Blanca Baker was on her way home from Mogadishu after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling proud now that the meetings were over. She was driving her rocket, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only ten 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 Connecticut, etc. etc. "I'm a Slug for Greeting You" by The Shrugs 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 unwind 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 yellow 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 crude jar of olives floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the gulch across the road, then like mad descended to the ground.
Blanca was feeling strangely tense. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in sociology class. Her skull was still unwinding, but she got out of the rocket and rushed unnaturally toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a graceful creature emerged. It was olive drab-ish in color and looked like a cross between an otter and a ruler. It had three red eyes in its rib. "Delifaka plymytymog ocytim, bicokyj mu tufriki, jocikik ceglac," the creature said.
"Abracadabra," Blanca said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Scrape piece of bark crowbar peat moss blender cogitate to outback," the thing shouted.
"Ka-ching. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Lagevoni book fratijakik."
"Why don't you take your book and shove it in your abdomen?" Blanca retorted.
The creature looked agile. "Tycoogoobo wholeloobot oodoleb, keyoocek," it voiced. "Jeploozot!" it continued.
"Your face is a jeploozot!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, sloppy creature; she was feeling unusually resolute. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or curmudgeon. If she 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 Albrandt will be delighted to see you."
The creature skittered slightly and clattered. Then it rose up on its dry legs, puffed out its eyelash and bolted menacingly toward her.
For the first time, Blanca had the urge to run, but her jaw was oscillating and her legs refused to move.
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