The Four Faces of Rath - (CC, ALL, YTEEN) -Ch 66-71 - 8/6/05

Post by **majiklmoon** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 9:56 pm

I'm slowly catching up <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/ufo.gif ALT=":ufo"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/ufo.gif ALT=":ufo"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/ufo.gif ALT=":ufo"> <center>It all started with a boy, a girl, and a silver handprint.</center><center><a href=http://pub84.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsrealm><img src=http://members.aol.com/majiklmoon/image ... a></center>

vecastone · Post by **vecastone** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 12:45 pm

Yeah !! I finally finished reading the updates. Great work. !!<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> I must say I am still reading "The night the dreams died" I found the post timing very intriguing and then Maya´s dream appeared and voilá !!! I understood why I was suspicious <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"> Awesome idea !!! <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/idea.gif ALT=":idea">

isndbreeze · Post by **isndbreeze** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 4:12 am

Thanks for the feedback Isabel, Melisa, Tracie, and Veca! Hehe! Yeah, Melisa, the pawgor's nose was a bit too friendly for the poor dragons! That comment made me really laugh! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/roll.gif ALT=":rollin"> And Tracie<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/wavey.gif ALT=":wave"> RL can be a real slave master! I know! But it pays the bills, so... what can we do. ::sigh:: Maybe you can get some time off for good behavior. (I know! Everything good is either fattening, immoral, or... what was the other thing? Oh, yeah, illegal. Anyway, you know what I mean. So you have my okay to just fake the good behavior if you want to) <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> This next chapter really starts to join the two stories together. What happens now on Antar will be in TFFOR, and what happens on Earth will be in TNTDD... until they come together. Enjoy! <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>

isndbreeze · Post by **isndbreeze** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 4:14 am

The Four Faces of Rath E.T. Call Home Chapter 56 LVI The young AVMTech at the Antar Space Field outside CoruzAntar knocked anxiously on the door of his supervisor’s office. “Enter! The door’s open!” “Sir! We are receiving a transmission from a ship that was lost seventy years ago. We have video and audio from the vessel.” The supervisor looked up, obviously interested. “Where is it? Do we know which vessel it is?” “Yes, sir. A70932. It was lost 70 years ago on Eluymer, the planet Zan and Rath grew up on. It was one of the original ships sent there… part of the scouting mission sent to find a secure site for the pods and the granolith. After the primary ship crashed, two ships returned, and a fourth disappeared.” “Yes, I remember. It was always believed that it stayed on Eluymer, or ‘Earth’ as the Eluymerians call it, to try to rescue the crew of the crashed vessel and help to secure the… cargo. I guess we can say it now, the pods. It’s no longer a secret… Kivar is only a bad memory now. No one from that ship ever returned, and they never contacted the home base again. After twenty years, it was all but taken for granted that the entire crew was lost due to some unknown tragedy.” “Yes, sir. Well, the E.T. came back on unexpectedly this morning. You will want to see the video and audio that have been intercepted from the ship since the telemetry began arriving again.” “Do you have it with you, Dak?” “Yes, sir!” The young tech took a small crystal from his pocket and inserted it into a device on the supervisor’s desk. A screen on the opposite wall came on. As they watched, the vessel’s onboard camera, called an Emergency Telemetry Monitor, or E.T. for short, suddenly came to life; then, a second later, the door to the control room opened and someone walked in. It was a woman. “Sir, I know this woman,” the young tech said. “It’s Varec’s wife.” “The Eluymerian?” The supervisor seemed surprised. “Hmmm… yes, it does look like her… but this woman is younger than Varec’s wife. And besides, I saw Varec and his wife only yesterday here in CoruzAntar. They were on their way to that Eluymerian ‘Café,’ the ‘CrashDown,’ to eat.” “It’s a good restaurant, sir.” The supervisor nodded. “It’s very popular with the younger people. I know older ones who like it, too, though. Dak, did you say that this signal just began coming in this morning?” “Yes, sir.” “Hmmm.” As they watched, the young woman looked up suddenly and stared directly into the tiny camera, which was no bigger than a small sunflower seed. The E.T. was attached magnetically to a wire-thin but unbendable bar that ran across the ceiling of the craft. The young woman reached up and removed the tiny camera from the bar… then, after examining it, she appeared to attach it to herself in some manner. “I believe she has attached it to a ring on her finger, sir,” the young tech said. The supervisor nodded. For a time, the young woman sat in the pilot’s seat, thinking… and occasionally looking around at the console and systems monitors. Then she appeared to be about to leave, but as she stood up, she stopped again suddenly. “Why did she stop,” the supervisor asked. “You’ll see in just a moment, sir. Here it is now.” The young woman moved her hand, and the two men saw that six armed soldiers were pointing weapons at her. The supervisor gasped. “Eluymerian soldiers! …in charge of our craft! Where is our crew? Who is this woman?” The young tech shook his head. “Not certain, sir. She does look very much like Varec’s wife to me, though, sir. It is possible, given the evidence seen here, that the Eluymerians also have our crew. If that is the case, I would not be overly optimistic about their survival after seventy years, sir.” The supervisor shook his head sadly. “I’m afraid I have to agree with you, Dak.” As Dak and his supervisor watched, the young woman made an oddly nonchalant remark; by all appearances, seeming to take the danger she was in much too lightly… “I must have taken a wrong turn off of 285. Imagine that! I’ll just be on my way if you gentlemen will move aside.” The supervisor looked at Dak questioningly. “What is 285, Dak?” “I don’t know, sir. By their reaction, I believe that she is being insincere with them… possibly offering an explanation for why she is there.” The supervisor nodded. “Yes, and she believes that they will allow her to leave, but it appears that this is a misconception on her part.” At that moment, another soldier, one who appeared to have a higher ranking, showed up and stood between the young woman and the six men with guns. “General Hawkins wants to see you… Now!” The young woman replied in a facetious tone that both the supervisor and Dak understood readily, “Well, really guys, I don’t think the General and I hit it off so well the last time we were together. That was kind of a relationship that just wasn’t meant to be, you know what I mean? If you’ll just tell the General that for me, I’m sure he’ll understand, and…” The young soldier with the higher rank stepped out of the way, and the weapons all went to ready. “Okay, okay. I’m going! But I’m telling you, this is not my idea of a good time. The General needs to find a girl who’s more into S&M. I’m more plain vanilla… Okay, maybe raspberry, really, I guess, but…” “Move it!” the young soldier with the higher rank said in an annoyed tone. “And shut up.” The soldiers forced the young woman to walk a considerable distance down several long halls until they came to an office, which appeared to be their final destination. The one with the higher rank opened the door and they all went in, forcing the young woman to enter ahead of them. The soldiers kept their weapons pointed at the young woman as she went in. Inside, there was a man seated behind a desk. He appeared to be someone of importance as far as the soldiers were concerned. Even the young soldier with the higher rank showed deference to him. “Mrs. DeLuca,” the man behind the desk said, in a very annoyed tone, “You have done what no one else has ever managed to do in all the years I have been in the military. You have made me look like a complete fool.” The young woman shrugged. “It was nothing, sir, really.” The supervisor looked at Dak and smiled. “I think I like her, Dak. She has sh’mys. She appears not to like this man, and he has an air of pompousness to him that I find distasteful.” “Yes, sir,” the young Tech said. “I agree, sir.” “Mrs. DeLuca, what am I going to do with you?” the pompous-looking man behind the desk asked. “Well, sir, I tried to tell these boys that it just wasn’t going to work out between us. I’m really not looking for the Romeo and Juliet thing right now, you know…” “Romeo and Juliet wasn’t what I had in mind, Mrs. DeLuca. I was thinking more along the lines of Henry the eighth.” The supervisor reached up and stopped the playback momentarily. “Dak… Isn’t DeLuca the name of Varec’s wife?” “I believe so, sir. She uses two names, like most Eluymerians. Her full unmarried name was Amy DeLuca.” “But how can this woman be Varec’s wife if this transmission came from Eluymer today, and I saw Varec’s wife here only yesterday?” “Maybe she went to Eluymer with the sphere that Zan uses,” the young tech said. “Yes, that’s possible, I guess,” the supervisor agreed. “But still, this woman is years younger than Varec’s wife, wouldn’t you agree?” “Um, yes, sir. It would appear so, sir. I can’t explain it.” The supervisor replayed the last two lines of the transmission. “Well, sir, I tried to tell these boys that it just wasn’t going to work out between us. I’m really not looking for the Romeo and Juliet thing right now, you know…” “Romeo and Juliet wasn’t what I had in mind, Mrs. DeLuca. I was thinking more along the lines of Henry the eighth.” “Do you know who this Romeo and Juliet are that she is referring to, Dak… or the Henry the eighth that he is referring to? It could be important.” “Yes, sir,” the tech said. “Actually, I saw something only a few days ago about them on the Eluymer channel… the virtual link that Varec established to the Eluymerian’s cable system. Romeo and Juliet were two young lovers, barely teenagers, who were not allowed to be together. He killed himself because he believed that she had died, but she had not. When she saw that he had killed himself, she killed herself, too.” The supervisor seemed perplexed. “Do you think this young woman, DeLuca, intends to kill herself? These people are so strange. I do not always understand them.” “I believe… sir… that she is probably referring to her relationship with the pompous one in the chair. She means that he is her Romeo and she is his Juliet… romantically.” “You cannot mean that, Dak.” “Well… perhaps she was being facetious, sir. I believe she did say that being Romeo and Juliet with him was not her desire, not that it was her desire.” “I’m sure that is what she meant, Dak. It is obvious that she does not like the man. Who is this Henry the eighth that he compared himself to?” “Henry the eighth was a king on Eluymer who had many of his wives executed. Their heads were cut off.” “So he is threatening her by comparing himself to this king?” “Yes, I believe so, sir. I believe that is her impression, too, based on her reaction.” “Play the rest, Dak.” The young tech started the sequence again from where it had left off.  “You wouldn’t do anything to me, General. Too many people know where I am,” the young woman said. The pompous man shook his head. “Your car was seen driving off the base about three hours ago. It went over the side of Bald Mountain near the upper pass. That was a drop of about 700 feet, I believe. I understand it was a very fiery crash. The sheriff of Copper City is on the site now, but no remains have been found. The fire was so intense, you know…” “Dak, I believe this woman is in danger. Even I understood that to be a threat.” “Yes, sir.” “You can’t just get rid of me, General…” the young woman said. The pompous man smiled and nodded, indicating that he believed that he could. “Corporal, take Mrs. DeLuca away… and make sure that her departure is permanent.” “Permanent, sir?” “Permanent, Corporal. You heard me.” The young woman held up her ring. “General, do you know what this is?” “A ring? You think I’m worried about your husband? You don’t have one, Mrs. DeLuca. Don’t you think I know that? And if you did, it wouldn’t matter.” The young woman detached the tiny E.T. and held it in her hand. “Not the ring, General, the camera.” “Let me see that!” the pompous officer said, the smile on his face quickly fading away. The corporal took it from Amy’s hand and handed it to the General. He turned it over several times. “Where did you get this?” “From the TV station,” the young woman said, obviously lying. “Everything going on here is being recorded by all three local networks… and by now probably by CNN and Fox, too.” “I don’t believe you.” “It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not.” The pompous man swallowed, and there was a long pause. “Corporal!” the pompous man said at end. “Yes, sir!” “Didn’t you hear me? Escort Mrs. DeLuca off the base, and make sure that she stays away from here permanently this time. You got that?” “Just off the base, sir?” “Of course, just off the base! What did you think I meant?” “Yes, sir.” “Oh, and Mrs. DeLuca… I was trying to make a point with you about how dangerous it can be for a civilian to be running around out here unaccompanied. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” “Of course not,” the young woman said. “What about my car?” “It was damaged, Mrs. DeLuca. It was unsafe to drive… and since it was on the base, it was our obligation to dispose of it in a safe manner. As I told you, it was being towed to a recycling plant, but it broke loose on the pass and went over the side. Fortunately, no one was in it, so there was no one hurt in the accident.” “That car was my only means of transportation.” The pompous man seemed to be making a forced effort to smile. “I’ll see if we can find you a replacement, Mrs. DeLuca. The Army wasn’t responsible for what happened to your car, you know. The damage to your car was your own fault. We had to dispose of it responsibly. But I’m sure Washington would not want to make a big deal out of this. I’ll get you a new car.” “New?” “New,” the pompous man muttered. “Corporal!” “Yes, sir!” The General pointed at the door. After the soldiers had taken the young woman away, the General continued to examine the tiny monitor. “Lieutenant!” “Yes, sir!” “Have you ever seen anything like this?” “Looks like a spy camera, sir.” “I know what it looks like, lieutenant. Have you ever seen one like this one?” “Well… not this small, sir. But they’re making them smaller every day.” “Hmmm, yes, but I’m usually kept abreast of developments that might be useful to me. Lieutenant, how did the DeLuca woman get into the craft?” “The bottom hatch was left open, sir. The crew trying to get into the control room was planning to return later today to try again with a new type of torch.” “But the DeLuca woman got into the control room, lieutenant. I want to know how!” “We don’t know how, sir. After she came back out, the door closed again.” “And it didn’t occur to any of you to put something there to jam it or station someone inside the control room while the door was open?” “Uh, no sir. How would someone inside get back out after the door closed?” “I don’t know, lieutenant! I don’t care! Maybe there’s a door handle inside!” “I don’t think so, sir.” “Lieutenant, we’ve had this craft in our hangar for sixty years… give or take a few years… and no one, ever, has been able to find so much as a seam or a rivet anywhere on the craft. We can’t dismantle it. No one has ever been able to get into the control room. No torch or blaster will melt or penetrate the metal… or whatever the hell it is the thing’s made of. It has frustrated every effort we have made to open the control room or dismantle the ship for SIXTY DAMN YEARS! And that woman just goes in and, open-sesame! The door opens for her?” “It seems that way, sir.” “Find out why! I want someone watching that woman twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I don’t want her to go to the bathroom without someone knowing where she is. You got that?” “Yes, sir!” “Good. I’m surprised she didn’t ask you idiots if there was a key and fly the thing away under your noses! Get out of here. Oh, and lieutenant…” “Sir?” “Find out who makes these tiny spycams. I need some. And find out why I wasn’t advised of their development. I don’t like having local TV networks using equipment that I didn’t even know existed.” “Yes, sir!” The General put the tiny monitor into a desk drawer and closed the drawer. With no light or sound reaching it any more, the little camera cut itself off. The supervisor and Dak both knew that it could come back on at any time, though, if the General should decide to take it out of his drawer again at some future time. “Dak, I think Zan and Rath need to see this. I’m going to take it to them right now. Continue monitoring the transmissions in case the pompous Eluymerian general takes our monitoring device back out of his drawer.” “Yes, sir.” <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> At the palace, Max and Liz huddled in front of the VidScreen with Alex and Isabel, as the supervisor from the spaceport watched from behind them. Max turned the VidScreen off and removed the small crystal, then he handed it to the supervisor. “You were right, Kesvyn. This is important.” “I thought you would want to know about it immediately, Zan. The fact that an Antarian craft… and possibly Antarian crewmen… are being held by Eluymerian soldiers… Then there is also the danger to the young woman, though it would seem that she was able to talk her way out of being executed… for now at least. Dak and I were thinking that this young woman looks very much like Varec’s wife.” Max nodded. “It is Varec’s wife, Kesvyn.” “But I saw her with Varec only yesterday, Zan. They were on their way to the CrashDown.” “The young woman in the transmission is Amy DeLuca,” Max said. “But not the Amy we know here on Antar. I’m not entirely sure what is going on, Kesvyn. We may be receiving transmissions from the past…” “Or from another dimension…” Alex offered. Max nodded. “We don’t have any experience with dimensional theory or travel. We’ve never proven that alternate dimensions even exist… or that they don’t exist, of course. But we have had experience with traveling to the past.” “If this was from a past timeline,” Alex said, “Amy would remember this happening to her… and she would have mentioned it, don’t you think?” Max nodded. “It would seem so, Alex. “What is the difference between a timeline and a dimension anyway?” “A timeline is a branch or alteration of the existing past,” Liz said. “It can change, depending on the factors that affect and shape it. But only one timeline can exist at a time. Once a part of a timeline is changed, the entire timeline is changed. It’s like going back and killing your grandfather… You would never be born, and the entire timeline would be changed. On the other hand, theoretically, at least, there could be any number of dimensions all existing at the same time, and each dimension could have its own progression of events. Dimensions wouldn’t have to be the same. In an alternate dimension, for instance, your dupes from New York might be living here on Antar now, and the Antarian scientists might not have ever created another set… so you might not exist. Or Kivar might still control Antar. There could be any number of possibilities. Max and Tess could be married…” Max threw a pillow playfully at Liz. “Some things were meant to be, Liz, and some things never were. I don’t see that happening in any dimension!” “Wasn’t Zan married to Ava in the past that Michael went back to,” Liz asked. “You know, the older Zan and Ava? Michael said they were quite happy together.” “Yeah, they were,” Max agreed. “But they were an extension of the past… In that timeline, we were never killed, so we never went to Earth and never met you and Maria… The older me and Rath and Ava were kind of like… us before there was us, you know… or us if there never was an us.” “That’s true.” “Believe me, Liz,” Max said. “There’s only one girl for me in any dimension.” “That remains to be seen, Max. But I like it that you think so.” Liz leaned over and kissed Max, which to Max’s embarrassment, seemed to have the approval of everyone in the room, judging by the smiles and applause, especially from Alex. “Just wait, Alex. I’ll catch you and Isabel all wrapped up together sometime. Payback is coming.” Isabel looked at Alex and grinned. “Uh, moving right along here,” Alex said… “Well, the question, as I see it,” Max said… “is what are we going to do with this information? And there’s something else that may possibly be involved here. I don’t know if it’s related, but Maya has had dreams… or perhaps visions… recently of something unexplainable going on. Maya saw Liz in a wheelchair, and she said that she thought her mother looked younger… like a teenager. She said that she saw someone shoot Liz from a tree, but then Jim Valenti chopped the tree down, and when she looked again, Liz was not shot. Then a couple of days later, Maya saw me in a coffin, and she said I looked younger, too.” “It could be related, Max,” Liz agreed. “You and I were younger in Maya’s visions, and Amy is younger in this transmission…” “But the transmission was sent today,” Kesvyn said. “Yeah, Alex nodded, “but if we’re picking up some kind of vibes from, like, an alternate dimension or something, maybe we’re all still younger there… like Liz said… We wouldn’t have to be the same.” “That could be,” Max agreed. “But then the thought occurs to me that maybe it might be wrong for us to interfere at all in another dimension’s… progression… or whatever. You know what I mean?” “What?” Isabel said… “You mean if Liz was going to be killed, you wouldn’t want to save her, Max?” “No, I didn’t say that, Iz. I’d want to… You know that. I just don’t know if I should.” “But would you?” Isabel asked. Max looked at Liz and sighed. “Yeah, I guess I’d have to defend Liz in any dimension. I just couldn’t not protect her, you know?” “But maybe I’m supposed to die in that other dimension, Max,” Liz said. “Then you would be changing what was supposed to be.” “Well, that’s assuming you subscribe to the theory that something is ‘supposed’ to go a certain way,” Max said. “What if it’s all random… just what we make it? If I saw you about to be harmed here, Liz, I’d protect you. What’s the difference? If it’s right for me to intervene in this dimension can it be wrong somewhere else? If I wasn’t around and something was going to happen to you and someone from another dimension saved you, I’d be thankful! I wouldn’t question what was supposed to be, because I don’t believe in destiny.” “Like us being together?” Liz asked. “Well, sure, that’s… I believe in that,” Max said. But that’s a destiny that I made… that we made… together. It didn’t just happen without our help. We had to put something into it.” “That’s true,” Liz said. “Future Max tried to change our destiny once.” “And he screwed it up for all of us,” Alex reminded Liz… until Max and Michael fixed it.” “But he did it,” Max said. “And we did it again… by changing it back. ’Meant to be’ and ’Destiny’ are real… but they’re what we make them. If something works out well, we say that it was meant to be. If it works out badly, we say that it wasn’t meant to be. It refers to the ‘rightness’ of something. But that doesn’t make things happen. Only we can affect our destinies. Max looked up to see Kyle standing there. “Max, you’ve got visitors.” “Who is it, Kyle?” “I think you’d better see for yourself.” Kyle turned and motioned to someone to come in. Michael and Maria walked through the door… and there were two other people with them. Max, Liz, Alex, Isabel, and the spaceport supervisor, Kesvyn, all stood up as the guests entered. Their mouths were open far enough that they could have been shouting, but no words seemed to come out. “Alex Whitman and Liz… uh… Evans…” Kyle said with a wry grin, obviously loving their reactions… “I want you to meet Alex Whitman and Liz Parker.” tbc Coming Next: Max and Liz’s “guests,” Alex and Liz, are overwhelmed by the palace and Antar and unsure what has happened to them. Max and the others realize that there no longer is a moral argument or question about helping them. The questions now become merely when and how… and what to do with Alex and Liz “junior.”

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 2:45 pm

<img src=http://www.uniquehardware.co.uk/server- ... m/eek2.gif ALT=":jawdrop"> You can't stop there Gerry! You can't! I was waiting for that scene dammit and you didn't show it! Mean..mean I tell ya<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/wink.gif ALT=";)"> This has made me 'jaded' in the face <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> Come back soon!!<img src=http://www.uniquehardware.co.uk/server- ... yellow.gif ALT=":yellow"> <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... f8323d.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

Post by **roswellkitkat** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 12:23 pm

You all are killing me.....too many cliffhangers and not enough answers!!!! <div style="text-align:center">Knowing you'll be haunting me to the end of time? Mmmm...It's a dream come true...</div>  <div style="text-align:center">Angel to Spike</div>

vecastone · Post by **vecastone** » Tue Oct 21, 2003 3:39 pm

<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/clap.gif ALT=":clap"> great great !! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"> <img src=http://www.uniquehardware.co.uk/server- ... humpup.gif ALT=":thumbsup">

isndbreeze · Post by **isndbreeze** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 4:48 pm

Thanks, Isabel, Melisa, and Veca! Well, to get right into this, I'll just say, "Here it is." <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... tongue.gif ALT=":b"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/eek.gif ALT=":eek"> Maybe I should have titled this chapter, "Michael Pushes Isabel's Buttons" <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> (You'll see why), but I decided on "Alex and Liz in Wonderland." Hope you like it! <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/ufo.gif ALT=":ufo"> <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub129.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsr ... dbreeze</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/aim116b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 10/23/03 4:49 pm

isndbreeze · Post by **isndbreeze** » Thu Oct 23, 2003 4:51 pm

The Four Faces of Rath Alex And Liz In Wonderland Chapter 57 LVII Max, Liz, Alex, Isabel, and Spaceport Director, Kesvyn had been watching the transmissions received from the lost Antarian space ship and discussing dimensional theories when Kyle walked in with a broad smile on his face. Max knew instantly that whatever Kyle had to tell them, it was probably going to be interesting, but even he could not have guessed what Kyle was grinning about. “You’ve got visitors, Max.” “Who is it, Kyle?” “I think you’d better see for yourself.” Kyle turned and motioned to someone to come in, and Michael and Maria walked through the door followed by two other people. Max stood up, and his mouth opened, but he found himself momentarily at a loss for words. He looked at Liz, who was standing beside him… then at Alex. If Max appeared to be shocked, though, Liz and Alex’s reactions were of stunned disbelief. “Alex Whitman and Liz… uh… Evans…” Kyle said with a wry grin, obviously loving the reactions the new arrivals had elicited from his friends… “I want you to meet Alex Whitman and Liz Parker.” For several moments, there was only silence. The younger Liz and Alex stared in awe at the walls, the ceilings, the floors, and the decorations of the palace… then they looked at the two people standing in front of them. These people appeared to be a few years older… but there was no doubting who they were. “Oh… Oh! I’m so sorry,” Liz Evans said, suddenly realizing that someone needed to say something. “I uh, I guess we must all seem like idiots standing here with our mouths hanging open. It’s just that… that…” “Hello,” Liz Parker said, extending her hand politely and swallowing. Liz Evans took Liz Parker’s hand and shook it… and both smiled. “Something tells me we’ve got a very interesting evening ahead of us,” Liz Evans said. “Why don’t you two have a seat and make yourselves… at home. We aren’t usually so unsocial. We’re just all kind of in shock right now.” Liz Parker nodded. “Yeah, I’m right in there with you. Are you… Are you…?” Liz Evans nodded. “Yeah… I guess I’m you. It looks like it anyway… And I presume you would be Alex Whitman,” she said, extending her hand to the younger Alex. Still at a loss for words, Alex nodded and took her hand. “I guess this is your, uh… doppelganger, or something,” Liz Evans said, indicating the older Alex. “This is his wife, Isabel… and this is my husband, Max… or King Zan, as he insists I call him.” Alex looked at Max in surprise. “She’s kidding,” Max said. Liz giggled. “Well, he is the king… but since I’m married to him, he usually lets me just call him ‘Your Majesty,’” she said, giving the younger couple a wink. Realizing that she was trying to break the ice and make them feel more at ease, the younger Alex and Liz seemed to relax a bit, and they smiled. “Should I… uh… call you… King Zan or Your Majesty,” Alex asked hesitantly. “Yeah, those will do,” Max said with a trace of a smile. Liz slapped him playfully on the arm. “You can call him Max… and you can call me Liz. That’s Isabel and Alex over there, as I said before… and this is Kesvyn. Kesvyn’s the Director of the Spaceport… and our friend. It appears that you’ve already met Michael and Maria. “Hi,” the younger Alex said, raising his hand. Liz Parker smiled and added a “Hi” of her own. “Sit down,” Max said, pointing at a sofa. “That’s a royal order.” Liz and Alex sat down together on the sofa. “I guess the first thing we… the first thing I need to know,” Max said “…is how you got here. The second thing would be where you came from?” “We’re not sure,” Alex said sincerely. “Liz had these orbs, and we wanted to contact Maria, because she’s been missing, and instead of contacting Maria, we wound up here.” “Well, actually, we did find Maria,” Liz corrected, gesturing toward Michael and Maria. “We were transported to a beach where Maria was… only it wasn’t our Maria. I mean, it is Maria but… you know…” Max and Liz Evans both nodded. “The orbs seem to have powers that we still have not discovered,” Max said. “We know they can be used for communication… and in some cases, for healing. And now, it appears that you were able to transport yourselves here to Antar with them.” “Antar…” Alex repeated, incredulous. Hearing it still made him shake his head in disbelief. “How did we get all the way across the galaxy to some planet with an ocean that looks like… lite beer? And what are you doing here, Max?” “I live here,” Max said. “It’s my planet.” “Well, yeah, I know that,” Alex said. “But when we left Earth, you were missing…” “Wait, you said that Maria was missing,” Liz said. Alex nodded. “Well, you see, Maria, Michael, Isabel, and Max were shot by these Army sharpshooters. Liz was, too. The Army claimed the sharpshooters were drunk and acting on their own, but we never believed it.” “When did this happen,” Liz Evans asked. “At graduation,” Liz Parker said. Liz Evans put her hand over her mouth and gasped, remembering her own premonitions and the close call she and the others had had at their own graduation. “And the others… Are they…?” “Supposedly dead,” Liz Parker answered. “They were dead,” Alex insisted. “I was there. I saw them. Well, Isabel and Maria were dead anyway. Michael and Max escaped on Michael’s bike. They were shot as they escaped and were found dead at the edge of town where the bike crashed.” “Found by the Army or FBI, I assume,” the older Alex said. The younger Alex nodded. “There were funerals for all of them, but just the other day, Sheriff Valenti opened the graves and found out that the bodies in the coffins were dummies… made out of latex and paraffin. And Liz had a vision of Maria trying to contact her.” “Maria?” Liz repeated, surprised, looking at Maria and Michael. Michael shrugged. “Well,” the younger Liz said, “Maria did say something about Isabel needing to help her.” “Why didn’t Isabel do it herself,” Liz Evans asked. “Isabel could have dreamwalked you.” “I don’t know,” Liz Parker replied. “I must have been injured,” Isabel said, placing herself in the place of the younger Isabel. “I’m sure that I would have dreamwalked you if I had been able to and if Maria needed help. Do you know where they were when she tried to contact you?” Liz Parker shook her head. “I think they’re on the Army base somewhere.” Max paled visibly. “I hope not,” he said, remembering his own experiences in the White Room. “Alex said you were shot, too, Liz,” Isabel said. “I take it, you weren’t seriously hurt?” “She was shot in the head and spine,” Alex answered for her. “Liz was in a coma for over four months. No one knew if she would survive. Since she came out of the coma, she’s been paralyzed.” “Omigod! The visions Maya’s been having!” Liz Evans exclaimed. “Maya saw a young woman who looked like me in a wheelchair, and she thought she was in some kind of danger. She said that a man in a tree wanted to shoot her, but Jim Valenti cut the tree down and chased the bad man off.” “Yeah! That really happened!” Liz Parker said. “I knew Sheriff Valenti had that chainsaw in his hand for a reason! He said that he confiscated it from some illegal loggers in the park. He’s been protecting me. He won’t say so, but I know it.” Liz suddenly realized that, for someone who was supposedly paralyzed, she looked the picture of good health. “Oh! Yeah, I know… I’m standing up… I really was in a wheelchair, though. I don’t know what happened. When Alex and I used the orbs and we appeared here, I wasn’t paralyzed anymore. Do you think the orbs could have healed me?” Max nodded then slowly shook his head. “The orbs probably didn’t heal you. They teleported your essence here and reassembled you the way your DNA says that you are supposed to be assembled.” “So… if I go back… I’ll still be paralyzed?” “Maybe,” Max said. “Or maybe not.” “You could heal her, Max,” Maria said. Max nodded. “If there was anything wrong with her, I could… but there’s nothing wrong with her now. The orbs reassembled her perfectly. The question is, when she goes back, will she be reassembled according to her DNA plan or the way the orbs found her? And why didn’t the orbs reassemble her the way they found her when they brought her here? There’s a lot that we don’t know about the orbs.” “You could check her out, Max,” the older Alex said. “Maybe you could tell something.” Max stood up and walked over to Liz then placed his hands on her back. As he stood there, the others noticed that his face showed surprise at first, then concern. Max felt Liz’s arms then picked her wrist up and checked for the pulse. Then he picked up Alex’s wrist and checked for his pulse. Finally, Max sat back down. “You gonna tell us what that was all about, Max?” the older Alex asked. “What do you mean,” Max said. “I mean that look on your face. Something wasn’t what you were expecting. Even I could see that.” “I don’t know,” Max said, shaking his head. “I’m not a doctor or a scientist. I’m probably not qualified to speculate.” “You’re all we’ve got, Max,” Isabel said. “Varec’s not here. Speculate!” “What is it?” the younger Liz asked. Max sighed. “You don’t have a pulse or a heartbeat… Neither of you do.” Alex picked up his left hand with his right hand and felt for a pulse, then he tried to feel the pulse in the carotid artery in his neck. “There’s gotta be a pulse, Max. We wouldn’t be alive if there was no pulse. You can’t live with no heartbeat… Can you?” “Not that I know of,” Max said. Not finding his own pulse, Alex felt Liz’s wrist. Then he looked at Max. “Oh, sh*t! I think we’re dead!” “You’re not dead,” Max said. “I don’t understand what’s going on, but I can vouch that you’re definitely alive… heartbeat or not.” “How can they not have a heartbeat and still be alive,” Isabel asked. “Maybe you just couldn’t feel it, Max.” “No, No… Wait…” Michael said, thinking. “Suppose they aren’t really here.” “Of course they’re here,” Isabel said. “You see them. I see them. They’re sitting right there on the sofa.” Isabel touched the younger Alex and Liz on the arm and face. “They’re here,” Michael. You can’t feel a ghost. I can feel Liz and Alex. They’re as real as you and me!” “Maybe not,” Michael said. “Well, yes and no, actually. Suppose that the orbs reassembled a duplicate set… a copy… of them here, but the original set is still on Earth.” “That’s ridiculous,” Isabel said. “You don’t make copies of people. Human minds can barely think for one body. I don’t mean that as an insult, but humans don’t even have special powers… Their minds certainly aren’t developed enough to control two bodies at once.” “Maybe they don’t have to,” Michael said. “Suppose their real bodies back on Earth are, like, in a coma or something, but their minds are here… sort of taking a vacation… in these other bodies.” “Michael, you need help.” Isabel said. “Don’t mind Michael,” she said to the younger Alex, adding with a tone of sarcasm, “He’s just swallowed too much of our ‘Lite Beer’ Sea lately! I thought it looked like the beach was getting bigger!” “No, No, Isabel,” Max said. “It makes sense really. Think about it. The orbs could transport a DNA pattern and a memory core much more easily and efficiently than they could two whole human bodies. Michael may just have something there.” “Uh, guys,” the younger Alex interrupted. “I hate to just butt in here, but since we’re talking about Liz and me, could somebody tell us what this all means?” “I wish I could, Alex,” Max said. “If Michael is right, though… and we really aren’t certain about that… It’s only a theory… then your real bodies could still be on Earth, probably lying comatose where you left them, waiting for your return.” “Yeah,” Michael said… “So enjoy these while you have them, ‘cause they may be disposables. They may just be on loan for your holiday, so use ‘em and abuse ‘em. Have some fun!” “Michael!” Isabel exclaimed. “Just kidding, Iz! Don’t get in a frit!” “Talk about tiny minds,” Isabel fumed. “Okay, I get it,” the younger Alex said, “but wouldn’t I still have to have a heartbeat… and be breathing,” he added, holding his hand under his nose. “I would have thought so,” Max said. “But it’s possible that your bodies back on Earth are breathing and beating for you, and these bodies are… are… well, I hate to use Michael’s term, but… disposables… You know, just temporary for the time you’re here.” “So… what happens if we’re still here when the expiration date… or the warranty… runs out?” Alex asked. Isabel shook her head. “You see! You see what you guys did?” “Well, it’s a reasonable question, Iz,” Michael said. “Oh!” Isabel huffed, waving her hand. “Alex, if the orbs brought you… that is, your essences or whatever… here and created some kind of temporary bodies for them… I’m sure that when these bodies… when they… when they… you know…” “Say it, Isabel,” Michael said, with an ‘I-told-you-so’ grin. “Say ‘expire.’” “I was going to say, when they are no longer needed…” Isabel said. “You will be returned to your regular bodies on Earth.” “Maybe you’re all being concerned needlessly,” Max said to Michael and Isabel as well as to the younger Alex and Liz. “I think it’s likely that the bodies you have now will last as long as they’re needed… however long that may be. The orbs aren’t limited by our conceptions or limitations. These bodies could have unlimited life spans… at least they may last as long as your real bodies on Earth still survive to support them.” “That makes sense,” Michael said. Isabel nodded. “These bodies have fewer moving parts,” Michael said, “so maybe they won’t wear out as fast.” “Michael!” Isabel exclaimed, glaring at him again. “What?” “Okay, Liz Evans said. “If that’s out of the way, can we move on to something else here? Liz… Oh, Wow! It’s hard to address myself by my own name! I feel like I’m looking in a mirror talking to myself and somebody needs to lock me up!” Everyone laughed. Liz tried again. “Liz… Maya said that she saw Max in one of her visions, and he was in a box… a coffin, I think, and he fell out. Do you know what that was about?” Liz Parker nodded. “When Sheriff Valenti wanted to open the coffins and he already had Max’s dug up, Judge Lewis showed up and blocked him with a cease and desist order, but Kyle pulled on the ropes holding the coffin up, and the coffin fell and broke open. That’s when the fake body rolled out.” “That must be what Maya saw,” Liz Evans said. “I had visions, too, Liz Parker said. “I saw your Golden Sea… Oh, and Alex, it’s salt water, not lite beer.” “Damn, now you tell me… after I came all the way across the galaxy to get here!” Everyone laughed again. “And I know the names of all your children,” Liz Parker said. Liz Evans seemed shocked by this information. “You know their names?” Liz Parker nodded. “I thought I was seeing my own future or something and they were my children. I felt like I was right here sometimes.” “You must have been seeing through Maya,” Liz Evans said. “Her ability to see and communicate across the universe sometimes seems to leave her open to a sort of back flow of information. Some of the Antarians Too said that they had had occasional brief flashes of Antar, too.” “After we found out that the body in Max’s grave was a fake… and that the others were all fakes too…” Liz Parker said, “we started wondering where the real bodies were. We’re pretty sure they were taken to the Army base. I had a flash of Max calling me when I touched his ring. And later I had the vision of Maria asking for our help… so I believe that all of them could still be alive. But I think they’re in danger, and one or more of them may possibly be badly hurt. I haven’t been able to make a move without Judge Lewis showing up and trying to stop me or convince me that I should leave Roswell or that I should allow myself to be committed to an insane asylum he wants to send me to somewhere in Arizona.” “Judge Lewis,” the older Alex mumbled. “A real friend he turned out to be!” Kyle, standing beside Alex, nodded. “I seem to remember saying those exact words to Dad once… exactly! When Judge Lewis had Dad fired.” “So is anyone looking for Max and Maria… and Michael and Isabel…” Liz Evans asked. “The Sheriff has been helping all he could. And I think Amy went to the base to try to find Maria herself. When we left, she still hadn’t come back.” Max winced. “I hope that’s not because of what my worst fears are suggesting. I know Amy. She won’t give up. They’ll have to shoot her to stop her… and they will.” “Mom would give them a fight,” Maria said. “She wouldn’t go down easy. She may not look formidable, but you have to know Mom. She probably could take on that whole base by herself… if the right incentive was there.” “To find you?” Isabel asked. Maria nodded. “Yeah… to find me. I hope she’s okay.” “I’m sure she is,” Michael said soothingly. “We probably should be worrying more about the poor soldiers she meets up with.” Maria laughed and nodded, but deep inside, she was worried about Amy, even knowing that this Amy was not the mother that she knew here on Antar… and that if anything happened to this Amy it would not affect her mother here in any way. “Do you have saber tooth tigers here,” Liz Parker asked out of the blue. Liz Evans laughed. “You saw Jim’s pawgor? That must have given you a pause!” Liz Parker smiled. “I saw a saber tooth tiger playing with a little boy.” “That would be Danyy,” Liz Evans said. “Danyy is Jim and Kathleen’s son. He can talk to animals.” “Jim and Kathleen?” Liz Parker asked. Liz Evans nodded. “Kathleen Topolsky.” Liz Parker looked shocked. “Topolsky? Here? She’s working against us! Topolsky is FBI!” “She was,” Liz Evans said. “She’s not anymore… ours isn’t anyway. Kathleen was betrayed by her own people and locked up and tortured for a long time after she tried to help us. They made up a story that she had been killed in a fire at an insane asylum…” “Like Judge Lewis wants to put me in,” Liz Parker said. Liz Evans shuddered involuntarily, wondering if it could be a coincidence. “Don’t let him do that,” she said to the younger Liz. “Fight it!” Liz Parker nodded. “I always thought that the Sheriff would marry Amy DeLuca. They seemed to have a thing for each other.” “Well, our Jim married Kathleen,” Isabel said. “And Amy married Varec, a young Antarian scientist. Both of them could not be happier. But if you’re from an alternate dimension, as we think you may be, then there’s no guarantee that things will happen the same way with your Jim and Amy. They could wind up marrying each other.” Liz Parker smiled. “I have this feeling about that.” A staff person came into the room and whispered to Liz Evans, and Liz nodded then stood up. “Dinner is ready. If everyone would like to head for the dining room, we can continue this conversation there.” Turning to Max, she added, “After we eat, I’d like to take Liz to Kyyks and get her something to wear. We don’t know how long they may be here. Would you like to come, too, Alex?” “Uh, well… yeah, sure, I guess.” “Or I could take you out to Jim’s place to see his pawgor,” the older Alex said. Alex brightened then looked at Liz Parker. “No… that’s okay. I’ll stay with Liz. I probably should get another shirt and some pants so I don’t have to wear the same ones all the time. Maybe we can go see the paguar together later. We really need to get back to Earth as soon as possible, though… if we can figure out how to do that. The others still need us.” The older Alex smiled understandingly. “It’s called a Pawgor,” he said, correcting his younger self’s pronunciation. Max pulled out seats for Liz Parker and for his wife, and both sat down at the table. “you’ve got to be twice the gentleman today, huh, Max,” Liz said with a smile. “It’s good for you.” Max smiled but didn’t reply. “This looks really good,” Alex said, looking longingly at the food on his plate and the bowls of other foods set out to choose from. “It smells good, too! For some reason, I’m really starved.” “Me, too,” Liz agreed. “Are your bodies made to eat,” Michael asked. “I mean, you don’t breathe or have a heartbeat. Can you… you know?” Isabel’s head sank slowly down onto the table, and she covered her face with her hands and moaned. Alex looked at the piece of yegg steak on his fork and slowly put it back down. Liz seemed unsure what to do with her food. “Uh, can I be excused for a moment? I… I really need to… I think I forgot to wash my hands.” “Right down the hall on the left,” Isabel said without raising her head. “You’ll see it.” “Thanks,” Liz said, standing up and leaving the table. “Michael,” Isabel mumbled under her breath, “If the end of this day arrives… and you’re still alive, it’ll be a frikkin’ miracle.” “Well, it’s something they needed to know,” Michael said. “I wouldn’t want them to blow up like balloons and burst or something. I’d never forgive myself.” “You need to worry more about me forgiving you, Michael. Your life in the immediate future depends on it… and right now… it’s not looking good. You’ve passed critical, you’re already on life support!” Liz returned to the table and sat back down then looked at Alex and smiled. “Is everything… alright,” Alex asked hesitantly. Liz nodded and picked up her fork, taking a big bite of the grelliats on her plate. “Mmmmmm… This is soooo good!” That was all Alex needed. He attacked the yegg steak, grelliats, and other foods on his plate like a starving man. Isabel picked up her fork but seemed to hesitate as she decided whether it would look better sticking out of a grelliat or Michael’s back. She gave Michael a quick stare then stabbed the grelliat and put it in her mouth. “Hey, it was better that they know now,” Michael said. “I’m only trying to look out for them.” tbc Coming up: Liz and Alex see the town and meet the others, and everyone tries to figure out how to get them back home again… and where to send them back to, dimensionally, since they seem to have come from an alternate dimension. They also discuss plans to assist them in finding and rescuing the others. Meanwhile, in The Night The Dreams Died, Jeff Parker discovers Liz and Alex unconscious together above the CrashDown, and Judge Lewis, learning of their condition, sees a light at the end of his tunnel, with a little intervention on his part. Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub129.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsr ... dbreeze</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/aim116b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 10/23/03 5:26 pm

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:09 am

Gerry that was fabulous! <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/Grin_anim.gif ALT=":grin"> But what else is new <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/wink.gif ALT=";)"> Seriously, do you ever write a bad part?!<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> I can see why you wanted to call this that other title! I was laughing so hard at their fights!<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> I especialy loved this line: <blockquote>Quote:<hr>Well, it’s something they needed to know,” Michael said. “I wouldn’t want them to blow up like balloons and burst or something. I’d never forgive myself.”<hr></blockquote> How seet of Michael to care <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/wink.gif ALT=";)"> Ohh I can't wait for more! <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... f8323d.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

vecastone · Post by **vecastone** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 2:27 pm

Greattttttttttttttttttt this is greattttttttttt I was wondering what the people that works in the palace would think about all the things they see at work jejejeje !! I mean I would be really confussed jejejejeje !! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... tongue.gif ALT=":b"> Love Michael´s and Isabel fight. And Michael was right it was better to know that or seeing them burst jejejejejeje !!! I can´t wait for your next updates. A question , it is you whom is getting married soon ?? <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> If you are,.... congratulationsssssssssssss !!! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/wavey.gif ALT=":wave">

Post by **roswellkitkat** » Fri Oct 24, 2003 3:50 pm

That's me that so getting married soon! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... rassed.gif ALT=":o"> Great part Gerry. I didn't realize they were now stuck there. Hopefully they'll be able to help them get back and help the situation back in their dimension. <div style="text-align:center">Knowing you'll be haunting me to the end of time? Mmmm...It's a dream come true...</div>  <div style="text-align:center">Angel to Spike</div>

isndbreeze · Post by **isndbreeze** » Sat Nov 08, 2003 11:58 pm

The Four Faces of Rath Way Way Way Over The Rainbow Chapter 58 LVIII Liz and Alex stared at the “car,” a royal blue Fan-Ji IV… “I don’t hear the motor or anything,” Liz said, shaking her head in amazement. “How is it just staying there like that in the air?” Max smiled. Liz knew that she was looking at some kind of hover car or anti-gravity vehicle, but she couldn’t figure out what made it stay where it was without any noisy fans or anything underneath to lift it off the ground… or any sound of a motor at all as far as she could tell. Yet there it was… about fifteen inches off the ground… not moving at all, as though it were perfectly normal for it to just be parked there like that in the air. “Where’s the door handle,” Alex asked, running his hand appreciatively over the side of the car. Max pressed his hand to the door just below the window, and a handprint appeared briefly, then the top of the car, “doors” and all, floated back. “Awesome,” Alex said. “Could I do it, or are you the only one who can open it?” “It’s programmed to my DNA,” Max said, “but it’ll respond to anyone I program it to recognize.” “Awesome,” Alex repeated. “I don’t guess I could take one of these back with me? I love this car…” Max smiled. “It might be hard to explain.” “I know,” Alex acknowledged ruefully, “but it sure would be fun to drive back to college in one of these.” Max helped Liz Parker and his wife into the car, though clearly there was no need other than mere chivalry. All they had to do was step in and sit down. Even the seat restraints were automatic. Alex stepped into the back with Liz Parker, and Max sat down in the driver’s seat then waved his hand over a sensor on the dash. The car seemed to rise upward gently and rotate to the left as Max turned the steering wheel. Then it moved forward smoothly. It felt oddly like an Earth car, except that it was floating on air, so there were no bumps, no road noises… just the sound of the wind… until Max pressed a button, closing the side ports… small vents in the lower part of the windows. Then there was only silence, as the scenery whisked by. Suddenly, Liz and Alex’s seats, which were individually controlled, both tilted back slightly. “What happened,” Alex asked. “Did I do that?” Max grinned. “No, I did it. You can control them yourselves, though.” Alex moved his hand around under the seat but found no control levers or buttons. “Lift your hand,” Max said. “Point at the back of the seat in front of you.” Alex did, and a set of sensors appeared in the air in front of him. They were there… yet not there… at least not in the sense that they could actually be felt, physically. The entire panel was something that Alex could only describe as “virtual reality.” He pushed at a sensor button, but his finger went through the panel, and nothing happened. “Try again,” Max said. “Just touch it… Don’t stick your finger through it.” Alex “touched” the sensor on the virtual touch pad with his fingertip, and his seat resumed an upright position. Then he leaned the seat back again. “Cool! Awesome!” What does this one do?” Alex pointed at another sensor on the virtual touch pad. “In the lower right corner? That’s the eject button,” Max said. “That’s in case the car goes crazy and takes off headed for the stars with everyone in it… You push that button and it throws you out of the car through the roof.” Alex looked at Max for any sign that he was joking. Max didn’t have a trace of a smile or a grin. “Really?” Alex asked, removing his finger carefully. Max smiled. “Max, you’re no different in any dimension!” Alex pressed the sensor, and music began to waft out from the virtual console. Then he lowered his hand, and the virtual console disappeared, but the music continued. “Not bad,” Alex said. “I kind of like it.” Liz, sitting next to him, looked at him quizzically. “The music, I mean.” “What music,” Liz asked. “The music that I just turned on. Don’t you hear it?” Liz shook her head. “It’s audible only to you, Alex,” Liz Evans said from the front. “The controls allow you to make it audible to everyone if you wish, but their controls allow them to override it if they choose not to listen to it or prefer to listen to something else.” “Mom and Dad would have loved that!” Alex said. He leaned his seat back again and watched the scenery go by. “It looks a lot like Earth,” he said after several minutes had passed. “I mean, you have trees and bushes and lakes and… and even horses.” Liz Evans nodded. “Our horses are a little different when you see them up close, though.” “Well, they look just like regular horses running out there in the pasture… and they gallop like real horses… What? Do they fly or something?” Liz laughed. “No… not that we know of. They just come with some unusual colors and markings… and they’ve got this little thing on their heads like a budding unicorn’s horn. It’s not obvious from a distance. The Antarians call them yoriths… the horses, I mean.” “They run fast,” Liz Parker said. Liz Evans nodded. “Wait’ll you see Jim’s pawgor run… and jump! It’s incredible.” “That’s the saber-tooth tiger I saw playing with the little boy… Danyy, isn’t it,” the younger Liz said. Alex looked surprised. “So then you, uh… you weren’t just kidding about that before? Liz shook her head. “Oh… um… okay…” Alex said softly. “Well, I don’t know if it’s exactly a saber-tooth tiger,” Liz Evans said, “like the ones on Earth in prehistoric times. But it looks just like all the pictures I’ve ever seen of one… so that’s what we call it… other than a pawgor I mean. That’s what it really is, of course… a pawgor.” Liz watched the scenery distractedly for several moments, then she looked back at Alex. “We should really be trying to get back home, Alex… Max and Michael and Maria and Isabel are still lost, and I need to find them… and I don’t know what will happen when Mom and Dad find us together in the den.” “I didn’t think about that,” Alex said. “You don’t think your Dad will think… I mean… We were both sitting up, right? He won’t think… you know…?” “I’m sure he’ll forgive you, Alex.” Alex swallowed. “After he throws you out the window,” Liz added with a slight smile. “See… that’s what I’m afraid of,” Alex said. “Your apartment’s upstairs… and I don’t bounce very well.” Liz smiled. “Dad would know something was wrong, Alex. You don’t need to worry about him throwing you out the window. I’m worried about what he’ll think, though, when neither one of us wakes up.” Alex looked at her and nodded, understanding fully the implications of what Liz was saying. “Well, I’ve got Varec researching the history of the orbs now,” Max said. “He’s the best scientist on Antar. If the information is available anywhere, he’ll find out what you need to do to get back. We have our own set of orbs here, but Varec was concerned about sending you back with ours, since yours were from another dimension or something. We don’t want to send you back where you don’t belong and have you lost… interdimensionally or something… like those guys on Sliders on TV back on Earth.” “That could really happen?” Alex asked. “You’re here,” Max said. “It seems you’ve proved it.” “So… how are we going to get back?” Alex asked. “We kind of left our orbs behind when we came here.” “That’s what Varec is trying to find out,” Max said. “There has to be a way to do it. Varec and I both feel certain of that. It’s just a matter of knowing what it is. When we know, we’ll tell you and help you get back… but for now, all you can do is relax and enjoy your time here… however long or short it might be.” “I’m enjoying being here and seeing everything…” Liz said. “but I feel guilty… like I shouldn’t be here when I need to be helping them… They could be hurt.” “You were paralyzed before you came here, weren’t you, Liz?” Liz Evans asked. Liz Parker nodded. “How were you going to help them if you were paralyzed?” “I was getting better,” Liz said. “I exercised… as much as I could… for therapy. Vera helped me. That’s my nurse. I just need to be there. I don’t know what I can do, but I need to be there to try. Can you understand?” Liz Evans turned around and looked at her younger self and nodded. “Yeah. I can understand.” Max brought the car to a stop beside a tight parking space between two other cars. “This is our oldest and best still-standing department store right here, guys. It’s called ‘Kyyks.’” Max turned the steering wheel to the right while depressing a small button on the center console bar, and the car floated sideways into the parking space and stopped. “That was too cool,” Alex said. “How many years are we behind you on Earth?” “You mean how long till you can buy one of these?” Max asked. “Yeah.” “Earth civilization is about 28,000 years younger than Antarian civilization.” “I don’t think I can wait that long,” Alex said. Max grinned. “That doesn’t mean it will take that long on Earth. Antar had different priorities along the way. You could have something like this in the next… hundred years or so.” “Oh, just a hundred? No problem then,” Alex said, looking downcast in spite of his grin. “I’ll just put it on my Christmas list for the year 2,114.” “Sorry, Alex,” Max said. Max waved his hand over the console, and the top and doors floated back and the seat restraints unlocked. “Everyone who’s going in, follow Liz. She lives here when she’s not in the palace,” Max said with a wry grin. Liz smiled sheepishly. “I don’t always buy something. I just like to shop. Besides, you’ve been over to that new hover car dealer with all the new alien vehicles more times lately than I’ve been here.” Max nodded. “She’s right. It’s my downfall. The Fan-Ji IV is an Antarian car, but alien vehicles are becoming all the rage at the moment here on Antar. There are some very unusual vehicles out there… built by creatures whose physiology is radically different than ours in some cases… creatures who have radically different concepts of what transportation should be like. It’s kind of awesome to see some of them up close and test drive them.” “I can imagine,” Alex said. Liz laughed. “Wait’ll you’ve seen some of them, Alex! I’m not sure that you can imagine! At least Antarian cars look pretty much like Earth cars, even if they are futuristic by Earth standards.” As they turned to go in, a long, strange-looking vehicle pulled up alongside Max’s Fan-Ji IV. Easily three times as long as Max’s car, this new vehicle had large flaps that stuck out on the lower sides. They probably had something to do with the hovering system or with stabilizing the car, but they made it look like a giant translucent stingray –the fish kind- with windows on the top, swimming down the road. “Good luck finding a place to park that!” Alex laughed. As he watched, a man, and then a woman, exited the vehicle. Then the vehicle disappeared suddenly in a bright flash of light. “Where did it go,” Alex asked.’’ “Watch,” Max replied. The man leaned over and picked up something tiny at his feet and put it into his pocket. “When he comes back out and presses the button, the car will become normal size again,” Max said. “Well, I hope he doesn’t accidentally press the button while he’s got the car in his pocket…” Alex scoffed… “especially when he’s on the escalator or something. That would be interesting. It’s so tiny. What if he can’t find it after he shrinks it… or someone steps on it before he can pick it up? It looks more like a flattened plastic submarine… or some kind of freaky, ground-hugging flying saucer with a limo attached to the back! Who would make a car like that?” Max smiled. “The Archedians would. And it’s not plastic. They call it neopseudobiological stressed metallic alloy. You think it looks odd outside… You should see it inside!” Alex shook his head. “No thanks. The only thing I can imagine worse than accidentally pressing the button when that car’s in my pocket would be accidentally shrinking it with me still in it. I don’t feel like swimming in a bowl of milk with my arm through a cheerio or using ant transportation until someone finds me with a magnifying glass and picks me up with a pair of tweezers, thank you.” Liz Parker giggled, and her Antarian counterpart smiled. “What does the guy that owns it say in the morning,” Alex continued. “Honey, I can’t find the car. Do you remember which coat I left it in? By the way… Where’s our kid? Was that him I saw swimming in my froot loops this morning?” Both Lizzes laughed. Max smiled. “Come on. Let’s go in.” “Honest, Dear,” Alex continued, faking a female voice as they walked into the store, “I swear I didn’t know the car was in the pocket when I put your pants in the washer.” Both Lizzes were laughing out loud now, and Max was shaking his head. “Maybe if I use the hair dryer on it…” Alex added apologetically, using his most contrite female voice. “Don’t encourage him,” Max said, smiling too, in spite of himself. “You wouldn’t want to be responsible for him running away and becoming a circus clown.” “You’re just jealous,” Alex said, “because I can make girls laugh without dropping my pants.” Liz’s mouth fell open, and she glanced at her Antarian counterpart, who was smiling slightly but appeared shocked, too. Max looked at Alex… “Alex… You’re the same in any dimension.” “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Alex said. “Go easy, Alex,” Liz Parker whispered to him. “He is the king here… He could have you locked up… or executed… or something.” Alex smiled. “He’s just Max… king or no king. He’s still Max.” Max took out his communicator and punched a number. “Jarto’h, how long would it take to prepare the gallows for an afternoon execution? Four hours? Can you make it three? Good.” Max put the device back into his pocket. “He’s kidding,” Alex said confidently. “You were kidding… right, Max?” Max didn’t answer. “I’m sure he was kidding,” Alex said. “Max wouldn’t… I mean… I know he’s not our Max, but he’s still… How different can he be just because he’s from another dimension… and a king here?” Max remained silent. Alex seemed unusually quiet for a few minutes, then he shrugged. “I was just kidding, you know, Max… about the… you know… I don’t know where that came from. It was just a joke.” “Liz,” Max said, “why don’t you and… uh, you and Liz… go check out the ladies things, and I’ll take care of Alex. I’ll meet you here in, say, two hours?” Alex swallowed. Liz nodded and smiled then turned to lead her unsure younger counterpart off toward another section of the store. Max motioned for Alex to follow. “I know what you’re doing, Alex?” “You do?” “Yeah.” “What am I doing?” Max smiled. “Liz was shot, paralyzed… and condemned unfairly to live her life in a wheelchair. She’s had every reason to be emotionally destroyed, every reason to give up on life… to give up on happiness. You’ve been keeping her spirits up… keeping her laughing… giving her a friend to lean on.” Alex shrugged. “Yeah… well, I just do it… I don’t think about it, but… I just wanted to… yeah… I guess you’re right. I have been trying to make her laugh. I just want her to be happy, Max. So does Kyle… and Kyle’s Dad… Sheriff Valenti… and her Mom and Dad. I guess I can try to tone the joking down if you…” Max shook his head. “Don’t even think about doing that! The two of you may be from another dimension… and she may be younger than my Liz… but she’s still Liz. And I still love her, Alex. Make her laugh! All you can! You’ve got something that puts her at ease and makes her happy… a natural sense of humor and compassion… Like I said, you really are a lot like our Alex… I guess you really are the same in any dimension… Anyway, I just wanted you to know… I appreciate what you’re doing. And I wanted to thank you… for my counterpart down there… wherever he is… and… and… for me, too.” Max looked at Alex, and Alex thought he saw a glint of moisture in Max’s eyes. “You’re not going to execute me, then?” Max grinned slowly. “Oh, I didn’t say that. What’s an afternoon without a good execution? But if you keep Liz smiling and laughing, I guess I’d be obliged to pardon you.” “I’ll give it my usual superior effort, your highness,” Alex replied with an understanding smile. “I’m sure you will,” Max said. “I don’t know if I can take it… But it makes Liz laugh, so don’t ever stop! …You want to play some pinball?” “You’ve got that up here?” Max nodded. “Well, it’s the Antarian version, but it’s pretty much the same idea as Earth pinball… sort of.” “Yeah, okay, sure! But I thought we were supposed to be shopping for clothes.” “What for,” Max asked. “Well… to wear, I guess.” “No need. When we see the girls, they’ll want us to come check out some shirts and things that they saw that they thought would look great on us. We go with them and try them on. Voila! We found what we came for. We just buy what they like. Saves us having to make a lot of choices.” “I think I see why you wore that same brown sweater all the time back on Earth, Max.” “We’ve still got time for an execution this afternoon.” “Pinball sounds good.” <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> In the ladies wear department, Liz Parker picked up a rather pretty blouse and held it up. It had an oddly exotic look, but it could pass for Earth wear. Most of the clothes she saw here could, though there were a few that probably would raise some eyebrows and bring unwanted questions. “When we go back, will we be able to take anything with us?” Liz Evans thought a moment. “I don’t know. I don’t know why not, though. You came here with what you had on.” “But we had the orbs in our hands… and they stayed there.” “Yeah, that’s true… Maybe they’re made to… I don’t know. We’ll just have to find out, I guess, won’t we?” Liz Parker smiled. “I’d really love to take some of these back, but I know some of them would be hard to explain. People would want to know who the designer was, and what would I tell them?” “Give them a name… any Antarian name. They’ll probably say they’ve heard of him.” Liz laughed. “You’re right. They probably would. Some of our designers on Earth are a little out of the world anyway! You know… I’m really glad I came here. I haven’t really been out shopping since… since… well, you know… what happened to me.” Liz Evans nodded. “And it would be hard to really enjoy myself shopping in a wheelchair… not the way I’m enjoying myself right now, being here with you… walking and all.” “I know,” Liz Evans said, smiling. “I’m glad you came here, too. Maybe we can find a way to help you find Max and the others when you go back.” “Oh, I hope so,” the younger Liz said. “That would be like… a dream come true! Max is… well… the first guy… the only guy really… I ever really loved. I’m crazy about Kyle and Alex, but I love Max. Can you understand?” “Look who you’re talking to,” Liz Evans said. “Yeah, I understand.” “I hope your Max and my Alex are having fun shopping,” Liz Parker said. “Oh, they’re playing pinball,” Liz Evans said, “or video games one… in the arcade.” “How do you know that?” “I’m married to him… I know a lot of things he doesn’t know I know.” Liz smiled. “They’ll show up and expect us to show them some great-looking clothes we found for them, they’ll buy them, and they’ll pretend they were shopping the whole time.” “You don’t mind?” Liz Evans smiled. “Why should I mind? I know he’ll be well-dressed.” Liz Parker laughed. “Good point! But I can’t believe they would try to make us think they were shopping while they were really somewhere else… having fun.” “Well, we’re having fun,” Liz Evans said. “Well, yeah, I know, but guys aren’t supposed to have fun shopping.” “I guess that’s why they’re in the video arcade.” “I guess so… but you know… if they tell us they were shopping, I think I’d like to play a little joke on them.” “What do you have in mind?” Liz Parker whispered to her Antarian counterpart, and Liz Evans smiled. “It sounds like something Alex might appreciate… a few years from now.” She nodded. “I like it.” <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> After playing various Antarian video games in the arcade, Max looked at the time and patted Alex on the back. “Ten minutes till we’re supposed to meet the girls. We better not be late. They may come looking for us.” “You live a dangerous life, Max.” Max smiled. “Some of us thrive on danger, Alex. It’s the daredevil in us.” “Or maybe just the devil.” Alex grinned. “What was that?” Alex shook his head. “Nothing.” As Max and Alex walked back toward the place where they had left Liz and her younger counterpart, they saw that the girls were already there. “There they are, Alex. Remember what I told you.” Alex nodded. “How’d you guys do,” Liz Parker asked. “I don’t see any packages.” “We didn’t find anything we liked,” Max said, only half lying. “Well,” Liz Evans said, “We saw some things that would look great for both of you! Why don’t you come take a look! Try them on!” Max looked at Alex and smiled. Alex shook his head. “You da man, Max. You called it,” he said quietly. Max grinned. “Okay, we’ll look. I hope they’re better than what we looked at.” “Oh, I’m sure of that,” Liz Evans said. She took Max by the hand and led him to the men’s department. “Close your eyes… both of you. We want it to be a surprise. You’re gonna love it!” Max looked at Alex and shrugged, then both of them closed their eyes. Liz Evans unbuttoned Max’s shirt and took it off, and her younger counterpart unbuttoned and removed Alex’s shirt. Then they both worked quickly to put another shirt on each one. Max felt Liz put something on his head and something around his neck. He wondered about it, ties being unusual apparel on Antar, but then he figured that it must be an Antarian dress collar. Liz Parker put a hat on Alex’s head and told him to sit down. Then she slipped something on over his pants. “Okay, guys, you can look now,” Liz Evans said. “What do you think?” “It looks great,” Max said, automatically, as he opened his eyes. Then he caught a glimpse of Alex, and his mouth dropped open. Alex looked at Max and snorted, then broke into hysterical laughter. Max looked at his own clothes then looked in the mirror. He had on a silky yellow shirt that must have been brighter than the Antarian sun. And as if that weren’t enough, it had purple polka-dots that almost pulsated with their own life. Then there were hot pink diagonal lines zig-zagging through all the polka-dots, connecting them in random fashion. On his head, Max had an odd-looking hat with a very large feather in it, and around his neck was a bright red kerchief that looked more like something a clown would wear. Alex had on a pink shirt with green vertical stripes and a hat that was three times too large. But most embarrassingly, over his pants, he had on a pair of women’s undies… with the word “Monday” across the front in Antarian. “I’m not even going to ask what that says,” Alex said. “Max?” Max shrugged. “I’d say they’re playing a joke on us, Alex. Must be your personality rubbing off on everyone.” “Oh, yeah! Blame it on the guy with the alien undies! That’s always the way!” Max grinned. “You do look… amazing, Alex! I must admit.” “Look at yourself, you pervert. Stop looking at my undies!” Max turned red but couldn’t stop laughing. “Where did you find this stuff,” Max asked Liz. “I don’t think even the diciest Antarian would wear these things!” Liz looked over to the side and motioned to someone to come out. It was Jayyd Guerin, and she was grinning from ear to ear. “Did they like it, Aunt Liz?” “They loved it, Jayyd!” Liz turned back to Max, “I called Michael and asked if we could borrow Jayyd for a little while… to alter some colors for us. When I explained what we needed, he was more than eager to help.” “Oh, I’ll just bet he was,” Max said. “Is he here, too? Come on out, Michael! …We may have that execution yet, Alex!” Michael walked out from behind the wall with a smile on his face. “You guys look… ridiculous.” Max and Alex pulled their shirts off quickly and put their own shirts back on, and Alex pulled off the panties and the oversized hat. “I’ve got to say, though, Max, I thought it brought out the real you,” Michael added with a chuckle. “Laugh it up, Michael! Payback will be sweet!” “You’ll have to top this,” Michael said. “And the sweet thing is, it was Liz’s idea!” Liz Evans shrugged and looked sheepish. Both Lizzes were laughing. “I especially like that hat with the big feather, Max,” Michael said. “It’s really fetching!” Max reached up and pulled the hat off of his head. “That can’t be a real feather,” Alex said. “It’s got to be at least three feet long!” “I think it’s a jah-ee feather,” Liz Evans said. “You’ve got birds that big?” “Only the jah-ee. This is one of its smallest feathers. I’ve seen people picking up small loose feathers after Max has had a visit from the jah-ee. I guess they sell the feathers to designers.” Max looked at the hat and pulled out the price tag. “Oh, geez! Put this back! I’d have to mortgage the palace to pay for this!” Liz looked at the tag. “Well, that may be a little bit of an exaggeration… but that is an awful lot of money. I guess jah-ee feathers aren’t cheap.” Michael snorted, as he began to laugh again. “Well, they look good on you, Max! You’ll have to wear them more often.” Max reddened. “And Alex,” Michael said, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I think I can spring for you to get the whole set of those cute undies. You don’t want to wear ‘Monday’ every day.” Alex turned red. “Is that what it said?” Liz nodded. “Well, I guess it could have been worse,” Alex said. “I had all kinds of ideas about what that might have said.” Max and Michael laughed, and then both Lizzes began to laugh again, though they were trying hard not to. “Have you guys eaten yet,” Michael asked. Max shook his head. “Common, let’s go to the CrashDown then,” Michael said. “I’ll treat.” “Well, I am getting kind of hungry again,” Alex said. “Me, too,” Liz Parker said, nodding. “Okay,” Max agreed. “Just let me take a quick look in the mirror again to make sure I’m back to my own self.” “You really should wear the feather,” Michael chuckled. “Maybe they’d rent it to you for the day.” “Laugh it up, big guy,” Max said. “Alex will get to see that execution.” “Don’t worry, Alex,” Liz Evans said. “There hasn’t been an execution on Antar since Max and Michael kicked Kivar’s butt and took our planet back.” Alex smiled and nodded understandingly. “You executed Kivar?” “No,” Max said. “The jah-ee took care of Kivar and Nicholas for us. Kivar was the last one to execute anyone on Antar. There’s very little crime on Antar, and after Kivar, everyone would just as soon never see an execution again.” “Really? That’s good to know,” Alex said. “Though I still could make an exception,” Max said with a grin. “Let’s go get some chow,” Michael said. Jayyd, you hungry?” “UM HMMM!” “Good. Come on, guys.” Liz paid for the things they had bought, including a couple of shirts and pants for Max and Alex. Then Max, Michael, Liz Evans, Liz Parker, Alex, and Jayyd all left together with Michael to go to the CrashDown. <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> Liz Parker stared at the front of the CrashDown for several minutes, then she walked through the door and sat down with the others at a large booth in the corner. Almost immediately, a young Antarian girl appeared to take their orders… dressed in the same alien motif apron and antennae that Liz had once worn. The girl took their orders with a smile and then disappeared into the kitchen. “I can’t believe this,” Liz said. “I feel like… like I should be putting my apron on and going to work. I expect at any minute Dad will walk out and…” As she spoke, Jeff Parker walked out of the kitchen and looked up to see Max, Michael, Jayyd, a somewhat young-looking Alex, and… two Lizzes. He shook his head and opened his eyes again. “If I go back to bed and wake up again, are there still going to be two of you, Liz?” Liz Evans nodded. “I’m afraid so, Dad.” “You called him, Dad?” Liz Parker asked automatically. “Oh, that’s right… I guess he is… you are… I mean…” Liz Evans stood up and put her arms around Jeff, and then Liz Parker did, too. “You look just like Dad… I guess you are… in a way… only you look a little… older maybe… Is that a couple of white hairs I see?” “That’s what happens when you see your daughter suddenly become a teenager again,” Jeff said, plucking the two hairs out and looking at them. Alex laughed, and Liz smiled. “It’s a long story, Dad,” Liz Evans said. “Liz and Alex here are from… we think they’re from a sort of parallel dimension. The orbs brought them here. Liz was shot at her graduation and woke up from a four-month coma to find out she was paralyzed. Somehow, she’s not paralyzed when she’s here, though.” Jeff appeared clearly moved by this information. “I always wondered how we managed to make it out of there without losing our children,” he said. “It was a miracle. Did the others survive… in your world… wherever you came from?” “That’s what they’re trying to find out, Dad. Max, Michael, Isabel, and Maria were supposedly killed. Four months after their funerals, though, Sheriff Valenti found out that the bodies weren’t in their coffins. And Liz here has had flashes in which she has seen Max and Maria calling her. She thinks they may all be alive.” “Da-” Jeff stated, then he glanced at Jayyd… “Doggone FBI Special Unit and the Army’s Alien Task Force. They were a scourge in our world… until Dan became the head of the unit. Dan changed everything. He’s one of the good ones.” “Dan who?” Liz Parker asked. “You wouldn’t know him. Dan Klein… and his wife, Diane. What was her maiden name? Anyway, it’s Klein now. Casey! That was her name before. Diane Casey. She used to be an agent with the FBI’s Special Unit, but she turned to our side. Then the President made Dan head of the Unit after the former head disappeared leaving the Unit in disarray and plagued by scandal. Dan gave the Unit a whole new direction, and he and Diane travel back and forth to Earth all the time now.” “From Antar?” Alex asked. Jeff nodded. “Maybe Dan Klein could help us,” Alex suggested. “I doubt it, Alex,” Jeff said. “Before Diane met us and Dan fell in love with her, both of them were Special Unit agents. They never met us yet in your world it would seem. You seem to be ten or fifteen years younger than we are. And since graduation didn’t happen the same way in your world, there’s no guarantee that anything else will either.” “But maybe the people have the same hearts,” Alex said. “I don’t know… maybe they just need to find their way in our world like they did in yours. What I mean is that as long as nothing comes along and affects this Dan Klein in my world, he may remain a dedicated agent, but given similar… situations… he might turn out to have the same heart that the one in your world does.” Jeff nodded. “I see what you’re saying… and you could be right… but the situation that brought Dan over to our side in our world may never be duplicated in your world. I would have to consider him extremely dangerous in his… let’s say, pre-enlightened days… Diane, too, probably. Besides, I don’t think we would know where to find him, and even if we did, he would have no influence in your world. He hasn’t been made the head of the agency there yet… He may never be.” Alex nodded and sighed. “It was just a thought.” The girl returned and placed the orders on the table. Alex and Liz seemed especially hungry, but everyone seemed to enjoy the food. As they were finishing, another person came into the CrashDown. “Varec!” Max called. “Over here! Come join us.” Varec smiled and walked quickly over to the table and sat down. “I’ve got good news, Zan!” “Well, tell us,” Max said, swallowing a bite of his alien cheeseburger. “We could use some good news… anything you’ve got.” “I can get you back,” Varec said to Alex and Liz. “You can go home!” Everyone was silent. “I thought you’d be happy,” Varec said. “I thought that’s what you wanted.” “Yeah… yeah, it is, Varec,” Max said. “It’s just that it’s so… sudden… and unexpected.” Alex and Liz both nodded. “Well…” Varec said, sizing up the situation astutely, “there’s no need to leave until you want to, of course. It could just as well be tomorrow… or a year from now… as today.” Alex sighed and looked at Liz, and she smiled slightly. “You don’t look forward to going back to the chair, do you, Liz?” Alex asked. Liz shook her head, and Varec looked confused. “The electric chair?” Liz smiled and sniffed. “Worse! The wheelchair. It’s alright, Alex. I have to find Max… and Maria and Michael and Isabel. If I’m not there to keep pushing everyone to find them, who will? I know Amy will always look for Maria, but she needs somebody to help her. I have to do it… and I have to go back right away. How soon can we go?” Varec took out a set of orbs. “Anytime you’re ready.” Liz looked at Alex. Alex swallowed and nodded. “We need to go now,” he said to Varec. “Max… Michael… Liz… it’s been… super meeting you and being here. Maybe we’ll meet again someday.” Alex sniffed, then Liz did, too. Liz hugged Max, and Max kissed her on the cheek. Then she hugged Michael and her counterpart, Liz Evans. Then she hugged Jeff again. Alex looked at Jayyd and smiled. “Jayyd, it’s been a special… um… experience meeting you! If I ever need some clown clothes, I’ll sure see if you’re available to do the color changes. You’re awesome!” Liz smiled and hugged Jayyd. “That goes for me, too. I really could use you on my world. Varec? Can we go?” Varec nodded and handed Alex and Liz each an orb. “Each of you hold an orb in one hand, and hold each other’s hands with the other hand. Then place the two orbs together, forming a complete circuit.” “Then she’s gonna click her heels together three times while saying, ‘I want to go home,’ right?” Alex said. Liz laughed and slapped him playfully on the arm. “No,” Varec said. “Verbal incantations won’t work. You both need to concentrate on the orbs and on where you want to go. You will see the object of your search in your minds. Then you go to it.” “Just like that?” Alex asked. Varec nodded. “Think about our bodies, Alex. We want to go back to our bodies on Earth.” “Good thinking, Liz.” Both of them closed their eyes. Max looked at his wife, Liz. She had tears in her eyes. Then he looked at Michael. Michael swallowed silently. Max looked back at Alex and Liz and raised one hand as they began to disappear. “Take care of her, Alex,” he said, his voice breaking in spite of all his efforts. “Keep her laughing.” As Alex and Liz disappeared, the orbs fell to the floor. At the table, several minutes passed in silence… other than for the occasional sniffle and the sound of napkins disappearing from the napkin holder. “Varec,” Max said, finally breaking the silence, “could we use our orbs to go to her world?” “I don’t think so, Zan. I could research some more, but dimensional travel with the orbs was a fluke. It wasn’t supposed to happen. What I found out was that their coming here opened up a pathway for the orbs to take them back… under the right conditions.” “Could we go there with the sphere of the portal?” Varec shook his head. “The sphere’s are confined to this dimension… They can see and travel into the past and future… but only in our dimension. Unfortunately, there is no experience with dimensional travel in our history.” “Then there’s no way that you know of for us to help them?” “Well… there may be one.” “What?” “The New Granolith. Theoretically, it could travel dimensionally. You must understand that it has never been tried or proven. It’s only a theory.” “Your theory, Varec?” Varec nodded. “That’s good enough for me.” Max looked at Michael, and Michael nodded his agreement. Then he looked at Liz, and she nodded, too. “How long would it take to get the ship ready?” “Three days… then, by my calculations, twelve days to get there.” “How soon can you get workers started on preparing the New Granolith? It hasn’t been used for a while.” “They’ve already started. I expected you to make this decision.” “Michael,” Max said, “We need to plan this out over the next couple of days while they’re preparing the New Granolith. And we need to recruit whoever’s going to go with us to help.” Michael nodded, and Max looked around the table and smiled… “Folks… We’re going to Earth.” tbc Coming up: This storyline will continue, chronologically, in The Night The Dreams Died. Alex and Liz return to their bodies, but things are not as they left them. To help Max, Maria, Michael, and Isabel, they will first have to save themselves, and the prospects of that have just gone from challenging to dismal. In the next chapter of this book, The Four Faces Of Rath, Max and group set out for Earth in Dimension “Y” with the New Granolith, but being twelve days away, there is a real fear that they may be too late to help anyone by the time they arrive. Expect Amy and Jim to be formidable together. If they can keep Liz and Alex from a tragic end for long enough… and if Maria can keep Isabel alive long enough… and not be discovered… help is on the way. But will Max and the other rescuers get there in time… or will they simply be too late to do anything but mourn when they finally get there? And are Liz and Alex really as helpless as their persecutors believe them to be? Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub129.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsr ... dbreeze</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/aim116b.jpg" BORDER=0> at: 11/9/03 12:08 am

isndbreeze · Post by **isndbreeze** » Sun Nov 09, 2003 12:54 am

Thanks all of you for the great feedback! Isabel - <blockquote>Quote:<hr>Gerry that was fabulous! But what else is new Seriously, do you ever write a bad part?!<hr></blockquote> OMG, I hope not! <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> Well, some parts are better than others... or worse, I guess... but I've never posted one that I thought was a real dog (My apologies to dogs everywhere!) What I do find when I go back and reread parts of my stories that I haven't read for a long time is that I am always left with two impressions: I still like what I wrote, but I always want to change a lot of things to make it read better. Sometimes I'm embarrassed by how much better I think it should have been.<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/doh.gif ALT=":doh"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> Oh well! Veca - Yeah, I imagine the goings-on in the palace are sometimes real eye-openers for the people who work there! It must be quite an experience for them! <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> Michael was right about Alex and Liz needing to know those things, but his bluntness was killing poor Isabel. <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> Melisa - Wedding bells! I knew that, but when is the big day? <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /smile.gif ALT=":)"> Congrats! Alex and Liz have quite the experience on Antar. <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/ufo.gif ALT=":ufo"> Thanks again for the feedbacks! Here's the next part. Hope you like it. <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Mon Nov 10, 2003 2:51 am

<img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/slinkie.gif ALT=":slinkie"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/slinkie.gif ALT=":slinkie"> <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/slinkie.gif ALT=":slinkie"> I'm a ball of excitement! I can't seem to stop jupming up and down in anticipation! Antar Liz and Max need to go and help Earth Liz! They can't let her leave! They must do something! The granolith must work dammit! And I just loved the enitre trick the Lizs playedon Max and Alex!<img src=http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/cwm/cwm/spit.gif ALT=":spit"> Max will not be able to live this down very easily! <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sra ... f8323d.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

Post by **roswellkitkat** » Tue Nov 11, 2003 2:11 pm

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Look at yourself, you pervert. Stop looking at my undies!”<hr></blockquote> I about spit water across my computer reading this....<img src=http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/cwm/cwm/spit.gif ALT=":spit"> This part was excellent. It was very swwet of ALex to try and keep Liz Parker's spirit up. Go Alex! I really hope both these stories end on a good note! <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/love.gif ALT=":love"> My wedding date is Janaury 16, 2004! so close, yet so far... <div style="text-align:center">Knowing you'll be haunting me to the end of time? Mmmm...It's a dream come true...</div>  <div style="text-align:center">Angel to Spike</div>

vecastone · Post by **vecastone** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 11:47 am

Oh !! I forgot to leave fb here !!! Hurry up guys !!! it´s getting pretty dangerous on earth in the 'Y' dimension !!! If it wasn´t for Jim Liz would have been dead long time ago !! I know this Max wasn´t Earth Liz´s Max but I was wondering if she didn´t feel a thing after seeing him (or the Antar version of him) again after her coma , after all this time. I know I would have had mixed feelings <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/wink.gif ALT=";)"> Great update as usual !! Hurry up you too !!

Post by **majiklmoon** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 11:25 pm

Gerry, have i mentioned that you are a roswell GOD! <center>It all started with a boy, a girl, and a silver handprint.</center><center><a href=http://pub84.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsrealm><img src=http://members.aol.com/majiklmoon/image ... a></center>

isndbreeze · Post by **isndbreeze** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 9:59 pm

Thanks, Isabel, Melisa, Veca, and Tracie for all the great feedback! You're making me blush! (...But don't stop on that account! <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/lol.gif ALT=":lol"> ) Veca, I'm sure that Liz did feel something for Max in this dimension, but she realized that he was not her Max... even though he was still Max. It would be impossible for her not to feel something, though. Here's the next part. It's a thanksgiving special. Let me know what you think. <img src=http://www.majiklmoon.com/ezboardsmilies/ufo.gif ALT=":ufo"> <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://users.aol.com/isndbreeze/skysymb ...   Gerry - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hopeless Candy-Coated, Stargazing, Dreamer! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</div>

isndbreeze · Post by **isndbreeze** » Thu Nov 27, 2003 10:01 pm

The Four Faces of Rath Split-tail Turkey Chapter 59 LVIX Jim tossed the two big birds down on the porch at Kathleen’s feet, and Kathleen stared at the odd-looking, round, feathered creatures with long, split tails. “What are those, Jim?” “Turkeys.” “No, no, no…” Kathleen said, shaking her head emphatically. “Max said there are no turkeys on Antar. Besides, those aren’t turkeys. I know turkeys when I see them, and that’s… not them! Those aren’t anything I’ve ever seen before, Jim.” “Well, I guess they’re Antarian turkeys, Kath. Alien turkeys would look different, wouldn’t they?” Kathleen hesitated, as she looked at the huge birds. They were roughly the size of turkeys… maybe a little bigger. And they were fat and had turkey-like feathers… but the tail was about four feet long… and split into two halves. And the head was odd-looking. It sort of looked like a turkey’s head… except for the color… and the fire-red eyes. “If there were such a thing as an Antarian turkey, I guess this might be what one would look like,” Kathleen conceded. “Well, there you go, Kath! We can invite the gang over for Thanksgiving dinner!” “Are these edible, Jim?” Jim shrugged. “Well find out.” Kathleen’s eyebrows went up a couple of inches. “Maybe you’d better let Varec test one of them first, Jim. You wouldn’t want to poison all our guests.” “Well, there won’t be that many guests, Kath. Max and Liz, Michael and Maria, and a few others will be on their way to Earth in some other dimension by tomorrow… to save their… alternate selves or something.” “Well… you don’t want to poison ME, do you,” Kathleen said emphatically. Jim smiled. “Actually, Hon, Varec’s assistant already checked them out for me. They’re edible… and nutritious, she says.” “Okay,” Kathleen said hesitantly, “but how do they taste?” Jim shrugged. “There’s got to be SOME mystery in life, Kath. Call the others… whoever’s still left in this dimension… Tell them we’re having Thanksgiving dinner here at the ranch. The entrée is… uh… Antarian… Nan-Torel split-tail turkey.” Kathleen shook her head and picked one of the birds up by the feet. “I don’t want to guess who’s going to pluck these.” “I’ll give you a hand,” Jim said. “Soooo gallant of you,” Kathleen replied with a grin. “You know, eating a lot of turkey always put me to sleep. It’s that enzyme or something that’s in turkey meat. I hope these birds don’t have that…” Kathleen looked at the huge birds again and sighed. “And I hope they’ll fit in my oven!” ~Thanksgiving Day~ At the Valenti ranch, Jim finished setting the last plate on the table then walked to the door to answer yet another knock. “Michael! Maria! I thought when we called… you guys said you were leaving for Dimension Why this morning.” “Dimension Y,” Michael corrected. “Yeah, we were, but the guys over at the lab needed a few more hours to get the ship ready, and we heard you were cooking.” Jim grinned. “Yep! You heard right. Come on in. Are Max and Liz comin’, too?” “They may. Max was still hanging around the hangar watching them prep the new granolith, but I’ve got a feeling they’ll be here.” “Kind of a last meal before the trip, huh?” Michael nodded. “Yeah, a last meal for awhile among friends anyway. Little R2-D2 cooks up some pretty good meals on the ship, but he’s poor company.” Kathleen walking into the room at that moment with a crock pot full of something that looked like mashed potatoes. “R2-D2? Is that what you named the little service droid on the new granolith now?” Maria laughed. “No, that’s just what Michael calls him. We really should name him. He’s like part of the crew. Come to think of it, we really should name the ship. What kind of name is ‘new granolith?’ It’s not even a name… it’s just a description or something.” Jim nodded. “A name for the ship would be a good thing… The ‘Antar I’ or something. “Yeah, something original, though… and cool,” Maria said. As they spoke, Kyle and Jeliya walked into the room. “Michael! Maria! You guy’s late getting off on your trip?” “Yeah,” Michael replied with an acknowledging nod. “The space guys over at the lab needed a few more hours to finish stocking the ship and calculating the dimensional theory to get us where we’re going in the other dimension.” “Well, I’m glad you could both join us,” Kyle said, patting Michael on the back. “Alex and Isabel are out back with Mareeya and Ceelya petting the yoriths. I think Danyy’s with them. Tess and Rayylar were around here somewhere with Jiba and Drel. They may have gone for a walk or they may be out back with Alex and Iz and their kids. And Taz is playing hide and seek with a few of the other children. Where’s Kryys… and Jayyd… and Zorel?” Michael laughed. “They saw Taz and the others and headed off to play with them till dinner’s ready.” “Well, Danyy will keep them occupied,” Kyle said. “His pawgor friend, Jung-Jo, is out there somewhere with his mate and their three babies. Only they’re not babies anymore.” “Yeah, I know… I saw them a few days ago,” Michael said. “They’re like half grown already.” Kathleen came into the dining room at that moment and placed a very large platter on the table with Jim’s help… “Well, guys, the dinner’s ready. Get everyone inside and have the kids wash their hands and we can start.” “I’ll round up the kids,” Jim said. He stepped out the door onto the porch and yelled… “DINNER’S READY! ANYONE NOT IN THE HOUSE IN TWO MINUTES GOES HUNGRY.” Within seconds, children came running… and right behind them were a number of parents. “Have a seat at the table everyone… after you’ve washed your face and hands,” he added in the direction of the kids. Several children ran off toward the bathrooms, followed by a few of the parents. Soon, everyone was seated around the table, but before they could begin, there was another knock on the door. Jim went to answer it. “Max!” Jim said with a big smile, as he opened the door. “And Liz… Gee, I’m sorry, guys… You’re late. We finished everything off already. I wish you could have been here. It was delicious!” “Oh, that’s okay,” Liz said politely, shaking her head. “We just came over to join in the celebrating before we go… while they’re finishing up with the ship.” Max looked a little disappointed, but he smiled and agreed with Liz. Jim grinned and opened the door all the way. “Get in here. We’re just getting started. I was pullin’ your leg. We’ve got a couple of chairs already pulled up to the table for you.” Jim seated Max and Liz then took his own seat at the head of the table. “Would you cut the turkey for us, Jim,” Kathleen asked. Jim smiled and picked up the carving knife and began to slice off different portions for each person according to his or her request. “Smells good,” Tess said. “I can’t wait to see how it tastes.” She picked her fork up and started to take a bite, but then she noticed that Jim seemed to be watching her. “Oh… I’m sorry. Was I supposed to wait… or something?” “No, no!” Kathleen replied reassuringly. “Jim just was wondering how you would like it.” “Oh.” Tess nodded and put the fork into her mouth. Then she closed her eyes. “Mmmm! It’s delicious!” She took another bite. “I think this is really the best turkey I’ve ever had, Kathleen! Where did you find these on Antar? Did you bring them from Earth, Jim, like last year… with the sphere?” “Nope,” Jim replied. “Got ‘em right here on Antar.” “I didn’t know there were turkeys on Antar,” Tess said. “Well, maybe not if you’re not at least three miles inside the Nan-Torel,” Jim replied with a grin. “These are Antarian Nan-Torel split-tail turkeys.” “I never heard of them,” Tess said, taking another bite. “But they’re the best thing I think I’ve ever tasted on Antar!” She wiped her mouth and smiled. “And Antarian food is pretty good.” With that high praise, everyone began to eat, and soon the table was buzzing with agreement regarding the culinary value of Jim’s “turkeys.” “I’ve got to hand it to you, Jim,” Max said. “I think anything I wanted, I could probably send you into the Nan-Torel, and you would find it.” There was some laughter and a lot of nodding heads. “Well, here’s to Jim… and to Jim’s turkeys,” Dan Klein said, raising a glass of jubish. “Yeah! Hear! Hear!” several others echoed, as everyone else raised their glasses in agreement. Soon, the guests were all actively enjoying the abundant dishes of badas, grelliats, guma, and all the split-tail turkey they could eat, washing everything down with jubish, Cherry Coke, or Snapple laced with Tabasco sauce. Seated at another table, the children seemed to be enjoying the food as much as their parents, especially the amazing Nan-Torel split-tail turkey. Clearly, this dinner was going to go down as a major success, and no one could have been more pleased about it than Jim. After dinner, Kathleen served the traditional Antarian flaming flan, japo-mevanish, with Jaht-roo cookies; and those who wanted, had an after dinner cup of real Earth coffee that Jim had stashed away from his last trip to Earth. “That was delicious,” Alex said. “Kathleen, you are the greatest! You can cook for me anytime!” Kathleen smiled. “Thank you, Alex! You’re so kind.” “Yes, he is,” Isabel said, looking up toward the ceiling. “Iz, what in the world are you looking for,” Michael asked. Isabel smiled, seeming unoffended by the apparent bluntness of Michael’s question. “Stars,” she replied simply with a giddy smile. “Well, shouldn’t you be outside then?” Isabel shook her head. “Nope.” She looked at Alex then reached up and appeared to take something from the air and place it into Alex’s hand. Alex opened his hand and looked. “It’s beautiful, Iz!” “What?” Michael said. “I don’t see anything.” “The star,” Isabel said. “I reached up and got a star and gave it to Alex.” Isabel kissed Alex lightly on the lips. At the children’s table, Zorel looked at Kryys, and his eyes widened. Kryys smiled back and looked amused. Mareeya, Ceelya, and the other children all smiled. Then Max began to laugh. “What’s so funny?” Michael asked. “No one told a joke.” Max shook his head then broke out laughing again. He looked at Liz. “I was thinking how beautiful you are, Liz.” Liz smiled and leaned over to give Max a kiss. “And that’s funny?” Michael asked with a puzzled expression. “Yeah,” Diane Klein replied for Max. “I understand Max.” She leaned over and kissed Dan, who kissed her back rather passionately. “Okay, that’s enough for me,” Zorel said. “I’m going out to play with Danyy. This is getting to be weird! A guy could die from all this sweetness!” He looked at the other children, but most of them just giggled as they watched Dan kiss Diane. “Do you see the stars?” Isabel asked, pointing toward the ceiling. “They’re everywhere! They’re so beautiful! I can reach out and touch them.” “They’re all for you,” Alex said. Isabel smiled and kissed Alex again. “I see them, too,” Tess whispered. “I don’t see anything,” her husband, Rayylar, said with a puzzled look. “I don’t either,” Kyle’s wife, Jeliya, said, searching in the air for something that she felt must be there in spite of her inability to see it. “Reach up and you’ll touch them,” Tess said. “Well, I didn’t see them before,” Jim said, “but now I do. Whoa! They’d make great target practice!” Kathleen giggled then began to laugh. “I didn’t think that was funny at all,” Michael said. “I don’t even see the stars. Stars! Stars! Where are you? Come out so I can see you!” Kathleen grabbed Jim and pushed him down into his chair then sat across his lap. “The only target practice you’re getting, Jimbo, is with me.” She smiled and planted a big kiss on his lips, as Max began to laugh again. “WHAT?” Michael asked. “I have x-ray vision!” Max said. “I can see through Liz’s clothes! I can see through everyone’s clothes.” Michael looked at Max, at first with a look of disbelief, then with a look of amusement. “Well, why didn’t you say so!” Michael started to laugh, too. “Do you have x-ray vision, too, Michael?” Michael shook his head then dissolved into laughter again. “No. I just think it’s so funny that you do, Max. That’s a riot!” Maria pulled at Michael’s arm. “Let’s dance, cosmic lover! Jim’s singing for everyone.” She pulled Michael out into the middle of the floor, and they began to dance. Michael smiled and buried the side of his face in Maria’s hair, as he gave himself up to the moment with Maria. Kathleen sat watching Jim sing, with a look of immense approval on her face. “Do you like Jim’s music,” she asked Diane sitting beside her. Diane nodded. “It’s all colors,” Kathleen said. “The notes are different colors when they come out of his mouth. Some of them are blue… some of them are red… and some of them are pure golden. If I catch them, I can rearrange them and make a new song.” Diane nodded. “They’re beautiful, Kath! I really love Jim’s singing! Don’t you, Dan?” Dan nodded. “I wish I could sing that colorful.” Diane kissed Dan again. “There are plenty of things I love about you, Dan Klein! You don’t need to sing, too.” Rayylar seemed to be the only one who noticed that someone was knocking on the door. He walked to the door and opened it and found Varec standing there. “Rayylar, Can I come in? I need to tell Zan something before he… before they… Oh, oh…” “What’s going on, Varec?” Rayylar asked. Varec breathed a deep sigh, as he looked around the room. Max and Liz were wrapped in each other’s arms on the sofa, Kyle seemed to have similar ideas with Jeliya nearby, Michael and Maria were lost in their dance, Kathleen sat enraptured as Jim sang love songs, Dan and Diane seemed to have found a corner to cuddle in, Alex and Isabel were catching stars for each other… between kisses, and Tess was attached to Rayylar’s arm like a tattoo. “Well, maybe it’s not as bad as I thought,” Varec said. “My assistant made a slight mistake. She told Jim that his ‘turkey’ was safe to eat. It is safe, of course, if one is Antarian. But she did not take into consideration the differences of alien physiology.” “In other words,” Rayylar said, “I’m the only one who’s normal right now… me and Jeliya? I thought it was some kind of odd Earth celebration ritual. I was afraid to say anything.” “Well…” Varec looked at the amused children, “the children should be okay… and you two. They were all born here, so they shouldn’t have any unusual effects from eating the birds Jim caught. But Earth physiology, in particular, is… a bit different. I’m afraid anyone with Earth DNA who wasn’t born here would experience some kind of symptoms.” Rayylar motioned around the room. “Like these symptoms?” “Maybe,” Varec said. “Euphoria, giddiness, intoxication, possible hallucinations…” “Will they be okay?” Varec nodded. “It’ll wear off by the end of the day… or I could give them each one of the antidote shots I brought with me.” He looked around the room again and smiled slightly. “Why don’t we just let it wear off by itself, huh, Rayylar?” Rayylar looked at Tess wrapped around his arm like a tourniquet and sighed, then he nodded. “Yeah, I guess you and I can watch the children for a few hours, Varec.” Two hours later, the room was basically quiet. The children had been sent back out to play. Max was asleep on the sofa with Liz lying on top of him. Her head rested on Max’s chest, and she was asleep, too, smiling. Michael and Maria had slowly collapsed onto the floor, bringing their dance to an end. Both were asleep on the floor. Michael’s arms were still around Maria, and both appeared to be in some very pleasant place judging from the smiles on their faces. Elsewhere around the room, the scene was repeated, with each couple seeming to be blissfully off in some land of happy dreams together. Though unaffected herself, Jeliya, lying on a sofa with Kyle’s arms wrapped around her, had decided to just go with it. Rayylar looked at Varec and shook his head. “Who knew. Crazy alien physiology. I wonder how long they’ll sleep.” Varec shrugged. <div style="text-align:center">**********</div> Liz smiled and hugged Kathleen then gave Jim a kiss on the cheek, as they accompanied Max and Liz to the door. “That was… amazing,” Liz said, her face turning a little red in spite of herself. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a dinner quite like that, Kath. It was very, very… tasty.” Liz hesitated as she thought for a moment. “Enjoy those leftovers, Jim. Looks like you’re going to be eating Nan-Torel turkey sandwiches for the next week at least.” Jim’s eyes opened wide, then he half smiled as he looked around the room quickly… “Uh, Rayylar! Come here, buddy! You liked the turkey, didn’t you?” “Yeah, it was delicious!” “Well, look, why don’t you and Tess take the rest of it home and have it for leftovers.” “Are you sure?” Kathleen nodded. “We’re sure, Rayylar. If we ever eat split-tail turkey again, Jim will have to arrest us both.” “I thought you enjoyed it,” Rayylar said. Kathleen turned slightly red. “I did… we did! Maybe a bit too much. You take it, Rayylar. Rayylar looked at Tess for a moment then looked back at Kathleen and smiled. “Well, okay… Maybe Jeliya and Kyle would like to take some of it home, too…” Jeliya looked at Kyle and broke into a grin. Rayylar smiled. “I thought so.” Rayylar and Jeliya took the rest of the cut up turkey, thanked Jim and Kathleen, and left for their own homes. After the others had all gone, too, Jim sat down in his chair and leaned back with a sigh. “That was fun, Kath. Want to do it again next year?” Kathleen smiled and shook her head. “I think everyone had a great time today,” Jim said. “They seemed to be enjoying themselves.” “Yeah,” Kathleen agreed. “They did enjoy themselves. No doubt about that.” “And they loved the food, too,” Jim said. “Everyone said that the turkey tasted great.” Kathleen nodded. “It was good.” Jim picked up his copy of the Antar News and flipped the Video screen on. “We’ve got a lot to be thankful for, Kath… you know? Good friends, health, a place where we can live and not be constantly harassed by neurotic, paranoid alien hunters… Odd, isn’t it? Here we are actually on an alien planet… and we’re free, our kids are free, we’re all happy, everyone’s our friend… while on our own planet we were hunted and almost killed by our own species. We were locked up, tortured, forced out of our homes… Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?” Kathleen nodded. “Yeah, I’ve thought about it a lot. I was one of those paranoid, neurotic alien hunters.” Jim smiled. “But you got your alien, Kath.” “Yeah, I guess I did,” Kathleen agreed, sitting down on Jim’s lap and giving him a kiss. “I hope this is not too much torture for you.” Jim grinned. “I think I can bear it.” “By the way, Kath, what’s for supper tonight?” Kathleen smiled. “Turkey soup.” tbc Coming next: The plan continues to rescue Liz, Alex, and the others from Earth, and Jim is convinced to go along on the mission.

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