Science fiction audio short stories for all ages | Makeshift Stories

51. Quantum Turbulence

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:25:26 +0000

During a future world oil shortage a scientist, researching an old idea about the potential energy contained in a vacuum (zero point energy), discovers a cheap simple method of extracting almost limitless power from literally nothing. Realizing how important his discovery is the scientist decides to file a patent application before he publishes his research. [...]

50. The In-between

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:48:40 +0000

Catina, the director of online marketing, for an important advertising agency comes up with a revolutionary idea, but forgets what it is before she can write her idea down. Desperate to remember it, she consults numerous experts in various fields, without success. When she is ready to give up, a mysterious consultant approaches her, claiming [...]

49. Crevasse III – Revenge

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:20:21 +0000

Marco had been top ranked in player verses player one on one in the MMO Crevasse for over a year until a nobody with GM like powers poned him. Everett, the lead designer of Crevasse, lost his job over the negative reaction to his updates in Crevasse II. Mad at the studio that creates the [...]

48. Time Shift

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 02:41:00 +0000

In 1977 Zah Helen, an undercover operative, receives a new high profile assignment to interfere with the human search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), so the efforts at one particular radio telescope will not spot a radio signal that has been accidentally sent toward the earth. Program Notes And Credits Opening and closing music by David [...]

47. The Caretaker of Destiny

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:42:27 +0000

An accident forces the crew of the interstellar ship Destiny to go in to hibernation while the robotic maintenance systems diagnose and fix the problems. During the emergency crucial instructions are lost causing the ship to go into orbit around around a star for 50 thousand years. Program Notes And Credits Opening and closing music [...]

46. The Top of the Sky

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 22:06:02 +0000

During a period of intense solar flare activity Marianne and her family take a holiday at a remove wilderness cabin. This brings them close to a place called, the top of the sky, that some people think has mystical significance. What Marianne and her parents don’t realize, is that the top of the sky is [...]

45. Hale Bopp

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 05:14:10 +0000

In an attempt to regain its reputation as a leader in space research and exploration, the ancient Institute of Solar Studies in Babylon puts all its resources into a mission to the newly discovered comet Hale Bopp to study the object’s unusual behaviour. The mission is a success but the outcome is not what Fath [...]

44. A Crime in 3d

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:00:11 +0000

In 1884 a school master named Edwin Abbott Abbott wrote the novella “Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions.” The book explored what it would be like to live in a two dimensional universe, and speculated that there might be other dimensions. The Abott’s story lay in obscurity until it was rediscovered in the early 20th [...]

43. Ghost in the Machine

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 05:10:40 +0000

History is littered with discarded technologies and obsolete skills. In the last few decades whole industries have been swept away by ever moving waves of change, and it seems unavoidable that today’s high tech is destined to become tomorrow’s landfill or does it? In our story this month new meets old, makes friends and finds [...]

42. The Citizen’s New Town

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Tue, 17 May 2011 08:00:50 +0000

This month’s story is very loosely based on the Hans Christian Andersen short tale The Emperor’s New Clothes, the idea that humans could extend their brains using the net and mass hypnosis. Amber is working as a stage director for the opening celebration of the project of century when her implanted communications chip starts to [...]

41. The Last Astronomer

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:33:35 +0000

This month’s story is based on a comment Steven Hawkins once made, that we should probably not try to contact extraterrestrial civilizations. According to Hawkins, our own history has shown that contact between a two cultures does not always go well for the people whose land is being visited. The last two scientists on a [...]

40. Skin Deep

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 06:10:52 +0000

After narrowly evading capture Maya and Tim arrive in New Hudson only to run into the man who had been following them in Waystation. The man claims that he is working with Maya’s parents, but neither Tim or Maya trust him. As the man drives them to Hudson Beach, in theory to meet Maya’s parents, [...]

39. All Inclusive

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 06:32:47 +0000

Alonzo is forced to take his ailing, wealthy mother and her robotic wheel chair to an ultra expensive all inclusive health spa. The doctors and specialists told him that the legendary algae baths, unique to the exclusive beach resort of Vida Del Mar, are his mother’s best chance for recovery. Alonzo believes that the treatment [...]

38. Dreams of a Life

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:33:04 +0000

Aura lives with her mother and brothers making a modest living from a concession stand. Her life in the themed dome park called Timber World is thrown into chaos when an unexpected event forces her to leave to save her family’s livelihood. In the process Aura discovers a secret that must be kept from her [...]

37. Caught!

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 07:23:02 +0000

After discovering more planted incriminating evidence against them on the café’s computer, Maya and Tim decide to flee when net regulatory agents show up. In an attempt to find Maya’s parents they take the train to new Hudson Beach. Along the way they are helped by the odd bag lady’s secret organization, but neither Tim [...]

36. Lifeboat

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:12:20 +0000

With the first Moon landings in the late 1960’s many may have felt that a Mars mission was no too far off, but since that time no human has left near Earth orbit. On the 200th anniversary of the first moon landing an international mission is poised to be the first human presence on Mars, [...]

35. The Shadows

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 16:49:44 +0000

Maya and Tim live in a future that is powered by coal, kids over 8 must work for a living, and reality is not what it seems. Tim’s parents died after an apparently random traffic accident, leaving him alone, and in debt for the medical expenses. Unable to pay, his liabilities were auctioned off to [...]

34. Return to Start

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 04:33:18 +0000

An astronomer, watching for near earth objects, makes a shocking discovery which forces Adrian out from hiding. Adrian realizes that events in the past have lead to a disaster in the present. He is forced to intervene and change history, but the results are not entirely what he had planned. This episode revisits the original [...]

33. C-11′s Quest

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 01:52:15 +0000

An automated planetary mission goes awry when it is hit by solar flares. Unit C-11 one of the landing group’s communication nodes attempts to repair its damaged memory with information erroneously downloaded from the mission’s orbiter. Once assimilated, the information along with a comment from one of the mission control hubs, convinces the tiny robot [...]

32. Universe 8.1

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:12:58 +0000

Lambent Nape Nor works at the Infinite Macro Cosmic Reality Corporation as the assistant head of product design and customer services for Universe 8. Despite Lambent’s concerns management insists on a last minute change to an already rushed update. It quickly becomes evident that change does more than they had intended. The week’s story is [...]

31. The Archives

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:38:17 +0000

30. Invasion

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 19:25:45 +0000

A 500 hundred year old terraforming project is derailed by an imminent invasion. No one, except a small group of scientists, understands the true nature of the threat and its real implications for the future of their civilization. This story evolved out of a discussion on James Lovelock‘s Gaia hypothesis that the earth is an [...]

29. Hole in Space – Part 2

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:31:34 +0000

After being sucked into a wormhole, created when Luki used Len’s unfinished hyper dry modification to the ship’s clothes dryer, the crew of the Hyper Nova are stranded on a strange planet called Atma, which is being smothered in lost laundry.

28. Perspectives & the Mission

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Mon, 17 May 2010 03:41:53 +0000

This month we present to two short stories. In first one called, Perspectives, a routine mission is suddenly changed by a chance encounter in depth space. This story evolved out of a one of David’s writing assignments at school. In our second story, entitled, The Mission, the leader of a multi-generally space craft reports their [...]

27. Surveillance

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 02 May 2010 21:09:11 +0000

A heavy rain storm breaks Way Station’s heat wave, but along with the storm two strange customers appear at the Europa Café. They appear to know more than they should and this spooks Maya. After hearing about them Tim tells Maya about some other odd happenings then is spooked himself by an unexpected message. Program [...]

26. Laika – Dog From Space

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:28:06 +0000

A passing celestial being is trapped by earth’s gravity and dragged reluctantly to its surface in the middle of a Moscow winter. Stranded in the body of a dog the alien being is forced to intervene in the early Russian Space program in order to get a ride home. The story is loosely based on [...]

25. Hole in Space

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:51:29 +0000

Life on board the Hyper Nova begins to settle down into a routine until a number of random events collide with one of Len’s pet projects causing the ship and its crew to get sucked into a hole in space.

24. The Shimmering Field

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:13:10 +0000

Time can seem to slow down when there is nothing to do, and this was particularly true for Abeo who had been forced to endure a summer without her friends on a lonely research station. Her father and the other adults were too distracted by some unusual observations too pay attention to Abeo. One day [...]

23. Europa Cafe

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:22:56 +0000

Maya and Tim work at the Europa Cafe in Way Station – a place out of time where things are run by steam, trains are the main means of transportation and adults don’t seem to remember what really happened in the past. One night Tim discovers someone has been breaking into one of his personal [...]

22. The Boy Who Loved Candy

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:47:43 +0000

Sometimes you can love something just a little too much. Under the influence of a mysterious dream Marco discovers that he can’t stop eating candy and begins to grow to alarming proportions. Program Notes And Credits Background audio textures and sound effects, opening and closing music from Premiumbeat. Episode album cover image from Fotolia.

21. Hyper Nova

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:45:01 +0000

Luki is given his first true command of a star ship and is immediately plunged into a major mission. With the help of his less than loyal crew he completes the assignment but inadvertently creates a new potential problem. Program Notes And Credits Background audio textures and sound effects: Mars: The Planets Suite licensed from [...]

20. Mirror Image

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 06:34:05 +0000

Sareen is mysteriously transported back in time to a version of her home world that is not entirely correct. The planet is ruled by a group that she has never hear of so Sareen sets out to figure out what is going on. Program Notes And Credits Background audio textures and sound effects: Sound FX [...]

19. Voluntold

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:08:31 +0000

During what turns out to be an extremely slow side trip to the home planet of two rogue space probes, Ada receives a coded message that orders them to stop what they are doing and launch a rescue mission to pick up an important executive officer. Reluctantly Luki and Len then set out in a [...]

18. The Endgame

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:56:43 +0000

When an unexpected message from deep space turns out to be a Triffal ship Amos must change his plans and as a result he finds himself with less than a day to locate his missing artificial intelligence, wrap up his work and be extracted by the rescue team. Amos looks for Raymore to help him [...]

17. A Turn of Events

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:25:16 +0000

Imprisoned in a GEAA simulation Tim, Maya and Adrian become the focal point of two competing forces. Raymore finds the artificial intelligence and starts to get it to reveal the encryption keys to Amos’ secret research, however he is distracted by an unexpected event. Program Notes And Credits Background audio textures and sound effects: Sound [...]

16. A.I. Dreams

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:16:40 +0000

AI Dreams is the third installment in a series of bedtime classics adapted to the Makeshift Stories universe. In this episode, loosely based on the popular folktale of the Ginger Bread Boy, Amos creates an artificial intelligence that escapes taking his secrete research with it. Distraught Amos enlists Raymore to help him, but Raymore has [...]

15. The Four Keys Pt.3

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:12:45 +0000

After his odd encounter with Annie, William starts pressing Tim for the information that she gave him, but Tim is left wondering who to trust. Then unexpected events – which Tim suspects are not random – place him in a situation where he is forced to make a decision that he feels he may regret. [...]

14. The Other Story – Space Junk

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:41:18 +0000

After being picked up by an automated rescue ship Luki, Zara and Fritz start to settle in to a routine when an unexpected crew member is discovered. An accident then sets the small group off in a new direction. Program Notes And Credits Background audio textures and sound effects: Mars: The Planets Suite licensed from [...]

13. The Four Keys Pt.2

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:48:58 +0000

After Adrian is shot by an arrow Tim uses his new found power to save him. As Adrian revives William insists that they all come with him to his ship before the main Elfin raiding party arrives. The small group then scrambles through the back alleys of Claring trying to reach the river front before [...]

12. The Other Story – Luki

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:43:06 +0000

Luki -The Other Story is the first episode of an alternate storyline. At the end of episode 11 as the Sodality are about to leave Ceres three of their members accidentally discover an alternate means of escape. The trio is in turn rescued by an officious artificial intelligence. Program Notes And Credits Background audio textures [...]

11. Echoes

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Tue, 26 May 2009 15:21:10 +0000

After many nights exchanging stories Sareen tries to explain to Effie why the Sodality ended up exiled on Ceres. The answer is not something that Effie easily accepts and it changes her feelings toward Sareen and the Allusions. Meanwhile a Sodality exploration team finds an abandoned project that holds the possibility of an escape from [...]

10. The Four Keys – Pt.1

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:44:25 +0000

Maya, Adrian, and Tim arrive in a new world that Tim feels is vaguely familiar. Before they figure out where they are or how they got there, they are mistaken for fleeing labourers and chased by a disagreeable lord. A member of the Merchant Guild intervenes and helps them escape, only to deliver them back [...]

9. Orph The Emerald Plant

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:55:31 +0000

Orph The Emerald Planet is the second installment in a series of bedtime classics adapted to the Makeshift Stories universe. Based on the 1907 story by Laura E Richards The House with the golden Windows from a book of short stories with the same name, it presents the archetypal irony that grass always looks greener [...]

8. GEAA

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:01:39 +0000

After being caught in the Europa Café Tim, Maya, and Adrian are flown to G.E.A.A. head office. They are told that those who see the mysterious leaders of G.E.A.A. are not allowed to leave. Facing their fears the three meet the senior G.E.A.A executive officer and find out who is behind the organization that should [...]

7. Sticky Space

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:28:14 +0000

Sticky Space is a special episode in memory of Henry Hume. The story is based on an Uncle Remus tale that Henry use to tell us as at bedtime. Sareen, now retired, tells her apprentice how she and a colleague once used Adrian’s curiosity to try and capture him. But like Br’er Fox and Br’er [...]

6. 0ff Course

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:06:16 +0000

After escaping from Ceres Tim and Adrian arrive home to a foreign world where they never existed. Tim has trouble accepting the situation, but they start to learn how to survive there. When they set out on a quest to discover what went wrong they run afoul of the local authorities. Program Notes And Credits [...]

5. Solstice

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:00:24 +0000

Adrian finds a way to travel to Ceres and bring Tim home, but Sareen discovers what Adrian is up to and convinces Effie and the Sodality to intervene. When Adrian is confronted by Sareen he is forced to make a quick decision with uncertain results. Program Notes And Credits All background audio textures and sound [...]

4. The Sodality

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:12:02 +0000

Margot’s unexpected return to Ceres creates an opportunity for Amos and Tim to make a highly risky escape. After regaining her memory Margot (A.K.A Sareen) intends to go after Tim so she can send him home, but Effie informs Sareen that Amos and Tim’s chance of surviving their trek is next to nil and if [...]

3. All Hallows Eve

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:28:15 +0000

Sareen’s plans, made over several generations, come together on "All Hallows Eve" to bring the target of her 1000 year quest to her doorstep. Adrian who has been hiding for centuries fails to see the trap being laid and inadvertently allows himself to be discovered, but no one wins and the game of cat and mouse continues.

2. The Escape

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 06:21:29 +0000

As Tim, the newly arrived giant, repairs the damage he caused his captor, Amos starts to explain the history of the Triffals on Ceres, however, both are captured by Amos’ enemies. An unexpected event provides an opportunity for a risky escape. Program Notes And Credits All background audio textures and sound effects were made in [...]

1. The Arrival

makeshiftstories@gmail.com (Makeshift Stories) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:40:54 +0000

Tim (a giant by local standards) finds himself on Ceres (a small and icy world) without any memory of how he got there and who he is. He has literally dropped into the middle of a conflict and is taken in by one side. Having inadvertently destroyed some of his hosts property Tim agrees to repair it in exchange of a place to sleep.