"That's weird," Zeke said.

"What?" Sadie asked.

"For some reason I suddenly feel like I owe Max two drinks and a flask."

"Who's Max?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, someone I knew a long time ago in another universe. I'm pretty sure I don't actually owe him anything, but it weirdly feels like I do. Oh well, it's not like I'm going to be paying that debt any time soon."

"Is very happy every time Max comes back," Milosh said. "Is giving him big hugs."

"You seriously say the weirdest things, man," Zeke said. "How could you possibly be giving Max hugs?"

"Can't right now," Milosh said. "But will when he comes back."

"I don't know, maybe I'm just going insane," Zeke said. "That seems like a pretty rational response when you're floating through the middle of uncharted space on a bed. Maybe I'm not even in outer space. Maybe I'm in a nice little white room just imagining all of this."

"If you are imagining this, can you make me a blonde?" Sadie asked. "I always wanted to try that out. Just never got around to dying my hair. Seems like it would be fun though. Also maybe you could bump me up a cup-size. Might as well look my best while I'm slowly dying in some lunatic's imagination."

"Also could maybe imagine us some food," Milosh said.

"Bah," the goat said.

"Do goats taste good?" Zeke asked.

"Hey, I didn't save him just so you could eat him," Sadie said as she threw a protective arm around the goat. "Plus, I named him Archduke Wilhelm the Goat. You can't eat someone who has a name."

"Don't even think about eating me," WBDG said as he puffed out his chest. "I'm a grand wrestling master and I'll take you down if you even try."

Bumble-Boo hissed menacingly before Zeke even looked at him.

"We're going to have to eat something at some point," Zeke said as he rubbed his belly. "Do you think Hooblerians are edible?"

"I'm totally in favor of eating Nulfar first," Sadie said. "But do we have anything to cook with? He looks like he'd be kind of gross raw."

Nulfar snored.

"Is he sleeping?" Zeke asked. "How can anyone sleep in a situation like this? Doesn't he know what's on the other side of that window? It's an endless eternity of nothingness. That's, like, the most existentially terrifying thing I can think of."

"It is a comfy bed," Sadie said.

Bumble-Boo let out a high-pitched chirp in agreement.

"But we're all going to die," Zeke said. "Doesn't that alarm anyone else besides me?"

"Of course it's alarming," Sadie said. "I'm totally freaking out here. I'm kind of trying not to focus on it too much."

"Is okay if Milosh die," Milosh said. "Lots of other Miloshes. Losing one Milosh no big deal."

"Okay, you're definitely never in charge when we're in potentially dangerous situations," Zeke said. "Not with a reckless attitude like that. What's next, are you going to take up juggling bombs or something?"

"Doesn't want friends to get hurt," Milosh said. "Will sacrifice self if necessary."

"Well, I guess that's one good reason to keep a Milosh around," Zeke said. "I don't see any way you can sacrifice yourself to save us in this situation though."

"I can protect us in hand to hand combat, if the need arises," WBDG said.

"I don't think that's likely to happen either," Sadie said.

"Well we could wrestle each other anyway," WBDG said hopefully. "You know, just to keep our skills sharp."

"Yeah, we'd also burn more calories and get hungry faster," Zeke said.

"It's okay if you're too afraid to challenge me," WBDG said. "You don't have to make excuses."

Nulfar snored again.

"Will somebody shut him up?" Zeke asked.  "That snoring is very irritating right now."

"Roll him over," Sadie said. "Maybe he'll stop."

"Or we could just kill him," Zeke said. "That would make him be quiet and we could find out if he's edible. Two birds with one stone."

Bumble-Boo sniffed at Nulfar uncertainly and licked the top of his head. He made a face of revulsion and started spitting.

"It doesn't look like he tastes good," Sadie said.

"Damn it. I was hoping he'd be like filet mignon. I'll still eat him if I get hungry enough. When I get hungry enough."

"Well don't worry.  We'll probably die of thirst long before we get hungry enough to eat anyone," Sadie said.

"Oh, well that's helpful," Zeke said as he felt a rumble in his tummy.  "Thanks.  I feel a lot better now."  

"Hey, is that star getting brighter?" Sadie asked.

"What star?" Zeke said. He tried to see where she was pointing at. "I think your mind's playing tricks on you."

"No, it's definitely getting brighter. And bigger. I think it's a spaceship."

"Do you know what the odds are of a spaceship randomly finding us out here?" Zeke asked.

"Who cares what the odds are?" Sadie said. "Is there a radio on this bed somewhere? Can we signal that thing?"

"I don't know," Zeke said. "But it looks like it's coming towards us. Maybe it already knows we're here."

"Maybe it doesn't though," Sadie said "Hey! Over here!" she shouted and started waving her arms around. Bumble-Boo started chirping and waving his arms as well.

"I don't think that's going to help draw their attention if they're not already aware of us," Zeke said.

"Yeah, but it's not going to not help either," Sadie said as she continued to waver her arms around. "Plus at least I feel like I'm doing something and not just sitting around twiddling my thumbs."

"That's a good point," Zeke said. "Over here!" he shouted and began waving his arms. Milosh and WBDG decided to join in as well.

"Would you keep it down?" Nulfar lifted his head and mumbled. "I'm trying to sleep here." He laid his head back down and immediately started snoring.

"Forget that guy," Sadie said as she continued waving her arms. "He's first on the menu anyway if we don't get rescued."

By this point the spaceship had gotten close enough that they could make out some details on it. It was bright red and had several portholes in the front. There appeared to be some writing on the side, but they weren't at a good angle to read it.

"It's definitely coming right at us," Zeke said. "I really hope they know we're here, because otherwise we're about to have a collision in the middle of space."

"Is going to run us over," Milosh said. "Is about to get flattened like pancake."

Suddenly the bed was enveloped by a bright light and they started to move toward the spaceship.

"It looks like we're caught in some sort of tractor beam," Zeke said as he squinted against the light.

They were pulled closer and closer to the ship until finally a large panel opened in the side of it and they were pulled aboard. The panel closed behind them and they found themselves in a mostly empty room that resembled a warehouse. There were some crates strapped against one wall and a big round hatch was built into an opposite wall. They waited a few minutes but nobody seemed to be coming into the room to greet them.

"Do you suppose it's safe to go out there?" Sadie asked.

"I don't know," Zeke shrugged. "Maybe the room hasn't repressurized yet or something. Also we have no idea whose ship this is. We could have just gotten picked up by the bad guys that attacked our ship. Maybe they're going to come down here and kill us all."

"I'll take them on," WBDG said. "I'll try out my flying hammer kick move I've been developing."

"Don't worry," Zeke said. "We'll definitely send you out first."

"Do you even know how to lower the transparent bubble thing so we can get out of this bed?" Sadie asked.

"No clue." Zeke shrugged. "I guess Nulfar could probably tell us when he wakes up."

"I could try kicking it," WBDG said and proceeded to do just that. The transparent pod made a whirring sound and opened up, receding somewhere back into the bed.

"I'm a little disturbed it was that easy to open," Zeke said. "I'm glad you didn't try that while we were still floating out in empty space."

"The good news is our heads aren't exploding and the air's breathable," Sadie said. "I think it's safe to get out of the bed."

"Yeah, but we still don't know if we're safe from whoever's flying this spaceship," Zeke said.

"Maybe one of us should try opening that hatch in the wall, while the rest of us hang back in the bed, just in case we need to put the pod back up for protection," Sadie said.

"That's a good idea," Zeke said.

"I nominate Zeke to open the hatch," WBDG said.

"What?" Zeke said. "I thought you were going to single-handedly fight off anyone who threatened us."

"I'll jump in if things get hairy," WBDG said. "I'm just, uh, not good at opening up hatches."

"I don't even know what that means," Zeke said as he climbed out of the bed. "Fine. I'll open the hatch. But if I get killed I'm holding you personally responsible." There was a big circular handle on the hatch. Zeke grabbed it and started to turn it. "Milosh? You don't want to step in here and stop me?"

"Is good right here," Milosh said.

"What happened to the guy who said it was no big deal if he died?" Zeke grumbled to himself. "There's lots of Miloshes. Don't worry. Milosh will sacrifice himself to save his friends."

The hatch swung open and Zeke found himself standing face to face with a creature with big bulging black eyes and a nose that looked like a trumpet. It had long spindly arms and legs covered in thick orange fur. Two antenna-like protrusions extended from its head. It let out a sharp pinging sound and jumped back in alarm while Zeke simultaneously let out an involuntary shriek and jumped backwards.

Zeke took a moment to regather his wits and ventured to look back at the alien. It appeared to be doing the same thing as it made a much softer pinging sound and lifted one of its long spindly arms. It had eight fingers on its hand, which it opened wide and slowly brought towards Zeke's face.

"Uh, you're not going to squirt any face-melting acidic slime out of that thing are you?" Zeke asked.

The alien touched Zeke's face gently and then quickly withdrew its hand.

"He looks friendly enough," Sadie said as she climbed out of the bed and walked up behind Zeke. "Hi there, fella. What's your name?"

"His name is Shazmar," a giant woman with purple hair said as she emerged out of the hatch. "I am Zannah. Greetings, once again, Zeke. Welcome aboard the Starswan."