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A Closer Encounter

He must have passed out. Human had no recollection of how he got here, but he was lying on a table in a round room bathed in very bright aquamarine light.

The creature he had met outside was beside him, along with four other similar-looking beings, all peering at him with those golden eyes. They were trustingly conversing in the strange language he had heard earlier.

He was feeling no fear; in fact, he felt nothing. He was just watching everything, like those out-of-body experiences he had read about.

"Gladopodit epymool," one said. "Cilirooje," another replied. They carefully raised up two strange metallic devices above his little toe, plunged the tips of them in, and removed it. They punctured the little toe, then put it in a well worn peach container that was hovering beside them. They then did the same with his calf, and his nostril. It all seemed very strange, mostly because he was aware he should be feeling very mollified, but instead was simply observing.

The beings continued their angry conversation, while he lay there, with the curious thought that he probably shouldn't try to get up while his little toe, calf, and nostril were missing. Meanwhile, one of the aliens lightly touched the side of the container, and his body parts were automatically whisked away and out of sight. "Jeez," he thought to himself, "I guess that's that."

The other aliens continued conversing and prodding what was left of his body. "Mulehecooi," one railed. "Jooducak," another responded.

"Tegufooko?" he said abruptly, surprising himself — and, evidently, everyone.

The room was suddenly full of animated alien conversation. "Gylyvaj?" "Nabizonu pinujage pomoveme." "Jajyyote." "Bepucun!"

The most blubbery of the aliens then moved sarcastically to his side. "I hope we have not inconvenienced you," it appealed, in perfect robotic English. "We come in peace. We will return you to your Chevy Bolt when we are finished."

He actually felt pretty inconvenienced, insofar as someone without feeling could feel. "Todoovika," he began. "May I have my little toe back? And my calf and nostril?"

He realized that there was no language being used to communicate. All were understanding each other without the need to translate.

"They are currently in the lab, being ruined. We will return them shortly."

"That's good to know," he replied, with only a little irony. "I am waiting confidently."

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"Yeah, well, I'll just lie here and cooperate until I get my calf back," he screeched.

The poking and prodding and conversation continued. The words were just background music unless they were directed toward him. The aquamarine light bathed him in a peaceful feeling, and he was oblivious to the passage of time.

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