Max went straight from school to work. He hadn’t taken a shift at the UFO Center in a while, and Milton was probably beginning to wonder if he needed to hire someone else. He stole a look at the Crashdown across the street as he entered. He knew that Liz would be there. He didn’t see her, but just knowing that she was there was important to him. He didn’t know exactly why, but it was. He figured that Milton would have some words to say to him when he got there, but surprisingly, he was nowhere to be found. He got his vest out of his backpack, put it on, and then walked up to the office. It was then that he saw him.

Milton was completely engrossed in a book. Completely engrossed, which is to say, even more than usual. Max had to tap him on the shoulder to snap him out of it.

MILTON: What? Who? Oh, it’s you, Evans…where have you been? When you didn’ t show up for work on Saturday I had to call your house. Your mother told me you went on some southern camping trip? Why didn’t you give me a call. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I have something truly remarkable to show you.

MAX: What?

MILTON: Look at this.

He showed Max an unusual light. It was one that Max had seen before, in the UFO crash relics section (or ‘alleged’ relics section, as the skeptics always said). Max figured that the light was simply a prop that Milton had procured from somewhere, but it was oddly shaped. It was like one of those ‘Lazer Tag’ lights or something, but more like a strobe. Max remembered cleaning it about a week earlier, and he had tried to turn it on. He hadn’t spoken to Milton about it though. But the light was on now, and it was blinking fairly steadily. Steadily enough that it was getting a little annoying.

MAX: Uh…OK…the light is blinking…so?

MILTON: This light is blinking…do you know what that means?

MAX: Sorry…still lost.

MILTON: I have had this light ever since I was a boy. I found it in a cave a few miles outside of town. It never worked, and I could never figure out how. I put it in the exhibit out there because I thought it was unique, looked the part, and I thought, you never know where it may have came from.

MAX: And…it started blinking.

MILTON: Since yesterday afternoon. I can’t turn it off now. I am reading this book, trying to make some sense of it all.

MAX: You know…there could be some other explanation for it.

MILTON: That’s not how I work, Max. This book talks about the existence of a weird light on many of the UFO’s that “allegedly” landed here in New Mexico. It was exactly like this. Look at this picture.

Milton showed him the picture, which had been drawn. It did indeed match the picture of the light.

MAX: So what does the light’s blinking mean, according to the book?

MILTON: They’re not sure, but the author here, a James Theodore, postulates that it could be an advanced locator beacon or communication device of some kind.

MAX: Wow.

MILTON: This is a definite breakthrough, a definite breakthrough.

MAX: Did you try to contact Mr. Theodore about it?

MILTON: Died 1996. He was 90.

MAX: Oh.

MILTON: I am going to figure this out, Max. If you can, try to reorganize the Relics exhibit to cover up the missing piece.

MAX: Sure.

Max was trying to be nonchalant about it, but that light did resonate with him a little. Not a definite memory per say, but a definite feeling. He should try to borrow it or swipe it and show it to Isabel & Michael. Maybe with all of them they could get some sense about it. Maybe Tess would know something. That might be a thought. The two of them were supposed to get together after dinner to finish the chemistry project they had started last night.

PART 2

Across the street at the Crashdown, Maria and Liz were doing their normal daily thing, waiting tables, while Michael was behind the counter cooking. It was nice to get back to some level of routine. They all knew that things could never be like they were for other high-schoolers, but it was nice to be able to do normal things for a change.

For some reason, the Crashdown was almost dead that afternoon. No big conventions or events seemed to be going on. It was like the touristy town of Roswell had gone into a quiet funk. Therefore, Liz and Maria both had a chance to sit behind the bar. They were both kind of sullen, and nobody had been able to get a smile out of them all day. Michael was doing his level best to not make small talk and ignore them, and it was making Maria mad, and Liz was, well, still having Max problems.

MARIA: It’s amazing how we let them run all over us.

LIZ: What?

She had been barely paying attention, staring off into space.

MARIA: Who do you think, Tweedledee and Tweedledum over there.

MICHAEL: (from behind the counter) I heard that.

The two of them dropped down their voices, so Michael wouldn’t keep adding his two cents.

LIZ: It’s just the way it is. Whoever said growing up was easy didn’t go through it.

MARIA: Yeah…I know. We go out of our way to play this game, and then we have to deal with these insane consequences. (a beat) So I saw you talking to Max after lunch today? So…dish…

LIZ: It’s just not going to happen, Maria. We can’t be together, we’re just too different. It’s not going to work.

MARIA: Keep up the faith, Liz, the way you two have been going, you’ll find a way. Remember that. Unlike (she gestured in Michael’s direction) him. I can’t seem to drive any sense into that boy. First he says he loves me too much to be with me. What the hell’s that? Maybe I don’t care, and if I don't care, why should he? Errrrrrrrr…it’s just too terrible for words.

MICHAEL: (from behind the counter) 7’s up.

He put up the food and hit the bell.

MARIA: See what I mean.

Maria went over to get the food, and Maria had forced Liz to crack a smile. She’s amazing, Liz thought. I am so lucky to have a best friend like her. I’m undergoing the torture of a lifetime, and she’s still able to make me see things in a more positive light, even if she has to vent her frustration in order to do it.

A few minutes later, Alex walked in.

LIZ: Hey Alex.

ALEX: Howdy ladies. How’s it going?

MARIA: Oh…I’m perfectly fine.

Michael just shrugged behind the counter and went back to work.

LIZ: So what brings you here this afternoon?

ALEX: Well, I had to give Maria the rehearsal times for this week.

MARIA: Well, thank you.

ALEX: Tomorrow afternoon, you don’t have to work, right?

MARIA: I’m off the rest of the week. Payback for yesterday, right?

LIZ: Yeah…you’re not going to let me forget that, are you?

MARIA: Of course not.

ALEX: So what are you two doing tonight?

MARIA: What you see is pretty much what you get…the restaurant doesn’t just close when we want it too.

ALEX: Too true. (a beat) Well, I’m off then. Lots of work to do if I am going to have the time to practice for the dance.

They said their goodbyes and Alex took off. It took a few minutes, but Maria thought to herself…wow…a normal conversation where the words alien, soulmate, and conspiracy weren’t used…I could get used to this. But something told her that it was a fleeting moment.

PART 3

Max had been able to sneak the light out with him when he got off work. He didn’t like deceiving Milton, at least not to his face, but it seemed like it was something that they had to analyze. He stopped by Tess’s house on his way home from work. They were supposed to work on that assignment, but in reality they just needed to go over the final data, which she had and it wouldn’t really take that long. He would have just bailed, as he was pretty tired out, but he needed to talk to her about it. Maybe between the two of them the feeling that he had about it would be explained.

Max got to the house, and knocked on the door. Tess answered.

MAX: Hey

TESS: Hey…come on in. (a pause) I don’t know what to do with all of these artifacts. I mean Nasedo found them all. Since he’s been gone, these things make it feel like he’s still here. I wonder when he’ll be back.

MAX: I don’t know, but knowing Nasedo, it’ll be when we least expect it.

TESS: Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.

MAX: So…I saw something today. Something that we need to talk about.

TESS: What?

Max showed her the light. She was non-plussed.

TESS: A strobe light…uh…OK?

MAX: Milton said that it had never worked until yesterday afternoon. All of the sudden it started flashing. I think it’s some kind of message of some kind.

TESS: It’s a light…you can buy one just like it at Radio Shack for $5. How long had he had it?

MAX: Since he was a kid. It was in the alien artifacts section of the museum. I was thinking that maybe you’d recognize the pattern or something.

TESS: Sorry Max, can’t say I do. Are you OK?

MAX: Yeah…I guess…maybe I’m just thinking that there is going to be a surprise around every corner. I’m becoming a conspiracy nut (smiling)

TESS: You? I don’t believe it.