It All Started With Magnets

My hearts pounded in my chest, a frantic drumbeat against my ribs as I pushed through the throng of Grog guards. The air was thick with anticipation, a silent hum that vibrated through the very deck plates of the spaceport. All eyes were fixed on the sleek, black ship that had defied every known law of physics, now settled with barely a whisper on the landing pad.

I could hear the hushed whispers of the other Ambassadors behind me, their forms a blur as I surged forward. This was it. After a thousand years of quiet unity, the universe had delivered a surprise. A new species. And I, Mairaede Caelinita, Ilthi Ambassador to Torin, was about to meet them.

The figure that emerged from the ship was lean, clad in black, and possessed a strangely round head. My internal sensors flared with a mix of caution and exhilaration. Then, the impossible happened. The figure reached up, and with a casual grace, pulled its head off.

A muted thump from Ambassador Lorilyee'ei confirmed my own near fainting spell. But then, a flash of pink skin, a distinct face, and a booming laugh from Gal'rug echoed through the hangar. "It's a helmet!" he guffawed, and a wave of relief, tinged with embarrassment, washed over me. This was first contact, all right. And it was already proving to be utterly, wonderfully, bizarre.

I raised a hand as I approached, my voice a little breathless. "Greetings! We are the council of Torin."