Kenny Locke was on his way home from Toledo after a four-day series of business meetings. He was feeling fearless now that the meetings were over. He was driving his wheelchair, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only nine 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 Delaware, etc. etc. "I'm a Kook for Quoting You" by The Growls 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 adrenal gland began to feel heavy 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 aqua 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 electronic wastebasket floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the veld across the road, then sluggishly descended to the ground.
Kenny was feeling strangely sassy. He briefly wished he had paid better attention in arithmetic class. His adrenal gland was still feeling heavy, but he got out of the wheelchair and lurched crossly toward the object.
As he watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a cadaverous creature emerged. It was yellow-ish in color and looked like a cross between a nightingale and a photograph. It had three periwinkle eyes in its antenna. "Kymavyta kranegelog imydoc, logitan jo mydrilo, nutudul seslol," the creature said.
"Fudge," Kenny said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Unfold leaf punch Scotch tape egg cutter kneel to dump," the thing instructed.
"Ow. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Golecepe teapot shoopoomookom."
"Why don't you take your teapot and shove it in your pituitary gland?" Kenny retorted.
The creature looked talkative. "Kocereba glymelibal imugun, gigucul," it belched. "Bawhoryt!" it continued.
"Your face is a bawhoryt!"
He didn't know why he was being so mouthy to the strange, zany creature; he was feeling unusually decisive. He tended to deal with the unknown the way he would deal with an annoying salesman or nurse. If he had been carrying a billy club, 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 Tran will be delighted to see you."
The creature danced slightly and curtseyed. Then it rose up on its ordinary legs, puffed out its horn and waltzed bitterly toward him.
For the first time, Kenny had the urge to run, but his brain was looking strange and his legs refused to move.
Next Chapter