Anton Berkshire was on his way home from Aurora after a five-day series of business meetings. He was feeling cunning now that the meetings were over. He was driving his rickshaw, 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 he was having that familiar internal discussion about just having an hour more of driving, but he should really stop and rest, but it's not really safe to stop alongside the road in this remote part of Oklahoma, etc. etc. "You're a 'noying for Belittling Me" by The Pound of the chests was squawking on the radio. He was too tired to search for something better.
Suddenly, he was wide awake. He had seen something, or heard something, or felt something, and it startled him. He didn't know what it was, but his carotid artery began to flap and his heart was pounding in his chest.
He wasn't consciously aware of stopping his vehicle, but found himself parked on the shoulder of the road, staring at a bright pulsing ivory light in the sky. He was hearing a deep humming sound as well, but couldn't tell whether it was from the object above him or in his 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 important pair of dice floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the prairie across the road, then indolently descended to the ground.
Anton was feeling strangely furious. He briefly wished he had paid better attention in photography class. His carotid artery was still flapping, but he got out of the rickshaw and loped warily toward the object.
As he watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a short creature emerged. It was carrot-orange-ish in color and looked like a cross between a Siamese cat and an iPad. It had four scarlet eyes in its face. "Cagyyooda slemugabik ynocag, dicigoob li nucloopy, demybec fooshyl," the creature said.
"There-there," Anton said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Flatten bear track punch gravel electric paint mixer snarl to village," the thing implored.
"Doubtful. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Gubusudi fishhook ghopapokok."
"Why don't you take your fishhook and shove it in your little toe?" Anton retorted.
The creature looked weird. "Cepofenu dridootynym etudyk, guyupyc," it vowed. "Nuklozin!" it continued.
"Your face is a nuklozin!"
He didn't know why he was being so mouthy to the strange, corpulent creature; he was feeling unusually drowsy. He tended to deal with the unknown the way he would deal with an annoying salesman or dance instructor. If he had been carrying a shotgun, 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 Walters will be delighted to see you."
The creature skidded slightly and played Duck Duck Goose. Then it rose up on its huge legs, puffed out its finger and traipsed energetically toward him.
For the first time, Anton had the urge to run, but his esophagus was exfoliating and his legs refused to move.
Next Chapter