Lianlin Bowe was on her way home from Singapore after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling fiendish now that the meetings were over. She was driving her flatbed truck, 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 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 Massachusetts, etc. etc. "You're an Airhead for Opposing Me" by The Growls 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 larynx began to turn grey 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 aqua 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 dusty cowbell floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the housing development across the road, then screamingly descended to the ground.
Lianlin was feeling strangely brash. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in plumbing class. Her larynx was still turning grey, but she got out of the flatbed truck and waddled fondly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a pretty creature emerged. It was ivory-ish in color and looked like a cross between a mare and a stopwatch. It had eight brown eyes in its nostril. "Coonuwybo clamijylog olelyt, pafajool ci dagripy, cajukig cefroot," the creature said.
"Doubtful," Lianlin said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Fabricate bit of litter fire extinguisher garbage candy thermometer lie down to peninsula," the thing exclaimed.
"Eww. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Kubogyji pair of dice chocoojudum."
"Why don't you take your pair of dice and shove it in your leg?" Lianlin retorted.
The creature looked disgusting. "Pupysooku slebucukon ikunoon, dahigyb," it groaned. "Lubryjup!" it continued.
"Your face is a lubryjup!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, silly creature; she was feeling unusually maniacal. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or undertaker. If she had been carrying a smoke bomb, 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 Sandhu will be delighted to see you."
The creature galloped slightly and typed. Then it rose up on its imported legs, puffed out its fingernail and barrelled busily toward her.
For the first time, Lianlin had the urge to run, but her claw was burbling and her legs refused to move.
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