SCENE 1

They were able to get out of the house, and walked back into Tess’s place. Max was really shaken up. He was having trouble concentrating as they walked into the living room and sat down.

LIZ: So…did you find anything?

ISABEL: Well…we got the book back.

MICHAEL: The orbs we didn’t see. We looked everywhere. No dice.

LIZ: Max, what’s wrong? You look distracted.

MAX: Uhhh…

TESS: Something in there spooked him. We found the book, and he reached for it and zoned out for a minute.

MAX: I’m fine, really.

LIZ: Are you sure?

MAX: Yes. I’ll talk to you later. Are you going to be up tonight?

LIZ: Yeah.

MAX: I’ll give you a call.

MARIA: Well…this has been fun, friends, but the Jetta is leaving. I’ve got to get home. It’s way late. My mother already thinks that I’m at Liz’s, and when I miss curfew, again, she’s going to be sending out attack dogs. Liz…

LIZ: OK. Max, call me.

ALEX: Can I get a lift, too?

MARIA: Sure.

Alex went over and gave Isabel a hug and kiss, and then left with the rest of them. They pulled out of the driveway, and left.

ISABEL: Well, the same goes for us Max…we’ve got to get going.

MAX: Uhhh…yeah…Michael, need a lift?

MICHAEL: Yeah…let’s go.

As they went for the door, a man walking through it in the other direction stopped them. He looked like a logger, if there was such a thing around here in the desert. Full beard, ski cap, flannel shirt. He just walked in like he owned the place. Didn’t bother to knock or anything.

MAN: Max, Michael, Isabel, Tess, I need to talk to you…

TESS: And you are…?

MAN: I’m surprised you don’t recognize me. Maybe this will be easier for you.

The man put out his arm, and started to change shape. When he was done, he looked like Ed Harding again.

TESS: Of course, it had to be you. Where have you been?

NASEDO: Well…I’ve been playing FBI agent for the past few weeks.

MAX: Why are you back now?

NASEDO: I received a message. You are in grave danger.

MICHAEL: You just figured that out now.

NASEDO: Michael, please. Remember when I told you that activating the orbs would have unforeseen consequences?

MAX: Yeah, we’ve noticed.

NASEDO: Well, it’s worse than you can imagine. Why did you activate the orbs again?

MAX: We didn’t.

NASEDO: Someone did, about an hour ago.

ISABEL: Oh my god…you know what that means.

MICHAEL: Javier’s got them, and he’s used them.

NASEDO: How did you lose them?

MAX: Someone, a new person in town, found the cave, and then found a way in. He took the orbs and the book.

MICHAEL: Well…not just a new person.

NASEDO: This one isn’t all that powerful. I figured it was you four for sure because the power wasn’t focused. It only succeeded in arousing my suspicion. You weren’t very careful.

TESS: How would we know someone else could get into the cave?

NASEDO: This is only the beginning. More will come now. You’ll have to be prepared.

MAX: Do you know anything about this guy that they sent?

NASEDO: Only that they tend to send out an advance force to scan the area. That’s what it looks like this person is doing. It seems like he’s doing a good job. But he’s not the real threat. No…the real threat is much, much worse.

ISABEL: We just got the book back. The guy lives here, right next door to the house.

NASEDO: I can hardly think that’s a coincidence.

MAX: Well, coincidence or not, we haven’t been able to confront him yet.

NASEDO: Why don’t you just kill him?

MAX: By the time we knew who he was, it was too late. The signal had already been sent.

NASEDO: What signal?

MAX: We found a light that they have been using to communicate. We were at my house trying to come up with a plan when it went off. When we got to the cave, it had been opened.

NASEDO: What do you mean opened?

MICHAEL: The rocks covering the entrance: they’re simply not there anymore.

NASEDO: So it’s completely exposed?

ISABEL: Yes.

NASEDO: I warned you that this wasn’t good. It wasn’t the right time. You’re too young. The goal is too large for you. But you didn’t listen, and now we don’t have a choice.

MAX: So what will they send next?

NASEDO: I don’t know. It could take many forms. But with the way you are now…you have no hope.

MICHAEL: What do we have to do?

NASEDO: You need to hone your abilities, learn much. It takes many years to master all of your gifts, and even then this would be an almost impossible fight. I’ve taught Tess for many years, but even she is nowhere close to the ability required to take on the responsibilities you have.

MAX: We don’t have that kind of time.

NASEDO: You’ve got that right.

MAX: Can you do anything to help us?

NASEDO: I’m tasked to protect you; and that’s what I’ll do. But, there’s not much more that I can do. I’ll be able to close the cave again; I can do that. But after that, I have to stay with the FBI. It’s hard enough to fight a one front battle, and without me, the FBI will get to you first.

MAX: Well then we have no choice. We have to find him, make him talk. And we have to do it soon.

MICHAEL: Make him reveal their plans, so we have something to go on.

MAX: We both work tomorrow. When he gets there, I’ll tell him we need to meet. All of you be at the Center at 12 noon sharp.

TESS: But what if he doesn’t show up?

MAX: Stay watch here…if you see him, call us immediately. Nasedo, go close the cave, and go back to the FBI. But…we need to have some way to contact you again, when we need you.

NASEDO: Well…I know this doesn’t seem exactly clandestine, but I have a cell phone. You can leave me a coded message. Here’s the number. Just be careful of what you say…we don’t know who’s listening. And use it sparingly. I can’t leave all of the time without arousing suspicion, and then where would we be?

MAX: OK…good luck.

NASEDO: You’re the ones who need it.

SCENE 2

Max and Isabel dropped Michael off at his apartment and headed for home. They got there, and after successfully dodging their parents, they got up to Max’s room.

MAX: Well, good night…

ISABEL: No way…you’re not getting off that easy…what happened at Javier’s tonight?

MAX: I really don’t want to talk about it.

ISABEL: So something happened. OK…spill.

MAX: I had another vision. It was…unsettling.

ISABEL: What happened?

MAX: Well…I reached for the book, you know, when we found it in the wall. All of the sudden, I was in a weird town. I was in the middle of an invasion.

ISABEL: Oh my god…you mean…back on our home planet.

MAX: I think so.

ISABEL: What was it like?

MAX: Well…kind of like here, but the people…there were all sorts of technological things, and then the army…

ISABEL: Army…?

MAX: The invaders…they were forcing all of the townspeople to flee…I was in the center of the square, in charge of everyone, and yet they were all running for their lives, except for…

ISABEL: Who…except for who?

MAX: Tess…she was right beside me…and when I saw her, I felt something, something that I’ve only felt for one other person.

ISABEL: Liz.

MAX: Yeah.

Max paused for a moment; letting the gravity of his words sink in for Isabel, and himself.

MAX: It wasn’t like it was interactive, I just saw it, like a dream, but I felt everything he felt, everything he saw. It was me, from our previous life.

ISABEL: Were Michael and I there?

MAX: Not that I could see…but then again, it was over just as quickly as it began.

ISABEL: Tess said you were out for like a minute. No wonder why you were wigged. So what are you going to do about it?

MAX: Nothing. That wasn’t me.

ISABEL: But Max, of course it was.

MAX: No…I’m supposed to be with Liz. I have a destiny to save our people…just because I was with Tess in a past life doesn’t mean anything.

ISABEL: I wish, so much do I wish, that that wasn’t true. But after the last few days, I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.

MAX: Anyway, maybe Tess caused the vision. She’s done it before.

ISABEL: I know, but it didn’t seem like it.

MAX: I don’t want to admit it, but you’re right. I just feel it, you know. Do you know what that means? I don’t think I could ever face Liz again knowing that what I told her that day that you all got me out of the compound was a lie. I don’t want it to be a lie. I love her. Why can’t I have what I want?

ISABEL: If Tess learns about this, she’ll start in with you all over again. She cares for you too, Max. I mean, she’s known since she was a little child that you were the one she was supposed to be with. Now that she’s met you, she hasn’t exactly changed her mind.

MAX: I know. But what can I do to dissuade her when I have visions as powerful as this? How can two people be my soulmate? How can I have visions, feel things, for both Liz and Tess? Especially when I only want to be with Liz.

ISABEL: I’ve spent most of the past month asking myself the same questions about Michael and Alex. I want to be with Alex. I know that, but at the same time Michael may be my soulmate. How can two people both be the most important? I mean, Michael is my brother, and I love him. But not like that. At least, though, he feels the same way.

MAX: Yeah, but will that last forever…who knows? Tomorrow we could find out something completely different, something that changes everything all over again. I wish all the time that we could just be normal teenagers, but it’s not going to happen. We have to get used to this.

ISABEL: But that doesn’t mean we have to like it.

With that, Isabel left and went to sleep. Max didn’t know what he was going to do. Tess was going to find out about this, one way or the other. Maybe she would have a further flash of her own, and then, he would have to fight his feelings for Tess in order to stay sane. Just the fact that he was thinking about his feelings for Tess did not help matters any. But he couldn’t help it. Tess was going to be a big part of his life now. He just had to find a way to make Liz a bigger one.

Max remembered that he was supposed to call Liz. It was late, but he decided to give it a try anyway. He dialed the familiar number, and she answered immediately.

LIZ: Hello…

MAX: Hi, it’s me.

LIZ: Hey. So what’s up? What happened?

MAX: Nothing. I’m fine.

LIZ: You didn’t look fine. Did you have a flash or something?

MAX: Uhh…no…I’m just tired I guess.

LIZ: Well…then…get some sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

MAX: OK. Good night, Liz.

LIZ: Night.