Blinking its three large onyx eyes, the creature, roughly the size and shape of a Volkswagen, shimmied on its singular fleshy footpad. Its coat of bright blood corkscrew coils glinted cochineal under the over head fluorescents. Newly hired zookeeper Astrid Culpepper gulped. Two of the creature’s three eyes narrowed at the sound.

“What the what, now,” Astrid squeaked instinctively her mind reaching for someone—anyone—to wake her from this nightmare. “Is this thing real? What’s going on!”

Dr. Thord Nelson lightly patted the new hire’s elbow in a way he hoped was comforting but not inappropriate. Astrid startled then the creature startled then Astrid startled again. According to the discussion among the exobiologists, direct animal introduction was the most efficient way to explain the mission of Project 57 and orient new staff. Thord was reconsidering this tactic as the new zookeeper inched backwards towards the exit door.

Leaving a powdery lavender trail on the ceramic tiled room’s floor, the creature began to slide backwards as well. Astrid halted. Her eyes wide with concern.

“They’re frightened,” Astrid said.

Maintaining eye contact, she stooped slightly drawing in her arms to appear smaller. The creature studied her curious stance. The new zookeeper inched closer.

Astrid had received an email about this job as caretaker to a wealthy rare animal collector’s menagerie. She’d been interviewed over Skype, loving the adventure of moving to the desert to care for animals in a rich guy’s mansion. Her friend Danielle said it sounded suss but the offer for full coverage medical insurance with dental could not be denied. Her moving expenses covered, Astrid packed and shipped her belongings and boarded a plane on a first class ticket.

The trip from the airport to the site I had been trilling. Bisecting the oceans of sand in a dark sedan with dark tinted windows, Astrid thought of the animals that would soon be under her care. Snake wrangling at age four, she had been raised in Florida on her Uncle Lasse’s gas station/viperarama.

Astrid had groomed dogs to pay her way through college. In small petting zoos up to working with big cats, bears, and the fiercest of all baby-faced pygmy loris, Astrid was most at home in a wildlife terrain. High and tight crew cut, the silent driver who drove her through the electric fence looked ex-military. She hadn’t given it a second thought.

The house was a mid-century curiosity reminiscent of a 1950s style spacecraft in a cheesy sci fi flick. Once inside, the cool metallic interiors gave Astrid serious laboratory vibes. This wasn’t anyone’s home: it was a compound with several smaller one story pre-fab buildings and bespoke tiny homes. Her every step created more questions. Until Dr. Nelson slide open the door to a temperature controlled tiled animal enclosure.

Focusing on calming the creature, Astrid extended an open hand to be sniffed. The creature froze and then slowly leaned in. A proboscis, sticky plum, shot out and wrapped her hand in a velvety squeeze. No sudden moves, Astrid repeated to her lizard brain.

“What does it eat?”

“Whatever it wants, fond of plastic. But the optimal diet we’ve learned is polystyrene,” Thord said.

Never looking away, Astrid held out her hand. Thord looked confused. Astrid felt his chest and took a pen from his shirt pocket. She twirled it. The creature wiggled with excitement. The exobiologist nodded okay. With a gentle gesture she offered the pen to the creature. Unfurling, the proboscis flitted to the other hand and curled around it. Its whole body shimmied. With a hiccup the pen was sucked into the creature. Astrid laughed in surprise.

The creature purred. It settled by Astrid’s foot and seemed to be chewing. Kneeling, the zookeeper laid her hands on its cool soft coat.

“So there is no millionaire. That is your cover story for family and friends. In 1959 an intelligent alien species, commonly known as the Greys, made first contact. In 2021, yada yada yada they gifted us this ark of incredible animals. They needed to be rehomed, the Greys explained. As scientists, we have studied them, derived certain vital technological advances from physiological structures. We realized we needed—they needed more….” Thord trailed away.

“What do you call this curly haired ginger?”

“THX-12a-2021 is called THX-12a-2021. It is classified as a chimeric female interestingly she will lay eggs and hatch smaller males, mate, and then oviposite these fertilized eggs inside the males for gestation for live birth in theory. She makes nests in the shredded fiberglass but no eggs. We are following the instructions from the Greys.”

“Who’s a good alien, who’s a good alien? You are, yes you are. You don’t follow any silly instructions do you Desilu? You want to have fun not babies.”

Astrid was giving good scritchy scratches and the newly christened Desilu arched and preened. The purring grew louder.

“So I take it you are staying, Ms. Culpepper.”

“If I say no do you zapped me with a mind-erasing ray?” Astrid said with a laugh.

Thord didn’t laugh.

“Yes.”

Nodding Thord tapped on his tablet.

"Excellent, I’ve sent the complete animal profiles to your work tablet in your quarters, a restored vintage 1953 Air Cloud trailer. My research said that umm unusual choice would best suit you.”

“Excellent Dr. Nelson but don’t think I’ve forgotten about that yada yada yada or the mind-erasing rays. Let’s table those for now and complete the tour, shall we.”

She gave Desilu a see you soon pat. Desilu rubbed her forehead on Astrid’s shoe and slurped the plastic aglets off her work boots. They headed for the door. The purring reverberated along the smooth metal hallway. Astrid felt like a shaken can of cola.

“Now the next specimen is really unusual,” Thord said.