Tess Harding was driving back to her house in town. She had been up at the cave, just spending time away from everyone, from the life she had been thrust into here in Roswell. Tonight, she actually had brought some of her schoolbooks, and had been studying in there. Since finally laying eyes on it (again) a few months before when she had moved back into town, she had spent a lot of her time there. But even that time had increased in the last few weeks, when Nasedo left her and the big house which she had in town had become even more vacant. She wasn’t sure about much of anything anymore. Nasedo had always provided her with enough information about her past to make her feel like she had a purpose, had a mission. Even though that mission had been made clearer to her, it only made her feel more lost. She had lost control of her situation, and that scared her. What happened next wasn’t up to her, or even Nasedo now, but to the fates. It was a lonely feeling, especially when the people who she thought she was destined to find and befriend were ignoring her. Granted, she couldn’t really blame them. It wasn’t exactly like she had acted with the most pure intentions, withholding and revealing what she knew of their path at a whim.

She thought at the time that it was better to bring the rest of them to speed gradually, but without any knowledge of the whole truth, even she wasn’t prepared for all that had happened. She was mad at Nasedo for not letting her in on all the details. But all the same, she wasn’t even sure if Nasedo actually knew all of the details. For all of his bluster, he may have been as much in the dark as they were.

She had had no concept of the other three’s lives before she met them. Nasedo had always told her of their common path, but she hadn’t realized that their paths had been very different. The three of them had human friends, people that they had trusted their lives to. She had always figured that they would simply accept their true destinies easily, and she could finally have the life that she had been waiting to live. It hadn’t been that simple, and now she was being left out in the cold. She thought to herself, I don’t think I’ve had one conversation with Max this week longer than three sentences. She had really made the effort, trying to talk to Kyle, trying to help all of them. But she didn’t have any common ground with Liz, Maria, or Alex, none at all. With Liz sending daggers her way every time their paths crossed (even though Tess could admit to herself that she was a lot nicer to her than she thought that she would be if she was in her shoes), and Max uncomfortable to be around her, she had been left pretty much to herself. She had talked to Kyle a few times, but he was still trying to come to grips with the whole alien thing, and even after she had spent time with him, she wasn’t sure if he was the kind of person she could really be friends with or not. Kyle had to decide how he was going to react about the four of them now that he knew the truth, and in a very un-Kyle like fashion, he hadn’t made a rash decision as of yet.

She pulled into her driveway, and decided that she was going to crash early. It had been a long day, and she had been up at the cave for quite a while. The sun had set on her drive home, and she had done enough studying for one day. She looked at her phone messages, and seeing none, set off for her bedroom. She got into bed, and then noticed something. A pulsing light, periodically flooding her room with light. It was truly annoying. She decided to get up and see where it was coming from.

The house next door to her, which looked exactly like her house and every house on the street, had been vacant. A few days before, she had noticed that the for sale sign that had been on it had been taken down. It looked like someone had moved in. She was surprised though that it had taken them only a few days though. The light was coming from the back porch. She got dressed, walked into her backyard, and peered over the fence. There was a young man, typing on a computer, sitting in a lawn chair. The man had a black ponytail, and he seemed to be intent in whatever he was doing, so she got back down off the fence. She had seen no sign of the light she had seen earlier. But as she turned around to go back into the house, silently muttering that she was going nuts, she heard something.

JAVIER: Hey, who is that?

Tess decided to keep walking. She wasn’t ready to get a lecture from some guy about invading his privacy. She just didn’t need to hear it.

JAVIER: Yeah, you there.

Tess turned around and walked back toward the fence. So much for that one.

TESS: Oh, I was just taking a walk, and I noticed that someone was back here. I wasn’t sure that your house was even occupied. I’m sorry.

JAVIER: No…it’s alright. I was just doing some studying. I just finished moving all my stuff in yesterday. You live here?

TESS: Yes. I moved here just a few months ago myself.

He was an attractive guy, Tess thought. Kind of creepy, maybe a little bit old for her, but she could deal with that. She snapped herself out of it. What was she thinking? Now definitely wasn’t the time to let her mind wander.

JAVIER: Well, why don’t you stop by for a few? I’m done my work for tonight. Would you like something to drink?

Now that was creepy, Tess thought. But it couldn’t be too bad. The guy seemed fairly harmless, and they were going to be neighbors and all. She walked around her fence and walked onto his porch.

JAVIER: Hi, My name’s Javier.

TESS: Tess.

JAVIER: So what are you doing out tonight?

TESS: Well, I needed to take a break. Studying has that effect on you.

JAVIER: Yeah, I know the feeling. I just got through with finals myself. Came out here for a few months to do some archeology work, and enjoy the desert southwest, I guess.

TESS: My father came out here to work for the Army. It’s alright, I guess.

And then she saw it. The table in the kitchen had some weird kind of light on it. It was flickering at a pretty regular pace. She thought back, thinking that she had seen one just like it before. After a few moments, it clicked. Max had shown it to her. What was he doing with it? Well, she might as well ask.

JAVIER: Uhh…Tess…are you OK?

TESS: Yeah…I just saw something…what is that light over there?

JAVIER: Oh…I’m sorry. I should probably turn that off. Must be kind of annoying out here.

TESS: It seems interesting. Where did you get it?

JAVIER: Well…being an archeology buff, I have lots of odd knickknacks around.

TESS: Yeah, my father has been all over the world. The house is full of African headdresses, Greek statues and stuff. But that doesn’t really seem like an antique.

JAVIER: No, I guess it doesn’t. I found that in the UFO Center downtown. I’m working there for the summer. Have to do something with my downtime. This house didn’t come cheap to rent, you know. I need some spending cash, but at the same time I have to leave myself some time to go out into the field.

Tess breathed a sigh of relief that she didn’t know that she was holding. That explained it. She was starting to worry that Max’s paranoia may have some basis in fact.

TESS: Oh yeah, my friend Max showed it to me. He works down there.

JAVIER: Ahh yes, Max. Kind of a strange kid.

TESS: Yeah, you might say that…Well, I’d best be going. I have a final early tomorrow morning. Nice to meet you.

With that, she walked back towards her house. She thought she might as well call Max and tell her about what she saw anyway though. It would give her a reason to call him, and besides, he might like to know that his new friend was at least somewhat interested in the thing.

SCENE 2

Max had some free time after a final that afternoon, and he was off from work, so he decided to check up on Michael. He hadn’t talked to him in days. It was like he had fallen off the face of the earth. He wasn’t at the Crashdown, showed up late for the final in one of the classes that they had together, and he hadn’t stopped by the house. While he was always aloof, he usually at least turned up somewhere. Max was worried about him. He had heard the highlights of his run-in with Maria at the dance, and knew that it didn’t quite go as planned. He had been so surprised that Michael had shown up and asked if he could borrow a suit that he barely got a chance to ask why. Michael had brushed him off then, but he didn’t press that hard either, knowing what his real motivation was.

He parked the Jeep outside, walked up the flight of stairs, and knocked on the door. After waiting an eternity, or so he thought, Michael answered.

MICHAEL: Hey…

MAX: Hey…

MICHAEL: Sorry, I was sleeping. I’ve been working this crazy schedule.

MAX: Yeah, I haven’t seen you there at all. What does Liz have you working?

Max walked into the apartment and sat down on the couch. Michael was pacing around.

MICHAEL: Double shifts…then off for a few days. I think I can figure out the score.

MAX: Yeah…well…

MICHAEL: So what’s up?

MAX: I was just in the neighborhood, thought I’d stop by.

MICHAEL: Whatever.

MAX: I’m just worried, that’s all. Since last week, you’ve been MIA.

MICHAEL: I’ve been busy.

MAX: Yeah, we all have. How’s have finals been going?

MICHAEL: OK…I guess. I may yet pass a few classes. (slight snicker)

MAX: So…what are you doing tonight?

MICHAEL: I don’t know…thought I’d watch TV…

MAX: Why don’t we go somewhere, take a ride out into the desert or something.

MICHAEL: Yeah…maybe.

MAX: So…(a long pause) are you sure you’re OK?

MICHAEL: Yeah…I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, Maxwell. I’m a survivor. I’ll get over this. What about you?

MAX: Getting nowhere.

MICHAEL: I’m sorry to say Max, but it’s for the best, you know that.

MAX: How come that doesn’t make me feel any better?

Just then, Michael’s phone rang. He went to get it.

MICHAEL: Yeah.

TESS: Michael, it’s me. Is Max with you?

MICHAEL: Yeah.

TESS: I need to speak with him.

MICHAEL: Sure… Max…for you.

MAX: Who is it?

Michael just handed him the phone.

MAX: Hello.

TESS: Max…

MAX: How did you know I was here?

TESS: Well, I called you house, and your mother said you were out. This seemed a good place to start.

MAX: So what’s up?

TESS: I saw something tonight. I thought you should know. I met that new guy that you work with, Javier.

MAX: Yeah.

TESS: He had that light, that light you showed me last week. I swear it was the same one.

MAX: That’s impossible.

TESS: Why?

MAX: I didn’t bring it back to the center. It’s still in my room at home.

TESS: What?

MAX: Yeah…Did you say anything to him?

TESS: Well…he’s my new neighbor. He got that house next to me. I was out walking and I saw it.

MAX: How can afford a house like that?

TESS: I have no idea, Max. But he does. Anyway, I asked him about the light, and he said that he got it from the center. Thought it was interesting.

MAX: I know every inch of that place. There wasn’t another one.

TESS: I don’t know Max. He was weird.

MAX: Well…whatever it is, we have to check it out. Michael and I will come over.

TESS: OK…I’m sure it’s nothing.

MAX: We have to be careful…maybe even too careful. We need to make sure what this is.

Max hung up.

MICHAEL: What was that about?

MAX: I don’t know. Something odd is going on. I’ll explain on the way to Tess’s.

MICHAEL: Yeah…OK.

SCENE 3

Max and Michael decided to stop by the Evans’s to pick up the light from his room. While they were driving, Max started explaining.

MAX: So, I didn’t really think it was anything. I mean Milton is always going on about conspiracies and cover-ups and stuff.

MICHAEL: Maxwell, has anything in the past year turned out to be nothing?

MAX: Well, no. But there’s no reason why this couldn’t be.

MICHAEL: Why don’t I believe that?

MAX: I mean, yeah, I thought it was odd, but that doesn’t mean that hundreds of people could have a light like that. It could be a DJ thing or something. He told me he was a DJ back in Manhattan.

MICHAEL: Yeah, but you just said that Milton had never been able to turn it on before, and it started going off on the same day we played that message. I mean, maybe it’s a signal or something. Nasedo said that we didn’t know what would happen if we used those things. Well, what if this is it. What if Javier is…

MAX: What, another one of us? Or worse, one of the enemy.

MICHAEL: Yeah, something like that.

MAX: Let’s not jump to conclusions here. There’s probably a reasonable explanation for this. Let’s see what Tess has to say.

They got to Max’s house, and went to his room. Yep, the light was still there. Javier said he had gotten it from the center. How did he know to say that? Maybe he was thinking quickly, or maybe it was something else that he’d missed. He didn’t know. As he left his room with Michael, Isabel stopped him.

ISABEL: Hey guys. Where are you going in such a hurry?

MAX: Tess’s. We may have a problem.

MICHAEL: There’s a connection between that light your brother found and Tess’s new neighbor. You know Javier, that guy who works with Max at the UFO place?

ISABEL: Uh…no.

MICHAEL: Well, he rented, I guess, the house next to Tess’s.

ISABEL: How could he afford that?

MAX: I have no idea. Anyway, it’s not important. We’re going over there to check it out.

ISABEL: I’m coming.

MAX: Sure, let’s go.

Just then, Alex peered out the door of Isabel’s room. He had been napping, and the commotion had woken him up.

ALEX: Isabel, what’s going on? Oh, hi guys.

ISABEL: We’re going to Tess’s. Come on.

ALEX: Uhh, OK. Why?

ISABEL: Later. Let’s go.

ALEX: Sure.

Max wasn’t sure that having Alex along would be the best thing. After all, he’d probably want to call Liz and Maria, and he just couldn’t deal with that right now. Also, the four of them, him, Michael, Isabel, and Tess, had to do some things by themselves now, and this might be the beginning of a fight that they couldn’t involve the three of them in, as much as they wanted to. But, he wasn’t about to say something with Isabel right there. It was like she could read his mind, and she was shooting a message back that wouldn’t allow any discussion on this one. So the four of them got in the Jeep and took off.

They brought Alex up to speed on the way, and when they got there, Tess was waiting for them. They walked into her house.

MAX: So here’s my light. Are you sure it’s the same one?

TESS: Yes, I’m absolutely sure, Max.

ALEX: So what the hell does that mean?

MAX: I don’t know. Maybe nothing, but it’s certainly an odd coincidence.

MICHAEL: Yeah, a light that none of us have ever seen anything like. That just magically started to work right after we got that message, and now, just magically has a duplicate with someone who just happened to move to town. That’s a pretty odd coincidence.

TESS: When I first saw it, I thought it was nothing, but now…

ISABEL: No, Michael’s definitely right. Too many coincidences. What should we do?

MAX: I have no idea. Maybe I’ll try to talk to him at work tomorrow.

MICHAEL: He’s just going to say the same thing he said to Tess. We have to take action.

ALEX: Well, whatever it is, it doesn’t look like an immediate problem. Granted, kind of creepy, but not an immediate problem. We just need to keep an eye on him.

TESS: Yeah, your surveillance worked really well the last time.

ALEX: Well, what would you suggest?

TESS: I don’t know.

MAX: Maybe we should talk to Valenti.

TESS: Bad idea, Max. Just what we need is to have the sheriff keeping him under surveillance. He wouldn’t be able to pick him out in an instant if he is what we think he is? No, there has to be another way.

MICHAEL: No, but we could just ask Valenti to run a check on him, you know. See if his background story holds up.

ISABEL: I don’t know, Michael. Getting Valenti or anyone else involved may not be such a good idea.

MAX: Well, Alex is right. Let’s just be careful, keep an eye on him, and see what happens.

Michael groaned, but Max caught him and took him aside.

MAX: I mean, Michael, what else can we really do right now?

MICHAEL: Yeah, I guess you’re right. But I’d still like to do something.

MAX: I know. Let’s wait for a few days, and then we can go to Valenti. We need something more substantial. Just be patient. We know that they’re coming. It’s only a question of who and when, and it’s not going to be pretty unless we’re prepared.

Max and Michael went back to the rest of the group.

MAX: OK…let’s give it a few days. If anything else happens, to any of us, we’ll do something. OK?