7 Nov 2026
Strange Stellar Cab Ride
A driver for a small interstellar cab company picks up a passenger, who keeps wanting to go to where she probably shouldn't go.
Genre: Science Fiction
Excerpt:
I had to talk her out of it.
My passenger had asked me to take her to Wild Protomatter Park.
Wild Protomatter Park?
That place was originally marked a danger zone. Instant death for the lucky ones. Contamination and a slow painful death for the unlucky. No one knew why, but that area of space would burst with geysers of exotic particles.
The Wheel of Fiction Turns. What did it land on this time?
Each Season 9 story follows a theme chosen by the Wheel of Fiction. Thirteen spokes. Eight are the themes from previous seasons. One is "Turn Again." One is a wild card. And three are covered in question marks and will be revealed when the wheel lands on them.
See a story trailer and a (satisfying) video of the wheel turning here: Strange Stellar Cab Ride
This episode landed on MUSIC.
This was one of the mystery spokes. I listened to a couple of Duran Duran tracks, "Planet Earth" and "The Chauffeur." And they inspired visions of a space cabbie in 80's garb, and also, radical space lizards.
Previous Season 9 episodes on the theme of Music:
Encounter With Ship 47
Nine Gods in Masquerade.
Zone of Eternal Sleep
Find more music-inspired stories and episodes: Search term - MUSIC
STILL IN A SPOOKY MOOD?
Scaryfeather lives! My first creative challenge was inspired by 31 horror genre stories I've written. Those stories are linked on the challenge page, if you're in the mood to read:
storyfeather.com/fictioneer/october
NEWSLETTERS
Storyfeather Gazette (if you'd like to keep up with the fiction I create)
Fictioneer's Field Guide (if you'd like writing tips and guidance from me)
Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)
FICTION-WRITING ARTICLES & RESOURCES
Come and explore the Fictioneer's Field Station.
MY FIRST BOOK (yay)
Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written? I have a method. You can learn it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories.
It's now available from Amazon as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover.
MERCH!
Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork?
Please visit my Store page for info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE
CREDITS
Story: "Strange Stellar Cab Ride" Copyright © 2022 by Nila L. Patel
Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production: Nila L. Patel
Music:
"Drive With Me" by ANDREW SITKOV (Intro)
"Fugue For One Synthetic Heart" by ANDREA BARONI (Outro)
"Abstract Vision #5" by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)
Music by ANDREA BARONI (Cyberleaf)
"Ground Control"
"Fugue For One Synthetic Heart"
Music by TAO & SOUND
"80s Synth Ambient 01 C"
"Cry No More - (A) MELODY LOOP"
"Cry No More - (B) MELODY LOOP"
"Cyberjazz Nights - (A) DRUM & BASS LOOP"
"Noir Blvd - (A) DRUMS & BASS LOOP"
"80s Synth Ambient 02 E"
"I Never Gave Up - (A) MELODY LOOP"
"U Never Had To Exist - INTRO"
"U Never Had To Exist - (A) MELODY LOOP"
"U Never Had To Exist - (B) MELODY LOOP"
Music by ANDREW SITKOV (MuzStation Game Music)
"Casual Arcade Track #1 (looped)"
"Motivation"
"Drive With Me"
"Prepare for Battle"
"Casual Arcade Track #2 (looped)"
All tracks are part of music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.
Music by Tao & Sound, Andrea Baroni, and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market
Sound effects from AudioJungle (https://audiojungle.net/) and GameDevMarket
Vocal effects created with Audacity (https://www.audacityteam.org/)
Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration.
Find more music by Tao & Sound, Andrea Baroni, and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net
Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com
Episode Art Description:
Digital drawing. A smiling young woman stands in front of a taxicab, slightly leaning against the hood. Most of the bright orange cab is visible, seen at an angle from the front corner of the driver side. The words "Interstellar Taxi" are printed on the side. In place of a wheel is a thruster shaped like a dome with a flared bottom, and a glow of energy beneath. The woman has her right foot crossed over her left, her left arm across her waist, her right hand raised to her left shoulder, and her right elbow propped on her left hand. Her multicolored clothes of blue and pink match her hair, make-up, and shoes. Her yellow jacket matches her yellow scrunchie. She wears high-top sneakers, fingerless gloves, and layers of necklaces. A small blue lizard is perched on her right shoulder. A black lizard is just visible behind the blue. Above is an expanse of space with stars glowing in different colors. Watermark of "Storyfeather" over the text on the cab.
