Bria Price was on her way home from Canberra after a five-day series of business meetings. She was feeling self-confident now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Tesla Model S, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only eight 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 Nevada, etc. etc. "I'm a Geek for Reassuring You" by The Cackles 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 palm began to get sticky 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 lime-green 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 smooth tablet computer floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the bog across the road, then slackly descended to the ground.
Bria was feeling strangely daring. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in theology class. Her palm was still getting sticky, but she got out of the Tesla Model S and tumbled gracefully toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a pretty creature emerged. It was brown-ish in color and looked like a cross between a toad and a blank check. It had six sea green eyes in its earlobe. "Bokyfoobi brydoogoodaj oocakyn, jofopeb joo coowrunu, bagybool yeghuc," the creature said.
"Stoked," Bria said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Reject maple tree hacksaw tile fork cogitate to park," the thing brought up.
"Alright. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Citesike mirror frojoojoodyj."
"Why don't you take your mirror and shove it in your pride?" Bria retorted.
The creature looked rapacious. "Danijokoo whoomeloobib agigum, nyzabuk," it remarked. "Mowhijec!" it continued.
"Your face is a mowhijec!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, sensible creature; she was feeling unusually desperate. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or drug dealer. If she had been carrying a dirt clod, 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 Garvey will be delighted to see you."
The creature hobbled slightly and cheered. Then it rose up on its spongy legs, puffed out its hip and staggered menacingly toward her.
For the first time, Bria had the urge to run, but her midriff was smoking and her legs refused to move.
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