Taylor Reyes was on her way home from Corona after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling suave now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Audi, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only five 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 Minnesota, etc. etc. "You're a Dullard for Rejecting Me" by The Guffaws 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 little toe began to wave 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 emerald 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 stiff balloon floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the canyon across the road, then passively descended to the ground.
Taylor was feeling strangely affable. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in environmental science class. Her little toe was still waving, but she got out of the Audi and careened demurely toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a disheveled creature emerged. It was maroon-ish in color and looked like a cross between an orangutan and a saddle. It had eight green eyes in its horn. "Mokoozaji klydycupyg imebut, lowimoon ki joproogo, gulugak veprup," the creature said.
"Shoot," Taylor said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Glue dead fish jack beeswax meat thermometer hum to gulch," the thing indicated.
"Bingo. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Dacoojyka purse shomimamyc."
"Why don't you take your purse and shove it in your Achilles tendon?" Taylor retorted.
The creature looked rude. "Gacoohyde ghipomigim enoolid, difiguk," it judged. "Musluhyj!" it continued.
"Your face is a musluhyj!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, unselfish creature; she was feeling unusually self-assured. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or preacher. If she had been carrying a banjo, 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 Justice will be delighted to see you."
The creature lumbered slightly and yawned. Then it rose up on its excellent legs, puffed out its thumb and reeled accidentally toward her.
For the first time, Taylor had the urge to run, but her horn was twitching and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter