“So, I’ll give you this chance to tell us what you know.” Michael informs the prisoner.

“Nothing doing!” The prisoner snaps back.

“Well, don’t try to say I didn’t give you the opportunity.”

“There’s nothing you can do to me.” The prisoner quips back.

“Oh, I think you might be a little off there.” Michael tells him, just before raising his hand and aiming it at the prisoner’s left leg. A bright flash of light was the only warning that the prisoner received, before the force of Michael’s blow crushed his knee cap. “I know that you husks protect you, and should the seal be broken, you will instantly die, but what you failed to consider is that I can slowly crush you from outside without even harming the husk. Causing severe pain without the risk of actually killing you. So, what are the Skis planning?”

The prisoner just looks up at him, with his teeth clenched in pain, as he tries to contemplate his next move.

“I would suggest that you listen to him.” Valenti tries to help out. “I’ve seen him do much more damage than this, without even being angry. I can just imagine what he is capable of right now.”

Kyle simply walks behind the prisoner’s view of sight, trying to hold back a laugh.

“So, I’ll give you another chance. What are they planning?” Michael asks the prisoner again.

“Never.” The prisoner answers through clenched teeth.

“Ok, have it your way.” Michael responds and again raises his hand towards the prisoner’s other knee and it is too shattered in the same method as the last. “Hey, you know what?”

“No, what?” Kyle answers him.

“I kind of hope that he doesn’t answer for a little bit, that way I can enjoy this to it’s fullest.” Michael tells him.

“I know what you mean.” Kyle agrees with him.

Valenti just looks at the two of them before heading back out into the main room to join Max and the other prisoner.

“Ok, I’ll let you choose this time. Right foot or left foot?” Michael asks the prisoner.

The prisoner, simply looks up and spits at him.

“Oh, I think that was supposed to mean the left foot.” Kyle quickly responds to the spit.

“Left it is…” The door closes behind Valenti as he walks out of the back room, and all that is seen is a bright flash around the edges of the door, follows by another stifled scream.

Valenti makes his way over to Max, and looks at the other prisoner.

“Anything out of him yet?” Max asks Valenti?

“Nothing yet, but I think that Michael is actually enjoying the fact.” Valenti tells him.

“Can’t blame him. I’ve wanted to do the same myself for quite some time, but we will want to keep this one alive, just in case the other doesn’t live through this before telling us everything.” Max notices the worried look on the prisoner’s face become more apparent.

“So, how are you doing out here?” Valenti asks.

“Nothing yet, but I’ve got time. If not, we can always turn him over to Michael.” Max answers him without taking his eyes off the prisoner.

The prisoner simply looks from Max’s face, over to Valenti’s face, over to the door to the back room, and then back to Max’s face.

***********************************************************************

In the back room, Kyle is there with Michael, and they are still trying to get any information out of the prisoner that they can. The prisoner’s left leg, is crushed and bent in several different angles, that can not be all that good, and the prisoner is hold his head down trying to hide the pain that he feels. Kyle walks over to the prisoner and grabs him by the hair on his head, and pulls his head up to look at Michael.

“It doesn’t … really matter… now. There is nothing that you can do.” The prisoner finally speaks out. The pain is obviously affecting him, as his words come out very slowly. “When they get here it will all be over.”

“When who get here.” Michael quickly asks him.

“The others….”

“What others?” Michael looks puzzled as he asks.

***********************************************************************

In the main room, Max and Valenti are just staring at their prisoner, and her keeps looking from one face back to the other, when he suddenly breaks the silence.

“I don’t know much.” The prisoner says.

“Well, why don’t we start with what you do know.” Max answers him calmly. “Why were you headed to the out skirts of town.”

“We…we, had to set up the final beacon.” The prisoner answers him.

“Beacon? So, you weren’t headed out for water?” Valenti asks.

“Well…we were after that too, but it wasn’t our prime motive.”

“What is this beacon? What is it for?” Max queries him.

“It…It’s for the ships.”

“What ships?” Max asks.

“The ones coming to end this whole war. It has taken quite a long time to make the trip from our home world to here, but as soon as they arrive, it will be the end of … everything.”

“How do we turn off the beacon?” Max asks, not really knowing how to react to this information. “When are they going to arrive? How many?”

“Um… You can’t turn off the beacon.”

“Then we will destroy it.” Valenti quickly responds.

“Won’t make a difference.”

“What do you mean ‘It won’t make a difference’” Valenti snaps back.

“There are others… and not any one of us knows where they all are.”

“So, that’s why the attacks have stopped.” Max ponders everything that has happened in the past week. “How much longer?”

“A day…maybe less.”

Max simply sits back in his chair and tries to absorb all of the information, and try to make a plan.

*******************************************************************

Liz and Sarena, try to ignore everything that is happening around them and are continuing to talk about some of Sarena’s theories. On the computer screen in front of them, they have a picture of the Granolith. Sarena is pointing at the base as she is rolling some kind of crystal in her other hand.

“…and as far as I can tell, this is some sort of key. It allows you to control the unit from down here in the base.” Sarena explains.

“Control it? How?” Liz asks.

“That, I am not entirely sure of. There doesn’t seem to be any physical control knobs of buttons on the outside, and I am assuming that they must have used their powers to control the unit.” Sarena continues.

“Control it to do what?”

“Well, that I am not entirely sure of. The readings that I have done on the unit are completely off the scale. The amount of energy that is contains is un-measurable. Power like that could be used for almost anything?” Sarena tells her.

“Like power a ship, or even a weapon?”

“It’s possible, but without any way to focus it, it is pretty much just for looks. Now, this is just a theory, but I think it might be some part of their ship, which allows them to cross space and possibly even … time.” Sarena notices the puzzled look that crosses Liz’s face.

“Then that is why the Skis want it back so badly. It will give them complete control.” Liz starts to make sense of everything.

“And it is probably why Max’s Parents hid it here with him. Now remember this is all just a theory.” Sarena reminds her.

Liz just stares at the screen and leans back in her chair to ponder this information. Then she turns to look over at Max and Valenti as they are questioning their prisoner.

**********************************************************************

Thirty minutes later Michael and Kyle walk out of the back room, and Max looks over at Michael in his room and Michael has a content look on his face. Michael and Alex cross the floor to join Max and Valenti at the table by their prisoner. The two of them take a seat across from Max and Valenti. Kyle is showing no expression about what has gone on and remains very quiet.

“So, is he still alive?” Max questions.

“Yeah, but I don’t think we will be having any problems finding out anything that we might need to know. Michael tells him.

Max looks over at Kyle, who simply shrugs his shoulders, and turns back to Michael. “So what did you find out.”

“Well, I appears that we are due for some company, and pretty soon by the sound of things.”

“Yeah, that’s what we have heard too.” Max lets him know they found out the same information.

Michael looks over at Max’s prisoner and her notices that the prisoner doesn ’t appear to be harmed in any way. “Got that out of him, did you?”

“Sometimes brute force isn’t always the answer. Sometimes you just need to use your head.” Max tells Michael.

“What are you trying to say.” Michael snaps back.

“Okay, guys, enough. We now know what is going to happen, we just need to figure out what we are going to do about it.” Valenti speaks up in an attempt to stop the impending verbal battle between Max and Michael.

“Well, we’ve got to figure that out, and figure it out quick.” Kyle chimes in.

“Well, I say we go there no and take out as many of them as we can.” Michael tells him.

“Do you think getting our selves killed is the answer?” Max glares over at him as he says this.

“Well, it’s better than just sitting here waiting for them to come over here and kill us.” Michael snaps back at him.

“Enough!” Valenti shouts, getting everyone’s attention as he does so. “We need to come of with a plan of attack, and all this endless bickering is getting us no where. Well, let’s start with what we do know.” He continues as he rolls out one of the maps of the area sitting on the table.

“Ok.” Max concedes, and then turns to looks down at the map. “Well we know that the Skins are here in the old warehouse, and that one of the beacons is located on the outskirts of town…about here.” He points at a spot on the map a little further down the road from where they captured their two prisoners yesterday. “And if the information that our prisoner is correct there is no point in trying to take out the beacon.”

“What if we move it to another location? You know, then they would be directed to the wrong area giving us some more time.” Kyle tries to help.

“I thought of that, but unfortunately, as our prisoner was nice enough to point out, there are several other beacons which we do not know about.” Max informs him.

“Well, if you are right about that, then we won’t be safe here for much longer.” Valenti points out.

“What would you have us do? Wait outside to be picked off?” Michael skeptically answers him.

“No, I just think that we may need to relocate to a safer area. Some where that the Skins don’t know about, which will provide us a little protection from them.” Valenti continues.

“Yeah, but where could we go?” Kyle joins in the conversation. “It’s not like Roswell is a huge town, offering a ton of places for us to hide. Considering that half the town is lying in ruins right now.”

“The pod chamber.” Max says quietly, more to himself than to the others.

“What?” Michael looks at him confused.

“The Pod Chamber…Look, we are the only ones that can open the chamber door, and they obviously do not know where it is, otherwise they would be there trying to get to the Granolith. It is what they really want.” Max points out.

“That’s not a bad idea, but there is only one problem.” Valenti begins.

“What?” Max asks, noticing the look of worry in his eye.

“Well, we can’t all just pack up and leave. They would follow us, and then they would know where it was.” Valenti points out.

“Point taken. Ok, so how should we do this?” Max asks, more that willing for any help right now.

“Well, we should break into two groups. Half of us head out first and then about an hour later the second group should go. The first group will not bring as much attention as the second group so they should bring as much of the supplies with them as possible, leaving less for the second group to have to carry. They won’t question the fact of our leaving knowing that we couldn’t be going too far, since we wouldn’t abandon the others, then the second group will have to go hot and heavy to make it there as quick as possible.” Valenti lays out his plan.

“Ok, that works for me. You, Kyle and Michael will go out in the first group…” Max begins to tell them.

“What? Hold on, I should be here with you.” Michael interrupts him.

“Michael. Think. You and I are the only two people here who can open the door, so you have to go with them.” Max points out, and Michael nods his head realizing the facts. “Al right… We will load all of the supplies we can into your vehicle, and then you guys head out. We will wait about an hour and then follow behind. That should give you enough time to get there and unload the vehicle before we are even close. Then be ready for us, since we do not know how they will react to the rest of us leaving. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Michael, Kyle and Valenti Chime in.

“Okay, well, first things first. We need to do something with our ‘guest’.” Max tells them, as he points his thumb over his shoulder to the prisoner sitting tied to the chair.

“Easy enough…” Michael says as he reaches around the prisoners lower back, concentrates for a second, and then there is a brief flash of light followed by the prisoner immediately disintegrating into dust in front of them.

“Geez, I never get used to that.” Kyle winces for a second, as the prisoner ’s remains fall to the floor.

“Ok, Kyle you and Valenti start getting everything together that we absolutely need. Michael you take care of out other guest. I will fill in the others on the plan and then we’ll all load up the vehicles, and get ready to go.”

They all go off in their different directions in order to get everything done as quickly as possible.

*********************************************************************

Max grabs a chair and pulls it over to the computers that Liz and Sarena are sitting at. He looks at the computer screen and sees the Granolith on it, finding kind of appropriate that they should be heading there soon. “Well it looks like you soon will be able to study it up close.” Max says startling Liz for a second, since she hadn’t even noticed him come up behind them.

“Wha? What?” Liz jumps a little in her chair, before turning to see that it is Max. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we are getting ready to leave…” Max begins.

“Leave?” Liz questions.

“Yeah, we are going to head out to the Granolith chamber in order to provide us a little protection.”

“Won’t that lead them right to it?”

“Well, it is the only place that they don’t know about, and offers the most amount of protection. This place will be the first place they strike and if they are right about the about of fire power that they are talking about, it won’t take but a few seconds, and then it is just a matter of time before they find it.” Max tells her.

“Ok, well, how much time do we have?” Liz asks.

“Well, we are going to load up Valenti’s truck with as many supplies as we can, and then they are going to head out. We will follow behind about an hour later. That should give you enough time toe get anything together that you might need. Please tell me that the Granolith is some sort of weapon that can save us all.” Max says almost pleading.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that. Although, we are only working on theories here, but I can almost assure you that it isn’t.” Liz breaks the news to him.

“Well, I was kind of hoping… You guys start getting anything together that you will need, and I’m going to help the others load the supplies.”

“You go it.” Liz tells, him, then before he can leave, she stands and gives him a kiss and looks deeply into his eyes and gives him her most reassuring look she can. Max simply smiles back and runs his finger down the side of her cheek, before turning to join the others.

**********************************************************************

About an hour later, they are carrying the last of the supplies out to the truck and finish loading it. Valenti closed the back hatch before turning back to Max. Max looks up from the ground to them, and puts his hand out and Valenti shakes his hand. “Don’t worry Max. We’ll get there and spruce the place up for you and the women.” Valenti says with a smile on his face, and Max returns the smile.

“Could you put on a pot of coffee too?” Max answers him sarcastically.

“Do you want cream…sugar…Tabasco???” Valenti jokes with him, before turning and getting into the driver’s seat.

Kyle hops in the passenger seat, and Max turns to Michael. “Michael, you take care of them.” Max tells him, knowing that Michael is still upset about separating.

“Eye, eye sir.” Michael snaps to a phony military salute, and Max just laughs at him, as Michael, spins around on his heals and marches over to the back door of the truck and climbs in.

Max watches as Valenti starts up the truck, and begins heading out of town. He watches until they are out of site, and then he quickly turns and rushes back to the UFO center, for the first time realizing how alone and unprotected he is out here. He quickly latches the door behind him, and heads over to the computer screens and switches from one camera shot to another trying to keep an eye on them for as long as he can. Behind him. Liz and Sarena are packing up as many of their notes and books that they can.

“Well, they’re gone. You guys going to be ready to bolt in about an hour?” Max turns and talks to them after losing Valenti, Michael and Kyle on the computer screens.

“Not a problem.” Liz reassures him.

“Yeah, just like cramming for class.” Sarena tries to joke, but Max doesn’t even hear her.

“Good…good.” Max says, drifting off and taking a seat. He has a terrible feeling that is running through his body, but for the life of him, he can’t figure out why. Max stares out into the darkness of the corner of the room, just trying to figure out what they are going to do next. He just wished that he had more time to figure out what to do. Wishing that this has all been a bad dream, and that he will wake up soon, and go down to the Crashdown Café for a malt with all of his friends.

Liz looks over and sees the worried look on Max’s face, wishing that there were something that shoe could do about it, but knowing full well that there is nothing that she can do. The best thing to do is leave him alone to think through his problems. She turns back to the task of packing up their notes, and leaves Max to be alone for a little bit.

*********************************************************************

Outside, it is just after noon, and the sun is approaching it’s zenith, and Valenti is driving his police truck, around 90 miles an hour on the open highway out of town. Michael and Kyle are busy spending their time looking out the window into the distance and up into the skies trying to keep an eye out for any kind of attack. Thus far, they have made it out of town without incident, but they all know very well that they could be attacked at any time.

“See anything?” Michael asks.

“Nope nothing. How about you?” Kyle answers him.

“Not a thing. Maybe this plan will work.” Michael says trying to convince himself more than anyone.

“Don’t worry, Michael. They’ll be there shortly after us.” Valenti tries to comfort him.

“I know. I just wish…” Michael trails off before finishing his statement.

“Wish what?” Kyle asks him.

“That… that we never got any of you involved in this. This was our battle, not yours. You should be out having the time of your life, not trying to fight for it.”

“Michael. If it wasn’t for you guys, My life would be pretty much a living hell. You can’t know what it is like for a father to have to outlive his son, and thanks to you, I didn’t have to find that out. So, there is no need to apologize.” Valenti tells him.

“Thanks.” Michael says quietly, very pleased to hear Valenti say this.

“Any time. Now you are going to have to tell me where to go from here, since I’ve never been where we are going.” Valenti points out.

“Sorry. Keep heading north towards the old quarry. About a mile north of there.” Michael tells him, while still looking over his shoulder to see if they are being followed.

“You got it.” Valenti says as they drive on.

They continue to drive on, in the bright summer sun light without any sign of being followed. After another 10 minutes they pass the quarry, and Michael begins directing them down the road towards the rock cropping that contains the Pod Chamber. He directs them off the road and out into the field leading up to the outcropping, when Valenti looks back at him through the rear view mirror, giving him a strange look.

“Believe me. This is the way.” Michael reassures him.

“If you say so.” Valenti says accepting what he is being told.

After about 5 minutes longer they pull up along side of the rock cropping and all get out of the truck. Michael walks over towards the outcropping as, Valenti and Kyle go to the back of the truck and open it up and begin to unload the truck. Michael walks up to the side of he outcropping and waves his hand along the side of the rock wall, and a glowing silver handprint appears on the wall. Michael places his hand on the handprint and there is s slight rumble and the side of the wall begins to open. When it is finally fully open he turns back to the others that are finishing taking the stuff out of the car and beginning to carry it towards the opening.

Valenti and Kyle pass Michael as he returns to get some of the supplies, and make their way to the opening in the rock face. Valenti pauses for a second before going into the chamber. Valenti pauses for a second to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness, and Kyle ends up walking into him, not knowing that his father had stopped in front of him.

“Sorry, Kyle. Didn’t mean to hold up traffic.” Valenti tells his son.

“That’s ok. Taken in a little bit myself.” Kyle says as he begins to look around the chamber. He walks over to the side of the chamber and places the box he was carrying down on the floor. He looks around the room in amazement not really knowing what he is looking at.

A couple of minutes later, Michael walks in and weaves his way around Valenti and Kyle, who are still looking at the room in amazement. “I know what you guys mean, but do you think you can give me a hand with the rest of the stuff?” Michael sarcastically asks.

“Oh…oh yeah, sorry.” Kyle responds.

“Yeah, right behind you.” Valenti adds.

It takes several more trips to unload the truck and get the supplies into the pod chamber, and after carrying in the last crates into the chamber, Valenti drives the truck off around the other side of the outcropping in order to conceal their whereabouts as much as possible. While Valenti is off doing this, Michael and Kyle try to sort through some of the supplies.

Michael takes out a lantern, lights it and begins looking for a place to put it. After a few seconds of looking around he can’t find a place to put it. “Cover your eyes.” He tells Kyle.”

“What?” Kyle asks, turning towards them, managing to shield his face just a second before the rock wall in front of Michael explodes, leaving a small hole in it’s place.

Michael walks over and places the lantern in the new hole. “Needed a place to put it.” Michael tells him.

Kyle just nods his head, and goes back to the supplies. The place all the weapons they brought against the wall nearest the opening and the remainder of their supplies along the back wall. A short time later Valenti returns, a little out of breath from running.

“So, this is the Granolith?” Kyle asks pointing to the 4 pods.

“No, that is the pods that we were created in.” Michael says.

“If that isn’t the Granolith, then what is?” Kyle asks noticing that there isn’t anything else in the chamber besides the Pods along the far wall.

“Follow me.” Michael tells the two of them, as he directs them towards the lower, leftmost pod, and climbs into it.

Kyle and Valenti stop and look at each other. Kyle simply shrugs his shoulders to answer his father’s un-asked question. “After you.” He says to his father waving his hand towards the pod.

Valenti just nods and climbs through the pod, followed by his son. They both are shocked at the sight before them. The both stand up, and find them self in front of a glowing, pulsating crystal of incredible size. At least that is the closest description they can come up with.

“So, this is it?” Valenti finally breaks the silence.

“What’s it do?” Kyle asks.

“Which I could tell you, unfortunately we haven’t been able to find out. We were kind of hoping Liz’s friend Sarena could shed some light on it for us, but as you have seen, she isn’t even sure what it is or does. All we know is that it is very important to the skins, and they are willing to destroy an entire planet to get their hands on it.” Michael tells them.

They all stare at the Granolith looking it over, when Michael decides it is time to break the silence. “Well, we had better get ready for the other’s arrival.”

“Yeah….yeah…” Kyle says still staring at the Granolith.

“Right behind you.” Valenti answers him as Michael begins to climb back through the pod opening. Valenti reaches over and grabs Kyle’s hand to snap him out of his daze, and then follows Michael through the pod.