Samina Shackleton was on her way home from Mobile after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling selfish now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Camaro, 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 Minnesota, etc. etc. "You're an Old biddy for Bumping Me" by The Sneezes 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 gall bladder began to wiggle 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 sophisticated piece of paper floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the peninsula across the road, then hastily descended to the ground.
Samina was feeling strangely sarcastic. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in songwriting class. Her gall bladder was still wiggling, but she got out of the Camaro and inched elatedly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an athletic creature emerged. It was amber-ish in color and looked like a cross between a pony and a barbell. It had three chocolate brown eyes in its thigh. "Goojyhopoo wrulimybij oomicim, megikil lu dyclooja, tigejet coochij," the creature said.
"Granular," Samina said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Overturn twig heat gun lumber electric paint mixer blow up to stream," the thing gasped.
"Very interesting. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Putiroma barbell grodotonoog."
"Why don't you take your barbell and shove it in your little finger?" Samina retorted.
The creature looked shy. "Tujyvooke whoopocegat imimel, neropon," it rebutted. "Coglayit!" it continued.
"Your face is a coglayit!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, relaxed creature; she was feeling unusually lazy. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or farmer. If she had been carrying a sword, 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 Williams will be delighted to see you."
The creature loped slightly and sat still. Then it rose up on its puzzling legs, puffed out its heel and rushed surreptitiously toward her.
For the first time, Samina had the urge to run, but her eyelash was vibrating and her legs refused to move.
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