Space Invader
by Ian Tullis and Mike Selinker
Answer: CHINESE LANTERN
The diagramless solves to this grid:
G | I | G | ||||||||||||
S | O | O | N | E | R | S | ||||||||
M | O | O | N | S | T | O | N | E | ||||||
S | O | P | H | I | E | T | O | R | R | |||||
W | E | D | F | R | A | U | N | E | S | |||||
M | A | N | E | D | T | N | N | E | C | H | O | |||
I | S | T | R | Y | A | D | U | R | A | W | ||||
R | O | E | S | U | P | D | R | A | P | E | ||||
O | F | N | O | N | E | O | O | U | T | E | D | |||
F | C | C | S | E | N | S | T | E | D | |||||
E | T | T | E | E | A | R | T | H | S | |||||
A | S | T | E | R | O | I | D | S | ||||||
O | S | M | O | N | D | S | ||||||||
U | W | E |
The central Down entries tell you to INSERT ONE ROW. A blank row can be inserted into the center of the grid, and each of the fourteen broken-up Down entries can take a unique letter in that spot to become a new reasonable entry: MIRO becomes MICRO, WAS OFF becomes WASH OFF, etc. The completed row spells out the visually appropriate answer CHINESE LANTERN, which is what you mistook for a flying saucer (or so the Zyzzlvarian government would like you to think).
G | I | G | ||||||||||||
S | O | O | N | E | R | S | ||||||||
M | O | O | N | S | T | O | N | E | ||||||
S | O | P | H | I | E | T | O | R | R | |||||
W | E | D | F | R | A | U | N | E | S | |||||
M | A | N | E | D | T | N | N | E | C | H | O | |||
I | S | T | R | Y | A | D | U | R | A | W | ||||
c | h | i | n | e | s | e | l | a | n | t | e | r | n | |
R | O | E | S | U | P | D | R | A | P | E | ||||
O | F | N | O | N | E | O | O | U | T | E | D | |||
F | C | C | S | E | N | S | T | E | D | |||||
E | T | T | E | E | A | R | T | H | S | |||||
A | S | T | E | R | O | I | D | S | ||||||
O | S | M | O | N | D | S | ||||||||
U | W | E |