Alex: Morning dad.

Dad: Morning Alex.

Alex: Dad, when were you going to tell me about Devin?

(Dad looks surprised.)

Dad: What about him?

Alex: Come on, dad. This is getting old. I know what he is. I think I know why he's here. And there's something you should know about.

(His dad smiles.)

Dad: I'm proud of you for figuring it out, son. I told my brother you would be a very good test.

Alex: I'm not sure I appreciate being used like this.

Dad: Oh, come on Alex. If I had told you, you would not have been objective. We couldn't have had a true test of how long we could keep him a secret.

Alex: That's true, I suppose.

Dad: Of course it is. I'm sorry in a way…and in a way I'm pleased… that you figured it out so fast.

Alex: Actually, I've known it for several days. There were several clues.

Dad: I'll call your uncle. He's still overseas, but he'll want to know. Would you mind telling him what clued you in?

Alex: Maybe eventually, dad. But would you not call him right away? We've got a problem I need to solve first.

Dad: I guess…if that's what you want. I thought you'd want to be rid of Devin as soon as you found out.

Alex: Actually, it was before I found out that I wanted to be rid of him. Since then, I talked to him and we had a great conversation. He's really quite something. I actually kind of like him. I wouldn’t mind having him hear a while longer. Besides, he's got a problem and I'd like to help solve it.

Dad: What's that?

Alex: Yesterday, he kidnapped my friends Maria and Michael and locked them in an old trailer out at the closed up mine. He wanted to observe a couple making out, so he’d know how to go further with women than just saying hello.

Dad: I was promised he'd never do anything like that.

Alex: I might have caused that. In trying to prove my suspicions about him, I altered one of his rebuild templates. It worked. He acted very confused. But, in doing that, I may have put a bug in a check-sum routine that would have prevented him from being effected by a defective rebuild template that he later downloaded. In other words, I screwed him up and I'd like to make it up to him.

Dad: Alex, he's an android. I don't think he needs anything made up to him.

Alex: I disagree! I think he does. He feels very bad about what he did. More than that, he doesn't want to go back to the lab. He likes it here with us.

Dad: How do you know?

Alex: He told me.

Dad: That's amazing. So you think he actually has feelings? I'm not sure even your uncle knows he could be that “human”.

Alex: Maria and Michael are furious with him, of course. I think it would be interesting to see if he can apologize and win their forgiveness. I think that's a better experiment than just seeing if he can fit it. Oh…by the way…he sings very well. He sang with my band and was very popular with the young girls.

Dad: OK Alex. You can have him here for awhile longer. I owe you that much for not telling you about the experiment. Do you forgive me?

Alex: Sure dad! Just next time….

Dad: OK, Alex. I promise...

(Alex leaves for school. He knows he’ll have to face the gang and try to tell them why Devin’s memory should not be wiped clean or, even worse, why he shouldn't be totally done away with. It's just before class…)

Liz: Hi Alex.

Alex: Hey!

Liz: So, where’s Devin?

Alex: In an attempt to humor Michael, I locked him in his room.

Liz: So he’ll miss classes today?

Alex: I’m afraid if Michael has his way, Devin will be missing a lot more than classes.

Liz: Well, as I understand it, he knows everything about Michael and the others. I can see why they feel uncomfortable after seeing how confused he can become.

Alex: The way he was at the party, and maybe even what he did to Michael and Maria, might have been my fault.

Liz: How so?

Alex: I want to get everyone together and explain. Michael's pretty upset and I don't really blame him. I don't known if I can change his mind. He wants Devin to be non-existent.

Liz: Doing away with him might raise questions.

Alex: I know. This is a no win situation. The only hope is if I can remove the information from his matrix that he shouldn't have. I don't even know if I can do that. Even if I can, there might not be anything left of the Devin we know afterwards.

Liz: He's just a machine, Alex.

Alex: That's just it, Liz. I'm not sure that's a fair description. I had a nice long talk with him. He's really quite amazing. I would hate to see him…killed might be the wrong word…eliminated. If we did that, I'd feel like a murderer. I'll explain more later.

(Alex and Liz head to class. Sometime later there's a meeting of the six at Michael's apartment. In a leap of faith, Alex let Devin out of his room, but told him to wait in the car until he could talk to the others.)

Michael: I tell you Alex, Devin has got to be eliminated.

Alex: But I talked to him and I talked to my dad. I'm sure Devin wasn't sent here to spy or anything like that. He's just a pretty amazing spare time project of my rocket scientist uncle. He wanted to see if Devin could be integrated with us. I'm convinced no one was even thinking about the possibility of any of us being "different". I do agree though, that I should try to eliminate from his matrix what he accidentally found out about you.

Michael: That's not enough! He's been nothing but a pain in the butt since he got here.

Alex: Think about it Michael. Suppose you do something to him. There's sure to be an investigation. As far as anyone knows, he's my real live cousin. The police would get involved…and surely my uncle and his lab friends would be all over the place trying to find out what happened. I'm sure I'd be questioned.

Michael: You don't have to do it. I will. I'm the one he kidnapped. We recreate that scene at the trailer. I catch him outside snooping the way he was before and I accidentally kill him while he's trying to get away. It would be self-defense.

Alex: I don't think that would fly. You'd have to be actually protecting your life for it to be self-defense.

Michael: I am protecting my life…as well as Max' and Isabel's…and really all of ours.

Max: Alex is right, Michael. The police wouldn't see it that way. I see too many problems with that approach. Even if it might be self-defense, do you really want an investigation that would involve you? Besides, it would become clear at some point to the authorities what Devin is. That would raise even more questions…especially if the sheriff's involved. He'd love to link us to a government built robot.

Alex: Android.

Michael: Are you willing to risk his blabbing what he knows to just anyone? You saw him when he was messed up.

Isabel: What do you suggest, Alex?

Alex: Look! This is going to sound strange, but I think Devin is a kind of life form. He certainly talks like he's sentient. I had a very nice conversation with him. He's very sorry for what he did in kidnapping you. The fact that his programming even allowed him to do that was due to some missing data in his rebuild program. His system should have caught the data hole, but I think I accidentally messed up the checking routine when I was experimenting on him before. In a way, the whole kidnapping thing was my fault. I kind of owe it to him to see if I can fix this problem.

Isabel: You talk like he has feelings.

Alex: I think he does, Isabel. You all need to talk with him. He knows you know about him now, so he'll talk freely…at least he did with me. He likes it here. He does not want to go back to the lab. He'd like to stay here with us.

Liz: You told me earlier that maybe it would be possible to wipe out just the information he doesn't need to know. Then isn't everything OK?

Michael: No, it's not! So you wipe it out this time. How's he gonna hang around us and not find out again. It would mean we'd have to constantly be on guard. This could just go on and on.

Maria: Michael has a point, Alex.

Alex: I know. There is no good solution.

Michael: The solution is to get rid of him. OK, so we can't have a body, but can't you wipe his memory clean? Have your dad tell your uncle there was a huge malfunction and to just come get him. Then we're done with him for good.

Alex: I…I don't want to do that. I feel like I'd be killing him.

Max: Aren't you being a little oversensitive?

Alex: Before last night, I would have agreed with you. But after I talked to him… man…I know this sounds crazy…but he's very scared…and he really doesn't want to go back to the lab. Besides, if I wiped his entire memory, there might be traces of what I did. That may cause them to investigate. I'd rather just try to get the critical stuff out and let him live. There's less chance of a small deletion being detected. As much as he doesn't want to though, he probably should go back to the lab and get away from us after I do that. Like I said, there is no good solution.

Maria: Michael honey, why not let Alex try it his way. I actually did think Devin was cute once upon a time. Maybe he deserves…

Michael: I can't believe this. He's a machine, people. You all told us you couldn't sense any life or spirit in him. Geez…he kidnapped us. He holds our life's secret and you want to experiment on him? Are you all crazy?

Alex: Won't you at least talk to him? He wants to apologize for what he did to you and Maria. Please…you'll see there's more to him than you think. And, since you brought it up, I actually did sense something from him last night. It may have just been incredible fear, but I know I felt something. Isabel's better at sensing stuff like that than I am. I'd like her to try again.

Michael: Now you're going to claim he has a soul? Give me a break!

Max: I say we at least do what Alex suggests. Alex, if you can erase his knowledge of what we are, I have no problem with letting him live.

Michael: What happened to, "I might have been right", Maxwell?

Max: I think it's too late to blow the whistle now. And we obviously can't do it while he has certain information in him.

Alex: I'm concerned that the information is so imbedded by now that, even if I can remove it, I'll have to take so much of his personality routine with it that he'll just become a typical robot…a far cry from what he is now.

Isabel: But Alex, we can't have him running around loose with that information. And he certainly cannot go back to his lab with it in him.

Alex: I know! It's too bad he got himself in this mess. He had no idea… please…let me bring him in so you can talk to him.

Michael: He's here?

Alex: Out in the car!

Michael: I thought you said he was locked in his room?

Alex: He was…until I came over here. I brought him with. I was hoping to convince you to at least talk with him.

Michael: I'll bet he's run away, Alex. If he has…you're gonna stay awake with me until we catch him. How could you possibly leave him unattended?

(Michael knocks lightly on Alex's forehead.)

Michael: Hello, Alex! Anybody home? I'm Michael…remember me? And this is Isabel...and this is Max…remember them? We're your real, ALIVE, not of this world friends. The ones "Short Circuit" out there could get put away.

Alex: It's OK Michael. Devin's thinking quite normally now and he's truly scared to death. He's not going anywhere. I'm sure of it.

Max: OK Alex. Go get him. We need to talk. (Oh…there's that phrase again. Alex goes out to the car and brings Devin back into the apartment. Devin is so nervous that his hand is shaking.)

Maria: Hi Devin. Been singing any lately.

Devin: No! I'm afraid singing is the farthest thing from my mind right now.

Alex: Stay calm Devin. They just want to talk to you.

(Isabel shoots a connection thought at Max, Michael & Alex.)

Isabel: (Silent) "I do feel something! I feel incredible fear… just like what you said you felt, Alex.

Alex: (Silent) Amazing, isn't it?

Devin: Michael and Maria. I'm sorry. Forgive me! What I did to you was completely wrong. Hopefully Alex told you what happened. It will never happen again, I promise. I just wanted to learn more of what couples do after they first meet.

Michael: You could have asked me.

Maria: Are you sure you know? Just kidding!

(Maria and Michael exchange one of their famous glances. Michael frowns at her…then smiles!)

Devin: I didn't want to give away my cover. The directive to learn how to mingle overtook some of my other social inhibition routines. It was just a bad situation. Hopefully Alex has a handle on it now and can fix everything.

Maria: So you really didn't know what you were doing? Kind of a temporary insanity?

Devin: That's an interesting way to put it, but yes.

Maria: Then I do forgive you, Devin. Especially since it brought me back to my spaceboy.

Max: And that's really the problem Devin. I wish you hadn't overheard Michael out there. Alex has explained the problem to you, I guess.

Devin: He has and I understand it. I won't ever reveal what I know. I came to beg you to let me live and also to not tell anyone what you know about me. I really want to stay in Roswell. I like it here. I like Alex. I like all of you. There's nothing for me back where I came from.

Alex: They're concerned about what could happen if you're either found out and examined here or you go back to Alamogorda. In either case, your data could be downloaded and their secret exposed. There could also be some kind of unexpected malfunction someday that would cause you to inadvertently tell what you know.

Devin: I've been thinking about that. I may have a solution. Alex, you told me that if you try to erase just that small bit of information, you might take some of the rest of me with it.

Alex: I'm afraid it' so imbedded, that I might not be able to separate it from the rest of your personality. I'll try through...but I'm afraid you might become just…

Devin: A simple robot?

Alex: You do seem to understand.

Devin: I told you, I know what I am…and what I want to become. If I couldn't function…if I didn't know all of you…if I couldn't sing with the band…if I couldn't get out and meet people…if I couldn't go to school and learn; then I might just as well go back to the lab. I've been getting attached to you and to my life here. It seems like the only way that I can continue living as I am is to leave my memory in tact, complete with what I overheard. I gather that's an unacceptable risk.

(For the first time, Michael talks to Devin like a person.)

Michael: It's nothing personal Devin…it's just…there's too much at stake…it's really our lives vs. yours.

Devin: I get it, Michael. I screwed myself! I know it.

Alex: I didn't tell you earlier Devin, but I think my playing with your rebuild routine may have been what caused your check-sum program to miss the bad data. The whole thing may have been my fault. Forgive me!

Devin: But back up a step, Alex. It was also my fault for trying to fool you into thinking I was something other than what I am. You were doing what I might have expected you to do. You had suspicions and…

Max: Hey, can we stop with the blame game. Have you got a solution, Devin? It sounded like you might.

Devin: Alex, tell me if you could do this…and the rest of you…tell me if this is acceptable. First, you'll have to trust that I'll never knowingly expose you. All I can give you is my word on that, but you definitely have it. If you can accept that, then…Alex, what if you made a kind of cyanide pill for me.

Alex: What do you mean?

Devin: Suppose you made a routine that would cause a complete erasure and reformat of my brain. If ever I were compromised…if I ever sensed I had been captured or was about to tell your secret to anyone for any reason…malfunction or whatever… that routine would run and essentially kill me. If you want, you could put in another routine that would allow a certain complicated phrase…one that would never be normally used…that, if I heard it spoken, would also set off the erasure. That way, my life would be truly in your hands anytime. I know you can argue this isn't foolproof, but this is probably more safeguard that any of you have in keeping this secret. Any of you could be drugged or get drunk and begin saying things you normally wouldn't. And if I ever had to go back to the lab…I'd let you perform the electronic lobotomy and take out the secrets before I left. Alex, your uncle could likely put back any loss of personality...at least restoring it to what it was when I came here. Hopefully it's improved some.

Alex: It has, Devin. You've come along way in a few weeks.

Liz: It's amazing how logical you are. I appreciate that.

Maria: Would you let him sing with me again, Michael?

Michael: Uh…let's not get too carried away here.

Isabel: I'm beginning to like you more, Devin. Max and Michael, we should consider his idea.

Michael: So let me understand. You'd essentially give us control of your life! Any attempt to reveal our secret would cause you to cease to function?

Devin: I'm willing to do that, if it will keep me alive.

Max: Alex, could you do that?

Alex: That's the solution! I knew there had to be one. I'd be willing to try to program that, but Devin would have to help. I'd need to download a lot of his programming and it would be hacker city for awhile…but if it means saving him, I'll make it happen!

Devin: I'll let you do whatever you need to, Alex. I don't have much choice other than to trust your skills at this point. One thing though…this is only worth doing if you all will help me keep my secret. And I need to learn more about being human...or alien...or whatever you guys can teach me. If you're not willing, then Alex, you might as well just do whatever and get it over with.

Alex: I'll help him keep his secret. What do you guys think?

Liz: I'm game. And I'll help teach you what you want to know.

Max: Sure…why not. As Alex said, you really are amazing Devin. I don't want to sacrifice what you are if we don't have to.

Maria: Hey…what's one more secret to keep? I'm in!

Isabel: Alex, if you can do what he suggests, that would resolve my concerns. Welcome to our little family, Devin.

Alex: Michael?

Michael: I…I'm not…OK…OK…but if I ever see you with anesthetic gas again…

Devin: You won't Michael. I promise!

(Devin extends his hand to Michael, who, after pausing for just a moment, smiles and shakes it with a solid grip.)

Devin: Alex…I guess you're my physician. I hope the operation's a success.

Alex: I'll do my best Devin. Thanks…all of you! I think maybe we've saved a life and gained a new friend here.