Fan Fic and More

Love it Tracie. I just knew Amy meeting Cal was gonna be interesting, but the way you wrote was perfect. You got Cal to show his 'Michael' side - te whole I'm pissed and I'm not taking this anymore. And The last line was pure comic genius. As was the ' I have been hit by Michael, Max, Kyle and even Maria.' Thinking about it he has been taking alot of abuse. Poor guy.
Can't wait to see where this goes now.

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Seven – Critical Situation

“You guys ready?” Max asked.

“As we’ll ever be,” Michael answered. “Let’s just get this over with.” He looked at the palace looming in front of them. “I so don’t want to go in there. No offense, Isabel, but as far as plans go, the just walking in - not the best plan we’ve ever come up with.”

“Yeah, well, Michael, I didn’t see you coming up with anything better,” Isabel said, her voice trembling.

“All of you, just cool it,” said Kyle. “Number one, it’s getting us nowhere, and number two, it’s giving Liz and I headaches. Michael, chill. It’s a good plan, and it’s going to work.”

“How do you know?” Michael asked. “Unless, did you develop a new ESP type power?” he added hopefully.

“No, I did not develop an ESP type power, though how cool would that be. We could like, get the lottery numbers and everything like that. We’d be rich.”

“Kyle, you need to focus,” Ava said, laughing at her exuberant husband. “We already are rich, well, rich enough, and we don’t need to win the lottery. What we do need to do is get in there.”

“Fine then, let’s do it,” Kyle said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

He reminded Liz of a player seconds before the big game full of nervous energy. She looked around at her friends and saw similar looks on all their faces, mixed with fear and determination. She couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding that something bad was going to happen. Tamping down the fear, she presented the others with a bright, albeit false smile.

“Kyle’s right, let’s do it,” she said. “Though I have to confess, I feel really weird walking in not in disguise. So much of our time here was spent not as us, you know?”

“Don’t worry, Liz,” Max said. “I’ll be right beside you. We’ll finish this, and go back home and live our lives.”

“I love you,” Liz said, leaning against her husband, trying to absorb some of his strength.

“Yeah, yeah, you love each other, we get it,” said Alex. “I love Isabel, she loves me. Kyle loves Ava and she loves him. Maria loves Michael, though I still don’t get why and Michael loves Maria, and we all love each other. Now can we get on with it?”

“What do you mean, you don’t know why she loves me?” Michael demanded. “It’s my open and caring nature!”

“Puhleeze, Space Boy,” said Maria. She rolled her eyes, but also reached out and squeezed his hand gently.

“Yeah, I thought she said it was the size of his,”

“AVA!” Maria shouted. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“This is where Father would say we’re being inappropriately humorous again,” said Isabel, “And I suppose he’s right, but honestly, I feel much better now.”

The ten friends exchanged hugs, and quickly changed their appearance to walk through the capital city. They didn’t want to draw any undue attention to themselves before they reached the palace. They walked in pairs, nobody saying much; just enjoying what could be their last time together.

Zan grabbed Shandar’s arm and held her back. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked.

“What’s wrong, Zan?” Shandar asked. “Are you worried?”

“Well, yeah, but it’s not that. Well, it is that, but – I’m not making much sense, am I?”

“Not really,” Shandar admitted. “Would you rather I not be involved in this? Are you still worried about my loyalties?”

The look of astonishment on Zan’s face was genuine. He could no more imagine Shandar being a traitor than he could Max. He stopped and took her hand in his.

“No, not that, never that, Shandar. You’re one of us. I know it; we all know it. We believe in you. I only wish you believed in your self half as much. In a way, I guess you’re right; I don’t want you involved in this, but only because I’m afraid for you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’re – well you’re too important to me,” he said in a rush.

Shandar’s face flushed a delicate pink, and she stared down at the ground. Zan reached out and placed one hand under her chin and gently lifted her face back up. He stared down into her green eyes and found himself drowning in their depths. Without thought or planning, he kissed her, gently at first, and then deeper, with a growing passion.

Her lips parted under the pressure of his lips, and his tongue slipped gently into her mouth. His hand moved from under her chin to the side of her face, and he gently caressed her cheek as he enjoyed the unique taste of her. He sighed deep within his throat when her arms found their way around his waist. He pulled her closer, enjoying the feeling of her in his arms. He could have stood their forever, and would have had he not felt an annoying slap on his arm. Reluctantly, he lifted his face from Shandar’s and saw Kyle’s annoying smirk staring at him.

“Having fun?” he asked.

“We were,” Zan said, glaring at his friend.

“Well, we were just wondering if you were planning on joining us any time soon? Cause if not, you need to get a room. But I’m thinking you should reconsider, and save yourself for marriage. Don’t you want to be able to tell Valrik that mommy and daddy didn’t do the nasty until after they were married?”

“Jackass,” Zan said, slapping Kyle lightly on the shoulder.

“Yeah, I am, but you love me anyhow,” quipped Kyle. “Anyhow, we’re just outside the city proper, and your generals are in disagreement about the best way to proceed. Personally, I think we should let them duke it out. Maria can so take Michael, but Ava doesn’t want to see her brother get hurt.”

“I swear, I’m going to step down from my throne – once we get it back,” said Zan. “We’ll be right with you.”

“No problem, I’ll wait,” Kyle said, a mischievous grin on his face.

“Ass, get out of here,” said Zan.

Kyle jogged up to where the others were waiting and Zan turned reluctantly to Shandar.

“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to return to Earth?” Zan asked.

“I’m sure,” Shandar said. “I’ll make my stand with you, and live or die, I know I’ve made the right choice.”

They quickly joined the others, and after a quick final hug, the ten friends made their way into the city. An almost eerie feeling hung in the air. People made their way about their business, but something wasn’t right. It was intangible, none of them could put their finger on it, but something just didn’t feel right.

They made their way to the marketplace, smiling at the people they passed, but for some reason, reluctant to engage any of them in conversation. Liz dropped back from Max and whispered something to Kyle, and he nodded his head in agreement. Liz made her way back up to Max and whispered to him and pointed to a secluded alley. When they were certain nobody was watching, they ducked down the alley and waited.

“I suppose you’re all wondering why I called you here?” Kyle joked. “But I suppose now isn’t the time or the place for levity.”

“What is it Kyle, why are we here, and not walking into there?” Maria asked, looking toward the palace.

“Uh, mostly because every person we’ve passed on the street is Gadori, and not Antarian. I don’t think there are any Antarians left on Antar,” Kyle said, sadly.

All of them are Gadori! That does not look good! And I see I had missed the previous chapter.

“I have been hit by Michael, Max, Kyle, and even Maria. But I will be damned if I’m going to stand here and let any more of you heap abuse on me when you don’t have the slightest idea what really happened. Is that perfectly clear?”

A thick silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of Cal’s breath as he struggled to calm himself down. He was angry, far angrier than he had been in a long time, and he knew when he was that angry, he often lost control of his powers. The others looked at one another, uncertain of what to say until Amy Deluca bravely broke the silence.

“Yeah, I see that temper is definitely a family thing.”

Amy definitely puts things into perspective, doesn't she! And Cal finally found his breaking point. But after being hit by all of the others, I guess he would be a bit "gun shy." Hehe.

“And whose baby is that?” added Charles Whitman, Alex’s father. “Please tell me that none of us are grandparents all of a sudden.”

“Well, that’s a matter of perspective,” said Drinian. “Perhaps we should all sit down and talk about this.

“No, perhaps you should tell all of us whose baby that is before we all suffer from a collective nervous breakdown,” said Philip Evans.

Great parts, Tracie!

“Yeah, yeah, you love each other, we get it,” said Alex. “I love Isabel, she loves me. Kyle loves Ava and she loves him. Maria loves Michael, though I still don’t get why and Michael loves Maria, and we all love each other. Now can we get on with it?”

“What do you mean, you don’t know why she loves me?” Michael demanded. “It’s my open and caring nature!”

“Puhleeze, Space Boy,” said Maria. She rolled her eyes, but also reached out and squeezed his hand gently.

“Yeah, I thought she said it was the size of his,”

“AVA!” Maria shouted. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

That was comic genius at its best. I love the way you write the group here.

Ok So they're all Gandori?! Wow now there's a twist I definitely didn't see coming. Every new chapter of this story amazes me Tracie and I can't wait to see what you have hidden up your sleeves next.

i am 2 parts behind. the 1st part. that was hysterical. i loved amy's line about temper. mind you she really shoul dbe one to talk. mm kids are going to be a try on anyone

i loved the las tpart also. those one liners by everyone is hysterical. um traice did yo just decimate a whole population of people? see i'm going for the they are trapped somewhere waiitng to be rescued. cause i don't like the alternative. unless of course our meery band of aliens are going to populate the planet again?

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Eight – The Long Journey Home

The trip to the palace was uneventful. Here and there, they would pass a person who wasn’t Gadori, but for the most part, every single person they came in contact with wasn’t Antarian. A deep sadness filled the group as they realized that there was a good chance that everyone they had come to know and love on Antar was dead.

By unspoken agreement, they made a detour to the marketplace and to the small restaurant they used to frequent when they first came to Antar. Liz and Kyle looked closely at the patrons, hoping against hope to find someone they knew, but all of the patrons were Gadori masquerading as Antarians.

“Let’s get out of here,” Zan said. “We’re too late. There’s nobody left.” He shook his head and looked around. “I failed them all.”

“Don’t say that,” said Shandar before anybody else could say anything. “How can you think that you failed? The Gadori have been planning this for centuries. Nobody had an inkling of what they planned, and that includes your father. Why do you think you who took the throne less than a year ago should be any different?”

Zan smiled at her words, but it didn’t reach his eyes. What she said made sense, but logic didn’t mean much when it came to matters of the heart, and how he felt about Antar was definitely a matter of the heart.

Max touched his brother gently on the shoulder. “Come on,” he said. “There isn’t anything we can do here.”

They filed out of the restaurant and stood in the market place feeling lost. Kyle suggested they take one last look at their secret room deep within the bowels of the Training Academy. He didn’t say it out loud, but each of them knew it was a last chance to say goodbye to a place that meant everything to them.

Michael led the way to the hidden entrance and they swiftly made their way through the network of tunnels until they stood before the door to their Antarian Eraser Room. Each one of them smiled at the faded sign that hung above the doorway and remembered with happiness the day Ava and Alex had plotted to hang the sign there.

“Wait a second,” Maria said, slowly. “We took that down, remember. We didn’t want to leave any trace of ourselves here.”

“That’s right,” said Michael. “Which means…” He kicked the door open ready to blast anyone or anything in front of him. He prepared to fire a blast of energy at the 20 or so people he found hiding within, when Liz’s voice stopped him.

“Michael, wait!” Liz shouted behind him. “They’re Antarian!”

“Are you sure?” Michael answered, not lowering his hand.

“Since they haven’t killed you yet, Michael, I’d say she’s sure,” Maria said. She pushed past him and entered the room and looked down at the people huddled on the floor.

“Who are you?” she asked, gently. “Don’t worry, we’re not here to hurt you.”

“Please,” a young woman said. “My name is Na’dria, my brother Quor`toth told us that if things got too dangerous, to hide here. He said if you found us, you’d keep us safe.”

“Well, he wasn’t wrong about that,” Alex said, softly. “The question is, how exactly do we do that?”

“Na’dria, who are these people and what happened?” Zan asked, assuming the mantle of command.

“These are some of my friends and neighbors,” the Antarian woman said. “We were having a small party at our home when several people, Quor`toth included came in. I knew this wasn’t possible because he was still back on your planet. Several of the men began fighting, to give us time to escape. We came here and hid.”

“That does not sound promising,” Isabel said. “But we can’t leave them here. What are we going to do with them?”

“Um, I have an idea,” Kyle said. “Why not use our belts and take them back home?”

“We can’t leave 20 Antarians to fend for themselves,” said Maria. “They’d be lost. Besides, we only have what, 9 belts.”

“Again with the idea,” said Kyle. “I’ll take a group of them back, call my Dad to come get them, and come back here with the belts and take back the other bunch.”

“Great, except for how exactly do you plan on calling your father?” Michael asked. “I don’t think the phone company has installed a phone in the pod chamber since we left.”

Kyle didn’t say anything. Instead, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a cell phone and dangled it in front of Michael’s face.

“ET, phone home,” he said. “I didn’t think much about having it with me because I sure don’t have a cell signal out there, but I do at the pod chamber.”

“Kyle, I could kiss you, except for, well, the ick factor,” said Zan. “That is fantastic!” He turned to the Antarians who watched the exchange with interest. “Would you be willing to return to our planet? It’s the best protection we can offer you for right now.”

Na’dria and her friends spoke softly for a few minutes before quickly agreeing to take their chances on Earth. Each member of the pod squad removed their belts and fastened them around the waist of an Antarian.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a bit,” Kyle said. “Do not, I repeat, do NOT leave this room until I get back. And if anything happens to Ava while I’m gone, there isn’t a safe place in the universe you can hide,” he added, looking at Michael, Max, Zan and Alex. “Do we understand each other?”

Ava’s goodbye to Kyle was brief. She had no doubt her husband would return to her and quickly. She smiled at him has he double checked the belts of everyone he was transporting. Liz stepped over and took her hand and held it tight as the first group flashed out of sight. In what seemed like hours, but was in actuality only minutes, Kyle reappeared before them carrying a load of belts in his hands.

“We had some extra’s stored in the pod chamber in case of emergencies,” he said. “Hurry everyone and get these on. I left the others waiting for us. I’ll call my dad as soon as we get back down there, and then I’ll be right back.”

“Kyle,” Max said, while helping the remaining Antarians fasten their belts. “Bring the extra belts back with you. We may find others who need our help.”

“You got it,” Kyle said, giving Max a mock salute just before he vanished from sight for a second time.

** * ** * ** *

“Okay, everybody accounted for?” Kyle asked when he reappeared in the pod chamber. He pulled out his cell and rapidly punched in his father’s number. He explained, briefly what was going on and expressed the need for transportation for twenty Antarians.

“No, Dad, I won’t be here when you arrive. I have to get back up there. Yes, I know it’s dangerous, and no, I don’t have a choice. That’s right, we’re stronger together than we are apart, that’s right,” Kyle said, patiently. He understood his father’s fears, but he didn’t have time to deal with his fears. “Don’t worry, Dad, we’ll be back, I promise,” Kyle said, sounding far more confident than he felt. “And Dad, I love you.”

Kyle smiled reassuringly at the Antarians and explained that his father and some friends would be there soon to bring them some place more comfortable. With one last reassuring look, he activated has transporter belt and disappeared from sight.

** * ** *

Everyone sighed with relief when Kyle reappeared before them, his arms full of transporter belts. Each one of them reclaimed their own belt, as well as one of the extras Kyle had brought back with them. They took one final look around the room that had provided them with so much and headed back out into the tunnels.

Once they were back free of the tunnels, they walked to the entrance of the palace, noting with relief the Granolith sitting in its traditional resting place. On Zan’s signal, they passed through the gates and entered the palace unmolested. They walked past countless Gadori who were busy stripping the palace of any and all remnants of the royal family. It was a disturbing site, but one that they didn’t allow to bother them. They followed single file behind Zan to the room adjacent to the Granolith. Once inside, Zan used his powers to seal the door.

“Is everybody ready?” he asked.

“Let’s do it,” said Max.

Zan stepped out to the Granolith, motioning to the others to follow him. Without prompting, they assumed their foursquare pattern around the control panel – Liz bringing Shandar to stand with her and Max. Zan activated the Granolith and moved into position next to Max, Liz and Shandar while they waited to see if their plan would work.

It didn’t take long before the weather outside began to change. The sky darkened dramatically, and the wind began to whip. The temperature began to drop rapidly, and snow fell from the gathering clouds. As quickly as it began, the snow ended, and the double suns reemerged, their heating rays beating down over the land. Screams of pain could be heard all over the city as the Gadori’s bodies began to disintegrate.

There was a flash of light from the Granolith. Beams of light shot out from it, encompassing the group as it had so many times before, but this time, it was different. Liz began to float off of the ground, moving closer to the Granolith. The beams of light seemed to fill her very being. Her eyes, which had been closed, snapped open and seemed to glow with a silver light. She entered the Granolith and looked down on her friends.

“Your attempt will not be successful,” she said. “It is time for Antar to cease. The Gadori have been eradicated, but at great expense. This planet, like the Gadori could not stand the stress of the rapid weather changes. Gather those who remain and flee. Your time is short. Flee before it is too late.”

Without warning, the lights disappeared and Liz fell to the ground and lay motionless within the Granolith.

That is no way to end a chapter, Tracie! You hear me! No way! Get back here and fix this! I can't believe that Antar is going to die or go poof or something... and Liz is unconscious or... It's a good thing they rescued the Antarians in the "Eraser Room." But won't Jim be guilty of harboring "aliens" now? Hehe.

And leave it to Kyle:

“Great, except for how exactly do you plan on calling your father?” Michael asked. “I don’t think the phone company has installed a phone in the pod chamber since we left.”

Kyle didn’t say anything. Instead, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a cell phone and dangled it in front of Michael’s face.

“ET, phone home,” he said. “I didn’t think much about having it with me because I sure don’t have a cell signal out there, but I do at the pod chamber.”

Great chapter, Tracie. But hurry back here now and give us something... anything!

tracie tracie tracie. great new part, but wow. i love kyle's last statement to the guys. and the antarian eraser room is back. ok whats up with the freaky oracle type liz thing. so antar is no more. well zan did say he was giving his thrown away

Tracie what have I said about being an evil cliffie Queen? Come bakhere pronto and give me the next part!! I need to know whats gonna happen.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW CAN YOU KILL ALMOST ALL ANTARIANS??????????
are they on the Gadori planet???????
That was freaky with Liz telling this prophecy!!!!! I hope they find many many more antarians!!!!!!!!

I am really sorry that I keep forgetting to look on this site for updates, I keep waiting for emails like in ff.net......
still have to get used to this system

I really really like... LOVE this fic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great chapter!!!!
Looking forward to how you save the antarian planet and how you made Liz talk like in trance (i don't recall her doing that before) as well as all the Antarian People!!!!!!!!

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Nine

“Liz!” Max shouted. He rushed to the Granolith and pulled her out, cradling her unconscious body in his arms. He brushed her hair back from her face and looked at her closely, checking for signs of injury.

“Max?” Maria asked, her voice trembling with fear. “Is she…”

“No,” he whispered gratefully. “She’s just,”

“She’s unconscious, but she’s okay,” Kyle said, stepping closer. “I can feel her.”

“Look, she’s starting to wake up,” Ava said.

The all looked down, and sure enough, Liz showed signs of regaining consciousness. Her eyes flickered several times before opening, and she looked around the room, with a dazed expression.

“Anybody mind telling me what the hell just happened?” she asked.

“Well, from where I stood, you just did a Vulcan mind meld with the Granolith,” Alex said.

“Oh, yeah,” Liz said, trying to recall what happened. “I guess that’s a fairly accurate description. The Granolith wants us to know that what we tried did eliminate the Gadori, but it didn’t matter. Antar’s geological structure couldn’t handle the rapid changes. We don’t have long, we need to find the surviving Antarians and try to evacuate the planet.”

“Damn it,” said Zan. “This planet is huge, and there are cities all over it. We’ll never be able to find them all.”

“Yeah, we will,” Liz said, her voice bleak. “There are less than a hundred Antarians left,” said Liz. “The Granolith is able to sense it, and it also has a way of warning people. They’re on their way to the palace right now.”

“A hundred people?” Zan asked in horror. “Everyone else is dead? Oh my God, what have I done?”

“Actually she said less than a hundred,” Michael said, quickly followed by an oof and an ouch when Maria elbowed him in the stomach.

“You’ve done nothing, Zan, except try to save your people and your home,” Shandar said, her tone vehement. “You didn’t know none of us knew what the end result would be. What we need to focus on now, is finding the survivors and getting them out of here.”

Shandar’s message shook Zan from his reverie, and he struggled to organize his thoughts. “Okay, we need to find the people, no, wait, Liz said the Granolith directed them to come to the palace. How?” he added, shooting Liz a puzzled glance.

“Don’t ask me,” she said. “I’m just the messenger.”

“The Granolith is the prime essence of the collective consciousness,” said Michael. “It has the power to tap into the conscious of each and every Antarian. Normally it won’t because it considers such a process to be invasive and takes away free will. I’m guessing that in this case, however, it decided that in order to save what’s left of Antar, it would be worth it to kind of squish free will and get everybody to come to the palace.”

A shocked silence filled the room at the conclusion of Michael’s speech.

“It looks like Michael,” Isabel said. “The voice even sounds like Michael, but what’s coming out of the mouth – well, that’s just not Michael.”

“Shut up, Isabel. I told you – I’ve been accessing the collective consciousness,” Michael said. “And, I’ve learned a lot,” he added, defensively. “You know, I’m getting kind of sick of you guys thinking I’m not smart. I am smart,” Michael added, defensively.

“We know, Space Boy, we know,” said Maria, patting his shoulder. “Its just that you show that side of your self so little, that we tend to forget. Now, since you seem to be the one in the know, what do we do now, Michael?”

“Now, we get our asses outside, and try and find those hundred or so people,” said Michael.

“Now that’s strange,” Isabel whispered to Ava. “Isn’t it supposed to be ‘What do we do now, Max?’” Both girls burst into giggles despite the seriousness of the situation and followed the others down the stairs leading to the central hall of the palace.

As they left the palace, Maria pulled Liz aside. Are you okay, chica, I was really worried about you, seeing you floating around in the Granolith.”

“Well, it wasn’t a Disney ride, but it didn’t hurt,” Liz said. “It was almost like I was above myself, watching it all happen.”

“Oh wow, you mean like you had an out of body experience?” Maria asked excitedly. “You astrally projected? How cool. Did you see the silver cord leading from you spirit back to your body?”

“Maria, you should probably breath now,” Liz suggested. “And no, I didn’t see a cord, but it was kind of like that time I warned Max when he was in New York with Tess.”

“Man, you get all the good powers,” Maria grumbled, good-naturedly.

“Yeah, but you get to be a general, so it’s all good in the ….” Her voice trailed off as they reached the courtyard and found it filled with confused Antarians.

Zan jumped up on a low roof of a guard building and addressed his people for what was possibly the last time.

“People of Antar,” he called. “I have terrible news. This planet is no longer stable and it is not safe for us to remain. Unbeknownst to us, the Gadori have been infiltrating our ranks for years. Their goal has been the complete takeover of Antar. For years, the moved slowly, working with Kivar to take the place of Antarian citizens. It wasn’t until the Granolith returned that they began to fear their plans would fail.”

The people in the courtyard began to grumble and Zan paused and gave them time to digest this information. After several minutes had passed, he continued his speech.

“You are all that are left of Antar, my friends. We can take you to safety on the very planet that sheltered myself, and the rest of the royals, for so long. To stay here is to cause you certain death. We will not force anyone to leave, but again, to stay is to die. If you wish to return with us, I ask you to please come stand beside King Max, and Queen Liz.”

The people talked quietly among themselves for several minutes before they all moved to stand by Liz and Max. Zan heaved a sigh of relief, he said he wouldn’t force them to leave, but when it came right down to it, he knew he couldn’t leave anybody behind.

Michael and Max began fitting belts on the citizens, taking the youngest children first. Zan waited until the last possible second and slipped his belt on Shandar. He nodded to Michael who was making the trip back to Earth with the first group. He activated the belt and stepped aside and watched as Shandar vanished, along with the other Antarians, from sight.

“She is going to be so pissed at you,” Max said.

“Yeah, I know,” Zan said with a sigh. “But what could I do, Max. Valrik’s down there, and on the off chance something goes wrong up here, he should have at least one parent around.”

“No arguments here,” Max said, “however, there are four women over there who are plenty pissed with you.”

Zan looked over and saw that Max was right. Liz, Ava, Maria and Isabel were staring at him, and if an Antarians power were based in his eyes, he would surely be dead right now. A fact that was confirmed when the air around them shimmered briefly and Michael and Shandar appeared before them. She said nothing to Zan, and instead, slapped across the face and went to stand with Liz and the others.

“Yeah, that worked real well,” Michael said. “Luckily for me, I was able to convince her I was just following the orders of my King.”

“Yeah, lucky for you, Shandar doesn’t know you very well, or she would never have bought that,” Alex said moving to stand next to Michael as the ground beneath their feet began to rumble ominously.

“Not wanting to be the serious one here,” Kyle said. “But I don’t think we have a lot of time. We still have people to get out, and then, since I don’t plan on dying any time soon, WE need to get the hell out. Michael, what’s happening back home?”

“Man, your dad is the bomb,” said Michael. “He and Max’s dad have two freaking school buses waiting to bring people back. And Liz’s folks opened up the CrashDown to feed everybody. And Maria’s mom, God, I see where Maria gets it from. Apparently, she and Cal bought that empty office building next to the CrashDown and turned it into refugee central. The rest of the parents are buying sleeping bags and clothes and stuff for people. It’s amazing.”

“Well, it’s all going to be for nothing if we don’t get moving,” said Liz, who had come to join them. “Look.”

The others followed the track of her arm that pointed to the double suns of Antar that usually moved in unison across the heavens. Instead of sweeping across the sky, the two suns split now pulled away from each other and moved in opposite directions, signaling what could only be the end of Antar.

Antar go BOOM!!

And they need to get off it pronto. Can't wait to see what happens next Tracie.

What??? only a hundred somewhat people??? plus the ones on Earth...
I hope there is a way to save Antar!!!

How are they gonna live in Roswell??? Without being found by the Special Unit????

Really wonder what is gonna happen!!!!

Aligewe wrote:What??? only a hundred somewhat people??? plus the ones on Earth...
I hope there is a way to save Antar!!!

How are they gonna live in Roswell??? Without being found by the Special Unit????

Really wonder what is gonna happen!!!!

ah yes, but there IS no special unit - it was merely a creation of the evil mind warping hell beast that i explained away In Love Changes Everything

WOW!!! i can't believe I forgot about that!!!!

Wow! That is so... well, wow! It does sound like Antar is done for. Can the granolith save it now, I wonder? And the parents are getting everything ready for disaster relief! 8) Cool!

“It looks like Michael,” Isabel said. “The voice even sounds like Michael, but what’s coming out of the mouth – well, that’s just not Michael.”

oh i got it. the special unity are the gadori...or however you spell it. i think you and gerry come up with names to hurt those of us spell challanged. i love the slap across the face. poor zan when will you learn.

antar go boom thats funny. well its fairing better than krypton...only one made it out

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Sixty

The land beneath their feet rumbled ominously, and a scream from the remaining crowd ripped through the air. Max looked into the crowd and his face paled when he saw the chasm that had opened in the courtyard of the palace.

“Zan, how many people are left?” he asked.

Zan did a rapid head count and related the depressing number to Max. There were still well over fifty people, not including themselves to be returned to Earth, and time was running out.

“We have to get them out of here, Maxwell,” Michael said.

“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know,” said Max. He heaved a sigh of relief when Alex and Isabel materialized in front of them after their trip to Earth with the last group of Antarians. They had decided to go in rotating teams of two so that none of them would become over tired from making repeat trips to Earth and back.

“Who’s next?” Alex asked, fumbling with the release mechanism on his belt.

“Kyle and Ava,” said Michael, taking the remaining belts from Isabel and fastening them on the next group of Antarians. “But where the hell are they?”

“Right here,” said Kyle running up to join them. He dropped a large bag on the ground at Max’s feet, revealing another cache of transporter belts.

“Where the hell did those come from?” Michael asked.

“The belt fairy,” said Kyle. “Where the hell do you think they came from? I went back to the Training Academy and found some more that Alex had been working on. He hid them before we did our big battle thing.”

“And promptly forgot about them,” Alex groaned. “How could I be so stupid?”

“Alex, you’re not stupid,” said Max. “You’ve had a lot on your mind. We all have. What matters is that we have them now. Uh, they do all work, don’t they?”

“Yeah, they do,” Alex said. “And there should be about twenty five of them, right?”

“Yep,” said Kyle. “So let’s get moving.”

Ava reached out and grabbed a handful of the belts and began to fasten them on the remaining children. By unspoken consent, the rest followed suit until all the children and the few remaining elderly people were all belted. Kyle and Ava fastened their belts while Zan counted down. When he reached the end, the group activated their belts and vanished from sight.

It was a much smaller group that remained in the courtyard to watch as the two suns drifted farther apart. The ground rumbled ominously, and in the distance, they watched as buildings in the central market area crumbled to the ground.

Several people in the crowd began to cry as they watched the plumes of dust shoot up into the sky.

“People of Antar, don’t despair!” Zan called out. “You will soon be safe. I know it’s hard leaving everything you have known, but our people have done this before to survive, and we will do it again.”

“What is Earth like?” one young man called out.

Zan smiled and looked at his friends. “Earth is a wonderful place,” he said. “How could it not be, Alex, Kyle, Maria and Liz all come from Earth and they are wonderful people.”

Liz looked at Zan, the doppelganger of her husband and smiled.

“Earth is like Antar,” she said. “There are good people and there are bad. There is much to like about our world, and we will work with you to help you survive.”

“That’s right,” Michael added. “Just remember these two words, and you’ll be fine.”

“What two words?” the same person from the crowd called out.

“Tabasco Sauce!” Michael said amid the laughter of his friends.

And it was to laughter that Kyle and Ava returned to Antar with the remainder of the transporter belts. They made short work of strapping the belts on those who remained. Zan took one last look around to make certain there were no stragglers before giving the signal to all of them to press the transport button on the belts.

Just as the Antarians faded from sight, another tremor shook the ground. There was a sharp crack, almost like an explosion, and the palace slowly imploded upon itself. When the dust cleared, it was to reveal nine people still remaining. Zan laughed at the site of his family and friends, all standing there with the same sheepish look on their faces as he was sure was on his.

“I just wanted a chance to say goodbye,” he explained to the others.

“I think we all did,” said Zan. “I’m sad to see it end. This is the first place I ever felt like I belonged.”

“You belong with us, Zan,” Ava said, moving in to hug her oldest friend. “All of us – we belong together.”

“You’re right,” he admitted. “I just hate saying goodbye.”

“You’re not saying goodbye,” said Max. “There are people on Earth who need you, and are going to look to you for guidance. And more importantly, there is a woman over there, who if I’m not mistaken, has fallen in love with you, and a child who needs his father.”

“Max and Ava are right,” said Isabel. “You’re still the king, Zan, and you still have people to lead. They’re waiting for you.”

“Uh, look, as touching as this is,” said Kyle. “I think we need to get the hell out of here.” He pointed to the sky. The double suns, which had earlier started to drift apart, now moved toward each other at an alarming rate.

“On three!” Zan shouted. “One, two, three!”

On his signal, they activated their belts and left Antar for what would be the last time. As they disappeared from sight, the two suns collided in a violent explosion, and Antar was no more.
** * ** * **
Their arrival in the Granolith chamber was met with cheers by the remaining Antarians, and Kyle’s father. Sheriff Valenti pushed through the crowd to hug each one of them in turn, almost as if to reassure himself that they had survived.

“I can’t tell you how good it is to have you standing here in front of me,” he said, giving Kyle and Ava and extra hug. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks, Jim,” Zan said, still saddened by the loss of the world he had come to call home. “Thank you for everything you did. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you did for these people.”

“It was nothing,” said Jim. “And it wasn’t just me, we all did our part. The last bus should be back in a few minutes, and we’ll get you back to town.”

“How is everybody settling in?” Max asked.

“You’d be amazed,” said Jim. “Amy, and Cal bought the building next to the CrashDown, and moved everybody into it. It’s not exactly set up for living, but we’re making do. I can’t believe how quickly Cal was able to get his hands on the amount of money needed to buy the building so quickly, but he did. Nancy and Jeff have been cooking up a storm, and Diane, and Alex’s folks have been taking people out in groups of two and three to get them outfitted for clothing.”

“God, this is going to get so expensive,” Michael said. “Looks like it’s time for another trip to Vegas,” he added, half joking.

“None of your money has been touched,” said Jim. “Cal’s paying for everything. And it seems as though he knows some pretty unsavory type people who can help us come up with identities for the people you brought back.”

“Wow, that’s pretty incredible,” Max said. “Man, maybe we should have let all of you handle all our problems.”

“Maybe you should have,” said Philip Evans, who had returned with the empty bus to the pod chamber. “But we still understand why you didn’t.”

Max reached out and hugged his father, and reveled in the knowledge that no matter what, his parents would always love him. Philip released Max and hugged his daughter just as tightly. When he released Isabel, he stepped forward and hugged Liz, Alex, Michael, Maria, Kyle and Ava. From there, he walked over to where Zan stood, self consciously trying not to watch the loving reunion.

“Welcome home, son,” Philip said, simply. He pulled Zan into his arms and hugged him tightly.

Zan felt himself tense up reflexively at first, but he forced himself to relax. It meant more than he could ever say to have the man that raised Max accept him so unhesitatingly.

“And you must be Shandar,” Philip said, opening his arms to the Antarian woman. “I have something here that belongs to you.”

Philip looked behind him and nodded, and someone passed an infant carrier forward. “You have a beautiful little boy,” he said, passing the carrier to Shandar. “But he missed his Mom and Dad. Zan, I know you have parents in Drinian and Kitana, and Diane and I don’t want to overstep or anything, but please know that we already love you both very much, and would be honored if you would call us Mom and Dad.”

Philip stepped away, seemingly embarrassed by his somewhat emotional outburst. “I’ll – I’m just going to go help Jim get the last of the people on the bus. We uh, we brought your cars out earlier, so you can just follow us into town.” He passed three sets of keys to Max and moved to follow Jim to the entrance of the chamber.

“Hey, uh, Dad, thanks!” a voice called out.

Philip paused momentarily and looked first at Max, who was grinning widely then to Zan, whose grin mirrored Max’s in everything but size. If anything, it was bigger.

“You’re welcome, son,” said Philip, returning the smile with one of his own.

** * ** *

In a matter of minutes, the chamber emptied, leaving only Max, Liz and the others alone in the silence. By unspoken consent, they stood in their original foursquare positions around the Granolith, Zan and Shandar, again joining Max and Liz in their corner. The Granolith hummed slightly, and filled the chamber and bathing them all with a soft glowing light. After several minutes, the light dimmed, leaving them all filled with a sense of both sadness and contentment.

“It’s over,” Max said. “Antar is no more.”

“Yeah, but I think everything is going to be all right,” said Michael. “I think the Granolith was letting us know we did the best we could.”

“Yeah,” Zan said, finally. “I think we really did, and now, I think we have a bigger task ahead of us. There are about a hundred people who are going to need our help learning how to live in this world.”

“Don’t worry,” Maria said. “By the time we get done with them, nobody will ever be able to tell they aren’t from around here.”

“By the time Maria gets done with them,” Alex whispered to Isabel and Kyle, “They’ll probably be begging us to send them back to whatever’s left of Antar.”

“I heard that!” Maria said.

And so, laughing eight of the friends exited the Granolith chamber and walked out into the hot desert sunshine.

** * ** *

“What do you think?” Max asked Liz after everyone left the chamber.

“About?”

“About anything,” Max said. “You were so upset when all of this happened, and we really haven’t had much of a chance to talk about anything that happened.”

“You know what, Max? There really isn’t anything left to say. I was furious to think that we were the cause of Agnes and Jose’s death, but later I realized it wasn’t us. Death is a part of life, and there are good and bad people everywhere. Yes, both of them died because of the Gadori, but they could just as well have died at the hands of humans. I can’t control the world, and I can’t fix it. All I can do is make sure that I live my life the best I can and stay happy, and I’m happiest when I’m with you.”

“And?” Max prompted.

“And I think from this day forward, I’m going to worry a little less about everything, and stop trying to be the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and yeah, even the perfect wife, and I’m just going to be me, Liz Parker Evans, enjoying her life with the love of her life.”

Max leaned down and kissed her, gently at first then with more passion as she responded. So engrossed were they in their kiss that neither of them noticed the Granolith returning back to life and filling the chamber with twin beams of light in pink and blue.

The End

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
I just hope that the granolith coming back to life is a way of you signaling that there will be a next story....
PLEASE???????
Pretty please??????
I don't really know what to say about this story... let me think... yeah I come up with nothing I didn't like (other than you destroying Antar...)
I really liked the teasing, the jokes, the groups interaction all together. So yeah.... I don't really know what else to say other than

I LOVE THIS STORY!!!!!!! AND I HOPE THERE WILL BE A SEQUAL!!!!!!!!!

And so we come to the end of another Majiklmoon masterpiece! : That was great, Tracie! I'm still reeling from the loss of Antar, but it has potential. And I'm thinking those pink and blue beams the granolith produced were significant. It wouldn't be seeding a new Antar would it... through Max and Liz? 8)

“Right here,” said Kyle running up to join them. He dropped a large bag on the ground at Max’s feet, revealing another cache of transporter belts.

“Where the hell did those come from?” Michael asked.

“The belt fairy,” said Kyle. “Where the hell do you think they came from? I went back to the Training Academy and found some more that Alex had been working on. He hid them before we did our big battle thing.”

The belt fairy!

“That’s right,” Michael added. “Just remember these two words, and you’ll be fine.”

“What two words?” the same person from the crowd called out.

“Tabasco Sauce!” Michael said amid the laughter of his friends.

Michael would say that!

“I think we all did,” said Zan. “I’m sad to see it end. This is the first place I ever felt like I belonged.”

Awww... it would be harder on Zan. But he'll be the king in exile now.

“God, this is going to get so expensive,” Michael said. “Looks like it’s time for another trip to Vegas,” he added, half joking.

“None of your money has been touched,” said Jim. “Cal’s paying for everything. And it seems as though he knows some pretty unsavory type people who can help us come up with identities for the people you brought back.”

Must be nice to have the Vegas touch to get you through! And yeah, I'll bet Cal does know some people!

“By the time Maria gets done with them,” Alex whispered to Isabel and Kyle, “They’ll probably be begging us to send them back to whatever’s left of Antar.”

“I heard that!” Maria said.

That was great!

But it's over. *sniff* :

Loved it!