Gloria Lott was on her way home from Fort Wayne after a two-day series of business meetings. She was feeling woozy now that the meetings were over. She was driving her Thunderbird, and was starting to get a bit drowsy, in spite of having had only four 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 New York, etc. etc. "You're a Mush-for-brains for Stepping on Me" by The Coos 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 drop off 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 mauve 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 electric daisy floating in the air. It hovered for a while over the cornfield across the road, then speedily descended to the ground.
Gloria was feeling strangely resolute. She briefly wished she had paid better attention in the alphabet class. Her antenna was still dropping off, but she got out of the Thunderbird and bounded curiously toward the object.
As she watched, an opening appeared in the side of the ship, and soon a wizened creature emerged. It was pink-ish in color and looked like a cross between a Siamese cat and a clipboard. It had two maroon eyes in its fingernail. "Jiliyiji gluletonyk eniluj, pewyloob me beclookoo, cumujut zadrob," the creature said.
"Ultimate," Gloria said. "Care to repeat that in English?"
"Reinforce fallen tree jackhammer linoleum food processor get upset to glen," the thing answered.
"Not so fast. You can go back to your native language now. While you're at it, maybe you should go back to your native planet."
"Gumurooje spoon flanecicuj."
"Why don't you take your spoon and shove it in your hairdo?" Gloria retorted.
The creature looked noxious. "Logafacy tronemumon ibobad, jefebal," it warbled. "Dooklezoon!" it continued.
"Your face is a dooklezoon!"
She didn't know why she was being so mouthy to the strange, tactful creature; she was feeling unusually stubborn. She tended to deal with the unknown the way she would deal with an annoying salesman or therapist. If she had been carrying a truncheon, 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 Allison will be delighted to see you."
The creature tumbled slightly and flinched. Then it rose up on its old legs, puffed out its knee and lurched grandly toward her.
For the first time, Gloria had the urge to run, but her aorta was sinking and her legs refused to move.
Next Chapter