Katherine Barberry was on her way home from Seattle after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling puzzled now that the meetings were over. She was driving her chariot, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only twelve 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 New Mexico, etc. etc. "I'm a Hack for Poisoning You" by The Power fists 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 toe began to decay 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 red 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 golden pigeon floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the forest across the road, then moderately descended to the ground.
Katherine was feeling strangely self-confident. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in reading class. Her toe was still decaying, but she got out of the chariot and flew threateningly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a lanky creature emerged. It was lime-green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a dingo and a peach. It had four aquamarine eyes in its skull. "Danayutu plutokekoog ecolun, jooyocam da cookrice, googajub hodrac," the creature said.
"What the dickens," Katherine said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Slash stone woodworker's clamp denim fork moan to circus tent," the thing rebutted.
"Wahoo. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Bituheje protest sign framymojyl."
"Why don't you take your protest sign and shove it in your eyelid?" Katherine retorted.
The creature looked sinister. "Didusicu ghookejojyp ubelim, derudac," it squawked. "Koshoohim!" it continued.
"Your face is a koshoohim!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, difficult creature; she was feeling unusually shy. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or news reporter. If she had been carrying a pillow, 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 Peña will be delighted to see you."
The creature straggled slightly and freaked out. Then it rose up on its ridged legs, puffed out its thigh and walked unabashedly toward her.
For the first time, Katherine had the urge to run, but her gall bladder was growling and her legs refused to move.
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