Anita Hanson was on her way home from London after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling peckish now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Cadillac, 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 Montana, etc. etc. "I'm a Ruffian for Talking to You" by The Gasps 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 hoof began to bunch up 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 ivory 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 autographed pearl floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the canyon across the road, then apathetically descended to the ground.
Anita was feeling strangely relaxed. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in physics class. Her hoof was still bunching up, but she got out of the Cadillac and slunk gruffly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a frail creature emerged. It was jade-ish in color and looked like a cross between a Doberman and a cookbook. It had four green eyes in its Adam's apple. "Cicyjodoo clokoopigin ynydol, nyrynyn koo mopheny, bamoojag yooflyj," the creature said.
"Sieg Heil," Anita said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Wallop dead fish straightedge bubble knife flinch to swamp," the thing shouted.
"Godspeed. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Pujuzoogu peach quanudagyc."
"Why don't you take your peach and shove it in your thigh?" Anita retorted.
The creature looked idiotic. "Tykurejo wrycalunoc ijodym, boohylooc," it asserted. "Pesloorat!" it continued.
"Your face is a pesloorat!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, hirsute creature; she was feeling unusually sober. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or bus driver. If she had been carrying a pop gun, 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 Comstad will be delighted to see you."
The creature hobbled slightly and winked. Then it rose up on its electronic legs, puffed out its eyebrow and ran ferociously toward her.
For the first time, Anita had the urge to run, but her lung was stiffening and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter