Entry 7

There are no words that can describe coming face to face with an alien for the first time. However, there was one feeling that dominated all others at that moment as I stared at that first alien. That feeling was hilarity.

John describes my laughter as hysterical. He thinks it was all of the stress of the day finally catching up to me. I disagree. I was staring at the most ridiculous looking creature I had ever seen in my life. He was perhaps three feet tall with three legs, like a tripod and two spindly, over long arms. He had two large eyes that were multi-faceted, like a bug’s, and one disk shape on the top of his head that I theorized might be an ear. His entire body was covered with short, baby blue fur, which meant his fire engine red tunic looked ridiculous. Trust me, if you had seen this creature, you would have laughed too.

The creature looked at John with an expression I could not read and said something in a language I could not understand. I barely noticed because I was so crippled with laughter. I had fallen out of my chair, literally rolling on the floor, tears streaming from my eyes. Was the universe kidding me? Had I really been abducted by this most ridiculous of aliens?

“Carlee.” John knelt down beside me and placed a hand on my arm, trying to calm me. I looked up at him but could not stop laughing.

“This …this…is…the….alien,” I managed to say when I could catch a breath between my fits of laughter. I glanced at the alien again and my laugher renewed. The alien was completely ridiculous.

“Carlee, you’re upsetting him,” John said in a low, insistent voice. “Now you need to calm yourself down. This anthropologist does not take well to people laughing at him. He’s very short tempered. Carlee, stop laughing.” His last words were a command. John rarely commanded me. Every time he had it was because it was in my own good to do as he commanded. The seriousness of his tone sobered me quickly. I stopped laughing and sat up, keeping my eyes on John. I dared not glance at the blue alien in fear I might burst into laughter again.

“This is the anthropologist in charge of the study of Earth,” John continued once I was calm. “He’s never met a human in person, for reasons of cultural contamination. He just wanted to get a look at you.” I did not look back at the alien, but I could feel his multi-faceted gaze on me. I felt like a rat being inspected by a scientist. I was not sure what to think as I stared into John’s gaze, searching for assurance. He smiled at me, trying to give me assurances, but I knew my brother all too well. He felt none of the certainty he was trying to impart to me. Cold uncertainty began to grip my heart.

The anthropologist suddenly said something in his alien language. John stood abruptly, responding in the same alien language. It was strange to hear the exotic tongue coming out of his seemingly human mouth. I supposed no language was out of reach of an android’s mouth.

I stared at John’s feet, since I did not want to crane my neck up at him, as I listened to him argue with the anthropologist. By his words I never would have guessed it an argument. I could not understand the tones and intonations of the language. However, I did understand John’s stance and the expression he had on his face before he rose. He was arguing with the anthropologist, quite vehemently. I did not know what they could be arguing about except me.

It crossed my mind that I should be worried. I did not know what this alien who viewed me as a lab rat intended to do with me. However, John had always taken care of me. It never crossed my mind that John would not take care of me now.

John suddenly lunged past me. I turned my head to see he was holding the arm of the blue anthropologist. The anthropologist said something short and terse to John who responded with a vehement shake of his head. The anthropologist tried to remove his arm from John’s grip, but John’s strength was inhuman.

I will never forget what happened next, because I think it was the first time John’s android nature truly sunk in. The blue anthropologist stopped struggling and glared up at John, at least I think it was a glare. He then uttered one short word. John’s arm immediately fell away, his body becoming rigid and his eyes glazing over. I stared at him not understanding.

“John,” I called. My brother did not respond. His eyes continued to stare blankly straight ahead. It reminded me of when the characters in Star Wars would turn C-3PO off. It was just as if the blue alien had turned my brother off, like my brother was a robot and not a person.

Before I had time to comprehend what I was seeing, a hairy hand grabbed my hair. Then suddenly a cold metallic object touched my neck. After that I remember nothing.