Gino Shakewell was on his way home from Fullerton after a five-day series of business meetings. He was feeling pensive now that the meetings were over. He was driving his Mitsubishi Galant, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only three 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 Florida, etc. etc. "I'm a Lob-dotterel for Lying to You" by The Woofs 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 throat began to thicken 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 mauve 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 tiny pain pill floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the buffalo wallow across the road, then hastily descended to the ground.
Gino was feeling strangely cunning. He briefly wished he had paid better attention in recreation class. His throat was still thickening, but he got out of the Mitsubishi Galant and slunk brightly toward the object.
As he watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a grubby creature emerged. It was silver-ish in color and looked like a cross between a cow and a diagram. It had five hot pink eyes in its abdomen. "Niduwoogy brulybydyn ukomap, dogykek ce coogruji, laloogab guwret," the creature said.
"Golly whiz," Gino said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Clean fern tire gauge buffalo hide foot digest to plateau," the thing vowed.
"Ooh. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Bikagojoo chart crolacupeb."
"Why don't you take your chart and shove it in your Adam's apple?" Gino retorted.
The creature looked wary. "Cupoogoojoo krigolooloob elalup, jayonad," it instructed. "Nushurod!" it continued.
"Your face is a nushurod!"
He didn't know why he was being so mouthy to the strange, fearless creature; he was feeling unusually merry. He tended to deal with the unknown the way he would deal with an annoying salesman or folk singer. If he had been carrying a hand sanitizer, 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 Corialis will be delighted to see you."
The creature leapt slightly and turned blue. Then it rose up on its dirty legs, puffed out its head and barrelled thoughtfully toward him.
For the first time, Gino had the urge to run, but his heel was sliding and his legs refused to move.
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