Where the Stars don't Shine (FF, Mature) NEED PLAYERS!

[StormWolfstone]

ooc: seeing as how I have michael it wouldn't be productive for me to take Maria too

~Isabel~


"I don't know how long it will take. Maybe a few weeks, maybe longer. We have new identities prepared for you, but there's a lot you need to know. Transportation, money, new vocabulary, even ordinary appliances are a lot different than they were in your day. You have to allow us some time..." The 'good' doctor tries to explain and quite frankly he might be making a good point but I'm still not hearing everything I'm sure. I can't help but wonder just where this is going.

"It'll be very important that you don't ever let anyone know who you are -- but I'm sure you're familiar with that," I notice that he doesn't answer my last question. Yet instead states something I am all too familiar with. Keeping secrets. As if we haven't done that all our lives already, now waking up in another place where they know about us, we have to do it again.

"What happened after we were taken Antonio...? I don't mean recently now, I mean when we were first taken... Were our parents targeted, were they okay...did they get hurt...?" I heal Liz ask and I can't keep from tensing as I realize I hadn't even though to find out about mom and dad. God, what if after we were taken mom and dad were harmed?

"We haven't been able to get all the records, but I'll be happy to let you see what we have," Antonio begins explaining and I wonder if there is more, "I know they were watched carefully and most of them were taken in and questioned. The FBI wasn't convinced that they didn't know the truth and kept a close surveillance on them. They never admitted to actually holding any of you, letting your families believe that you'd run off on your own without telling any of them."

God, there had to have been something that my mom and dad could have been told instead of thinking for the rest of their lives that we'd just left. They had to have known we wouldn't do that. I can feel my eyes begin to water and blink back the tears that threaten. There is no way I'm going to break down right now.

"But they weren't hurt, physically...?" Liz continues to ask and part of me doesn't want to know, because there is nothing I can do to change it. I want to go back in time and be ready. I want to be able to tell mom and dad I love them and not to ever believe I'd leave without telling them.

"I don't know," Antonio begins, "I only have the surveilance records and I can tell you when they were each taken in and for how long, but I don't know anything about what happened while they were being questioned. I know they didn't have any reported injuries when they'd been released."

"Oh god." I can't keep from muttering. I know there are many other ways to harm someone without leaving marks.

Before I can even let myself get past that I heard my brother ask, "What about our things? We had some artifacts from our home. What happened to them?"

"Your ... things," Antonio seem uncertain and as I glance at Michael I see that he's obviously not very happy or seeming to be buying everything. I can certainly understand that. Some of this seems... I don't know... rehearsed. "We don't have them. They were able to get you and your friends out but when they subpeona'ed for personal belongings all they got were clothes and things. The other stuff they said they didn't have, or that it wasn't yours. You'll probably have to sue for them in person for it ... but that would expose you and threaten the new lives you'll want to make."

"Iz--everything going to fine in the end, even if I have to do the impossible in this matter. It's worth it, you're worth it. I promise you." I hear Alex whisper, his arm around me as he hugs me. I know I should smile at him or thank him, but at the moment I can't stop from looking at him sadly and moving away from him to stand up. I don't even know where I'm going to stand with him right now. I don't know what I want.

All I know is that its ironic that Antonio used the comment, 'new lives you'll want to make'. We have no choice about this! None. How can Alex believe that everything is going to be fine? I don't want him thinking that I should be treated like a shrine or anything, but I also don't want him hating me when things go sour. And, I can already feel things going downhill.

"You know, this is a lot of information for anyone to take in--why don't we take a breather, and if you want--we can either continue this in half an hour or wait till tomorrow." Serena interupts and I still don't like her even more then I'm thinking I don't like Antonio. She asks him if they can talk in the other room and then walks out.

"O--kay then," Antonio comments and then adds to us, "I'll be right back."

"So, what do you guys think?" Max asks as soon as they are out of the room and I glance down at my nails before looking back up at the others while I'm trying to decide just what I think. Or for that matter how to explain what I'm thinking...

"I think there's more to it...then what they want us to believe. But that's just my opinion." I nod agreeing with Alex even as my brother replies.

"You're right, It doesn't sound like they're done talking to us, so we may hear the rest right away. If not ... Maybe Isabel can do some checking for us tonight. Assuming we're still here," I nod, though I'm bound to be a bit rusty, I'm more then willing to give the dreamwalk a go. "... Or even if we're not," he adds.

"Either way, I'll be checking things out." I decide to speak up as I shake my head and sigh. "I don't like how much power they hold over our lives right now. If they aren't forthcoming with enough information to really make us feel comfortable, I want to leave. We, as a group, can make it together if we try and we're quick studies. We could easily get ourselves back into society in some manner."

My eyes travel over to Michael, wondering just what he's thinking and waiting for him to explode over this. "I say we make them talk. I'm sick of being led around the bush, Maxwell. Either they tell us everything or we walk. Plain and simple. Our lives have already been screwed up in one way, I'm not going to have them screw them up even more."

"We don't have any cause to trust them. They could drug us, poison us or anything like that and we're too damned vulnerable at this point. I don't like it one bit, Maxwell." Michael continues and the idea that we could still be controlled in a way really bothers me.

"I agree. We have no idea whether they might plan on conditioning us for a purpose that wouldn't have a pretty ending. We need some sort of guarantee on this matter. I don't like being couped up like this. It feels too much like a cow being led to the slaughter type of thing right now." I decide to add into the conversation.

[isabelle]

*Max*

A guarentee. Yes, it would be good to have some sort of leverage against this situation. Unfortunately, I can't think of a single thing we can use. Obviously, we have something they want, or they wouldn't be spending this kind of effort, but unless we know what it is, we could be bargaining away our best assets. What exactly do they want from us? Really?

I'm glad to hear that Isabel is up for a little dreamwalking. It might be just what we need to get the real scoop. Even if they're being completely honest -- and that is possible -- there's still obviously something more going on here. Too bad it's still only afternoon. How I'd love to be able to see what she'd learn now. But perhaps it would be better to get some more data so that what she sees will make more sense...

"You're right," I say. "It's clear they know a lot, but we can't give too much away."

"We need to find a way to get them off-script. Maybe insist on a trip outside for dinner -- to see what this 'Brave New World' is really like," I suggest.

.

[isabelle]

*bump*

[StormWolfstone]

anyone else going to be posting here??

[StormWolfstone]

I'm really hoping others will be posting... however, I'll try to come up with something shortly.

[KatnotKath]

OOC: I'm really struggling for what to put on this one guys, so I'm sorry if this sucks but I'm doing my best.

BIC

~LIz~

What do we do now...? Where do we stand...? All excellent questions, for which I have no answers... None of us do... It's just so...

G*D we're way out of time, with strange people, who say that they want to help us, but how do we know to trust them...? I bite my lip and swallow as things continue to go over and over in my head. It's just too much!

A guarantee, leverage, both would be really nice but we have neither. We have no way of knowing what's really going on, we're completely dependant on what Serina and Antonio want to tell us, and I can't help thinking that it's not the half of it...

What do they really want? What's really going on?

I look over at Max as he continues to speak. "Do you really think they're going to let us do that though? You heard them, they consider it's too dangerous, and really, what can we do...?" I don't want to sound defeatest, but it doesn't really seem that we have much control in this situation, more like all the control is in the hand of others...

[OnDragonflyWings]

OOC: Hey everybody, I just recently picked up Maria. Here's my first post trying to get her all caught up, lol. Let me know if anything needs to change.

~Maria~

It all seems like a blur, like the world around me is moving way too quickly.

But everyone else is actually talking, asking questions. Am I the only one really having trouble trying to swallow all of this information? For once, I'm not even entirely sure what to say, so I just listen. And feel scared. And I find myself once again grateful that Michael is right next to me.

The two doctors say again that they don't wish us any harm, that they just want to help us, and even I'm having trouble believing it as they beat around the bush and only half answer most of our questions.

Times have changed, I get that, but they can't really think that we'll think they're friends if they continue to try and hold us here forever, for an undetermined amount of time. Not even future people can be that looney tunes.

But it is a good point, we do have to learn about a completely different world, one that's had to ahve changed considerably. Just looking out the windows of this place told us that.

I lean in closer to Michael as the doctors talk, as they get to more serious subjects, hoping to absorb some of his strength, some of his fearlessness. And then Liz asks the questions that I hadn't even dared to think. I hadn't even really allowed myself to think through that my mom was dead.

But as I hear the lies that were told them, about the fact that they were questioned, I really think about everything Ive lost.

My mom's not here anymore. And neither is the rest of my family. Not Sean, not anybody. And I've lost Liz's parents too. They always made their house like a second home to me.

We'd probably never really know what happened to them. Did they ever find peace? Were they hurt becuase of us? Had they believed and accepted the lies? My mom couldn't ahve possibly thought I'd just pick up and leave...at least not without a fiery argument, right?

Had my cousins gotten married? Had they had kids? Had my mom found new happiness with someone else? Maybe Jim? I could've missed out on being Kyle's stepsister, possibly on having half-brothers and sisters.

This could've broken their hearts. Loosing us.

My mom could've died young because of something the FBI did, or she could've died of old age, but I know she died sad, because she lost me. The sames probably true for everyone's parents. ANd I can't help but feel guilty about that, even though there's nothing I can do.

ANd my mom will never see the big things now. Things I'd planned on her being around for: my getting married, children.

I know I'm crying a little, but who wouldn't be?

I'm scared of the world out there. I'm scared now more than ever of loosing Micahel, and having to face a completely strange place alone.

ANd as they tlak about the destony book, things from their home planet, I wonder if they'll want those things back. SHould we risk it? ANd what about the granolith? Does it even still exist? Afterall they said Roswell didn't anymore? ANd I'm kinda curious as to that too. Is it called something else? Or did something happen to it?

I nod slightly when Isabel says she'll dream walk the doctors. That's the best plan I've heard all day. I think it would definitely put a lot of us at ease, and probably for the most part alleviate some of the stress as to whether or not we should fully trust these doctors.

I take a deep breath, trying to keep it together before finally echoing Michael's statments.

"If they won't be straight with us, I think we should go," I begin my statement. Maybe it's not the best decision but I can't help but hold some irrational anger towards the people that keep giving me the bad news. I know I shouldn't kill the messenger, but it's just way too easy to hate the guy.

I'm not really sure what else to say, it seems like everything's just going through my head right now. I'm sure I'll have an even harder time dealing with it once it actually all sinks in.

[isabelle]

*Max*

I need to make a decision here but I don't have enough information. We have no way to verify anything we've been told. No way to know if what little we know is even true.

"Do you really think they're going to let us do that though? You heard them, they consider it's too dangerous, and really, what can we do...?" Liz asks.

"If they won't be straight with us, I think we should go," Maria adds.

I frown, not sure what to say. If Antonio isn't being straight, then it's not hard to imagine that he'd be listening in to our conversation, in spite of his assurances of privacy. The other doctor, Serena, seems to know something. Maybe it's something anyone in the world knows.

"They think it's too dangerous for us to be wandering around on our own but they also say that they want us to adjust. To do that, we need to be exposed to what's really out there. I think we can get them to let us out with them -- especially if the alternative is us leaving without them." I say, nodding at Maria for the last. I do understand her fears about staying.

"They say we're not prisoners so it should be something we can do." I'm not sure yet if I believe that, but we have to find out. "We need information. Books, newspapers, that sort of stuff. Assuming they even have such things and everything isn't electronic already."

Electronic things are harder to trust. Too easy to change things. Even turning on a TV might not give us the truth. They've had all the time they want to film false broadcasts, if they wanted to. "Maybe even some kids books," I muse aloud. Those would be physical, wouldn't they? So the babies can hold them? And they'd be the kind of intro to the world that might actually be helpful to us.

"I think we need to do a little exploring. We should probably split up with someone staying here," I suggest. I don't want to be out of touch with anyone in the group, but eight people wandering around in a bunch is bound to be noticed. Liz and I talked to one nurse who seemed to be outside of the program earlier... Noticing a mirror, I remember that Antonio said that our faces might be recognized. "But first, I think we'd need to change our appearance a little."

[StormWolfstone]

~Michael~


When we're finally left alone, I find myself feeling a bit more at ease. This is what we needed, a chance to discuss the situation without the 'good doctors'. Max suggests an outing of sorts. I agree, it would be a good idea to get a lay of how things were now. Not to mention, I think we're all feeling a bit trapped and to have these strangers actually follow through on the entire 'not prisoners' thing, this might be our best chance.

"Do you really think they're going to let us do that though? You heard them, they consider it's too dangerous, and really, what can we do...?" Liz pipes in and I can't help but wonder myself whether they'll really let us go out. Again, something they would need to prove to us.

"If they won't be straight with us, I think we should go," Maria speaks up and I tighten my hold on her slightly, glad that she's actively saying something. I've been worrying that she wouldn't be able to handle all of the information and would end up completely breaking down on me. I really couldn't handle that emotional form of girlfriend right now.

"They think it's too dangerous for us to be wandering around on our own but they also say that they want us to adjust. To do that, we need to be exposed to what's really out there. I think we can get them to let us out with them -- especially if the alternative is us leaving without them." Maxwell begins and I turn to look at him.

"They say we're not prisoners so it should be something we can do."

"If they don't let us, it will prove they've lied on that." I simply state before Max continues.

"We need information. Books, newspapers, that sort of stuff. Assuming they even have such things and everything isn't electronic already."

"Electronics, Alex could probably figure out if we needed him to." Isabel states as she glances over at him with a smile.

I can't help but roll my eyes. Why don't those two just get together already. Isabel is the only one that has continued to fight what she obviously feels.

"Maybe even some kids books," I hear Maxwell mention and look at him oddly. What good would kids boks do? I don't really see the point in going that far.

"I think we need to do a little exploring. We should probably split up with someone staying here," he suggests and as much as I think going along is what I'd rather do, I think Maria needs some down time and I have no intention of leaving her alone with these people we don't know.
"But first, I think we'd need to change our appearance a little."

Let's see if I shock them all here. "I suggest that Isabel, Alex, Liz and Maxwell be the one's to go exploring while the rest of us remain here. That way we're evenly split and have an even chance of doing whatever needs to be done for protection." It also meant that if Liz needed Max's help with controlling her powers, she was with him and on the other hand, Kyle had Tess.

Isabel nodded, "I think that sounds like a solid plan. I can help Liz with the change of appearance if you want to help Alex, Max?" She was looking at her brother and I could tell that she was more at ease with the idea because she was afraid to let either Max or Alex out of her sight.

[OnDragonflyWings]

~Maria~

When Max suggests we change our appearance a little, I feel slightly nervous. Not that it makes any sense. It's just everything has changed, and I don't know how I feel about such a big part of me and my friends changing. And I don't think that Liz suddenly being a blonde, or me a brunette is really gonna throw off the FBI or alien hunters, or whatever dangers there are to face.

It definitely won't fool other aliens. If the dupes taught us anything, it should've been that. Max has some seal like built into him....I'm sure the others have the same.

But I'm pulled out of my thoughts when Michael completely shocks me. He's actually volunteering to not go out into the brave new world. His actions both please me and make me feel a little guilty. I know he wants to see it. He wants to know what's out there and I'm pretty sure that he's only volunteering to stay with me.

"What? Are you sure?" I ask Michael. I don't want him spending all night being antsy, or upset about staying. It would've been easy to not look a gift horse in the, but in the end I know I can't stand in his way.