__hot__ - Splootalien

By morning, the creature had splooted its way into the station’s common room, claimed the softest sleeping pod, and been officially named “Captain Pancake.” The probes launched just fine once the crew realized the gravitational issue was just Captain Pancake purring at a specific resonant frequency.

“It’s not an anomaly, Klik,” she said, smiling as the alien’s warmth seeped through her suit. “It’s a diplomat. It came here to teach us the most important word in the galaxy.” splootalien

It was the size of a beached cargo pod, shaped like a deflated bouncy castle, and covered in short, orange fuzz. Its four limbs—if you could call them that—splayed outward at cartoonishly perpendicular angles. Its belly, a pale cream color, was pressed flush against the cracked mudflat. Its face, such as it was, consisted of two googly eyes (genuine, not metaphorical) and a tiny, pursed mouth that made a soft "mrrp" sound. By morning, the creature had splooted its way