the way it had always been. Wander a bit, rest when it’s dark, watch the dust play in tiny winds, and use the sun for guidance. There was that one large storm a while back, though.

The storm had started out fairly normal. The low air pressure made the dust leap at the slightest movement, so Curio hadn’t worried about it. Then, instead of falling, the dust simply sat there, suspended in the air. For over a month, Curio had wandered the dust and rested and wandered some more. It was weird, though not difficult. The nuclear battery helped keep him warm as he wandered, though he did feel very lonely.

Sometimes, there were small messages Curio received, like a map sometime during his wanderings, and an image of the storm before he saw it. He didn’t know who sent them, but it was another contact. He hadn’t heard from them in a while.

The sound of a falling rock caught Curio’s attention as he looked behind him. His footsteps sat in the dark sand until it disappeared into a rising cloud of sand. A mental image of that big storm sent him into the nearest protective outcrop of stone. It was surprisingly easy to mark due to the contrast with the sand, and he made it in plenty of time to hunker down and wait.

When he came back online, Curio blinked at the knees curled in front of him and brushed off a layer of dark red sand. The air was still again, and the sun was out, so he continued his exploring. At some point, his optics registered a persistent flashing as he walked. Shiny things were rare around here, so he slowly motored over to investigate.

What Curio found confused him. It appeared to be some kind of corner, maybe to a solar panel. Gently, he brushed off some of the sand covering it and found more. Intrigued, he began to gently dig out the solar panel, wondering what it had been for. As he uncovered the panels, though, it became apparent.

Buried in the sand, Curio found first the solar panels then the body of another mech. She curled over as if praying, her panels spread wide above her as if looking for sun. Curio reached down and gently lifted the smaller thing, fearing almost to break her with his simple touch. She was lighter than he expected, and completely covered in dust, and she was cold. Sol, she was cold!

However long they stayed like that, Curio looked only at her. This mysterious mech had scars. Her hands, still held in prayer, were chipped and dented, her feet almost made of rust instead of just covered in the red sand. Some of her circuits showed at the knee and elbow, and there were other dents and scratches elsewhere. She looked like mystery and stories, like personal contact Curio hadn’t experienced before.

At some point, Curio’s mysterious messenger send him an image of sand, though he didn’t move. Oh so carefully, he folded the solar panels and picked up the strange, cold mech. Her face was quiet and impassive as he slowly carried her into the shelter of the nearest outcrop, careful to shield her from more of the dust before deactivating to wait out the storm.

Curio took it upon himself to carry the small mech wherever he went. She was light enough and small enough that it wasn’t too difficult, and Curio found himself reluctant to leave her behind each night. Together, they found more hills and more craters. They picked up more rocks and hid from more storms. It was an interesting and quiet journey, now that Curio had a friend.

Description
Curio sat at the top of yet another rocky dune. There were so many, and he had wandered so far. He shifted so that his back more directly faced the sun and continued playing with the sand at his feet. Bored, he picked up a rock and stared at it while he rested. Carefully, Curio opened his mouth and vibrated softly. It was a tune he remembered, though not where from. As far as he knew, this scenery was all he’d seen and all he’d ever see, so wherever the tune came from, it must have been before he actively went online.

The little tune done, Curio checked his battery levels and stood up. A bit of red dust fell from his joints as he creaked his way down the dune. It was time to continue exploring. Not that it was ever not time for exploring. That’s the way it had always been. Wander a bit, rest when it’s dark, watch the dust play in tiny winds, and use the sun for guidance. There was that one large storm a while back, though.

The storm had started out fairly normal. The low air pressure made the dust leap at the slightest movement, so Curio hadn’t worried about it. Then, instead of falling, the dust simply sat there, suspended in the air. For over a month, Curio had wandered the dust and rested and wandered some more. It was weird, though not difficult. The nuclear battery helped keep him warm as he wandered, though he did feel very lonely.

Sometimes, there were small messages Curio received, like a map sometime during his wanderings, and an image of the storm before he saw it. He didn’t know who sent them, but it was another contact. He hadn’t heard from them in a while.

The sound of a falling rock caught Curio’s attention as he looked behind him. His footsteps sat in the dark sand until it disappeared into a rising cloud of sand. A mental image of that big storm sent him into the nearest protective outcrop of stone. It was surprisingly easy to mark due to the contrast with the sand, and he made it in plenty of time to hunker down and wait.

When he came back online, Curio blinked at the knees curled in front of him and brushed off a layer of dark red sand. The air was still again, and the sun was out, so he continued his exploring. At some point, his optics registered a persistent flashing as he walked. Shiny things were rare around here, so he slowly motored over to investigate.

What Curio found confused him. It appeared to be some kind of corner, maybe to a solar panel. Gently, he brushed off some of the sand covering it and found more. Intrigued, he began to gently dig out the solar panel, wondering what it had been for. As he uncovered the panels, though, it became apparent.

Buried in the sand, Curio found first the solar panels then the body of another mech. She curled over as if praying, her panels spread wide above her as if looking for sun. Curio reached down and gently lifted the smaller thing, fearing almost to break her with his simple touch. She was lighter than he expected, and completely covered in dust, and she was cold. Sol, she was cold!

However long they stayed like that, Curio looked only at her. This mysterious mech had scars. Her hands, still held in prayer, were chipped and dented, her feet almost made of rust instead of just covered in the red sand. Some of her circuits showed at the knee and elbow, and there were other dents and scratches elsewhere. She looked like mystery and stories, like personal contact Curio hadn’t experienced before.

At some point, Curio’s mysterious messenger send him an image of sand, though he didn’t move. Oh so carefully, he folded the solar panels and picked up the strange, cold mech. Her face was quiet and impassive as he slowly carried her into the shelter of the nearest outcrop, careful to shield her from more of the dust before deactivating to wait out the storm.

Curio took it upon himself to carry the small mech wherever he went. She was light enough and small enough that it wasn’t too difficult, and Curio found himself reluctant to leave her behind each night. Together, they found more hills and more craters. They picked up more rocks and hid from more storms. It was an interesting and quiet journey, now that Curio had a friend.