Traveling Companion Wanted

"Traveling Companion Wanted" by Richard Wilson is a science fiction story from a time when people were really excited about space, and it tells of Regan, a spaceman who stumbles upon a hidden world below the sea while trying to fix his broken suit. The story mixes adventure with strange, dreamlike stuff, talking about being curious, feeling alone, and how tricky it can be to talk to others. It all kicks off when Regan messes up during a space trip and crashes into the ocean, finding a weird underwater river that guides him to a lively city underground. As he checks out this secret place, he meets interesting folks and learns about their ways, all while dealing with being super tired and hungry. Even though he's trying to get back home and can't really talk to anyone, he starts to like this new place. In the end, Regan makes it back to the surface, but he really wants to go back to this alien world, showing how much people want to explore.