Turnabout

2. Sidney, Nebraska

I hey had all sat in silence ever since leaving the Bushnell, Nebraska, picnic spot in their VW Microbus. As Michael Guerin drove, Max Evans sat in the front passengers seat, feeling more determined than ever before in his young life.

He looked back toward the others, and forced back a sudden pang of guilt.

I'm the reason this has happened. It's my fault. I was deposed as the king on Antar, and now I've been driven from my home all over again. Just like everyone I love, and everybody who's stood by me ever since all this alien-hunting crazxness started.

Liz Parker slumped in the Microbus's middle seat, staring abstractedly out the darkened side window. Though her forehead was clearly showing worry lines, she was as beautiful to him as ever. He had harbored feelings for her since the third grade, but it wasn't until three years ago that he had expressed them to her. 0/ course «expressing myself meant healing her bullet wound and revealing to her that I'm actually half-alien, Max thought with a wan smile.

Leaning against Liz was Maria DeLuca, her hair wavy and tinted a coppery red thanks to Isabel's powers. Maria appeared to be asleep, but Max wasn't sure. She was the only one of the humans Max hadn't healed, and thus was the only member of the group who had shown no sign of developing extra-human abilities. He knew that her lack of alien powers made her feel like the odd person out in the group, and that this was one of the things that fueled her temper. Michael was the other thing that got her itching for confrontation; even though Max knew they loved each other, their relationship was tempestuous at best.

Gazing toward the back of the van, Max caught the eye of Kyle Valenti. They certainly had come a long way over the last several years. Kyle had been Liz's boyfriend prior to Max, and he had been a sore loser at first after she'd left him. Max knew that Kyle's father's obsession about the strange goings-on around Max, Isabel, and Michael hadn't helped matters, even after the truth of their half-alien natures stood revealed. Kyle had been pulled into the cover-up against his wishes, and once Max healed him from an accidental gunshot wound, Kyle had become a part of the «team» for better or for worse. Lately, Kyle had been showing signs of manifesting psychic abilities of some sort, a development no doubt spurred by Max's healing touch.

Isabel Evans's head was on Kyle's chest as she attempted to sleep, but Max could see that his sister was as restless as any of them. Max didn't remember much about their past life on their homeworld of Antar, but he did know that Isabel believed that she had unwittingly betrayed the Royal Four, leading to their deaths and their genetic essences subsequently being sent to Earth.

But Isabel hadn't been the one who had betrayed them here on Earth; Tess Harding the replica of the woman who had been Max's wife during his previous life on Antar was the one who had brought their lives crashing down around them. Max was well aware that Isabel, more than any of the others, wanted to be normal, to lead an ordinary existence with her human husband, Jesse Ramirez, whom she hadn't seen during the months since the Special Unit had forced the group to flee Roswell.

Max's gaze returned to Michael, who was steadily guiding the VW down the road as the afternoon shadows lengthened. The wind coming through the open driver's side window blew Michael's long hair, creating an odd tangled halo behind him. But Max could never see Michael wearing a halo. On Antar he had been Max's or, more correctly, King Zan's second-in-command, the man in charge of the troops. As with Isabel, Max didn't remember much of Michael's Antarian past, but he imagined that to command Zan's armies of Antar meant that Michael had been as potentially violent there as he was here on Earth.

Max sometimes thought that Michael was never far from striking out against anyone and everything he perceived as a threat. Sometimes, that quality had been a definite liability. But maybe that ferocity is exactly what we need, now that we've decided to stand our ground against the Special Unit, Max thought.

«We're coming up on Sidney in another ten miles or so," Michael said, turning his head briefly toward Max.

«Unless I read the map wrong, we can find the train stations there.» He held Max's gaze for a moment, and Max saw the energy of a chained tiger flickering in Michael's eyes.

«Let's get some food before we figure out what we're going to do next," Max said.

«Should we wake them now?» Michael asked, gesturing toward the back.

Max was about to say, «No," when Maria spoke up. «I don't think any of us are really asleep. The lack of music didn't really help.» She cast a wistful eye toward her guitar case, as though wishing the van had enough room to allow her to remedy the problem herself.

Isabel chimed in from the back. «Not to mention the other problems we have on our mind right now.» Michael made a sour face, and Max leaped to his defense. «Sorry. I thought it would be better for you guys to rest without a lot of noise.» He clicked on the radio and the strains of an ancient Pat Benatar song immediately filled the Microbus. Other than «Hit Me with Your Best Shot," the next several minutes passed in silence.

Michael suddenly let out a snort. «Look up ahead," he said, pointing.

Up the road next to several small retail businesses was an old-fashioned fast-food place. Max felt himself smiling at the same thing Michael had. The neon sign that stood atop two poles had a UFO mounted on it, and bore a logo that read, ORBIT BURGERS. Just beneath it was a Coca-Cola sign.

«Looks like home," Max said. «I almost think we're fated to eat there.» The others leaned forward to get a better view as the van neared the restaurant. Maria rolled her eyes and put up her hands, palms outward, as if to push the vision away. «Tell me they don't have waitresses wearing alienhead aprons and bouncing dealy-bobber tiaras.» «Yeah, that would be too much of a coincidence," Liz said, smiling.

Michael pulled into the Orbit's driveway and parked the Microbus as far back in the parking lot as he could.

Piling out of the VW, everyone grunted and stretched to shake out their cramped muscles.

Michael walked forward, his head swiveling from side to side. «You all order your food. I'm going to get a paper from across the street.» Max didn't argue with him, nor did any of the others.

Max didn't think Michael was being antisocial; he was being proactive. Since their pictures had been broadcast on the news the previous night, Max knew they needed to find out how much of their Wyoming adventures had made it into the papers way out here in the Midwest. Were they wanted fugitives everywhere? As Kyle and Isabel ordered, Maria excused herself to use the bathroom. Max came up from behind Liz and put his arms around her, nuzzling his face into her long hair.

Isabel had changed Liz's hair color last night, before they had sneaked into the hospital.

«How you doing, Blondie?» he asked, his voice a low growl.

Liz crossed her arms over his and pulled him in tighter against her. «Much better now that you're holding me," she said, smiling.

«I love you," he said into her ear.

«I love you too," she replied quickly.

«Your turn to order, guys," Kyle said, stepping aside.

Max couldn't be sure whether he'd just seen a flicker of jealousy in his eyes or not. He thought that Kyle was long over Liz especially now that Max had married her but he knew that none of Kyle's romantic overtures toward other women had succeeded. Max had witnessed the sexual tension between Kyle and Tess, back when Max himself had been blinded by his own «predestined love» for the reincarnation of his Antarian wife. He still didn't know for sure whether their romance had been natural, genetically preprogrammed, or was the result of one of Tess's mindwarps. He doubted the last possibility, even though Tess had certainly turned out to be far more manipulative than anyone could have guessed.

«I'll have a Starship Chicken Burger Meal, but can you substitute Moon Rings for the Space Fries?» Liz asked.

When the preteen girl behind the window nodded, Liz continued. «And a Men in Blackberry Shake.» She turned to Max and grinned. «I feel like I'm back at the Crashdown. Except in some parallel universe.» He smiled and stepped up to the window. A few minutes later, after Maria had returned and ordered, they all sat down at tables shaded by a canopy and waited for their food.

Michael walked over, holding multiple parts of a newspaper in his hands. «We aren't in here," he said with an uncharacteristic uplift to his voice. «I'll check again, but I couldn't find any articles about our misadventures at all.» «No news is good news," Maria said. Then, looking at the others, she added, «Right?» «Not necessarily," Liz said. «It could be that the papers didn't get any pictures of us before they went to press. Or it could be that it wasn't big enough to make the news way out here in Nebraska. But that doesn't mean the local police might not have gotten a report about us.» «Spoilsport," Maria said, pouting a bit.

«Well, at least we probably don't have to worry about John Q. Sixpack ratting us out to America's Most Wanted," Kyle said.

Isabel ate an onion ring. «It could be that the Special Unit clamped down on the news coverage. The pictures they showed on the news last night couldn't have been the only footage they had of our daring escape from Cheyenne.» Max had continued to wonder about that as well. Yesterday, they had been trapped at a shopping mall in Cheyenne, Wyoming, by the FBI Special Unit's agents and local law enforcement people. He and Michael had been forced to use their powers in a very public fashion, in view not only of civilians but of the mall's security cameras as well. From what Kyle had said about the footage aired on the news, some of the security camera images had been broadcast, though their faces had been nearly unrecognizable.

«I think Isabel is right," Max said, and he was pleased to see that Michael nodded in agreement as well. «The Special Unit isn't going to want everyone else coming after us.

I'd imagine they think a lot of lives might be at risk if they got us really angry in public.» «We can thank Tess for that," Maria said, her tone grumbly. «Driving a car bomb into an air force base isn't exactly subtle:" Max ignored the comment. «Beyond that, everything they've done has been under a cloak of secrecy. They want a cover-up. If there's anything I learned while working at the UFO Museum, it's that the federal government has been hiding alien-related things since 1947, and probably even before that. So, it wouldn't serve their agenda for the world to learn that we really exist.» «Yeah," Michael said. «They want us all to themselves so they can dissect us and find out " He stopped abruptly.

All eyes turned to Isabel, whose face had suddenly drained of all color. Yesterday, Liz had seen a future flash of Isabel being cut apart by Special Unit doctors.

Max broke the silence. «He didn't mean anything by it, Iz.» Isabel waved a hand dismissively. «It's okay. We need to deal with this sooner or later. And the sooner we find a way to stop Liz's premonition from coming true, the better.» «That's actually why we came here today," Max said, realizing the time had come to announce yet another critical decision. «I think it's best that you split up from the rest of us, Isabel. Liz says that whatever was supposed to happen to you might happen in California. So, let's keep you as far away from there as possible.» «You want to send me off alone?» Isabel's voice raised almost a full octave. «Yeah, that will protect me! We decided early on to stick together; that's how we'll be strongest.» «I never said alone," Max said, putting down his burger.

«I think Kyle and Maria should go with you. And I think you should go to " «What, so I'm a liability now, Maxwell?» Maria asked, interrupting him. He could tell that she was truly angry; Michael was the only one who ever called him by his full name. «I don't have alien superpowers, so I get carted out of here so I don't get hurt?» «That's not what I meant. If you'd just " Now it was Michael's turn to interrupt. «She stays with us.» His tone was adamant, his expression stony. «Just because we aren't married doesn't mean that she should get shipped off. Ill protect her.» Maria's eyes flashed anger again, this time in Michael's direction. «Goddess! Like I'm so helpless! Fine, you know, Justine!» She got up from her seat. «Why did you even want me on this trip if all I am to you is a potential damselin-distress? Maybe I should get myself shot so Max can heal me and give me crazy superpowers so I can finally be somebody important.» She stalked away, clutching her soda cup.

Michael started to get up to go after her, but Max caught his arm. «Michael, let her go for now. Fine, she stays with us.» He turned to Kyle. «But I want you to go with Isabel.» Kyle stopped mid-chew of his veggie burger. «Okay by me.» As Michael sat again, Max continued. «Isabel, what I was going to suggest is that you make your way to Boston.

If Jesse can't help you, he should know enough about the town now to hide you.» Isabel's eyes widened, and a smile lit her features. «Do you mean it?» She was obviously looking forward to a long-overdue reunion with her husband. \ «I think you can both catch a train here to Chicago," Max said, nodding. «Then another train can get you to Boston.» «And what about the rest of us?» Liz asked.

«I think we should make our way to Los Angeles," Max said. «Kal Langley may not have been able to make my ship fly, but he's got money and power. He'll be able to help us somehow. He can protect us if nothing else.» Michael nodded. «Sounds like a plan.» Kyle looked worried. «How do we know that Isabel will be out of harm's way just because we're splitting up?» «He's right about that, Maxwell," Michael said. «We really don't know if your plan will head Isabel away from Liz's vision or toward it.» Max stared at them both blankly. He hadn't thought of it that way.

«Let me try again," Liz said. «I mean, I can't really control when I get these flashes, but maybe since Isabel already has powers, it will kick-start things.» Max knew that she had avoided touching Isabel at all since the second time she had the vision.

Isabel's face clouded over. «Are you sure? You said you saw some pretty gruesome stuff.» Liz smiled wanly. «Yeah. What's the worst that could happen? I'll yak up my Starship Chicken Burger?» «We shouldn't do this outside," Max said, remembering how Liz's earlier flashes of prescience had made her cry out and fall temporarily unconscious. He gestured with his head over toward the van, where Maria was sipping her drink and glaring daggers his way. «Michael, you want to make sure it's safe back at the bus?» Michael gulped and stood, brushing crumbs off his Tshirt. «Sure thing, Maxwell.» Michael sauntered over toward the VW, licking the frenchfry grease off of his fingers. Sometimes it seemed he just couldn't do anything right with Maria. He had tried to stick up for her and she had turned it into an attack.

It was par for the course of their relationship. Ever since the beginning it had been rocky, although he couldn't really blame her at the start; their first lengthy interaction had been when he'd hijacked her mother's car with her in it and forced her to drive to a place he'd thought held the secrets of his alien origins.

Despite all of their romantic ups and downs, Michael loved Maria fiercely. They had tried to be apart many times over the past several years, and yet they were always pulled back together, as if they were magnetically charged.

Their relationship didn't have the star-crossed Romeo and Juliet nature that Max and Liz's had, or the domestic bliss that Isabel and Jesse had enjoyed. Michael realized that he and Maria thrived on conflict, as if overcoming adversity fueled the fires of love. But every now and then, he wished their romance could be simpler.

«Hey," he said, reaching out for her hand. She didn't take his, so he forced the issue. He took hers and crouched to look at her eyes, since she was refusing to look up.

«You're staying with me, Maria.» «Oh, so Max caved in, huh?» she asked, her voice still whiny.

«It didn't take much.» He caught her gaze and looked deeply into her eyes. «I was trying to stick up for you back there. In my own twisted way, I was saying that my love for you is as important as his love is for Liz.» «I know. I just…» Maria's lip quivered, and she began to cry.

Michael stood up and hugged her close. «Hey, it's okay.» Very gently, he patted her hair.

She finally pulled away and looked up at him, disengaging her hand from his to wipe the back of it under her eyes. «I'm not crying because of what happened before.

Well, maybe because of that. But also because you just said how much you love me.» «I tell you I love you a lot," Michael said. At least it felt like he did.

«Yeah, but you compared your love to theirs. Liz and Max are like this cosmic Romeo and Juliet that's so different from us. We're more like Sandy and Danny in Grease.» Michael laughed hard. It seemed like it was the first time he had laughed in ages.

«What?» Maria said, her expression defensive.

«The Romeo and Juliet thing. I was just thinking the exact same thing while I walked over here.» Maria raised an eyebrow. «Hmmm. Maybe we're sharing brain waves or something.» «Or something," Michael said. Then he leaned in closer and kissed her.

Liz was nervous. What she had seen in her future flash about Isabel had been horrific. Both, times. And now they were about to try for the vision a third time. This one should be the charm, she thought mirthlessly. She hoped her mind would show her something other than the alien autopsy no, alien vivisection that she had witnessed before. She hoped that whatever they decided to do next would alter that obscene future.

They all gathered on the side of the Microbus opposite the Orbit Drive-In. Isabel stepped forward and put her hand out. Liz saw that she was trembling slightly. «You ready?» Isabel asked.

«All set to enter the Dead Zone like Anthony Michael Hall," Liz said, taking a deep breath. She reached out and touched Isabel's hand. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and she was Isabel again, the restraining straps and pain holding her firmly onto a table. Above her were agonizingly bright klieg lights outfitted with reflective metallic hoods. After her eyes adjusted to the glare, she could see herself/Isabel reflected in them, could see the blood on her head. It was easily visible since most of her hair was gone.

Electrodes and wires were attached to her skull, and she could feel them invading other parts of her body.

The white room was filled with busy medical personnel, and in the galleries elevated above the room she could see men in dark suits watching from behind safety glass.

She saw one woman among the observers, and noticed that several video cameras were trained down upon her as well.

A piercing whine filled her ears as a masked doctor peered down at her. He wore clear goggles, and his slatecolored eyes held no pity.

Struggling, she saw that as in her previous visions her stomach was covered with a protective medical drape, which was stained crimson with blood. The technicians were removing her organs and putting them in metal pans, weighing them as she watched in silent horror.

The whine became louder and louder, and the masked doctor moved in closer. And suddenly, the pain became too great to be borne. Liz tried to scream, tried to get away, but it was no use.

Blood sprayed across her vision in a scarlet haze as the excruciating pain washed over her in relentless waves, tsunamis of pure agony.

And then, a cool hand pulled her away, into darkness.

Away from the pain and the blood and the death. Liz looked up weakly and saw who had saved her. «Alex?» But her dead friend's familiar smiling face wasn't there anymore if it had ever been there at all. The face belonged instead to Max, who was crouching over her. Liz abruptly realized that she was on the ground behind the Orbit Drive-ln in Nebraska, her leg twisted awkwardly beneath her.

«M'okay, Max," she said, still woozy. She looked around at the others. Kyle was steadying Isabel, who looked almost as distressed as Liz felt.

«I take it the vision didn't get any better this time?» Max asked as he helped Liz up to a sitting position.

The sequels are always worse than the originals, aren't they? Liz thought absurdly. She shook her head. «No. Still horrible. Nothing new.» She decided not to mention having seen Alex, since she wasn't certain that she actually had.

«So, splitting up isn't going to work?» Isabel said, her tone lifeless.

«We don't know that," Liz said. «We haven't split up yet.

We've all been together every time I've had this vision.

Maybe if we split up, we'll cut off this particular lane into the future.» She didn't want to bring up the converse point, though she couldn't help thinking it. Or splitting up might be the action that leads you straight into the lair of the Big Bad Wolves.

Isabel moved quickly in front of the van, and they all heard her retching. They stood in silence until she returned a couple of minutes later. Kyle handed her some of the napkins he had stuffed into his pocket.

Liz didn't know whether to look to Max for the decision, or to Isabel. Neither, apparently, did anyone else.

Isabel finally spoke, breaking the uncomfortable quiet.

«We've been letting our fear of the Special Unit control our lives for too long. It's time we made some decisions of our own. I'm going to Boston. And I'm not going to let them capture me or… they aren't going to get that chance.» Liz admired Isabel for the brave front she was putting up. But she suspected that her friend might be even more sick and frightened had she seen for herself the gruesome details of Liz's vision.