<!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Disclaimer:</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> You know the drill…the characters aren’t mine Roswell and all characters belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox etc. I’m just borrowing them.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Rating:</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> PG-13 – possibly to R<br><br>Chapter Forty-Four – <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>Message in a Bottle</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><br>Without a word, Maria spun on one heel and exited the granolith chamber.<br><br>“Michael, wait,” said Alex, holding up an arm to stop Michael from following Maria. “Let me talk to her.”<br><br>“Fine!” said Michael, his voice sullen. “Obviously she finds the thought of me repulsive anyway. This is all <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>your</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> fault,” he said, turning towards Che’koth. “If you had just kept your big mouth shut, everything would have been fine.”<br><br>“I am sorry I have angered you, Lord Rath. We just assumed that your basic understanding of our culture, coupled with the explanations in the book would clarify everything for you,” said Che’koth<br><br>“Again with that damn book!” shouted Kyle. “Why do you keep harping on it anyhow? How did you expect them to read it? The damn thing is written in Antarian. Alex just figured out how to decode the stupid thing. Not that it did any good, at least until Max stole the other book from those rejects.”<br><br>“You are telling me that none of you can read Antarian?” asked Che’koth.<br><br>“Boy, he’s really quick on the uptake,” Kyle said to Ava. “Hello, Gazoo, are you even listening?” Kyle asked, waving his hand in front of the holographic image. No, they can’t read Antarian.”<br><br>“But how can that be?” asked a confused Che’koth. “That knowledge, as well as a rudimentary history of our world was into your cells when you were created.”<br><br>“Well, it didn’t work,” said Max, flatly. <br><br>“You are telling me that all you know of our world is what I have told you, and what you have found out for yourselves from a book decoded by a human?”<br><br>“Light dawns over marble head,” said Michael. “You got it, dude.”<br><br>“This is unthinkable,” said Che’koth. “I must meet with the others and find out how they want to proceed. When would be a convenient time for us to reconvene, Your Majesty,” said Che’koth, turning to Max.<br><br>“Uh, tomorrow night, at 10:00?” said Max, looking at the others for confirmation.<br><br>“That’s no good, Max,” said Isabelle. “Alex is leaving for Las Cruses the day after that. His parents will want him home.”<br><br>“Damn, that’s right. Okay, tonight then?” queried Max. After everyone nodded, he turned to Che’koth. “Tonight, at 10:00 p.m. We’ll be here, and you had better be back, with answers for us.”<br><br>“As you wish Your Majesty,” said Che’koth. He bowed, and his image faded from the chamber.<br><br><br>“Maria, wait up, will you?” shouted Alex as he chased Maria down the path. “What is your problem?” he panted as he jogged up beside her.<br><br>“My problem? My problem? Alex, didn’t you hear what I heard in there. What do you think my problem is?” ranted Maria.<br><br>“Well other than the fact that if you don’t breathe soon, you are going to pass out from lack of oxygen, I’m not really sure,” said Alex.<br><br>“Well, maybe you want to be glued to Isabelle for the rest of your life,” Maria snapped, but I think I deserved some say in being with Michael for all eternity!”<br><br>“Maria, will you listen to me for a second?” asked Alex. “I mean really really listen?”<br><br>Go ahead,” said Maria. “I’m listening.”<br><br>“Do you love Michael?”<br><br>“What kind of a question is that?” asked Maria. “You know I do.”<br><br>“And if you could spend the rest of your life with any one person, who would it be?”<br><br>“Mel Gibson,” said Maria, promptly.<br><br>“Maria, we’re existing on this plane, not the one that lives in your mind,” said Alex with a sigh.<br><br>“Michael,” said Maria, grudgingly. “But I just don’t like being told that I have no choice in the matter.”<br><br>“See, I knew it,” said Alex. “I knew you weren’t listening. Maria, it was all about choice. We all chose each other, and when our bodies recognized that we found our true loves, our biological selves accepted it. For all we know, human DNA does the same thing, but our scientists haven’t discovered it yet. If your heart and soul hadn’t already chosen Michael, there is now way we could have activated the granolith.”<br><br>“Well, I…,” began Maria.<br><br>“I know, it’s just that it all happened so fast, and Che’koth was throwing around all these words that none of us expected to hear,” said Alex.<br><br>“And I freaked,” said Maria, ruefully. “God, Michael must totally hate me about now.”<br><br>“Not hate,” said Alex. “But he’s hurt, Maria. Bad.”<br><br>“Alex, how can I ever get him to understand that it wasn’t about him. Not in a bad way, anyhow. It’s just that I felt like I was losing my free will. I love Michael Guerin, with all my heart. I’m never going to be able to explain to him why I acted like such an ass. He’s never going to forgive me!” wailed Maria.<br><br>“Well, not right this second, I’m not,” said Michael, coming up behind her. “But I probably will by tonight, if you promise to stop freaking out so easily.”<br><br>“Michael, I’m so sorry,” cried Maria, throwing herself into his arms. Michael wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, their two bodies swaying slightly.<br><br>“What’s tonight?” Alex asked, as the rest of the group approached.<br><br>“Tonight is when we get some answers we hope,” said Isabelle, slipping her hand into Alex’s. <br><br>“Yeah, according to Che’koth, when we all hatched, we should have known how to read Antarian, and had a rough idea of what life on our planet was all about,” said Ava.<br><br>“But things didn’t go according to plan, which I’m beginning to believe is pretty much standard when it comes to you guys,” said Kyle. “Anyhow, the Great Gazoo is going to try and get some answers for us, and we’re all going to meet back here tonight.”<br><br>“Tonight?” said Alex, his voice cracking with anger. “This is my last night with Isabelle before I go off to be the computer slave of the evil mind warping hell beast. Great!”<br><br>“Alex, don’t worry,” Isabelle said, softly. “We’ll work something out. Besides, I’m going to be looking at some colleges soon, I’m sure I can arrange a <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>tour</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> of the Las Cruses campus.”<br><br>“I just don’t want to leave you here with her and those other psychopaths,” explained Alex.<br><br>“I know, but we have to go along with her until we can really figure out what she’s up to. I’ll be safe; we’ll all be safe. You’re the one I’m worried about,” said Isabelle.<br><br>“Can we agree that we’re all worried about each other,” said Maria. “And get out of here. It’s hot, and I’m hungry, and I want to finish apologizing to Michael in private.”<br><br>They made their way to their cars, and drove off towards Roswell. After several minutes, another car pulled out from behind the sandstone outcroppings and began to follow the small caravan back to Roswell.<br><br><br> <p><center><i>It all started with a boy, a girl, and a silver handprint.</i></center><center><a href=
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