A Laughing Owl

The colonists all report seeing the same thing—Santa Claus.


With their maiden voyage behind them, the crew of the Laughing Owl is sent on a mission to ferry scientists to an odd planet where, according to reports, Santa Claus has been sighted, flying high in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. Nobody’s sure what Santa’s up to—he hasn’t delivered a single present.

Captain Nick Steele agrees with the scientists who propose that Santa is a mass hallucination and probably the result of some unknown compound in the water, air or food. But Astrogator Cai isn’t so sure, because if Santa is a hallucination, everyone on the planet is having the same hallucination, identical to the smallest detail.

As Christmas approaches, will the crew of the Laughing Owl solve the mystery of the hallucinogenic Santa or will the man prove to be real by delivering presents in the dead of night?