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 Michael and Maria close the Crashdown for the night. Maria has already locked the door and pulled the shades. She sweeps the floor as Michael watches her from the kitchen. He's just finished cleaning the grill. There's a knock on the door.
"We're closed," says Maria.
Another knock.
"We're closed," she says a little louder.
"Maria, it's Max. Let me in."
"Max?"
She unlocks the door. Michael comes out of the kitchen.
Max enters and looks around.
"Where's Liz?"
"At the Pod Chamber."
"Why is she at the Pod Chamber?"
"She and Isabel and Tess went to get the crystals," says Maria. "Why aren't you in jail?"
"They let me go"
"Why?" says Michael.
"I'm not really sure," he says. "They have some kind of new evidence."
"What new evidence? I killed Pierce. How can there be any new evidence?"
"Someone is trying to protect us."
"Topolsky," says Maria, nodding. "Alex said she had some files."
"That's right," says Max.
"That still doesn't change the facts. ... They're still watching us."
"Which is why it isn't safe to go to the Pod Chamber."
"Liz said she needed the crystals," says Maria.
"Did she say why?"
"It had something to do with you."
Max lowers his head and frowns.
"I have to go."
"Go where, Maxwell?"
"To the Pod Chamber."
"You just said it wasn't safe," says Maria.
"I'm still going."
"Then we're all going," says Michael.
Isabel, Tess, and Liz stand in awe of The Great Chamber. It's very, very large. Etched in the floor is the royal seal. The walls and ceilings are like a planetarium, filled with stars ... except it seemed more real ... as if it were a portal to space.
"What is this place?" asks Isabel (to Tess).
"I don't know," she says, equally amazed.
"Nasedo never told you about this place?" probes Liz.
"Never," says Tess, shaking her head.
Liz isn't sure she believes Tess.
"The royal seal," says Isabel.
"How do you know that?" asks Tess. "Did Max tell you?"
"No," says Isabel, "I just remember seeing it somewhere."
"Isabel, this looks like the Aries constellation from the cave map," says Liz.
Isabel nods.
In front of them, an opening appears and Serena appears from below.
"Welcome," she says.
"What do you want from us?" challenged Tess.
She ignores Tess and turns to Isabel.
"This is your home away from home."
"Who are you?" asks Isabel.
"A friend," replies. "But you already know that, don't you?" she says, turning to Liz.
Tess and Isabel look puzzled and turn to Liz.
Liz remains silent.
"They don't know," says Serena, her eyes still trained on Liz.
Liz tries to guard her thoughts, but she feels like an open book before this woman.
"You move between time, don't you?" says Liz.
Serena's eyes light up. She seems delighted.
"You are the right choice!" she exclaims.
"Right choice for what?" asks Tess.
Serena turns to Tess and her eyes darken.
"You haven't been quite honest ..." she chides. "... about Destiny."
Liz turns to Tess.
"Why are you here?" asks Isabel.
"To bring you all home," she says.
Liz feels her stomach churn with a sickening apprehension.
"We realize that you, the Royal 4, are at a disadvantage. Your memories are incomplete."
Isabel nods.
"It was, of course, necessary. One of the best ways to protect you was to keep you all in the dark until the time was right. However, there is no longer a right time, just a necessary one."
"You planned this?" asks Isabel. "How could you leave us so vulnerable?"
"Because it didn't go according to plan. The ships crashed."
"Ships?" says Liz, quick to pick up on the plural.
"Oh, yes, there was more than one. A small convoy, in fact. Some crashed on Earth, the rest lost in space."
"So there are more of us," says Isabel.
"Oh, yes. Hybrids, like yourselves and some, not quite like yourselves and there are the others."
"The aliens," says Liz.
She smiles at Liz.
"For want of a better term."
"So when do we go home?" asks Tess.
"When you're ready."
"And when is that?" questions Isabel.
"You are all now coming of age. There is some instruction first, some science, some history, some politics ... then when you are ready, you will go home."
"I don't understand what I have to do with all this," says Liz.
Serena again smiles.
"You will," she says. Again, Tess and Isabel look at Liz, puzzled, but no more than Liz who seems dumbfounded. "But that will wait. Max has arrived."
"He's in jail," says Isabel.
"No, he's not," says Serena. "You won't need the crystals, yet," she says to Liz. Liz's grip around the crystals tightens.
Max, Michael and Maria get out of the Jetta, now parked in an area where it was hard to see. Max spots the jeep nearby.
"Great!" says Maria, when she looks back at the car. There are several noticeable dents from their off-road excursion. "There goes next month's paycheck!"
They had stolen their way through the roadblocks with the lights out. It had been a rough ride, but they had made it, but the car crunched and groaned all the way. Each one resulted in a mental running repair bill in Maria's head.
"Forget the Jetta," says Michael. "We've got my important things to worry about."
"That Jetta," jumps Maria, "has been your spaceship for the last year. Next time, get your own!"
Max ignores their small-talk bickering and climbs up the rocks to the Pod Chamber rocks.
A sulphur smell hangs over the air from the burning fire, a smell that seemed oddly familiar to Max. Max waved his hand over the security lock and the handprint appeared. He confidently placed his hand over the print and the door opens. Michael looks back to make sure no one else was around. They fire looms closer. Once inside, they closed themselves in.
"If they came to get the crystals," says Max, "then Liz needs to go to the room we found. We had the crystals there." He walked directly to where Liz and he stood when they discovered the stone hologram hiding the opening. He found it almost immediately.
"Here," he says and walks through.
Maria hesitates, but Michael pushes her through.
"Hey!" she protests. Michael quickly follows. Waiting for them in the crystal room is the male protector who greeted Liz, Isabel and Tess.
Liz can not contain the relief she feels when she sees Max, Michael and Maria enter. Max immediately seeks her out and she lets her guard down. Liz gently touches his chest and he bends to kiss her. Tess is visibly upset.
"Are you okay?" asks Liz.
"Yeah," Max confirms. "They let me go."
"Why?" says Liz. "They have your fingerprints."
"Topolsky," says Maria.
Liz nods. She knows that Alex was working with Topolsky on some files, something to do with Whitaker.
"So you're completely free?"
"Yeah," he says.
"That's good."
Serena breaks in.
"Welcome to the Antar mission, your Majesty," she says.
Max turns to see Serena.
"Now that everyone is here, we can proceed."
The presses roll at the Roswell Gazette. The press crew is busily adjusting ink wells. It sounds like a freight train rolling through the large concrete room. Forms jog into complete newspapers and they'll be quickly strapped for distribution. No one pays particular attention to the headlines except the publisher who oversees the run. He smells a boost in circulation with the sensational developments in the Pierce murder. It had everything -- sex, betrayal, murder, suspects galore, cover-ups -- everything for the voracious raptors looking for sordid details. More circulation, more money -- a great boon for a struggling newspaper. With promise of more to come. He picks up the paper, looks at the photos of Whitaker and Pierce, skims the story, and opens to the inside jump featuring pictures of Max and Liz at the airport being whisked away in a police car.
Nancy Parker hangs up the phone. Both Liz and Maria are missing. Her distress shows. She doesn't know what to do. All of a sudden, her perfect daughter is a perfect stranger -- skipping school, running off with boys, continually missing. It was so unlike Liz. She doesn't understand it. She worries about the publicity, how it will affect Liz, wonders whether she and Jeff have been too liberal. But, up until she started seeing Max Evans, there has been no problem. Where could she be? She dials the Evans number.
A round table and chairs has been placed in the Great Chamber. Everyone has taken a seat. Serena waves her hand over a section of the table and a holographic image of the Aries constellation appears in the center.
Liz, who sits to Max's right, immediately recognizes it, and takes Max's hand instinctively.
"This is the Aries constellation," says Serena.
"We know that," said Michael, "It's from the cave map."
Serena nods.
"That's right."
"Been there, done that," says Michael impatiently.
"Not quite."
"You have some of the objects, but not all."
"How do you know that?" asks Max.
"You have the orbs, the book, and the healing stones."
"And Atherton's pendant," says Isabel.
"That pendant means nothing," dismisses Serena. "But there IS another, an important one." She looks at Liz, then Max.
"Where is it?" asks Tess.
"Look at the map," says Serena,, "and you will have your answer."
"Why can't you just tell us?" asks an irritated Michael. He wants his answers quickly.
"Maybe you already have it, but don't know it," says Serena.
Isabel shakes her head.
"We'd know it."
"The map," asks Max, "is it a guide to go home?"
"Yes," says Serena, "and no."
"This is crap," says Michael, getting up from the table.
"Michael," says Max with an air of authority. "Sit down."
They are all startled and Michael looks from Max to Isabel. Isabel nods and Michael settles back into his chair.
"The constellation," says Max, "is similar to the royal seal. Is there any significance?"
"Yes, we live in parallels where time and space is blurred. The royal seal represents the five planets of our star system which you already know. If you place the royal seal over the Aries constellation when Venus is visible, you will see they match perfectly. Follow the Aries constellation and it points the way home."
"You say you are a friend, but who are you?"
"I am an ambassador for the official delegation set up to restore the rightful monarchy. By occupation, I am a scientist. I specialize in quantum mechanics."
"And Nasedo?"
"Merely a foot soldier assigned for your protection."
"You know Nasedo is dead?"
"Yes," she said.
"Are we ... were we ... like the Nasedo?"
"You mean physically? ... No. Like all worlds, there are many species. Antar, for instance, has several highly intelligent species, that have developed differently based on environment."
"The Skins, they are Antarian?" asks Michael.
"Yes, just like you."
"What do you mean, like me?"
"You belong to their race."
They all turn to Michael. He's totally shocked.
"And you," says Serena to Tess.
"No," she denies. She looks at Max, then Isabel. She avoids looking at Liz who she feels staring at her.
"Antar, like Earth has environments that are cold and warm, like Earth, some more harsh than here. While our atmosphere is different, we enjoy enough similarities, that, with science, we can adapt accordingly."
"Through biogenetics," says Liz.
"Exactly."
"Larek explained some of it to us," says Liz.
"We'll get into that another time. Not all of you need to know the specifics. You will."
"She has nothing to do with us," says Tess. "She's human."
"On the contrary, she has everything to do with you ... all of you."
Morning arrives. Still no sign of Liz or the others. The morning papers arrive at the Crashdown and Jeff looks at the headline: Pierce Murder: Government Coverup? He continues to read and flips to the jump page where he sees Liz's picture.
"Nancy!" he calls.
Cross town, Phillip Evans also reads the story. As a lawyer, he understands the implications more, plus the dangers. While Max and Liz are free of the murder changes, the news brings a firestorm of controversy. He realizes that Max and Liz are still subject to intense observation and speculation and may still be in harm's way. Instead of worrying about a murder charge, he now fears for their life. He also begins to wonder what they really know.
"It's time for you to go," says Serena.
Liz looks at her watch.
"OMG, it's morning," she says, surprised by the time.
"Great, as if I'm not in enough trouble!" says Maria.
"Will you quit harping about the Jetta?" says Michael.
Isabel rolls her eyes while Michael and Maria continue to bark at each other.
Tess says to Isabel, "Imagine if they hated each other."
Max lowers his head, then turns to Liz.
"We have to get back," he says and she nods, then to Serena, "Can we come back later?"
"It will be safer if you wait. The fire is close now. There's another discovery yet to come and it's best if you're not here."
"What kind of discovery," asks Liz.
"It's best if you don't know."
"Great," says Michael. "Maybe if we knew something, we might be able to deal with it better."
"All in good time."
Michael gets up from the table and heads out of the room.
"I'm sorry," says Max to Serena, "Michael is not very patient."
Serena smiles.
"I understand."
"You have much to learn."
Max nods.
"Liz," he calls and extends his hand. She takes it and they rise from the table. They all then get up and exit the room.
Topolsky exits her room at the Pineview Lodge. She has her suitcase in hand. It was time to move to another location. The fire's been set. It was now time for someone else to take over. She tosses her case into the car and looks around cautiously. She doesn't see the man hiding among the brush, nor the flash from the gun. She barely feels the sharp pain in her neck before she drops to the ground.
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