(Liz’s roof. Liz is writing in her journal. She doesn’t see Max come up the ladder and watch her.)

V.O.: Hi, it’s March 16th and I’m Liz Parker. I’ve never really had any hardships. Sure, I lost my grandmother, and my yellow lab when I was eight. But I’ve never had anything horrible happen to me. That’s why when I look at Max or Isabel or Michael or Maggie, I realize what a good life I have. And I realize how hard it is for them, not even knowing who they are.

Max: Hey. Is this a bad time?

Liz: No. Of course not.

(Max climbs over the ledge and sits next to Liz, his head resting on the side of the lawn chair.)

Max: I couldn’t stay still.

Liz: Well, I’m glad you came to me. Max, is anything wrong?

Max: Not with me. Maggie seems a little out of it since that incident with Rey.

Liz: It must have been horrible for both of you to find the body.

Max: Yeah, pretty traumatic, but Maggie grew up with Reysita. I hardly knew her.

(The phone rings.)

Liz: My parents aren’t home. I should get that.

(Max nods and she get up and quickly goes to the phone.)

Liz: Hello?

(Switches to Maggie, who is in her living room getting her coat on.)

Maggie: Liz, hey, it’s me. Is Max over there?... Okay, both of you meet me at the Crashdown as soon as possible. Could you call Alex and Michael? Maria and Isabel are already on their way.

(Switches back to Liz.)

Liz: Yeah, of course. What’s this all about?

(Switches back to Maggie)

Maggie: I’ll tell you when we get there.

(Switches back to Liz.)

Liz: Okay, I’ll see you there. Bye.

(She hangs uyp and goes back outside. Max is curled up on the lawn chair staring at the stars. Liz smiles and doesn’t move towards him, not wanting to disturb him. She finally goes over and strokes his head. He looks up at her.)

Liz: That was Maggie. She wanted us to meet her downstairs asap. We have to call Alex and Michael.

Max: Okay. Just a second. Sit down with me.

(He pulls her down beside at him and looks back at the stars. Liz follows his gaze to the constellation.)

Liz: They’re so beautiful.

Max: Mmm. Okay, I’m done. Let’s go call Michael and Alex.

(They get up.)

(Crashdown. Max and Liz are already at a table. Maggie bursts in from the backroom and rushes to the table, calling to the waitress on duty on the way.)

Maggie: Tash, could I get a ginger ale? Thanks.

(She sits down.)

Liz: What’s this all about?

Maggie: Let’s wait for the others.

(With that, the rest burst through the front door and head for the table. Maggie gives them a look.)

Michael: What? We met in the parking lot. What’s up?

Maggie: Okay, my dad had to borrow the car, so I was hitch-hiking in to town, and-

Maria: You were hitch-hiking? Do you know how dangerous that is?

Maggie: Can we focus, mother? Anyway, I got picked up by this car that looked really familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. The guy seemed really weird and there was something strange about him, like he was oozing this weird energy. It was all very sci-fi.

Isabel: Can we get to the point, please?

Maggie: Right, well when he let me off I reached for the handle and got a vision. It was about something being buried on the bluff. So, I thought ‘What the heck?’ and went up there and dug. Guess what I found?

Michael: What?

Maggie: You aren’t going to like it.

Max: Just tell us, Maggie.

Maggie: Hank. Dead. With the trademark silver handpreint. Somehow the body was still intact, well-preserved. Then I remembered where I had seen that car before. It was Hank’s. Here, I drew the guy.

(She pulls out a drawing of the guy. It is the guy that told Max and Liz to get off the private property.)

Max: Liz-

Alex: What is it? Have you seen this guy before?

Max: When we went to highway 42 and found that rock, this was the guy that found us there the next morning.

Alex: You know, if we weren’t your close friends we could very easily misinterpret that statement.

(Isabel swats him.)

Isabel: Where’s Luke? Shouldn’t he be here, too?

Maggie: He’s in New York. He’s staying there for the rest of Spring break. The thing is, I think this guy is Nasedo. Which means all of us are in danger. Especially you (nodding to the humans) He might think that you’re a danger to us and try to kill you.

Max: Okay, this is bad. Nasedo’s a shape shifter. He could be anyone.

Maggie: From now on, we trust no one. Don’t be in a room alone with someone unless another one of us is with you. Not even your parents. This might mean a lot of sleep-overs, but it’s as safe as we can get.

Max: And we lay low. Try not to draw attention to ourselves. If Nasedo’s in town, it’s pretty safe to say that he already knows who we are.

(The rest of them sit back and stare at them. Max and Maggie look at each other and then back at everyone else.)

Maggie: What?

Michael: Well, I think it’s pretty safe to say that you two are blood relatives.

Max: Why do you say that?

Isabel: You both got the whole I’m-a-fearless-leader-and-I-know-what’s-right-and-what -will-protect-you thing going on.

(Max and Maggie look embarrassed.)

Liz: Oh, and look. Their ears turn red the same way when they’re embarrassed.

Max: Okay, that’s enough.

Michael: Oh, and they both think that they can tell us what to do.

Maggie: Now you’re just being annoying.

Isabel: And I thought one Max was enough.

Maggie: Okay, that’s it, I’m leaving. Say, why don’t you girls have a little slumber party at my house? It’ll be like grade school, minus Alex.

Isabel: Sounds good.

Maria: I’ll go call my mom.

Max: Alex, Michael, why don’t you all stay at my house?

Alex: Sounds good. My dad still hasn’t gotten off that damn computer.

Michael: Better yet, you guys stay at my apartment. Then the girls might be able to come over.

Isabel: And I promise I won’t do any cool lighting tricks this time.

(Maggie’s house, Tyler’s room. The light is off and Maggie is inching away from Tyler’s bed, trying not to wake him.)

Tyler: Maggie?

Maggie: (sighing) Yeah?

Tyler: Are you going out?

Maggie: Just for a little bit, babe. Brad’s here, so if you need anything, you can go to him. (Starts to leave.)

Tyler: Maggie? (She turns around) You’re different, aren’t you? Different from me or Brad or daddy?

Maggie: Why do you ask that?

Tyler: Yeah, you’re different. Like Max and Izzy. And Michael. You’re all different.

Maggie: Yeah, we’re different. And one day I’ll tell you how. But right you’re a little too young.

Tyler: But you’re still my sister, right? You’re still Maggie.

Maggie: I always was and I always will be your sister.

She kisses him on the forehead and turns to leave.

Maggie: Goodnight, cheesebreath.

Tyler: ‘Night sis.

(She leaves and goes into the living room where Isabel, Liz, and Maria are waiting.)

Maggie: He’s asleep, finally. I already bribed Brad to take care of any problems, so we’re off!

Isabel: Finally! But we have to be back in time to swap embarrassing stories about the boys.

Maria: Oh, we got plenty on Alex.

Maggie: I can hardly wait. Let’s go.

(They get up to leave.)

(Michael’s apartment. Maggie storms in, being followed less forwardly by the other girls.)

Michael: You really don’t like knocking, do you?

Maggie: I already told you: It’s not my style.

Max: You guys were in charge of the music department.

Maggie: Way ahead of you, chief. We got the slow angsty ballads for Max and Liz. We got the pop-punk for Izzy, we got the soft alternative for Alex, the hard-core pop for Maria and the hard-core heavy metal for Michael.

Michael: Any Megadeath?

Maggie: You guys better be happy that I have a wide taste range in music. What about the food department?

Alex: Junk food, junk food, oh, and more junk food. Movies?

Liz: I was all over that one. (Assumes Vanna White position as she displays the movie choices) We’re going to start the night off with a movie that everyone can enjoy: Billy Madison.

Max: Very good choice.

Liz: Then for the aliens in the group we have an ever-popular favorite Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Maggie: Oh, seen it.

Liz: Then we’re going to round out the night with a good old fashioned chick flick the I believe portrays high school life very well, She’s All That.

(The guys groan. Luke come to the still open door knocking on the frame hesitantly. Maggie runs up and hugs him.)

Maggie: Luke! What are you doing here?

Luke: Well, when you told me about Nasedo I decided to cut my vacation short. I went to your house, and Brad told me that you were all over here.

Alex; Well, we’re glad you could join us.

Maggie: Thank god. I was dreading being the seventh wheel.

Max: So do we start with the movies or the music?

Maria: I propose that we begin with the laughs and then some dance, then more movies, then more dance, then another movie, then some more music, and some good conversation.

Maggie; Sounds like a good plan Miss Deluca. But you and Mr. Guerin *will* watch the movie, right?

(Max and Liz laugh.)

Maggie; Hey, I wouldn’t laugh, that question goes for you two as well.

Luke: Okay, break it up. Let’s just watch the movie.

(Maggie’s house-living room. Maggie, Liz, Maria, and Isabel walk in. Brad is at the table reading a magazine.)

Maggie: Brad! You should be in bed.

Brad: I don’t have school tomorrow. And neither do you.

Maggie: Right. Sorry.

Brad: (starts to leave then turns back) Say, have you talked to Al?

Maggie: Yeah. They’re having a pueblo burial. He tried to get it so that we could come, but he couldn’t finangle it.

Brad: You told Tyler and Nick, right?

Maggie: Yeah. Now Nick’s all philosophical and Tyler is asking me all these questions about life. Anyway, go to your room. I got the living room tonight.

Brad: Brat.

(He leaves.)

Isabel: Are you okay? I mean about Rey?

Maggie: Yeah, I guess I’ll live. Okay, right, so down to those embarrassing stories. Izzy, what can you tell us about Max and Michael?

Isabel: (sits down) Well, Michael is afraid of spiders.

Maggie: No way. Our grunge god is afraid of round things with eight legs? Man, am I going to have fun with him on Halloween.

Maria: I’ll help.

Liz: What about Max?

Isabel: That’s right, I brought something.

(She reaches into her bag and brings out a battered copy of The Cat in the Hat. )

Isabel: Remember in the fifth grade when we had a cherry pie?

Liz: I was Max’s secret santa.

Isabel: And you gave him this. He kept it all these years under his pillow. He’s going to freak when he finds out I took it.

(Liz takes the book in her hands and smiles softly.)

Liz: I loved this book. My mom used to read it to me all the time when I was little. I thought he might like it too.

Isabel: He read it so many times the covers are falling off. He had never read it before.

Maggie: Oh my god, that is so sweet.

Maria: See, I always said you two were soulmates. You even were back then and you didn’t even know it.

Maggie: I think he did.

Isabel: Now what can you tell me about Alex?

(The rest of the girls roll their eyes.)

Maggie: What do you want to know? Alex was the most awkward child.

Maria: Not that he’s exactly a stud now.

Liz: Well, he’sa always been ga-ga over you, Iz.

Isabel: Really?

Maria: Oh yeah. You know the mystery man that put a rose on your desk every school day till Valentine’s, when he left you the sum of all of them? That was Whitman.

Maggie: And the time that he finally got the guts to ask you to the freshman dance, but he got there just when Kenny Matherson asked you.

Isabel: But I said no to Kenny.

Maggie: I know, but he figured that if you would say no to one of the most popular guys in the school than you surely wouldn’t say yes to him. It was rocky road ice cream for a week after that.

Maria: Not that we’re complaining about that.

Isabel: I would have said yes.

Maggie: That’s what we tried to convince him. But he ended up having three dates so it was all good.

Maggie: I wish one of you guys knew Luke when he was little.

Maria: Actually-

(She reaches into her bag and pulls out a Luke’s photo album.)

Maria: His mom was more than happy to ablige.

Maggie: Maria, you are my true friend.

(They all gather around the book.)

(Same place a half an hour later)

Liz: We’re at the back now.

Maggie: Look, it’s the pictures of him in New York for Spring break.

Isabel: Look at this one.

(Camera does a close up on a picture of Luke on the beach drawing a heart in the sand. Inside the heart is L.M. + M.N.)

Isabel, Maria, and Liz: Awwww.

(Maggie hits them with a pillow. She looks back at the picture and pulls it out of the album.)

Maggie: I don’t think he’ll mind.

(Maggie’s room. She is putting the picture in a frame. A person walks in without knocking. You cannot see the person’s face and cannot tell if it is a boy or a girl.)

Maggie: Hey! What are you doing here?

(The person reaches out and touches her head. She crumples to the floor. The person leaves. A few minutes later Maria walks in and screams. Liz and Isabel rush in.)

Liz: Oh my god!

(She rushes over and feels for a pulse. She sighs in relief.)

Liz: She’s got a pulse. Go call Michael’s apartment. Get the guys over here.

Maria: Should we call 911?

Liz: No. Maggie wouldn’t want us to.

(She strokes Maggie’s hair and something catches her eye.)

Liz: Maria-

(She pulls back Maggie’s hair and as Maria leans into look the camera does a close up and shows a glint of silver.)

Maria: (whispering) Nasedo.

(Same place about fifteen minutes later. The guys burst in to see Maria and Isabel and Liz already there cradling Maggie.)

Luke: Maggie!

(He rushes over and pulls her into his arms.)

Isabel: Max, it was Nasedo. He slipped in here when the rest of us were in the living room. He slipped in right under our noses.

Liz; (Shaken) There’s no sign of any struggle, so we think he might have changed into someone who we know.

(Max pulls Liz into his arms. Luke picks up Maggie and sets her on the bed.)

Michael: What should we do? We can’t just leave her like that.

Max; Um, okay, Iz, why don’t you try to dream walk? Try to wake her up. Me and Liz will go down to the hospital and ask some questions. Alex, you and Michael try and focus on Tyler, Nick, and Brad. Make sure they don’t come in here.

Liz: Max, we can’t go tonight. They’ll think it a little strange that we’re coming at one o’clock in the morning.

Max: Okay, we’ll go in the morning. But we’ll stay here tonight. All in the same room. He’s out to get all of us.

(All through this Isabel is trying to dream walk. She wakes up with a jolt.)

Michael: What is it?

Isabel: She’s not dreaming.

Luke: But we always dream when we’re sleeping. Even if we don’t remember it.

Isabel: I know. But it’s like she’s not asleep. It’s almost like she awake inside of her own skin.

(Max frowns and walks over to Maggie. He lays his hand on her arm to try and connect with her. Suddenly he’s not in the room anymore. He’s in a meadow, but the grass is pink. He sees Maggie a ways away and runs over to her.)

Max: Maggie!

Maggie: Hey, Max.

Max: God, we’re worried about you. You won’t wake up. Where are we?

Maggie: This is our planet. Or at least how my subconcious remembers it.

Max: This is our planet?

Maggie: Mmm. I just watched the memory of us getting put in the incubators. (she smiles grimly at him) We are all brothers and sisters.

Max; You don’t seem too happy about it.

Maggie: There’s a class system here, according to the gauge of our powers. The people with the lowest amount of power are considered middle class. The people with the medium amount are considered nobelty. That’s you. The people with the most amount of power are considered slaves, because they don’t have the ability to hurt anyone.

Max: Maggie, isn’t that-

Maggie: Yeah, that’s me. The only reason they put me in the incubator is because you and Izzy and Michael insisted it. So I was put in to be your slave when I came out. (holding back tears) Our parents didn’t even look to me as a daughter. They saw me as a burden, a mistake. (smiles through tears) But you guys liked me.

Max: Any names?

Maggie: Of the planet? No. Being put in the incubator was the only really clear memory.

Max: Maggie, I’m sorry.

Maggie: Remember when I told you that I couldn’t go through with leaving Earth, because of the people that need me? Now I have a whole new reason to stay.

(Max goes to her and hugs her. They stay ther for a long time before Max pulls away and looks her in the face.)

Max: We all miss you down there. Do you think you might be able to wake up? Come back to Earth?

Maggie: I’ll try. By the way, that’s really cute about The Cat in the Hat.

Max gives her a strange look and dissappears as he breaks the connection. Maggie closes her eyes and tries to wake up.

(Back in Maggie’s room. Max snaps out of it.)

Max: She’s going to try and wake up.

Michael: What went on in there?

Max: It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.

(Maggie rolls her head back and forth and opens her eyes slowly. Luke runs over and kisses her passionately.)

Luke: Don’t you ever do that to me again!

Maggie: That was wild.

Max: Tell me about it.

Maggie: Thanks, Max.

Max: For what?

Maggie: For helping me out.

Max: Hey, what are brothers for?

Michael: Brothers?!

Maggie: We have a lot to tell you.

Isabel: Well, why don’t we all go to sleep and we can talk about it at the Crashdown later?

Liz: (yawns) Sounds good.

Luke: Ooh, me and Maggie get the bed.

Maggie: Mmm, there are sleeping bags in the hall closet for the rest of you.

Max: (nuzzles Liz) I hope there are only three.

Maggie: You’re in luck buddy boy, because three there are.

(Everyone whoops then laughs out loud.)

(Crashdown. It’s late evening and the eight are the only ones in the diner.)

Michael: So you’re saying that our culture is just a bunch of Nazis?

Max: Well, not everybody. Only most.

Isabel: Well, excuse me, but that sucks. I refuse to live in a place where one of our co-leaders is a slave. It just isn’t right.

(She pounds her fist to the table and everyone laughs. Maria look around the diner.)

Maria: Hey, we're the only ones here.

Michael: So?

(Maria walks over to the juke box and put all her tips in it. She punches in a whole bunch of numbers and it starts playing American Pie-- old version)

Maria: Dance party!

(Everyone gets up and starts dancing all inhabitions gone. The camera shows all of them laughing and having a great time while the voiceover plays.)

V.O.: Okay, I guess a life of watching your friends go into a momentary coma and come out and tell you that if she was on her home planet she would be a slave isn’t the most perfect life. But I know that I have one of the most happy lives in the world because of these people around me. That won’t change.

Back to Area 51 (Section II)