Aldebaranian n. 1

When Gor Han’s deep whisper had ceased we were silent a moment, and surely never did stranger trio crouch in stranger place than we three, earth-man and amphibian Aldebaranian and great fur-clad Betelgeusan, there in the crimson dusk of the comet-city, all about us the pits that held its countless liquid- creatures and above us the glowing red coma which encompassed this world and was driving on toward our galaxy’s doom.

‘Good Heavens, no!’ the Aldebaranian exclaimed, so positively that Clarrissa jumped.

Footsteps became louder and stopped outside my door. There was the sound of a man stepping over the body. Then the door was flung open and two huge Aldebaranians strode in. They leveled still-throbbing shmobbers at my waist.

Hurulta stood in thought for a moment. Then, whirling on Goln, he made his voice a roar: ‘All right, scum, how well do you know Umung?’ The Aldebaranian shrieked in utter panic. When he found his voice again, he gasped: ‘Well, most excellent lord. I know it w-w-well—’

[After a two-headed Denebian argued for two votes:] ‘It seems to me,’ murmured a naturalized Aldebaranian, wrapping her black and gold cloak still more tightly about her arthropod figure, unusually tall and impressive even for one of her species, ‘that if these young gentlemen—er—this young gentleman is—are—allowed two votes, then I should be allowed at least three, because the IQ of the average Aldebaranian is, very conservatively speaking, at least three times that of the average terrestrial.’

We now have their installation bugged with a thousand percent overlap in all directions, and are taking out valuable information by the bucket. They are just as anxious to close out this operation as you are. If this gets to be too much, take a Z-capsule and hold your breath for a moment. This will give the temporary outward effect of apoplexy, which is exactly what the Aldebaranians would expect of a Terran in this spot.

‘Dr Haber,’ her husband said, ‘have you ever talked to an Alien about dreaming?’ ‘An Aldebaranian, you mean? No. Forde in Washington tried out a couple of our tests on some of ’em, along with a whole series of psychological tests, but the results were meaningless. We simply haven’t licked the communications problem there.’

[O]ne day a drone did come limping back alone. Its data were analyzed, and it turned out that the colonists’ ship had been pursued by another vessel and destroyed. This happened near Aldebaran, in the constellation Taurus, but since ‘Aldebaranian’ is a little hard to handle, they named the enemy Taurans.

What might the Aldebaranians do if they knew our language while we did not know theirs? — some had asked at first. Take hostile action, perhaps, despite their avowed mission of peace?

For the first time, you get a good look at your rescuer. The creature looks human—except for its purple fur and three-foot-long arms. ‘What—I mean, who are you?’ you ask, trying not to sound impolite. ‘I am from Aldebaran,’ the purple being replies. ‘Are you part of the game between the Vegans and the Arcturans?’ ‘We have nothing to do with that,’ the Aldebaranian answers. ‘Cool!’ you exclaim. Just what you wanted to hear. ‘Um—could you return me to Earth, by any chance?’

There’s so much we could learn from it. We might at last squeak out more than just a few hints about alien culture, maybe even find out where they come from. Are they Aldebaranians? Are they Fomalhautians? I hate calling them Aliens, with a capital A. It violates my sense of the specific.