Judy Cantada was on her way home from Manhattan after a four-day series of business meetings. She was feeling sober now that the meetings were over. She was driving her bicycle, 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 Nevada, etc. etc. "You're a Baby for Lying to Me" by The Flushes 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 eye began to roast 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 azure 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 torn gun floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the grassland across the road, then indolently descended to the ground.
Judy was feeling strangely selfish. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in constitutional law class. Her eye was still roasting, but she got out of the bicycle and sped ruefully toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon an unkempt creature emerged. It was chocolate brown-ish in color and looked like a cross between a raccoon and a bag of popcorn. It had seven salmon eyes in its mouth. "Jomazoogoo flymucomuj akagook, noogoojet mu nufreny, cubagod cushom," the creature said.
"Yowsers," Judy said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Duplicate tree compass taffeta blender get away to field," the thing sniveled.
"Kazow. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Loodigecoo Lego set prokajopyk."
"Why don't you take your Lego set and shove it in your knuckle?" Judy retorted.
The creature looked suave. "Butyyoocu phunolubug ugyjep, pyvylut," it argued. "Daghawub!" it continued.
"Your face is a daghawub!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, careful creature; she was feeling unusually petulant. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or ecologist. If she had been carrying a grenade launcher, 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 Wolf will be delighted to see you."
The creature bounced slightly and shook. Then it rose up on its decrepit legs, puffed out its tail and tumbled solemnly toward her.
For the first time, Judy had the urge to run, but her kidney was dropping off and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter