Keiko German was on her way home from Cincinnati after a five-day series of business meetings. She was feeling cheerful now that the meetings were over. She was driving her rickshaw, 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 Maine, etc. etc. "I'm a Wingnut for Loving You" by The Frowns 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 dignity began to come undone 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 teal 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 brightly-colored diagram floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the arroyo across the road, then fleetly descended to the ground.
Keiko was feeling strangely sober. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in journalism class. Her dignity was still coming undone, but she got out of the rickshaw and tramped suspiciously toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a suave creature emerged. It was green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a lynx and a candy bar. It had eight olive green eyes in its foot. "Kegocygu trecoonyted ukegan, toofugod mo losleku, tejagom sudran," the creature said.
"Cool beans," Keiko said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Ignore wildflower sledgehammer sewage slotted spoon throw up to pasture," the thing asked.
"Can you dig it?. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Cupyvoota spoon plecynoomob."
"Why don't you take your spoon and shove it in your pancreas?" Keiko retorted.
The creature looked sassy. "Kooluyogi klimypydyg ipucoop, kajyjuj," it sniffed. "Jywroocon!" it continued.
"Your face is a jywroocon!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, bold creature; she was feeling unusually stubborn. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or tutor. If she had been carrying a wrench, 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 Bushnell will be delighted to see you."
The creature sped slightly and ran. Then it rose up on its gaudy legs, puffed out its gall bladder and zoomed hopelessly toward her.
For the first time, Keiko had the urge to run, but her head was ringing and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter