Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

Taxi to Circumstellar

For BCoF: January 28 and January 30, 2023

Circulmstellar: THIS PROMPT ENCOMPASSSES JANUARY 30TH AND JANUARY 28.

Circumstellar definition: Something that surrounds or moves around a star.


Earlier in the year it would have been impossible to catch a cab at this time of the evening. Since the Colony Govenors made a ruling that a platform for taxis would be built and a law that a taxi would be waiting there for passengers no matter what time of starlight was available.

I was running fast, taking high leaps in the thin atmosphere and coming down 8 or 10 stride lengths instead of the normal one I would have taken if there had been more gravity. Georgia was still way ahead of me. As she hit the taxi platform a waiting car door flew open, and Georgia sailed inside. I was still too far away to hear the directions she gave as the car jumped into gear and sailed quickly away from the platform.

Not to worry, another taxi slid into the empty space beside the platform, as the passenger door swung invitingly open. I leapt in and shouted, "Follow That Car."

The pint-sized pink bunny turned in his seat and gave me a big, toothed grin. "Yes sir. it said." and taped the counter beside his steering wheel. "If you don't have a badge, I will have to charge extra for a follow that car command," the bunny stated as it's clawed paws gripped the wheel and made a sharp turn to follow the car ahead of us. I dug my badge out of my pocket and pushed it forward into his vision clipping one of his whiskers. "Hey! Watch it or I'll report you to the drivers union." The car lurched to the right as the bunny driver took a paw off the steering wheel and smoothed out his whiskers.

"Sorry. I think we are losing the car I'm following."

"Naw. We can't lose it. That's car 0040, I programed it into my navigation system. Now wherever it goes, we go with it."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"It's a new system. Came with the new laws for taxi's and the new platforms for entering and exiting. Kind of spiffy if you ask me."

Just then the Taxi ahead of us lifted off and aimed upward toward an anchored starship.

Bunny giggled. "Hope you're ready to exit quickly, looks like they are headed for the platform where Starship Magnolia is anchored. Do you have a ticket to board?"

In dismay I uttered, "No. Didn't know I would need one."

"It's O.K". bunny assured me. "I can sell you one just wipe your credit card across the bottom of the pay spot."

As I performed the action for pay a musical note played. I plugged my ears to keep from hearing the song because it was intended to soothe the passenger into accepting whatever outrageous price the Taxi charged for the taxi ride and starship ticket.

Up ahead the taxi had already lurched to a stop and Georgia had jumped across the platform into the doorway of the starship. We were not far behind. I was soon out of the taxi into the starships hold. A cute alien girl wearing the uniform of a starship greeter pushed me to the right toward a seat and slammed the door shut. "Buckle Up! We are on our way."

"Do you know where the girl that entered just before me is sitting?"

"She is in the viewing port. That way." She pointed down the aisle to the right. "Please stay seated until we reach our destination. This is a circumstellar flight. We will soon be revolving around Epsilon Eridani. Epsilon is located in the constellation Eridanus. The star is 10.52 light years from earth. It is the closest star visible to the naked eye and there is a dust disk around it. The planet Vulcan may be one of the planets rotating in its orbit. You have viewing googles in the arm of your chair. I will be serving refreshments shortly."

I buckled into my seat. Where I found a menu of the scheduled refreshment and goggles that would protect my eyesight from any energetic sights out the port beside my seat. I settled in for the flight. Lots of time to enjoy the views and the refreshments. After all Georgia wasn't going anywhere for a while and how often do I get to follow a shop lifter into the interstellar world.

THE END

All word count on WDC: 743