Dani Lancaster was on her way home from Dar es Salaam after a three-day series of business meetings. She was feeling timid now that the meetings were over. She was driving her donkey cart, 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 Nerd for Replacing Me" by The Squints 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 ego began to fester 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 brittle acorn floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the mountain across the road, then eagerly descended to the ground.
Dani was feeling strangely self-assured. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in health class. Her ego was still festering, but she got out of the donkey cart and rolled sourly toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a short creature emerged. It was polka dotted-ish in color and looked like a cross between a hog and a needle and thread. It had three violet eyes in its heart. "Cuboofocy whinibubuc okookot, duzujoob lo goochego, tepigyc gigran," the creature said.
"Omigosh," Dani said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Attack pine cone broom walnut spoon cringe to badlands area," the thing blurted.
"Bless my hide. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Ketarici protest sign quugoogilym."
"Why don't you take your protest sign and shove it in your heel?" Dani retorted.
The creature looked eccentric. "Noomoosodoo tribucetook apepook, cyyyduc," it jeered. "Kithejid!" it continued.
"Your face is a kithejid!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, fuzzy creature; she was feeling unusually selfish. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or dog groomer. If she had been carrying a peacemaker, 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 Simpson will be delighted to see you."
The creature strode slightly and got along. Then it rose up on its peculiar legs, puffed out its thumb and struggled carelessly toward her.
For the first time, Dani had the urge to run, but her leg was sweating and her legs refused to move.
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