Liz: Have you ever had the feeling that you just don’t know someone. You may have known them forever, but suddenly you realize that you don’t know this person at all. The more you try to find out about them, the more that you realize that you know even less than you thought….

Scene: Michael at the cave where they found the pod room in. He is still staring at the plaque above the pod which has mysteriously made sense to him. It reads “Biogenetic Incubation Chamber 4” and you can see that he is excited about this. He starts looking around the chamber some more. Finding various signs and reading them as if they were written in English.

Michael: Status Display Pod 1. Heart Rhythm.

[As he looks at the displays he finds similar ones for the other 3 pods. However there is a red light next to the Pod number 3 displays. The pod that Tess was in.]

Michael: Maybe that’s why she was late to come out.

[As he continues to look around he starts to wonder why it took this long to figure it out. After a few moments he stops looking around and looks like he’s deep in concentration, then he suddenly storms out of the cave closing it behind him. But to his surprise it is not night time outside and he suddenly realizes how long he’s been in the cave after looking at his watch.]

Scene: Max is walking down the hall of school when Tess comes up to join him.

Tess: Hey, Max.

Max: Oh, hi. I didn’t notice you. How is everything going?

Tess: Okay. I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me.

Max: No, nothing like that. Just have had a lot on my mind with school and well everything else…

Tess: Yeah. I know what you mean. It has been a real “surprise party” of information to try and process.

Max: Yeah. I heard that you received a letter from your “father.”

Tess: Um, yeah. He said that he was, uh, in control of things on his end, but mentioned something about someone else, and that we would have to be careful and keep our eyes open.

Max: Michael told me that much. Did he say anything about the person. You know, what he looks like or anything?

Tess: Unfortunately, he did not.

Max: What bothers me is that he contacted you with something as important as that by mail. Why didn’t he try to call you or any of us for that matter.

Tess: My guess would be that he doesn’t want to take the chance that someone may be tapping our lines, which might blow his cover.

Max: Makes sense. So, have he contacted you again?

Tess: No, no. Haven’t gotten any other letters in the mail.

Max: Can you think of any way that we could contact him if we should come across … something that we couldn’t handle?

Tess: I wish we did, but we are on our own this time.

Max: Well, then we’ll just have to keep our eyes open for anything suspicious.

Tess: Yeah.

Max: Well, here’s my class. Maybe I’ll catch up with you later.

Tess: You do that. You know how to get a hold of me.

Scene: Alex, Isabel, Maria and Liz are sitting at one of the tables outside while eating their lunch. They are all trying to talk quietly among themselves while keeping their eyes on the others around them, and those that walk by.

Maria: Did you see Max and Tess in the halls earlier?

Alex: Yeah. They were talking about something but I’m not sure about what.

Isabel: Well, if it was important, Max would tell us.

Liz: Yeah, that’s right. Hey where’s Michael?

Maria: Yeah, I haven’t seen him all day.

Isabel: You know Michael. School just isn’t one of those high priorities on his list.

Maria: Yeah, but he’s never one to just disappear. He might get into trouble on his own, but someone’s always known where he was just in case.

Liz: Maybe Max knows where he is?

Isabel: No, he asked me if I had seen him earlier.

Alex: Do you thing Tess has anything to do with it? I mean, she isn’t all that she pretends to be.

Isabel: I’ll agree that there are things that are a little weird but that doesn’t mean that she’s out to get us.

Liz: Alex may be right. You’ve seen the way she’s been acting lately and with everything that you’ve seen, you can’t say that you don’t have your doubts.

Isabel: I’ll agree that she has been more mysterious as of late, but I’m not sure.

Alex: How can you say that? With everything that’s going on lately, you can still believe that there isn’t anything wrong here? What about that phone call?

Isabel: Max said that he was going to find out about that.

Maria: Well, I still don’t trust her, and if I were you I would keep an eye on her.

Isabel: Well, I’ve got to go to class right now. Alex are you going that way?

Alex: Uh, yeah. Sure. Bye Liz. Bye Maria. I’ll talk with you later.

Liz: Yeah, sure. Bye.

Maria: Bye.

[Alex and Isabel leave.]

Maria: Well, I don’t know what you think, but I’m going to keep away from Tess.

Liz: Maria, we can’t do that or else she will suspect that we know something, and then we’ll never find out the truth.

Maria: Yeah, you’re right, but I still can’t get this creepy feeling out of my mind every time she is around.

Liz: Well, I’m going to be late for Biology if I don’t hurry. See you a work?

Maria: Yeah. Later.

Liz: Bye.

Scene: Back in the cave with the pod room. Michael is there once again, but this time he has brought the book with him. He is sitting down in front of the pods with his back to them as he is trying to read from the book.

Michael: What’s wrong with me?

[He frantically flips page after page in the book, but he still can not understand the writing in the book. He looks back at the plaque above the pod but he can still read that sign, and then back to the book. Not understanding why he can’t read from the book.]

Michael: Why can’t I read this.

[He gets upset and throws the book on the ground and stands up and walks over to the control panel of the pod chambers. He looks from one control to the other finally focusing on the red light on the third pod. After staring at if for a minute he finally goes back and picks up the book and tucks it into his coat. And leaves the chamber in a hurry. He is visibly upset as he leaves.]

Scene: Inside Max’s room. It is after school, and Max and Isabel are there talking.

Isabel: Max, I’m worried about Michael. It’s not like him to just disappear like this. Do you think that the person that Nasedo told Tess about has anything to do with this?

Max: No. Relax, Isabel. You know Michael. He’s always going off and doing his own thing not thinking about anyone else.

Isabel: Yeah, but with everything that’s going on lately, don’t you think we should worry?

Max: No, I just bet that Michael will come walking through the door any minute.

[At the exact moment that Max says the his final word the window to his bedroom flies open. Both Isabel and Michael jump up and look at it to see Michael standing on the other side of it.]

Isabel: My god Michael! What are you trying to do? Give me a heart attack?

Michael: I don’t think that’s possible.

Max: Funny Michael. So where have you been?

Michael: I just got back form the cave?

Isabel: The Cave?

Michael: Yeah, I discovered something really important?

Max: What were you doing at the cave?

Michael: I went there to see if I could find anything that might help me to understand Tess and Nasedo a little better.

Max: Why didn’t you tell us about it?

Michael: You would have just thought that I was on another of my wild kicks, but that’s not important. When I was there, I found some more of the symbols around the place.

Isabel: And?

Michael: And this time I could read them?

Isabel: You could what?

Michael: I could read them. I just looked at them for a minute and their meaning just came to me.

Max: So, what did they say?

Michael: Just some informational signs and controls, but the important part is that I could read them. So, I got to thinking. If I could read this why not something else?

Isabel: The book?

Michael: Yeah, so I went back and grabbed the book, but I was not able to read it. So, I thought, maybe it has something to do with the actual place. So I brought the book back there with me, but I still couldn’t read it. It’s driving me crazy. Why can I read the symbols in the pod room, but I can’t read them in the book. So, I thought I would get your guys help with this one.

Max: So, you say there is writing in the pod room, that you can read, but you can’t read the book?

Michael: Are you going to repeat everything I say back to me? Yeah.

Max: Okay, tomorrow’s Saturday, we’ll all go there tomorrow.

Michael: Why not right now?

Max: Because it would be too suspicious for us all to leave especially on a school night. Besides our parents would shoot us.

Isabel: Yeah, they are expecting us for dinner shortly.

[At that precise moment there is a knock on the door and it opens. Mrs. Evan is standing in the doorway.]

Mrs. Evans: Come on guys, dinner is ready. Oh, hi Michael. I didn’t even know you were here.

Max: He just got here.

Mrs. Evans: So, Michael. Will you be staying for dinner?

Michael: Uh….

[Isabel nods her head at him.]

Michael: That would be great. Thank you.

Mrs. Evans: Not a problem. You guys hurry up and get cleaned up and down for dinner.

Isabel: Okay, Mom.

[Mrs. Evans leaves.]

Max: Okay, it’s settled tomorrow morning we leave.

Scene: Inside the Crashdown Café. Liz and Maria are at work trying to take care of a huge crowd there tonight. They are both running from table to table trying to help out while still carrying on a conversation between themselves.

Liz: Ok, one Alien Blast and one Will Smith burger. Will there be anything else?

Man: Nope, not right now. Thanks.

[Cut to Maria at another table.]

Maria: Here’s your soda. Are you ready to order?

Man 2: Um, what would you recommend?

Maria: [To herself] You making up your mind. [To the man] Oh, I’d highly recommend the Tommy Lee Jones Platter.

Man 2: Okay, I’ll have that.

Maria: Good Choice. It’ll be right up. [She leaves the table to put the order in and walks by Liz just leaving the pickup window.]

Maria: So, don’t you think it’s weird that all of the stuff going on with Tess and now Michael disappearing.

Liz: Don’t worry he’ll show up. You know him.

Maria: I just wish that I knew where he was. And what Tess has to do with all of this.

Liz: I know what you mean… Hold on a sec.

[She turns to someone sitting at the end of the counter and puts a plate in front of him.]

Liz: Here you go sir. If you need anything else, just ask.

Liz: [To Maria] Doesn’t all of these things with her make you wonder if we really know her at all?

Alex: Who at all?

[Both Maria and Liz are startled to the point that they jump as they turn around to see it’s him.]

Alex: Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. Who were you talking about?

[Both Liz and Maria lean in close to talk to him over the counter.]

Liz: Tess. We were just discussing how we really don’t know her.

Alex: I know what you mean, and no matter what I tell Max and Isabel, they just don’t seem like they want to hear it.

Maria: Don’t even try to talk to Michael about it, it’s like she is the answer to his lifelong questions.

Liz: It’s like we are the only three who see that there is something wrong here.

Alex: I agree. I just wish there was something that we could do about it.

Maria: Well, if I know anything, it’s this. We can’t change their minds for them, we can only point them in the direction they need to go.

Liz: Okay, where did you get that one?

Maria: Oh, a fortune cookie I think.

Alex: Leave it to Maria to impart us with the wisdom of Keebler.

[They all laugh at that and the camera fades.]

Scene: Along the street Michael has just left Max and Isabel’s house after dinner and is heading back home. It’s just starting to get dark out when Tess Comes up to join him.

Tess: Hey, Michael. Long time no see.

Michael: Oh, hello Tess. How are you doing?

Tess: Good, and what about you? I noticed that you weren’t in school today.

Michael: Um, you know me. I just didn’t think that school was that important today.

Tess: Is something wrong?

Michael: Uh, no. I just woke up this morning and didn’t feel like rolling out of bed for another day of classes. I figured I’d sleep in them anyways, why not at least sleep comfortably.

Tess: I just wish that I could do that some times.

Michael: Come on, it’s not that hard. All you have to do is wake up then up the covers over your head, and it’s done.

Tess: I guess those late night practice sessions are starting to get to you. Huh?

Michael: What are you spying on me?

Tess: No, it’s just that you remind me so much of myself. Keep trying until you can get it right. So, how’s it coming along.

Michael: Slowly. Very slowly.

Tess: Well, keep on it. Soon enough, you’ll be teaching me.

Michael: That’ll be the day. So, have you heard anything new?

Tess: Well, Susan may be pregnant, and we all know who the father is…

Michael: No, not like that. You know what I’m talking about.

Tess: No, nothing new on that front.

Michael: Well, I should be going now. See you later?

Tess: Uh, yeah. Later.

[She just watches him as he leaves. And walks up the steps to his apartment before turning away and heading on her way. She has a semi confused look on her face.]

Scene: Max’s room later that day. The sun is just setting when there is a knock on his door. He looks up from his desk where he is doing some of his school work, and sees Liz standing at the doorway.

Liz: Uh, hi. You mother let me in.

Max: No, no. It’s okay. Come, come in.

Liz: I just wanted to talk. Is this a bad time?

Max: No, not at all. What’s wrong?

Liz: That’s what I wanted to find out. You haven’t been yourself lately.

Max: I haven’t?

Liz: No. Remember Max, I know you better than anyone. I’ve seen you inside and out. Felt what you are feeling, so I think I can safely say that you haven’t been yourself lately.

Max: Yes, I guess you would. Wouldn’t you.

Liz: So, out with it, what’s been bugging you.

Max: It’s just all of this. First we find the people we have been trying to find all of our lives. And now it seems like they might not be exactly what we were looking for.

Liz: So, you are having your doubts about Tess too?

Max: I would be lying if I said I wasn’t. There are just too many unanswered questions, and Tess just doesn’t seem to ready to jump in with the answers.

Liz: So, she didn’t say anything about the phone call?

Max: No, and I gave her plenty of opportunities to bring it up.

Liz: I’ve got one question, and you don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to, but I’ll just hate myself if I don’t.

Max: What, what is it?

Liz: I was just wondering about the “Daydreams” Are you still having them?

Max: Uh…no. Now that you mention it I haven’t had one in quite some time. What made you think of that?

Liz: It’s just something that Alex said to me. He was talking about Isabel and Michael's dreams, and also something that Isabel had told him.

Max: What was that?

Liz: It was more of a question that Tess never answered. When Tess showed Isabel that she could make others see things that wasn’t there. Isabel asked her is that is what she did to you, and Tess never answered.

Max: Hmm, Isabel never told me that. I’ll have to keep that in mind.

Liz: Well, I hope that it helps some.

Max: Well, actually it just adds to the heaping pile of unanswered questions, but it may help answer others so thanks. That isn’t the only reason that you came here was it?

Liz: What could you mean?

Max: Think about it, you have seen through my eyes and I have seen through yours. I know that there was another reason.

Liz: Yeah, maybe there was. I just really wanted to see you.

Max: Yeah, me too. Come here.

[He pulls her to him and gives her a huge kiss, as the camera pulls away and fades.]

Scene: Later that night. Inside of Isabel’s room. Isabel looks out of her door before going to her window and opening the window.

Isabel: [Whispering] Alex, are you there.

Alex: [Whispering] Yeah.

Isabel: Okay, the coast is clear, you can climb in now.

[Alex climbs through the window and into her room, almost tripping himself on the way.]

Alex: Okay, I’m here. You didn’t tell me much on the phone. I know I’m not here to fulfill my wildest dreams with you, so would you like to explain why I had to sneak around the back of you house and wait for you?

Isabel: Well, I didn’t want my parents to see you. Plus, I needed you to be here tonight.

Alex: You know I’d do anything for you Isabel.

Isabel: I’m going to try to dream walk into Tess’s dreams tonight. Maybe that way we can finally get to the bottom of everything.

Alex: Are you sure that you want to do that? Remember the last time you tried it with Max and it really got to you.

Isabel: That’s why I wanted you to be here to keep an eye on me and make sure that nothing goes wrong.

Alex: Well, if you are really going to do it, I’m glad you called me. But if you don’t mind me asking, why this decision?

Isabel: It’s the only way I ca think of to make sure Tess is what she says she is.

Alex: So, what did Max say when you told him you were going to do this?

Isabel: Nothing, because he doesn’t know. You know, he wouldn’t allow me to do this, because it would be too dangerous. But I need to find out the truth.

Alex: Okay. Is there anything that you need me to do?

Isabel: Just hold me close.

Alex: Any time.

[He goes and sits on the bed next to her and then lies back. Isabel curls up next to him, lying her head on his chest while holding a picture of Tess in her hand. Alex lies back just running his hand over the back of her head, as she begins to drift off.]

[We see flashes of different things as Isabel slowly slips in to Dream Walk. She begins walking around and realizes that she is somewhere she doesn’t quite know where is. The scene’s start flicking from one to another, and she sees Tess there. Tess is talking to Nasedo, then she’s talking to someone else. She sees the inside of the Pod room. There are three empty Pods and the forth one has Tess in it. She still hasn’t awakened from her pod, when the door to the pod room opens. Two forms walk into the pod room, but Isabel can not make out who they are. The two forms walk towards the pods, and Isabel is starting to get scared. She starts to back into a corner. She can start to make out one of the forms as it nears the lights of the pod chambers, and she can tell that it is Nasedo. But she still can not make out the second person with him.]

[In Isabel’s room, Alex is starting to get worried. Isabel is starting to move erratically, as if she were having a bad dream. He starts to shake her shoulder, but Isabel doesn’t awaken. She just continues to jerk slightly here and there and then she’s perfectly still. The only thing that he can hear is the sound of her breathing and the thumping of her heart.]

[Isabel is watching the Nasedo and the other from the corner, when one of them raises something at the remaining pod, and there is a bright flash.]

[Isabel suddenly jerks awake in Alex’s arms, and he is hugging her close to him, kind of rocking her back and forth.]

Alex: Thank god. I was really starting to get worried there. I couldn’t wake you.

Isabel: It was… It was…

Alex: Take a breath. Relax a second before trying to tell me.

[Isabel takes a couple of deep breaths before continuing.]

Isabel: It was weird. At first I couldn’t make out where I was. But then I was in the pod room.

Alex: The one that we went to after we rescued Max?

Isabel: Yeah. It was after the three of had already left the room, but Tess was still there.

Alex: You saw her before she was out of her pod?

Isabel: Yeah, but that wasn’t the strangest part. The strangest part was….

[The scene fades.]

Scene: The next morning in the Crashdown Café. Max, Isabel, Alex, and Liz are there sitting impatiently waiting at one of the booths. Alex is holding Isabel close to him as she drinks some coffee, and you can tell that Max is a little concerned why he’s here, and he keeps looking up at the door. The door finally opens and Maria is dragging Michael behind her.

Maria: Do, you know how hard it is to get this beast moving in the morning.

Max: Sure do, glad it was you and not me that had to get him up though. No offense, but he’s less likely to hit you than me.

Michael: Okay. So, is anyone going to tell me why this crazy woman here…

Maria: Crazy?

Michael: Okay, charming woman here dragged me out of bed at 6 in the morning?

Max: You know as much as I do. Isabel and Alex just contacted us all and told us to meet here this morning and that it was important.

Isabel: Yeah. Okay, now that everyone is here. I have to tell you something that is very important.

Michael: Okay, Isabel, we’ve already gotten that much.

[Maria gives Michael a hit in the arm and he looks at her like “What did I do?”]

Isabel: Last night, I tried to Dream Walk into Tess’s dreams.

Max: You what? How could you do that without talking to us first.

Isabel: Because I knew how you would react, kind of like you are now. I had Alex come over to make sure everything was okay.

Alex: Yeah, let me tell you I was really scared at one point.

Isabel: Thanks for helping out Alex.

Alex: Sorry.

Liz: Okay, so what did you see.

Isabel: Well, at first I didn’t know where I was. I saw a lot of places that I couldn’t recognize, then suddenly I was in the pod room.

Max: The one from the desert? What else did you see?

Isabel: I saw the four pods. The three that we came out of were empty, but I could still see that Tess was still in her pod. Then the door opened up and two people entered the chamber.

Liz: Did you see who they were?

Isabel: One of them was Nasedo, but I couldn’t make out who the second one was. The second one raised something towards the Tess’s pod and there was a bright light and then I screamed and woke up, but I was sure that one of them turned to look at where I was standing.

Max: Did they see you?

Liz: I didn’t think that was possible.

Isabel: I’m not sure. The next thing I knew I was awake in Alex’s arms.

Michael: Maybe it was the way that they woke her up from her pod?

Max: But didn’t Tess say that there was only one person, Nasedo, there when she woke up?

Michael: Yeah, but maybe she didn’t see the second one either.

Max: It’s possible. But who was that second person there with them?

Michael: Well, there is probably only one person who could answer that question and we do not have any way of contacting him.

Max: Exactly, so until we can figure this out, lets keep is between us. Agreed?

All: Agreed.

Max: Okay, we’re going to be late for school if we don’t get going soon. So lets all meet after school, let’s say at the cave. That should be far enough away from everything.

Liz: Okay.

Maria: Sure.

Alex: I’ll be there.

Michael: Maria, pick me up on you way?

Maria: Of, course. Anyone else?

Scene: Outside the Crashdown. Everyone has left at different times, so that they wouldn’t be all going there together. That way they would avoid suspicion. Max walks out of the door and runs into Tess.

Tess: Well, hello stranger.

Max: Oh… Hello Tess.

Tess: Going to school?

Max: Yep.

Tess: So, how’s Liz doing?

Max: Huh?

Tess: That’s who you were talking to at the Crashdown?

Max: What are you talking about?

Tess: You just walked out of there.

Max: Oh, no… I stopped in to see if she wanted to walk to school, but she had already left.

Tess: Her loss, and my gain.

Max: What?

Tess: I get the privilege of walking to school with you.

Max: Well, if that’s what you call it.

Tess: Well, I’m glad that I caught you this morning?

Max: Why?

Tess: Well, I heard from Nasedo again?

Max: Again? So soon?

Tess: Well, he thought that it was important. He said that things are getting worse and that someone is starting to suspect.

Max: How did you hear from him?

Tess: He actually called me this time.

Max: I thought that you said he didn’t like to use the phone because it could be unsecured.

Tess: Yeah… but he thought that this was important.

Max: It must have been. So what exactly did he say.

Tess: Mainly that someone out there is starting to get close to figuring things out. He’s trying to divert them in a different direction, but he doesn’t know how long he can hide it. He thinks we might have to get on the move soon.

Max: Well, that’s easier said than done. The group of us, just up and leaving might bring even more attention to ourselves.

Tess: But it might be the only choice we have.

Max: Well, we’ll just have to hope that he can keep them away then, won’t we?

Tess: Yeah.

Max: Well, here’s my class. Talk with you later?

Tess: Sure. Later.

[Max enters his classroom and Tess just watches him go in with a very suspicious look on her face.]

Scene: Maria, Liz and Alex all in Maria’s car. They are just about to pull out of the school parking lot.

Maria: Okay, we’ve got to stop and pick up Michael on the way.

Liz: Sure.

Alex: Okay, now that it’s just the three of us. Am I the only one that is beginning to doubt every word that comes out of Tess’s mouth?

Liz: No, it’s not just you.

Maria: I totally agree. But I’ve always said that there was something wrong with that girl’s Aura.

Alex: With everything that we’ve seen and heard, how could you not doubt her. I mean there’s the mysterious phone call that she won’t tell anyone about. Then there’s the thing Isabel talked about Tess’s ability to make people see things and not answering her when Isabel asked Tess if that’s what she did to Max. I think that she might have had something to do with the dreams that Isabel and Michael were having.

Liz: But what can we do?

Alex: I just wish that we could make them all see, but the best thing is just to be there for them.

Maria: I agree.

Liz: Me too.

[They stop at Michael’s and pick him up. Then drive to the cave, where, Max and Isabel are already there waiting for them in the Jeep.]

Scene: They all enter the cave to look around. Michael comes in first trying to point things out to Max and Isabel.

Michael: Okay. Max. Come here. Look at this sign and tell me what it says.

Max: It’s just symbols like all the other ones we’ve seen.

Michael: No. Really look at it.

[He looks at it for a minute and then the meaning comes to him.]

Max: Biogenetic Incubation…

Isabel: …Chamber 4. Michael that’s amazing. This is what you were talking about.

Michael: Okay, now I know you can read these. Now see if either of you can read this damn book.

[Max and Isabel both look at it, and after a period of time of changing pages, they stop and look ay Michael.]

Michael: So, can you read it?

Isabel: No, how about you Max?

Max: Nope. What does this mean.

Michael: I’ve had a lot of time to think about this, but the only conclusion that I can come to is that it isn’t written in the same language. Which brings out even more questions. What Language? Where did it come from? And why does Tess have it? Just to name a few.

Liz: So, what do we do about all of this?

Maria: Yeah, I mean Tess is really starting to spook me out.

Max: Well, for now, I think we have to watch ourselves around her and keep an eye out for any other strange activities.

Alex: Do you think that she is beginning to suspect anything?

Max: I’m not sure. She might. Earlier today she said that Nasedo contacted her and told her that we may need to be prepared to leave very soon?

Liz: What? You can’t leave.

Isabel: Yeah, Max. We can’t just leave everything behind.

Max: I know that.

Michael: But we’ve always know that the possibility of that may come.

Max: Yes, Michael we have known that, but know we know who our friends are and those we have to keep an eye out for.

Alex: I agree. While you are here Liz, Maria, and I can always help out. Not to mention Valenti and Kyle, if you ever thought that possible.

Isabel: Alex is right. Things are starting to settle down for once, and I feel safer here with all the things with Tess are going on.

Michael: Okay. I agree, but I think we would be smart to keep our eyes open.

Maria: So, it’s agreed. We’ll keep an eye out for each other’s backsides.

Liz: Maria!

Maria: Oh, come on. You know what I mean.

[All of them laugh as the scene fades to black.]

Scene: Inside Tess’s house. Tess is there on the phone again with the mysterious person. She is pacing back and forth as she talks on the phone.