Thanks once more to all of those reading this story. In particular to xmag, and Natalie36 for leaving feedback. Thanks.
xmag- Liz is back, but Emily will still have an effect on her. Remember Liz thinks Maria is dead. As to the stasis, it's not your typical sci fi stasis. It is in no way long term, and well how Richard came up with the chemicals to make it is a story in itself. I won't go into all the details now, but it's a mix of human and alien tech. Maria has abandonment issues, and well, combine Liz's, her mother's, and her own relationship experiences she is in now way expecting it all to last. In fact her constant suspicion probably gets pretty tiresome for Michael. The mere fact that he provides so much ammo for her suspiscions does not help one bit.
natalie36- Liz is back, the confrontation is not in this part but the next. And it's not pretty.
Disclaimer- Scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest day part 21
Liz-
Liz was not sure how long she had laid there next to the bed, but her whole body felt stiff. Oh, Maria, what have I done? Not only have I given up Max, but now you are gone as well. I will truly be alone in this timeline.
I can’t believe she is gone. She has always been there and now I will never see her again.
She got up and put the phone back on its cradle. Her eyes started to tear again as she saw the photos. So many memories… Who is Dorian anyway, is he like Nasedo? I mean can we trust him, or does he have an agenda he wants to push. I can’t tell the others about him yet, I need to protect them. I need to find out why he has not done anything.
She absently grabbed the stun shot as she walked towards the bathroom to wash her face. As she looked into the mirror and saw all of the changes, the enormity of what had gone on today struck her. How long did Ana hold me captive? How long does it take to change one’s eye color?
There was still a gap in her life. She could remember being Emily, could remember her whole life. Her whole fabricated life, but she could not recall when she had lost herself. And so for several moments she stared at herself in the mirror.
This is going to be hard to explain to Mom and Dad. Where I have been, all of the changes, yeah it’s going to be interesting. And with Courtney gone… and Maria, they have to be short staffed. She closed her eyes again as the tears began to build again. Maria.
I tried to save the world; hopefully there have been enough changes. That we can evade that threat, but how can I know? All I know is that through my actions I have destroyed my own world, and my own chances to be happy. I have crushed Max’s heart and now Maria is dead. Oh, God, she is dead. What have I done?
She stared deeply into her currently blue eyes and felt anger. It was sliding from her normal levels of anger into wrath. She could feel her hands tingle, could almost swear that she could see a few tiny flecks of green play around her right hand. She ignored them.
My world will now be barren, my hopes stillborn. There is still Alex, sweet noble Alex. I have to persuade him to escape from this life. To escape Roswell, and all the madness I have drug my friends into. Ana won’t forget about me, no she’ll try to get me again. I can’t break free, not now. It is good Alex is heading to Sweden, maybe this will let him make a break from those of us trapped in the alien abyss. He can still escape.
He has to. He may love Isabel, but she is not worth his dreams, his aspirations, and his life. I can’t let him get caught up. I can’t let him get hurt. I can’t let him… can’t let him die.
Oh, Maria! Why did you have to be such a good friend to me? Why couldn’t you have walked away? I know all this alien madness frightened you. You had every right to leave after the shooting, after you learned the truth. But your loyalty held you. And then there was Michael. But if you had escaped right after, when you had seen what was truly going on, but before you slipped into Michael’s orbit. Even after, after you caught him with Courtney.
But you did not; you were ever the loyal friend to me. You have paid the price for it. I am so sorry to have let you follow me, even when you tried to show me how being involved with them would only lead to trouble. I remember well that night walking through Frazier Woods, when you commented about my inability to let go of them. I could not let them go then, and now I am stuck, drinking the bitter dregs of the glass that fate has served me. And, Maria, honey, it is so very bitter.
She was so tired. Angry but tired. She washed her face and looked once more at what she looked like now. She now had nothing. But part of her, perhaps it was a shade of Emily, would not let her sink into despair. For there was one last thing she could hope for.
Vengeance.
She cleared a section of the bed, moving the pictures and all the now painful memories they held. They will pay for this. For what they have done to me there will be no forgiveness. For the threat they pose to Max and company, and how it has ruined my life and likely Max’s as well. I will make them pay, though it may consume my life. For what they have done to Maria, I will tear the very heavens asunder to serve Justice unto them.
I will have Vengeance, so help me God.
And so with a bitter smile, Liz slept.
----
Michael-
Michael climbed into the Hummer, his mind on Maria. He could still feel her presence, even though she was in the back with Courtney. He had felt her panic when he set her down, her desire to hold on to him. And despite the fact that she was static, was wounded and near death, some how, she had managed it. It felt eerie. Like there was someone touching him, hidden from view, but still touching him. It was only the fact that it was Maria, that he could tell, some how, that it was indeed Maria that kept him from going crazy trying to track down whoever was affecting him so.
Nevertheless, it made him feel uncomfortable. It felt good, wonderful even. Somehow it felt like something he desperately wanted, but was too afraid to grasp. So close to breaching the walls he had long ago constructed to protect himself. How could he live with out them? The longer that presence stayed the more danger those walls were in, but he could not turn her away. Not now.
Maybe not ever.
Richard looked at Michael and said, “She should be okay. We just need to find your friends. It will be fine.”
“Yeah.”
“So where do you think your friends would be, still at the school?”
“Maybe,” Michael thought for a moment. “Either that or the Tumbleweed.”
“Small world, I am actually staying there. So we will swing by the school and then head off to the motel. Maybe we will get close enough for the headsets to work again. My cell is still not working. I do not suppose that you have one?”
“No.”
From in the back a ring tone sounded. It was the Imperial March from Star Wars, and not one of Maria’s bubble gum pop star songs. Who would rate such an ominous ring tone? He reached into the back, into Maria’s Crashdown waitress uniform. The pockets were made to hold order books, and the other essentials the waitress would need while walking around with her hands free. In this case they held a cell phone. But he could not help but feel Maria’s body beneath the thin fabric of the pocket lining. It brought back fond memories.
From Maria he could sense shock and outrage. And amusement. And maybe even the faintest wisps of desire, but that was likely his mind playing tricks on him. He shook his head and looked at the cell phone. He should have known, it was Amidala herself, Isabel.
He took the call, “Hello.”
----
Isabel-
Isabel closed her eyes in relief at hearing Michael’s gruff voice. His voice sounded kind of choked up, as if he had been crying. “Where are you Michael? Did you find Liz?”
“No. I need to speak to Max. We need his help.”
“Michael, what is wrong?” Let’s see Michael is upset. Hmm, Maria or Courtney, one of them must be hurt. “Who is hurt?”
Max looks over from the driver’s seat and asked, “So did they find her?”
Isabel made a shushing motion with her hand at Max.
“It’s Maria, she’s hurt really bad. Something is wrong with Courtney, too. Please, let me talk to Max.”
Isabel’s face fell. While she often had mixed feelings regarding Maria, she did not want to see her hurt. “Hold on Michael.” She turned to Max and said, “It’s not good news. Liz is still missing, and Maria is hurt. Michael wants to talk with you.” She handed the phone over to Max.
Max grabbed the phone and pulled over so as to give it his attention. “Yeah, it’s me, Michael… We are on our way to the Tumbleweed. Meet us at the office… Yeah, we’ll hurry. Be careful… Yeah, you too. Bye.” Max closed the phone, his demeanor grim. He put the jeep back into gear, and accelerated as fast as it would go.
“Well,” asked Isabel.
“Both Maria and Courtney are at death’s door. Apparently Richard had a drug that is keeping them stable for a little bit, but we don’t know for how long.” He handed the phone back to Isabel, not taking his eyes off the road. His voice was flat and monotone as he said, “Call Kyle, and tell him to bring some extra food and drink for all of us. Once I get Maria and Courtney up and running again, we need to figure out what we are going to do about Liz.”
“What about him,” Isabel asked, referring to the unconscious Skin in the back seat. They had used a set of ropes that Kyle had pulled from his father’s Bronco. It had been interesting watching Kyle tie the Skin up, making sure that the Skin could not place his palms on any of the ropes. They had added a blind fold just to be on the safe side.
“We’ll question him of course.” The monotone voice replaced by hard and cold tone. “I am getting tired of having to patch up my friends. We have to stop this. We will stop them.”
“And find Liz?”
Max said in a now quiet tone, “Yes, we’ll get her back, too.”
----
Maria-
Maria had a hold on Michael. She was not about to let him go, not for now, maybe not ever. He was the only thing that she could perceive well. The rest of the world seemed out of touch. She wasn’t dying. Been there, done that, and this was not how that felt. Rather she felt, well, stuck. She could tell the world, that her body was out there, but she could not actually interact. She couldn’t see, smell, hear, or touch.
But she could feel Michael, and so she knew she wasn’t alone. It kept her from panicking, although there was still quite a bit of appeal to do so. Aside from Michael she could only vaguely feel someone else. Now that she was certain of her hold on Michael, she started to reach out to the other. It was very hard, but she could feel herself growing closer, close enough to feel the distress emanating from the other.
She tested her bond to Michael once more, it was her life line. It seemed secure, but who knew how far it would stretch. But the trauma coming from the other person was so great; she decided she would take the chance. So using as much strength as she could, she reached for the other.
It was Courtney, and she was stuck like Maria was. But Courtney was one band panicking. Maria tried to call to her, but Courtney was too lost in her panic. So dredging through memories she did not know she had, she called for Karis. And Courtney responded, for it was who she was. Long before she came to Earth, Karis had been her name.
Maria was nearly overwhelmed by Courtney, by Karis at first. But as the bond stabilized, as Courtney’s panic quieted, Maria was able to comfort her. In so doing felt her own desires to panic completely subside.
And so both ex-rivals comforted each other, both linked to the same troubled young man. Who was rushing through the deserted streets of Roswell, to his friend and once liege to save the women in his life.
In Destiny's Shadow (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Complete- 08/24/07
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Forum Moderators
Thanks to everyone who is reading this story. In particular, I thank those who have been kind enough to post feedback.
xmag- Thank you very much for your kind words. Regarding Liz, well if you look on the surface of things, Emily has the better life. A life of study, partying, traveling the country compare that to working as a waitress, going to high school, and dealing with the alien abyss. And lets not forget that Liz is still depressed about the Future Max situation. Kind of kills her love of her previous life. As to erasing Emily, I am sure that it will come up soon. Particularly as her friends start to notice some changes in her personality.
tequathisy- Thank you.
Disclaimer- Scenes and ideas maybe taken from Wipeout.
Author's note- Courtney's name on Antar was Karis.
Longest Day part 22
Michael-
The Hummer roared through the quiet streets of Roswell, moving around all of the stalled cars that still lingered, abandoned in the street. Michael was drumming his fingers on the dash. He stopped occasionally to look back at Maria and Courtney.
Richard sighed and said, “They will be fine. Your worrying is not going to help. It would be better if you kept your eyes open as there is no guarantee that we have defeated them all.”
“It’s just hard. I mean you must have been through this many times. Hunting and being hunted. Courtney even said you were part of some special group, the Thesda or something.”
“That’s Theshta, and why would she think something like that? I was just a street agitator who got himself nearly killed. I mean you don’t send one of the rare High House Guards to do something insane like their plan to infiltrate Earth. You send someone expendable, me. And thank God for it.”
“It was when we were in the Crashdown hiding form the Skins, and you were just sitting there at the table.”
“I did not say I was not a good agitator. I was. It was one of the reasons they chose me. But even on Antar I was not incredibly strong, maybe if I had had better training… I was maybe ten when you died on your wedding day, starting the chaos. You have no clue how bad that was. All the wanton bloodshed, all the waste. And I was part of it, a little kid running errands for the local faction. It took around seven years for most of the planet to finally start to simmer down, and only under the iron heel of a dictator. Khivar.”
Michael was transfixed. All I have ever wanted were answers. And they’re different than I thought they would be. He could feel Maria, still holding on. She was still static, but she seemed… distracted. Holding on to him for dear life, but concentrating on something else. So was he. He motioned Richard to continue.
“Even then, many of us did not put down arms. Former enemies started to work together, all to beat Khivar. I was in the middle of it, trying to overthrow, or better yet have our faction replace Khivar’s so we could suppress our enemies. They were crazy and heady days. We had some hope when Antar was invaded by the Cathians. They were an old colony of Antar’s, long settled. Their rulers even had some blood ties to the old Antaran royal crown, which they later tried to claim. But we did not know that then. And so we greeted them as liberators, and they treated us like dirt. It all went down hill from there. Once more I was part of the fighting, only this time I got injured. Badly injured. And so the offer to have my essence beamed down here, permanently becoming part of the host body.”
“It sounds horrific.”
“It was, and for all I know it still is. I do not have any connections to Antar anymore. I think the group that sent me was destroyed. I do not believe anyone even realizes I am here anymore. I like it that way. Earth is my home. I am helping you kids, because well I hate the Rhyajhael, and I have a kinship bond with your Tess. Plus, I do not want them to set their hooks into Earth. I have kids and a life here that I want to keep.”
“You’re related to Tess?”
“Distantly, her family was our patron. And we will have to continue this later, as we are here. Where are we to meet them?”
“In the office. I’ll get Maria if you’ll carry Courtney.” Michael leapt out of the car, and quickly moved to Maria’s door.
Richard did not move so fast. He sighed and said, “Did I not just tell you I hate Rhyajhael?” Richard picked up Courtney and tossed her over one of his shoulders. At Michael’s look, he said, “Just keeping the gun hand ready, on the off chance we run into anyone. I do not have an anti-tank weapon hidden in my palm like you do, my friend.”
Michael just grunted. He picked up Maria, and immediately felt the bond strengthen. He could feel her again, all of her, not just a touch. Her very soul brushing against him, it was so beautiful. He walked towards the office, only half aware of the world around him.
----
Maria-
She was still comforting Karis, when she felt Michael return to her. No longer did she just have a life line, he was all around her, and he was magnificent. She reveled in the feeling, still clinging to Karis, but somewhat distracted.
So it was Karis who first noted the impinging sensations, the slightest twinges and memories of pain. It was Karis’s fear drove Maria back into closer communion with her. Whatever they had done to both of them was wearing off.
Maria could feel it too, the echoes of lost sensations starting to return. She deeply clung to her new friend briefly, a metaphysical hug so to speak, and while keeping a connection open to her, went back to basking in Michael’s aura. She did not have time to waste.
----
Max-
The Jeep was racing down the streets of Roswell, hurrying from West Roswell High. I can’t lose her too. I have already lost Liz, maybe forever. I am losing Isabel. I don’t even know why, but she is drifting from me. Michael resents me. And how can I forget, Tess ‘loves’ me. If Maria dies…
“Max, we won’t be able to help them if you kill us on the way. Please watch the road,” Isabel said.
“Okay, Isabel,” Max responded. He glanced over to her and noticed she was fiddling with her hair. She is still nervous; she only does that when she’s nervous.
Isabel turned to him, her slight smile fading from her face. “You really care for her, don’t you?”
“She was there. This summer, when I desperately needed a friend, she was there,” Max said vehemently.
“I am sorry, I did not know Max.”
“I had been tortured! Liz ran off to Florida. You were off attending pool parties with your popular friends. Michael was busting rocks in the desert. Tess was with Michael mainly, but the few times she was near me she was intolerable! Maria was there for me.” Max’s voice became choked up, “She was my friend when all the rest of you had abandoned me!”
“I didn’t know Max! You seemed like you were okay, outside of a few nightmares.” Isabel looked away for a few moments. When she turned back, there were tears in her eyes. “I just thought you were pining for Liz. I am sorry. I did not know it was so bad.”
Max’s voice was full of emotion as he said, “You did not even ask, Isabel. You didn’t even ask.” He sighed, and said with a wistful tone, “We must have made quite the pair Maria and me, both of us trying to comfort the other, both pining for the loves who had spurned us. She tried to get me to understand that Liz was not going to come back to me. I tried to get her to understand Michael’s quirks. How we talked! Just like you and I used to Isabel. When did that stop? Why did it stop?”
Isabel was crying now, tears slowly tracking down her beautiful face. She said thickly, “I don’t know Max. I mean I know I was cold after the shooting, and then things just kept going crazy. And… and you wouldn’t let me tell Mom about us, and there is so much Max! I needed someone else to talk to. I need someone to talk to.” She paused briefly to regain a measure of her composure. Her voice was now clear, but the tears continued. “That’s why I was so happy to see Tess, to have a girl to really talk to you, you know. But she was so manipulative, I… I couldn’t trust her.”
“You could do worse than Maria. Trust me she knows how to talk. Or Liz for that matter. Or Alex, I know you like him.”
“Yeah, it’s just hard to let any of them close. I mean I have spent my whole life trying to avoid getting close.”
“I know your afraid, trust me I understand. I’m afraid too. But they already know, and they accept us for who we are. They care about us, I don’t know how we got so lucky, but they do.”
“It’s just so hard to open up… I have missed this, missed talking openly with you.”
“I’m always here. I always will be for you, Isabel. You’re my sister and no matter what I will always love you.” Please tell me what is bothering you! I can not help you unless I know. But I will wait until you are comfortable talking about it. Max noticed where they were, right outside the Tumbleweed’s parking lot. “We are going to have to continue this later.”
Isabel nodded and said, “I am sorry about this summer, Max. Sorry that I wasn’t there for you. I wish I had known. I love you too.”
Max nodded to Isabel, and noticed Richard’s Hummer near the office. “They are already here, let’s go.” But even as they moved to the office, Max felt drawn to room twelve. He squelched his curiosity, he could check after he took care of Maria and Courtney.
He rushed into the office, barely registering Richard’s bared weapon.
“Good, it is you,” Richard said. “They are over on the couches over there.” He went back to watching the door.
Michael was near one of the couches holding onto Maria, and rocking her back and forth. Michael looked up at Max, finally noticing his arrival. Tears covered his usually surly face and he said, “Please, Max save her. Save Maria.”
Isabel rushed over to hug Michael. “I am so sorry, Michael.” Her leg brushed against part of Maria, and she hissed and backed away as if burnt. She looked back at Michael with wonder and sorrow. “That’s Maria?”
Michael just nodded and continued to rock Maria’s damaged body. His eyes looked pleadingly up at Max.
Max called his powers to the fore and scanned her body. There was extensive damage, so much so that he was surprised that she was alive. He wasn’t really sure that she was, because she wasn’t breathing, blood was not circulating, her body was stopped. But she felt alive. Max looked with surprise at Michael. “What…”
“I called her back, she was going, and I called her back.” Michael’s eyes closed briefly in pain, “but I could not fix her. Please Max. Save her.”
“I will need to make a connection; she will have to be woken.”
Michael looked away, “I’ll do whatever you need. Just save her.”
Oddly Isabel was shaking her head. “I don’t think you will have to wake her up. Just touch her.”
Max looked at Isabel strangely, but touched one of Maria’s hands. And felt her. He felt like he was betraying her privacy, for while he could not catch any flashes, no visions of her life, he could see her. “She’s aware?”
Isabel nodded. “Not in the fashion that you and I are, but somehow. I don’t really understand it myself; I just don’t think you need to wake her.”
Max summoned his powers, forged a connection, and began to heal Maria. He momentarily felt that barrier, the same one he had felt with Liz and Kyle. But not with Isabel. It was something he would have to think on when he had time. In some ways she was harder to heal than anyone else, there was so much damage. In another, she was incredibly easy to heal. After the initial resistance, the healing was easy. It wasn’t simple; she had bone shards scattered through her right lung. The lung needed to be patched up too, and inflated. All the damaged blood vessels and the secondary damage from the blood loss, it all had to be fixed.
There also were no flashes, just a continuing sense of her presence. There was one point where she briefly resisted, as he tried to fix some of the issues in her brain from oxygen starvation. He felt Michael stir beside him, agitated momentarily. And then they both calmed down. Strange. And he was done, she was healed.
She did not wake up. Whatever chemicals Richard had given Maria remained. Somehow they had helped make her more plastic, more fluid to the changes he was making while he healed her. He could tell that they were wearing off anyway, and so he would let her body handle them normally. They had penetrated every cell in her body, and to remove them would cost him all of his energy. He needed some power if he was to help Courtney too.
Max rose wearily to go to Courtney, to heal the other wounded member of the group. Michael stopped him, his eyes full of gratitude.
Michael said, “Thank you Max. I owe you.” Michael then turned back to cradle his now healed Maria in his arms.
Isabel asked, “Why did she not wake up? Is she okay?”
“She’ll be fine, Iz. Whatever drug Richard gave them just needs to wear off. It should be fully gone within the hour. I need to look at Courtney.”
He gathered his strength and connected to Courtney. He could feel Courtney around him, both like and unlike Maria. She felt different, for not only was she alien, she was also much older. And she wasn’t so easy to fix. It was hard, very hard. The damage, the poisoning was everywhere; every part of her was dying. He gathered his failing strength, but it was too much. Much like he could not heal Claudia Parker for Liz, he could not heal Courtney Banks. But he could give her a little time. It was all he could do. He simply wasn’t strong enough to heal her.
Maybe someday, as his strength increased and his knowledge grew. But not now, not at this time, it was too much. Courtney was going to die. And nothing he could do would stop it.
His vision was blurry as he looked up to his expectant friends. He had failed them. Isabel, Michael, Tess, and Kyle all were looking at his face, at his tears. Max ran a hand through his hair, trying to think how he would break it to them.
Isabel spoke first, “Well, is she going to be okay?”
Is this what if feels like to be a doctor? To be unable to save a patient, to deal with the friends of the patient that you have failed? “No, the damage was too extensive. I’ve given her a few days, maybe a week. A month at the outside, but I seriously doubt she will make Christmas.”
He looked again at the shocked faces, the disappointment. They had thought he could fix anything. So had he. “I’ll be right back; I just need a breath of fresh air.” He walked from the room. He could hear his friends talking behind him.
“Michael let me go, he needs me,” Isabel said.
“He just needs to clear his head. He will be back, and we will be here for him then. Just give him a few moments to think.”
Max stumbled briefly on the curb. His balance was a little off. And he was so crushingly tired. He looked over at room twelve. I need her, oh how I need her now. Liz please come back to us. I need you. I still need you. He felt as the block he had built on their connection began to fail. And he could feel her, she was so very close.
He walked over to room twelve and tried the door. It was locked, of course. Somehow he summoned enough energy to open the door. And saw her. Her clothes were different from what she usually wore and her hair the shade of a summer sunset. Why did she change her beautiful hair? Liz, I am so sorry for all the pain I have caused you. I wish I could take it all away, that I could free you from all the chaos of our lives. But I don’t know if I could live without you. I know you did not sleep with Kyle, I know for certainty now.
For some reason you need me to back off for a while. And I will. But not forever. I can feel your love for me as certainly as I can feel the pain of our separation. Why must it be so? Why? Max walked over to the bed and saw all of the photos scattered on the left side of the bed. He longed to run his fingers through her hair, but was afraid to wake her.
He reached for one of the pictures instead, a picture of him and Isabel getting off of the school bus. He remembered that day. Isabel looking around in wonder at all the new playmates and all the new things to do. He had been fearful, but he could tell, it was amazing. He could tell that this photo had been taken right at the instant he had first seen Liz.
Max looked up at Liz’s brief sigh as she woke up. He drank her in, seeing her, even through her now bright blue eyes. He noticed the shock on her face, as she whipped the arm that had been beneath the pillow up towards him. It was holding a small metal object. It winked blue for a moment and he felt the world turn black.
xmag- Thank you very much for your kind words. Regarding Liz, well if you look on the surface of things, Emily has the better life. A life of study, partying, traveling the country compare that to working as a waitress, going to high school, and dealing with the alien abyss. And lets not forget that Liz is still depressed about the Future Max situation. Kind of kills her love of her previous life. As to erasing Emily, I am sure that it will come up soon. Particularly as her friends start to notice some changes in her personality.
tequathisy- Thank you.
Disclaimer- Scenes and ideas maybe taken from Wipeout.
Author's note- Courtney's name on Antar was Karis.
Longest Day part 22
Michael-
The Hummer roared through the quiet streets of Roswell, moving around all of the stalled cars that still lingered, abandoned in the street. Michael was drumming his fingers on the dash. He stopped occasionally to look back at Maria and Courtney.
Richard sighed and said, “They will be fine. Your worrying is not going to help. It would be better if you kept your eyes open as there is no guarantee that we have defeated them all.”
“It’s just hard. I mean you must have been through this many times. Hunting and being hunted. Courtney even said you were part of some special group, the Thesda or something.”
“That’s Theshta, and why would she think something like that? I was just a street agitator who got himself nearly killed. I mean you don’t send one of the rare High House Guards to do something insane like their plan to infiltrate Earth. You send someone expendable, me. And thank God for it.”
“It was when we were in the Crashdown hiding form the Skins, and you were just sitting there at the table.”
“I did not say I was not a good agitator. I was. It was one of the reasons they chose me. But even on Antar I was not incredibly strong, maybe if I had had better training… I was maybe ten when you died on your wedding day, starting the chaos. You have no clue how bad that was. All the wanton bloodshed, all the waste. And I was part of it, a little kid running errands for the local faction. It took around seven years for most of the planet to finally start to simmer down, and only under the iron heel of a dictator. Khivar.”
Michael was transfixed. All I have ever wanted were answers. And they’re different than I thought they would be. He could feel Maria, still holding on. She was still static, but she seemed… distracted. Holding on to him for dear life, but concentrating on something else. So was he. He motioned Richard to continue.
“Even then, many of us did not put down arms. Former enemies started to work together, all to beat Khivar. I was in the middle of it, trying to overthrow, or better yet have our faction replace Khivar’s so we could suppress our enemies. They were crazy and heady days. We had some hope when Antar was invaded by the Cathians. They were an old colony of Antar’s, long settled. Their rulers even had some blood ties to the old Antaran royal crown, which they later tried to claim. But we did not know that then. And so we greeted them as liberators, and they treated us like dirt. It all went down hill from there. Once more I was part of the fighting, only this time I got injured. Badly injured. And so the offer to have my essence beamed down here, permanently becoming part of the host body.”
“It sounds horrific.”
“It was, and for all I know it still is. I do not have any connections to Antar anymore. I think the group that sent me was destroyed. I do not believe anyone even realizes I am here anymore. I like it that way. Earth is my home. I am helping you kids, because well I hate the Rhyajhael, and I have a kinship bond with your Tess. Plus, I do not want them to set their hooks into Earth. I have kids and a life here that I want to keep.”
“You’re related to Tess?”
“Distantly, her family was our patron. And we will have to continue this later, as we are here. Where are we to meet them?”
“In the office. I’ll get Maria if you’ll carry Courtney.” Michael leapt out of the car, and quickly moved to Maria’s door.
Richard did not move so fast. He sighed and said, “Did I not just tell you I hate Rhyajhael?” Richard picked up Courtney and tossed her over one of his shoulders. At Michael’s look, he said, “Just keeping the gun hand ready, on the off chance we run into anyone. I do not have an anti-tank weapon hidden in my palm like you do, my friend.”
Michael just grunted. He picked up Maria, and immediately felt the bond strengthen. He could feel her again, all of her, not just a touch. Her very soul brushing against him, it was so beautiful. He walked towards the office, only half aware of the world around him.
----
Maria-
She was still comforting Karis, when she felt Michael return to her. No longer did she just have a life line, he was all around her, and he was magnificent. She reveled in the feeling, still clinging to Karis, but somewhat distracted.
So it was Karis who first noted the impinging sensations, the slightest twinges and memories of pain. It was Karis’s fear drove Maria back into closer communion with her. Whatever they had done to both of them was wearing off.
Maria could feel it too, the echoes of lost sensations starting to return. She deeply clung to her new friend briefly, a metaphysical hug so to speak, and while keeping a connection open to her, went back to basking in Michael’s aura. She did not have time to waste.
----
Max-
The Jeep was racing down the streets of Roswell, hurrying from West Roswell High. I can’t lose her too. I have already lost Liz, maybe forever. I am losing Isabel. I don’t even know why, but she is drifting from me. Michael resents me. And how can I forget, Tess ‘loves’ me. If Maria dies…
“Max, we won’t be able to help them if you kill us on the way. Please watch the road,” Isabel said.
“Okay, Isabel,” Max responded. He glanced over to her and noticed she was fiddling with her hair. She is still nervous; she only does that when she’s nervous.
Isabel turned to him, her slight smile fading from her face. “You really care for her, don’t you?”
“She was there. This summer, when I desperately needed a friend, she was there,” Max said vehemently.
“I am sorry, I did not know Max.”
“I had been tortured! Liz ran off to Florida. You were off attending pool parties with your popular friends. Michael was busting rocks in the desert. Tess was with Michael mainly, but the few times she was near me she was intolerable! Maria was there for me.” Max’s voice became choked up, “She was my friend when all the rest of you had abandoned me!”
“I didn’t know Max! You seemed like you were okay, outside of a few nightmares.” Isabel looked away for a few moments. When she turned back, there were tears in her eyes. “I just thought you were pining for Liz. I am sorry. I did not know it was so bad.”
Max’s voice was full of emotion as he said, “You did not even ask, Isabel. You didn’t even ask.” He sighed, and said with a wistful tone, “We must have made quite the pair Maria and me, both of us trying to comfort the other, both pining for the loves who had spurned us. She tried to get me to understand that Liz was not going to come back to me. I tried to get her to understand Michael’s quirks. How we talked! Just like you and I used to Isabel. When did that stop? Why did it stop?”
Isabel was crying now, tears slowly tracking down her beautiful face. She said thickly, “I don’t know Max. I mean I know I was cold after the shooting, and then things just kept going crazy. And… and you wouldn’t let me tell Mom about us, and there is so much Max! I needed someone else to talk to. I need someone to talk to.” She paused briefly to regain a measure of her composure. Her voice was now clear, but the tears continued. “That’s why I was so happy to see Tess, to have a girl to really talk to you, you know. But she was so manipulative, I… I couldn’t trust her.”
“You could do worse than Maria. Trust me she knows how to talk. Or Liz for that matter. Or Alex, I know you like him.”
“Yeah, it’s just hard to let any of them close. I mean I have spent my whole life trying to avoid getting close.”
“I know your afraid, trust me I understand. I’m afraid too. But they already know, and they accept us for who we are. They care about us, I don’t know how we got so lucky, but they do.”
“It’s just so hard to open up… I have missed this, missed talking openly with you.”
“I’m always here. I always will be for you, Isabel. You’re my sister and no matter what I will always love you.” Please tell me what is bothering you! I can not help you unless I know. But I will wait until you are comfortable talking about it. Max noticed where they were, right outside the Tumbleweed’s parking lot. “We are going to have to continue this later.”
Isabel nodded and said, “I am sorry about this summer, Max. Sorry that I wasn’t there for you. I wish I had known. I love you too.”
Max nodded to Isabel, and noticed Richard’s Hummer near the office. “They are already here, let’s go.” But even as they moved to the office, Max felt drawn to room twelve. He squelched his curiosity, he could check after he took care of Maria and Courtney.
He rushed into the office, barely registering Richard’s bared weapon.
“Good, it is you,” Richard said. “They are over on the couches over there.” He went back to watching the door.
Michael was near one of the couches holding onto Maria, and rocking her back and forth. Michael looked up at Max, finally noticing his arrival. Tears covered his usually surly face and he said, “Please, Max save her. Save Maria.”
Isabel rushed over to hug Michael. “I am so sorry, Michael.” Her leg brushed against part of Maria, and she hissed and backed away as if burnt. She looked back at Michael with wonder and sorrow. “That’s Maria?”
Michael just nodded and continued to rock Maria’s damaged body. His eyes looked pleadingly up at Max.
Max called his powers to the fore and scanned her body. There was extensive damage, so much so that he was surprised that she was alive. He wasn’t really sure that she was, because she wasn’t breathing, blood was not circulating, her body was stopped. But she felt alive. Max looked with surprise at Michael. “What…”
“I called her back, she was going, and I called her back.” Michael’s eyes closed briefly in pain, “but I could not fix her. Please Max. Save her.”
“I will need to make a connection; she will have to be woken.”
Michael looked away, “I’ll do whatever you need. Just save her.”
Oddly Isabel was shaking her head. “I don’t think you will have to wake her up. Just touch her.”
Max looked at Isabel strangely, but touched one of Maria’s hands. And felt her. He felt like he was betraying her privacy, for while he could not catch any flashes, no visions of her life, he could see her. “She’s aware?”
Isabel nodded. “Not in the fashion that you and I are, but somehow. I don’t really understand it myself; I just don’t think you need to wake her.”
Max summoned his powers, forged a connection, and began to heal Maria. He momentarily felt that barrier, the same one he had felt with Liz and Kyle. But not with Isabel. It was something he would have to think on when he had time. In some ways she was harder to heal than anyone else, there was so much damage. In another, she was incredibly easy to heal. After the initial resistance, the healing was easy. It wasn’t simple; she had bone shards scattered through her right lung. The lung needed to be patched up too, and inflated. All the damaged blood vessels and the secondary damage from the blood loss, it all had to be fixed.
There also were no flashes, just a continuing sense of her presence. There was one point where she briefly resisted, as he tried to fix some of the issues in her brain from oxygen starvation. He felt Michael stir beside him, agitated momentarily. And then they both calmed down. Strange. And he was done, she was healed.
She did not wake up. Whatever chemicals Richard had given Maria remained. Somehow they had helped make her more plastic, more fluid to the changes he was making while he healed her. He could tell that they were wearing off anyway, and so he would let her body handle them normally. They had penetrated every cell in her body, and to remove them would cost him all of his energy. He needed some power if he was to help Courtney too.
Max rose wearily to go to Courtney, to heal the other wounded member of the group. Michael stopped him, his eyes full of gratitude.
Michael said, “Thank you Max. I owe you.” Michael then turned back to cradle his now healed Maria in his arms.
Isabel asked, “Why did she not wake up? Is she okay?”
“She’ll be fine, Iz. Whatever drug Richard gave them just needs to wear off. It should be fully gone within the hour. I need to look at Courtney.”
He gathered his strength and connected to Courtney. He could feel Courtney around him, both like and unlike Maria. She felt different, for not only was she alien, she was also much older. And she wasn’t so easy to fix. It was hard, very hard. The damage, the poisoning was everywhere; every part of her was dying. He gathered his failing strength, but it was too much. Much like he could not heal Claudia Parker for Liz, he could not heal Courtney Banks. But he could give her a little time. It was all he could do. He simply wasn’t strong enough to heal her.
Maybe someday, as his strength increased and his knowledge grew. But not now, not at this time, it was too much. Courtney was going to die. And nothing he could do would stop it.
His vision was blurry as he looked up to his expectant friends. He had failed them. Isabel, Michael, Tess, and Kyle all were looking at his face, at his tears. Max ran a hand through his hair, trying to think how he would break it to them.
Isabel spoke first, “Well, is she going to be okay?”
Is this what if feels like to be a doctor? To be unable to save a patient, to deal with the friends of the patient that you have failed? “No, the damage was too extensive. I’ve given her a few days, maybe a week. A month at the outside, but I seriously doubt she will make Christmas.”
He looked again at the shocked faces, the disappointment. They had thought he could fix anything. So had he. “I’ll be right back; I just need a breath of fresh air.” He walked from the room. He could hear his friends talking behind him.
“Michael let me go, he needs me,” Isabel said.
“He just needs to clear his head. He will be back, and we will be here for him then. Just give him a few moments to think.”
Max stumbled briefly on the curb. His balance was a little off. And he was so crushingly tired. He looked over at room twelve. I need her, oh how I need her now. Liz please come back to us. I need you. I still need you. He felt as the block he had built on their connection began to fail. And he could feel her, she was so very close.
He walked over to room twelve and tried the door. It was locked, of course. Somehow he summoned enough energy to open the door. And saw her. Her clothes were different from what she usually wore and her hair the shade of a summer sunset. Why did she change her beautiful hair? Liz, I am so sorry for all the pain I have caused you. I wish I could take it all away, that I could free you from all the chaos of our lives. But I don’t know if I could live without you. I know you did not sleep with Kyle, I know for certainty now.
For some reason you need me to back off for a while. And I will. But not forever. I can feel your love for me as certainly as I can feel the pain of our separation. Why must it be so? Why? Max walked over to the bed and saw all of the photos scattered on the left side of the bed. He longed to run his fingers through her hair, but was afraid to wake her.
He reached for one of the pictures instead, a picture of him and Isabel getting off of the school bus. He remembered that day. Isabel looking around in wonder at all the new playmates and all the new things to do. He had been fearful, but he could tell, it was amazing. He could tell that this photo had been taken right at the instant he had first seen Liz.
Max looked up at Liz’s brief sigh as she woke up. He drank her in, seeing her, even through her now bright blue eyes. He noticed the shock on her face, as she whipped the arm that had been beneath the pillow up towards him. It was holding a small metal object. It winked blue for a moment and he felt the world turn black.
Thanks to everyone reading this story. Thanks in particular to those leaving feedback.
katydid- Well Max is only partly broken up about Courtney. It is just he has not ever actually failed to heal someone he has set out to. He is much more depressed about the trends in his life, that all of his friends and family seem to be pulling away from him. Except for Tess, of course, and he still finds her bothersome. And who knows maybe somebody will think of something.
xmag- Yeah, Emily's lingering presence makes Liz a little trigger happy. but don't worry, she only has the stun shot that Ana gave her so many parts ago. So, he will live.
Courtney is another story. Her problem is that she is using her new husk, and it is too new to shed. My version of the Skins have them shedding to remove excess toxins from their bodies. The husk acts like a filter, and when part of it gets full, a piece gets ready to fall off. As the husk gets older, the husk starts to peel too easily and doesn't carry off as much of the environmental toxins that the Rhyajhael inside must fear. So Courtney is badly poisoned, her body. Her husk is actually in decent shape. It just has its receptors full and is unable to flush out the old parts of the husk.
Maria was hurt very badly, but that is not what caused her reaction. It was her feeling Maria's awareness just from touching her. The sense of awareness was strong enough that Max was able to form a connection through it. Basically her soul was wide open for anyone to see.
Disclaimer- Some scenes and ideas may come from Wipeout.
Longest day part 23
Isabel-
Isabel watched as Max left. Michael is probably right, he just needs a moment. “Okay, well while my brother unwinds a little, I guess we better get back to business. How are we going to find Liz?”
Michael, who was still holding a static Maria, just shook his head in derisive amusement. Tess walked over to one of the nearby chairs and dropped down, obviously utterly exhausted. Richard moved a bit closer, to hear better, but his eyes remained on the door.
Kyle just looked at her. “Isabel, much as I want to save Liz, don’t you think we should wait a couple of minutes. I mean, I don’t know about the rest of you but I am famished.”
Michael looked at Kyle approvingly, “Yeah, food would be good right about now.”
Kyle looked at Michael, “Hey did you see a microwave here, or can you guys use your voodoo on these burritos?”
“Yeah,” Michael said, “What kind did you get, anyway?”
Isabel just stared at them, storm clouds threatening in her gaze. She took a look at her friends and saw just how exhausted they all looked. Yeah, I guess a few minutes won’t kill anyone. “Did you get anything edible for normal people, too?”
Kyle handed her a salad, some dressing packets, a lemon, and a small container of yogurt. With extra sugar packets. “For your Highness,” Kyle said with a mocking bow. “I have some soda over here.” He waved to a plastic bag, full of 24 oz. bottles, mostly of Cherry Coke.
“Kyle,” Isabel said with some irritation. She turned to Tess, “Thanks Tess.”
Tess wearily nodded back.
“Hey, don’t I get some thanks,” Kyle said as he handed Tess another salad. “I bought all of it.”
“Yeah, but we would all be eating frozen burritos right now without her vigilance.”
Kyle just shrugged. The teens attacked the food that Kyle had brought. Michael and Kyle argued between themselves about various College football teams. Isabel and Tess discussed a something much more important, namely the ever changing social scene at WRH.
Isabel added yet another sugar packet to her yogurt. Tess looks so worn out. When this day is over I am going to need to find out what happened at the school. We’re supposed to be resting, so let’s keep it light. “So Christine is with Malamud now? How is Vicki taking it?”
Tess had a slight tired smile, “Pretty well considering, when I talked to her after English she seemed almost relieved.” Her face got a pensive look. “Um, did you hear about Liz and Kyle? That was starting to make the rounds on Friday.”
“Impossible. It can’t possibly have happened. Their relationship has been on the rocks for a while, but you did not see them last year. God, my brother was such a goner.” Isabel shook her head and sighed. “There is something up between those two, but you just look at the glances they still occasionally share and you just know that they still love each other.”
“It happened, Isabel. Max, he saw them in her bed.” Tess sighed and continued. “I was in the park that night. He told me about it. I even asked her about it on our trip to Copper Summit, and she said it was great.”
Isabel blinked a couple of times. Looks like I need to have a chat with Miss Parker soon. Kyle, too. This is too convenient for Tess. And while I have never been fond of Max’s relationship to Liz, I can not believe she would hurt him like this. Not with Kyle, anyway. “Do you know how the rumors got started?” Did you start them, Tess?
Tess quietly took a sip of her cherry cola. “I know what your thinking, Isabel. It’s awfully convenient a circumstance to have happened. Just when it seemed they were on the mend. Did I tell you that earlier that evening Kyle… well, he was being kind to me, listening to me.” Tess’s face betrayed a slight blush. “It must have been crossed signals or something, given how the night progressed. But before anything happened, Liz showed up. And tried to make Max like me.”
Isabel did not even hide her shock, “What?”
“Yeah, it was real strange. I mean I had pretty much given up, and here was my main rival giving me pointers. She seemed desperate. Really weird,” Tess shook her head.
“It is just so hard to believe. I mean I assumed that Max was just down because Liz turned him down again. I know he had his hopes pinned on that concert.” Isabel played with her salad, her mind racing. Details, details. I need to know more, what would make Liz not only turn down a Gomez concert, when I know she really likes them. And why would she not only turn him down, but turn on him. Betray him with Kyle. It just doesn’t make sense. They aren’t acting like lovers either. I don’t know about Kyle, but I do know that Liz isn’t experienced enough to be so blasé about it.
If there is one thing I have not missed about the talks between Max and myself, it’s the constant stories of the wonder that is Liz Parker. No Max would have known if she had done anything before now.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Isabel looked over at Kyle and Michael. “Hey Kyle, Michael, can both of you go grab the prisoner. We left him in the Jeep.”
Kyle looked up at her in protest. Isabel just raised a eyebrow to him, begging him to challenge her. Kyle looked at Michael who shrugged. Michael reluctantly got up, and set Maria down. He had a slight worried frown on his face as he walked from her, but for some reason a tiny smile marked his face after he moved a couple of feet away from where he left Maria. Another puzzle to solve.
Tess just shook her head wearily, “How do you do it, Isabel? How do you get them to do things without arguing?”
“Oh, they argue sometimes. But mostly it’s because both of them know me so well. Kyle mostly by reputation, of course. We used to run in similar social circles.”
“Yeah, you do know some of what they say behind your back though, right.”
Isabel knew. Sometimes it hurt, but she knew. It did have the added advantages of keeping people from getting to close though, while allowing her access to the perks of being popular. It had its downsides too, but since she really could not let anyone get close anyway… “Have you ever read any Machiavelli?”
“Um, no. What did he write?”
“He was a political theorist. He had a famous bit where he compared the various merits between fear and love. Well, not all of it applies, but you’d be surprised by how some it can be used in high school.” Isabel shrugged and finished her salad.
“Right, political theory,” Tess rolled her eyes, “Not my cup of tea, Isabel.”
Isabel just shrugged. Kyle and Michael came in carrying the Skin that Max had stunned. Richard still had his eyes on the outside world, but he was now sitting.
Kyle and Michael went back to arguing, this time about the comparative merits between baseball, football, and hockey. Isabel noted that Michael had set aside a couple of burritos for Max. They might not be at a good point in their friendship, but Michael was still looking out for Max. Although considering what Max had done for Maria, that was not such a surprise after all.
Speaking of which, where was Max? Isabel looked over at Michael and Kyle and asked, “Did you see my brother out there?”
Kyle looked at Michael and then back at Isabel. “I did not see him,” he mumbled around a mouthful of potato chips.
Michael shook his head and said, “I did not see him either. Hmm, I did see a door open. When we got here, they were all closed. Maybe he went to lie down or something.”
Isabel got up. “Max has had enough time to brood. I am going to go find my brother.”
---
Liz-
Oh. My. God. Can this day get any worse? I just shot Max!
Liz moved to where Max had stood to check on him. He was half draped over the bed, lying on the photographs. She was gratified to find him still breathing and seemingly unhurt. He looked like he was just sleeping.
He looked wonderful.
I am so sorry, Max. But my dreams were so unpleasant, and I just saw you there.
He was heavy, but with some effort she managed to get all of him off the floor. She removed all of the pictures from the bed. She set them neatly on the dresser and went back to the bed, where she sat next to the unconscious Max. And watched him.
You’re so beautiful. Did I ever tell you that? She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. I miss you. I don’t know why, but lately I have felt so cold, so alone. I had to do it. I had to, you looked so desperate. So lost. I had to sacrifice us for the greater good. But it hurts. It’s so cold out here without you.
She gathered him into her arms. It’s so very cold, and you’re so very warm. I know you’re not mine. You’ll never be mine, not now, not forever. But I love you. Did I ever tell you that? I can’t remember, but even if I did, I did not say it enough. “I love you Max,” Liz whispered softly into his ear.
She held him tight. For who knew if she would ever have the opportunity again. He felt so good, so right in her arms. The only thing better would be his arms around her, kissing her, caressing her. She closed her eyes and just felt him. The smell of him was filling her nose.
And thought of better days, of the promise that last early spring seemed to bring. Before the disappointments and stress that had so filled the latter part of that spring. Of the barren summer spent in Florida. The agony and despair the fall had brought, and was even now still bringing. Before this horrible day and the horror it had wrought. Before Tess.
She thought of the days when the wonder had been fresh. And their love seemed to conquer all. To that magical night in the desert, where they had been so close, so very close to making love. Would things be different if I hadn’t recognized that noise? If we had just given in to our desires? To give our parents a real reason to ground us. Would future Max still have come back? Would I still have had to give you up?
For life without you is bitter Max. I… I thought I had given you up when I left for Florida. But I really hadn’t. Not really. I wanted you to fight for me, to fight for us, against the Destiny that Tess proclaimed. That Nasedo backed up. That even your alien mother supported. Tess was literally made for you, how could I compete with that? And yet, I still clung on to hope. I could see you fighting; I could feel my resolve weakening. My stupid noble gestures, as I wasted what little time we would have.
Now, though. Now I have broken your heart, and in your eyes betrayed you. Maybe someday you will know, will know that I did this for you. I gave us up so that your family would live. I hope that you will one day forgive me, that you won’t hate me forever.
For my dreams lie shattered, my hopes empty, and my life is barren without you. I rest now in Destiny’s shadow, and it is so very cold here. So very cold without you.
And you are so very warm. I know that if you are here, that some of our friends are probably close at hand. I will have much to talk to them about. And Maria. Liz sobbed for a second and clung tightly to Max. It will be so hard to live without you both.
I can’t keep you, no matter how I wish to. And it will kill me every day to watch you slowly fall into Tess’s orbit, but that is where you belong. You’re not mine. But I can hold you just for a moment. Just for a moment I want to feel your love for me, just once more.
She concentrated on feeling him, on only him. There was a thin barrier between them, so seemingly fragile, yet harder than the hardest steel. She struggled to break through, and she would not give up. She had this one last chance. This one last opportunity and she would make the most of it. She pushed and pushed, and finally she felt the wall give way. Liz could feel him, and he was wonderful. He felt as wonderful as she remembered, but different. Gone was the pure sweetness that she remembered. In its place was the most exquisite feeling, a bitter sweetness so poignant it made tears roll down her face in waves.
She knew she couldn’t hold on to him forever. She just wanted to hold on for just a little while longer.
----
Kyle-
Kyle watched as Isabel left the Tumbleweed’s office to check on room twelve, to find her brother. He took a quick glance around the room, and realized that he should go with her. He knew that she could take care of herself, but still it would be safer. Tess was exhausted. Michael had Maria, he was back to cradling her in his arms. Richard was still okay, but he wasn’t too sure how far he could trust him. And so he followed Isabel.
He watched as she marched into the parking lot. Watched as she saw the open door, and stalked toward it. And thought how sexy she looked. What is it about anger and these alien girls? Why do they seem so, well attractive when their furious. ‘Cause it’s certainly not safe for them to be angry at you. Today has shown that if anything. Is it the danger that appeals to me, or do I secretly have a death wish?
So he was a little distracted when they got to room twelve. As he entered the room, he saw Isabel stopped staring at a cute redhead holding Max in her arms. She looked kind of familiar. That did not stop Isabel from blasting her.
“Get away from my brother!” she screamed at the now flying presumed Skin. The ‘Skin’ hit the wall with a satisfying thump. He knew that he would have been shaken by the violence of that throw, so he was completely caught off guard when the alien grabbed a silver device and aimed it at Isabel. There was a brief blue flash and Isabel went down like a puppet with its strings cut.
Kyle was not ready. But he lifted the gun and fired at the alien girl. He missed, of course, and tried to duck outside for cover. He almost made it. He could feel his arm grow completely numb, the gun slipping though his fingers. He ducked around the corner as he fought the deepest fatigue he had ever felt. A game in triple over time couldn’t feel this bad.
“Michael, Richard we need help!” Kyle called out.
Richard was right there. He took cover around the door frame. He briefly peeked around the corner, and seemed surprised as he slowly fell over.
Michael got there in time to see Richard fall. He moved to where Kyle was and said, “What is going on, Kyle?”
“There is some psycho alien in there with a ray gun. And I hope it’s set for stun, or we are going to be burying a lot of our friends.”
From inside the room Kyle heard a voice he was not expecting. Liz called out, “Is that you Kyle? Can you guys stop trying to kill me, please?”
Michael called out, “How do we know it’s you.”
“Michael is that you? I’ve knocked out Max and Isabel. Who is that guy in the doorway?”
Kyle and Michael looked at each other. Kyle said to Michael quietly, “She does look a little like her, but her hair is red, and her eyes are blue.”
“Oh, come on guys. Okay, Kyle you first apologized to me at the Crashdown. Something about something you saw on Sally Jesse Rafael, ex’s on a rampage if I remember correctly. And Michael, when you stole my journal, you were so surprised I did not tell Max. That I did not tell anyone.”
Kyle looked at Michael and said, “You stole her journal. And read it?”
Michael frowned, “Well you have certainly not kept that secret now.” Michael turned to Kyle, “And if you tell Max, you’ll suffer.”
“So is it safe to come out now?” asked Liz.
“Yeah, but we’ll be watching you. How did you get that gun?”
Liz walked out of the room and turned to face her friends. “I liberated it from Ana.”
Michael grimly looked at her and nodded. “I see the resemblance. But I think I like how you normally look better.”
“Me, too,” Liz said.
“I don’t know, I think you look nice as a red head. The blue eyes, well they’re a little creepy. The hair though, is good.”
“Shut up, Kyle”
“So what happened to you, Liz?” Michael asked.
“I was captured. I think they tried to brainwash me.”
“That is just great.”
There was a loud scream from the office.
Kyle’s face turned white, “That’s Tess.” He struggled feebly to get up. Liz helped him and he stood for a few moments before toppling to the ground.
Michael looked even grimmer. “Maria is in there.”
“Maria is alive?” Liz said, hope and fear lacing her voice.
“Max saved her. I’m not going to let her go again,” Michael said. He moved towards the office.
Kyle could see tears filling Liz’s eyes as she whispered to herself, “Maria is alive!” He then watched her run after Michael.
“That’s right guys; I’ll follow you in a minute. I just need to rest a couple of moments.” As they disappeared from view, he said to himself, “I feel useless. Please let Tess be okay.”
katydid- Well Max is only partly broken up about Courtney. It is just he has not ever actually failed to heal someone he has set out to. He is much more depressed about the trends in his life, that all of his friends and family seem to be pulling away from him. Except for Tess, of course, and he still finds her bothersome. And who knows maybe somebody will think of something.
xmag- Yeah, Emily's lingering presence makes Liz a little trigger happy. but don't worry, she only has the stun shot that Ana gave her so many parts ago. So, he will live.
Courtney is another story. Her problem is that she is using her new husk, and it is too new to shed. My version of the Skins have them shedding to remove excess toxins from their bodies. The husk acts like a filter, and when part of it gets full, a piece gets ready to fall off. As the husk gets older, the husk starts to peel too easily and doesn't carry off as much of the environmental toxins that the Rhyajhael inside must fear. So Courtney is badly poisoned, her body. Her husk is actually in decent shape. It just has its receptors full and is unable to flush out the old parts of the husk.
Maria was hurt very badly, but that is not what caused her reaction. It was her feeling Maria's awareness just from touching her. The sense of awareness was strong enough that Max was able to form a connection through it. Basically her soul was wide open for anyone to see.
Disclaimer- Some scenes and ideas may come from Wipeout.
Longest day part 23
Isabel-
Isabel watched as Max left. Michael is probably right, he just needs a moment. “Okay, well while my brother unwinds a little, I guess we better get back to business. How are we going to find Liz?”
Michael, who was still holding a static Maria, just shook his head in derisive amusement. Tess walked over to one of the nearby chairs and dropped down, obviously utterly exhausted. Richard moved a bit closer, to hear better, but his eyes remained on the door.
Kyle just looked at her. “Isabel, much as I want to save Liz, don’t you think we should wait a couple of minutes. I mean, I don’t know about the rest of you but I am famished.”
Michael looked at Kyle approvingly, “Yeah, food would be good right about now.”
Kyle looked at Michael, “Hey did you see a microwave here, or can you guys use your voodoo on these burritos?”
“Yeah,” Michael said, “What kind did you get, anyway?”
Isabel just stared at them, storm clouds threatening in her gaze. She took a look at her friends and saw just how exhausted they all looked. Yeah, I guess a few minutes won’t kill anyone. “Did you get anything edible for normal people, too?”
Kyle handed her a salad, some dressing packets, a lemon, and a small container of yogurt. With extra sugar packets. “For your Highness,” Kyle said with a mocking bow. “I have some soda over here.” He waved to a plastic bag, full of 24 oz. bottles, mostly of Cherry Coke.
“Kyle,” Isabel said with some irritation. She turned to Tess, “Thanks Tess.”
Tess wearily nodded back.
“Hey, don’t I get some thanks,” Kyle said as he handed Tess another salad. “I bought all of it.”
“Yeah, but we would all be eating frozen burritos right now without her vigilance.”
Kyle just shrugged. The teens attacked the food that Kyle had brought. Michael and Kyle argued between themselves about various College football teams. Isabel and Tess discussed a something much more important, namely the ever changing social scene at WRH.
Isabel added yet another sugar packet to her yogurt. Tess looks so worn out. When this day is over I am going to need to find out what happened at the school. We’re supposed to be resting, so let’s keep it light. “So Christine is with Malamud now? How is Vicki taking it?”
Tess had a slight tired smile, “Pretty well considering, when I talked to her after English she seemed almost relieved.” Her face got a pensive look. “Um, did you hear about Liz and Kyle? That was starting to make the rounds on Friday.”
“Impossible. It can’t possibly have happened. Their relationship has been on the rocks for a while, but you did not see them last year. God, my brother was such a goner.” Isabel shook her head and sighed. “There is something up between those two, but you just look at the glances they still occasionally share and you just know that they still love each other.”
“It happened, Isabel. Max, he saw them in her bed.” Tess sighed and continued. “I was in the park that night. He told me about it. I even asked her about it on our trip to Copper Summit, and she said it was great.”
Isabel blinked a couple of times. Looks like I need to have a chat with Miss Parker soon. Kyle, too. This is too convenient for Tess. And while I have never been fond of Max’s relationship to Liz, I can not believe she would hurt him like this. Not with Kyle, anyway. “Do you know how the rumors got started?” Did you start them, Tess?
Tess quietly took a sip of her cherry cola. “I know what your thinking, Isabel. It’s awfully convenient a circumstance to have happened. Just when it seemed they were on the mend. Did I tell you that earlier that evening Kyle… well, he was being kind to me, listening to me.” Tess’s face betrayed a slight blush. “It must have been crossed signals or something, given how the night progressed. But before anything happened, Liz showed up. And tried to make Max like me.”
Isabel did not even hide her shock, “What?”
“Yeah, it was real strange. I mean I had pretty much given up, and here was my main rival giving me pointers. She seemed desperate. Really weird,” Tess shook her head.
“It is just so hard to believe. I mean I assumed that Max was just down because Liz turned him down again. I know he had his hopes pinned on that concert.” Isabel played with her salad, her mind racing. Details, details. I need to know more, what would make Liz not only turn down a Gomez concert, when I know she really likes them. And why would she not only turn him down, but turn on him. Betray him with Kyle. It just doesn’t make sense. They aren’t acting like lovers either. I don’t know about Kyle, but I do know that Liz isn’t experienced enough to be so blasé about it.
If there is one thing I have not missed about the talks between Max and myself, it’s the constant stories of the wonder that is Liz Parker. No Max would have known if she had done anything before now.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Isabel looked over at Kyle and Michael. “Hey Kyle, Michael, can both of you go grab the prisoner. We left him in the Jeep.”
Kyle looked up at her in protest. Isabel just raised a eyebrow to him, begging him to challenge her. Kyle looked at Michael who shrugged. Michael reluctantly got up, and set Maria down. He had a slight worried frown on his face as he walked from her, but for some reason a tiny smile marked his face after he moved a couple of feet away from where he left Maria. Another puzzle to solve.
Tess just shook her head wearily, “How do you do it, Isabel? How do you get them to do things without arguing?”
“Oh, they argue sometimes. But mostly it’s because both of them know me so well. Kyle mostly by reputation, of course. We used to run in similar social circles.”
“Yeah, you do know some of what they say behind your back though, right.”
Isabel knew. Sometimes it hurt, but she knew. It did have the added advantages of keeping people from getting to close though, while allowing her access to the perks of being popular. It had its downsides too, but since she really could not let anyone get close anyway… “Have you ever read any Machiavelli?”
“Um, no. What did he write?”
“He was a political theorist. He had a famous bit where he compared the various merits between fear and love. Well, not all of it applies, but you’d be surprised by how some it can be used in high school.” Isabel shrugged and finished her salad.
“Right, political theory,” Tess rolled her eyes, “Not my cup of tea, Isabel.”
Isabel just shrugged. Kyle and Michael came in carrying the Skin that Max had stunned. Richard still had his eyes on the outside world, but he was now sitting.
Kyle and Michael went back to arguing, this time about the comparative merits between baseball, football, and hockey. Isabel noted that Michael had set aside a couple of burritos for Max. They might not be at a good point in their friendship, but Michael was still looking out for Max. Although considering what Max had done for Maria, that was not such a surprise after all.
Speaking of which, where was Max? Isabel looked over at Michael and Kyle and asked, “Did you see my brother out there?”
Kyle looked at Michael and then back at Isabel. “I did not see him,” he mumbled around a mouthful of potato chips.
Michael shook his head and said, “I did not see him either. Hmm, I did see a door open. When we got here, they were all closed. Maybe he went to lie down or something.”
Isabel got up. “Max has had enough time to brood. I am going to go find my brother.”
---
Liz-
Oh. My. God. Can this day get any worse? I just shot Max!
Liz moved to where Max had stood to check on him. He was half draped over the bed, lying on the photographs. She was gratified to find him still breathing and seemingly unhurt. He looked like he was just sleeping.
He looked wonderful.
I am so sorry, Max. But my dreams were so unpleasant, and I just saw you there.
He was heavy, but with some effort she managed to get all of him off the floor. She removed all of the pictures from the bed. She set them neatly on the dresser and went back to the bed, where she sat next to the unconscious Max. And watched him.
You’re so beautiful. Did I ever tell you that? She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. I miss you. I don’t know why, but lately I have felt so cold, so alone. I had to do it. I had to, you looked so desperate. So lost. I had to sacrifice us for the greater good. But it hurts. It’s so cold out here without you.
She gathered him into her arms. It’s so very cold, and you’re so very warm. I know you’re not mine. You’ll never be mine, not now, not forever. But I love you. Did I ever tell you that? I can’t remember, but even if I did, I did not say it enough. “I love you Max,” Liz whispered softly into his ear.
She held him tight. For who knew if she would ever have the opportunity again. He felt so good, so right in her arms. The only thing better would be his arms around her, kissing her, caressing her. She closed her eyes and just felt him. The smell of him was filling her nose.
And thought of better days, of the promise that last early spring seemed to bring. Before the disappointments and stress that had so filled the latter part of that spring. Of the barren summer spent in Florida. The agony and despair the fall had brought, and was even now still bringing. Before this horrible day and the horror it had wrought. Before Tess.
She thought of the days when the wonder had been fresh. And their love seemed to conquer all. To that magical night in the desert, where they had been so close, so very close to making love. Would things be different if I hadn’t recognized that noise? If we had just given in to our desires? To give our parents a real reason to ground us. Would future Max still have come back? Would I still have had to give you up?
For life without you is bitter Max. I… I thought I had given you up when I left for Florida. But I really hadn’t. Not really. I wanted you to fight for me, to fight for us, against the Destiny that Tess proclaimed. That Nasedo backed up. That even your alien mother supported. Tess was literally made for you, how could I compete with that? And yet, I still clung on to hope. I could see you fighting; I could feel my resolve weakening. My stupid noble gestures, as I wasted what little time we would have.
Now, though. Now I have broken your heart, and in your eyes betrayed you. Maybe someday you will know, will know that I did this for you. I gave us up so that your family would live. I hope that you will one day forgive me, that you won’t hate me forever.
For my dreams lie shattered, my hopes empty, and my life is barren without you. I rest now in Destiny’s shadow, and it is so very cold here. So very cold without you.
And you are so very warm. I know that if you are here, that some of our friends are probably close at hand. I will have much to talk to them about. And Maria. Liz sobbed for a second and clung tightly to Max. It will be so hard to live without you both.
I can’t keep you, no matter how I wish to. And it will kill me every day to watch you slowly fall into Tess’s orbit, but that is where you belong. You’re not mine. But I can hold you just for a moment. Just for a moment I want to feel your love for me, just once more.
She concentrated on feeling him, on only him. There was a thin barrier between them, so seemingly fragile, yet harder than the hardest steel. She struggled to break through, and she would not give up. She had this one last chance. This one last opportunity and she would make the most of it. She pushed and pushed, and finally she felt the wall give way. Liz could feel him, and he was wonderful. He felt as wonderful as she remembered, but different. Gone was the pure sweetness that she remembered. In its place was the most exquisite feeling, a bitter sweetness so poignant it made tears roll down her face in waves.
She knew she couldn’t hold on to him forever. She just wanted to hold on for just a little while longer.
----
Kyle-
Kyle watched as Isabel left the Tumbleweed’s office to check on room twelve, to find her brother. He took a quick glance around the room, and realized that he should go with her. He knew that she could take care of herself, but still it would be safer. Tess was exhausted. Michael had Maria, he was back to cradling her in his arms. Richard was still okay, but he wasn’t too sure how far he could trust him. And so he followed Isabel.
He watched as she marched into the parking lot. Watched as she saw the open door, and stalked toward it. And thought how sexy she looked. What is it about anger and these alien girls? Why do they seem so, well attractive when their furious. ‘Cause it’s certainly not safe for them to be angry at you. Today has shown that if anything. Is it the danger that appeals to me, or do I secretly have a death wish?
So he was a little distracted when they got to room twelve. As he entered the room, he saw Isabel stopped staring at a cute redhead holding Max in her arms. She looked kind of familiar. That did not stop Isabel from blasting her.
“Get away from my brother!” she screamed at the now flying presumed Skin. The ‘Skin’ hit the wall with a satisfying thump. He knew that he would have been shaken by the violence of that throw, so he was completely caught off guard when the alien grabbed a silver device and aimed it at Isabel. There was a brief blue flash and Isabel went down like a puppet with its strings cut.
Kyle was not ready. But he lifted the gun and fired at the alien girl. He missed, of course, and tried to duck outside for cover. He almost made it. He could feel his arm grow completely numb, the gun slipping though his fingers. He ducked around the corner as he fought the deepest fatigue he had ever felt. A game in triple over time couldn’t feel this bad.
“Michael, Richard we need help!” Kyle called out.
Richard was right there. He took cover around the door frame. He briefly peeked around the corner, and seemed surprised as he slowly fell over.
Michael got there in time to see Richard fall. He moved to where Kyle was and said, “What is going on, Kyle?”
“There is some psycho alien in there with a ray gun. And I hope it’s set for stun, or we are going to be burying a lot of our friends.”
From inside the room Kyle heard a voice he was not expecting. Liz called out, “Is that you Kyle? Can you guys stop trying to kill me, please?”
Michael called out, “How do we know it’s you.”
“Michael is that you? I’ve knocked out Max and Isabel. Who is that guy in the doorway?”
Kyle and Michael looked at each other. Kyle said to Michael quietly, “She does look a little like her, but her hair is red, and her eyes are blue.”
“Oh, come on guys. Okay, Kyle you first apologized to me at the Crashdown. Something about something you saw on Sally Jesse Rafael, ex’s on a rampage if I remember correctly. And Michael, when you stole my journal, you were so surprised I did not tell Max. That I did not tell anyone.”
Kyle looked at Michael and said, “You stole her journal. And read it?”
Michael frowned, “Well you have certainly not kept that secret now.” Michael turned to Kyle, “And if you tell Max, you’ll suffer.”
“So is it safe to come out now?” asked Liz.
“Yeah, but we’ll be watching you. How did you get that gun?”
Liz walked out of the room and turned to face her friends. “I liberated it from Ana.”
Michael grimly looked at her and nodded. “I see the resemblance. But I think I like how you normally look better.”
“Me, too,” Liz said.
“I don’t know, I think you look nice as a red head. The blue eyes, well they’re a little creepy. The hair though, is good.”
“Shut up, Kyle”
“So what happened to you, Liz?” Michael asked.
“I was captured. I think they tried to brainwash me.”
“That is just great.”
There was a loud scream from the office.
Kyle’s face turned white, “That’s Tess.” He struggled feebly to get up. Liz helped him and he stood for a few moments before toppling to the ground.
Michael looked even grimmer. “Maria is in there.”
“Maria is alive?” Liz said, hope and fear lacing her voice.
“Max saved her. I’m not going to let her go again,” Michael said. He moved towards the office.
Kyle could see tears filling Liz’s eyes as she whispered to herself, “Maria is alive!” He then watched her run after Michael.
“That’s right guys; I’ll follow you in a minute. I just need to rest a couple of moments.” As they disappeared from view, he said to himself, “I feel useless. Please let Tess be okay.”
Thanks to everyone reading this story as always. And special thanks to xmag for the wonderful feedback.
xmag- Thanks, I am trying to keep all the details consistant. The guys, well are teenage guys.
As for Isabel and Tess, well their gossip section was a little more complicated. The way I see it, Isabel may have model looks, but that is not enough to maintain her hold on to the heights of the Roswell teen elite. She manages that through careful use of attitude and information. She doesn't usually spread gossip as it would be giving up potential ammo, ammo that can make her normally scathing comments even more effective. Tess on the other hand, in this story is well, a people person. She doesn't really like many people, and shows no real compassion for most, but maybe because her powers are so personality centric, so is she.
Hence the gossip scene. Basically Isabel is trying to pump information out of Tess without Tess realizing it. Isabel is concerned about what happened because of its affect on her brother, and in this timeline is not as consumed with guilt. Yeah, she is still hiding Vilandra from Max. But she is not responsible for their near deaths this time, instead she stood up to the enemy and helped fight them off.
Disclaimer- some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest day part 24
Tess-
Tess was so tired, so very tired. She still was not sure what she had actually done back at the school. At some point it had gone from a fairly standard warp into something else. The fire had been real; she had somehow made it real. How she had done it was a big question. Nothing that Ed had taught her, none of her training had led her to believe she could do anything like that. The Skins had been completely surprised as well. Walt Crawford had expected her to just give up. Not a Skin had given her any respect. Why?
Questions for another day.
It had been nice to talk to Isabel. She was usually so unapproachable, and while she often knew the best gossip, she did not often share. She had not acted the way Tess thought she would regard the news with Liz. Not at all. She had expected Isabel to be on the warpath, and Isabel had seemed so calm. She had been nice to Tess, giving her hope that someday they really would be friends. Hopefully better friends in this life than they had been in their past lives.
For now though, sleep beckoned. She heard Kyle call out, was vaguely disappointed that she could not help. She would not be able to do anything much to help anyway, her powers were completely spent. If she had not been so tired that might have worried her, but she really did not care. Her dreams called to her. Her dreams and memories…
She was sitting on the dais in the High Chapel. The air gleamed with light, the walls glowing softly white. And there were no shadows, there never were in the Antaran High Chapel. It was a happy occasion, a wedding. A soft rain of flower petals drifted from the bright ceiling filling the air with a marvelous perfume.
She glanced at the two celebrants as they stood before the Servant who would lead them through the rite. To this day both of them intimidated her. General Rath had only been courteous and kind to her, but his reputation, both on the field of battle and the dueling grounds were well known. As was his temper. Her sister-in-law was kind but cool. Princess Vilandra had never cared much for those who traded solely on their birth for their status. Her respect had to be earned.
And she, Ava Mitharos Tarenon, would earn their respect. She was young, so much younger than they, but she would support the King, her husband, and their reign would be remembered as the beginning of a Golden Age. She would need their help, of course. But if they just worked together, everything would be okay.
This wedding was a step in the right direction. Just as she had tied the Highest House of Mithar to the throne, this would provide ties to ensure the support of both the Rhyajhael and the Army. Rath had been Regent for a while, during the long honeymoon she and Zan had taken. Today he would be acknowledged not only as Zan’s designated second, but also heir. She hoped he did not desire to keep that honor, for she was late. She ached for the time following the wedding, when all eyes would be off her so that she could take some tests in private. She wanted to be certain before she went to Zan. It was all she could do to resist rubbing her belly, she so wished to provide an heir.
Ava looked over at her husband, Zan Tarenon, who was High King of Antar. It had only been eight glorious months, just after her twentieth birthday. He was so handsome, and if he did not desire her as much as she desired him, it was a good match. He would come around in time. She would be the perfect wife, the perfect Queen. And he would love her.
From the crowd assembled before the celebrants and the King’s Dais, Ava could feel a shift in the gathering. She knew she should look, should check for a threat, but it was so hard to turn from her husband. Zan. Hers. Forever. She turned only when she saw Zan rise, shock and horror upon his face. Rath was down; smoke still rising from his seemingly lifeless body. Zan rushed to heal his friend, but he never made it. The King’s Dias exploded.
As she flew through the air, she felt only regrets. She should have looked. She was Mitharan, she should have known. For even in the brightest light there is always shadow, for the soul can only be lit from within. As the world began to darken she watched as the light fought against the smoke. Flower petals still rained from above and their glorious perfume dueled with the acrid smell of blood and death.
Tess screamed. Her mind burned at the memory, one she had never seen before. She could feel Ava, herself, dying.
“Well, well. If we don’t have the runt in the litter. Hello, Ava, pleasant dream?” A Skin asked towering over her. The prisoner had broken free.
She dug deep into herself, to utilize any power she had remaining. She felt only emptiness. Her powers were gone, used to nothing. As she realized the extent of her helplessness, she felt her hope dwindle. Maybe if Michael and Isabel come running through that door. I promise to be nice to them. I promise I will be nice even to the humans. How can I fulfill my Destiny if I am dead?
The Skin grabbed her, wrapping her hands in the same rope he had been bound in.
----
Liz-
Even as Liz rushed to deal with whatever Tess had screamed about her mind was exultant. Maria is alive!
Michael stopped her. “There is a Skin in there and he is holding Tess hostage.”
“Okay, why are we just waiting here?” Liz asked. “Isn’t Maria in there, too?”
“Yeah. You know, I really kind of wish you hadn’t shot everyone.”
“I didn’t shoot you.”
Michael just scowled. In a tight voice he said, “The Skin said he would kill Tess if we did not let him leave.”
“So what is the problem? He should be on his merry way by now.”
Michael just stared disbelievingly. “We can’t let him have Tess!”
Liz held out her hands like a balance scale. “Let’s see, Tess verses Maria. I know what side I am on every time. I think I know what side you’d be on too.”
Michael closed his eyes for a second, an unreadable expression flashing across his face. When he opened his eyes, Liz was surprised to see a tear briefly escape.
Tears from Michael? My God, how bad of a day has it been for them?
Michael responded, “You are right. I would choose Maria. But, Liz, we can not just let him take Tess. It would be wrong.”
Damn. He’s right; we can’t just let him take her. Not to mention I do not know if enough has changed to save the world. “Okay then, let’s save her.” Thoughts flashed through her head, so fast she could not quite grasp them. She walked to the office door and walked in.
Michael tried to stop her, but he was just too shocked at her reaction. “Liz, didn’t you listen. Get back here or he’ll kill her.”
Liz just kept walking. She stopped when she saw a frightened Tess being held by a Skin. She looked around and saw Maria resting on a couch several feet away. Her heart leapt when she noticed her friend breathing. Maria was alive.
The Skin stared at her in disbelief. “Didn’t that boy tell you my demands? If you do not comply, Ava will die.” He raised his hand up to Tess’s neck, his hand glowing.
“You are threatening me with Tess’s death.” Liz started laughing. “Go ahead, burn out her baby blues. But know that Michael will turn you into a cinder.”
“If you are not here for the Queen, why are you here?”
Liz walked over to Maria. On touching her she got a sense of Maria. It was a feeling she was familiar with, it just had never been so clear. Dorian had been wrong, Maria was alive. “You have the wrong hostage. Now maybe in her former life people would have died for her, I don’t know. But I would gladly lay down my life for Maria.”
Tess just stared at Liz. She looked terrified.
“I think you are bluffing,” the Skin said.
“About my willingness to die for Maria, nope not one bit.”
“About your willingness to let the Queen die. Why am I even talking to you, you’re not a Royal. You are only a human girl. Unless…”
Liz just smiled. It was not a pretty smile.
The Skin continued, “Unless you’re the one Ana is after.”
“Yep. That is me, escapee numero uno.”
A momentary flash of fear crossed his face. He gripped Tess closer. “Bah, you’re still only a human girl.”
Without thinking, Liz raised her hand and a lamp halfway across the room smashed into the wall. “Let’s just say I’m a fast learner.”
Tess watched Liz and looked like she wanted to be sick. There was also a hint of pleading in her eyes now.
The Skin backed away, “Don’t get any closer or she dies!” The Skin started to move toward the door.
Liz just looked down at Maria again, her eyes softening for the unconscious girl. She looked up and noticed the Skin was only half paying attention on her. The Skin had to worry about Michael now, too.
So she grabbed the stun shot and shot him in the back. Many times.
xmag- Thanks, I am trying to keep all the details consistant. The guys, well are teenage guys.
As for Isabel and Tess, well their gossip section was a little more complicated. The way I see it, Isabel may have model looks, but that is not enough to maintain her hold on to the heights of the Roswell teen elite. She manages that through careful use of attitude and information. She doesn't usually spread gossip as it would be giving up potential ammo, ammo that can make her normally scathing comments even more effective. Tess on the other hand, in this story is well, a people person. She doesn't really like many people, and shows no real compassion for most, but maybe because her powers are so personality centric, so is she.
Hence the gossip scene. Basically Isabel is trying to pump information out of Tess without Tess realizing it. Isabel is concerned about what happened because of its affect on her brother, and in this timeline is not as consumed with guilt. Yeah, she is still hiding Vilandra from Max. But she is not responsible for their near deaths this time, instead she stood up to the enemy and helped fight them off.
Disclaimer- some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest day part 24
Tess-
Tess was so tired, so very tired. She still was not sure what she had actually done back at the school. At some point it had gone from a fairly standard warp into something else. The fire had been real; she had somehow made it real. How she had done it was a big question. Nothing that Ed had taught her, none of her training had led her to believe she could do anything like that. The Skins had been completely surprised as well. Walt Crawford had expected her to just give up. Not a Skin had given her any respect. Why?
Questions for another day.
It had been nice to talk to Isabel. She was usually so unapproachable, and while she often knew the best gossip, she did not often share. She had not acted the way Tess thought she would regard the news with Liz. Not at all. She had expected Isabel to be on the warpath, and Isabel had seemed so calm. She had been nice to Tess, giving her hope that someday they really would be friends. Hopefully better friends in this life than they had been in their past lives.
For now though, sleep beckoned. She heard Kyle call out, was vaguely disappointed that she could not help. She would not be able to do anything much to help anyway, her powers were completely spent. If she had not been so tired that might have worried her, but she really did not care. Her dreams called to her. Her dreams and memories…
She was sitting on the dais in the High Chapel. The air gleamed with light, the walls glowing softly white. And there were no shadows, there never were in the Antaran High Chapel. It was a happy occasion, a wedding. A soft rain of flower petals drifted from the bright ceiling filling the air with a marvelous perfume.
She glanced at the two celebrants as they stood before the Servant who would lead them through the rite. To this day both of them intimidated her. General Rath had only been courteous and kind to her, but his reputation, both on the field of battle and the dueling grounds were well known. As was his temper. Her sister-in-law was kind but cool. Princess Vilandra had never cared much for those who traded solely on their birth for their status. Her respect had to be earned.
And she, Ava Mitharos Tarenon, would earn their respect. She was young, so much younger than they, but she would support the King, her husband, and their reign would be remembered as the beginning of a Golden Age. She would need their help, of course. But if they just worked together, everything would be okay.
This wedding was a step in the right direction. Just as she had tied the Highest House of Mithar to the throne, this would provide ties to ensure the support of both the Rhyajhael and the Army. Rath had been Regent for a while, during the long honeymoon she and Zan had taken. Today he would be acknowledged not only as Zan’s designated second, but also heir. She hoped he did not desire to keep that honor, for she was late. She ached for the time following the wedding, when all eyes would be off her so that she could take some tests in private. She wanted to be certain before she went to Zan. It was all she could do to resist rubbing her belly, she so wished to provide an heir.
Ava looked over at her husband, Zan Tarenon, who was High King of Antar. It had only been eight glorious months, just after her twentieth birthday. He was so handsome, and if he did not desire her as much as she desired him, it was a good match. He would come around in time. She would be the perfect wife, the perfect Queen. And he would love her.
From the crowd assembled before the celebrants and the King’s Dais, Ava could feel a shift in the gathering. She knew she should look, should check for a threat, but it was so hard to turn from her husband. Zan. Hers. Forever. She turned only when she saw Zan rise, shock and horror upon his face. Rath was down; smoke still rising from his seemingly lifeless body. Zan rushed to heal his friend, but he never made it. The King’s Dias exploded.
As she flew through the air, she felt only regrets. She should have looked. She was Mitharan, she should have known. For even in the brightest light there is always shadow, for the soul can only be lit from within. As the world began to darken she watched as the light fought against the smoke. Flower petals still rained from above and their glorious perfume dueled with the acrid smell of blood and death.
Tess screamed. Her mind burned at the memory, one she had never seen before. She could feel Ava, herself, dying.
“Well, well. If we don’t have the runt in the litter. Hello, Ava, pleasant dream?” A Skin asked towering over her. The prisoner had broken free.
She dug deep into herself, to utilize any power she had remaining. She felt only emptiness. Her powers were gone, used to nothing. As she realized the extent of her helplessness, she felt her hope dwindle. Maybe if Michael and Isabel come running through that door. I promise to be nice to them. I promise I will be nice even to the humans. How can I fulfill my Destiny if I am dead?
The Skin grabbed her, wrapping her hands in the same rope he had been bound in.
----
Liz-
Even as Liz rushed to deal with whatever Tess had screamed about her mind was exultant. Maria is alive!
Michael stopped her. “There is a Skin in there and he is holding Tess hostage.”
“Okay, why are we just waiting here?” Liz asked. “Isn’t Maria in there, too?”
“Yeah. You know, I really kind of wish you hadn’t shot everyone.”
“I didn’t shoot you.”
Michael just scowled. In a tight voice he said, “The Skin said he would kill Tess if we did not let him leave.”
“So what is the problem? He should be on his merry way by now.”
Michael just stared disbelievingly. “We can’t let him have Tess!”
Liz held out her hands like a balance scale. “Let’s see, Tess verses Maria. I know what side I am on every time. I think I know what side you’d be on too.”
Michael closed his eyes for a second, an unreadable expression flashing across his face. When he opened his eyes, Liz was surprised to see a tear briefly escape.
Tears from Michael? My God, how bad of a day has it been for them?
Michael responded, “You are right. I would choose Maria. But, Liz, we can not just let him take Tess. It would be wrong.”
Damn. He’s right; we can’t just let him take her. Not to mention I do not know if enough has changed to save the world. “Okay then, let’s save her.” Thoughts flashed through her head, so fast she could not quite grasp them. She walked to the office door and walked in.
Michael tried to stop her, but he was just too shocked at her reaction. “Liz, didn’t you listen. Get back here or he’ll kill her.”
Liz just kept walking. She stopped when she saw a frightened Tess being held by a Skin. She looked around and saw Maria resting on a couch several feet away. Her heart leapt when she noticed her friend breathing. Maria was alive.
The Skin stared at her in disbelief. “Didn’t that boy tell you my demands? If you do not comply, Ava will die.” He raised his hand up to Tess’s neck, his hand glowing.
“You are threatening me with Tess’s death.” Liz started laughing. “Go ahead, burn out her baby blues. But know that Michael will turn you into a cinder.”
“If you are not here for the Queen, why are you here?”
Liz walked over to Maria. On touching her she got a sense of Maria. It was a feeling she was familiar with, it just had never been so clear. Dorian had been wrong, Maria was alive. “You have the wrong hostage. Now maybe in her former life people would have died for her, I don’t know. But I would gladly lay down my life for Maria.”
Tess just stared at Liz. She looked terrified.
“I think you are bluffing,” the Skin said.
“About my willingness to die for Maria, nope not one bit.”
“About your willingness to let the Queen die. Why am I even talking to you, you’re not a Royal. You are only a human girl. Unless…”
Liz just smiled. It was not a pretty smile.
The Skin continued, “Unless you’re the one Ana is after.”
“Yep. That is me, escapee numero uno.”
A momentary flash of fear crossed his face. He gripped Tess closer. “Bah, you’re still only a human girl.”
Without thinking, Liz raised her hand and a lamp halfway across the room smashed into the wall. “Let’s just say I’m a fast learner.”
Tess watched Liz and looked like she wanted to be sick. There was also a hint of pleading in her eyes now.
The Skin backed away, “Don’t get any closer or she dies!” The Skin started to move toward the door.
Liz just looked down at Maria again, her eyes softening for the unconscious girl. She looked up and noticed the Skin was only half paying attention on her. The Skin had to worry about Michael now, too.
So she grabbed the stun shot and shot him in the back. Many times.
Thanks to everyone reading this story. In particular, those kind enough to leave feedback, xmag and ashleyt.
xmag- You are right about Liz. It was Emily's reactions to Liz's feelings. So Liz is in control, but she has to watch herself, because how she might react if she doesn't actually think something through is different than how she would have before her little trip to Ana's 'office.' It is a fine line though, and hopefully I can keep her staying somewhat true to character.
ashleyt- Thanks for the wonderful feedback. I am glad you like the portrayal of many of the characters in this story. I really have to say that I like all of the characters to some degree, even Tess. But at this point she has not yet decided if she is on anyone's side but her own. That may change, but for now she is still conserned mostly with her alien side and her percieved destiny. What she ultimately decides is a crucial factor in this story as it continues, particularly in the later books. As to Courtney, I
think she was under used. So many plot lines were just dropped in the later seasons.
A/N- I will be discussing this story over on Roswell Heaven on Tuesday at 9pm EST on June 5th.
Disclaimer- Some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest Day part 25
Liz
Liz put the stun shot away. No way is he going to get up for a while. She looked down at Maria’s serene face, so calm in sleep. So alive. It was the best news all this terrible day. Maybe Maria could also be freed from the abyss. It would pain her to lose her friend, but it would hurt much less than to have her die.
It did make her wonder about Dorian. How he could be so very wrong. He had rescued her, but for what reason? He had all of those photos, but why? If he was what she thought he was and if he had been here for a while... Why didn’t the Pod Squad know? Why hadn’t he helped them before this?
She heard a groan come from the body lying on the floor. Liz whirled, stun shot in hand. She was ready for anything; they were not going to take her without a fight again. Except the groan was from a female throat. Tess.
Oops. Forgot about her.
Liz stopped rubbing Maria’s arm and walked over to where the Skin covered Tess. Liz called out to Michael, “its okay Michael, the evil nasty Skin is taken care of. You can come in now.” Liz started to drag Tess out from under the Skin, while Tess tried to shy away.
“Who are you?” Tess asked as she freed herself from the entangling Skin. She looked exhausted and frightened.
“She claims to be Liz,” said Michael as he entered the room. He looked straight at Liz and said, “You took quite a chance coming in here. Tess could have gotten hurt. You might have gotten blasted. You even risked Maria.”
“I took a chance, I’ll admit. But waiting longer would not have helped. It would only have gotten riskier to all involved.” Liz said with certainty. And she was certain. The longer they waited the more likely someone would have gotten hurt.
Tess just stared at Liz, looking like someone who is watching her world end. “H… How could you know? How could you take the chance?”
That is a good question. “I don’t know how I know, I just do.”
Michael just shook his head. “And people consider me rash.” He walked over to Maria, and softly caressed her cheek. As he got closer to Maria, a smile began to form on his lips. A real smile, not the patented Michael smirk Liz was so used to seeing.
That is a real smile. Note time and day, real tears and a real smile, from Michael Guerin both within an hour. Surely the end is nigh. What happened here? The room suddenly seemed so very stuffy. She had to escape. Liz brushed past a still stunned Tess.
Michael looked up and said, “Where do you think you are going?”
“I… I just need to get some air.” Liz felt jittery and anxious, like she was going to be sick. She left the motel office.
----
Michael-
Michael watched as ‘Liz’ left the office. He still was not sure of her. Liz he trusted completely, she annoyed him, but hey so did Maria. And he would be nice, or more appropriately not too mean, to anyone for Maria’s sake. Not that he’d tell Maria that.
But this new ‘Liz”, she was an unknown quantity. Liz was not really action oriented. Sure she could be handy in a spot, her mind was always working. But like Max, she was more of a planner. Not this ‘Liz’, her actions had been quick, and if what he had seen was any clue, remarkably ruthless. Very un-Liz. No wonder Tess seemed so shocked. He just wished he had seen all of it, in particular how Liz had thrown that vase.
He understood why she had to leave the room though. After action nerves, her body striving to drop from adrenaline overdrive. He would probably be a nervous wreck himself tomorrow, if memory served. He recognized it well, even thought he had seldom in this life experienced it. But something in him saw and understood.
Something horrible must have happened to her, to react like she had. He would have to keep an eye on her to make sure that she would not endanger them. Since Nasedo had died, they no longer could count on outside help. Michael raised his eyes and glanced at Courtney. If she is right, then even the allies she might have been able to add have been compromised. Pity.
He sighed. It was a shame that she was still dying. But in truth it might make it easier with Maria. And while Maria had meant the world to him before, she meant so much more now. Somehow he would have to apologize to Max. He understood finally what he had done for Liz. Why he still fought for her.
Damn it, he hated being wrong.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tess approach him. “How can you let her just leave? She nearly let that creature take me!” Tess said.
“But she didn’t”
“Surely you don’t think she is actually Liz do you?”
“Not sure. Don’t really care either. Can’t really trust her either way.”
“Hmmph. Then why did you let her leave? Where are Max, Isabel, and Kyle?”
“I’m going to check on them in a minute, Tess. Just calm down. Have your powers started to come back?”
“How did you know?”
“Tess, you trained me this summer. Somehow I can not believe you would let a Skin just hold you if you could avoid it. Kyle mentioned something you did at the school. It must have been big to wipe out your powers.”
“I’m just, just so very tired. I can’t seem to hold onto anything. My mind is so, so fried, I can’t seem to focus.” Tess sat down, eyes starting to droop.
Michael gave Maria’s arm one more pat and got up. “Maybe Max should take a look at you. I’ll go check on him.” Michael walked out of the office.
----
Max
Max was dancing with Liz. She felt so wonderful in his arms, as he held her tight. To comfort her as long as he could, to allay her fears, fears that she would be alone forever. For even as he held her he could see the tears streaming down her face, her chocolate eyes betraying hurt and despair.
So he held her tight, and danced like there was no tomorrow. Like the future would not exist, solely existing in the moment. And she began to smile, began to live in the moment. Her smile, slight though it was, lit up his heart. How he loved her!
She was beautiful as she whirled in his arms, hope pulsing through the connection. Hope that would be ruthlessly crushed. For in the middle of the dance, Max could no longer hold onto her. He could only vainly watch as she whirled, so very beautiful to his eyes. As he faded from view, to disappear forever from her life, he could feel through the connection her hurt. Could feel as all the light in her world dimmed and her hopes died.
Max awoke in a start. What a nightmare.
Where was Liz? He had startled her and she had done something to him. His body felt stiff and he was still tired. But he needed to find her. He needed to tell his friends that he had found her. He groggily swung his legs down from the bed and tried to wake up.
“Good you’re up,” Kyle said. “Maybe you can take a look at Isabel and Richard. Whatever Liz used packs a whallup. My strength is not back yet or I would have carried at the very least Isabel to the couch or something.”
Max just stared at Kyle. Why had Liz shot Isabel? Why was Kyle still standing when his sister wasn’t? Where was Michael?
“You okay, Evans?”
“Just let me wake up.” Max could feel his strength and power start to come back to him. He was a little unsteady on his feet as he got up from the bed to check on Isabel. But just in the time it took him to walk across the room he could feel him start to steady. He grasped her hand and tried to feel through the connection, but she was sleeping. There was no distress, just sleep. “Once I get a bit more power under control I can probably wake her up. But it’s going to be at least ten minutes before I will be able to do that. I don’t suppose you have some coffee hidden around here?” Max said around a couple of yawns.
Kyle gave a lopsided smile and said, “No coffee but I do have some Cherry Coke, the sugar and caffeine should help a bit. I’ll go grab some and see what Michael is up to.”
“Yeah, if you see him, tell him I would like to talk with him.”
----
Kyle-
Of all the strange things that have happened today, the strangest has to be the fact that Max doesn’t seem to hate me anymore. Oh, he doesn’t really like me, but then he never did. The closest we got was right after the Valentine’s Day contest last year. The thing is, I have had this feeling that we are stuck together. That this secret that we all share will keep us close for a very long time. Now that I find that his healing has marked me, made me a little green around the gills myself, it only reinforces that feeling.
It makes me resent him, and his little green friends. There was a time not too far past when I knew what I wanted. And yeah, I knew it was shallow, even then, but it was just how I wanted my life to go. I wanted to have fun, and being a top jock at school let me bend if not break a lot of the rules that constrained others at school. I was a teenage boy, and I wanted to take advantage of all that I could while it lasted. Before I had to grow up and be responsible.
Since Max healed me, or really rather since he healed Liz, my life has slowly changed. First I started to lose my father over the whole mess, and it is not that he was able to spend all that much time with me before the alien invasion. I was a major priority, and I guess I still am, but my time with him is so precious I hate having to share. Then I seeming lost Liz to Max. And then there is Tess. I can admit to myself if to no one else how much I desire her. But she is not for me; she has her eyes set on Max. Maybe Alex and I can start a support group, for those in love with aliens. Who knows maybe Liz and Maria will want to join.
The worst though is how I feel. I feel different, like I don’t fully belong. I have always been part of the in crowd, and now I feel like I am just pretending to fit in. To a small extent I am starting to understand how the LGM’s feel, and it’s not a good feeling. It scares me. And then there are the strange feelings that, no it’s just my imagination. It’s just silly.
Kyle looked over and saw ‘Liz’ hunched up, her arms griping her legs, as she rocked back and forth. She looked deep in thought, so he tried to quietly move past her. Only to find that device pointed at him again, those strange cobalt blue eyes staring at him as through a gun sight. “Hey Liz, it’s only me. Mind lowering your weapon.”
She stared at him intensely and put the weapon away. “Sorry it has been a long day.” Her eyes then drifted back to the sky as she stared off into the distance.
“Are you okay Liz?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” She was quiet for a moment and then asked Kyle a seemingly bizarre question. “Kyle, what kind of watch are you wearing? Is it a digital or analog?”
Surprised, Kyle looked at his watch, a gift he had received last Christmas. It was a water resistant old style watch. “It is not digital. Why?”
“Hmm, what time does it say?” Liz got up and started to look at the sky intently.
“It says I have missed a lot of college football today, holding off the evil alien hordes.”
“Kyle, please this is important.”
Kyle shrugged his shoulders and said, “It’s a little before 4 pm. What is so important about that?”
“Kyle have you noticed the angle of the sun, how it is still rising from the east?”
Kyle looked around and noticed that she was right. How very strange. “Huh, you’re right, I wonder what it means. The sky looks a little hazy, too.” He looked at some far away clouds. They did not move, but there was a growing cloud hanging over Roswell.
“I can’t be sure, but I think we are stuck in time. I think it is really still 10:30.” Liz said quietly.
“That is crazy.”
“Yes it is. Just like our lives these days. Hmm, if you look carefully, you can see it is like a dome. I think that cloud is from all the smoke. I wonder how long this will last. I mean I hope it ends soon, because at some point we will run out of air. Hmm, I wonder.”
I hope she is wrong. Of course, if she is not, then if we live through this I can watch all of the games. A silver lining if I ever saw one. We just got to get through this. “Liz, I am going to grab a couple of sodas for Max, would you like some?”
She seemed like she was in her own little world. She vaguely said, “Um, yeah, and when Max wakes up tell him I need to talk with him. We have to be ready.”
“Max just needs to wake up a bit, then after he heals Isabel and Richard, I’ll send him to you.”
Liz flinched when Kyle mentioned Isabel. She kept gazing at the sky and said “Thanks.”
Kyle just shook his head and wandered back towards the office.
xmag- You are right about Liz. It was Emily's reactions to Liz's feelings. So Liz is in control, but she has to watch herself, because how she might react if she doesn't actually think something through is different than how she would have before her little trip to Ana's 'office.' It is a fine line though, and hopefully I can keep her staying somewhat true to character.
ashleyt- Thanks for the wonderful feedback. I am glad you like the portrayal of many of the characters in this story. I really have to say that I like all of the characters to some degree, even Tess. But at this point she has not yet decided if she is on anyone's side but her own. That may change, but for now she is still conserned mostly with her alien side and her percieved destiny. What she ultimately decides is a crucial factor in this story as it continues, particularly in the later books. As to Courtney, I
think she was under used. So many plot lines were just dropped in the later seasons.
A/N- I will be discussing this story over on Roswell Heaven on Tuesday at 9pm EST on June 5th.
Disclaimer- Some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest Day part 25
Liz
Liz put the stun shot away. No way is he going to get up for a while. She looked down at Maria’s serene face, so calm in sleep. So alive. It was the best news all this terrible day. Maybe Maria could also be freed from the abyss. It would pain her to lose her friend, but it would hurt much less than to have her die.
It did make her wonder about Dorian. How he could be so very wrong. He had rescued her, but for what reason? He had all of those photos, but why? If he was what she thought he was and if he had been here for a while... Why didn’t the Pod Squad know? Why hadn’t he helped them before this?
She heard a groan come from the body lying on the floor. Liz whirled, stun shot in hand. She was ready for anything; they were not going to take her without a fight again. Except the groan was from a female throat. Tess.
Oops. Forgot about her.
Liz stopped rubbing Maria’s arm and walked over to where the Skin covered Tess. Liz called out to Michael, “its okay Michael, the evil nasty Skin is taken care of. You can come in now.” Liz started to drag Tess out from under the Skin, while Tess tried to shy away.
“Who are you?” Tess asked as she freed herself from the entangling Skin. She looked exhausted and frightened.
“She claims to be Liz,” said Michael as he entered the room. He looked straight at Liz and said, “You took quite a chance coming in here. Tess could have gotten hurt. You might have gotten blasted. You even risked Maria.”
“I took a chance, I’ll admit. But waiting longer would not have helped. It would only have gotten riskier to all involved.” Liz said with certainty. And she was certain. The longer they waited the more likely someone would have gotten hurt.
Tess just stared at Liz, looking like someone who is watching her world end. “H… How could you know? How could you take the chance?”
That is a good question. “I don’t know how I know, I just do.”
Michael just shook his head. “And people consider me rash.” He walked over to Maria, and softly caressed her cheek. As he got closer to Maria, a smile began to form on his lips. A real smile, not the patented Michael smirk Liz was so used to seeing.
That is a real smile. Note time and day, real tears and a real smile, from Michael Guerin both within an hour. Surely the end is nigh. What happened here? The room suddenly seemed so very stuffy. She had to escape. Liz brushed past a still stunned Tess.
Michael looked up and said, “Where do you think you are going?”
“I… I just need to get some air.” Liz felt jittery and anxious, like she was going to be sick. She left the motel office.
----
Michael-
Michael watched as ‘Liz’ left the office. He still was not sure of her. Liz he trusted completely, she annoyed him, but hey so did Maria. And he would be nice, or more appropriately not too mean, to anyone for Maria’s sake. Not that he’d tell Maria that.
But this new ‘Liz”, she was an unknown quantity. Liz was not really action oriented. Sure she could be handy in a spot, her mind was always working. But like Max, she was more of a planner. Not this ‘Liz’, her actions had been quick, and if what he had seen was any clue, remarkably ruthless. Very un-Liz. No wonder Tess seemed so shocked. He just wished he had seen all of it, in particular how Liz had thrown that vase.
He understood why she had to leave the room though. After action nerves, her body striving to drop from adrenaline overdrive. He would probably be a nervous wreck himself tomorrow, if memory served. He recognized it well, even thought he had seldom in this life experienced it. But something in him saw and understood.
Something horrible must have happened to her, to react like she had. He would have to keep an eye on her to make sure that she would not endanger them. Since Nasedo had died, they no longer could count on outside help. Michael raised his eyes and glanced at Courtney. If she is right, then even the allies she might have been able to add have been compromised. Pity.
He sighed. It was a shame that she was still dying. But in truth it might make it easier with Maria. And while Maria had meant the world to him before, she meant so much more now. Somehow he would have to apologize to Max. He understood finally what he had done for Liz. Why he still fought for her.
Damn it, he hated being wrong.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tess approach him. “How can you let her just leave? She nearly let that creature take me!” Tess said.
“But she didn’t”
“Surely you don’t think she is actually Liz do you?”
“Not sure. Don’t really care either. Can’t really trust her either way.”
“Hmmph. Then why did you let her leave? Where are Max, Isabel, and Kyle?”
“I’m going to check on them in a minute, Tess. Just calm down. Have your powers started to come back?”
“How did you know?”
“Tess, you trained me this summer. Somehow I can not believe you would let a Skin just hold you if you could avoid it. Kyle mentioned something you did at the school. It must have been big to wipe out your powers.”
“I’m just, just so very tired. I can’t seem to hold onto anything. My mind is so, so fried, I can’t seem to focus.” Tess sat down, eyes starting to droop.
Michael gave Maria’s arm one more pat and got up. “Maybe Max should take a look at you. I’ll go check on him.” Michael walked out of the office.
----
Max
Max was dancing with Liz. She felt so wonderful in his arms, as he held her tight. To comfort her as long as he could, to allay her fears, fears that she would be alone forever. For even as he held her he could see the tears streaming down her face, her chocolate eyes betraying hurt and despair.
So he held her tight, and danced like there was no tomorrow. Like the future would not exist, solely existing in the moment. And she began to smile, began to live in the moment. Her smile, slight though it was, lit up his heart. How he loved her!
She was beautiful as she whirled in his arms, hope pulsing through the connection. Hope that would be ruthlessly crushed. For in the middle of the dance, Max could no longer hold onto her. He could only vainly watch as she whirled, so very beautiful to his eyes. As he faded from view, to disappear forever from her life, he could feel through the connection her hurt. Could feel as all the light in her world dimmed and her hopes died.
Max awoke in a start. What a nightmare.
Where was Liz? He had startled her and she had done something to him. His body felt stiff and he was still tired. But he needed to find her. He needed to tell his friends that he had found her. He groggily swung his legs down from the bed and tried to wake up.
“Good you’re up,” Kyle said. “Maybe you can take a look at Isabel and Richard. Whatever Liz used packs a whallup. My strength is not back yet or I would have carried at the very least Isabel to the couch or something.”
Max just stared at Kyle. Why had Liz shot Isabel? Why was Kyle still standing when his sister wasn’t? Where was Michael?
“You okay, Evans?”
“Just let me wake up.” Max could feel his strength and power start to come back to him. He was a little unsteady on his feet as he got up from the bed to check on Isabel. But just in the time it took him to walk across the room he could feel him start to steady. He grasped her hand and tried to feel through the connection, but she was sleeping. There was no distress, just sleep. “Once I get a bit more power under control I can probably wake her up. But it’s going to be at least ten minutes before I will be able to do that. I don’t suppose you have some coffee hidden around here?” Max said around a couple of yawns.
Kyle gave a lopsided smile and said, “No coffee but I do have some Cherry Coke, the sugar and caffeine should help a bit. I’ll go grab some and see what Michael is up to.”
“Yeah, if you see him, tell him I would like to talk with him.”
----
Kyle-
Of all the strange things that have happened today, the strangest has to be the fact that Max doesn’t seem to hate me anymore. Oh, he doesn’t really like me, but then he never did. The closest we got was right after the Valentine’s Day contest last year. The thing is, I have had this feeling that we are stuck together. That this secret that we all share will keep us close for a very long time. Now that I find that his healing has marked me, made me a little green around the gills myself, it only reinforces that feeling.
It makes me resent him, and his little green friends. There was a time not too far past when I knew what I wanted. And yeah, I knew it was shallow, even then, but it was just how I wanted my life to go. I wanted to have fun, and being a top jock at school let me bend if not break a lot of the rules that constrained others at school. I was a teenage boy, and I wanted to take advantage of all that I could while it lasted. Before I had to grow up and be responsible.
Since Max healed me, or really rather since he healed Liz, my life has slowly changed. First I started to lose my father over the whole mess, and it is not that he was able to spend all that much time with me before the alien invasion. I was a major priority, and I guess I still am, but my time with him is so precious I hate having to share. Then I seeming lost Liz to Max. And then there is Tess. I can admit to myself if to no one else how much I desire her. But she is not for me; she has her eyes set on Max. Maybe Alex and I can start a support group, for those in love with aliens. Who knows maybe Liz and Maria will want to join.
The worst though is how I feel. I feel different, like I don’t fully belong. I have always been part of the in crowd, and now I feel like I am just pretending to fit in. To a small extent I am starting to understand how the LGM’s feel, and it’s not a good feeling. It scares me. And then there are the strange feelings that, no it’s just my imagination. It’s just silly.
Kyle looked over and saw ‘Liz’ hunched up, her arms griping her legs, as she rocked back and forth. She looked deep in thought, so he tried to quietly move past her. Only to find that device pointed at him again, those strange cobalt blue eyes staring at him as through a gun sight. “Hey Liz, it’s only me. Mind lowering your weapon.”
She stared at him intensely and put the weapon away. “Sorry it has been a long day.” Her eyes then drifted back to the sky as she stared off into the distance.
“Are you okay Liz?”
“Honestly, I don’t know.” She was quiet for a moment and then asked Kyle a seemingly bizarre question. “Kyle, what kind of watch are you wearing? Is it a digital or analog?”
Surprised, Kyle looked at his watch, a gift he had received last Christmas. It was a water resistant old style watch. “It is not digital. Why?”
“Hmm, what time does it say?” Liz got up and started to look at the sky intently.
“It says I have missed a lot of college football today, holding off the evil alien hordes.”
“Kyle, please this is important.”
Kyle shrugged his shoulders and said, “It’s a little before 4 pm. What is so important about that?”
“Kyle have you noticed the angle of the sun, how it is still rising from the east?”
Kyle looked around and noticed that she was right. How very strange. “Huh, you’re right, I wonder what it means. The sky looks a little hazy, too.” He looked at some far away clouds. They did not move, but there was a growing cloud hanging over Roswell.
“I can’t be sure, but I think we are stuck in time. I think it is really still 10:30.” Liz said quietly.
“That is crazy.”
“Yes it is. Just like our lives these days. Hmm, if you look carefully, you can see it is like a dome. I think that cloud is from all the smoke. I wonder how long this will last. I mean I hope it ends soon, because at some point we will run out of air. Hmm, I wonder.”
I hope she is wrong. Of course, if she is not, then if we live through this I can watch all of the games. A silver lining if I ever saw one. We just got to get through this. “Liz, I am going to grab a couple of sodas for Max, would you like some?”
She seemed like she was in her own little world. She vaguely said, “Um, yeah, and when Max wakes up tell him I need to talk with him. We have to be ready.”
“Max just needs to wake up a bit, then after he heals Isabel and Richard, I’ll send him to you.”
Liz flinched when Kyle mentioned Isabel. She kept gazing at the sky and said “Thanks.”
Kyle just shook his head and wandered back towards the office.
Thanks as always to those of you who are reading this story. Special thanks as always to those kind enough to leave feedback. Xmag, ashleyt, tequathisy, and Natalie36, thank you.
xmag- I always felt sorry for Kyle. Everyone else, in one manner or fashion, chose to be part of the alien chaos. He just got sucked in. And because of it he could not really fully relate to the group, or to his class mates. I am sure his conversion to Buddhism did not help matters, but I can easily see why he did it. He needed something to keep himself from just going nuts. But it left a mark. As to making friends in the group, well that is certainly possible. In canon, he became a good friend of Alex's.
ashleyt- I agree with you about Kyle, see above. As to what Kyle is talking about, that will be discussed later. As for Tess, let's hope she makes the right decisions.
tequathisy- thanks
natalie36- thanks, yeah I have always been a fan of sci fi.
Disclaimer- Scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
A/N - I will be discussing this story at 9pm Tuesday June 5th at Roswell Heaven. Hope to see you there.
Longest day part 26
Isabel-
She was marched into the massive columned chamber, the Hall of Judgment. She could see past the columns to the vast walls dotted with the Mirrors of the Damned. Even though the trial had not started, she already knew the verdict. She would join those whose crimes were considered so terrible that death itself was considered a mercy. Her essence, the part of her that made her who she was, would be trapped in memory glass.
Most lay people thought it lasted forever, but the oldest so trapped seemed… faded. It was her thought and that of some of her former colleagues at the Archadian that entropy played its part even here. That the souls trapped faded and slowly dispersed, destroyed for all eternity. Denied Heaven, Hell, or even Rebirth; it was society’s ultimate punishment for it killed the soul.
The practice was evil. And so she would wail away eternity slowly being fed to a hungry piece of glass. At least they would not get all of her, each of her sisters carried part of her with them…
Isabel woke with a start. Max was standing over her, holding her hand. She could feel his worry through the connection. She accepted his help up, trying to shake that strange and frightening dream. It had felt so real, like a memory. Her memory. It had been her, who she had been. Vilandra. But how could it be her, I am still here. Sort of.
“Are you doing alright, Iz?” Max asked her softly.
Isabel stretched her arms out, and resisted the urge to yawn. “I am just a little stiff.” She looked around and saw Richard sprawled in the doorway unconscious. “Where are Kyle and Michael? Who was it that was able to stop them?”
“What are you talking about?”
“There was a female Skin holding you what I came in. I blasted her, but another one must have knocked me out. We are all alive, so one of the guys must have come to the rescue.”
“You blasted Liz?”
What are you talking about? “Liz?”
Max chuckles slightly, “I realize you have resented her in the past, but don’t you think blasting her was a bit much?”
“Max, I tried to save your life and you’re making fun of me. Tell me what you’re talking about or I swear that I’ll get even.”
“The only person here was Liz, one with red hair, but still Liz. Apparently she liberated a device when she escaped. When I came on her, she was sleeping. When she woke, she shot me.”
“You seem awfully chipper all of a sudden.”
“Liz is safe. I was able to heal Maria. I have even thought of some stuff that may help Courtney. We are all together, and if a little worse for wear, we are all alive. And your okay.”
An optimistic Max, who would have thought of that? She looked closely at him. He looks so tired. I hope this day is almost finished because he needs a break. I suppose I should go find Miss Parker and have a little chat. “Do you know where she is now?”
“Liz? I am not sure,” said Max.
“You guys looking for Liz?” said Michael walking through the door. “Here Max, Kyle said you wanted these.” Michael handed Max several small bottles of Cherry Coke. “Oh and Kyle and I saved some burritos for you.”
“What kind?”
Isabel rolled her eyes. “And Liz would be where?” She walked over to a mirror, and put on some lip balm. “I am waiting, Michael.”
“Oh, yeah, she is in the parking lot watching the sky. You might want to be careful around her. She’s a little jumpy.”
Max looked puzzled and asked, “Why is she studying the sky?”
Isabel turned to look at her brother and friend. What is Miss Scientist up to now? Does she have something useful? I’ll admit that she’s always got ideas, just they aren’t all practical.
“Not sure,” Michael said. He grabbed another bottle from one of his coat pockets, opened it, and took a deep sip. At Isabel’s cleared throat he handed her one as well. He continued, “She was saying something about how she has a theory on what is going on here in Roswell. Some sort of time bubble or something. I didn’t really understand it myself. But she wanted to speak with you, Max.”
That is what Richard was talking about. What did he call it? Softly to herself, Isabel said, “It’s a TSD.”
“What is a TSD?” Max asked.
Michael just looked at her strangely.
“You both were there. Richard talked about them, Temporal Stasis Devices.” Both Michael and Max just stared at her. “Don’t you guys remember, Max, it was right after I broke up the fight between you and Kyle?”
Max looked at Michael and said, “Do you remember, I was a little preoccupied.”
Michael thought for a moment. “Yeah, I think he was saying that they were Antaran weapons used to maneuver troops. Or something like that.”
“Had she thought of a way to stop it? Does she have a way to bring back mom and dad?” Isabel asked. “To bring all of Roswell back?”
Michael just shrugged and finished his soda.
Isabel walked to the door of the motel room and noticed she was alone. “Aren’t you coming Max?”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes; I just need to rest a bit. Then I will wake Richard and we’ll hold council, all of us together.”
Isabel looked at Michael, who uncharacteristically was still lost in thought. “Michael?”
“I’ll be right out. I just need to talk with Max.”
Isabel nodded and walked into the parking lot.
---
Max-
Things are looking up. Liz is safe and she might have a way to end this day. And she loves me. I can feel it. Whatever reason she pushed me away and tried to crush my heart, it wasn’t because she was over me. She is not. All I have to do if figure out why she did it, fix the problem, and hopefully we can carry on with our lives. It’ll be very tough, and she’ll probably resist all the way. But there is hope now.
She did not really sleep with Kyle. She loves me. My instincts were not wrong. She almost had me doubting myself. Okay, so maybe I have some issues with what she did. I mean how far back does her campaign to have me give her up go? How is Tess involved? Is she the instigator, warping Liz into doing things she would never do? Or is she merely trying to take advantage of the situation that has developed.
Enough, I can brood over why later. Liz loves me and I love her. She is safe, and that is what matters.
Max looked over to Michael. Michael had dropped down on the corner of the bed. His face was full of worry and something Max was surprised to see. Emotion was vividly flashing across his face. Michael had lost his composure.
Max looked away from his friend, to give him a chance to get a better hold on himself. “So what’s up Michael? You wanted to talk to me?”
There was a bit of strain in Michael’s voice as he said, “I’m just not good at this.” He paused for a moment and then said quickly and quietly, “I am sorry Maxwell.”
Huh? What is this about? Max thought back, trying to find what Michael could possibly be apologizing for. Sure there were things others might want to clear up, but Michael was Michael. Max was used to his quirks, as he was used to his. No matter how bad things had gotten over the summer, they were still friends. “About what?”
“Liz, I just didn’t understand. Not until I was in the same spot.”
Max looked back over to his friend. Michael was staring at the ground. “You were right, in a way, I risked everything. It was okay for me to risk myself, but I risked you and Isabel. I just could not let her die.”
“Yeah. But I understand Max, I do. When I saw Maria, just lying there, I couldn’t leave her.” Michael’s voice was thick with emotion. He looked up at Max, eyes full of unshed tears. “I called her back Max. She was going to leave, to die, and I called her back. If, if she had started to go again, I think I would have followed. I just couldn’t, couldn’t let her go.”
“I understand, I do. But I don’t understand why you feel the need to apologize for it.”
“You probably think it’s silly, but I have always felt I needed to protect you and Isabel. Watch your back and make sure you were safe. Even when I nearly ran away last year, I felt like I was abandoning you. Letting you down and betraying a trust. Then you got caught and put in the White Room, I really don’t know how good a job I’ve been doing.”
Max opened his mouth to show his support for Michael, when Michael lifted his hand and said, “No Max, let me finish. This wasn’t me just being careless. If I had been captured it would have been bad for all of us. They want the Granolith Max, they want it bad. Courtney thinks it could save them all, even without the Harvest. She’s not sure how but that is what she said. She also told me that Nicholas can get into your head and steal memories. When I was holding Maria, I was helpless. I risked us all, and I’ll be honest. I would do it again.”
“Yeah, I accept your apology Michael. I just wish there was a way we could keep them safe.”
“I tried to stay away from her, you know. To keep her safe, both from the problems that always seem to follow us, and myself. I don’t think I can anymore. I can’t let her go.”
Max had a slight smile on his face as he said, “Trust me I understand. I can’t let Liz go either, and trust me I have tried. As I told Maria, I am hopeless.”
Michael ran a hand through his hair and said, “Well I hope this doesn’t mean I am going to get all wishy-washy all the time. I mean I don’t know if I could handle all of that romantic crap you always do for Liz. Or used to anyway. What is up with her anyway?”
“When I know, I will let you know.”
Michael just grunted. He got up off the bed. “I am going to go for a walk around the motel, make sure no one is hiding out here.”
“Don’t go far. I was serious about that meeting.”
Michael nodded as he left the room.
---
Maria-
It took a few seconds for her eyes to get into focus. Everything seemed sharper and crisper than she remembered. She felt… good, wonderful even. She could no longer sense Courtney, but Michael’s… presence seemed to linger. It should worry her, should cause her to freak out. But she felt too stunned to care.
And it felt so good.
She sat up and looked around. Courtney was lying on a couch nearby. She still looked so very pale, but that would not mean much. It was just her husk. She hoped she was okay. Tess was draped among two of the padded chairs sound asleep. There was a man laying face down on the ground, tied up. And Kyle was sitting there watching both the prisoner and Maria.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, Maria,” His voice had a thin tinny sound to it.
Her reply sounded little better. “I am happy to be here. Where is everyone?”
“Michael and Isabel are with Max, in room 12. Liz is sitting near the office staring at the sky.”
By the end of his last statement, Maria’s hearing had returned to normal. Liz is safe. “I am going to go find Liz. I need to talk to her.”
Kyle chuckled a little, “Yeah, I figured that would be the case. Hmm, her hair color and eyes were changed, so she is the red head outside.”
How is that possible? “Thanks, it’s good to see that you are okay too.”
Kyle just nodded.
Maria got up and walked to the door. Even her normal aches and pains were gone. She hadn’t felt this good and well rested in a while. She felt wonderful.
As she got to the door she started to hear raised voices.
From Isabel she heard, “Because he is my brother, that’s why it’s my business.”
Liz’s voice had an angry tone, “Well then how about how you treat Alex.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“You treat him like garbage.”
“Not only do I disagree, I fail to see the relevance. What you have done to Max is unacceptable; I can’t believe you would actually do that.”
“Oh, it is very relevant. Alex is like a brother to me, just as Maria is a sister. He worships the ground you walk on and you just step all over him.”
“Liz this conversation isn’t over, we still need to talk.” Isabel looked at Maria and smiled, “But I think there is someone who wants to speak with you first.”
“Your right Isabel, this is not over. But we should figure out how to get out of this first.” Liz saw the direction that Isabel was looking. She looked over her shoulder. In a quiet disbelieving voice, she said, “Maria?”
Maria recognized who she looked like. The girl that Ragar had driven out of the Skin’s encampment had been Liz. They had been so close to finding her. Why she had been with Ragar could wait. Liz was safe.
.
Maria could not remember a time when Liz had not been in her life. They had been friends quite literally all of their lives. Her mother had babysat for a while to help her dad with the bills. The Parkers had just opened the Crashdown, and needed someone to watch Liz, and so a friendship was born. And despite the horrors of this day, it endured.
Who moved first was unimportant, but it was mere instants before they were hugging each other, tears streaming down their faces.
xmag- I always felt sorry for Kyle. Everyone else, in one manner or fashion, chose to be part of the alien chaos. He just got sucked in. And because of it he could not really fully relate to the group, or to his class mates. I am sure his conversion to Buddhism did not help matters, but I can easily see why he did it. He needed something to keep himself from just going nuts. But it left a mark. As to making friends in the group, well that is certainly possible. In canon, he became a good friend of Alex's.
ashleyt- I agree with you about Kyle, see above. As to what Kyle is talking about, that will be discussed later. As for Tess, let's hope she makes the right decisions.
tequathisy- thanks
natalie36- thanks, yeah I have always been a fan of sci fi.
Disclaimer- Scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
A/N - I will be discussing this story at 9pm Tuesday June 5th at Roswell Heaven. Hope to see you there.
Longest day part 26
Isabel-
She was marched into the massive columned chamber, the Hall of Judgment. She could see past the columns to the vast walls dotted with the Mirrors of the Damned. Even though the trial had not started, she already knew the verdict. She would join those whose crimes were considered so terrible that death itself was considered a mercy. Her essence, the part of her that made her who she was, would be trapped in memory glass.
Most lay people thought it lasted forever, but the oldest so trapped seemed… faded. It was her thought and that of some of her former colleagues at the Archadian that entropy played its part even here. That the souls trapped faded and slowly dispersed, destroyed for all eternity. Denied Heaven, Hell, or even Rebirth; it was society’s ultimate punishment for it killed the soul.
The practice was evil. And so she would wail away eternity slowly being fed to a hungry piece of glass. At least they would not get all of her, each of her sisters carried part of her with them…
Isabel woke with a start. Max was standing over her, holding her hand. She could feel his worry through the connection. She accepted his help up, trying to shake that strange and frightening dream. It had felt so real, like a memory. Her memory. It had been her, who she had been. Vilandra. But how could it be her, I am still here. Sort of.
“Are you doing alright, Iz?” Max asked her softly.
Isabel stretched her arms out, and resisted the urge to yawn. “I am just a little stiff.” She looked around and saw Richard sprawled in the doorway unconscious. “Where are Kyle and Michael? Who was it that was able to stop them?”
“What are you talking about?”
“There was a female Skin holding you what I came in. I blasted her, but another one must have knocked me out. We are all alive, so one of the guys must have come to the rescue.”
“You blasted Liz?”
What are you talking about? “Liz?”
Max chuckles slightly, “I realize you have resented her in the past, but don’t you think blasting her was a bit much?”
“Max, I tried to save your life and you’re making fun of me. Tell me what you’re talking about or I swear that I’ll get even.”
“The only person here was Liz, one with red hair, but still Liz. Apparently she liberated a device when she escaped. When I came on her, she was sleeping. When she woke, she shot me.”
“You seem awfully chipper all of a sudden.”
“Liz is safe. I was able to heal Maria. I have even thought of some stuff that may help Courtney. We are all together, and if a little worse for wear, we are all alive. And your okay.”
An optimistic Max, who would have thought of that? She looked closely at him. He looks so tired. I hope this day is almost finished because he needs a break. I suppose I should go find Miss Parker and have a little chat. “Do you know where she is now?”
“Liz? I am not sure,” said Max.
“You guys looking for Liz?” said Michael walking through the door. “Here Max, Kyle said you wanted these.” Michael handed Max several small bottles of Cherry Coke. “Oh and Kyle and I saved some burritos for you.”
“What kind?”
Isabel rolled her eyes. “And Liz would be where?” She walked over to a mirror, and put on some lip balm. “I am waiting, Michael.”
“Oh, yeah, she is in the parking lot watching the sky. You might want to be careful around her. She’s a little jumpy.”
Max looked puzzled and asked, “Why is she studying the sky?”
Isabel turned to look at her brother and friend. What is Miss Scientist up to now? Does she have something useful? I’ll admit that she’s always got ideas, just they aren’t all practical.
“Not sure,” Michael said. He grabbed another bottle from one of his coat pockets, opened it, and took a deep sip. At Isabel’s cleared throat he handed her one as well. He continued, “She was saying something about how she has a theory on what is going on here in Roswell. Some sort of time bubble or something. I didn’t really understand it myself. But she wanted to speak with you, Max.”
That is what Richard was talking about. What did he call it? Softly to herself, Isabel said, “It’s a TSD.”
“What is a TSD?” Max asked.
Michael just looked at her strangely.
“You both were there. Richard talked about them, Temporal Stasis Devices.” Both Michael and Max just stared at her. “Don’t you guys remember, Max, it was right after I broke up the fight between you and Kyle?”
Max looked at Michael and said, “Do you remember, I was a little preoccupied.”
Michael thought for a moment. “Yeah, I think he was saying that they were Antaran weapons used to maneuver troops. Or something like that.”
“Had she thought of a way to stop it? Does she have a way to bring back mom and dad?” Isabel asked. “To bring all of Roswell back?”
Michael just shrugged and finished his soda.
Isabel walked to the door of the motel room and noticed she was alone. “Aren’t you coming Max?”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes; I just need to rest a bit. Then I will wake Richard and we’ll hold council, all of us together.”
Isabel looked at Michael, who uncharacteristically was still lost in thought. “Michael?”
“I’ll be right out. I just need to talk with Max.”
Isabel nodded and walked into the parking lot.
---
Max-
Things are looking up. Liz is safe and she might have a way to end this day. And she loves me. I can feel it. Whatever reason she pushed me away and tried to crush my heart, it wasn’t because she was over me. She is not. All I have to do if figure out why she did it, fix the problem, and hopefully we can carry on with our lives. It’ll be very tough, and she’ll probably resist all the way. But there is hope now.
She did not really sleep with Kyle. She loves me. My instincts were not wrong. She almost had me doubting myself. Okay, so maybe I have some issues with what she did. I mean how far back does her campaign to have me give her up go? How is Tess involved? Is she the instigator, warping Liz into doing things she would never do? Or is she merely trying to take advantage of the situation that has developed.
Enough, I can brood over why later. Liz loves me and I love her. She is safe, and that is what matters.
Max looked over to Michael. Michael had dropped down on the corner of the bed. His face was full of worry and something Max was surprised to see. Emotion was vividly flashing across his face. Michael had lost his composure.
Max looked away from his friend, to give him a chance to get a better hold on himself. “So what’s up Michael? You wanted to talk to me?”
There was a bit of strain in Michael’s voice as he said, “I’m just not good at this.” He paused for a moment and then said quickly and quietly, “I am sorry Maxwell.”
Huh? What is this about? Max thought back, trying to find what Michael could possibly be apologizing for. Sure there were things others might want to clear up, but Michael was Michael. Max was used to his quirks, as he was used to his. No matter how bad things had gotten over the summer, they were still friends. “About what?”
“Liz, I just didn’t understand. Not until I was in the same spot.”
Max looked back over to his friend. Michael was staring at the ground. “You were right, in a way, I risked everything. It was okay for me to risk myself, but I risked you and Isabel. I just could not let her die.”
“Yeah. But I understand Max, I do. When I saw Maria, just lying there, I couldn’t leave her.” Michael’s voice was thick with emotion. He looked up at Max, eyes full of unshed tears. “I called her back Max. She was going to leave, to die, and I called her back. If, if she had started to go again, I think I would have followed. I just couldn’t, couldn’t let her go.”
“I understand, I do. But I don’t understand why you feel the need to apologize for it.”
“You probably think it’s silly, but I have always felt I needed to protect you and Isabel. Watch your back and make sure you were safe. Even when I nearly ran away last year, I felt like I was abandoning you. Letting you down and betraying a trust. Then you got caught and put in the White Room, I really don’t know how good a job I’ve been doing.”
Max opened his mouth to show his support for Michael, when Michael lifted his hand and said, “No Max, let me finish. This wasn’t me just being careless. If I had been captured it would have been bad for all of us. They want the Granolith Max, they want it bad. Courtney thinks it could save them all, even without the Harvest. She’s not sure how but that is what she said. She also told me that Nicholas can get into your head and steal memories. When I was holding Maria, I was helpless. I risked us all, and I’ll be honest. I would do it again.”
“Yeah, I accept your apology Michael. I just wish there was a way we could keep them safe.”
“I tried to stay away from her, you know. To keep her safe, both from the problems that always seem to follow us, and myself. I don’t think I can anymore. I can’t let her go.”
Max had a slight smile on his face as he said, “Trust me I understand. I can’t let Liz go either, and trust me I have tried. As I told Maria, I am hopeless.”
Michael ran a hand through his hair and said, “Well I hope this doesn’t mean I am going to get all wishy-washy all the time. I mean I don’t know if I could handle all of that romantic crap you always do for Liz. Or used to anyway. What is up with her anyway?”
“When I know, I will let you know.”
Michael just grunted. He got up off the bed. “I am going to go for a walk around the motel, make sure no one is hiding out here.”
“Don’t go far. I was serious about that meeting.”
Michael nodded as he left the room.
---
Maria-
It took a few seconds for her eyes to get into focus. Everything seemed sharper and crisper than she remembered. She felt… good, wonderful even. She could no longer sense Courtney, but Michael’s… presence seemed to linger. It should worry her, should cause her to freak out. But she felt too stunned to care.
And it felt so good.
She sat up and looked around. Courtney was lying on a couch nearby. She still looked so very pale, but that would not mean much. It was just her husk. She hoped she was okay. Tess was draped among two of the padded chairs sound asleep. There was a man laying face down on the ground, tied up. And Kyle was sitting there watching both the prisoner and Maria.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, Maria,” His voice had a thin tinny sound to it.
Her reply sounded little better. “I am happy to be here. Where is everyone?”
“Michael and Isabel are with Max, in room 12. Liz is sitting near the office staring at the sky.”
By the end of his last statement, Maria’s hearing had returned to normal. Liz is safe. “I am going to go find Liz. I need to talk to her.”
Kyle chuckled a little, “Yeah, I figured that would be the case. Hmm, her hair color and eyes were changed, so she is the red head outside.”
How is that possible? “Thanks, it’s good to see that you are okay too.”
Kyle just nodded.
Maria got up and walked to the door. Even her normal aches and pains were gone. She hadn’t felt this good and well rested in a while. She felt wonderful.
As she got to the door she started to hear raised voices.
From Isabel she heard, “Because he is my brother, that’s why it’s my business.”
Liz’s voice had an angry tone, “Well then how about how you treat Alex.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“You treat him like garbage.”
“Not only do I disagree, I fail to see the relevance. What you have done to Max is unacceptable; I can’t believe you would actually do that.”
“Oh, it is very relevant. Alex is like a brother to me, just as Maria is a sister. He worships the ground you walk on and you just step all over him.”
“Liz this conversation isn’t over, we still need to talk.” Isabel looked at Maria and smiled, “But I think there is someone who wants to speak with you first.”
“Your right Isabel, this is not over. But we should figure out how to get out of this first.” Liz saw the direction that Isabel was looking. She looked over her shoulder. In a quiet disbelieving voice, she said, “Maria?”
Maria recognized who she looked like. The girl that Ragar had driven out of the Skin’s encampment had been Liz. They had been so close to finding her. Why she had been with Ragar could wait. Liz was safe.
.
Maria could not remember a time when Liz had not been in her life. They had been friends quite literally all of their lives. Her mother had babysat for a while to help her dad with the bills. The Parkers had just opened the Crashdown, and needed someone to watch Liz, and so a friendship was born. And despite the horrors of this day, it endured.
Who moved first was unimportant, but it was mere instants before they were hugging each other, tears streaming down their faces.
Thanks to everyone reading this story. Thanks to everyone who showed up at my chat at Roswell Heaven, it was fun. Particular thanks to xmag and tequathisy for leaving feedback.
xmag- The Antarans recognize the existance of the soul, it is kind of hard to deny it when they deal with a persons consciousness on a regular basis. They also acknowledge a sense of permanence beyond death, but exactly what happens is still a matter of religious debate on Antar and the colonies. As to how Vilandra's essense survives will be covered in later parts. One unasked question is why she is on trial, and why she believes she will recieve such a punishment.
tequathisy- thanks, both needed to happen.
Disclaimer- some ideas and scenes may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest day part 27
Kyle-
Kyle’s muscles hurt and his whole body was sore. And he was tired. Worse he was scared. All but the last were familiar friends to him. Athletics was like that, even at the high school level. The fear was a new companion brought by his Little Green Friends.
It was strange, how it had not bothered him when he had been active. Even when he had been so sure they were going to die at the school. Oh he had been frightened, but somehow he had pushed on. Now, when things seemed to be calming down, when everyone was safe. He felt himself falling apart at the seams.
He was badly off balance.
He had felt like this before, near the beginning of the summer. After he had been shot, after he had almost died. It had been hard to carry forward those last couple of days of school. Trying to act normal was so hard. But he had tried to drown his sorrows as he had in the past. His self confidence shot, dates began to dry up. And alcohol could only blur the pain so much. Only the fact his dad was sheriff and his desire not to burn himself out kept him from trying other alternatives to escape from his confusion.
Football camp had been a godsend. The activity helped, and if the other guys did not seem to relate to him as much as before, it was still better than being trapped at home. Somehow meditating made it better; somehow for him Buddhism calmed him. He desperately needed that calm now.
And so now that he had moved Tess to the couch that Maria had gotten up out of, he sat back and tried to still his mind. He closed his eyes and began the breathing exercises. The arm movements looked silly, and he would have dispensed with them, but he was desperate. Besides his friends already made fun of his beliefs anyway.
His eyes shot open. When had that happened? When had the LGMs changed from a hassle to friends? Because that is what they were, friends. People he was starting to actually care for. More so than his sports buddies.
He looked over at Tess, but she was still sleeping. Kyle did not think she could make him see things while she was asleep. At least he hoped not.
She looked so cute when she slept. How he longed to hold her, run his hand through her hair. To kiss her. Sigh, down Valenti. She is not for you. Another thing to meditate on.
Big deep breath, arms positioned just so. And just let go, of self, of attachments, of the passions that blind men’s souls. As the exercises continued he could feel himself calm. Could feel himself find his precarious sense of balance and for a moment he was there. But something went wrong.
As he reached his balance, he felt a rush of energy. And suddenly he could feel everything around him. He could not understand all that he was sensing, but some things seemed clear. He could see Tess, could recognize her. There were two others, but they seemed very different than Tess. Different in their very composition. The female felt vaguely familiar, and the male did not.
Somehow he felt the female mind react and wake. His hard fought control slipped and the moment was lost. His eyes flicked open to look at the surprised and appraising blue eyes of Courtney.
“Well that was unexpected,” Courtney said in a sleepy voice. “There is more to you than meets the eye.”
Kyle said, in a voice whose bitterness surprised even him, “That is what I am afraid of.”
Courtney just slowly sat up, still looking at him. Her hands trembled slightly at the effort.
His skin prickled at her gaze, as it swept up and down his body. He could not resist. “Like what you see,” Kyle said.
“Hmm,” Courtney did not even try to hide her appraisal of him now. “Not bad. You’re a little short, but the physique makes up for a lot. Are you really on the basketball team at West Roswell?”
Her gaze was starting to make him a little uncomfortable. “My best sports are wrestling and baseball.”
“Wrestling, hmm, well that has some possibilities,” Courtney said quietly, as if to herself. A smile flashed across her face, to be replaced with a thoughtful look. “Hey, Kyle where is Maria, I need to talk with her.”
“She’s outside with Liz. Everyone will be happy to see you up. You gave us a bit of a scare, both of you.”
Courtney stood up, although a little shaky at first. “Thanks. I just need to thank her.”
Kyle nodded. What the heck, she is one of us now, I guess. “Hey Courtney, there is a party later on this evening. I was going to ask everyone to go. Would you like to join us?”
“Are you asking me to go with a party with you?”
“Yeah, I guess, just as a friend.”
The smile was back as she replied, “Sure Kyle, I will be happy to go as your ‘friend.’ You’ll have to tell me more of the details later.” She then proceeded to walk towards the entrance. As she walked by him, she had one of her hands trail across one of his arms and off his shoulder, his skin tingling everywhere her hand touched. His eyes followed her as she swayed from the room.
Get a grip Valenti. She’s an alien for Buddha’s sake! His gaze drifted back towards Tess. And he still wanted her too. He was very off center now. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. These Little Green blondes were going to be the death of him yet.
----
Michael-
He walked briskly around the motel. Across the parking lot he could see a small red head holding a slightly taller blonde. He had felt something change when Maria had woken. And naturally the first person she had sought out was Liz. It was a times like this he could not help his resentment of Liz. Of two of the three people he cared for most, she was first in their hearts. Only Isabel remained free of the spell of the Perfect Miss Parker. He mordantly wondered how long it would be before Liz won her over.
Damn it, for once he wanted to be first!
He looked away from them and off towards the rest of town. There were several pillars of smoke rising from town. Fires started, either by the lack of human attention or by alien hand, it did not matter. It would be impossible to hide what had happened here. Impossible.
And Liz was right. If you looked closely the smoke as it rose hit what seemed like a dome and spread out, slowly filling the top of the dome like structure. Something would have to be done about this, soon. He wasn’t a scientist, but it did not take one to realize that sooner or later they would run out of air. Or get smothered in smoke.
Sigh. Which leads back to Liz, hopefully she will come up with one of her crazy theories that will turn out to be right and save the day. He glanced back at the girls, Isabel was chatting with them now. His heart jumped when a set of vivid green eyes looked in his direction. She stopped mid sentence and exchanged glances with him. The sense of her presence which now seemed lodged in a corner of his mind leapt to full bloom.
He took a half step towards Maria, when a comment by Isabel caused her to blink and burst out laughing. The mood was broken and he glared at all of the girls. Liz was openly laughing, as was Maria. Isabel just looked smug, staring confidently back at Michael. Maria blew him a big kiss, but Michael just shifted his shoulders grumpily and turned away. In that tiny corner he could feel amusement, understanding, and a trace of hurt. He could not quite make out what they were saying, but something set them off laughing uproariously.
He gazed back off towards Roswell. Somehow that rising smoke called to him. The hint of fire on the breeze, somehow he recalled it. But the sounds of laughter were wrong. They were wrong, both in pitch and in emotion, as he remembered…
He heard the sound of screams, the screams of women and children suffering the horrors of war. He could see fires rising from the Mitharan settlement. A settlement they were supposed to secure, not sack.
Someone had lost control of his troops and they ran through the civilians like wolves through defenseless sheep. The young Lieutenant could feel many of his own troop’s restlessness to join their fellows in the chance for a piece of choice loot. The life of a soldier was a hard one, with their forty year enlistment period and limits on travel outside of war time. It made for restless men, and their easy victory over the local resistance gave them a sense of entitlement.
But it was against orders. They were there to restore order, not sow the seeds of a later rebellion. And so he would hold, and protect any who made it to his area. The locals should be able to trust the King’s men, not fear them. Duty and Honor held him to do right by those who were as much the Throne’s subjects as the denizens of Tara.
So Hell came to a tiny corner of Antar. Save for one small vale held by a stubborn young officer, Lieutenant Rath Tardan. For three days he and his men held that vale, against the enemy and against the depredations of his fellow soldiers. It was the start of a storied career, one that would end in tragedy.
As he shook his head, he could still hear the screams. He could still feel the bitter knowledge that he could not protect those outside his control without allowing those entrusted to him to be undefended. His mind was still caught partway in the reverie, when he felt a small hand on his arm. Maria stared up at him with worried eyes.
He stared deeply in those lovely green eyes of hers, more precious than the emeralds they resembled. And in her eyes, in the love that they showed, he regained himself. He was Michael Guerin once more.
And he held her.
----
Tess-
“Tess you have to wake up. It’s not fair, but they want you at their meeting. Come on Tess.”
Tess felt herself come back to the world. Her dreams were confusing and she could not remember anything. She was still exhausted, but she could feel a tiny trickle of power. Just enough to start and maintain her Sight.
She Looked at Kyle, and saw pretty much what she thought she would see. He was just on the edge of his powers. It was still manageable. A little Valerium and that problem was solved, delayed anyway.
She stretched and got up off the couch. “Okay let’s go get this over with so I can get back to my nap.”
Kyle got up and after taking a good look to make sure the prisoner was well bound, followed her. Good loyal Kyle. Aside from his fling with Liz, he was her favorite human. He was almost bearable. Sometimes anyway.
It was what she saw when she came upon her nemesis. Liz practically glowed. Her powers were showing, even if no one else seemed to notice. No they were concerned about the eyes and hair, as if minor changes in appearance were beyond them. Valerium would only slow her down now, maybe Richard had something else?
Maria was a puzzle too. She glimmered, much like Kyle. But if Tess was right, and Max did something to them when he healed them; something had gone wrong when he healed Maria. She was as developed as Kyle, maybe more. What was even stranger was that her soul seemed… melted at a couple of points, and almost… soldered to another’s? How? It felt like, like Michael. A quick glance at him confirmed her suspicions. What had he done? Why?
As all group gathered, as the meeting began she wracked her brain in an attempt to think of a way to salvage the situation. Tess looked at Isabel, to find what reaction she had to Maria’s coup in holding Michael. She actually caught Isabel smiling in Maria’s direction. Destiny would never be totally fulfilled, for Vilandra and Rath would never wed this life. She would have to content herself with her portion of Destiny, hers and Max’s.
It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.
xmag- The Antarans recognize the existance of the soul, it is kind of hard to deny it when they deal with a persons consciousness on a regular basis. They also acknowledge a sense of permanence beyond death, but exactly what happens is still a matter of religious debate on Antar and the colonies. As to how Vilandra's essense survives will be covered in later parts. One unasked question is why she is on trial, and why she believes she will recieve such a punishment.
tequathisy- thanks, both needed to happen.
Disclaimer- some ideas and scenes may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest day part 27
Kyle-
Kyle’s muscles hurt and his whole body was sore. And he was tired. Worse he was scared. All but the last were familiar friends to him. Athletics was like that, even at the high school level. The fear was a new companion brought by his Little Green Friends.
It was strange, how it had not bothered him when he had been active. Even when he had been so sure they were going to die at the school. Oh he had been frightened, but somehow he had pushed on. Now, when things seemed to be calming down, when everyone was safe. He felt himself falling apart at the seams.
He was badly off balance.
He had felt like this before, near the beginning of the summer. After he had been shot, after he had almost died. It had been hard to carry forward those last couple of days of school. Trying to act normal was so hard. But he had tried to drown his sorrows as he had in the past. His self confidence shot, dates began to dry up. And alcohol could only blur the pain so much. Only the fact his dad was sheriff and his desire not to burn himself out kept him from trying other alternatives to escape from his confusion.
Football camp had been a godsend. The activity helped, and if the other guys did not seem to relate to him as much as before, it was still better than being trapped at home. Somehow meditating made it better; somehow for him Buddhism calmed him. He desperately needed that calm now.
And so now that he had moved Tess to the couch that Maria had gotten up out of, he sat back and tried to still his mind. He closed his eyes and began the breathing exercises. The arm movements looked silly, and he would have dispensed with them, but he was desperate. Besides his friends already made fun of his beliefs anyway.
His eyes shot open. When had that happened? When had the LGMs changed from a hassle to friends? Because that is what they were, friends. People he was starting to actually care for. More so than his sports buddies.
He looked over at Tess, but she was still sleeping. Kyle did not think she could make him see things while she was asleep. At least he hoped not.
She looked so cute when she slept. How he longed to hold her, run his hand through her hair. To kiss her. Sigh, down Valenti. She is not for you. Another thing to meditate on.
Big deep breath, arms positioned just so. And just let go, of self, of attachments, of the passions that blind men’s souls. As the exercises continued he could feel himself calm. Could feel himself find his precarious sense of balance and for a moment he was there. But something went wrong.
As he reached his balance, he felt a rush of energy. And suddenly he could feel everything around him. He could not understand all that he was sensing, but some things seemed clear. He could see Tess, could recognize her. There were two others, but they seemed very different than Tess. Different in their very composition. The female felt vaguely familiar, and the male did not.
Somehow he felt the female mind react and wake. His hard fought control slipped and the moment was lost. His eyes flicked open to look at the surprised and appraising blue eyes of Courtney.
“Well that was unexpected,” Courtney said in a sleepy voice. “There is more to you than meets the eye.”
Kyle said, in a voice whose bitterness surprised even him, “That is what I am afraid of.”
Courtney just slowly sat up, still looking at him. Her hands trembled slightly at the effort.
His skin prickled at her gaze, as it swept up and down his body. He could not resist. “Like what you see,” Kyle said.
“Hmm,” Courtney did not even try to hide her appraisal of him now. “Not bad. You’re a little short, but the physique makes up for a lot. Are you really on the basketball team at West Roswell?”
Her gaze was starting to make him a little uncomfortable. “My best sports are wrestling and baseball.”
“Wrestling, hmm, well that has some possibilities,” Courtney said quietly, as if to herself. A smile flashed across her face, to be replaced with a thoughtful look. “Hey, Kyle where is Maria, I need to talk with her.”
“She’s outside with Liz. Everyone will be happy to see you up. You gave us a bit of a scare, both of you.”
Courtney stood up, although a little shaky at first. “Thanks. I just need to thank her.”
Kyle nodded. What the heck, she is one of us now, I guess. “Hey Courtney, there is a party later on this evening. I was going to ask everyone to go. Would you like to join us?”
“Are you asking me to go with a party with you?”
“Yeah, I guess, just as a friend.”
The smile was back as she replied, “Sure Kyle, I will be happy to go as your ‘friend.’ You’ll have to tell me more of the details later.” She then proceeded to walk towards the entrance. As she walked by him, she had one of her hands trail across one of his arms and off his shoulder, his skin tingling everywhere her hand touched. His eyes followed her as she swayed from the room.
Get a grip Valenti. She’s an alien for Buddha’s sake! His gaze drifted back towards Tess. And he still wanted her too. He was very off center now. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. These Little Green blondes were going to be the death of him yet.
----
Michael-
He walked briskly around the motel. Across the parking lot he could see a small red head holding a slightly taller blonde. He had felt something change when Maria had woken. And naturally the first person she had sought out was Liz. It was a times like this he could not help his resentment of Liz. Of two of the three people he cared for most, she was first in their hearts. Only Isabel remained free of the spell of the Perfect Miss Parker. He mordantly wondered how long it would be before Liz won her over.
Damn it, for once he wanted to be first!
He looked away from them and off towards the rest of town. There were several pillars of smoke rising from town. Fires started, either by the lack of human attention or by alien hand, it did not matter. It would be impossible to hide what had happened here. Impossible.
And Liz was right. If you looked closely the smoke as it rose hit what seemed like a dome and spread out, slowly filling the top of the dome like structure. Something would have to be done about this, soon. He wasn’t a scientist, but it did not take one to realize that sooner or later they would run out of air. Or get smothered in smoke.
Sigh. Which leads back to Liz, hopefully she will come up with one of her crazy theories that will turn out to be right and save the day. He glanced back at the girls, Isabel was chatting with them now. His heart jumped when a set of vivid green eyes looked in his direction. She stopped mid sentence and exchanged glances with him. The sense of her presence which now seemed lodged in a corner of his mind leapt to full bloom.
He took a half step towards Maria, when a comment by Isabel caused her to blink and burst out laughing. The mood was broken and he glared at all of the girls. Liz was openly laughing, as was Maria. Isabel just looked smug, staring confidently back at Michael. Maria blew him a big kiss, but Michael just shifted his shoulders grumpily and turned away. In that tiny corner he could feel amusement, understanding, and a trace of hurt. He could not quite make out what they were saying, but something set them off laughing uproariously.
He gazed back off towards Roswell. Somehow that rising smoke called to him. The hint of fire on the breeze, somehow he recalled it. But the sounds of laughter were wrong. They were wrong, both in pitch and in emotion, as he remembered…
He heard the sound of screams, the screams of women and children suffering the horrors of war. He could see fires rising from the Mitharan settlement. A settlement they were supposed to secure, not sack.
Someone had lost control of his troops and they ran through the civilians like wolves through defenseless sheep. The young Lieutenant could feel many of his own troop’s restlessness to join their fellows in the chance for a piece of choice loot. The life of a soldier was a hard one, with their forty year enlistment period and limits on travel outside of war time. It made for restless men, and their easy victory over the local resistance gave them a sense of entitlement.
But it was against orders. They were there to restore order, not sow the seeds of a later rebellion. And so he would hold, and protect any who made it to his area. The locals should be able to trust the King’s men, not fear them. Duty and Honor held him to do right by those who were as much the Throne’s subjects as the denizens of Tara.
So Hell came to a tiny corner of Antar. Save for one small vale held by a stubborn young officer, Lieutenant Rath Tardan. For three days he and his men held that vale, against the enemy and against the depredations of his fellow soldiers. It was the start of a storied career, one that would end in tragedy.
As he shook his head, he could still hear the screams. He could still feel the bitter knowledge that he could not protect those outside his control without allowing those entrusted to him to be undefended. His mind was still caught partway in the reverie, when he felt a small hand on his arm. Maria stared up at him with worried eyes.
He stared deeply in those lovely green eyes of hers, more precious than the emeralds they resembled. And in her eyes, in the love that they showed, he regained himself. He was Michael Guerin once more.
And he held her.
----
Tess-
“Tess you have to wake up. It’s not fair, but they want you at their meeting. Come on Tess.”
Tess felt herself come back to the world. Her dreams were confusing and she could not remember anything. She was still exhausted, but she could feel a tiny trickle of power. Just enough to start and maintain her Sight.
She Looked at Kyle, and saw pretty much what she thought she would see. He was just on the edge of his powers. It was still manageable. A little Valerium and that problem was solved, delayed anyway.
She stretched and got up off the couch. “Okay let’s go get this over with so I can get back to my nap.”
Kyle got up and after taking a good look to make sure the prisoner was well bound, followed her. Good loyal Kyle. Aside from his fling with Liz, he was her favorite human. He was almost bearable. Sometimes anyway.
It was what she saw when she came upon her nemesis. Liz practically glowed. Her powers were showing, even if no one else seemed to notice. No they were concerned about the eyes and hair, as if minor changes in appearance were beyond them. Valerium would only slow her down now, maybe Richard had something else?
Maria was a puzzle too. She glimmered, much like Kyle. But if Tess was right, and Max did something to them when he healed them; something had gone wrong when he healed Maria. She was as developed as Kyle, maybe more. What was even stranger was that her soul seemed… melted at a couple of points, and almost… soldered to another’s? How? It felt like, like Michael. A quick glance at him confirmed her suspicions. What had he done? Why?
As all group gathered, as the meeting began she wracked her brain in an attempt to think of a way to salvage the situation. Tess looked at Isabel, to find what reaction she had to Maria’s coup in holding Michael. She actually caught Isabel smiling in Maria’s direction. Destiny would never be totally fulfilled, for Vilandra and Rath would never wed this life. She would have to content herself with her portion of Destiny, hers and Max’s.
It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.
Thanks to everyone reading this story. Particular thanks go out to xmag for her feedback.
xmag- Michael still has low self esteem, and he is jealous of how much those he loves care for others. I think Michael respects Liz to a degree, and he certainly trusts her. But he is afraid that she will take all of Max's and Maria's regard, and that there would be none left for him. Given differing circumstances, his reactions and feelings could easily be different. Particularly if he grows up enough to realize that the world is not entirely zero sum. But that will take time.
Disclaimer- Some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest day part 28
Max
Max had been hoping to get a flash or two from Richard. It would help him decide whether to truly trust him or not. It is too bad I did not see anything. Makes sense though, we usually only get them when emotions are running high. And I bet it is a factor on both sides, we only pick up intense moments when we are hyped up. I wish I understood our powers better. I could ask Tess I suppose, but she gets so annoying. ‘We’re Deessstinnyyy Maaaxx.’ Arggh.
I wish she would just let it be. I know she wants to be accepted. She just has to accept that we are not willing to bend to her vision of how we should be.
Not to mention that it is sad that I have to use my healing talents to gather information.
Still I wish I could do something for Liz, to try to get a feel for why she feels the need to pull away from me. And why she would go to such lengths to hurt me. I begin to suspect it was all a put on. Not just Kyle, but all of it. When we get out of this I need to spend some time to figure it out.
Richard stiffly got up and said, “I am getting too old for this.” He looked around the room. “Where is Isabel? Did we capture or dispatch the enemy. I want to shake the hand of whom ever accomplished that. She was so fast.”
“I see you met Liz.”
“That was Liz? I thought she was a scientific type?”
“She is, she’s just had a bad day. She liberated some equipment in her escape, one of which was the device she zapped us all with.”
“A stunner, I recognized it right before it sent me to dream land. I would like to meet her, is she still here?”
“Yeah, just outside. We are going to have a meeting to decide what to do next. You’re invited of course.”
“Let us proceed then.”
Both of them left room twelve and walked towards where the group was gathering in the parking lot. Max stopped a second and took a good look at his friends. The day had tested them sorely, and there was more to follow. His eyes touched on Kyle standing next to Tess. Both of whom had proved more valuable than expected today. Tess was more powerful than he had dreamed of, and capable beyond just mind warps. Kyle, he had seriously underestimated him. It wasn’t that he had powers, he didn’t. It was his dogged loyalty. He had helped Liz, not just to tweak Max’s nose, although there was some of that, he had done it because Liz asked. And he was willing to accept the heat for his support of her, whatever it may be.
It should not have surprised him; he was very much the Sheriff’s son. But it did.
Then there was Michael, with Maria attached. Max had not seen Maria this bubbly in a while; usually the abyss put her on edge. But there she was fizzing away, holding a civilized conversation with Courtney of all people. Michael was just standing there stoically holding Maria close. Ok, this is Michael after all, stoic and annoyed.
He was about to turn to look at the others when Maria said loudly, “Yeah, but Kyle?” She looked at Courtney shock visible on her face. When she noticed that she was the center of attention. “Nothing to see here folks, carry on with your pre-outburst discussions.” He saw Maria shoot Liz a glance, probably to tell her they would talk about it later. Maria did love to talk.
Courtney just laughed. Michael had his patented smirk. The rest just rolled eyes. They were familiar with Maria, just another day with the Drama Queen. Bonding with her this summer had been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreary season. She wasn’t Liz, she wasn’t what he had needed, but she had kept him sane. He wished her luck with Michael.
For Michael was changing. Maybe he would learn to care for others before himself, others outside the Pod squad. Even if it was only in the little family that had formed after Liz had gotten shot. It was an improvement. Maria was starting to influence him. He was willing to share some of his feelings, to apologize… Now if only we could get him to learn caution and to stop being impulsive.
Max’s gaze moved towards Isabel and Liz, who were talking quietly. There was tension between them, there had been for some time. He loved them both, but he feared that he understood neither. Isabel worried him. She was keeping secrets, secrets that could be dangerous. She had always kept bits and pieces squared away, things he never knew. But this stuff could be dangerous, and he was not sure how to start a discussion with her. Definitely a major future project for him, the conversation in the Jeep had been a start. Hopefully she would start to be truly open with him again.
Liz on the other hand, he really was worried about. Once he had thought he had understood her. Oh, he still understood bits and pieces, but lately she seemed to keep changing direction. What made it worse was the connection. Because he never felt her love for him waver, but emotionally she was all over the map. Sometimes it was too much, and he had to block most of the bandwidth. He had done so after the horrible evening when he came upon her with Kyle. For the most part he had been blocking ever since, just letting wisps through. But even the little that got through made no sense.
If he was to trust his instincts, truly trust them, then he would have to say that somehow she believed that she had set him up… for him. Which made no sense, why would she think that? She knew how badly it would hit him, he had felt her reaction. Whether she realized it or not she could pick up some of the signals from the connection, and he could feel echoes of her reaction to it. Frankly until now he hadn’t cared. He had not cared for much since he thought that the love of his life had deliberately crushed his heart. And there was no doubt about it, it was deliberate. But it made no sense, and it was driving him crazy.
He loved her. She loved him. And she was doing her hardest to make him hate her, while still wanting to be friends. Maddening really. Before he knew that Kyle had not slept with her, it had caused him only pain. Pain and guilt, that somehow, he had not been enough. That somehow he had hurt her in such a way that she would betray him. That she could say those horrible things. Worse, that she believed them.
Like Isabel she was keeping secrets. Secrets he would have to try to learn, and learn without her knowledge. She had been willing to hurt him, and in doing so hurt herself. He could not risk that she would hurt herself further in her insane drive to push him away.
He would keep his distance for now. It was what she wanted. But he was not going to give her up forever, whatever she thought. He looked at her, drank in her radiant beauty. Her eyes were no longer the chocolate pools he loved to drown in. Despite her now blue eyes, he could see her there behind them. He could read there her love, pain, loss, and desire. Foremost, as she stared at him, almost overtopping the love he always felt in her gaze was an implacable resolve.
I will wait. You are worth waiting a while longer for. But know this; I will be coming for you Liz Parker!
----
Liz-
Liz watched as Max entered the parking lot. She could not resist looking into his eyes, and was surprised at what she saw. As he stared back at her, she could see that some of the pain in his eyes was gone. Rather he looked and felt… confused.
She longed to throw herself into his arms, to tell him all that had happened. To heal the rift that was now between them. But she couldn’t. The fate of the world still rested on her actions. He was not fated to be hers, and the cost of her taking him was just too high. Somehow, though I need to try to keep him as a friend. I don’t know if I can survive without him in my life. And a half loaf is better than none at all, hell at this point I will take the crumbs.
She felt herself weaken, and crushed any hope that their love might be repaired. She steeled herself for the task at hand. They needed to stop the time bubble. That would return Roswell and all of the problems that entailed, but it would bring back their loved ones as well. A framework plan was starting to form in her head as to what other actions she might need to take after they succeeded. She needed to protect her friends and ultimately save the world. High goals for a junior at West Roswell High, but they were what she had to do.
Liz looked at the older man that was with Max. He had tried to shoot her earlier, but then so had Kyle. Isabel had blasted her. So she would try not to hold it against him. But she was on guard as Max introduced them to each other, so she was not caught completely off guard by the small partial flash. Even so she could not keep the words from tripping from her lips. “You’re not fully human.”
“Nor are you, not any more at least.” Richard said with a smile.
“Come on now, we need to discuss what your theory is, Liz.” Max said. “Richard may know something that can help us figure a way back to regular Roswell.”
Liz gave Max a small half smile, “Sorry, it has been a long day. We will have to discuss what you were talking about later, Richard. For now, what do you know about the situation we are in?”
“Well I don’t know if they have shared my history with you, but I was a revolutionary on Antar. I fought against Khivar, and one of the many tools he had were called TSDs. Basically they cause a tiny bubble in time, allowing for troops to move freely in the face of the enemy.”
“That is what we are trapped in then. How do we break out of it? How long do they hold up before the bubble pops?” Isabel asked.
“Well it uses Ancient technology; I don’t think many Antarans really understand how it works. I know I don’t. But usually you tried to hold the bubble open for as short a period as you can. The longer it holds the greater the disturbance to weather patterns and the like. I personally am surprised that it is still running. I would have thought they would have ended it once they were no longer engaged with us. To be honest this is the longest I have ever heard of a bubble being kept open. The temporal shear should be interesting to see.”
Courtney cleared her throat, “It has been done before, on Antar. The results were not pretty. I really do not know what kind of effect it may have on human technology. It destroyed a lot of the equipment when it was done on Antar, but your stuff is so primitive, maybe it won’t be too badly affected.”
Richard looked over at Courtney. “How interesting. Where was it done?”
Courtney sent a look of pure hate back at Richard; she glared at Tess as well. “It was used so at the sack of Drimordjian, when the Mitharans destroyed the largest of the Rhyajhaelian arks. It was done when those damn barbarians destroyed my home.” Tears sprang to her eyes, “If you will all excuse me for a moment.” Courtney fled the parking lot.
Liz was surprised when Maria, after giving Michael a kiss, followed Courtney. Maria’s face was full of sorrow and pity… for Courtney? What has gone on with them today? There is going to be a long ice cream social happening soon. I should invite Isabel to it too. Probably Tess as well, but it’s still too soon. I can’t stop hating her yet. At some point I will have to bury that hate, but I can’t just yet.
Liz pursed her lips for a moment, and broke the quiet. “Its secondary effects are something we will have to keep in mind. But, I think I know where it was kept. I think Ana had to supply it, because I think they would have used it before this. It is back at the Central Plaza Hotel.”
----
Maria-
Maria followed Courtney out of the parking lot and across the street to the convenience store. She saw as Courtney crumpled up in a ball next to the ice machine. She watched as Courtney cried. Maria walked up and laid a hand on her arm in sympathy. “Hey.”
“I wanted to be alone.”
“Yes, but I won’t let you. You shouldn’t be alone.”
Courtney was silent, tears sliding down her face.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Courtney just shook her head.
Why do I always get the hard cases? Liz still won’t talk about whatever is causing the current Parker/ Evans rift. Max was a hard nut to crack this summer, I succeeded, perhaps because I had problems of my own. It helped draw Max out. And Michael is just Michael, always and forever afraid of his own feelings.
Maria sat down next to Courtney. She always kept her hand on Courtney’s arm, to let her know that she was not alone, that someone cared. “Well, if you do I am here.”
After a few minutes, Courtney said, “Shouldn’t you be with the others. To help them formulate the plan.”
“You need me more, I think. Plus I trust Liz and Max to come up with the best plan anyway. Usually I am just there to throw the occasional sarcastic comment. I’ll get all the details from Liz if I need them. So are you up for talking about it?”
“Not really, but maybe I should.”
The silence stretched for several minutes. “Well?”
Courtney looked at her. “I just don’t know where to start. But I do have an idea. If you want to try it.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I am going to show you through a connection.”
“A connection, I did not think we lowly humans could do that. I mean Liz got flashes from Max sometimes, but I never have from Michael.”
“Maria, you have formed a connection all by yourself. When we were in suspension, when you helped calm me, it was you that formed the connection.”
“Huh, but that was under some pretty bizarre conditions.”
“Maybe, but you still did it. Even if you can’t initiate, you should be able to be part of one. Just look me in the eyes and calm you mind.”
Easier said than done. Maria tried to comply, tried to calm her always active mind. Just when she was about to give up, to tell Courtney that it was pointless…
Flash-
Karis was walking through a garden, through the Garden. The glimmer of the light, so different from the standard fluorescent lights that filled the endless corridors of her ancient home, shone down on her warming her pale blue skin. It was so lovely, so very green. It smelled of life itself. The trees stretched for miles into the distance.
It was the largest Garden left in existence, made famous not only for its lushness, but also for the Window. Through it she could see the wonder that was her home. Drimordjian, one of the last great cities left to the Rhyajhael. She could see the lights of the other towers glowing and glimmering in the dark deep ocean. She could see the Grand Tower itself, the one that stretched up to the very surface of the ocean.
She would be taking that tower herself tomorrow. She would be going to school on the Outside, to be one more ambassador to the people in the world above. And so she stared intently at the scenery of the Garden, at the lights of the City. It would be years at the least before she could come back home.
She could hear her mother’s call. Lunch was ready. And so with one last look she stared out of the Window, to Drimordjian, ever and always her home.
End Flash
Maria just stared at Courtney in wonder.
“Only twenty-five thousand of us were Outside when Drimordjian was attacked, when it was destroyed. Twenty-five thousand out of forty million. One in eleven Rhyajhael died that day at the hand of the Mitharan High Council over control of a couple small islands and fishing rights along their coasts.”
“My God,” Maria said.
“It took Zan’s father over three years to respond. Three years where the dead cried out for justice in vain. It was there that the Mitharans used their TSDs against us. We were not allowed access to that technology by the Royal Charter, so we did not even have suppressors. Their repeated use of it destroyed some of the critical self repair mechanisms, and their fighting had damaged too much else of the structure. It was destroyed, crushed by its ocean haven. My entire family, everyone I had ever known back home, gone forever.”
Maria was quiet, carefully watching Courtney.
Courtney continued, “So if you wonder why so many of us joined the enemy. If you are curious why the ‘Skins’ are here, now you know one of the reasons.”
xmag- Michael still has low self esteem, and he is jealous of how much those he loves care for others. I think Michael respects Liz to a degree, and he certainly trusts her. But he is afraid that she will take all of Max's and Maria's regard, and that there would be none left for him. Given differing circumstances, his reactions and feelings could easily be different. Particularly if he grows up enough to realize that the world is not entirely zero sum. But that will take time.
Disclaimer- Some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest day part 28
Max
Max had been hoping to get a flash or two from Richard. It would help him decide whether to truly trust him or not. It is too bad I did not see anything. Makes sense though, we usually only get them when emotions are running high. And I bet it is a factor on both sides, we only pick up intense moments when we are hyped up. I wish I understood our powers better. I could ask Tess I suppose, but she gets so annoying. ‘We’re Deessstinnyyy Maaaxx.’ Arggh.
I wish she would just let it be. I know she wants to be accepted. She just has to accept that we are not willing to bend to her vision of how we should be.
Not to mention that it is sad that I have to use my healing talents to gather information.
Still I wish I could do something for Liz, to try to get a feel for why she feels the need to pull away from me. And why she would go to such lengths to hurt me. I begin to suspect it was all a put on. Not just Kyle, but all of it. When we get out of this I need to spend some time to figure it out.
Richard stiffly got up and said, “I am getting too old for this.” He looked around the room. “Where is Isabel? Did we capture or dispatch the enemy. I want to shake the hand of whom ever accomplished that. She was so fast.”
“I see you met Liz.”
“That was Liz? I thought she was a scientific type?”
“She is, she’s just had a bad day. She liberated some equipment in her escape, one of which was the device she zapped us all with.”
“A stunner, I recognized it right before it sent me to dream land. I would like to meet her, is she still here?”
“Yeah, just outside. We are going to have a meeting to decide what to do next. You’re invited of course.”
“Let us proceed then.”
Both of them left room twelve and walked towards where the group was gathering in the parking lot. Max stopped a second and took a good look at his friends. The day had tested them sorely, and there was more to follow. His eyes touched on Kyle standing next to Tess. Both of whom had proved more valuable than expected today. Tess was more powerful than he had dreamed of, and capable beyond just mind warps. Kyle, he had seriously underestimated him. It wasn’t that he had powers, he didn’t. It was his dogged loyalty. He had helped Liz, not just to tweak Max’s nose, although there was some of that, he had done it because Liz asked. And he was willing to accept the heat for his support of her, whatever it may be.
It should not have surprised him; he was very much the Sheriff’s son. But it did.
Then there was Michael, with Maria attached. Max had not seen Maria this bubbly in a while; usually the abyss put her on edge. But there she was fizzing away, holding a civilized conversation with Courtney of all people. Michael was just standing there stoically holding Maria close. Ok, this is Michael after all, stoic and annoyed.
He was about to turn to look at the others when Maria said loudly, “Yeah, but Kyle?” She looked at Courtney shock visible on her face. When she noticed that she was the center of attention. “Nothing to see here folks, carry on with your pre-outburst discussions.” He saw Maria shoot Liz a glance, probably to tell her they would talk about it later. Maria did love to talk.
Courtney just laughed. Michael had his patented smirk. The rest just rolled eyes. They were familiar with Maria, just another day with the Drama Queen. Bonding with her this summer had been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreary season. She wasn’t Liz, she wasn’t what he had needed, but she had kept him sane. He wished her luck with Michael.
For Michael was changing. Maybe he would learn to care for others before himself, others outside the Pod squad. Even if it was only in the little family that had formed after Liz had gotten shot. It was an improvement. Maria was starting to influence him. He was willing to share some of his feelings, to apologize… Now if only we could get him to learn caution and to stop being impulsive.
Max’s gaze moved towards Isabel and Liz, who were talking quietly. There was tension between them, there had been for some time. He loved them both, but he feared that he understood neither. Isabel worried him. She was keeping secrets, secrets that could be dangerous. She had always kept bits and pieces squared away, things he never knew. But this stuff could be dangerous, and he was not sure how to start a discussion with her. Definitely a major future project for him, the conversation in the Jeep had been a start. Hopefully she would start to be truly open with him again.
Liz on the other hand, he really was worried about. Once he had thought he had understood her. Oh, he still understood bits and pieces, but lately she seemed to keep changing direction. What made it worse was the connection. Because he never felt her love for him waver, but emotionally she was all over the map. Sometimes it was too much, and he had to block most of the bandwidth. He had done so after the horrible evening when he came upon her with Kyle. For the most part he had been blocking ever since, just letting wisps through. But even the little that got through made no sense.
If he was to trust his instincts, truly trust them, then he would have to say that somehow she believed that she had set him up… for him. Which made no sense, why would she think that? She knew how badly it would hit him, he had felt her reaction. Whether she realized it or not she could pick up some of the signals from the connection, and he could feel echoes of her reaction to it. Frankly until now he hadn’t cared. He had not cared for much since he thought that the love of his life had deliberately crushed his heart. And there was no doubt about it, it was deliberate. But it made no sense, and it was driving him crazy.
He loved her. She loved him. And she was doing her hardest to make him hate her, while still wanting to be friends. Maddening really. Before he knew that Kyle had not slept with her, it had caused him only pain. Pain and guilt, that somehow, he had not been enough. That somehow he had hurt her in such a way that she would betray him. That she could say those horrible things. Worse, that she believed them.
Like Isabel she was keeping secrets. Secrets he would have to try to learn, and learn without her knowledge. She had been willing to hurt him, and in doing so hurt herself. He could not risk that she would hurt herself further in her insane drive to push him away.
He would keep his distance for now. It was what she wanted. But he was not going to give her up forever, whatever she thought. He looked at her, drank in her radiant beauty. Her eyes were no longer the chocolate pools he loved to drown in. Despite her now blue eyes, he could see her there behind them. He could read there her love, pain, loss, and desire. Foremost, as she stared at him, almost overtopping the love he always felt in her gaze was an implacable resolve.
I will wait. You are worth waiting a while longer for. But know this; I will be coming for you Liz Parker!
----
Liz-
Liz watched as Max entered the parking lot. She could not resist looking into his eyes, and was surprised at what she saw. As he stared back at her, she could see that some of the pain in his eyes was gone. Rather he looked and felt… confused.
She longed to throw herself into his arms, to tell him all that had happened. To heal the rift that was now between them. But she couldn’t. The fate of the world still rested on her actions. He was not fated to be hers, and the cost of her taking him was just too high. Somehow, though I need to try to keep him as a friend. I don’t know if I can survive without him in my life. And a half loaf is better than none at all, hell at this point I will take the crumbs.
She felt herself weaken, and crushed any hope that their love might be repaired. She steeled herself for the task at hand. They needed to stop the time bubble. That would return Roswell and all of the problems that entailed, but it would bring back their loved ones as well. A framework plan was starting to form in her head as to what other actions she might need to take after they succeeded. She needed to protect her friends and ultimately save the world. High goals for a junior at West Roswell High, but they were what she had to do.
Liz looked at the older man that was with Max. He had tried to shoot her earlier, but then so had Kyle. Isabel had blasted her. So she would try not to hold it against him. But she was on guard as Max introduced them to each other, so she was not caught completely off guard by the small partial flash. Even so she could not keep the words from tripping from her lips. “You’re not fully human.”
“Nor are you, not any more at least.” Richard said with a smile.
“Come on now, we need to discuss what your theory is, Liz.” Max said. “Richard may know something that can help us figure a way back to regular Roswell.”
Liz gave Max a small half smile, “Sorry, it has been a long day. We will have to discuss what you were talking about later, Richard. For now, what do you know about the situation we are in?”
“Well I don’t know if they have shared my history with you, but I was a revolutionary on Antar. I fought against Khivar, and one of the many tools he had were called TSDs. Basically they cause a tiny bubble in time, allowing for troops to move freely in the face of the enemy.”
“That is what we are trapped in then. How do we break out of it? How long do they hold up before the bubble pops?” Isabel asked.
“Well it uses Ancient technology; I don’t think many Antarans really understand how it works. I know I don’t. But usually you tried to hold the bubble open for as short a period as you can. The longer it holds the greater the disturbance to weather patterns and the like. I personally am surprised that it is still running. I would have thought they would have ended it once they were no longer engaged with us. To be honest this is the longest I have ever heard of a bubble being kept open. The temporal shear should be interesting to see.”
Courtney cleared her throat, “It has been done before, on Antar. The results were not pretty. I really do not know what kind of effect it may have on human technology. It destroyed a lot of the equipment when it was done on Antar, but your stuff is so primitive, maybe it won’t be too badly affected.”
Richard looked over at Courtney. “How interesting. Where was it done?”
Courtney sent a look of pure hate back at Richard; she glared at Tess as well. “It was used so at the sack of Drimordjian, when the Mitharans destroyed the largest of the Rhyajhaelian arks. It was done when those damn barbarians destroyed my home.” Tears sprang to her eyes, “If you will all excuse me for a moment.” Courtney fled the parking lot.
Liz was surprised when Maria, after giving Michael a kiss, followed Courtney. Maria’s face was full of sorrow and pity… for Courtney? What has gone on with them today? There is going to be a long ice cream social happening soon. I should invite Isabel to it too. Probably Tess as well, but it’s still too soon. I can’t stop hating her yet. At some point I will have to bury that hate, but I can’t just yet.
Liz pursed her lips for a moment, and broke the quiet. “Its secondary effects are something we will have to keep in mind. But, I think I know where it was kept. I think Ana had to supply it, because I think they would have used it before this. It is back at the Central Plaza Hotel.”
----
Maria-
Maria followed Courtney out of the parking lot and across the street to the convenience store. She saw as Courtney crumpled up in a ball next to the ice machine. She watched as Courtney cried. Maria walked up and laid a hand on her arm in sympathy. “Hey.”
“I wanted to be alone.”
“Yes, but I won’t let you. You shouldn’t be alone.”
Courtney was silent, tears sliding down her face.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Courtney just shook her head.
Why do I always get the hard cases? Liz still won’t talk about whatever is causing the current Parker/ Evans rift. Max was a hard nut to crack this summer, I succeeded, perhaps because I had problems of my own. It helped draw Max out. And Michael is just Michael, always and forever afraid of his own feelings.
Maria sat down next to Courtney. She always kept her hand on Courtney’s arm, to let her know that she was not alone, that someone cared. “Well, if you do I am here.”
After a few minutes, Courtney said, “Shouldn’t you be with the others. To help them formulate the plan.”
“You need me more, I think. Plus I trust Liz and Max to come up with the best plan anyway. Usually I am just there to throw the occasional sarcastic comment. I’ll get all the details from Liz if I need them. So are you up for talking about it?”
“Not really, but maybe I should.”
The silence stretched for several minutes. “Well?”
Courtney looked at her. “I just don’t know where to start. But I do have an idea. If you want to try it.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I am going to show you through a connection.”
“A connection, I did not think we lowly humans could do that. I mean Liz got flashes from Max sometimes, but I never have from Michael.”
“Maria, you have formed a connection all by yourself. When we were in suspension, when you helped calm me, it was you that formed the connection.”
“Huh, but that was under some pretty bizarre conditions.”
“Maybe, but you still did it. Even if you can’t initiate, you should be able to be part of one. Just look me in the eyes and calm you mind.”
Easier said than done. Maria tried to comply, tried to calm her always active mind. Just when she was about to give up, to tell Courtney that it was pointless…
Flash-
Karis was walking through a garden, through the Garden. The glimmer of the light, so different from the standard fluorescent lights that filled the endless corridors of her ancient home, shone down on her warming her pale blue skin. It was so lovely, so very green. It smelled of life itself. The trees stretched for miles into the distance.
It was the largest Garden left in existence, made famous not only for its lushness, but also for the Window. Through it she could see the wonder that was her home. Drimordjian, one of the last great cities left to the Rhyajhael. She could see the lights of the other towers glowing and glimmering in the dark deep ocean. She could see the Grand Tower itself, the one that stretched up to the very surface of the ocean.
She would be taking that tower herself tomorrow. She would be going to school on the Outside, to be one more ambassador to the people in the world above. And so she stared intently at the scenery of the Garden, at the lights of the City. It would be years at the least before she could come back home.
She could hear her mother’s call. Lunch was ready. And so with one last look she stared out of the Window, to Drimordjian, ever and always her home.
End Flash
Maria just stared at Courtney in wonder.
“Only twenty-five thousand of us were Outside when Drimordjian was attacked, when it was destroyed. Twenty-five thousand out of forty million. One in eleven Rhyajhael died that day at the hand of the Mitharan High Council over control of a couple small islands and fishing rights along their coasts.”
“My God,” Maria said.
“It took Zan’s father over three years to respond. Three years where the dead cried out for justice in vain. It was there that the Mitharans used their TSDs against us. We were not allowed access to that technology by the Royal Charter, so we did not even have suppressors. Their repeated use of it destroyed some of the critical self repair mechanisms, and their fighting had damaged too much else of the structure. It was destroyed, crushed by its ocean haven. My entire family, everyone I had ever known back home, gone forever.”
Maria was quiet, carefully watching Courtney.
Courtney continued, “So if you wonder why so many of us joined the enemy. If you are curious why the ‘Skins’ are here, now you know one of the reasons.”
Thanks again for everyone reading this story. Thanks again to xmag for your feedback.
xmag- Yes forty million. The only more unforgiving environment than space is likely to be the ocean bottom. And yes there is a reason the arks were placed there, a good reason that will be mentioned in Book 2.
Please understand that this was not what the Mitharan High Council was trying to do, they wanted to capture the city. To ransom it, or wring even more concessions from the Rhyajhaelians. It doesn't excuse the atrocity, for atrocity it was.
As for the King, his health was failing and he was trying not to rock the boat. It was not until political pressure started to turn popular opinion against the Crown over it that he took action. Michael's flash last chapter was part of the first round of reprisals. It helped build his career. Ironically the most prominant political group that pressured the King was founded by two young professors at the Archadian, the premier university on Antar. The names of the two cofounders? Vilondra and Khivar.
Disclaimer- some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest day part 29
Kyle-
He should be paying attention. It was hopefully the last push so that they could return Roswell back to normal. Or as normal as it ever got anyway. But as the rest of the group discussed how to overwhelm the remaining Skins, Kyle was lost in thought.
What happened in there? I mean I was meditating for a moment and then… It got away from me. It is just all these strange feelings and sensations keep coming and going. What am I going to do?
Kyle took a deep breath. Get a grip, Valenti. Obsessing over it isn’t going to help anyone. So let’s think of something normal, something non-alien. Like tonight’s party at Vicki’s.
Except that some of my friends might be going. So there goes the non-alien part. Did I really ask Courtney to go? She looks okay, but she’s an alien! She isn’t even partly human at all; I mean at least Tess is part human.
“Hey Tess, there’s a party over at Vicki’s house tonight, do you want to come?”
“I don’t know, Kyle.” Tess looked up at him from the spot she was sitting on the curb. “I am pretty tired. And I have a huge history project due Monday that I really should get started on. Maybe next time.”
“Yeah, next time,” Kyle said softly. He had noted Tess’s gaze, on Evans of course. Why can’t she look at me that way? I know she likes me, just not enough to put the past behind her. Her past life dominates her present one. Karma is truly a bitch. I wish she would let me help her free herself from the past.
Kyle had to look away. He lifted his gaze to the sky, to the dome that trapped them all. As he looked at it, he noticed some changes. Before, when Liz had pointed it out to him, it had been slightly tinged with green. But now there were blues and even a little red here and there. The new colors were rippling along the horizon, slowly spreading higher on the dome.
He needed to tell them. “Uh, Liz, Max, everyone. I, uh, think you guys should look at the sky.”
Isabel looked at him. “Kyle we are a little busy to be wasting time.”
Liz grabbed her hand and pointed. “Isabel, look.”
The sky seemed full of color now, swirling ripples that seemed to drown out sight beyond the previously transparent dome. A white wispy line seemed to be forming between the top center of the dome and down town Roswell.
Liz looked over to Richard, “Do you know what this is.”
“Time shear, the device can not hold the bubble much longer. We might want to take cover. I do not really know what will happen next.” With that Richard walked back toward the Tumbleweed’s office.
Kyle took his gaze from the sky and looked to Tess. He could see the wild kaleidoscopic colors swirling in her blue eyes. “We should go Tess, it may not be safe.” He reached over to help her up.
“Thanks, Kyle.”
I wish I could be more to you. But if it is all I can be, then I will at least be your friend. Maybe that support group idea isn’t such a bad one after all. How does Alex do it?
----
Isabel-
Isabel watched Kyle and Tess move to take cover. It was a sensible option and one that she would take herself momentarily. But the look Kyle had given Tess set her aback. And there had been how he had reacted back at the school. She had known that Kyle was attracted to Tess, it was obvious. There had even been a couple of off color jokes going around in her circle about it.
What if it was more? What if he actually cared about her, if it were more than just another conquest to him? How would that change the group dynamic? Did Tess know that he cared? Tess had been flirting with him earlier, but then Tess flirted with a lot of the guys at school too. Hard to tell.
Tess always seemed to be aimed solely at her brother. Lots of people talked about that too. Popular opinion actually tended to side with Tess. Liz was too perfect, held up as an example by too many teachers to be popular. Her rep had taken quite a few hits lately, this latest batch of rumors regarding her and Kyle would not help.
Isabel had tried to intimidate the information out of Liz, but somewhere she had grown a spine. Or maybe she had one all along, and I simply didn’t notice. Maybe ignoring the humans wasn’t a smart idea after all.
“Isabel come on, we should get inside,” Max said. He walked over to where Liz and Isabel were standing.
Liz still stared at the sky, fascination at the sight written all over her face. The colors swirled with increasing intensity and violence. Isabel could not quite make out what Liz muttered, something about chaos and patterns and the nature of time. Liz was simply transfixed with the view.
Isabel placed a hand on Liz’s shoulder and said, “Come on Liz we should go.”
“Just a minute more. I just need a minute more,” Liz mumbled semi-coherently, eyes still glued to the heavens.
Max looked back at Michael, “Michael what are you waiting for.”
“Maria, I need to get Maria and Courtney. I’ll be right back.” Michael then proceeded to walk towards the convenience store.
Isabel was amused to note that this got Liz’s attention. “Maria?” Isabel watched as Liz’s head swung back and forth, noting that Maria was no longer there. She then followed Michael, breaking from Isabel’s hold on her arm.
It was less funny to watch Max longingly look at Liz as she walked away. Something had changed today. Max no longer looked at Liz as if he held her in contempt. Tess had said the Max had actually seen Kyle and Liz together, so how had anything changed in such a small time. Had he seen something in one of his healings? He had cut down on the death glares to Kyle too, so maybe…
“Come on Max, we need to go.” Isabel looked back towards the center of town, the epicenter of the bubble. And saw a tornado of light swirling silently as it reached for the sky. “Max, we have to go now!” Isabel dragged her brother into the Tumbleweed’s office.
----
Courtney
Courtney looked at a shaken Maria. The flash had hit her hard. I wonder if she has ever had one before. Michael is so closed off, so paranoid. A useful survival trait perhaps, but after today not something that will last. At least in not in regard to Maria.
Maria seemed… different. She felt different to the senses. Courtney was not sure what it was, why her senses would read that. But they did. Somehow, in someway, Maria had been changed in a fundamental way.
And she looks so damn young. Because she is young, in this case looks do not deceive. Too young to have had to go through what she went through today. They all were so very young, even the Royals. It makes me feel old.
She heard Maria gasp and point. Courtney peered around the ice machine and saw the pillar of white reaching toward the sky. She saw as it began to rotate and expand. As the very air, even as far as they were from the device that had imprisoned them lost control, began to glow. There was no noise from it, no sound at all. But she could feel her self vibrate, as if her very existence was wavering.
She sat back. No point watching it, it will be here soon enough. She looked at Maria, and noticed she was still watching the funnel. Maria was shaking, Courtney could feel it through the arm that Maria had put on her arm to comfort her. “Maria, are you okay?”
Maria answered in a child like voice, “Michael is coming, and he’ll protect us. I can feel it. He is coming.”
Courtney gathered Maria in her arms, “Oh, Maria, I don’t think even he will be able to help us. We are either safe or we are not.”
“He’s coming. It is what he does, he protects. Just you watch.”
“Oh, Maria, what are we going to do with you?” Courtney rocks the semi-hysterical girl, trying to provide a measure of comfort, as Maria had done when Courtney had been trapped all alone in stasis.
It is amazing. I have been on this world for fifty years, and the first human I bond with is the girlfriend of my target. Of the man I meant to seduce, to turn to my faction’s ends. How does she do it, how does Maria burrow through the armor of the heart to reach the person within? Is it any wonder that Michael loves her?
Over Maria’s shoulder, and through the gathering mist like bands of white, Courtney saw Michael. He strode purposefully towards their location. A few steps behind him, Liz followed. To have such friends, friends who would place another’s safety before their own. It made her feel pride that she had stood with them. That maybe through all the killing and betrayal she had ended on the right side after all.
The world fell apart.
----
Alex-
One of the nicest things about having a friend whose parents ran a restaurant is the food. And Jose is a good cook, not that Michael is bad or anything. He’s definitely gotten better, but still I always wonder if the food I am eating has been ‘adjusted’ in some way. Alex lifted another forkful of pancake, as he anticipated more warm syrupy goodness. What he got was a cold and congealed mess. Cold and stale.
He shook his head and took a sip of the orange juice, which was warm. Which made no sense as he had just taken a sip just a few moments ago; it had been cold and fresh. He looked down the counter, and noticed that not a single glass had an ice cube in it, and there was very little condensation on any of the glasses.
He looked around and noticed others being unhappy with their now cold and stale food. The FBI agent looked perplexed at his now tepid coffee. He also saw the Sheriff walking towards him.
The Sheriff hugged a surprised Alex. “Have I ever told you how proud I am of you? How proud I am of all of you?”
“Um, no. What is going on Sheriff?”
“Have you seen any of your friends?”
“No, I have been waiting here for Liz and Maria to return from Clovis. Something about a supply run.”
“Something happened, I don’t know the details. But if you see them, if you see Kyle, have them call me.” The Sheriff looks back out the Crashdown window. “I am going to see what is going on out there. You stay here, and have them call me.”
“Okay Sheriff.” Alex looked around and saw Jose and Mr. Parker arguing over some older orders. But what frightened him most, was the clock he could see in the Crashdown kitchen. It had to be wrong, for it read 4:37. His own watch read 10:31. The problem lay in the fact that before he had gotten his pancakes, he had used the clock in the kitchen to set his watch.
And then he heard the thunder as the massive thunderstorm broke over Roswell. In what had been until moments ago a clear day. As he heard the pounding rain, he could only hope his friends were okay. For once again they had left him behind.
xmag- Yes forty million. The only more unforgiving environment than space is likely to be the ocean bottom. And yes there is a reason the arks were placed there, a good reason that will be mentioned in Book 2.
Please understand that this was not what the Mitharan High Council was trying to do, they wanted to capture the city. To ransom it, or wring even more concessions from the Rhyajhaelians. It doesn't excuse the atrocity, for atrocity it was.
As for the King, his health was failing and he was trying not to rock the boat. It was not until political pressure started to turn popular opinion against the Crown over it that he took action. Michael's flash last chapter was part of the first round of reprisals. It helped build his career. Ironically the most prominant political group that pressured the King was founded by two young professors at the Archadian, the premier university on Antar. The names of the two cofounders? Vilondra and Khivar.
Disclaimer- some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout.
Longest day part 29
Kyle-
He should be paying attention. It was hopefully the last push so that they could return Roswell back to normal. Or as normal as it ever got anyway. But as the rest of the group discussed how to overwhelm the remaining Skins, Kyle was lost in thought.
What happened in there? I mean I was meditating for a moment and then… It got away from me. It is just all these strange feelings and sensations keep coming and going. What am I going to do?
Kyle took a deep breath. Get a grip, Valenti. Obsessing over it isn’t going to help anyone. So let’s think of something normal, something non-alien. Like tonight’s party at Vicki’s.
Except that some of my friends might be going. So there goes the non-alien part. Did I really ask Courtney to go? She looks okay, but she’s an alien! She isn’t even partly human at all; I mean at least Tess is part human.
“Hey Tess, there’s a party over at Vicki’s house tonight, do you want to come?”
“I don’t know, Kyle.” Tess looked up at him from the spot she was sitting on the curb. “I am pretty tired. And I have a huge history project due Monday that I really should get started on. Maybe next time.”
“Yeah, next time,” Kyle said softly. He had noted Tess’s gaze, on Evans of course. Why can’t she look at me that way? I know she likes me, just not enough to put the past behind her. Her past life dominates her present one. Karma is truly a bitch. I wish she would let me help her free herself from the past.
Kyle had to look away. He lifted his gaze to the sky, to the dome that trapped them all. As he looked at it, he noticed some changes. Before, when Liz had pointed it out to him, it had been slightly tinged with green. But now there were blues and even a little red here and there. The new colors were rippling along the horizon, slowly spreading higher on the dome.
He needed to tell them. “Uh, Liz, Max, everyone. I, uh, think you guys should look at the sky.”
Isabel looked at him. “Kyle we are a little busy to be wasting time.”
Liz grabbed her hand and pointed. “Isabel, look.”
The sky seemed full of color now, swirling ripples that seemed to drown out sight beyond the previously transparent dome. A white wispy line seemed to be forming between the top center of the dome and down town Roswell.
Liz looked over to Richard, “Do you know what this is.”
“Time shear, the device can not hold the bubble much longer. We might want to take cover. I do not really know what will happen next.” With that Richard walked back toward the Tumbleweed’s office.
Kyle took his gaze from the sky and looked to Tess. He could see the wild kaleidoscopic colors swirling in her blue eyes. “We should go Tess, it may not be safe.” He reached over to help her up.
“Thanks, Kyle.”
I wish I could be more to you. But if it is all I can be, then I will at least be your friend. Maybe that support group idea isn’t such a bad one after all. How does Alex do it?
----
Isabel-
Isabel watched Kyle and Tess move to take cover. It was a sensible option and one that she would take herself momentarily. But the look Kyle had given Tess set her aback. And there had been how he had reacted back at the school. She had known that Kyle was attracted to Tess, it was obvious. There had even been a couple of off color jokes going around in her circle about it.
What if it was more? What if he actually cared about her, if it were more than just another conquest to him? How would that change the group dynamic? Did Tess know that he cared? Tess had been flirting with him earlier, but then Tess flirted with a lot of the guys at school too. Hard to tell.
Tess always seemed to be aimed solely at her brother. Lots of people talked about that too. Popular opinion actually tended to side with Tess. Liz was too perfect, held up as an example by too many teachers to be popular. Her rep had taken quite a few hits lately, this latest batch of rumors regarding her and Kyle would not help.
Isabel had tried to intimidate the information out of Liz, but somewhere she had grown a spine. Or maybe she had one all along, and I simply didn’t notice. Maybe ignoring the humans wasn’t a smart idea after all.
“Isabel come on, we should get inside,” Max said. He walked over to where Liz and Isabel were standing.
Liz still stared at the sky, fascination at the sight written all over her face. The colors swirled with increasing intensity and violence. Isabel could not quite make out what Liz muttered, something about chaos and patterns and the nature of time. Liz was simply transfixed with the view.
Isabel placed a hand on Liz’s shoulder and said, “Come on Liz we should go.”
“Just a minute more. I just need a minute more,” Liz mumbled semi-coherently, eyes still glued to the heavens.
Max looked back at Michael, “Michael what are you waiting for.”
“Maria, I need to get Maria and Courtney. I’ll be right back.” Michael then proceeded to walk towards the convenience store.
Isabel was amused to note that this got Liz’s attention. “Maria?” Isabel watched as Liz’s head swung back and forth, noting that Maria was no longer there. She then followed Michael, breaking from Isabel’s hold on her arm.
It was less funny to watch Max longingly look at Liz as she walked away. Something had changed today. Max no longer looked at Liz as if he held her in contempt. Tess had said the Max had actually seen Kyle and Liz together, so how had anything changed in such a small time. Had he seen something in one of his healings? He had cut down on the death glares to Kyle too, so maybe…
“Come on Max, we need to go.” Isabel looked back towards the center of town, the epicenter of the bubble. And saw a tornado of light swirling silently as it reached for the sky. “Max, we have to go now!” Isabel dragged her brother into the Tumbleweed’s office.
----
Courtney
Courtney looked at a shaken Maria. The flash had hit her hard. I wonder if she has ever had one before. Michael is so closed off, so paranoid. A useful survival trait perhaps, but after today not something that will last. At least in not in regard to Maria.
Maria seemed… different. She felt different to the senses. Courtney was not sure what it was, why her senses would read that. But they did. Somehow, in someway, Maria had been changed in a fundamental way.
And she looks so damn young. Because she is young, in this case looks do not deceive. Too young to have had to go through what she went through today. They all were so very young, even the Royals. It makes me feel old.
She heard Maria gasp and point. Courtney peered around the ice machine and saw the pillar of white reaching toward the sky. She saw as it began to rotate and expand. As the very air, even as far as they were from the device that had imprisoned them lost control, began to glow. There was no noise from it, no sound at all. But she could feel her self vibrate, as if her very existence was wavering.
She sat back. No point watching it, it will be here soon enough. She looked at Maria, and noticed she was still watching the funnel. Maria was shaking, Courtney could feel it through the arm that Maria had put on her arm to comfort her. “Maria, are you okay?”
Maria answered in a child like voice, “Michael is coming, and he’ll protect us. I can feel it. He is coming.”
Courtney gathered Maria in her arms, “Oh, Maria, I don’t think even he will be able to help us. We are either safe or we are not.”
“He’s coming. It is what he does, he protects. Just you watch.”
“Oh, Maria, what are we going to do with you?” Courtney rocks the semi-hysterical girl, trying to provide a measure of comfort, as Maria had done when Courtney had been trapped all alone in stasis.
It is amazing. I have been on this world for fifty years, and the first human I bond with is the girlfriend of my target. Of the man I meant to seduce, to turn to my faction’s ends. How does she do it, how does Maria burrow through the armor of the heart to reach the person within? Is it any wonder that Michael loves her?
Over Maria’s shoulder, and through the gathering mist like bands of white, Courtney saw Michael. He strode purposefully towards their location. A few steps behind him, Liz followed. To have such friends, friends who would place another’s safety before their own. It made her feel pride that she had stood with them. That maybe through all the killing and betrayal she had ended on the right side after all.
The world fell apart.
----
Alex-
One of the nicest things about having a friend whose parents ran a restaurant is the food. And Jose is a good cook, not that Michael is bad or anything. He’s definitely gotten better, but still I always wonder if the food I am eating has been ‘adjusted’ in some way. Alex lifted another forkful of pancake, as he anticipated more warm syrupy goodness. What he got was a cold and congealed mess. Cold and stale.
He shook his head and took a sip of the orange juice, which was warm. Which made no sense as he had just taken a sip just a few moments ago; it had been cold and fresh. He looked down the counter, and noticed that not a single glass had an ice cube in it, and there was very little condensation on any of the glasses.
He looked around and noticed others being unhappy with their now cold and stale food. The FBI agent looked perplexed at his now tepid coffee. He also saw the Sheriff walking towards him.
The Sheriff hugged a surprised Alex. “Have I ever told you how proud I am of you? How proud I am of all of you?”
“Um, no. What is going on Sheriff?”
“Have you seen any of your friends?”
“No, I have been waiting here for Liz and Maria to return from Clovis. Something about a supply run.”
“Something happened, I don’t know the details. But if you see them, if you see Kyle, have them call me.” The Sheriff looks back out the Crashdown window. “I am going to see what is going on out there. You stay here, and have them call me.”
“Okay Sheriff.” Alex looked around and saw Jose and Mr. Parker arguing over some older orders. But what frightened him most, was the clock he could see in the Crashdown kitchen. It had to be wrong, for it read 4:37. His own watch read 10:31. The problem lay in the fact that before he had gotten his pancakes, he had used the clock in the kitchen to set his watch.
And then he heard the thunder as the massive thunderstorm broke over Roswell. In what had been until moments ago a clear day. As he heard the pounding rain, he could only hope his friends were okay. For once again they had left him behind.
Thanks to everyone reading this story. Thanks in particular to xmag, tequathisy, Natalie36, and Sternbetrachter.
Sternbetrachter- Thanks. Liz has a scientific bend to her mind, and she is trying desperately to understand what she is seeing. As to Alex, you know, while I knew he had not played a direct role in season 2 much, I had not really realized how little screen time he must have had until I was plotting this story. I am going to have to do something about that.
Natalie36- Thanks
Tequathisy- Well Liz in this part tries to explain it, if only to herself.
xmag- Yep, the time bubble is gone. Basically the temporal pressure from inside the bubble is trying to equalize with that outside of the bubble. Or something like that. And yeah, it could be deadly, as you need something intangible but real to hold onto. Thanks.
Disclaimer- Some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout
Longest Day part 30
Tess
Tess followed Kyle into the Tumbleweed’s office. Inside the lights were flickering and the computer was making strange noises. She noticed the Skin captive lying on the ground. She resisted the desire to kick it. Instead she walked over to where Richard was sitting in a chair, the omnipresent cigarette lit.
She looked at Richard, “So what happens next?”
“I am afraid I have not a clue. This is entirely out of my experience. From my memories of Antar these things were never held this long… If Courtney is right about it being used on Drimordjian, well that city was destroyed. I am really not sure if it was from the effects of the TSDs or something else. It happened when I was a very young child, maybe not even born yet.”
“Oh,” Tess said. The world seemed to be dissolving before her eyes. She had to cancel one sensing routine after another, as they each started to give back impossible and indecipherable results. She closed her eyes in concentration, to try to make sense of a world gone mad. She could literally feel the world unravel, feel everything becoming unreal. It would not stop; she wasn’t strong enough to hold it. She felt tears of frustration beginning to well.
She felt a hand clasp her upper arm. And for the second time in this awful day, she opened her eyes and saw only with the world’s natural light. She could still tell that things were off. The very air seemed to shimmer and glow. Something that looked like white mist wafted through the wall. And things began to vanish.
Not even the sight of Max and Isabel walking through the door was enough to lift her spirits. She could tell that they were connected, hands clasped with serene faces. She longed to join them, to belong. To have something more than an empty unfulfilled destiny, to have more than just memories. But those memories, the past held her tightly, keeping her from joining them. From the thing she desired most, but would not voice, she wanted acceptance. And the lack was painful, filling her soul with resentment and self-hate. She began to shake and tears slowly began to fall in the faltering gravity.
No one loves me. I am not accepted because I am unacceptable, cast off, rejected.
The shaking began to grow intense, to the point where she was surprised that she could still stand. I need to sit down, to get a hold of my self. But as she moved to the couch she stumbled, her strength failing her. Only to have strong arms catch her. Kyle.
She looked at him, noting his sad little smile as he held her. In his eyes she could see what she needed. He saw her, not as an enemy, not as a distraction, but as a person. He saw Tess. She tried to thank him for catching her, to tell him… to tell him what exactly? She wasn’t sure; she did not know what she felt at that moment. It was something new, something precious.
Kyle just kept smiling that sad smile as he held her. He said, “Don’t keep it in. Let it go. It is the hardest thing I have had to learn. Nothing lasts forever, just let it go.” He held her tight.
So she buried her face in his chest and cried. She clung to him with all her might as she felt reality dissolve. And in that timeless moment when memories tried to crowd out thought, she did not let him go.
----
Isabel-
Hand in hand she walked into the office with Max. They were connected through their bond, sending support to the other. Max was distracted, she could tell, only partly with her. Liz, his mind is on Liz. She deliberately goes out of her way to push him away, and yet my hopeless brother still follows her around.
Isabel looked over at Tess. Wow, Tess is having a complete meltdown. Kudos to Kyle for being there for her, he really does care for her. Interesting. I wonder if she knows, or will let herself know.
Shaking her head slightly, she turned her thoughts to her brother. She felt cautiously through the bond, not aiming at prying at his thoughts or memories, but just to look at his mind. It took her a few moments but she found it.
He was connected to someone else. His mind really was on Liz, for somehow, and at some point they had forged a connection different from the one they shared. And deep within herself she recognized it, the thoughts it brought were strange, alien. Vilandra. Vilandra recognized it, and the feelings it engendered were a mix of happiness, sorrow, and jealousy.
She closed her eyes, oblivious to the unraveling world as she delved into her own mind. To feel the spot in her mind that was congruent to that Max’s bond originated. For she knew, somehow she knew what she would find. She could feel the sorrow build, as she felt the shattered edifice in her mind. Not empty, not nothingness, but a bridge to her other half. A bridge forever sundered. And she remembered-
Vilandra looked about the now empty airy bed room. Outside she could hear the sound of the surf. It had always relaxed her. She remembered the nights of passion, the feel of his hands on her body. She missed him. He had been gone for only an hour and already she missed him.
She suspected she always would. But she could not condone what the organization was doing. Protest was one thing; resistance was acceptable, but open rebellion? Against her own blood? She couldn’t, just could not condone it. And just being present, just being with him as he started down this path would show that she had chosen sides.
She had argued with him, to try to accept the terms she had agreed to. She had managed to persuade the emissary to not only grant him clemency but also the right to claim her hand. They could finally marry, finally settle down, and have the children they had talked about.
At the end she had forced him to choose, choose between her and his vaunted cause. And lost. All she had left were memories now, memories of what was, of what had been. The wave had past, the tears had been shed, and it was time now to face her future, her long and lonely future.
She heard the pounding on the doors, could hear the sound of boots marching down the hall. She heard her aide, the one that was supposed to have already left, challenge them at the door.
She heard the door open as her aide walked in. “Karis, you were supposed to have left with the others.”
Her aide just smiled back, “You did not abandon those of us from Drimordjian when we were at our lowest. What makes you think I can do the same to you?”
“Are you sure you want to do this. Life at Court will be very difficult for one of your kind.”
“I will manage. The General is here to escort you back to the palace.” Karis opened the door once more, to let the general in. “Call me if you need anything.”
The general was wearing his full dress uniform, even to the sword, a weapon that had rarely seen action in millennia. He said, “Your Highness, my name is brigadier general Rath Tardan. I am here to take you home.”
Home. She wanted to go home, but her memories held her. Somehow she had lost hold of her brother and with it her connection to him. And without it she was lost, tumbling endlessly in a timeless moment. How could she find her way home? How?
She could not reach Zan. Her parents did not really know her, not really, despite how much she loved them. They did not really know her at all. Rath? He was not perceptive enough, even at the best of times. He would help her if he knew, but how would he ever learn? She had kept everyone back, had walled off who she truly was to protect herself. And now she felt the lack.
She felt again at the broken bridge in her mind, the connection that had been. A door way in her mind, one to which she still held the key. She could contact him. Even now, she could feel his regard for her. If she called, he would answer, and she would be able to return. But the price, likely it would remain the same. To choose sides, to betray her family, more to betray her full brother. She could not do that, but she could not stay here.
Softly as if wafted on a breeze and name appeared in her mind. Alex. She had only connected with him once before, briefly. She had used him to anchor herself before though, even though he might not be aware of it. Alex’s regard scared her, it reminded her of him. It reminded her of Khivar, of the days before she had had to choose. The scars were so deep, she did not know if she could let anyone in ever again. And Alex would settle for nothing else, not in the end. But if he did not know, if he did not know of her regard for him, she would not have to let him in. He could have a normal life, with a normal girl.
But for now, he knew her, he loved her, and that would be enough. Enough to let her get home.
----
Maria-
Maria recognized the place and was surprised to see it again so soon. Moreover she knew that she was still alive, and that was more than she had been last time. Once again her mind felt crisp and clear, unsullied by her usual worries.
The valley was still there. The sky was still clear and blue, the grass so green, and the perfume of the flowers heavenly. As she remembered, some of the flowers were colors she did not recognize, colors not part of the rainbow but lovely nevertheless. It made her want to sing, to sing in joy.
And so she was singing, singing in Spanish a silly little Cuban song her father had taught her before he left. The song had always made her laugh, even though she had never sung it again after she realized he was never coming back. After he abandoned both her and her mother, but somehow the song just seemed perfect for her mood.
Standing next to a tree was that man again. He was still dressed in the uniform of a US Army officer, and he had a bunch of medals and patches. None of which Maria recognized. He said, “You have a beautiful singing voice, Maria.”
“Thank you,” she replied. She found herself wanting to make this man proud of her. There was anger there too, lots of bitterness, but for some reason, in this valley it did not seem important. That he was here was enough.
“So your boyfriend was able to save you after all. Good. I look forward to meeting him one day.”
“Who are you?”
“You know who I am, Maria. Sometimes things are not what they seem. It is time for you to go, he needs you.”
“But I just got here!” She could feel that Michael needed her. She looked back over her shoulder, and through what seemed a window she could see Michael fighting for his life. She had to go. “Will I see you again?”
“I will be waiting for you here, no need for you to hurry. Go to him, daughter, he needs you as you need him.” Waving at his uniform, “I approve of your choice, surprised, but I do approve, now go!”
She knew him. She had lots of unresolved issues regarding him, but Michael needed her more. “Good bye …, good bye daddy.”
She walked toward the image. Michael was holding some girl who was dying. She could feel jealousy start to build, before she realized how silly it was. It was not Michael she was seeing, it was Rath. It is kind of hard to hold feelings of jealousy across such a span of time and space. But, damn it, Michael was hers!
She walked into the image.
----
Michael-
Rath had been hard pressed to defeat the Theshta. He had known that some members of the Mitharan High Council had wanted him dead, but he had not thought they would go to such lengths. It had been a gutsy but stupid move, because they could not know that it would succeed and if it failed, as it had, it would allow him to point a finger at the Council. Who else had access to the Mitharan High Guard?
He had been the victor, but at quite a cost. For Reyla lay dying in his arms, disrupted, beyond a healer’s talent. He had called for one anyway. They could at least try to save his favorite political aide. He had been close to her, probably too close. She probably spent more nights in his rooms than days. But she was outside his command, merely an aide, and so he had not broken regulations. Propriety yes, regulations no. It was important, even for him to maintain order. It saved lives in combat.
Suddenly at his back he felt a soft breeze. Wafting on the breeze was an indescribable perfume, one that made him think of peace. Even so his training took over and he activated his gauntlets once more, prepared to fight off any number of foes. He was shocked at what he saw.
It was a girl. That she was young was apparent, that she was beautiful, likewise. She was not of the Race, nor of any that he recognized. An alien exotic, she closely resembled one of the Rhyajhaelians he had once seen, but she was not wearing a husk. Her hair was a golden hue that he had never seen before and her skin was a light pink.
He felt drawn to her, drawn in a way that was more than simple lust. It was resonance. He had never expected to find someone like her ever, not while shut away in the Service. She just looked at him. He reached out and touched her arm.
She was real.
“Michael this is not funny. We need to get home.”
He raised his activated gauntlet. Not that he thought he could bring himself to harm her; she was too precious to him. Somehow he knew her. It was like some damn tavern song, but somehow deep inside of himself he knew her.
Resonance.
He set Reyla’s body down. “Who are you and why are you here.”
She looked at him strangely. She shook her head and said, “Michael, I think you are trapped in a memory. I am here to take you home. One way or another.” She reached out and touched his shoulder.
He shuddered slightly at the feelings her touch engendered. He just stood there watching her, trying to hold back his desire to ravish her on the spot.
“Well let’s try this, I mean it worked on Max when he was drunk, so maybe it will work on you.” And she kissed him.
Naturally he kissed her back. It took mere moments for Michael to work his way back into control of his mind, but he still continued to kiss her. It had been weeks since Maria had let him even get close to her, so he was going to enjoy the moment for as long as she would allow.
When they came up for air, Maria smiled and pushed him back a little. “Welcome back Spaceboy.”
He reached for her, but she danced back. He frowned at her bright smile. Apparently play time was over for now. He looked around. “Hey, Pixie, where are we?”
“In that vast empty gulf between your ears would be my guess. This is a memory, not yours I think, but your predecessor. It doesn’t really matter. We need to go.” She started toward the open window in the air, no longer showing that vale, but rather shimmering silver.
“But I could find some of the answers we need here.”
“We need to go; the answers are in you anyway, they can wait.”
“But, Maria!” Michael said as she walked into the silver mist. He stared after her, so wishing to stay. He looked briefly at the room. So many possible answers.
Yesterday he would have stayed. But after today, after nearly losing her… The answers could wait. He walked into the mist to follow her.
----
Liz-
Liz continued to study her surroundings. She just wished she had some instrumentation, something, and anything that could record what she saw. Time was shifting all around her, moving and adjusting itself to the disturbance which the bubble had caused. As time equalized between the world on both sides of the bubble.
It was like a weather pattern, high pressure to low pressure. She and her friends were just caught in the time storm, which should pass shortly.
She had watched her friends’ reactions, all of them needing something to hold onto in the storm. She had been worried for Isabel, until she had mentioned Alex. She did not really know if she wanted to know what had been behind that door Isabel had been afraid to open.
All of them had been caught up in their memories, and she had been no different. She had some clue what was going on, and so had had more control. The memory she had accessed had not been one from the past but rather from a future that would never be. To see and prove to her that all the events surrounding Future Max had indeed been real.
So she had watched as older Max walked into the Granilith and disappeared. She had seen as the enemy stormed the chamber, had seen with her dying breath the one who had betrayed them. As if she had a choice in the matter.
It was with horror that she saw Maria walk into the chamber, Maria to whom all the Skins bowed. She watched as Future Maria killed Future Liz. But Liz saw something her older counter part did not see. Maria was not herself, she was possessed.
And Liz knew who had her in thrall. She would recognize that spirit of malevolent malice anywhere. She knew her all to well.
It was Ana.
----
Alex-
Alex was listening to the crowd now in the Crashdown arguing over what must have happened. He could still hear the rain pound and the wind whistle faintly. He still stared at his watch trying desperately to figure out what crazy alien scenario his friends must be trapped in. And how he could save them.
He felt all of goose bumps travel across his whole body, as he felt an indescribable feeling. He felt like someone was touching him, and yet not. He could almost sense a tiny whiff of perfume lingering in the air. It reminded him of Isabel. He felt it again; it was like being haunted by a ghost. A friendly ghost, but a ghost nevertheless.
It was not how he wanted to think of Isabel. She may not want him, but he wanted her to live a happy life. He felt it a third time, only this time it felt like it caught on something. It was eerie, but somehow it felt… good.
He looked around trying to see what had caused it. “Isabel?”
Sternbetrachter- Thanks. Liz has a scientific bend to her mind, and she is trying desperately to understand what she is seeing. As to Alex, you know, while I knew he had not played a direct role in season 2 much, I had not really realized how little screen time he must have had until I was plotting this story. I am going to have to do something about that.
Natalie36- Thanks
Tequathisy- Well Liz in this part tries to explain it, if only to herself.
xmag- Yep, the time bubble is gone. Basically the temporal pressure from inside the bubble is trying to equalize with that outside of the bubble. Or something like that. And yeah, it could be deadly, as you need something intangible but real to hold onto. Thanks.
Disclaimer- Some scenes and ideas may be taken from Wipeout
Longest Day part 30
Tess
Tess followed Kyle into the Tumbleweed’s office. Inside the lights were flickering and the computer was making strange noises. She noticed the Skin captive lying on the ground. She resisted the desire to kick it. Instead she walked over to where Richard was sitting in a chair, the omnipresent cigarette lit.
She looked at Richard, “So what happens next?”
“I am afraid I have not a clue. This is entirely out of my experience. From my memories of Antar these things were never held this long… If Courtney is right about it being used on Drimordjian, well that city was destroyed. I am really not sure if it was from the effects of the TSDs or something else. It happened when I was a very young child, maybe not even born yet.”
“Oh,” Tess said. The world seemed to be dissolving before her eyes. She had to cancel one sensing routine after another, as they each started to give back impossible and indecipherable results. She closed her eyes in concentration, to try to make sense of a world gone mad. She could literally feel the world unravel, feel everything becoming unreal. It would not stop; she wasn’t strong enough to hold it. She felt tears of frustration beginning to well.
She felt a hand clasp her upper arm. And for the second time in this awful day, she opened her eyes and saw only with the world’s natural light. She could still tell that things were off. The very air seemed to shimmer and glow. Something that looked like white mist wafted through the wall. And things began to vanish.
Not even the sight of Max and Isabel walking through the door was enough to lift her spirits. She could tell that they were connected, hands clasped with serene faces. She longed to join them, to belong. To have something more than an empty unfulfilled destiny, to have more than just memories. But those memories, the past held her tightly, keeping her from joining them. From the thing she desired most, but would not voice, she wanted acceptance. And the lack was painful, filling her soul with resentment and self-hate. She began to shake and tears slowly began to fall in the faltering gravity.
No one loves me. I am not accepted because I am unacceptable, cast off, rejected.
The shaking began to grow intense, to the point where she was surprised that she could still stand. I need to sit down, to get a hold of my self. But as she moved to the couch she stumbled, her strength failing her. Only to have strong arms catch her. Kyle.
She looked at him, noting his sad little smile as he held her. In his eyes she could see what she needed. He saw her, not as an enemy, not as a distraction, but as a person. He saw Tess. She tried to thank him for catching her, to tell him… to tell him what exactly? She wasn’t sure; she did not know what she felt at that moment. It was something new, something precious.
Kyle just kept smiling that sad smile as he held her. He said, “Don’t keep it in. Let it go. It is the hardest thing I have had to learn. Nothing lasts forever, just let it go.” He held her tight.
So she buried her face in his chest and cried. She clung to him with all her might as she felt reality dissolve. And in that timeless moment when memories tried to crowd out thought, she did not let him go.
----
Isabel-
Hand in hand she walked into the office with Max. They were connected through their bond, sending support to the other. Max was distracted, she could tell, only partly with her. Liz, his mind is on Liz. She deliberately goes out of her way to push him away, and yet my hopeless brother still follows her around.
Isabel looked over at Tess. Wow, Tess is having a complete meltdown. Kudos to Kyle for being there for her, he really does care for her. Interesting. I wonder if she knows, or will let herself know.
Shaking her head slightly, she turned her thoughts to her brother. She felt cautiously through the bond, not aiming at prying at his thoughts or memories, but just to look at his mind. It took her a few moments but she found it.
He was connected to someone else. His mind really was on Liz, for somehow, and at some point they had forged a connection different from the one they shared. And deep within herself she recognized it, the thoughts it brought were strange, alien. Vilandra. Vilandra recognized it, and the feelings it engendered were a mix of happiness, sorrow, and jealousy.
She closed her eyes, oblivious to the unraveling world as she delved into her own mind. To feel the spot in her mind that was congruent to that Max’s bond originated. For she knew, somehow she knew what she would find. She could feel the sorrow build, as she felt the shattered edifice in her mind. Not empty, not nothingness, but a bridge to her other half. A bridge forever sundered. And she remembered-
Vilandra looked about the now empty airy bed room. Outside she could hear the sound of the surf. It had always relaxed her. She remembered the nights of passion, the feel of his hands on her body. She missed him. He had been gone for only an hour and already she missed him.
She suspected she always would. But she could not condone what the organization was doing. Protest was one thing; resistance was acceptable, but open rebellion? Against her own blood? She couldn’t, just could not condone it. And just being present, just being with him as he started down this path would show that she had chosen sides.
She had argued with him, to try to accept the terms she had agreed to. She had managed to persuade the emissary to not only grant him clemency but also the right to claim her hand. They could finally marry, finally settle down, and have the children they had talked about.
At the end she had forced him to choose, choose between her and his vaunted cause. And lost. All she had left were memories now, memories of what was, of what had been. The wave had past, the tears had been shed, and it was time now to face her future, her long and lonely future.
She heard the pounding on the doors, could hear the sound of boots marching down the hall. She heard her aide, the one that was supposed to have already left, challenge them at the door.
She heard the door open as her aide walked in. “Karis, you were supposed to have left with the others.”
Her aide just smiled back, “You did not abandon those of us from Drimordjian when we were at our lowest. What makes you think I can do the same to you?”
“Are you sure you want to do this. Life at Court will be very difficult for one of your kind.”
“I will manage. The General is here to escort you back to the palace.” Karis opened the door once more, to let the general in. “Call me if you need anything.”
The general was wearing his full dress uniform, even to the sword, a weapon that had rarely seen action in millennia. He said, “Your Highness, my name is brigadier general Rath Tardan. I am here to take you home.”
Home. She wanted to go home, but her memories held her. Somehow she had lost hold of her brother and with it her connection to him. And without it she was lost, tumbling endlessly in a timeless moment. How could she find her way home? How?
She could not reach Zan. Her parents did not really know her, not really, despite how much she loved them. They did not really know her at all. Rath? He was not perceptive enough, even at the best of times. He would help her if he knew, but how would he ever learn? She had kept everyone back, had walled off who she truly was to protect herself. And now she felt the lack.
She felt again at the broken bridge in her mind, the connection that had been. A door way in her mind, one to which she still held the key. She could contact him. Even now, she could feel his regard for her. If she called, he would answer, and she would be able to return. But the price, likely it would remain the same. To choose sides, to betray her family, more to betray her full brother. She could not do that, but she could not stay here.
Softly as if wafted on a breeze and name appeared in her mind. Alex. She had only connected with him once before, briefly. She had used him to anchor herself before though, even though he might not be aware of it. Alex’s regard scared her, it reminded her of him. It reminded her of Khivar, of the days before she had had to choose. The scars were so deep, she did not know if she could let anyone in ever again. And Alex would settle for nothing else, not in the end. But if he did not know, if he did not know of her regard for him, she would not have to let him in. He could have a normal life, with a normal girl.
But for now, he knew her, he loved her, and that would be enough. Enough to let her get home.
----
Maria-
Maria recognized the place and was surprised to see it again so soon. Moreover she knew that she was still alive, and that was more than she had been last time. Once again her mind felt crisp and clear, unsullied by her usual worries.
The valley was still there. The sky was still clear and blue, the grass so green, and the perfume of the flowers heavenly. As she remembered, some of the flowers were colors she did not recognize, colors not part of the rainbow but lovely nevertheless. It made her want to sing, to sing in joy.
And so she was singing, singing in Spanish a silly little Cuban song her father had taught her before he left. The song had always made her laugh, even though she had never sung it again after she realized he was never coming back. After he abandoned both her and her mother, but somehow the song just seemed perfect for her mood.
Standing next to a tree was that man again. He was still dressed in the uniform of a US Army officer, and he had a bunch of medals and patches. None of which Maria recognized. He said, “You have a beautiful singing voice, Maria.”
“Thank you,” she replied. She found herself wanting to make this man proud of her. There was anger there too, lots of bitterness, but for some reason, in this valley it did not seem important. That he was here was enough.
“So your boyfriend was able to save you after all. Good. I look forward to meeting him one day.”
“Who are you?”
“You know who I am, Maria. Sometimes things are not what they seem. It is time for you to go, he needs you.”
“But I just got here!” She could feel that Michael needed her. She looked back over her shoulder, and through what seemed a window she could see Michael fighting for his life. She had to go. “Will I see you again?”
“I will be waiting for you here, no need for you to hurry. Go to him, daughter, he needs you as you need him.” Waving at his uniform, “I approve of your choice, surprised, but I do approve, now go!”
She knew him. She had lots of unresolved issues regarding him, but Michael needed her more. “Good bye …, good bye daddy.”
She walked toward the image. Michael was holding some girl who was dying. She could feel jealousy start to build, before she realized how silly it was. It was not Michael she was seeing, it was Rath. It is kind of hard to hold feelings of jealousy across such a span of time and space. But, damn it, Michael was hers!
She walked into the image.
----
Michael-
Rath had been hard pressed to defeat the Theshta. He had known that some members of the Mitharan High Council had wanted him dead, but he had not thought they would go to such lengths. It had been a gutsy but stupid move, because they could not know that it would succeed and if it failed, as it had, it would allow him to point a finger at the Council. Who else had access to the Mitharan High Guard?
He had been the victor, but at quite a cost. For Reyla lay dying in his arms, disrupted, beyond a healer’s talent. He had called for one anyway. They could at least try to save his favorite political aide. He had been close to her, probably too close. She probably spent more nights in his rooms than days. But she was outside his command, merely an aide, and so he had not broken regulations. Propriety yes, regulations no. It was important, even for him to maintain order. It saved lives in combat.
Suddenly at his back he felt a soft breeze. Wafting on the breeze was an indescribable perfume, one that made him think of peace. Even so his training took over and he activated his gauntlets once more, prepared to fight off any number of foes. He was shocked at what he saw.
It was a girl. That she was young was apparent, that she was beautiful, likewise. She was not of the Race, nor of any that he recognized. An alien exotic, she closely resembled one of the Rhyajhaelians he had once seen, but she was not wearing a husk. Her hair was a golden hue that he had never seen before and her skin was a light pink.
He felt drawn to her, drawn in a way that was more than simple lust. It was resonance. He had never expected to find someone like her ever, not while shut away in the Service. She just looked at him. He reached out and touched her arm.
She was real.
“Michael this is not funny. We need to get home.”
He raised his activated gauntlet. Not that he thought he could bring himself to harm her; she was too precious to him. Somehow he knew her. It was like some damn tavern song, but somehow deep inside of himself he knew her.
Resonance.
He set Reyla’s body down. “Who are you and why are you here.”
She looked at him strangely. She shook her head and said, “Michael, I think you are trapped in a memory. I am here to take you home. One way or another.” She reached out and touched his shoulder.
He shuddered slightly at the feelings her touch engendered. He just stood there watching her, trying to hold back his desire to ravish her on the spot.
“Well let’s try this, I mean it worked on Max when he was drunk, so maybe it will work on you.” And she kissed him.
Naturally he kissed her back. It took mere moments for Michael to work his way back into control of his mind, but he still continued to kiss her. It had been weeks since Maria had let him even get close to her, so he was going to enjoy the moment for as long as she would allow.
When they came up for air, Maria smiled and pushed him back a little. “Welcome back Spaceboy.”
He reached for her, but she danced back. He frowned at her bright smile. Apparently play time was over for now. He looked around. “Hey, Pixie, where are we?”
“In that vast empty gulf between your ears would be my guess. This is a memory, not yours I think, but your predecessor. It doesn’t really matter. We need to go.” She started toward the open window in the air, no longer showing that vale, but rather shimmering silver.
“But I could find some of the answers we need here.”
“We need to go; the answers are in you anyway, they can wait.”
“But, Maria!” Michael said as she walked into the silver mist. He stared after her, so wishing to stay. He looked briefly at the room. So many possible answers.
Yesterday he would have stayed. But after today, after nearly losing her… The answers could wait. He walked into the mist to follow her.
----
Liz-
Liz continued to study her surroundings. She just wished she had some instrumentation, something, and anything that could record what she saw. Time was shifting all around her, moving and adjusting itself to the disturbance which the bubble had caused. As time equalized between the world on both sides of the bubble.
It was like a weather pattern, high pressure to low pressure. She and her friends were just caught in the time storm, which should pass shortly.
She had watched her friends’ reactions, all of them needing something to hold onto in the storm. She had been worried for Isabel, until she had mentioned Alex. She did not really know if she wanted to know what had been behind that door Isabel had been afraid to open.
All of them had been caught up in their memories, and she had been no different. She had some clue what was going on, and so had had more control. The memory she had accessed had not been one from the past but rather from a future that would never be. To see and prove to her that all the events surrounding Future Max had indeed been real.
So she had watched as older Max walked into the Granilith and disappeared. She had seen as the enemy stormed the chamber, had seen with her dying breath the one who had betrayed them. As if she had a choice in the matter.
It was with horror that she saw Maria walk into the chamber, Maria to whom all the Skins bowed. She watched as Future Maria killed Future Liz. But Liz saw something her older counter part did not see. Maria was not herself, she was possessed.
And Liz knew who had her in thrall. She would recognize that spirit of malevolent malice anywhere. She knew her all to well.
It was Ana.
----
Alex-
Alex was listening to the crowd now in the Crashdown arguing over what must have happened. He could still hear the rain pound and the wind whistle faintly. He still stared at his watch trying desperately to figure out what crazy alien scenario his friends must be trapped in. And how he could save them.
He felt all of goose bumps travel across his whole body, as he felt an indescribable feeling. He felt like someone was touching him, and yet not. He could almost sense a tiny whiff of perfume lingering in the air. It reminded him of Isabel. He felt it again; it was like being haunted by a ghost. A friendly ghost, but a ghost nevertheless.
It was not how he wanted to think of Isabel. She may not want him, but he wanted her to live a happy life. He felt it a third time, only this time it felt like it caught on something. It was eerie, but somehow it felt… good.
He looked around trying to see what had caused it. “Isabel?”