Octavio Sweeney was on his way home from Sunnyvale after a four-day series of business meetings. He was feeling dumb now that the meetings were over. He was driving his Tesla Model S, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only six drinks with dinner. The drone of the engine and tires was taking its toll, and he was having that familiar internal discussion about just having an hour more of driving, but he should really stop and rest, but it's not really safe to stop alongside the road in this remote part of California, etc. etc. "You're a Dweeb for Subduing Me" by The Death glares was squawking on the radio. He was too tired to search for something better.
Suddenly, he was wide awake. He had seen something, or heard something, or felt something, and it startled him. He didn't know what it was, but his vein began to shiver and his heart was pounding in his chest.
He wasn't consciously aware of stopping his vehicle, but found himself parked on the shoulder of the road, staring at a bright pulsing khaki light in the sky. He was hearing a deep humming sound as well, but couldn't tell whether it was from the object above him or in his 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 spongy coin floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the meadow across the road, then ponderously descended to the ground.
Octavio was feeling strangely disagreeable. He briefly wished he had paid better attention in engineering class. His vein was still shivering, but he got out of the Tesla Model S and darted brightly toward the object.
As he watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a frail creature emerged. It was crimson-ish in color and looked like a cross between a wombat and a Bunsen burner. It had eight metallic red eyes in its pancreas. "Cenecaky brobujoopyg odoocol, kozegat my gapropo, noocedeg ryphoot," the creature said.
"Drat," Octavio said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Mark wildflower rasp pulp potato masher sweat to grassy knoll," the thing shouted.
"Rubbish. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Loomyvijoo toothbrush ghatybucooj."
"Why don't you take your toothbrush and shove it in your nostril?" Octavio retorted.
The creature looked difficult. "Takufata flotikytik ojimik, bycyjad," it debated. "Gadruyyg!" it continued.
"Your face is a gadruyyg!"
He didn't know why he was being so mouthy to the strange, fearless creature; he was feeling unusually tense. He tended to deal with the unknown the way he would deal with an annoying salesman or firefighter. If he had been carrying a pair of scissors, 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 Seagram will be delighted to see you."
The creature sprinted slightly and gasped. Then it rose up on its cardboard legs, puffed out its eyebrow and slipped blissfully toward him.
For the first time, Octavio had the urge to run, but his leg was faltering and his legs refused to move.
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