Time had passed slowly for Max, the last year especially so. There had been many adventures, risks, but none of it seemed to matter to him anymore. Isabel was still Isabel, and Michael still Michael, apart from the fact that his friend had gained his independence from Hank. The day had been not one of triumph for Michael, rather one of relief. Then there had been the FBI snooping around all year attempting to find Liz’s murderer. And of course, the guidance counsellor Ms Topolsky who had left the school in mysterious circumstances. No one knew for sure, but the rumours were abundant as to her involvement in federal or secret organization.

But none of it meant anything to Max. He had failed to attain a sense of reality, the idea of freedom that came with being in love. Losing it all in an instant, it was his fault. He could have saved her, he could have healed her. But he was a coward. He had run from the Crashdown like the spineless clone he was. And he would never forget that.

Tess’ arrival had been a shock to all three of the aliens. Spouting ideas of destiny she had been welcomed into their fold by Isabel, greeted with caution by Michael, and ignored by Max. If he couldn’t have Liz, he would have no one.

Not that Tess listened. Her continual pestering resulted from her estrangement. Her claims of destiny were unwelcome to the three. She had moved on to Chicago, Boston, New York… he didn’t remember. He didn’t care.

Yet all that had changed yesterday.

It had begun an ordinary day for a depressed teenager. Cloud free skies heralded no joy. School students rushed past, oblivious to their own surroundings, enmeshed within their own turmoil. In that way he was more like them than he was willing to admit. Humans, aliens, there was no real difference really. Biology, which had been his favourite subject came and went. Without Liz it meant nothing.

He spent lessons eyes glued to the clock, dreading lunch hour. As always he hid himself in the Library, alone. Yet not that day.

He sat at the smooth oak desk, prepared to immerse himself within the pages of Joyce. A sharp poke in the back deterred his intentions. He turned to face his visitor, and in the moment that it took to recognise the face, he felt a tidal wave of blackness pass over him. Only by closing his eyes could he overcome his fear, and trepidation.

Before him, with long brown hair, stood himself. Another clone? It couldn’t be – he appeared at least 15 years older than his own age.

The other Max paused, waiting for the recognition, which unduly came.

Max gasped, a natural reaction. “Who are you?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I tried to tell you.”

“You can’t be a clone. You’re old. You’re…me?”

“You got the second bit right, but hold it with the old bit.” The older Max paused, his eyes searching the Library. “Is there anywhere private we can go to talk?”

“The eraser room.”

Safely tucked inside the small room, they locked the door. They had avoided any students in the hall – the last thing Max wanted was their suspicions. The Eraser Room itself had occupied many of his fantasies involving Liz. Where she would reveal her undying love, and they would consummate their relationship between the heavy burden of diversity. But that had all been forgotten for the past year. He turned to the stranger, an open face, yet a defensive stance.

“Are you here to hurt us? Are you a skin?”

The other Max chuckled at a joke unknown to his younger counterpart. “The skins eh? It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of them.” His face cooled, his tone adopted a serious nature.

“Max what I have to tell you, you won’t believe. I have the proof, but you’ll have to hear me out first.”

“I can do that” he replied cautiously.

“You are Max Evans, hatched 1983 from a Pod in the New Mexican desert, shared with your friends Michael, Isabel and a girl called Tess. You are Zan, clone of the leader of your home. You attend this very high school, and for 3 years were in love with a girl called Liz. About a year ago, Liz was killed, and you knew you could have healed her. But something stopped you. You didn’t know what it was, but it wasn’t destiny. How am I doing so far?”

“That’s amazing. You know me, but I don’t know you, and it still doesn’t explain your role in this entire situation.”

The older Max paused before he continued. “My Name is Max Evans. I was hatched from a pod in 1983. I have a sister called Isabel, a friend called Michael and a lover called Tess. I am essentially you, 15 years in the future.”

“I don’t believe you. Time travel doesn’t exist. You’re a clone aren’t you ?!” Anger flared up, Max’s emotions raging at the betrayal he felt.

“No. Listen to me – you promised to hear me out. How could I have known your innermost thoughts unless I was you? I risked my life attempting to come back here for you. So you’re damn well going to hear me out. In my world, Michael and Isabel are dead. Dead, Max. It hurts me just as much as it does you.”

“No….”

“Yes. And it was my fault. I was so wrapped up in my inner conflict that I failed to save them from the enemy that was close to heart. That enemy was Tess. Or what we thought was Tess, but simply Nasedo in another skin. She is Nasedo now.”

“But Nasedo told us, before he died.. that he was here to protect us!”

“No Max, think clearly, he was here to protect you. And you only. He wouldn’t let anything come between your life and his job. Including your sister and your friend. He didn’t kill them, but he knew they went to their deaths.”

“The skins?”

“No. A more developed race, able to maintain human form almost all the time. It is those we fear most because we can’t tell them apart. We need all of us to fight them. But there is one thing that you can do. And that is why I came back.”

“You risked your life in order to save Isabel and Michael… I believe you.”

“Good. Then you might want to sit down for what it is I have to tell you next. I need you to utilise the same passage that I undertook. I need you to go back in time. To just over a year ago.”

Max looked puzzled. “Then why didn’t you go back to that time, instead of telling me to do it.”

“My travel was totally dependant on the Granolith working on both sides of the connection. I could only travel to a time when it was activated, which your Michael did last week.”

“Then how am I supposed to travel without the Granolith?”

“That’s a good question. The very nature of the granolith is alien, or foreign. It defies any earthly principles. Yet the one thing common within the universe is time. It is this principle that we are able to manipulate. You will be able to travel back to this time, and rather than appearing as an external entity, such as I am before you, you will simply overtake your old body. You will retain no memory of this time, except for a strange feeling of destiny, of ‘what-if’. You will however know what task is at hand. It will sweep over you like a current, surging your primal instincts into action.”

“I understand how. Now I want to know why I have to do this.”

The other Max paused, his face betraying his emotions. “I need you to save Liz.”

“Liz…..no! Yes… why? I can’t betray our identity. I can’t risk Michael and Isabel.”

“Haven’t you listened to me god damnit? They will die if you don’t! Liz is the key! With her survival, you can fall in love. Hesitantly, but it will be based upon her acknowledgement and love of your true self. Your depression will be gone, and leave your mind to focus on survival, and to eliminating any external threats. You can save Michael and Isabel’s lives through this simple act. They may feel betrayed initially, but ultimately they will understand. Isabel once asked me why I didn’t heal Liz that day. And I had no answer for her. But you won’t ever have to face that again. You can love Liz. And survive.”

“There has to be some condition to this.”

“Travel in the granolith is risky, and full recovery is never guaranteed. As you see before you however, I survived, and now it is your turn to take the plunge. Are you ready?”

Max had a sleepless night that night, as he had since Liz’s death. Yet this was not full of depression and sadness, but rather of hope, and indecisiveness. Max had told him to be ready in the morning. An examination of the pros and cons leaned heavily in favour of taking the journey. He knew he had to of course. But he took a moment to reflect on the situation. Things would never be the same. Could he actually feel happy? Could he have love? As an alien, with a human? The answers would come, but he would not be able to control his path. He would forget about Liz’s death, and he would attain a new lease on life.

He would do it.

The granolith charged beneath his hand, a bright light began to encapsulate his arm, and a surge of energy heated his core.

“Remember..” Max shouted above the din created, “Love shall conquer all.”

And with that Max felt nothing.

*Bang*

Max was torn from his reverie as the gunshot blasted through the Crashdown. Whatever nuances have been invading his thought now vanished, replaced with the fear. Liz.

Liz was dead. His Liz, Liz Parker. Lying on the floor she appeared to be no more than a mannequin, her once healthy tanned skin, now a mottled shade of grey. But there was nothing fake about the blood. All the blood, it dripped everywhere, her entire body covered in tiny droplets formed from the massive puddles. Her once green tunic was a dirty shade of brown, heavy and damp.

Some gut instinct forced the inevitable out of his mind, and he staggered towards his love. A warning from Michael could not deter him. He could not let her die. She was Liz. His Liz.

He bent beside her partially conscious form, and placed his hand gently over her wound.

“Liz you have to look at me.”

And she did. And he saw into her soul. He healed the wound. He felt his hands slicked with her essence. Her skin returned to it’s former shade, and she looked at him, her eyes wide with fear and amazement.

His hand removed, the connection was broken. A ketchup bottle fixed the situation.

As he ran from the scene, he glanced back over his shoulder, and caught the eye of his love. He knew he had done the right thing. Instinct had prevailed, and she was alive. He could face anything knowing that. She would live to see another day, and he would live to love her.