Cassandra Shackleton was on her way home from San Diego after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling tired now that the meetings were over. She was driving her cement truck, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only eleven 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 Montana, etc. etc. "I'm a Fiend for Winking at You" by The Wags of the finger 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 skull began to throb 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 violet 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 broken chart floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the plain across the road, then indolently descended to the ground.
Cassandra was feeling strangely self-confident. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in baking class. Her skull was still throbbing, but she got out of the cement truck and danced haughtily toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an olive creature emerged. It was olive green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a turkey and a clipboard. It had five fuchsia eyes in its belly. "Nagyjylo klocagojel epinuk, kivonac mi neghooco, gucocyk wewrood," the creature said.
"I'm sure," Cassandra said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Stitch wildflower staple gun copper paring knife cheer up to trail," the thing conversed.
"Banzai. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Joonirilo sea shell whikubytep."
"Why don't you take your sea shell and shove it in your knee?" Cassandra retorted.
The creature looked sweet. "Koogysodu kroocujuluk oopakyl, tojobip," it snorted. "Mokligup!" it continued.
"Your face is a mokligup!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, powerful creature; she was feeling unusually selfish. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or artist. If she had been carrying a hand sanitizer, 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 Sarma will be delighted to see you."
The creature walked slightly and growled. Then it rose up on its imitation legs, puffed out its hip and trekked oddly toward her.
For the first time, Cassandra had the urge to run, but her bladder was jamming up and her legs refused to move.
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