<span style="font-family:Arapey"><span style="font-size: 15px">Allison followed nervously alongside her escort. Her mind was buzzing with both trepidation and excitement. She was finally getting to see the ship up close! Not only that, but she was being invited on board! She would be the first to see the strange city-ship and its inhabitants up close. That was the exciting part. The terrifying part was the large unknown of what she was walking into. Science fiction movies had not always painted alien visitors as kind or benevolent. Truth was usually stranger than fiction, so she had absolutely no guidelines as to what to expect walking towards that ship. Her hands were fisted nervously around the strap of her bag as they steadily approached the ship.<br/>
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There was a strange humming noise in the air, a bit like the buzz coming off an electric plant, and it seemed to be getting louder the closer they got to the alien vessel. Allison could not only hear it, but she could also feel it, vibrating up from the sand beneath her feet and into her very bones. Her whole body seemed to be vibrating along with it. "What is that?" She wondered aloud, just as the bright spotlight found them. Allie winced, shutting her eyes against the bright light. It continued to grow brighter, the light white and blinding just on the other side of her eyelids. The strange light only seemed to add to the incessant buzzing, adding what sounded like a high-pitched whine to the cacophony of shouting voices, scrambling feet, and, above all, that ominous buzz. She lifted an arm to shield her eyes from the bright light and for a brief moment she entertained the thought that maybe this request had all been a ruse, that she'd been lured out her just to be struck down where she stood.<br/>
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And then there was silence.<br/>
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It was so sudden, so abrupt, that it took several moments for Allison to realize just how quiet it had gotten above the low ringing in her ears. Hesitantly, she lowered her arms and dared to crack open her eyes. What she saw confused her. Above her was the brilliant, clear blue of a Florida sky and all around her... was green. It was a lush garden full of towering palm trees, fragrant verbena, and bright patches of goldenrod, zinnias, and lantanas. To her left was a small pond, surrounded by wispy grasses and conical flowers. It was beautiful and she felt cool underneath the shade of the trees... but it was noticeably, eerily quiet. There was no other sense of life existing here, other than herself. <br/>
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Allie jumped as a voice broke the strange silence, and turned her attention back towards the direction she was facing. Though she certainly gave it her best effort, she didn't think she could entirely keep the surprised expression from her face. Her green eyes had gone wide with a mixture of surprise and curiosity and she looked the figure up and down briefly. She was surprised to see just how... well, <i>human</i>, he looked. The features and proportions were all humanoid. Perhaps he was a little broader in the chest and a head or so taller than most human males, but still, he looked almost normal, other than the unconventional attire he wore.<br/>
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"I-" Her mouth worked, trying to form words, though she couldn't seem to find the right words to give voice to the flurry of thoughts swarming in her head. She had so many questions! Where did she possibly start? "Ka'Ramira..." she repeated the strange name, making a mental not to store that information away for later. Her head tipped back as she looked up at him, blinking owlishly. She didn't know what to ask first. What was he doing on Earth? Why hadn't he reached out before? Why had he asked for <i>her</i>? So many questions needed to unravel this mystery and yet she couldn't seem to formulate a single question. Instead, she went with (and immediately kicked herself afterwards) the uninspired, "You... look a lot more... <i>humanoid</i>... than I was expecting."</span></span>