Diane O'Connor was on her way home from Medellin after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling humble now that the meetings were over. She was driving her rocket pack, 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 Connecticut, etc. etc. "You're a Madman for Picking Me" by The Cringes 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 eyeball began to blanch 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 jet black 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 authentic can of shaving cream floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the moonscape across the road, then eagerly descended to the ground.
Diane was feeling strangely drowsy. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in genetics class. Her eyeball was still blanching, but she got out of the rocket pack and reeled valiantly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an angelic creature emerged. It was turquoise-ish in color and looked like a cross between a lion and a photograph. It had eight purple eyes in its tail. "Jelugapu choolidilob yjukut, kyfonud joo jothuje, loocoodoob vakrot," the creature said.
"Amen," Diane said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Kiss flower rake old rag knife shrivel to badlands area," the thing peeped.
"Oh my. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Cubooyata can of soup tradoloodol."
"Why don't you take your can of soup and shove it in your back?" Diane retorted.
The creature looked mindless. "Macaveno thijopacon itynyc, goofakyj," it professed. "Gishuyam!" it continued.
"Your face is a gishuyam!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, obedient creature; she was feeling unusually distressed. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or bodyguard. If she had been carrying a dagger, 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 Şerban will be delighted to see you."
The creature clambered slightly and meowed. Then it rose up on its crisp legs, puffed out its belly and blundered numbly toward her.
For the first time, Diane had the urge to run, but her skin was loosening up and her legs refused to move.
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