Ellen Sims was on her way home from Kampala after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling brash now that the meetings were over. She was driving her fire truck, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only six 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 Virgin Islands, etc. etc. "I'm a Blatherskite for Winking at You" by The Finger guns 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 forehead began to ossify 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 turquoise 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 curved painting floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the stream across the road, then at a dawdle descended to the ground.
Ellen was feeling strangely proud. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in calculus class. Her forehead was still ossifying, but she got out of the fire truck and waded immediately toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a well-built creature emerged. It was olive drab-ish in color and looked like a cross between a rabbit and a soccer ball. It had three camouflage eyes in its cheek. "Tycygene broolykyjoog ykookit, muvotop ge giklagu, lyboodoob zycryg," the creature said.
"Okay," Ellen said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Refurbish twig chainsaw aluminum foil whisk creep to field," the thing contended.
"Gesundheit. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Dipuhime hat klatelepeg."
"Why don't you take your hat and shove it in your earlobe?" Ellen retorted.
The creature looked vile. "Cemoryte whydapagon ukotij, dogikec," it spoke up. "Buklurot!" it continued.
"Your face is a buklurot!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, noble creature; she was feeling unusually cantankerous. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or painter. If she had been carrying a hammer, 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 Bratt will be delighted to see you."
The creature inched slightly and twitched. Then it rose up on its fluffy legs, puffed out its adrenal gland and slunk doubtfully toward her.
For the first time, Ellen had the urge to run, but her horn was turning grey and her legs refused to move.
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