“We can’t patch the leak?”

“Negative. It is far to extensive, and many of my repair functions were damaged in our recent tussle.”

“Ok, so where can we dock?”

“I do not know.”

“What do you mean? You don’t know?”

“I told you I hadn’t finished my calculations prior to you ordering me to jump.”

“I know,” said Bear as he ground his teeth together. “But, I still don’t understand how you don’t know where we are. Don’t you know every freaking star system?”

“I know every charted star system. This appears to be an uncharted one.”

“An uncharted star system? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know. Most likely between my lack of final calculations and a laser strike just as we engaged the hyperdrive there was a malfunction that sent us here.”

Bear quickly pulled up his scopes and started to examine the star system. After a moment, he said, “It looks like there is a planet in the Goldilocks zone.”

“I concur.”

“That looks like our only option. Set us a course to get us there as soon as possible.”

“Understood. I have done the calculations and as long our as rate of fuel loss doesn’t increase, we will be able to make it there.”

“Finally, some good news.”

The journey to the planet was the slowest in Bear’s life. He had never travelled so far under normal thrusters, and he hated it. He couldn’t stop worrying about the fuel situation and the planet situation. He had never wanted to be an explorer. He loved his planet. He had joined the Star Force because he wanted to protect it not find another one. He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like or what the people would be like, if there were any people.

As the planet came closer, Hal said, “I do not detect any signs of intelligent life, but the atmospheric readings are good. It should be able to support life.”

“That’s something.”

“Actually, there is one power source.”

“Just one?”

“Yes, it is odd. It is a fairly high energy reading, but again just the one on the whole planet.

“Looks like that’s where we are going.”

“Yes, sir.”

A few moments later, the planet came into view, and it was gorgeous. It had one gigantic landmass that appeared to be solidly green surrounded by a massive ocean with two icy poles. As they burst through the clouds, Bear saw that all the green was a densely packed forest that reminded him very much of his home planet just much, much larger.

“Where is the energy source?”

“Right below us.”

Bear looked down at the impenetrable wall of green and shook his head as he thought, “it couldn’t be easy could it.” Then, he said, “It looks like the only place we will be able to land is somewhere in that mountain range. How far away are they?”

“The nearest point is 47.235 miles away.”

“Will we be able to land there?”

“Yes, sir.”

Bear said, “Alright let’s do it,” as he thought, “Could be worse.”

Hal was able to land them right above the tree line in a large scree field.

As he unbuckled himself, Bear said, “Please tell me the atmosphere is breathable.”

“It appears to be so, but remember I am not able to test for every possible virus or bacteria that may be out there.”

“I know. I will wear my filter. How is your mobile unit?”

“Fully operational.”

“Good. Pack up all the food and water you can. I don’t know when we’ll be coming back.”

“Already, working on it.”

“That’s the Hal I’m used to.”

“Thank you, sir.”

As Bear stepped into the forest, and Hal wheeled in next to him in his mobile unit which looked like a small garbage can on tracks, he was struck by the sheer size and majesty of the trees. The trunks were so wide it would take three to four people to reach around their base, and they literally towered over him forming a thick ceiling of green. They were just so beautiful.

But, slowly he noticed how quiet it was. There were no birds or squirrels or insects or life of any kind, and those trees. They were too uniform. Every single one looked almost exactly like the other, same height, color, thickness, and shape. Where were the runts, the crooked ones, the old ones?

And, the air. It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t cold. It was cool, but like perfectly cool, and there were no smells. It was just bland.

“Does anything about this feel off to you?” asked Bear.

“I am surprised by its lack of diversity, but as we have only seen a small part of this uncharted planet, I cannot make a definite statement if something is ‘off.’”

Bear nodded as he thought, “Right this is why I don’t try to talk to Hal.”

They trudged on the rest of the day through the uniformly similar forest. As night fell, Bear looked up and all he saw was darkness. He couldn’t see any stars or moons through the forests thick canopy sending a shiver of discomfort through his spine.

Eventually, Bear get too tired to carry on. He rolled out his sleeping bag and tried to sleep, but despite his exhaustion spent most of the night tossing and turning unable to get shake the feeling of disquiet. When light family came to the forest, he quickly rolled up his sleeping bag, and they continued on.

Late that afternoon, Hal said, “It should be right in front of us.”

Bear looked around at the row after of row of trees and said, “Where?”

Hal rolled forward until he was right in front of tree and said, “This is it.”

Bear came up next and him and said, “This?” as he looked up at the tree that looked no different than all of the other trees he had seen.

“Yes.”

“But, it’s just another tree.”

“It does appear that way, but it is the source of the energy.”

Bear touched it, and it felt like a tree. He walked all the way around it, touching it, checking up in its branches, and at its roots, but it appeared to be just another tree.

Exhausted and dejected Bear sat down with his back against another tree and stared at the supposed source of the energy. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, but the exhaustion must have taken hold of him because the next thing he knew he was waking up in total darkness. He went to grab his flashlight when he noticed a rectangle of light coming from the energy tree.

“Do you see that?” asked Bear.

“I do,” said Hal. “I have studied it while you slept. It is just light. It has no harmful qualities, and it is definitely the source of the energy.”

Bear slowly stood up and walked over to it expecting to feel some heat or noise coming from it, but there were none. He paused in front of it. A large part of him didn’t want to touch that rectangle of light. It was strange, and it scared him. But, he knew with his starfighter in its current shape and with no radio this was his only option.

He reached out touching the tree bark between the rectangle of light. Quickly that section of the tree swung open bathing him in bright white light. He just had enough time to throw his hands over his face, when he was sucked inside the tree.

When he lowered his hands, he saw that somehow he was in a gigantic fairly normal looking room with some massive landscape pictures on its gray walls, a window with its blinds closed, a book shelf, a desk chair, and a closed door. Then, he looked down and saw that he was standing on a pencil drawing of the forest he was just in.

“What’s going on?” thought Bear. “Am I still asleep? Is this a dream? Or did I … die?”

Then, he heard the muffled sound of people talking, and he thought, “I can’t be dead. No way would this be the afterlife.”

After looking over the edge of the desk and realizing it was much too far for him to jump down, he ran and jumped to the arm of the office chair, hopped to its, seat, then climbed the rest of the way down.

The gap between the office’s door and the carpet was so large he was able to crawl under it on all fours. He emerged into a long non-descript hallway and headed towards where the people were talking. The hallway ended at a kitchen with a gigantic table where two clean-cut blond-haired giants, one man and one woman were talking.

Bear shouted, but it was like an ant trying to shout at a person. And, they did not hear him. He wanted to get their attention, but he didn’t want them to accidently squash him, which they easily could do. After a moment’s though, he pulled out his laser pistol and started shooting at the woman’s napkin.

The napkin quickly started to smoke catching the woman’s attention. She looked down then saw the laser hit the napkin and looked Bear’s way. When she saw him, she let out a blood curdling scream and yelled, “What the hell is that?”

The man looked over, and his bright blue eyes nearly bugged out of his head and he whispered, “This can’t be possible.”

“What are you doing? Kill it! Kill it!” said the woman.

“I can’t kill it. That’s Lieutenant Stryker.”

“What?”

“Lieutenant Stryker from my stories, which I know you haven’t read,” said the man as he got up from his seat and got down on his hands and knees directly in front of Bear.

Bear backed up a bit from the man and asked, “How do you know who I am?”

“Because I made you.”

Bear didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t a particularly religious man, but he always believed in some sort of god. He just didn’t think it would look like this. However, he didn’t want to offend him, so he bowed down in front of him and said, “My apologies your holiness.”

“You don’t need to do that,” said the man.

“Carl! Seriously, what the fuck is going on!?” shouted the woman.

Carl said, “Nothing, just finish eating. I’ll handle this.” Then, he scooped up Bear as gently as he could and hurried into his office.

After setting Bear down back on his desk next to his picture, Carl said, “I can’t believe you’re real.”

“Well, I am.”

Carl said, “I just can’t believe it,” and stared at Bear in abject awe.

Rather quickly Bear got awed out and said, “What do you mean you made me?”

“You’re the main character in my stories. Look I’ll show you.”

Carl ran over to his bookshelf pulled out a notebook and hurried back over. Then, he started taking out pictures as he said, “Look at these.”

Bear looked in wonder as Carl showed him wonderfully intricate pictures of Bear and Hal, his DA-42 starfighter, the Fo-Gan, Bear’s family and friends, his planet, and like his whole life.

“You are a good,” whispered Bear.

“I’m really not,” said Carl. Bear gave him a disbelieving look, and Carl said, “You really think they are good.”

“They’re incredible.”

“Really?”

Bear nodded.

“Why have I never shown these to people before?” asked Carl softly.

Then, Bear pointed at the pencil drawing of the forest and said, “Why is this one not finished?”

“These are all just background or cover art for my stories, but no one ever seemed to like or care about any of my them. So, I guess…I…just stopped working on it. I was working on a book, and I always planned to get back to it… But you know I needed a real job. I couldn’t just keep living in my dreams.”

Bear nodded. He understood. He was never a dreamer himself. “But, how I am going to get back home?”

“I guess I could draw you back home.”

“It’s worth a try.”

Carl said, “Ok,” and grabbed a pencil. Then, he went to pick up the pencil drawing of the forest Bear had come out of when Bear said, “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to get a new piece of paper to draw you at home.”

“But, I’m not at home. I’m there, and Hal’s waiting for me.”

“Hal’s there too?”

“Yes.” Bear proceeded to tell him all about his fight with the Fo-Gan and how he ended up in his office.

When he finished, Carl sat back and said, “Wow, that’s a really good story, so what do you want me to do?”

“I need you to finish that picture and finish that world. Hal and I need people who can help us fix our ship.”

“Ok, like what type of people?”

After a moment, Bear started talking about the type of people and society he would need to get his starfighter fighter. Then, he moved on to talking about the rest of the planet and how it couldn’t just be one forest filled with the same type of tree. It needed more variety, more creatures, more noise, more life while Carl drew as fast as he could. Bear finished talking, and Carl kept drawing until he had made the greatest drawing of his life. It was a brand-new world just buzzing with life and possibilities.

“This is amazing,” said Carl as he stared astounded at what he had done.

“It’s just missing one thing,” said Bear.

“What’s that?”

“Me.”

“Oh right.”

“And one more thing, I’d like to go by Barry instead of Bear.”

“Considerate done.”

Then, Barry closed his eyes, and Carl got back to work.

Barry kept his eyes closed until he felt a cool forest breeze on his face and the soft buzz of hundreds of insects. Then, he opened his eyes and looked in wonder at the resplendent world Carl had made. The bland forest was gone. In its place was a vibrant jungle of noise and color and disorder and life. It was wonderful.

Then, he looked up into the sky where he imagined Carl was looking down at him from and mouthed, “Thank you.”