Title: From Beyond The Indigo
Word: breathless
Challenger: Sarah Pinborough
Length: 200 words exactly
MEMORANDUM
To: Secretary General, United Nations
From: Team Commander, First Contact Team 7
Date: 12th March, 20__
Subject: Resignation from postAs previously discussed, I would be grateful if you would accept this memorandum as my formal notice of resignation from the position of Team Leader, First Contact Team 7.
You will recall the circumstances of our recent first contact with the race of aliens popularly known as “The Purples”, and the events following that contact. I believe, with some justification, that to describe the events and the conesquences resulting from them as fiascos would be to understate the matter.
It is important to emphasise that my resignation should not be taken in any way as an admission of blame. As you well know, I hold you and your diplomatic team to be solely responsible for any issues; their suggestion that we introduce the concepts of metaphor and figurative description was not only ludicrous but positively dangerous when engaging with a species that communicates only literally.
Sincerely
Cmdr John Jacobs.
PS When The Earth recovers from its oxygen being destroyed, perhaps you would reconsider how wise or otherwise it was to tell the purples they made us breathless with anticipation…
© Lee Barnett, 2013
This is the eleventh story in The Twenty-Four Hour Fast Fiction Challenge. There will be thirteen others… Sponsor me to complete them!