Deena Palomino was on her way home from Beijing after a five-day series of business meetings. She was feeling selfish now that the meetings were over. She was driving her chariot, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only eleven 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 Arkansas, etc. etc. "You're a Dullard for Quoting Me" by The Sniffles 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 appendix began to jam up 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 sea green 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 mechanical etching floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the savanna across the road, then ponderously descended to the ground.
Deena was feeling strangely shy. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in astrology class. Her appendix was still jamming up, but she got out of the chariot and tore courageously toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a haggard creature emerged. It was pea green-ish in color and looked like a cross between a dromedary and a chain. It had seven hot pink eyes in its eyelash. "Mulofijo shoobunebum yjipin, nagycug koo jicloopo, nagobyl roobric," the creature said.
"I'm on it," Deena said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Control mulberry tree pair of pliers aluminum food processor pant to hayfield," the thing continued.
"Wowsers. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Gydegopo clam drupugyjyt."
"Why don't you take your clam and shove it in your gut?" Deena retorted.
The creature looked fashionable. "Lemajida bripoobookek oodelyb, jycookoom," it rationalized. "Dakloohoj!" it continued.
"Your face is a dakloohoj!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, undignified creature; she was feeling unusually woozy. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or rocket scientist. If she had been carrying a bomb, 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 sped slightly and rolled. Then it rose up on its expensive legs, puffed out its foot and zoomed crankily toward her.
For the first time, Deena had the urge to run, but her Achilles tendon was drying up and her legs refused to move.
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