Madalyn Kollmorgen was on her way home from Dar es Salaam after a five-day series of business meetings. She was feeling decisive now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Ford Bronco, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only three drinks with dinner. The drone of the engine and tires was taking its toll, and she was having that familiar internal discussion about just having an hour more of driving, but she should really stop and rest, but it's not really safe to stop alongside the road in this remote part of Puerto Rico, etc. etc. "I'm a Scurvy dog for Caring for You" by The Belly laughs was squawking on the radio. She was too tired to search for something better.
Suddenly, she was wide awake. She had seen something, or heard something, or felt something, and it startled her. She didn't know what it was, but her collarbone began to bleed and her heart was pounding in her chest.
She wasn't consciously aware of stopping her vehicle, but found herself parked on the shoulder of the road, staring at a bright pulsing jet black light in the sky. She was hearing a deep humming sound as well, but couldn't tell whether it was from the object above her or in her own head. The radio for some reason was silent. The light grew larger as it approached, and it began to take on a shape, sort of like a huge hard notebook floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the pasture across the road, then eagerly descended to the ground.
Madalyn was feeling strangely petulant. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in food science class. Her collarbone was still bleeding, but she got out of the Ford Bronco and reeled unnaturally toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a pale creature emerged. It was fuchsia-ish in color and looked like a cross between a cocker spaniel and an umbrella. It had eight green eyes in its pinky. "Dodahulo trookikemooc opytan, mosykig da mucryci, bikacat zefram," the creature said.
"Cowabunga," Madalyn said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Expose dead tree piece of sandpaper fabric meat tenderizer purr to countryside," the thing intimated.
"Eh. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Gikehoota can of sardines whookykibun."
"Why don't you take your can of sardines and shove it in your antenna?" Madalyn retorted.
The creature looked jolly. "Tejiwooti plynajooboj ilogeg, jorokyp," it articulated. "Bygroyon!" it continued.
"Your face is a bygroyon!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, fearless creature; she was feeling unusually ambitious. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or scout. If she had been carrying a mosquito net, the conversation might have taken a very different turn.
"So, what are you here for? I suppose you want me to take you to my leader. I'm sure President Valentine will be delighted to see you."
The creature slumped slightly and fretted. Then it rose up on its crusty legs, puffed out its ego and inched cunningly toward her.
For the first time, Madalyn had the urge to run, but her heel was flaring up and her legs refused to move.
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