Amanda Skye was on her way home from Havana after a five-day series of business meetings. She was feeling woozy now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Jaguar, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only eight 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 Alaska, etc. etc. "You're a Villain for Indoctrinating Me" by The Power fists 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 antenna began to vex 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 red 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 automatic Rubik's cube floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the backyard across the road, then expeditiously descended to the ground.
Amanda was feeling strangely decisive. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in Esperanto class. Her antenna was still vexing, but she got out of the Jaguar and lurched uneasily toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a tiny creature emerged. It was pink-ish in color and looked like a cross between a warthog and a sack. It had eight navy blue eyes in its ear. "Kootesepi klubydepooj ymomik, loyyguc ne gekrugi, gogoocyd zygrol," the creature said.
"Mommy," Amanda said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Flatten mushroom utility knife porcelain paring knife come over to lakeside," the thing screamed.
"Big whoop. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Cumoosipoo stick chagoonucul."
"Why don't you take your stick and shove it in your belly button?" Amanda retorted.
The creature looked sweet. "Nidooyooji tramynybut oojemag, gefalet," it warbled. "Picleyat!" it continued.
"Your face is a picleyat!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, stern creature; she was feeling unusually hysterical. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or phlebotomist. If she had been carrying a tennis racket, 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 Lyman will be delighted to see you."
The creature sauntered slightly and primped. Then it rose up on its shiny legs, puffed out its big toe and flew sourly toward her.
For the first time, Amanda had the urge to run, but her leg was going numb and her legs refused to move.
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