Lynn Mackintosh was on her way home from Beijing after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling distressed now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Ferrari, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only seven 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 Vermont, etc. etc. "You're a Laggard for Aweing Me" by The Squints 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 chin began to hang 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 peach 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 hollow accordion floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the mountaintop across the road, then chop-chop descended to the ground.
Lynn was feeling strangely maniacal. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in hotel management class. Her chin was still hanging, but she got out of the Ferrari and sprinted warmly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a sprightly creature emerged. It was yellow-ish in color and looked like a cross between a lovebird and a paper clip. It had three jade eyes in its kneecap. "Gabisapo ghalykogim ogootin, juwicun ge bapluku, gobakug yoodrej," the creature said.
"Yow," Lynn said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Poke bird's nest mallet palm leaf food processor yelp to moonscape," the thing phrased.
"Shame. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Tolicuboo hockey puck shytupotun."
"Why don't you take your hockey puck and shove it in your shoulder?" Lynn retorted.
The creature looked slimy. "Tytoofulu flajygegak opitub, lajujik," it smiled. "Jotrawub!" it continued.
"Your face is a jotrawub!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, precocious creature; she was feeling unusually daring. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or carpenter. If she had been carrying a grenade launcher, 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 Withers will be delighted to see you."
The creature sauntered slightly and begged. Then it rose up on its wet legs, puffed out its bladder and trotted courteously toward her.
For the first time, Lynn had the urge to run, but her nose was warping and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter