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Strangers & Milliseconds (AU,CC,MATURE) COMPLETE - 9/14/13

Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:30 pm
by ken_r
Strangers and milliseconds
Image

Title: Strangers and milliseconds
Author: Ken_r AKA Ken242 AKA Kenneth Renouard
Rating: Mature but mostly teen
Genera: AU with aliens.
Couples are conventional for the most part.
Disclaimer: also see author’s notes following. The Roswell cast is just on loan for prepared characters. That part is never mine.

Author’s notes: There are many things I wanted to explore. I am always interested in the concept of the fragility of constitutional laws and the belief in divine protection. Any student of political history can tell you that the constitution is violated almost daily even by presidents. If citizens don’t complain, politicians will continue illegal acts at their pleasure. I wanted to explore different ways the aliens were discovered by the humans in their lives. Also, I wanted to explore what the aliens wanted from the humans and what the humans wanted in return. I wanted Philip and Diane to be present at the time the pods opened up. They would have knowledge of their children’s difference from the beginning. For most creatures, birth is a painful experience. The picture of Max being plopped in a puddle of slime on the floor of the cavern, coughing and spitting as he took his first breath has stuck with me for a long time. I wanted to release Tess from the strangle hold Nasedo had on her life. I wanted more adult friendship between Max and Liz before she discovers his alien side. The idea started from the trailer of the movie, “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” After I had written almost a hundred pages I did see the movie. I picked up a couple of tips. The TV show, “Hidden in Plain Sight,” is filmed in Albuquerque so that might have been an incentive. I have lived in a neighborhood where there were people who I am sure were in the witness protection program. The story is extremely fragmented so I made notes where and when each action is taking place. This is a different style than I have used in the past. This story has been about two years in the writing.

Almost a character in itself, the word ‘millisecond,’ becomes the representative of units of time. Actions and decisions are seen as units of time, some short like a millisecond and some taking more time and thought to accomplish. The title comes from the ways strangers change their lives in this small fraction of time.

For obvious reasons seen later, the large city where much of the action takes place and the smaller city where Max and Liz find their safe house are not real. I used several cities in New Mexico to make up their descriptions. Since several things described in these cities are just parts of my imagination, I mean no disrespect to any agency or group.

Strangers and Milliseconds

It would be later when Max would ask the question. Right now like playing “Jeopardy,” he knew the answer. A millisecond was the time that one’s life, could make a complete change. He saw the car and he saw what was hanging out the windows. Max launched himself at the woman. She screamed because she thought she was being attacked. Max slammed her to the concrete wrapping his arms around her and taking the brunt of the force with his own arms. Her screams were eclipsed by the many other screams as men and women died. Then even that was over shadowed by the rapid gunfire. No one can successfully describe this to another, what it is like to be under gunfire. Little bees are zinging just above your head. It is surreal. You hear the shots, but they seem disconnected from the deadly pellets flying by. The only thing you can do is be thankful that you can still hear them and that your blood is not running out on the street to mix with the other trash in the gutter. You breathe deeply because every breath affirms that you are still alive. Max, covering her with his body, tried to wrap his arms around her head and pull it under his protective shadow. In her confusion, she bit the hand that was trying so hard to protect her face. Even then, Max tried to spread his body to cover her. He was trying to take any stray bullet himself instead of feeling her jerk with pain as she would, if hit.

Thirty minutes before at the Blue Sky luxury apartments.

“Max you are suffocating me. I don’t care if we are living together. I want to have some freedom to choose when I want other company. For god’s sakes you were gone for almost a week. What did you expect me to do?”

Connie was mad. Max had come home unexpectedly and found her with her manager. They were in bed and she was pumping him for all she was worth. Connie was an athlete. Her game was dance. Max personally knew what those hard formed legs could do. Connie had almost a perfect looking body, but once you had your hands on her person, you found how hard bodied and muscular she actually was. More than just her body could be hard and cold. Making love with Connie was exhausting. Once started you didn’t dare give up until Connie released you.

Max and Connie had been living together for three months. Max enjoyed sex, but to Connie it was an addiction. Max needed to be out of town for a week. On the phone every night, he had endured her entreaties of how much she missed him. He hurried his business to make it home early. That was when he found Connie with Sam her manager. When Max opened the door, Sam made it out by way of the fire escape. Max looked out the window and saw Sam, at least, had the presence of mind to grab his pants on the way out.

Connie was mad. She berated Max for not letting her know that he was coming home early. She was angry that Sam had left before she was through with him. She was angry with Max for standing there judging her. There was no use arguing with Connie. Max had learned earlier that silence was the best weapon. Silence was the one thing Connie couldn’t stand, the one thing she couldn’t fight against. He turned and left followed by her curses screamed so loudly they almost couldn’t be understood.

Max walked. He would return later for his things, maybe waiting until he was sure Connie would be at her dance practice. Max didn’t have much and there was no way he wanted to face Connie in her frame of mind. Now, he had to let his mind find its balance. That was when he saw “her.”

She was dressed in a suit. The trim skirt was a few inches above her knees. As she passed him, Max couldn’t help but admire the view. Her hair was long and it was the color of chestnuts. Max remembered a racing horse he once saw, which had a coat the color of her hair. The horse had been paraded in the sunlight. As the woman walked in front of him, Max saw the same sheen he remembered before. The horse had been paraded to show his best, but the woman was walking naturally letting nature frame her beauty. Max had missed her eyes, but he imagined that they would be deep pools a man could dive into and become completely lost. Her legs were not those of a dancer. That was the first thing that came to Max’s attention. Max watched the bends of her knees as they flexed under her hose. His mind drifted as his attention worked up her legs. Her thighs were trim and her butt was compact. In all ways, that Max had noticed so far, she was smaller and softer than what he remembered of Connie.

Remembered of Connie. Was Max’s mind forgetting the woman he had bedded the last few months so quickly? Maybe not forgetting, but rather purging the sight he had of Sam wiggling, like a frog on a pike, in the embrace of her legs as she took from him all his seed.

Max had been going nowhere special. He had just been performing an exorcism of Connie from his memory. Max’s mind could not help but think what being with this woman, would be like in bed. There was a gentle sway to her ass as she walked through the crowds. She stood straight with her shoulders thrown back causing her breasts to jut proudly out. She did not have the voluptuous breasts of Connie. Max could only dream that her smaller breasts would be soft and pulsing with life, items to fall asleep between. Max could see himself curling up between her breasts, but not becoming suffocated between them. He had maneuvered close enough to now smell the fragrance of her perfume. She hadn’t seen Max and if she had seen him, she would have probably thought his intense study itself, was an assault. That was when Max saw the gun barrels sticking out of the windows of an approaching car. That was when Max launched himself at her back.

About Twenty-two years earlier.

Philip and Diane Evans were exploring the sandstone cliffs outside of Roswell. They were both young. Well, they were young as they could be, having both passed the state bar exam and having started up a law practice in Roswell. They had been together all through college. Things had been good for the Evanses. Things had been good except for the recent doctor’s report that Diane would never be able to carry a child. Like many couples of their generation, they had made careful plans. They had delayed parenthood until their practice was established. There would be plenty of time to conceive a child. The practice was running, the time was now and the Evanses faced the unpleasant fact that Diane could never become pregnant. She followed Philip in his interest in geological formations. Since she could never give him anything except companionship and love, Diane would try to do her best at that. Roswell was famous for stories of aliens. It was the hope of every rock hound and explorer in the area to find evidence of something “out of this world.”

Diane and Philip had been on this path a dozen times. The path ran at the foot of a sandstone cliff and climbed up the sandstone side to where it would over look the valley below. They both had noticed that the trail seemed to be worn into the cliff itself. Philip, holding her hand, helped Diane up the path. Near the top was an opening. Both could swear that the opening had never been there before. The opening was smooth. One might believe that it had been carved out of the face of the cliff by the ancient ones. Looking inside, they could see machines. These machines were something they had never seen before. There were remnants of something erupting and pouring its contents on the floor. There was a puddle of slime. There was evidence that something had walked through the slime, leaving tiny footprints through the doorway. The machine held three other packages. They looked like the translucent eggs of insects. You could see what was inside. Touching the packages, they appeared to be leather. Diane thought they were more like living skin. Inside two of the packages, there was movement. There were faintly infantile human shapes.

Suddenly, one of the packages split and slime puddled on the floor again. The creature inside fell on the floor. It stood and to all appearances, it was a naked six-year old boy. He was covered by whatever the semi liquid was and he was coughing, spitting out the same liquid. When his nose and throat were finally cleared, he stood there breathing deeply.

There was a hum from somewhere and the second package split. This time the creature deposited in the puddle of slime was definitely female. When she had cleared her breathing passages she stood beside the boy. The boy made the first motion since he had started breathing on his own. He reached for her hand and together they faced the Evanses.

Philip returned to his SUV and brought back some towels and a container of water. The slime came off easily with the water. They waited, but nothing else happened. Looking at the first package, Diane couldn’t help but believe that somewhere in the desert was a scared child who had come out first and left the cave. There was no more motion from the machine. They saw that there was one more package. They could wait no longer. They needed to get the children home. The children needed to be wrapped in something for the cold. Philip hoped they could come back later and see what had happened to the last package.

Several minutes after the shooting.

Even though the pain in his wrists and palms was killing him, Max raised himself off the small lady beneath him. She quickly rolled over and soundly slapped Max. He pushed himself to a sitting position and sat there looking at her. Looking around, Liz saw the dead and dying. There was blood everywhere. Before her mind could begin to wrap itself around what had happened, a man and woman threw a blanket over her head and she found herself strapped to a stretcher. Max said nothing because he likewise was subdued. He felt himself placed in a vehicle and with sirens blaring, he was driven to some strange place. Max, eventually, could tell that they had been driven inside a building. Max felt them moving him; then, he felt the isolation. He was blinded and bound. He had no idea what had happened. He waited for several hours in that state. It felt like his bladder was about to burst.

Max heard movement and felt his straps removed. The blanket was removed and Max blinked at the sudden light. Max was in a doctor’s office and sitting on one of those metal tables on top of a paper sheet. There was another person on the other table. It was the woman. She, likewise, was blinking.

A man in a military uniform entered. He had a commanding appearance. “What did either of you see?” he demanded.

“I didn’t see anything. He knocked me to the concrete and I don’t know what happened after that,” she said pointing at Max.

“Yes, Miss and he probably saved your life. Thirty people died, one, the most important senator in Washington. He was the only one who might get the terribly partisan senate back together. We don’t know which side is responsible or if it was even our own people. It could have been outside terrorist.” He turned to Max. “And, you sir. What did you see?”

Max was still trying to get himself together, besides that his bladder was calling desperately. “I saw the car approaching and several gun barrels poking out the windows. I am afraid that everything I did after that was reflex,” Max explained.

“Did you see any of the men in the car?” the officer asked.

“Yes, I saw the one nearest to me, the one with the machine gun. I might recognize him if I saw him again,” Max continued.

“You two are the only ones left alive. We don’t know if this was a party of our own government or some outside group. We do know that you two are in extreme danger. Right now, we don’t know who to trust. We think our own people are secure, but we can’t even be sure of them. No one, but no one, is to know you two are still alive. For the moment we will try to keep you at a safe house. Remember, we will do everything possible, but even we, have no guarantees,” the officer stated. With that he left the room. Max did not miss the click of the lock on the door. Was he a prisoner, locked inside this room to prevent his escape or was he a refugee protected from those who would harm him on the outside? After returning from the restroom that was adjacent to the medical office, Max looked at his woman companion. Apparently, she had similar needs to his. She made a dash to the restroom as soon as he was out. Max felt embarrassed, he should have allowed her to go first, but for Max, at the time, it had been to urgent to think about anyone else.

Max heard a feeble voice as she returned. She was still shaking. “Hi, I guess I should apologize for slapping you. My name is Elizabeth,” she said, but I usually go by Liz

“Hey, no problem. We both are alive and that is something. By the way, my name is Max,” Max answered.

Liz was studying the man who now was in her company. He was slender with light brown eyes. He had black curly hair and was wearing a typical, dark gray business suit. His shoes were Italian and Liz was sure they were expensive. “Max, we were in a crowd of people. How come you picked me to force to the ground?” she asked.

This time, Max couldn’t help blushing. “I was watching you. I had been following you for several blocks,” he stated.

Liz made a face. “Following me! Are you some kind of stalker?” she demanded.

“No, no nothing like that,” Max answered quickly. “Look, I just had a messy break up with my girlfriend. I was walking to clear my mind. When you passed me, I saw you were so, not like her. As I was watching you my mind was drifting about how much a mistake Connie had been. I was thinking what my life might have been if I had been with someone like you,” Max confessed.

“Max, you know nothing about me. So how could you fantasize about being with me? Max, I have a boyfriend. You are still coming across as a bit scary and dangerous,” she said.

“Liz, I am sorry. I am still so messed up about Connie. Maybe some of my thoughts about you were not strictly honorable. I apologize. I am afraid that I wasn’t properly controlling my thinking. Anyway, the thoughts were so intense about you that when I saw the car approaching, with the guns pointing out the windows, I reacted without thinking at all. There wasn’t any time for that.” Now, Max asked himself, what could change in a millisecond of time? He already had thought the answer at the first of our story. He and the dark haired lady waited to see what fate had in store after they had met at this great crossroads.

Re: Strangers & Milliseconds CC,mature,Feb 3, 2013

Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 2:24 pm
by ken_r
keepsmiling7

Natalie36

begonia9508:Thanks for the complement. I currently am also writing a Michael/Maria story like the detective stories of the 1940s Mr. & Mrs. Guerin. I do try to make each story except for sequels, different.

HypnotiqBlueEyes:

L-J-L 76: I looked over your questions and i believe they a\will all be answered.


Chapter 2

Again about 22 years ago plus one week.

Philip returned to the trail the next weekend. He knew that it was a long wait, but real life had a way of keeping him in town. He wasn’t sure what this alien nursery did, but he had hoped that if there was another child before he returned, the nursery would care for it. Diane was not with him. She had really adapted to the mother scene. They still had legal hurdles before they could obtain an adoption. Both of them had agreed to concoct a story about how the children had been found. Wandering in the desert was far fetched, but they managed to make it believable. They had to have something better than, “We just found two alien children in an alien incubator.” They were sure, now, that the children were aliens. With the mysterious cavern, the machines inside and the rapid learning they saw in the children, they could not be human. Philip and Diane did not want anyone to take them away. When he entered the cave, Philip saw that the fourth package had burst open. It was empty and there was no sign of what had happened to the contents. There were adult foot prints in the slime. He couldn’t tell where they led. There must have been four children originally. One had been removed or left, before the Evanses had arrived and one had been removed this last week. There was at least one other person or creature out there who knew the truth about the children. Philip hurried back to talk with Diane. He did not notice that the door to the chamber closed silently behind him.

Back in the solitary medical room.

“Max, what do you suppose they will do with us?” Liz asked.

“I don’t know. We are under protective custody now, but there is more to it than that. We are the only witnesses to what might be a highly placed political movement. They might not ever let us see the light of day again,” Max said quietly. “As long as we know or they think we might know anything, they are going to watch us.”

“Max, what if I don’t want protection? I didn’t see anything. I can’t say anything that would get anybody in trouble,” Liz explained.

“Liz, you were there. Whatever happens, you know the truth that the assassination actually did occur. Powerful people like to define history in their own terms. Liz, what we want may not be important to these people. We were present at some Earth shaking event. We are the only eyewitness at this event. Politically correct history will have its own way of telling about today. They might not want an eyewitness correcting it. A very important person was killed. Now, we are in the hands of a group trying to understand what happened. They may be interested in things that do not concern us,” Max explained the way he saw things.

“Max, this is America not some third world country. We have laws to protect us. We have rights that can’t be taken away from us,” Liz decried.

“Liz, laws and rights only are as strong as the people who want to follow them. If these people want to hide us and let nobody know where we are, there is no one who can prevent them. If they want to do more…” then Max caught himself. There was no use adding to her already active fears. Max knew how easy it was for an organization to make folks just disappear.

“Max you sound like some kind of lawyer. Are you?” she asked.

“No, Liz, I am just a researcher in bio-genetics. My adoptive folks were both lawyers. I guess I picked up a lot along the way,” Max replied.

For a long time Liz sat there not making a sound. She was deep in thought. So was Max. He had another reason not to be caught up in any government thing. Max wondered that if they were protected witnesses, would anyone think to check his biological status. Max’s whole family had made protecting, his and his sister’s secret a priority.

Twenty-two years ago add a couple weeks forward after the children were found.

“Diane, there is someone else out there who knows all about the children. We don’t know if it is alien or human. We have to believe that there might be someone who wants to take them away from us,” Philip informed his wife.

It was already too late for Diane to give up the children without a great deal of pain. She had bonded with them. They were now wearing clothes and calling her something close to mommy. Diane was sure their IQ’s were off the charts, at least the charts for humans. There was no doubt, in her mind, that the two children were alien in someway. Now that built in her mind, a fear that whoever took the other two children must be another alien or some government researcher. Diane felt bad for the other two children like you would if you came upon a bird nest blown out of a tree. You might try to save the baby birds you could. You had to steel yourself against the angst the loss of the baby birds who, died or would die.

“Diane, what if the creature who took the other two children was an alien? Shouldn’t our children have the right to be with their own kind?” Philip asked.

Diane shook her head. She was not ready to concede that Philip was right. “They are growing up with their own kind. Everyday they stay with us, they become more like us. Soon if they are taken away, it will be a great trauma,” She explained. Then she continued as if saying it was necessary, “For both of us.”

Several weeks went by and no one stepped forward to claim the two children. Philip had been making arrangements that if nothing was found about their parents or guardians, then the Evanes could adopt them. There was another thing that was bothering Philip. He had heard that there were several government people snooping around. They said they were looking into strange reports about this area. Philip was sure that they were after the two children in his care. He did worry about the two missing ones, but right now he had to concentrate on the two in his charge. As Diane had said before, these two children were as much of his family as they would have been if Philip had first seen them after pacing for hours in a delivery room. Ever since stories about the original 1947 UFO crash, Roswellians, had harbored a fear of government men, their threats and cover-ups. After a prolonged adoption stay, the adoption was completed. Philip and Diane left Roswell forever. To them these fears now took on a reality. Philip had an offer with a company of a classmate of his. Of the two children, every one knew they were adopted, but anything else about them was just between himself and Diane. They hadn’t even explained everything to the children yet.

Over an hour after the shooting

Liz had been quiet for some time. Suddenly, she blurted out, “I have a boyfriend and parents who will be worried about me. Do you suppose they will let me contact them to tell them I am still alive?” she wondered. Do I have to give up everything that is in my life? I am a teacher. What will my class do when I don’t appear?

Max shook his head. “Liz, I don’t think you will be allowed to contact anyone. They said that they didn’t want anyone to know we were alive. These people are very afraid. They have no idea who the assassins are. You have to understand, our government looks stable, but there never was any organization that couldn’t be toppled. These people are honestly trying to investigate what happened. You can bet your booty that they are also trying to figure out which side they want to be with, if this is some kind of political coup. We may be witnesses or we might be hostages. Either way, our own free will is seriously tethered,” Max stated.

Liz turned to Max. “What about you? Will your girlfriend calm down and worry about what happened to you? Do you have parents or someone who will worry?” Liz inquired.

Max thought for several minutes. “I think that if I don’t come back for my few things, Connie will throw them away or sell them if she thinks they have any value. I am sure she won’t worry about me. I do have two adoptive parents and a sister who will worry about me. My parents being lawyers, I am sure they will raise a stink if someone doesn’t, in someway, make them believe a story. My sister will know that I am alive. We have that sort of connection. I don’t know what she can do,” Max explained.

“What do you mean some sort of story, Max,” Liz asked. Thankfully, she did not pick up on his relationship with his sister.

“These people could invent some sort of charade about our vanishing. They could invent evidence that the police would say showed we ran off for any number of reasons. They could even hold a sort of funeral and not let our loved ones get too close. Go back to the Lincoln assassination; historically, law enforcement is in the toilet for a time after an assassination,” Max tried to explain. Then, he thought to himself, “This time thirty people were killed. They might even try to make it look like 32.” Max was careful not to say this out loud. He knew how easily that their bodies might turn up in the morgue as collateral damage that had just been discovered.

Liz was sitting on the doctor’s table holding her knees. She gave a giggle, “What made you and your girlfriend break up, if you don’t mind me asking?” She asked.

“That’s all right,” Max answered. “When I met Connie, I thought I had met a man’s dream. I have never seen a woman so obsessed with sex. After being with her a while, I wished she would hook up with one of those over-sexed politicians you always read about. Fulfilling Connie’s desires was wearing me down. I guess the last thing was when I had to leave town of a few days. She called me every night imploring me to return. I came home a day early and she was in our bed with her manager (she was a professional ballet dancer.”) Max still didn’t know how he felt about the breakup.

Liz was rocking back and forth. “Wow, in the bed you shared, even? I guess that was a blow to your ego!” she exclaimed.

Max gave a small chuckle. “Yeah, but maybe, I was relieved. Anyway, if it hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have been walking on the same street as you. I couldn’t have assaulted you knocking you down to avoid the gunfire,” he stated.

“Oh you mean that Connie and her manager saved my life.” Liz laughed. “Do you think I should send them a thank you card?” Then, she gave an evil sort of grin. “Just what were you thinking all the while you were following me? I think we are now intimate enough that I should know.”

It again was for Max to blush. This little lady could be very outspoken when she wanted to be. “As I said, Connie was a dancer. She was small, not too much bigger than you. When holding her, it was like holding a body builder. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on her body,” Max started.

“You mean to say that I am fat?” Liz indignantly asked.

Now, Max was flustered as well as blushing. “No, that is not what I mean. While I was walking behind you, I could imagine that when holding you, I would find you soft and comfortable in my arms,” Max almost stuttered.

This time Liz blushed. “The whole time you were following me you were fantasizing about holding me?” She asked. “Are you sure, you are not a pervert?”

“No, men fantasize, all the time, about women they see. Women just do not know about it. That doesn’t make a man a pervert. Besides, I never thought we would ever speak to each other. You would be gone leaving me with a hollow dream that could never come to be,” Max explained.

“Well, my best friend, back home, says all guys are perverts. She says women have to learn to use them and get rid of them before they get hurt, the women that is. I don’t think Maria really cares about any man getting hurt,” Liz stated.

“Maybe, she is right, but it would be nice if she was kinder to the men who are in her life,” Max responded.

“Oh Max, Maria feels she is kind to the men in her life. She says no man has ever left her unsatisfied. She just doesn’t let them use or hurt her. Maria is an aspiring singer. You like sexy show folks; maybe, I should arrange for you to meet her, someday.” Liz was laughing at her own joke.

Max looked down at his hands. He had become serious all of a sudden. “Yeah, maybe, that is, if we ever have the freedom to meet anybody again,” He stated woefully. “What about you, Liz,” Max continued. “Are you as careful about the men in your life? Tell me something about yourself,” Max requested.

“I got my degrees from Harvard,” Liz began. Max raised his eyebrows. She was a smart girl indeed. “Like you, they are in biology. I wanted to teach. So I got a job in one of the city schools. I am in my third year of teaching. I think I have found my profession. My boyfriend is an English teacher at the school where I work. I, originally, came from a small town in the southwest. I wanted to see the city so here I am,” she concluded.

Max thought he should return the same so he started talking. “I attended Cornell. I hope you do not hold that against me. I, also, attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology. My time at MIT was studying various sciences. My degrees are from Cornell. That was where my parents graduated. I have personal reasons for studies in genetic research. I don’t know how I got hooked up with Connie,” Max finished.

It was seen that neither of them were willing, at this point, to be much more inclusive about their histories. Before anymore could be said, the officer returned. “Folks, here is the way it is going to be. We have arranged you to be transferred to a town where we stash many witnesses. You are going to be kept together. It is too risky to let more people in on the knowledge about you to let you hide separately. You will be a married couple. Your names will be Mendoza. You can keep your first names.” He turned to Liz, “Honey, you are about to become a blonde, so be sure and tell me if you have more fun. Then he looked at Max. We are going to give you a bad dye job. You will be a redhead. If anyone gets close enough to recognize you by first name we will have already lost you. Liz, we hope that your brown eyes, which are your best feature, will be off set by the blonde locks. If people are trying to see how your hair is dyed, maybe, they won’t study your face more. Max, the red hair is going to turn people off from you. People are embarrassed when they get caught staring at badly dyed redheads. If they think you are some kind of kook, then maybe, they won’t study you very carefully, either. The town is a planned community. Originally, it was owned by the mob as a money laundering operation. They pumped money into the community to be exchanged for legally declared and taxable items. There are so many hoods hiding out there, most of them do not want to ask questions about each other’s history. Now, it is an incorporated community with its own kind of political crime. If we can discover the extent of the operation, which killed so many people, we will try to return you and help you with a clever story about your absence. Maybe, we will use abducted by aliens. That one has worked before.” He laughed. Max didn’t think it was funny at all.

Re: Strangers & Milliseconds CC,mature, ch 2 Feb 10, 2013

Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 3:33 pm
by ken_r
begonia9508: Please understand that Max quickly sees their situation as not exactly witness protection. His protectors are spending a lot more money keeping them than would be spent for witness protection. Max also sees that their security is much stronger than would be given by US marshals.

L-J-L 76: I always thought that it would be neat if Max's folks were in on his secret from the beginning.


Chapter 3

Shortly after discovering the children

Philip Evans moved to the East coast and severed all ties with Roswell. There were just too many reminders of aliens for him to feel that his children would be safe there. Philip made more money working for his new firm than he and Diane could ever make together back in the southwest. They took up residence in the suburbs. That allowed the children to grow up in a small, but luxurious community. The only downside was he had to commute to the city. He managed to place the two children into prestigious prep schools. Both he and Diane watched over them carefully.

Max’s sister had been named, Isabel after a friend of Diane’s back in Roswell and Amanda after a grandmother on Diane’s mother’s side. She found the academics at the school extremely easy. The social situations were more difficult for her to learn. Isabel and her brother knew that they were different. They also, knew that their parents were very worried about anyone finding this out. The perfect Isabel, not a zit nor a blemish ever graced her body. Not a spot or wrinkle ever was seen on her clothes. She was seen as someone to envy and someone to emulate. Of course, all the fast guys from the nearby boy’s school, took Isabel for a test drive. She was a boy/man’s dream. The problem was the preppy boys were used to girls who were much more compliant. They couldn’t see or accept Isabel’s independence. She wouldn’t imitate the subservient girl that many of the adolescent preppy boys were used to; she would not even pretend to be so. Isabel dated many guys, but until she had graduated from college, she never had any steady.

After college Isabel met a man. He was an engineer from MIT. Alex Whitman was from Roswell. He never mentioned that fact and Isabel never mentioned where they lived before they came east. Whitman was an electrical engineer and after leaving his school, he had started his own firm. Her mother reminded her often that playing with the affections of a nice guy was bound to end in sorrow. Isabel shrugged. She just couldn’t make up her mind. To her thinking, she was studying him, not toying with his affections. Izzy hadn’t, yet, slept with him. Maybe that was the magic that wouldn’t allow her to make a final choice.

Max had his own troubles in prep school. The girls he met would give their all, but they demanded to be cared for. Max wanted someone to walk beside him. Max had enough problems finding where he fit in himself, without worrying about the insecurities of another. His choice of bio-genetics was an attempt to learn what he was. At first, he believed that Connie was the girl. Connie was strong and independent, but she was demanding, also. There was no room in her life for anyone else’s needs. Max saw that he had been chasing tail and that tail belonged to a savage and hungry tiger.

Both Max and Isabel had been bothered, for the last few years, with dreams. The dreams were of palaces, wars and two others just like themselves. Philip had told them a little about where they were found. He had mentioned that someone else knew all about them. Philip, probably in some sort of consciousness guilt, had told them a little about the two packages he had not been able to save. Max and Isabel would from time to time have dreams on identical nights. The dreams were about someone out there looking for them. The dreams seemed to be slightly different from time to time. On talking to each other, they decided that there must be two someones looking for them. Max’s dreams were never clear if those looking for them were friend or foe.

In the newly formed protection program or was it a detention?

Max and Liz Mendoza were now in a medium sized community in the southwest. Liz had lived in the southwest all of her life, although about two hundred miles further south. Now, she was a sexy blonde. That didn’t do much good, as they were not allowed to indulge in much social life. Max had no memory of when he lived in this area. His beard itched as it was new. He was hoping that he wasn’t having a reaction to the dye used on both his hair and his beard. It would be a while before Max didn’t jump in the morning when he looked into the mirror. Max thought, they were not free, just that their prison was larger. Max was sure their phone was tapped. They were not allowed cell phones. They did have access to the news. The stories, about the assassination, were the main topics of news every evening. Both political parties were in turmoil. They each blamed the other, while searching their own membership for any suspects. It would be better to ferret out any dissidents themselves, than allow the other party to gain any political fodder. The government was functioning, but no one trusted anyone else on the other side. They didn’t even trust each other. Several radical organizations were vying to take credit, but their claims were all too weak.

History, to its own embarrassment, has not taught the paranoia which developed after previous assassinations. Starting from the death of President Lincoln, there was always confusion. Those left to run the government always fought for position. Excesses of persecution were rampant. Like in war, “truth” in these times was the first casualty. The United States government had a perfectly good procedure of succession in the death of their leaders. That didn’t mean that in the confusion that followed, there weren’t those trying for position. President Kennedy had been killed in Dallas. To squelch any movements and to prepare for foreign attack, Lyndon Johnson was quickly sworn into office. Every thing that wasn’t done strictly by the book became conspiracy. Even in modern times, when President Reagan was shot there were attempts to disrupt the process of succession. He wasn’t even dead and some of his aides were all trying for position. Now with the political parties at each other’s throats, the confusion was multiplied.

The handlers of the two Mendozas did not make any pressure other than in name for them to live the fiction of marriage. They were given a home with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Actually, there was another room set up like a barracks. That is where the bodyguards stayed. They were rotated in and out from within a small pool of trusted employees. The Mendozas were strictly ordered to avoid any undue social contact, so the strangers around them only saw a young couple who kept to themselves. They did wonder at the chauffeurs who seemed to live in the home. The neighbors never got close enough to see that they changed often. The community was a new one. The streets were not all paved, yet. There was almost no landscaping and everyone there was from somewhere else. The one or two busy bodies, who wanted to create community spirit were put off by either Liz or Max who stated, “We have a new business that we are trying to get going and we have little time for socializing. Maybe when we launch our enterprise, we can join the rest of you.” It was hoped that being the start up agents would imply wealth and explain their chauffeurs. The handlers of the Mendoza’s just hoped that the bodyguard character, of them, wouldn’t be noticed by the general population of this neighborhood.

Every thing they had was new. They were not allowed to return to their homes for anything. Their start up wardrobe was bought by their handlers. Liz would, for weeks, miss her well broken in sneakers, her jogging pants and comfortable sleepwear. Later when they were settled, they were allowed to purchase in local stores and on the Internet, things they thought they needed. Still, everything was new, nothing, had that comfortable used feeling.

Max had agreed at the beginning that he would respect Liz’s space. She had a boyfriend and she hoped to return to him some day. Liz was reevaluating her first assessment of Max. Even though Max was a scientist, the same as herself, he had a lot of practical advice on how to live in the conditions that were forced upon them. Max, having left Connie, had no one of a romantical nature to think about. This itself, worried Liz. She had her dreams of her boyfriend, but Max had nobody except family to hope to return to, some day. The more Liz knew of Max, the more she worried about him. He had become a friend. Oh my gosh, he had saved her life. Sometimes, Liz felt bad that she couldn’t be what she thought Max needed. Still she hoped someday be back with John.

Max did miss his parents and even though the distance was great, he imagined that Isabel had some connection and knew he was alive. A lot of this he couldn’t tell Liz.

Neither of them were allowed a personal car. Now back east that wouldn’t be a problem, but out here, where there was no public transportation to speak of, it was a problem. That is if they had of had the freedom to travel on their own. Growing up in Roswell Liz knew how to drive. She could even drive a stick shift. Max had never needed to learn to drive where the Evans resided. They had private chauffeurs themselves. Now, if either needed to drive somewhere a black vehicle would be at their disposal. It was always complete with bodyguard. Whether it was a sedan when they needed to go somewhere together, a sport coupe when they went somewhere singly or a SUV when they needed to purchase something from a store, the color was always black, the windows were always dark and it always had one, or sometimes two, drivers. Max was used to this in his life style back home. The difference was that the Evans’ chauffeurs didn’t wear guns. For Liz, it was a pain to explain where she wanted to go and not just do it herself. Max and Liz saw that the drivers said little and they always had bulges under their arms showing they were heavily armed.

Back east one week after the shooting,

Isabel ran to catch the phone. Her parents would jump every time they heard it. Then, when it wasn’t Max, they would suffer depression for some time after. “Isabel,” the sharp twangy voice said. Izzy recognized the voice of Max’s girlfriend, Connie. Isabel hated her personally, but if she made Max happy, that was his business.

“Yes,” Izzy answered.

“Do you know where that damned brother of yours has gotten himself to?” Connie demanded.

“No, we haven’t seen him for almost a week. Is he missing?” Isabel asked.

“We broke up a week ago and he hasn’t returned to get his crap out of here. If he doesn’t get it this afternoon, I am shipping it out to Good Will,” Connie yelled.

“If you have it boxed up, I will send a friend by to get it. I have no idea of where Max is,” Isabel said.

This would be a blow to her parents. They assumed, or maybe hoped, that he was busy with his social life and they didn’t want to interfere, even though they were terribly worried. Max was a good son and he usually kept in close contact with his folks. His being with Connie did make this difficult. Connie didn’t like Mr. and Mrs. Evans any more than they liked her. This was like the final blow. If Max wasn’t with Connie, then none of the Evans family knew where he might be. Isabel arranged with Alex to take her to retrieve Max’s possessions. This was the start of her nightly dream searches.

Current time in Roswell New Mexico

Tess came home. Nasedo wasn’t home yet. Why he insisted on that Native American name was beyond her. Nasedo was not a nice person, but he was all she had. Just last night, he had repeatedly slapped her when he found out she had had dinner with Steve at the office. As she was healing the bleeding red marks on her face, Nasedo was yelling at her calling her a stupid “droll,” a word from their native language which meant she was not a nice person by their standards.

Nasedo was the only parent/guide Tess had ever known. He had been detained by those fools from the special unit. True, he had killed one of them, but that caused him to miss the outing of the first three units he was sworn to raise. The final one was all who was left when he climbed the path up the sandstone cliff. One out of four, his masters would not understand or accept. Nasedo had been drafted, by the royal family, just before they all were executed. They placed him with the clones on the ship. They had no idea that Nasedo had already given allegiance to Kivar. Just before take off, a revolutionary slipped a note to him. “Kill the first clone. Keep the third clone separate and if convenient, return with her. The second clone will be the king. Breed him to the last clone and make sure the final clone returns with the kings issue on board.

Nasedo had been searching for the other three for years. According to his instructions, the one in his possession was the queen. She was the one he was to breed to the king and return with the issue. That was the price of his ticket back home. The “issue” or child was all paramount. He would be the direct genetic link to the former king, Zan. In her engineering, it had been assured that even though the male sperm chooses the sex of a child, the queen could produce nothing except boys. It would be best if Nasedo returned or destroyed the other two if he could. Of course, they would be destroyed in public once back on Antar, unless Kivar wanted to play with the clone of the princess for a while. Nasedo only had the queen. She must produce the genetic link demanded.

Tess’s introduction into the human world was sporadic at best. She attended public school or maybe, it should be said schools. Nasedo moved around a lot. Her academic achievement was stressed and any sort of failure was ground for punishment. She also had art lessons, music lessons and dance lessons. To the observant community she was a well-rounded young lady.

When she arrived at puberty, Nasedo still hadn’t found any sign of the three missing clones. Now, when he found them, they would be integrated into the human system. Nasedo insisted, Tess date and attend social functions. She had turned into a beautiful girl. Dating was no problem, but Tess always knew that somewhere hiding, Nasedo was watching. She had endured thousands of lectures that she was to learn from humans, but she was not to contaminate herself with them. Nasedo had always been unclear what “contaminate,” meant. Nasedo was a sexless slave. He understood little about reproduction or if he did, it wasn’t like the reproduction of either the Royal family or of Earth. Tess tried to break off any relationships before Nasedo broke them himself. They had to move around a lot. Nasedo’s vicious attacks on any boy he feared was about to get too close to his ward, caused many warrants for his arrest. Apprehending Nasedo was difficult. He changed his appearance every time they moved. Sometimes, he changed Tess’s visage, but he always, eventually, returned her to what he was sure the clone of the king would recognize.

Tess traveled to many large cities; the large cities were easier places for Nasedo to hide. They always returned to the Roswell area, eventually. Nasedo had lost his charges there and he was sure that, some way, he would eventually find them there.

Also in Roswell

Maria had been calling Liz for months. The Parkers, Liz’s parents were terrified. Jeff blamed himself, why did he encourage her to go back east to college. Yes, Jeff always thought that his daughter graduating from Harvard would be his fondest dream. Somehow, Jeff assumed she would return home and live out her life nearby. When she informed them she wanted to stay in the city, Jeff had been worried. Now it had been months since he had heard from her. After a time, he had contacted her boyfriend. That, in its self, was difficult. Liz had not been very informative about the young man. Maria had helped. Liz had been more straightforward with Maria than she had been with her parents. Maria had contacted the school system where Liz had worked. At first they were angry. Teachers just didn’t act that irresponsibly. Then, talking to the Parkers, the system released the name of the young man, who it had been rumored, Liz had been seeing. Eventually, a missing person report was filed and an investigation started. John Stevens had to endure endless interrogations by the police department.

Maria still called Liz’s cell phone number, dutifully hoping to hear Liz’s voice again someday. Eventually, the phone announced that the number was no longer in service. Maybe, she had been abducted by aliens. That was the usual excuse for any missing person in Roswell. She hadn’t been in Roswell. She had been in a large city thousands of miles away. Maria could only hope. Maria wanted so much to talk to Liz. Maria had met a new guy. He was different from the others she had dated. Maria wasn’t sure about him. She wanted to talk to her best friend as she always did when she had any questions.
--------------------------
Mr. & Mrs. Guerin

Stories by Ken

Re: Strangers & Milliseconds CC,mature, ch 3, pg2, Feb 17, 2

Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 1:31 pm
by ken_r
begonia9508: They are in a kind of prison. Liz knows nothing about the witness protection program, but Max knows that what is happening to them is not that program. Max is frightened that in someway they are in danger of being killed by the protectors.

keepsmiling7: See what i wrote to Eve above.

L-J-L 76: in many of my stories I show that Nasado is not with the children by his own will. I see him as a slave forced to join them in the ship. It is important to know that Nasado has been hitting Tess since she came out of the pod. He fears the royals and doesn't want to chance Tess getting out of control. When the government takes people away, sometimes for their own good or for the choice of the government, all family is lost. Max and Liz being together means she must give up ever seeing John, her boyfriend, again. Deram walking will become very important. Getting saved and freed is more complicated. Happy ever after is really difficult.



Chapter 4

Back at the safe house.

The pressure of being with a beautiful woman was telling on Max. Liz still hoped to once again be with her boyfriend. Max and Liz had formed an accommodation of being together. They were also becoming good friends. Max thought, “We probably will never become lovers, but we should try to do the best we can to make this experience livable.”

They shared household duties. This month, Max made breakfasts. Liz would make suppers. Lunch would be catch as catch can. Many times, they would be away from the house, but always in the company of their bodyguards. They were allowed to visit shops in town, libraries and the University in the nearby city, of course. always in the company of their chauffeurs.

Liz had planned a trip to the University library for today. Max had given her a list of books he wanted to borrow. Liz was a biologist, but Max was indulging in topics that were above her understanding. Max had served breakfast on the eastern facing back deck where the warm sun was chasing the cool morning air. He had a carafe of imported coffee. Max ordered many things from the Internet. That saved wasting time at a store. Time when they were allowed to leave was valuable. Mundane things would be ordered and delivered by an impersonal package service. Max had taken to calling the delivery service the “Brown Santa Claus.” No matter, he always looked forward to the brown delivery truck. For himself Max had fixed Canadian bacon; for Liz he had fruit and a cereal. They had been informed that their handlers were planning on installing a lawn in both the front and back the next spring. Max considered this both good and bad. Bad, their handlers had made no progress in their investigation of the assassination. Good, their handlers intended to keep them alive at least through summer. Max made no mention of this last part to Liz. She had enough to worry about.

Liz had poured her coffee and returned to her lounge chair. “You know Max, if it wasn’t for the men in black, this could be a romantic adventure,” she stated.

“You mean, if there was another certain man here with you, don’t you?” Max retorted.

“Yes Max, I guess I miss John. Here we are though, just good friends on a romantic adventure. Max, do you ever miss Connie?” Liz asked.

Max groaned. “Not hardly, who I do miss is Isabel and my parents. I wish I could contact them so much. I can just hear Connie yelling about my beard. She made me clean shave every time we went to bed together. She said that any beard gave her a razor burn and would effect her looks at a performance. I just wonder what she put that poor manager through. He thought he was getting a slice of heaven, I am sure. Under her direction, even heaven would be hell.”

Liz sighed, “There is John, but who I truly miss most is Maria. We used to share every secret and story with each other. I have so much to tell her and I don’t dare. I can think what she would say about me spending my life with a bearded stranger. I am sure she would have endless suggestions that would get us both in trouble. I keep thinking of your explanation the day of the shootings. Maria would have grilled you for a long time trying to see what kind of pervert you were. I doubt if you could have gotten her down on the concrete as easily as you did me.”

Max grimaced. “Probably not and we both would have been killed. There are times when you do what you are forced to do and give back no argument,” Max stated.

I guess if we tried to contact someone, we would cause a lot of trouble?” Liz mused.

“We couldn’t,” Max answered. “If you tried to contact anyone without permission, you would be politely cut off. Everything we do is monitored.” Max wondered about the other thing. As aliens, he and Isabel had a connection. He wasn’t able to find it. She must be far away. He always felt that Isabel was somewhere just beyond his grasp. He felt something else. It changed. He couldn’t tell what it was, but it was searching. Until Max understood whether it was friend or foe, he had no intention of answering it.

Liz stood; she was wearing shorts and a tee shirt. That did cause a shudder through Max. It was hard being good friends, when he was beginning to want something else. “Well, I am scheduled to visit the university today. I need to shower and get dressed. What are your plans, Max?” she asked.

“I am booked at a skeet range south of the city,” Max answered.

“What happened to Golf, Max? Did you give it up?” Liz inquired.

“For a while, Liz. Half the old geezers I play with must be in some sort of protection plan themselves. When they see my caddy and recognize the bulge under his jacket, they stay as far away from me as possible. I am sure they all think I am a hit man sent to silence each of them permanently. I will try the shotgun action for a while. I don’t know what I will do when I wear out my welcome there. I just hope one of those old fellows doesn’t decide to shoot me first,” Max stated. “The tennis court crowd still quivers every time they see us there,” he continued. Max had observed that being without visible support and no actual job to attend, his associates tended to be retirees, much older than himself.

Liz laughed. “Well good luck, Max. I will see you this evening. Don’t snack too much. We are having roast and potatoes tonight. I already have it in the slow cooker. Come back with a good appetite.” Liz walked back into the house, her butt swaying like it had done that day Max knocked her to the sidewalk. She was very enticing, but Max kept his distance. Living together without being romantically connected was hard.”

Back in Roswell, in the janitor’s closet of the extension school, of New Mexico State University.

Michael arranged his mops. He had just oil mopped the hallways of the main building. Michael didn’t gripe. He had half a dozen menial jobs at the school. Michael had been found many years ago in the desert. He had almost no memory of the event. Michael had learned that levitating tables and making laundry fly through the air made frightened caretakers. Frightened caretakers did not take very good care. After a few episodes, Michael made sure no one saw anything that the rest of the children could not do. Now, Michael had a working scholarship at this school. He was janitor, handyman, plumber and jack-of-all-trades. They valued him enough to let him take a full load of classes.

Michael was an art student. Right now he was studying welding. He had found a passion for junk sculpture. Besides that, with a welding skill he could find work at many mechanic shops if he decided to drop the art gig. Michael had, also, met a girl. She could be almost as caustic as he. He met her at an art show. Maria had no idea who he was. They were arguing about the meaning of a piece of sculpture. The sculpture happened to be his. Maria said it was very good, but it showed the evidence of a twisted mind. Michael stated that obviously it was a bringing together of disjointed elements. They had got to Michael calling her a dumb broad and Maria returned that he was just an ignorant philistine. They were just one step from physical violence. Then, Michael leaned forward and kissed her. For that millisecond like Max had found, they held that kiss. Then, Maria wrapped her arms around him and the kiss was prolonged for several minutes. It had taken, but a millisecond to find each other. Two strangers now, about to become lovers, walked out together Michael leading her to his room. Neither of them had had passion like they enjoyed that night. The next day, Maria returned to the museum and bought the sculpture. The curator looked at her and said, “I hope you enjoy it.”

Maria smiled and replied, “I will, but I will call it The Beginning.”

Michael knew she wasn’t like him. Maria was just like any other human girl. She was not who or what he was looking for, but until he found that special something, the fire in both her rhetoric and her passion built something in him.

Back east

Isabel was feeling several things. She hoped one of them might be Max, but she was just too far away. Isabel had been getting closer to Alex. After their third time in bed, Isabel said, “Alex how would you like to take a vacation?”

Alex brightened up quickly. “Yes, we could go to the Hamptons or some resort in the Catskills.”

Isabel had her arms around Alex’s neck. Her still naked, sticky body was pressed against him. As his hands explored her most intimately she said, “Alex, I want to travel to the southwest.”

Alex was surprised. “That is fine, Izzy. That is where I grew up. I can show you the sights.” Alex was excited that he would have Isabel with him all that time. She no longer would just be a date, he would be living with her during their travels. Alex felt a need to show her off to all of his childhood friends. Isabel didn’t tell him anything about her connection to this area.

Another part of Roswell.

Nasedo was constantly traveling. He left Tess alone in Roswell with the command that she watch herself. Tess found it lonely when he was gone, but she did not have to suffer any beatings. She could be more free with her life also. If Nasedo was out of town he wouldn’t be constantly looking over her shoulder. Nasedo had made Tess have sex with his choice of men. He carefully orchestrated it. He wanted her to have skill when she met the king, but he still wanted her not to be defiled by a human. After every date, Nasedo made sure that he had nothing to worry about. When Nasedo was out of town, Tess dated as she pleased. She had to be careful, but she did not have to live the unemotional life Nasedo wanted for her. She knew when he was returning. So far, he hadn’t tried to fool her. Tess was still feeling something out there. She was careful. Nasedo had told her that they had enemies also. He didn’t yet know of these feelings.

Still in Roswell

Jeff Parker didn’t have a clue. He didn’t know what he thought about John Stevens. The police had told him that they considered John a person of interest, but so far, there was no evidence that he had done anything. The school system had hired Liz’s replacement. They told Jeff that they feared foul play. He agreed. The only thing that kept him sane was Maria. She came by several times a week. No matter what others said, Maria was convinced that someday, Liz would walk back into the Crashdown café where they had worked together during high school. Jeff Parker would look up almost every time he heard the bell ring above the door.

Maria’s mother had a thing with the sheriff. They were almost married. They had been living together since Maria had left home. Jim Valenti was a second generation lawman. As a favor to Jeff, he had flown back east to talk to the police. When he returned, all he could say was,” Jeff, they look like they have done everything possible. I talked to that boyfriend of Liz’s. He seemed all right. They had talked about marriage sometime this next summer. The city is still on edge about the assassination. They are not giving up on Liz, but they have no creditable leads.”

Jim was a single parent like Maria’s mom, Amy. He had a son the same age as Maria. Maria called Kyle her brother-almost. Maria privately thought Kyle was an ass. He was every thing, which proved her theory about men. Maria thought he used women. Of course, Kyle believed that women were created for his pleasure. Again, that told Maria that her theory about men was correct. Recently, Kyle had been dating the same woman, over and over. Maria hadn’t met her yet, but maybe, she would give Kyle a little stability. Lord knows, he needed it. Now Maria had Michael. She had to decide what she wanted to do with him. He was definitely different from the ordinary boyfriend. Maria so wanted to talk to her best friend, Liz. She prayed every evening that Liz was alive somewhere and someday she would be found.
-----------------------
A candy murder mystery involving racial problems, friends and enemies and who was Maria's father. Mr. & Mrs. Guerin

Stories by Ken

Re: Strangers & Milliseconds CC,mature, ch5, pg3, 3/5/13

Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 12:04 pm
by ken_r
keepsmiling7: She will dream walk him eventually.

begonia9508: Our own election shows that there are groups out there that are bigger than law. Separation is difficult, especially when John thinks Liz was somehow killed.

L-J-L 76: Liz and Max are having difficulties as the only thing they have in common is they are prisoners. Courtship is for a couple to get used to each other. They don't have this. I don't think enough thought has been given to Nasado. It is hard to see him being made to go where he didn't want and to do things he didn't want. Tess is just a tool and she doesn't like being used that way.


Chapter 5

Back at the safe house

Max had to admit, when Liz made roast and vegetables in the slow cooker, their meal would be excellent. Liz was very skilled with spices. Even the men in black would sample the leftovers.

“What do we have, tonight, Liz. Television, DVDs or drinks out on the terrace and soft music?” he asked.

“Let’s sit on the terrace tonight, Max,” she said.

Max poured her a wine cooler and for himself he poured Bourbon and water. Liz had noticed that Max drank very little alcohol. His Bourbon and water was mostly water. Max sat and drank with Liz to keep her company. Liz knew that Max enjoyed being with her. She felt that he wanted more, but she was not ready to give up on John Stevens. Sometimes Liz felt sorry for Max. He was a truly nice guy. Beside the fact that he had saved her life and he had some deep, dark secret, he had tried to make the most of their situation. “How was skeet shooting today, Max,” she asked.

Max smiled and rubbed his shoulder. “They said they only used light loads on their shells, but those guys figure 25 targets per round of skeet. They went about three rounds and by that time even light shells started to hurt.”

Liz laughed. “Maybe you should go back to golf. Even if the duffers there consider you a hit man for the mafia, golf doesn’t hurt that much.”

Max had to laugh also. They were two friends sitting in the cool evening watching the lights of the city below. They might even be an old married couple, but Max knew that they would sleep in separate rooms. That was beginning to bother him. “Have you heard anything from the Major?” Max asked. They had learned that the bodyguards who always stayed close wouldn’t divulge any information. What Max didn’t know, but he surmised was the protectors had all been ordered to keep their distance from the couple. “Remember they are expendable. We may have to terminate them someday. Don’t get involved,” the Major probably ordered. No one saw later when Max rubbed his shoulder with glowing hands. He just couldn’t do that with an audience.

Once a week or so the Major, he had never given them his name, would come by and present an update on their situation, not that it ever seemed to improve.

Liz shook her head. She enjoyed talking to Max. She could see that he was very smart. She knew that he considered her a little naive, but he was never condescending. Like the time they were talking about congress. “Liz, have you ever read the constitution?” he asked.

“Yes, Max. I even had to memorize part of it in grade school,” she replied.

“Well that makes you a lot smarter than half the congressmen.” He declared. “Most of them haven’t read it and those who did read it don’t understand what they read. Liz how do you suppose laws get passed?” he asked.

“Well, Max, I suppose someone writes the law and passes it around. They discuss it and then they decide if it is a good law or not,” Liz stated.

“Liz, some of those laws have hundreds of pages. Many of the pages are very technical. You will find that it is more, hey, if you vote for my law I will see that your district gets that bridge they need. That is known as horse trading, or more likely jackass dealing. There are hundreds of laws and most of the congress has no time to waste studying them. They don’t know until later what the law entails,” Max stated.

“Max you seem to support this system of government. If you see weaknesses, why don’t you try to change it?” she asked.

“Because, Liz, with all its faults it is better than anything else out there. Liz, really bright men seldom want to work in government. Liz we support those we feel are the least corrupt and hope for the best. The senator who was killed was the exception. He was one of the really good ones,” he said.

Liz didn’t know how she felt, but every time she talked to Max, Liz felt she knew more than before. “Why did they kill him, Max?” she asked.

“Liz, until we know who killed him, we have no idea of the reason. There were those of his own party who thought he was giving away too much power. There were those in the opposition party who felt he was an obstacle in their quest for power. There are foreign agents who want to place our government in turmoil. Find me who killed all those people and maybe we can find out the reason. Our handlers are concerned that when everything is understood, they want to be on the winning side, which ever that one is,” Max explained.

“Max, I just can’t help thinking of all those people. They were all killed just because someone wanted to kill one man,” she said.

“That is the way power has always worked. There is always collateral damage. You can’t make an omelet with out breaking some eggs. All for the final and greater good,” Max listed some excuses he had heard for mass killings.

“I understand what you say, Max, but my final thoughts always are that I would be one of those lying dead, except for the fact that you broke up with your girlfriend and were wandering about town thinking horny thoughts.” With that Liz got up for bed.

That night Max tossed in bed. He could hear Liz in the next room. He could hear her use the bathroom and that brought back memories of when he had a romantic partner to live with. As Sleep claimed him, Max felt something. That something was contentment. What ever it was, it was happy. Max had feelings of fulfillment. What ever it was it was in love. That was so much more than Max could be. Well, he might be in love, but the lady wasn’t ready to return the feelings.

Liz was questioning herself. The first thing she knew about Max must always be that he saved her life. Sometimes she wished she could return the type of affection she knew he desired. She couldn’t help it. Liz still was in love with John Stevens. The years she had known John had shown her that they had so much in common. Teachers are a special breed. Many times you have husband and wife teams. Not necessarily that they teach together, but that they are both teachers. They have the same vacation patterns, they both go back to college a lot and they both realize that teaching takes a lot of personal time.

Now, Liz had been told by Max, that he had a lot of interest in genetics. Liz had seen some of his books as she checked them out of the college libraries. Liz had also seen notes he had written when she was straightening up the house. Max was studying the mixing the genes of species. He had a monograph about Mules. That was one of the most common mixes. He had noted on the margin, “Of course mules are sterile.’ Then he had short theses about “Ligers,” that is the mixture of lions and tigers. One book was relatively simple. It was written about experiments in breeding house cats. Some breeders had bred a common house cat with an Asian wild cat. The result had now been accepted by the National Cat Breeder’s Association as the Bengal. Their purpose was to rid domestic felines of many diseases. The experiment was a success, but it took four generations before the off spring were always fertile. Max had underlined several paragraphs in this book. Liz thought, Max is interested in mixed gene groups producing fertile off spring and to continue the new creature. Liz couldn’t help from wondering what species was he interested in mixing.

In the best motel in Roswell.

Alex had stripped to his boxers. Isabel was in the bathroom and shortly Alex knew that she would appear through that door. The light in the bedroom was out. Isabel enjoyed standing in the lighted doorway of the bathroom, for Alex’s inspection. Alex had been a geek back in high school. The rule was that the geeks of yesterday were the millionaires of today. Alex was well on his way with his company. Now the geek of yesterday was with one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Alex remembered his two best friends, who just happened to be girls. He had never dated them. Alex had never felt that way about them. He saw their attempts at growing up and cheered them on. Many times they tried to set Alex up with a girl, but in true geek fashion, Alex always messed up in some way.

Now Alex and his girl were on vacation back in his hometown. Alex intended to look Maria and Liz up tomorrow. He was so anxious to introduce them to Isabel. Tonight he would again bed the princess. Alex still couldn’t believe she was real.

Isabel couldn’t be happier. Alex had agreed to everything she requested. Tomorrow they would rent a Four-wheeled drive vehicle. Diane had written careful directions to the cave where Isabel had been nurtured. Diane and Philip had always been frightened that some alien presence would take their children away. They also, feared any government presence. They could only remember when they were young and the paranoia the government showed to anything strange or foreign.

Isabel was going to be careful about any alien exposure, but she wanted any help she could get to find Max. Tonight though, was for Isabel and Alex. Deep in her genetic programming there were urges built in to find a mate and eventually produce children. Well maybe theses urges were not all from alien engineering, some of them could be just natural human urges. Privately, Isabel believed that she was alien. She also knew that she had a lot of human traits. She wasn’t a student of genetics like Max, but she didn’t question her species. Isabel had full confidence that someday she would produce a child in the company of a human lover.

Elsewhere still in Roswell.

Michael was sulking. Out of the blue, Maria had received a call from Alex. She hadn’t seen him in years. Next to Liz, Alex was her best friend. Alex was vacationing in Roswell. Why Roswell, Maria couldn’t envision. Nobody came to Roswell for vacation. Maybe a few UFO freaks would come trying to find that elusive evidence that aliens had landed and the government had hidden all the evidence away, but to come to Roswell for relaxation, that was beyond her.

Alex had sounded so excited. He had a girlfriend and he wanted Maria and Liz to meet her. “Alex, I will be glad to see you. There is a problem about Liz. I will explain when I see you. Yes, Lunch will be fine,” Maria had explained. Michael was not comfortable around strangers so, he begged off. He had work to catch up at the school. He finally agreed that he would pick Maria up and then she could show him off for a limited time.

Senior Chow’s, that name in itself needed explanation. Alex led Isabel into the restaurant and an aged Chinese man peered at him. “Señior, Whitman. You have grown so.” Chow addressed him.

“It is good to see you again, Señior Chow. I want to present my girlfriend, Isabel Evans,” Alex said as he slightly pushed Isabel in front of him.

“Isabel… Isabel Evans, did you or your folks once live around here?” Chow asked.

Alex looked surprised as Isabel answered. “Yes, Señior, but I have no memory of that. We moved shortly after I was adopted,” she explained.

Chow nodded, “It is good to see you again Alex and to meet your lady friend, also.”

Alex was looking at Isabel strangely. “Alex I will explain later,” she said.

Alex guided her to a table in the rear of the dining room. A bouncy blonde bounded to Alex and threw her arms around him. “Alex, you don’t know how glad I am to see you. Since Liz left, I have had no one to really talk to,” she stated.

“Ah, where is Liz these days?” Alex asked.

“That is what I wanted to tell you. Liz has disappeared,” Maria replied.

“Disappeared, how could she do that?” Alex inquired.

“Alex we don’t know. No one has any knowledge of what happened to her. Jeff is scared that she was mugged in the city and probably killed. I just can’t let that belief stay. I have to hope that someday she will come strolling back. She will have a logical explanation and all will be like it was before. Right now I will accept captured by aliens, just so she gets back,” Maria explained.

Isabel shuddered. No wonder her parents wanted to get the children away from Roswell. Aliens were blamed for everything. Maria had wound down. She turned to Isabel. “Alex, introduce me to your lady,” she commanded.

“Maria DeLuca, may I present Isabel Evans. She is my girlfriend,” Alex said.

“Awe, Alex I thought Liz and I were your only girlfriends,” Maria stated.

“Remember the times you and Liz tried to set me up, I wanted you to see how well I could do on my own,” Alex said.

Maria turned to Isabel. “Liz, Alex and I were friends all through grade school. We had slumber parties together and went everywhere together. It wasn’t until Mr. Parker decided that Liz and I were getting to mature to do some of the things we all did and told Alex’s father to have a talk with him that we stopped,” Maria said laughing.

“Yeah, I thought girls were just people with softer underwear until my father told me we had to start growing up and acting different. What happened, Maria? We said we were never going to grow up,” he asked.

Maria became serious for a minute. “Yes, you have a beautiful girlfriend, I have a new boyfriend, who will be by soon. I will introduce you then. And, Liz has vanished.”

Maria turned to Alex. “Could you take a little time off your vacation to talk to Jeff Parker? I think anyone from the past will be welcomed. He is having a lot of problems with Liz’s absence,” Maria pleaded.

Alex looked at Isabel and she said, “Of course, Alex. You need to see him. The disappearance of a child is a terrible thing no matter what their age is. I will be fine. I will take the time to read tomorrow if you want.” Alex hugged her. He couldn’t ask for a more understanding girlfriend.

About that time a tall sullen man entered the restaurant and standing in the door for his eyes to acclimate, he finally spotted Maria. She was sitting at a table with her two friends. Michael had a hard time with strangers. Recently it had become worse. Michael had been having dreams that some one was searching for him. The feeling was strong. Michael had always hidden from any recognition, except for his art. As he walked back to where Maria was sitting the feelings became stronger.

“Michael, I want to present my oldest friend, Alex Whitman. He used to live here. This is his girlfriend, Isabel Evans,” Maria was expecting something. Michael forced a smile when he shook hands with Alex, but when he took the hand of Isabel they both frowned.

“Lets go babe. I gotta get out of here,” he stated. “Glad to meet ya,” he said to her friends. Maria did notice this time that his eyes were locked with those of Isabel.

Alex called out. “I will pick you up tomorrow about nine o’clock.”

Maria nodded as she left. Once outside she turned to Michael. “All right now explain,” she commanded.

He turned to her. “Who are those people?” he asked.

“Michael, Alex is my best friend. We were chums in grade school. Liz and I always tried to set him up with girls in high school and now he wanted to show off his girlfriend. That is all,” she stated.

“What is that nine o’clock tomorrow about?” Michael asked.

Alex and I are going over to talk to Jeff Parker. Jeff is having such a difficult time. Alex was always hanging around. I thought Jeff would like to see Alex,” she said.

Michael nodded, that would be fine. He had his own project for tomorrow morning.

-----------------------
Mr. & Mrs. Guerin a detective story
Stories by Ken

Re: Strangers & Milliseconds CC,mature, ch5, pg3 Mar 5, 2013

Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 12:00 pm
by ken_r
keepsmiling7: "Hitcher Hiker's guide to the Universe" says, Only those who do not want the office should get it. They will do their job and go home quickly

L-J-L 76: Liz will be a lot truer than her boyfriend, John.

begonia9508: Yes, spring is here and so is daylight saving's time so we had to get up an hour earlier. dream walking coming up. Isabel needs more information first. She needs to know where Max is. He isn't in Roswell.


Chapter 6

Alex had gone to pick up Maria so, Isabel took out a novel she had been trying to read for some time. There was a knock at the door and Isabel opened it. Isabel wasn’t expecting any danger so when the man standing there slammed her back and stepped in the room, she went flying backwards against the wall. Isabel had been attacked. She reacted. Extending her arm and pointing at the intruder, Isabel created a green haze. The green haze slammed against Michael and pinned him against the closed door. Isabel was so angry that she just kept pushing the haze with all her power.

“Who or what the hell are you?” Michael managed to croak out. The haze was so strong that he could hardly breathe. Behind the haze, Isabel could see his hands sparking, but the sparks couldn’t get past the haze.

“I can ask the same thing of you. You knock me down and come in my room. You are lucky I didn’t kill you,” she answered.

Michael struggled against the protective field for several minutes. Finally, he croaked out again, “Truce. Stop and let’s talk.”

Isabel retreated to the desk in the motel room and sat down. Michael fell to the floor and after getting his breath, he stood and walked to another chair across the room. Isabel was still angry. “You are in my room so you go first.”

Michael was holding his head in his hands, trying to get his breath. He was also trying to collect his thoughts. He was sure that Isabel was not a normal human any more than he was. What do two strangers, who are really strange, say when they first meet? “Take me to your leader is pretty lame.” What if she had said that to him? Michael had no leader. This was the first time Michael had ever met anyone with anything near his powers. Isabel had taken him by surprise. Even on an even playing field, Michael wasn’t sure she wasn’t stronger than he was. Finally, Michael looked up. “I don’t know what to say. This is the first time I ever met anyone like me. I thought I was the only one in the world. I don’t even know what I am. I guess demanding what you are is not a good start, either.”

“Are you from here, Michael? I mean Roswell.” Isabel asked.

“Yes, I was found wandering in the desert and a cowboy turned me over to the welfare department. I have always looked, but I never saw anyone like me, so I decided that I was just a freak of nature,” Michael explained.

“No Michael, not a freak of nature. You are probably an alien. I am too. Originally, there were four of us. If you were lost, then you must have left the pod first. The Evans family, who raised me, said that there was one pod already empty. My brother, Max, and I came out while they were watching. There was one more pod, but they couldn’t wait around for it to open. Philip came back several days later and someone had taken the last being away. Philip figured the Alien had come back and found the only one left. Philip and Diane were afraid that they would lose us, so they left the Roswell area and moved back east.” Isabel watched the young man as he assimilated what she had just told him. She and Max always knew that, somewhere, there were two more like them. Michael had never known anyone with his powers. Everything he had discovered, had been done by him, alone.

Michael looked up at her. “Does your companion know?” he asked.

Isabel shook her head. “No, does yours?” she returned.

Michael shook his head. “No, she was just too good of a thing for me to chance losing by telling her I was a freak. At least, you could say that you were from out there,” he pointed to the sky. “I had no idea of where or what I came from.” Michael had lived in fear that someone would think he was a dangerous freak and destroy him.

This time Isabel smiled. “Michael, are you into getting a cup of coffee? Two siblings or at least cousins, on first meeting, should celebrate someway.”

Maria and Alex

Talking to Maria about Liz was terribly depressing. To think of her lying dead somewhere was too difficult for Alex, also. “Does anyone have any idea of what might have happened?” he asked.

Maria shook her head. “No, her room mate said she was on the way to school where she was a teacher. He was a teacher also, but he was under the weather and he was staying home that day. She never made it to school and no sign of her was ever heard of since. Jim Valenti went to the city to check on what the police knew. She disappeared on the same day that the assassination occurred. Jim questioned if she had run afoul of the killers someway. That is the hottest potato in the federal government. They are still recoiling and casting blame back and forth. They have no idea who did the shooting. If Liz, someway, got caught up in that, there is no way to get information. The feds are not even cooperating with each other. If some other official authority asks questions the feds immediately demand, “What is it to you?” They then start investigating the questioner. I guess knowing nothing, they are grasping at any straws of an idea.”

“How does Mr. Parker cope with this?” Alex asked.

“Jeff goes from hoping and praying to cursing and dragging himself into deep depression. I constantly try to be up-beat, but I am losing hope. Maybe, she is dead and someone has hidden her body for their own reasons. It is a strange world. Who could have imagined our own government could become so split?” Maria asked.

Jeff hugged Alex like he was his own son. Well, the time Alex had spent with Liz and Maria he might as well been Jeff’s kid. Jeff was glad to see Alex, but it brought on another crying spree. “Alex it seems that it was only yesterday that I found the three of you in the same sleeping bag. Do you remember that?” Jeff asked. Jeff rummaged through a drawer in the office of the restaurant and brought out an old faded and worn picture of three children holding each other, sound asleep.

Alex blushed, now, he was thinking about that. The three of them had been camping out on the balcony of the Crashdown café. The night started out warm so they were lying in their separate sleeping bags talking. New Mexico is famous for quick changes in temperature. Suddenly a cold wind blew in. The three children zipped two sleeping bags together and in the most innocent movement, they all three climbed into the bigger bag and clung together for warmth. “Yeah, even with the elementary school sex education, we didn’t think anything about doing that,” Alex stated.

“And later, I asked your father to talk to you when I felt that Maria and Liz were becoming more mature. I was uncomfortable, not you guys,” Jeff stated.

“Mr. Parker, about Liz, I don’t know what to say. Look, Jeff, life has been really good to me. If it ever becomes a question of money for private investigators, please contact me. Liz is as close to me as a sister would be if I had one. More than that Jeff, I will try to keep up whatever faith, I have left. We just have to believe. Liz has to be alive somewhere. We just have to find her.” Alex said.

Back in the car, Maria turned to Alex. “Did you mean what you said to Mr. Parker? Are you really that wealthy?” she asked.

“Yes, Maria, software is where the money is at, now days. I have been lucky and I have also worked very hard. I can only hope that Isabel will stay with me. I have enough money to take care of her and help Jeff in anyway he needs. Maria, Jeff may be reluctant to say anything, so you need to let me know if I can help in any way,” Alex stated.

When they drove up to the motel and walked into the lobby, Maria saw that Michael was sitting in the coffee shop talking to Isabel. Isabel saw them and waved them over. “Alex, Maria, Michael and I are probably related in some way,” Isabel said.

Maria sat down. “How? In what way?” she asked surprised.

Isabel turned to Alex. “Alex, I told you Max, my brother and I were adopted. We were found on the desert just like Michael was. The difference is he was turned over to the welfare authorities and Max and I found a loving home,” she announced.

Maria and Alex were dumbfounded. This was just too great of a coincidence. “You have a brother?” Maria stuttered. “What is he like?” she continued looking at Michael.

“He is slender, dark and he went through prep school just like I did. I think he was a little more shy than I was, but he finally finished Cornell and with a few courses at MIT, he finally has several degrees in Genetic Engineering,” Isabel related.

At the mention of MIT, Alex brightened up. “What was his name, again?” he asked.

Isabel smiled, “Maxwell Evans. You might have met him. He was at MIT the same time you were,” She stated.

“Yes, I remember him. We shared a couple cups of coffee and argued politics a bit. For a biologist, he had a lot of knowledge about the law. He was telling us that laws only exist as long as people are willing to obey them. He didn’t believe in any pre-existing rights. He said we only had the rights we could enforce and protect.” Alex had enjoyed arguing with Max. He had no idea, at that time, that Max’s sister would become his lover. It was a very small world indeed. “Where is Max now days?” he asked.

Isabel looked down at her coffee. “Much like your friend Liz, Max has disappeared,” she stated.

Her hand to her mouth, Maria said, “Do you think that he ran into the same situation as did Liz? Do you suppose that both of them were captured by aliens?”

Michael grimaced. He hated that. Roswellians, always blamed aliens for things they had no answer for. Isabel answered, “The city is big. It would be fanciful, indeed, to think they ran afoul of the same thing. Max had just broken up with his girlfriend. She wasn’t a very nice person. Of course, Max saw things in her that I didn’t see. But, like with your friend, he disappeared with out any trace. And like the parents of your friend, we are devastated.”

Michael was silent during the conversations. He knew that Isabel hadn’t told him all she knew about aliens. She had not mentioned the dreams. Was she having them, also? Did her brother’s disappearance have anything to do with her being back in Roswell? Michael had many questions.
-----------------------------
Martine once said that teaching, and police work were where i was most comfortable. I am starting to enjoy detective stories. Mr. & Mrs. Guerin

Stories by Ken

Re: Strangers & Milliseconds CC,mature, ch6,pg3 Mar 10, 2013

Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:44 am
by ken_r
begonia9508: No I haven't heard from Martine. The last message i got was they were under bombardment from Hamas Rockets. She had been drifting away Roswell, but from time to time she would drop me a note.

I think you will find this time that Michael is even more of a bulldozer. You can also see his dep fellings for Maria. Yes they know a little about powers. She still doesn't know where Max is so she can't find him in a dream walk.

I have always been intrigued that the caretakers were not willing passengers. Royality doesn't consider others sometime.

L-J-L 76: It is realistic that very bright young people at a school, even as big as MIT might meet over coffee and debate ideas. We will wait until next week to follow Max and Liz a bit more.


Chapter 7

Tess

Tess had met a new guy. Her senses told her that Nasedo was far away so it was safe to date. Kyle made it clear from the first date that he enjoyed dating, he enjoyed sex, but he was not serious about anyone. What Kyle did not tell and was only known by the locals who knew Kyle all of his life, Kyle’s mother had taken off when he was a child. Kyle was too young to understand, but he did see the grief this caused in his father. Kyle never asked his father anything about his mother, but Kyle did decide that he didn’t trust women, no matter what their age. As he grew older, Kyle felt that a boy/man needed a woman for physical things. Just don’t get carried away and never trust anyone of the opposite sex. Kyle developed loads of charm, but when leaving time arose, tears, endearments or pleas fell on deaf ears. Kyle would never let any woman tie him down.

To Tess, this seemed like a safe enough guy. She didn’t dare allow Nasedo to know of any affairs she was having. He would repeat the liturgy that she was for the king. Under his eyes, she could learn techniques of love but she was not to, anyway, allow fouling of herself by a human. Tess had no idea what he would do if he caught her. Nasedo would not kill Tess. He needed her. Tess had no doubt of Nasedo destroying any person he thought might derail his plans. Nasedo wanted to get back home. Tess once asked, “What happens to the king after I get pregnant and we return?”

Nasedo shrugged. “Kivar has no intention of allowing any strain of Zan to live except for one who is young enough for Kivar to control. He will kill the king.”

Tess looked at Nasedo, “What will happen to me?”

“If Kivar needs you to raise the infant, he will keep you alive and reward you. If you fail him in any way, he will kill you also.”

Even if Nasedo had been thinking about this for some time, this was the first time he had voiced it to Tess. She could imagine what would happen to the other two. There had been four clones sent to earth. Kivar only needed the seed of the king. He wanted the seed to be instilled in the queen and to produce an unquestionable son, descended from Zan. The princess, well Nasedo had told of Kivar’s sexual excesses. She might have a chance for life for awhile. The Soldier, he would be dead on arrival. Kivar had no use for him, along with the king. Tess could imagine what would happen if she became pregnant with a child who could be proved to have any genetic material that was not of the king. Nasedo, himself would be very cruel. Kivar would do the unmentionable.

Kyle could be trusted to take all possible precautions. He didn’t want any woods colts either (a child with out pedigree). Whben she made love with Kyle, Tess kept her powers turned down. She didn’t know how far Nasedo could sense her actions, but it was best not to take chances. Lately though, Tess had received feelings from somewhere. They were definitely alien. She had no direct idea of who or where, but aliens were having sex. When he came back, Nacedo would surely want to look into this. Maybe, that was where the missing children were. Tess knew that there were three more aliens much like her.

With Alex and Isabel.

“Okay, we have the four-wheel-drive vehicle. Where do you want to go?

Isabel unfolded a paper and a map. Alex had seen neither of them before. “My mother, drew these off before we left. This is where Max and I were found,” she said. Now that wthe time was getting close, Isabel was nervous. She had hoped that the strange machines would enthrall Alex so much that he would not freak out about her out of this world status. Alex could become very single-minded when he was presented with complex machines.

“And seeing this place will help you how?” he asked.

“This is all I have of where Max and I started from. Maybe, it will give a clue to what happened to him,” she stated.

Alex had made his fortune by his own hard work. He wasn’t sure what or who had given him Isabel. If this were something that would help her, then he would embrace the project as he had done with his first bit of software.

They were driving to where Isabel believed she had originated. To Alex, the country was very familiar, the rolling hills, the arroyos crossing the land, and the sandstone cliffs in the distance. The country was totally strange to the lady who had always lived back east. Isabel had no concept of the emptiness of the countryside. Isabel had always questioned, in her mind, how her adoptive parents could make such a remarkable discovery and there was no one else around find out about it, well, almost no body. Her parents had always told her that there was one other person or creature who had taken the last package. Creature, now that was amusing. Did Isabel, the girl who had come out of a pod, call aliens, creatures? The aliens were her people, the creatures were like the wonderful man driving her and who had accepted her for what he saw. The fear flitted through her thinking, would Alex still feel the same way when she unveiled her whole story? Now, Isabel could see that the emptiness of the country could allow anything to happen.

After two dead ends and time scoping the landscape with their field glasses, Alex finally found the sandstone cliff. About a hundred yards on the other side of a four strand barbed wire fence, there was also that ominous sign which read, “Private Property, Keep Out.

Isabel looked at Alex. They had come this far and to be stopped by a stickery fence and a sign, was a let down. Alex did not seemed perturbed as he handed her the daypack she had prepared and took the other one for himself. To those who do not understand barbed wire fences, they might appear formidable. Western fences were usually four double strands of wire with a twist about every four to six inches. The twists were cut so that they were very sharp. The wire was usually placed on cedar posts. In this dry country cedar could last for over a hundred years. The occasional rains, the heating and freezing temperatures, did loosen the wires. The way to cross such a fence was for one person to go the place exactly half way between the posts. They then placed their foot on the next to the last strand of wire and carefully grabbed the next to the top strand and stretched them apart. Usually the opening would be sufficient for another to pass. Once inside, the same procedure was repeated for the first person. When released, the fence sprang back to the same as always. The fences were to keep livestock on one side or the other, but they only served as a slight inconvenience to any thinking traffic. Wild life either hopped or crawled under the bottom strand or gracefully jumped over the top one.

Isabel looked doubtful. “Don’t worry, Izzy, if they truly wanted to keep us out they would have used a much stronger fence. The cliff over there is almost word for word, out of your mother’s description. I doubt if anyone has been around here for years,” Alex said in encouragement. They both adjusted their packs and started in the direction of the cliff. They soon noticed they were on a path. It was worn into the side of the cliff. Looking up the sides of the cliff, they could see the multicolored minerals laced through the sandstone. They were almost at the top of the path. There was no sign of any opening. Isabel was about to suggest giving up. Either there was another cliff like this one somewhere close or the opening had been closed for good.

Alex and Isabel had both lived at almost sea-level for many years. Roswell was over 3500 feet and Alex was sure they were now at least 500 or more feet higher. Alex squatted down to examine the base of the cliff and also catch his breath. Isabel looked down at the valley below. The vision, which Diane had so described, made Isabel dizzy. She fell against the side of the cliff and suddenly a white, handprint appeared at her touch. Alex placed his hand over the print. It was much too small for him. He looked at Isabel and she placed her smaller hand there. Nothing happened. Alex leaned against the cliff and fell into the opening. The opening had appeared so quietly that neither of them had noticed.

Inside it was dark, so they both got out their electric lights. As they entered, they noticed a faint glow coming from the walls of the cavern in some way. Isabel was right, the sight of the machines completely took Alex’s attention. On the wall near the opening, there was a machine covered with over an inch of fine dust. Alex took out his handkerchief and carefully brushed the dust away. There were four pods just like Diane had said. There was cryptic writing the like of which Alex had never seen.

Philip and Diane Evans had lost their attention to what was in the cave when they saw the two children. Alex did not have this distraction. He walked further back in the shallow cavern and saw other machines and what he took for a power supply to keep the cave in operation. The machine, which held the pods was blinking, but otherwise, it was silent. Alex surmised it had fulfilled its duty. There was other humming, but Alex did not touch, not knowing what might happen. Could be a booby-trap, if a stranger came near; if a stranger touched, it could blow the whole contraption sky high.

Alex looked at Isabel. “Yes, Alex, here is where they found me,” she stated.

“Izzy, nothing in here is human. These machines are clearly alien. They are years beyond us.” Alex looked at Isabel carefully. Isabel knew the next few moments would change her life one way or the other. This was more than the millisecond that Max had allowed, but Alex finally said, “Izzy, are you alien?”

Isabel slowly nodded. What was Alex thinking? Would he go running from the cavern, leaving her stranded as he ran for his life? What did happen, Isabel did not expect.

“Oh, Izzy, to be cut off from your true family. To be stranded, ‘a stranger in a strange land.’ No wonder you seem to be so distant sometimes. Isabel, if you want me, I will try to offer as much support as did the Evanses,” he declared.

They sat in the place of her rebirth their arms wrapped around each other. The machines of her people were humming, waiting for further instructions, instructions that Isabel had no idea how to give.

Isabel looked around the room. “There is another person we need to show this to,” she stated.

“Who, Izzy, have you found another alien?” Alex asked.

Isabel looked Alex. “Yes, Michael, the boyfriend of your friend. He hasn’t told her so don’t say anything. We need to bring him out here. He deserves to know the place he came from. You see Alex, he was the first child.”

When they left the cavern, Isabel again placed her hand on the handprint and the mechanism worked so smoothly that it was like magic when the doorway disappeared. The handprint also disappeared. Isabel thought, When Michael left as an infant, he was not big enough to close the door. It must also mean that there was something inside which opened automatically. The last time the alien must have been in too much of a hurry to close it. The door must have closed on its own after Philip left the last time. There must have been a time limit for it to be open if there was nothing going on inside.

Michael and Maria

“For the last time, Michael. You are going off with Alex and his girlfriend. Why don’t you want me? Alex is my friend, not yours. I am sure that I can do anything that eastern debutant of his can do. Why don’t you want to let me come along?” Maria raged and pleaded.

“I told you babe. This is a strenuous hike. They want to show me a formation they think I can use in my art. You wouldn’t enjoy it and we can’t baby you along. This one time, Maria, stay home,” he ordered.

Michael hadn’t ever been that adamant with Maria before. He wasn’t going to let her go, but Maria had seen enough spy movies to know how to follow people and she intended to do so as soon as he left. Alex and his damned girlfriend from back east had nothing on her. If they could handle it, so could she!

There was no breeze, so when Maria arrived at the place where they turned off the highway the dust was still suspended in the air. Maria parked her beat-up Jetta beside the rental SUV. Maria saw the fence and she saw the sign. A single person crossing a barbed wire fence has two choices. If you are very close to a post you might climb the fence using the strands of wire as steps. The post better be very secure because if one of the strands pulls out its fastening to the post you will probably fall straddling the sharp barbs. The second way is to bend over, pushing the next to the last strand down and maneuver your body not to get hung up on the strand above you. If you do get hung up while positioned like a four legged crab, you just have to bull your way through. Going either direction will hurt and cause the same damage to your clothing. Maria arrived at the cliff with her shorts ripped and a gash across her butt along with a ripped blouse and a scratch across her back. This is why explorers in the west always keep their tetanus shots current. Rusty barbs many times caused serious medical problems. Maria would have to check on this when she got back to town. For now, she was a bit closer, to whatever secret, Alex was sharing with her boyfriend and not her. Michael better be careful where he put his hands for a few days. Sitting down might be a problem also.

An hour eariler

As they approached their parking place, Isabel kept asking and Michael kept straining to see if he recognized anything. It was just so long ago. Neither of them had had their minds very well formed then either. The first time they saw anything, they had just been born, even if they were physically mature as a six-year-old.

At the top of the trail, Isabel again touched the cliff and the white hand print appeared. Alex had already tried it and he knew that handprint was sized just for Isabel. Isabel knew she could open the cave so she pointed to Michael. As his hand approached the print, it could be seen to enlarge. When his hand actually touched the print, the entrance appeared as quietly and magical as before. It only worked for aliens.

Once inside, the lights again came on. Michael was astounded at what he saw. He saw where Alex had wiped the dust off the pod chamber where he had exited. Michael could still find no memory of this. As they explored the cavern further, Michael was still more in wonder. What kind of people left children to come into the world on their own. Wait, maybe something had happened to their caretaker. Isabel had said that the last child had been removed, by someone.

As they were all looking around in wonder a familiar voice was heard. “Michael, what the hell is this place?” Maria asked.

Michael was having strange feeling’s of danger. When he heard the voice he reacted. Spinning around, he pinned the person against the wall with a powerful green shield. Maria screamed. Alex jumped to Michael’s arm and pulled at it. “Michael, it is Maria. Stop! You are hurting her,” Alex demanded.

The shield disappeared and Maria fell to the cave floor. Michael said nothing, he just left, climbing down the path and sitting against the cliff. Alex couldn’t be sure, but it looked like Michael was sobbing. Maria got up with the help of Isabel and Alex. She was breathing deeply. The shield had knocked the wind out of her. “What happened,” was all she could say?

Alex answered as he held her. “You surprised him. We all are a little scared. This is a bit much for all of us,” he explained.

Maria looked around and then, peered at Isabel and Alex closely. Then, she leaned out the opening looking at Michael sitting at the foot of the cliff. “What did he do?” she asked. Then, Maria turned to Alex and Isabel. “What are all of you?” she inquired.

Isabel spoke up, “We hope we are your friends. This is all going to take some getting used to.”

“You better believe it is going to take time getting used to. And, what about Michael? He has never physically hit me before” she made this a statement of their relationship.

Isabel’s calm voice was heard through Maria’s fears. “He hasn’t physically abused you this time either. You scared him. He isn’t used to what he has learned, either. You both need to talk some. Michael has faced for the first time, the place he originated. Look at him sitting there. Maria he loves you. He is afraid that he hurt you and he might lose you. Maria there are many explanations that none of us have yet. Don’t let his or your fears destroy what you had before. Maria go to him. Try to get him to open up. Maybe someday, he will tell you more about his fears. Maybe someday, we will all understand what we have just learned.” Isabel was counting on Maria’s love to patch her relationship with Michael. It needed to be done as soon as possible. She and Alex would remain in the cave exploring for a few more minutes giving Maria and Michael time they needed together.

“Michael, I am sorry for crying out. I was surprised,” Maria said.

Michael shook his head. “I told you not to come. Maria, I may be dangerous. I don’t know what I am. I could have killed you! I don’t even know what I did or how I did it,” he cried as he held her. “Maria, run from me,” he ordered belying what he said as he held her closer. “I am an alien. I have always known I was different, but now, I think I might be bad for you or anyone else.”

“Michael, I know you didn’t intend to hurt me. What you are, is my lover. We will work things out just like Alex and Isabel. I take it she is the alien, not Alex.

Somewhere in Roswell

Tess was having all sorts of feelings. There were several alien beings nearby. Damn, if the king appeared, Nasedo would make her fulfill her duty. That would mean leaving. It also meant she must sleep with a man she was to turn over to be killed. She must produce a baby, not because she loved someone, but to fulfill a duty. She might someday want to be a mother, but she was sure that if she were sent back to Kivar, her motherhood would be severely monitored by a dangerous despot. She was trying in everyway she could to warn the king.
-------------------------------
Stories by Ken

Re: Strangers & Milliseconds CC,mature, ch7,pg3 Mar 18, 2013

Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:34 am
by ken_r
begonia9508: If you do hear about Martine please PM me.

you are right, the aliens are still trying to find out about themselves.

keepsmiling7:

L-J-L 76: Wait and see what Liz's boyfriend finally does. I think Max already has a case for Liz.


Chapter 8

At the Safe House

The feeling of alien love, going on somewhere, was making it even more difficult to be with Liz. Max was hoping that the feeling was from his sister, Isabel. Max had no idea who her current boyfriend would be. Maybe, Isabel had traveled to the southwest looking for him. Maybe, the feelings would get clearer and more personal. These were his thoughts, when Liz came back to their house. “Max,” she said, “take me on a date.”

Max looked at her. He really couldn’t believe his ears. “What did you say, Liz?” Max asked.

“I said, I want you to take me on a date. I want you to take me to a movie,” Liz repeated.

“Oh, you mean you want me to go to a movie with you? Is it something special?” Max asked.

“No, Max. I want to dress up. I want to arrive at a movie on your arm. I want you to buy tickets while the ticket sellers looks at me with lecherous eyes thinking what we might or might not be doing in the balcony of the theater. I want you to buy me popcorn and pay the outrageous prices for the soft drinks. I am so tired of doing things alone. If I thought it would do any good, I would ask one of the bodyguards to take me. I want to be held by some one who is important to me. Max, you saved my life. You probably are the most important man in my life here and now. For one night, I want to pretend we are a couple and we are on a real date. For one night, I want to feel normal.” Something had happened today to upset Liz. Max was sure.

“What happened today, Liz?” Max asked.

“I almost got spotted today. I don’t think he would have recognized me as a blonde. I haven’t seen him since high school. Kyle Valenti was a football hero back at school. I dated him a few times, but my father knew of his reputation and wouldn’t let me keep going out with him. I was mad at the time, but now I can see my father’s point of view. He never looked my way. In fact, he didn’t seem to see anything except for the little blonde on his arm. For some reason, she made me think of you. She was about my size, but she had a whinny voice. Just thinking about Kyle and high school, Max, I want to go on a date.” Liz was trying to explain her feelings. Kyle brought back so many memories of a more carefree life she had known it seemed a long time before.

For that millisecond, Max thought, maybe, Liz had run into Isabel. He had no idea who Isabel would be with or where Isabel might be. Small about the same size as Liz or the whinny voice cleared that up quickly. “Of course, I will, Liz.” Max stood up and walked over to her. “Elizabeth Mendoza would you go on a date with me tomorrow? We can take in a movie and then, maybe, a supper at the Royal Steak House. I would pick you up at three o’clock tomorrow after noon and tell anyone who needs to know that we might be back late tomorrow night,” Max said.

Liz laughed. “Maxwell Mendoza, I would be happy to go on a date with you,” Liz replied. “Even if I had to make you ask me,” she added.

Kyle and Tess in the city near the safe house.

Kyle had only one thing to say. This little blonde was definitely out of this world. If Kyle hadn’t been an educated man, he would have said she was a witch. Screwing with her was messing up his mind. He had dated her the first time because she definitely had a hot body. Kyle was not into touchy-feely stuff. They had gone to a nightclub and dancing. Kyle was a man and he drank like a man, except for when he intended to make a conquest in bed. After that first night, Kyle would have sworn that he had tied one on. He didn’t have much retention of what happened that night, but Kyle had a sure feeling that he had never made love like that before.

The second time they had attended a baseball game. Kyle had only one beer during the game and when he returned her to her apartment, she pulled him inside. Kyle usually took beautiful women with him when he attended any function. Sports were important to Kyle and the woman on his arm was just for show. This time, though, in the middle of the afternoon, after the game at her apartment, Kyle thought he must have been hallucinating just like before.

Kyle wasn’t known for his concern about whatever date he had with him. After these experiences, Kyle found that the activity was becoming just an excuse to see the little blonde. No woman had ever had this effect on him before. Roswell was over 200 miles to the south. Kyle had brought his new girl to attend an exhibition basketball game. Kyle, for the first time, was looking for the game to be over. His real reason to be out tonight was the perfect body he had under his arm. He had booked a table at the Royal Steak House. He wanted his girl to have everything just perfect.

The date of the century or the first date either of them had been on since the shootings.

Max had allowed Liz to pick the movie. It was a super chick flick. Max wondered if it was a test to see if he would complain. The female lead was feeling her maturity. She believed her biological clock was running out. In the urgency to find a mate and have a child, she allowed her self to be courted by four men. It was listed as a family romantic comedy so, you were not sure whether she was sleeping with all four or not. There were plenty of double meanings so your mind could be as base as you wanted. You could, also, take everything at face value and the kids would see troubles of a woman who was wanted to be a wife by four different guys.

Max wondered how much did Liz know about this movie beforehand? Was Liz in a quandary about her own social life? Max had been as careful as he could about not trying to displace John Stevens. Still Liz must know that there was a chance that she wouldn’t see John for years, if at all. As for Max, all those fantasies he had walking behind her, the day of the shooting, were multiplying. For the evening, Max was wearing slacks and a polo shirt. Liz had managed, somehow, to get a sexy little black dress. If Liz wanted to tease Max, she was succeeding.

The reservations at the Royal Steak House were waiting for them. The minute he entered the place, Max could feel something wrong. Looking around, Max was sure that at least one patron was a member of their bodyguard. He was sure that the woman with that bodyguard was either a paid escort or another agent. No member of the squad would bring their wife or girlfriend into a situation like this. Their meals were excellent. Max drank mostly lemon tea and Liz ordered a southwestern drink called Santa Fe Lemonade. Since everything would be paid by a government backed credit card, Max only paid enough attention to what Liz had ordered to assure himself that she was having a good time. Max did the best he could to hold up his end of the conversation, but there was something still troubling him. It was like a recording playing in the background of his life. There was something other than the bodyguard watching over him.

“Liz, tell me more about your life back in Roswell,” Max requested. He wanted anything to erase the unease he was feeling.

“I am afraid I was something between a flirt and a geek. I wanted the popularity that being the first in class wasn’t giving me. I tried dating the popular guys because I hoped their popularity would rub off on me. I think the picture of my dad waiting at he door holding a meat cleaver kept some of the less brave boys from making moves on me. It also gave me a feeling of invulnerability. At first, Kyle wasn’t scared off by my father. Dad was angry with me for dating him. I always wondered what he finally said to Kyle. Kyle quit even coming to our restaurant after that,” Liz mused. “What about you, Max? Have you always lived back east?” she continued.

Max wondered if it was the alcohol loosening the tension between them. Maybe, she was just making small talk. Maybe, she really wanted to know more about her forced companion for god knows how much longer. “I have no idea where I was born. Isabel, my sister and I were adopted. All I can remember is the Evans family. Both my mother and father are professionals. Mom quit working to take care of us. From stories I remember, I guess we were a handful,” Max explained.

“Oh Max, I can’t imagine you were a problem child. You are so polite and caring now,” Liz interjected.

“Liz, we didn’t misbehave or anything. We didn’t behave at all. Neither of us have any memory before we came to live with Philip and Diane Evans. Izzy settled in better than I. She learned to fit in and I just muddled through. Being the children of a very prominent lawyer family helped. Izzy was soon dating and becoming a very popular girl. I am not sure, but she might even have arranged dates for me. Of course, she never let me know this,” Max related.

As he was talking, Liz thought, Max indeed had a difficult life. Now, she saw him as a kind of hero. Well, if he hadn’t knocked her to the pavement, she would now be one of the casualties. Max seldom talked about Connie. Liz wondered how a nice guy like him got involved with a woman like he described. Then, she knew that Max’s description of Connie was that of a jilted lover. He might still have bitter feelings, which would color anything he said about her. Liz signaled to the waiter for another Santa Fe Lemonade. They were so good.

As he was talking to Liz, Max heard in his mind, “If you are the king, run. I am your death angel. Where ever you have been hiding, return!”

Max had no idea where these ideas were coming from. Suddenly, Liz grabbed Max’s arm. “Max, that couple over there. See the blonde and the husky man at her side. That is Kyle. They are the couple I was talking about. I don’t think he would recognize me, but we must be careful,” she said.

Max finally saw the couple Liz was trying to show him. The man was a typical jock. He had a woman on his arm and he would use her for his pleasure. Max remembered the type from high school. The woman was slightly different appearing to Max. He could almost swear that she might be alien. That would make her the first or fourth child in the incubator. They had finished their dinner and were waiting for the check. Liz was finishing off her fourth Lemonade. Max idly looking at the list of drinks on the separate menu, saw, “Santa Fe Lemonade: 
A tall lemonade on the rocks blended with rum, gin, and cactus juice liqueur.” Liz had had four of them.

Tess and Kyle

Tess was a master at mind games. She was playing with Kyle’s mind, while exploring that strange sensation. She couldn’t be sure, but an alien was near. Again, she could not be sure, but it very well could be the king. Tess was searching the strange mind. She was sending signals. She had no idea how they would be received. Tess was trying to warn whoever it was, who was near. Tess was hiding behind the strong feelings of Kyle.

The way things were going tonight, Kyle felt sure he would score big time. He kept telling himself that, soon it would be time to bail. It wouldn’t do for a man of his reputation to fall for a piece of ass like Tess. Find em, feel ‘em, fuck ‘em and forget ‘em, that was Kyle. Trouble was, it was becoming more and more difficult to see Tess that way. Wow! If he wasn’t careful, he might even begin to think he was in love with her. Maybe tonight, the sex he would demand from her would be so outrageous that she would break up with him. That saved a lot of time and tears.

Back at their hotel room, Tess dropped her wrap the minute they entered the door. Kyle had intended to control this night. He would reap the best she had and leave her with nothing but loathing for him. He wasn’t even sure she would return to Roswell with him, she would be so angry.

Kyle never had a chance.

Tess gave Kyle more than she ever had before. It would be better to suffer the beating from Nasedo thinking that she had been getting too close to a human, than for him to see that she had probably made contact with the king.

The next day on their way back to Roswell, Kyle was thinking of white dresses, Tuxedos, limousines and marriage. Tess was thinking that his thoughts would be fine, if she could just get out of the control of Nasedo.

After dinner with Max and Liz.

Liz had consumed way too much alcohol. Max helped her to the sedan where two drivers magically appeared. Max wondered where the man he had identified in the restaurant had gone. There was no sign of him anywhere. In his mind, Max thought, if she was a paid escort, then maybe the bodyguard could become human for an evening and enjoy her company. Then, reason settled. In all probability when he and Liz left the room, the relationship the bodyguard might have appeared to have terminated also. Pay her off and she would be satisfied. She had provided herself as an escort for a businessman and she wasn’t even required to remove her clothes.

All the way back to their home, Liz sat with her arms around Max. Max’s date was definitely drunk. Max, also, had under consideration the, perhaps, blonde alien, the cryptic warnings and strong feelings of alien sex. Now, alien sex was not a safe feeling for a man or alien determined to remain a gentleman, escorting another man’s girl.

Once at the safe house, Max scooped Liz into his arms and with the bodyguards opening the door, Max took Liz to her room. Once he had her there, the bodyguards disappeared to their own rooms. Max was left with a drunk, amorous lady. She squirmed on the bed where he placed her, showing that more than just the little black dress was considered in her date tonight. The dress rose up showing that the underwear she was wearing tonight was definitely different from what Max remembered from Connie or even seeing Isabel wearing as she flitted from the bathroom to her bedroom. Liz, definitely, was trying to make an impression on someone tonight.

It wasn’t as if Max hadn’t undressed a woman before. His experiences were tied into the sexual sensation of feeling her body as it became more and more naked. The actions he would take would be interspersed by kisses and endearments. As he would do this, Max would feel his body grow taut and his groin would scream out to find release within the woman. Wait… that was when he intended to make love a love, which would be shared. Even though her mumblings and gropings implied a sexual happening, Max knew that Liz was not, in anyway, in control of her body or her mind. Maybe, if she hadn’t drank so many lemonades there might have been something happening that she wanted. As it was, for Max to do anything other than prepare her for bed would, in his mind, be rape. Liz once called him a pervert. That was because she didn’t know him very well. Max had very strong ethics about what he would or wouldn’t do. Take advantage of anyone, was one of those ‘he wouldn’t do’ things.

The black dress had to come off. Max had to fight off her hands as he undid the fastenings. Liz’s hands had minds of their own. As her hands reached for his shirt and pulled at his belt, Max wished a million times that she had been sober. Living with her and keeping his distance for so long told on Max. But, Max had his standards.

The dress was off. Liz was still mumbling endearments, which Max would love to embrace. He just couldn’t be sure she knew what she was saying and to who she was saying it to. Her shoes were off, but garter belts and hose did not look comfortable to sleep in. Max also knew that the act of taking them off would do a lot to his libido. The feel of her skin was so desired and the guilt feeling it was giving him made him very uncomfortable. Finally, he released the belt and was able to roll her hose off her feet. Throwing her arms around his neck he lifted her up and pulled down the sheets. Tucking her into bed, before he pulled up the covers, did give Max a beautiful view. Wrappings from Victoria’s secrets did make a wonderful presentation to a man. Max could only wish that she would intend that presentation for him. If not for him, why did she choose and wear these clothes? It wasn’t as if she was hoping to score in some other way. If either of them had approached any stranger, the bodyguards would have hastened them out of the restaurant immediately.

Max sat in the kitchen for some time. This was a time when he wished he had a tolerance for alcohol. Getting drunk would ease many pains. It wouldn’t be safe. One of them had to stay on guard to protect their friendship.

Thinking, brought Max back to the man Liz called Kyle and, more importantly back to the woman with him. What if she was an alien? There were still two out there somewhere. What was her reference about the king? What was her reference for him to hide? Why did she say that she was his death-angel? Max finally went to bed. He slept in his underwear. He slept almost a death sleep. He had exhausted himself in so many ways.
-----------------------------
Stories by Ken

Re: Strangers & Milliseconds CC,mature, ch8,pg4 Mar 24, 2013

Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:18 am
by ken_r
Natalie36

begonia9508:

keepsmiling7

L-J-L 76: Carole and i saw Santa Fe Koolaid on a menu. It was made with a little lemon aid and a lot of different liquors. Liz wouldn't have realized how strong it was.


Chapter 9

Next morning after their date at the safe house.

Liz woke up. All she knew for many minutes was that she had the mother of all headaches. She had intended to do something that was not in her character. That was why she consumed the alcohol. Liz knew that she might never see John Stevens again. Max gave her no hope for their ordeal to be over soon. There were many dark worries held by Max. Some of them were tied into their safety. That wasn’t the only thing, but it was the one she could share. Liz didn’t want to remain celibate the rest of her life. Max had given her everything he could. Maybe, she should look to him instead of thinking of a man she might never see again. Max was here. Max cared for her a lot. What would it be like if they really were a couple? She and John had shared things about teaching, while she and Max had shared things about living. Liz knew that Max needed to talk about the strange things troubling him. Maybe, if they were a couple they could share his troubles also.

Liz looked around. Her black dress was folded on a chair. She would never do that. She was sure she would have hung it up no matter how drunk she had been. It should be set out to be sent to the cleaners. Her shoes were tossed in the corner. Now, women do not throw expensive shoes in the corner. Her hose were rolled up on the floor. Liz would have straightened them up and placed them in a bag for the laundry. Liz looked down at her expensive underwear. She had bought it in case she ended up in bed with Max. She was sure he would find it sexy. But Liz wouldn’t go to bed in just underwear. If she were tired, she might drop off to sleep after making love with John, but in that case she would be naked.

Someone had carefully tucked Liz into bed. They had, she was sure, appreciated her Victoria’s secret. Was it Max and what did he think of her now? Liz grabbed a robe and hurried into the kitchen where Max, as usual had her breakfast prepared. Now that she had confronted him, what was she to say?

“Did you enjoy looking at my body last night?” That might be taken as an insult.

“Did you enjoy taking my clothes off last night?” That wasn’t much better.

Every phrase that went though her mind, just made things worse. Liz just sat there nursing her coffee and wondering what Max was thinking.

Max handed her a glass of water and two pain killers. “I think the name lemonade was just to assuage guilt as you were drinking them. Liz you had four,” He said. “They were pretty potent,” he finished.

“Did you put me to bed,” she asked?

“Yeah, I thought it would be very uncomfortable sleeping in your clothes. Liz, we are all each other has right now. I hoped you wouldn’t be too angry,” he stated.

Liz breathed a sigh of relief. Max had taken care of her as if she was a child. He hadn’t taken any advantage of her that she could tell. “That is some underwear,” Max stated as he left just ahead of the morning toast he had prepared for Liz, which came flying at him through the door.

Showered, dressed and feeling somewhat better, Liz joined Max on the terrace. Max was writing and when she came out he carefully put it away. “Did I embarrass my self last night,” she asked?

“Not really, I think you were letting go a lot of stress that you had penned up since the shooting. You saw Kyle; I guess that is the man you knew back in high school. We both felt that we should not tempt fate so we came home after that,” Max explained.

A few days later when Nasedo returned.

Tess collected her clothes. She would have been embarrassed except for the fact that she had endured this so many times growing up. Nasedo returned and true to what Tess hoped he slapped her many times then he demanded she disrobe and he examined her to assure himself she wasn’t pregnant. Her knowledge about the king was safe. He threatened to kill Kyle. Tess just shrugged. “Kill whomever you wish. It is nothing to me. Kill enough and the FBI will return looking for you. They know you and not me. It will be you they take to the labs,” she said with a shrug. Nasedo settled down and for the moment, Kyle was safe because Tess had made out that he was nothing to her. Max was safe, because Tess hadn’t let out any emotion about, maybe, contacting the king. Nasedo left town in a fit of temper. He heard something that made him think the king was back east somewhere. Even her protector did not know how strong Tess’s mind control actually was.

In a restaurant on Main street one morning in Roswell.

Alex, Isabel, Michael and Maria were eating breakfast. They had a lot in common. Maria and her best friend Alex were dating people out of this world. Michael had discovered that he was not a freak of nature, but was true to his nature. He had accepted that he was an alien. There still was a question for Alex and Maria. What had happened to Liz? The others including Alex, were not close enough to Isabel to see the intensity of her search, but she had her problem of what happened to Max? It would be way too much coincidence to think that they were connected.

Michael looked up. He remembered Kyle as that Jock from high school. He doubted if Kyle remembered him at all. Alex remembered Kyle, but none of the jocks had been very nice to a boy who couldn’t catch a ball with a net and who had an IQ twice their best average in any sports. He nodded when Kyle walked up, but there was no warmth in his greeting. Kyle had no memory of Alex, either. His attention rested on Isabel and he gave her a lop sided grin. He was about to say something like, “Where have you been all my life, gorgeous?” Maria saw that one coming and stopped it quickly. She wasn’t sure, but she imagined that Isabel could have handled Kyle for breakfast. Anyway, Isabel was with Alex by her choice. Maria was sure that Izzy had turned down dates with jocks better looking and twice as skilled as Kyle. What Kyle did manage to ask was, “Maria, do you have any word about Liz?”

Maria looked at him and shook her head. Kyle mused, “I was in the city the other day and I could have sworn that I heard her voice. I looked everywhere, but no one even slightly resembled her. I guess it was just my imagination.”

Maria made a face. For a second she thought he might have some news. Then, Kyle started up again. “I have a new girlfriend. I would like her to meet you, Maria, sister almost,” Kyle said.

Maria laughed. “Then you better make it in the next couple days. You have never had a girlfriend much longer than that,” she smirked.

Kyle made circular motions with his hand, “What about we all have breakfast tomorrow.” Then, he smirked at Maria, “I ought to be able to keep her that long.”

It was Isabel who, with great finesse stated, “Kyle, I have just met Maria and MichaelI. I think I would like to meet more people here in Roswell. We would like very much to meet her.”

After Kyle left, Maria leaned over and said, “Kyle is an ass. You don’t have to be nice to him on my account. His father is dating my mother. That is the only reason I put up with him. I do think he is sincerely worried about Liz. They dated a little in high school. Kyle never understood it, but Mr. Parker knew him too well. I think he would have taken out the shotgun if Kyle had hung around her much longer.

Isabel shrugged her shoulders, “There is something about Kyle. He has been around alien things somehow. I would like to, at least, meet his new girlfriend and rule my feeling as paranoia if there is no other evidence.”

Back at the safe house

“So you put me to bed after our date?” Liz asked

“Yes, and I was as respectful as possible,” Max stated. “Liz, I know that you still are hoping to get back with John someday,” he continued.

“Why Max, why do you do so much and ask for so little in return?” Liz asked.

“Liz, I really don’t know what you mean,” Max said. “I know that you want to see John again. I want what will make you happy,” he continued.

“That is what I mean, Max. What will make me happy? Don’t you care about your own happiness? You picked me out of a crowd and risked your life to save mine. Don’t deny it Max; you put yourself in more danger trying to cover me. You never even complained when I bit you. You are the perfect companion. You never ask about any of my private life. Lord knows, privacy is a luxury we no longer have. Aren’t you curious about what my failings are? Everything I do, or want to do, is perfectly agreeable to you. Don’t you ever want to just tell me to shut up? I have read some of the books you check out. I have a PhD in biology and they are way above me. Yet, any time I ask anything, you always take time to explain it. Those panties I was wearing the other night, John would have had a heart attack if he had seen me in them. I bought them for you. If I hadn’t gotten drunk that night, I had intended to seduce you.”

“Liz, Liz, it is the isolation talking. You have a boyfriend. You want to return to him. Anything we would do would be just desperation,” Max tried to console her.

Liz just shook her head. Was there no way she could get through to Max. Yes, she wanted to see John Stevens again, someday. That didn’t look like it was happening for some time yet. Was she now trying to pick a fight with Max? Was she trying to poke him to get something that she would identify as a human reaction? Was Max right? Was it the isolation? Was it seeing Kyle and remembering days even before John Stevens when she could be free with her emotions? Liz had led a pretty strict life in high school. Her father had kept a close watch on her activities. John Stevens was the first man she had ever lived with, almost the first man she had made love to, at least very seriously. Suddenly, Liz wanted to scream. She couldn’t get a reaction out of Max, but she felt the need to get a reaction out of someone.

Max tried to hold her in his arms. “Liz, I just try to take care of you,” he stated.

Liz pushed away from Max. She murmured as she left the room. “Maybe, I want something more than being taken care of,” she cried, but she wasn’t sure that Max heard her.

Being with Connie should have shown Max that he didn’t know much about women. Isabel was the only woman he understood and on thinking about that, the only thing he understood about her was the alien side. The boys she had dated, the men she dated now, made little sense to Max. Was she looking for something like he was? Was she looking for some human she could share her secret with? Was that what Max had been seeking, a human he could share with? Liz would, someday, return to John Stevens. Max didn’t dare let Liz know about him being an alien. That was way too dangerous a secret to give her and to expect that she wouldn’t, some day, divulge it to some lover. Max liked to think that his obsession with genetics was a result of his seeking a mate and being able to give her children. Max had an, “Oh my god” moment. How would a child with the likes of Connie have turned out? Maybe all of this was to help him to find a partner to whom he could return love and create a family with.

Max sighed. Should he just go searching for that fourth alien? Should Max seek one of his own species for a mate? Was that the intention of sending the four children? That would have made a very slim gene pool. Not good for long-term propagation.

Max turned his thoughts back to Liz. Did he want to upstage that John Stevens guy, who ever he was? Should Max pursue the woman he had beside him? Could Max make her forget her boyfriend? Max almost thought, former boyfriend.

Roswell

Isabel had no idea of the quandary Max’s mind found itself in, at the moment. Isabel had accepted Alex and turned away all the Kyle like advances she had been exposed to. With dream walking and other highly tuned alien senses, Isabel was able to see beyond what suitors presented to her. That is why she chose Alex. Alex was a good person. Isabel had watched his life carefully as she met him. She had been careful in the initial dating process. What her mother had called, “Playing with a nice guy,” was her trying to understand him. When she finally let him into her bed, Isabel was sure that if there was any species compatibility possible Alex was the man she wanted to live with. Now, Alex accepted her alien status. If they couldn’t have children, so be it. Max had been studying the genetic thing. Where was Max? originally there had only been four of them. With Max gone, she only knew herself and Michael. Was that the extent of the alien invasion? Not much of an invasion in her opinion.

Alex and Isabel were the first to arrive at the Crashdown café that morning. Jeff came out to greet Alex. He smiled and took Isabel’s hand. He was glad to see the young man, who had spent so much time at the Parker home in what looked like a stable relationship. He wanted so badly to see the same for Liz. That triggered a crying spell so Jeff quickly retired back to the kitchen. Let the young waitresses assist those, whom he saw as favored customers.

Maria and Michael arrived, next. Maria was so familiar with the Crashdown that no one said anything as she arranged the tables to seat six. Michael was in a much better mood this time when facing Isabel. She had shared the place of their birth or as near as they could get to that. Michael was sure that Isabel knew more about aliens, but he would try to be patient. His girlfriend was best friends with Isabel’s lover. Michael hoped that the four of them would have a supportive and good relationship in the future. Maria was totally preoccupied with the disappearance of Liz. Michael noticed like wise that Isabel’s alien side was likewise concerned about the disappearance of her brother, Max.

Kyle entered with Tess on his arm. Immediately, both Isabel and Michael felt her alien status. In the millisecond after the recognition, Isabel stepped down hard on Michael’s foot. There was something dangerous about Tess. Kyle guided Tess in front of him. “Guys, I would like to present my girlfriend, Tess. Tess, this is my almost sister, Maria, her mother is dating my father. This is Michael, her boyfriend, Alex an old schoolmate and his girlfriend, Isabel. Alex and Isabel are from back east where Alex now lives.”

Alex and Maria caused no stir in Tess, but the other two, she definitely needed to talk to. After their order had been taken, Tess, all the while staring at Isabel, got up to go to the lady’s room. In true female fashion, Maria and Isabel joined her. Once inside, Isable waved her hand over the lock, making it impossible to open from outside. Tess pointed to Maria, “Who is she?” Tess curtly asked.

Isabel was standing in front of the locked door as if daring Tess to make a break for it. “Maria is a friend. She knows all about us. For us, I think the question is who are you?” Isabel asked.

Tess spoke openly. This was the first time she had ever done so, in front of a human. “I am the fourth child to come out of the pods. Our protector was waiting for me and he carried me off. I guess the rest of you had already been taken by something,” Tess declared.

“We need to talk,” Isabel stated. “Tomorrow, in the park. Just us three aliens,” Isabel continued.

Tess raised her eyebrows at the mention of just the three of them. The alien sitting at the table was definitely not the king. Yes they needed to talk before Nasedo returned to retake their lives.

Re: Strangers & Milliseconds CC,mature, ch9,pg4 Apr 4, 2013

Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 12:08 pm
by ken_r
begonia9508:

keepsmiling7

L-J-L 76: Liz will probably be more careful what she drinks next time. Things are coming together.


Chapter 10

At the safe house.

Max had taken over one room of the house for his study. He found that the budget to keep him quiet and happy allowed him to buy quite a lot of equipment. His computer was filled with scans of articles on interspecies breeding. He had obtained several different samples of DNA and he was trying to understand what it took to make the inter-species mating fertile. Max had taken samples of his own DNA as well as that of Liz. If he did decide to make a move on Liz, Max wanted to know that it would be possible to have children. Children, who could carry on both his and Liz’s genes. Max lacked the simple faith that protected Isabel. He needed proof.

After her talk with Max, Liz was lost deep in thought. She had admitted that she wanted to seduce him. Liz had never done something like that before. If she and Max had gone to bed together, how would she feel now? Would she be guilt ridden that she had cheated on John? How did John feel about her? Would John have risked his life to save her or would he feel that she was strong enough to protect herself? Would John even have seen the danger, if he had been with her that morning?

Liz always knew that Max had a deep dark secret. She always knew how intelligent he was. He was constantly amazing her with his ability to do things. Before quitting golf, there was talk about Max joining a professional-amateur team and entering some of the championship games. Of course, their handlers would never have allowed that. The night he had returned from skeet practice, he had complained about the pain. Liz remembered that he went outside and sat meditating. When he returned he made no more mention of the pain. Now, he had taken over a spare room and turned it into a genetics lab. Even at the loss of skeet, golf and tennis, Max was spending more and more of his time in that room. Liz questioned herself. Had her out burst caused him to retreat? They still had supper and breakfast together, and Max still asked her to pick up books from the university library when she had plans to go there. They hadn’t gone on another date. Liz was sorry about that. Until the great confession the next morning, Liz felt that she had enjoyed a good time. Maybe a little less Lemonade next time. Next time, that was what was worrying Liz, Max had shown no inclination to repeat the affair. Had she scared him?

Roswell, getting ready to go to the park.

“Hey you remember I am holding your gal hostage. Don’t do anything that would upset me,” Alex called.

Michael was way too practical to understand this, but Isabel kissed Alex on the cheek and retorted, “yes, and you keep remembering those sisterly feelings you always had toward Maria from your childhood.”

Isabel and Michael left for the park. Alex turned to Maria, “Now that the ball and chains are off, what do you propose we do with our time?”

Maria laughed, “I am sure that a slumber party is definitely out. What do you say that we take a walk down town and you can tell me what it is like to live with an alien?”

“Technically, I am not living with Isabel. I have talked several times about moving her into my place, but there were always reasons. Now, I think those reasons might have been her alien status. She hasn’t even completely explained the difference between alien and human.” Alex blushed. “There are no physical differences that I can tell to make her any different from you,” Alex declared.

“I hope that observation is from later gained experience and not memories of the one time we played doctor that summer Liz was gone,” Maria stated.

Now, Alex was really blushing. He couldn’t think of a come back statement so he just went ahead with his observation. “Isabel is extremely bright. She has almost a photographic memory and sometimes, I think she sees into my mind even before I make decisions,” Alex explained.

“Yes, that is a lot like Michael,” Maria stated. “He is smart, but only in things that interest him at the moment. Being alien explains a little, but being abandoned as a child offers more. Michael has both hang ups being alien as well as being an abandoned child. I don’t know which I should attend to first,” she completed.

“They both have powers that are not available to humans. Neither has had time to explain any of these, if they even understand them. I assume that growing up, Isabel had her brother. That would give her someone safe to talk to. They both had to face the same things. Before committing to Isabel, I had to do a lot of soul searching. Something about being with her made me understand that she needed a strong relationship.” Here Alex blushed again. He was talking about very intimate things with a friend who happened to be a girl. She had similar discoveries, he was sure. The innocence of playing doctor was long gone. If he and Maria were going to support each other, they had to be free to talk. “It is more than sex. I think the sex is wonderful, stronger than with any other girl I have known. But, Aliens are afraid to open up to people. Once they do that, they need to know that they won’t be exposed to the world. They need to know that their companions will stay by them.”

In the park.

Tess had stood at the edge of the park under some trees watching the two at the table. Nasedo had warned her about enemies. She felt she knew who those two were. Finally, she advanced to the table where they were waiting. “We were wondering when you were going to quit standing under the trees and approach us,” Isabel stated.

Tess didn’t even smile. “Both of you are too trusting. You don’t know of the danger we all are in.” She turned to Michael. “You are the soldier who was sent to protect all of us until we fit into Earth culture.” Then, Tess turned to Isabel. “You are the princess. I don’t know why you were sent except they wanted to get something of you away from the despot. I, on the other hand, was the queen. I represent a genetic faction which they wanted to preserve also. Now, this brings us to the missing one. Where is he king?” Tess asked.

“Max, my brother is missing, are you referring to him as the King? We, my boyfriend and I, are here to look for him. Maybe he is dead. Nothing has been heard of from him in over a year,” Isabel related.

“No, not dead. Nasedo, our protector, has pushed me too hard to miss anything as important as the king dying. If he were dead, that would mean that everything Nasedo had planed would never come true. He must be hidden somehow,” Tess declared.

“When do we get to meet this Nasedo, you talk about? I imagine we have many questions to present to him,” Michael said.

“No! You don’t want to meet him. You don’t yet understand. All four of us are clones. Our people think nothing more of cloning than you do of having identical twins. We are the last of the royal house. Everything fell to the despot. We were sent with our protector to integrate our genes into the Earth human pool. The protector was turned by the despot. He has other plans.” Tess worried. If she had any idea that Nasedo was anywhere except for the east coast, Tess would never have revealed any of this information.

“What are these plans this Nasedo has?” Michael asked.

“Very simple. He wants me to get pregnant by the king and bring the child back to the despot. There, the child can be controlled and add to the power the despot rules. After giving me a child, the king is to be executed.” She pointed to Michael. “You are to be killed off hand whenever Nasedo finds you. You were only important to the original plan. Now you,” she pointed to Isabel, “were to be taken back as a toy to the despot. He played with your gene donor until he finally killed her. Finally, I would be allowed to live as long as I took care of the child. When that time would be over, I imagine my life would also be over.” Tess wasn’t stupid and over the years she had learned a lot about who they were as well as who Nasedo had become. Tess hoped that these other aliens would accept what she said, especially the warning it entailed.

“How do we avoid this Nasedo if he is too dangerous to meet?” Michael asked.

“Keep your powers close. Don’t use them unless it is necessary. Be careful making love as that can be a time when we unleash a lot of our power. If you find the king, make sure that he is hidden. Under no circumstance, should the king be allowed to use his power. Nasedo would recognize the king’s power immediately. Nasedo can do nothing until he makes the king give me a baby,” Tess said.

Isabel asked one more question. Tess found it strange, but no stranger than other things she saw on Earth. Isabel’s Earth connection was stronger than her own. “Tess, what is with you and Kyle? He is a jock and, heaven knows, they are a trial, but he isn’t that bad of a guy over all,” Isabel inquired.

“Nasedo will kill any human he thinks might get me pregnant before I am with the king. I have to pretend that Kyle isn’t important to me. If I could break from Nasedo, I think Kyle would be a man I would enjoy being with. He has a lot of issues, but don’t all of us? He needs to learn that he can trust some women,” Tess stated. Michael and Isabel then left and returned to where they were to meet Alex and Maria.

At the safe house.

Things were marginally better with Max and Liz. The yard had been landscaped. Everything was taken care of by those who were their protectors. Max had acquired some new equipment. His work had outgrown the room he had taken over. Now, Max had moved to the garage. Liz passed the machines every time she used the laundry. Max told her that it was so expensive that he only was permitted to lease it for six months. That was why he was working so hard. He had a timetable as too how long he could keep the equipment.

Liz knew that it involved genetics and she learned that Max was studying human genetics. Max had asked her for a DNA sample. Liz saw one time that he had several blood samples. She knew that it was his own blood and that he had been draining himself too much. After a session in the garage, Max would return to the house and take hands full of vitamins, iron and other supplements.

Periodically all the bodyguards had to retreat somewhere and to leave the two of them alone. Max and Liz were almost like kids whose parents had left on vacation leaving them at home. Max was continuing his work in the garage while Liz was determined to fix something special for supper. Max had been respectively so stand offish towards her that Liz was determined to not to make another attempt to seduce him. She would invite him to engage in some innocent teasing love play. How innocent would depend on how well her plans worked.

José was the cook at her father’s restaurant. Jeff Parker had worked beside José for many years. Both José and Jeff had spent a lot of time teaching Liz how to get around in a kitchen. Liz was no chef by any means, but she did enjoy showing off her abilities. Now the only one who could appreciate them was Max. Both José and Jeff constantly warned Liz about accidents. They were not all caused by carelessness. Sometimes, things just happened. Liz caught hold of a slippery milk carton. It slipped out of her hand hitting a bowl which knocked a knife off the sink where Liz was working. The knife buried itself in her inner thigh. Blood spurted.

Liz fell and screamed. Even over the noise of his machines, Max heard her. He came running. Liz felt relieved. Now, maybe Max could call 911 emergency and get her help in time. Liz was surprised that Max didn’t even pick up a phone. He ripped off the shorts she had been wearing under her apron. Max took hold of the knife, as Liz screamed, “No! Max, that will increase the bleeding. Don’t take it out until the paramedics arrive.

Max paid her no heed. He removed the knife and placing his hand over the gushing wound, he said, “Liz look at me. I can fix this if you look at my eyes.”

Liz was feeling dizzy and lightheaded. She couldn’t understand why Max refused to listen to her entreaties. Her leg took on a warm feeling. That was confusing because wouldn’t the loss of blood cause a chill to descend upon her? Liz slowly slipped into a sleep. Was this what death felt like?

When Liz woke up, it was evening. She was still dressed in her blouse and panties. Looking down at her leg it was giving off a burning sensation. She felt a tug at her arm and saw that someone had started a transfusion. The transfusion was not from a blood supply. It was directly from Max. Of course, he knew her blood type. Max had been studying her blood as well as his own.

What Liz didn’t know was that Max’s blood type was alien 101, so named by himself as the first alien sample he had studied. Max had learned that there were green particles in his blood, which allowed his human genes to cooperate with his alien genes. Max had learned that these green particles were what made him neither alien nor human but a true hybrid. When he transfused this blood into Liz, the particles allowed her body to accept DNA from any other party along with blood from any-iron based body; the particles made blood type unimportant.

Max sat up. He disconnected the transfusion and after placing a patch over the needle entry on each of their arms, he stood on weak legs as he asked, “How are you feeling, Liz?”

“Like I have a million questions?” she replied.

“That is fine, but not right now. I have to clean up the kitchen before the bodyguards return.
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Stories by Ken