The
airlock whooshed open and I stood there among my cargos with the palm of my hand resting on my pistol. No, I thought to myself, I wasn't about to lose my cargo to some
scumbag raider or
pirates this time. The tapping of my foot echoed my impatience as I watched someone.. no some
thing shuffle into the airlock. The outer door closed. Mist filled the airlock as my "guest" was
decontaminated and as
pressure filled the chamber.
I held my breath with anticipation as the inner door unlocked and silently swung inward.
Even my imagination was outdone by the creature I saw before me. Sealed in a thin plastic skin, looking like it was shrinkwrapped was a pile of goo. It looked like Pert Plus in a sandwich bag. Stifling my guffaws, I relaxed and let my hand fall off the butt of my pistol.
In that instant, the shrinkwrap burst open. The goo sloshed to the floor and ran through the drainage grates on the deck, and beneath, glistening with the goo's wetness, was a four armed humanoid lizard-looking blue-skinned alien. All four of its hands were holding pistols. All four pistols were pointed at me. It worked its massive jaws, revealing 3-inch long teeth. I shivered in fear.
Finally, after a moment that seemed like an eternity, it spoke. "Garrgh vafhdrigh chaqula garguhh bahhclee *clickclick*"
My translator took a moment to figure out which way was up. In that moment, the creature had leapt across the room, and poised itself with its mouth gaping open over my head. I managed to pull my gun out in that instant and held it under the beast's jaw. Neither of us moved until my translator spoke in its cold, lifeless voice.
"Either I eat you, you shoot me, and we both die, or you give up half your cargo and I'll be on my way. It's your choice, monkey..."