Vanessa Kaiser was on her way home from Fremont after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling cautious now that the meetings were over. She was driving her dump truck, 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 Missouri, etc. etc. "You're a Prattling gabbler for Joking with Me" by The Hugs 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 tongue began to bunch up 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 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 authentic stapler floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the gulch across the road, then at a creep descended to the ground.
Vanessa was feeling strangely decisive. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in carpentry class. Her tongue was still bunching up, but she got out of the dump truck and zoomed sadly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a sexy creature emerged. It was periwinkle-ish in color and looked like a cross between a sheep and a thumb drive. It had five tan eyes in its neck. "Jikocaki quolimyjaj opoopoon, bocoonul ji buquanoo, naguden yaslim," the creature said.
"Rats," Vanessa said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Gold plate fallen tree protractor bone sharp knife wait to arroyo," the thing smiled.
"Bless your heart. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Jibycegi stack of papers proocogumib."
"Why don't you take your stack of papers and shove it in your hair?" Vanessa retorted.
The creature looked lanky. "Dobiwaty wrudekanoom ikipog, lagucej," it contended. "Takrivoot!" it continued.
"Your face is a takrivoot!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, intelligent creature; she was feeling unusually somber. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or grocer. If she had been carrying a rope, 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 South will be delighted to see you."
The creature jogged slightly and looked angry. Then it rose up on its broken legs, puffed out its hairdo and stalked uneasily toward her.
For the first time, Vanessa had the urge to run, but her mouth was shivering and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter