ARK Reboot: Possible Beta Draft coming Summer 2026

Hello, everyone. I know it has been a very long time since I last made a post. I have been very busy with moving to a new home, and just today, I finally got my Internet working after having no Internet for a week.

I also wanted to quickly add that I would like to at least get out "just a snippet" of the new ARK story sometime in May or June 2026, maybe a bit later if life gets in the way for me again. It will be my first new material since 2021, and I am just very excited to share just how much I have grown as a writer over the years. I am also viewing this as a "test project," something that will allow me to ask myself, "Can I still do this? Am I capable of writing stories that people can enjoy or be emotionally affected by? Can I help people learn good life lessons without being preachy or literal? Can I entertain people while adding some drama? Is anyone going to think badly about me for writing about topics and issues that other people don't usually write about or dare not to touch?"

I know two anthropomorphic animal characters who are going to be in the new ARK universe for sure: Jackson Fox (a Red Fox) and Charlie (a Peregrine Falcon, don't have a last name for him yet because I still don't have all of his background all sorted out yet). Jackson is a very shy, timid character who is a cautious, yet fine pilot. He provides a voice of reason to his best friend, Charlie, sometimes because his overconfidence as a pilot can get the better of him sometimes, but Jackson is overall very quiet and keeps to himself a lot. Even though Jackson performs really well in flight school, he doesn't have many friends besides Charlie (and one other really good friend) partially because a lot of those "friends" turned out to not be very good friends at all. Jackson also has a hidden phobia that not even Charlie knows about in the very beginning, but he does learn about it slowly over time. In fact, Charlie does feel like a complete idiot for not even finding out sooner since those two have been friends for about fifteen years (sometimes even long-time friends are such a secretive bunch!). Even though Charlie can't fully relate, he does his research on what is going on since Jackson is way too embarrassed to look things up on the very highly advanced Google and AI we may encounter in the year 2086. Charlie also does whatever he can to help Jackson overcome his issues and work through his phobia...sometimes in ways that may feel "odd" and "really weird" to the people reading the story! But hey, this will be a real thing that some people actually do go through and deal with in real life this way. I figured I could spread some awareness by using it as a very original plot point. I will make sure to not focus on it too much and also allow time for comedy, high-flying action, dogfights, and intense aerial combat on both Earth and in space (including fictional planets in an alternate dimension). After all, this story is meant to be a more adult version of Star Fox!

Charlie is a much more confident character compared to Jackson. He's a mixture of many different fictional characters you may be familiar with: Han Solo, Falco Lombardi, Maverick (he even wears aviator shades like Maverick!). Basically, he is a tough guy who also has a soft, empathetic side. He is cocky and can be a bit arrogant sometimes, but he is incredibly loyal to Jackson and is like family to him. They both share a friendly rivalry while in flight school and while taking down enemy fighters once they finally graduate, with Charlie teasing Jackson a lot about stuff (except for his phobia and very personal trauma, of course). Later on, as Jackson and Charlie form a new ARK team in honor of Jackson's deceased father (who was the leader of the previous ARK team), Charlie really shines as a secondary leader and father figure to everyone. Although Jackson is the official leader of the ARK team, Charlie does have to step in a lot and try to teach him how to stand up for himself, gain more confidence in himself, and be a great leader.

Basically, the ARK reboot will be about Jackson's personal growth from someone who is quiet and anxious a lot out of fear of humiliating himself, to someone who is much more confident and assertive--someone who stands up to bullies and for himself. He will eventually learn who his true friends really are and realize that even leaders have vulnerabilities and need help sometimes. Most importantly, he will learn that he can trust and rely on his true friends, his actual friends, to support him through his phobia. It really is nothing to be ashamed of, and at least he is working with it and through it so that it doesn't hold him back for the rest of his life. He does try to deal with it on his own all by himself at first because it is just way too embarrassing and shameful for him, but when he can't, and things slip out around Charlie...true recovery can finally begin!

I know it's going to be a very unconventional story to read, but I really strive to be original by writing stuff that people don't normally write about. I also want to add character development and deep, relatable personalities, because I never really did that so well back when I was a kid. Back then, characters were just sort of there...a plot device, just something almost robotic that keeps the plot moving forward. I want the ARK team members to really be more than just soldiers or combat partners. I want them to be characters that people will really care about and relate to.

There is a chance that I just may divide the new ARK reboot into episodes, kind of like a TV series or anime, because the world of ARK seems too massive for me to put into one single long "movie." To me, novels are like movies and short stories are more like episodes, and since I don't write sequels (at least not nowadays), maybe the short episodic story route may be better. Novels are a bit over my level, anyway. My point is, I am at least hoping to finally start writing some of Jackson's tale of personal growth and at least share a beta draft of my work this summer. Plus, who doesn't want to read fun, entertaining stuff about land and air combat, lasers, starships, exploring different planets, and aircraft and robots going around shooting each other and blowing things up? You know, the kind of stuff you see on Star Wars, Star Fox, and Top Gun?

I'm planning on posting again soon...hopefully in my Badass Bolls persona as opposed to my much more professional regular persona, as I did here.