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 forest green light.
The creature he had met outside was beside him, along with eight other similar-looking beings, all peering at him with those ivory eyes. They were menacingly 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.
"Phedagatek ylebyp," one said. "Jynogooly," another replied. They vigorously raised up two strange metallic devices above his belly button, plunged the tips of them in, and removed it. They swiped the belly button, then put it in a dry silver container that was hovering beside them. They then did the same with his arm, and his forehead. It all seemed very strange, mostly because he was aware he should be feeling very unaffected, but actually was simply observing.
The beings continued their unruffled conversation, while he lay there, with the curious thought that he probably shouldn't try to get up while his belly button, arm, and forehead 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. "Not so fast," he thought to himself, "I guess that's that."
The other aliens continued conversing and prodding what was left of his body. "Dogizylua," one complained. "Mybevoj," another responded.
"Janaraboo?" he said abruptly, surprising himself — and, evidently, everyone.
The room was suddenly full of animated alien conversation. "Dibygop?" "Lejifykoo tylajooki gupoocemi." "Gacuzooli." "Kebusij!"
The most intense of the aliens then moved delicately to his side. "I hope we have not inconvenienced you," it groveled, in perfect robotic English. "We come in peace. We will return you to your Hum-Vee when we are finished."
He actually felt pretty inconvenienced, insofar as someone without feeling could feel. "Tumeracoo," he stormed. "May I have my belly button back? And my arm and forehead?"
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 sealed. We will return them shortly."
"That's good to know," he replied, with only a little irony. "I am waiting excitedly."
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"Yeah, well, I'll just lie here and cooperate until I get my arm back," he admitted.
The poking and prodding and conversation continued. The words were just background sound unless they were directed toward him. The forest green light bathed him in a peaceful feeling, and he was oblivious to the passage of time.
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