Roswell Fanatics

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen



Chapter Fifty-One

They stood, frozen in fear by the scene before them. At first Max was unsure why his parents hadn’t simply used their powers to destroy the large rock that was poised to fall on Cal and little Valrik. However, after closer examination, he realized that while their powers had stopped the rock from falling by creating a shield around it, they weren’t able to do anything about the large pack of explosives that were attached to the boulder.

His gaze shifted to Cal, and he saw that the other man was severely injured, and it was only sheer willpower that was keeping him conscious so that he could continue to shield the child.

“Isabel, you and Maria get in there and get Cal and the baby out. I don’t care how, I don’t care what you have to do, just get them out of here!” Max ordered.

“Then what?” asked Alex, nervously.

“How the hell should I know?” Max said, almost under his breath. “I’m making this up as I go along.”

Isabel and Maria approached Cal cautiously. Maria reached out to him and carefully moved his body to give her easier access to the baby. Once she had him, Isabel moved in and, using her powers to aid her, began to drag Cal’s body out of the danger zone.

Max and Alex quickly stepped forward and added their shields to that of Drinian, Kitana and Dijanya. Together they lowered the large boulder to the ground.

“My sons,” said Drinian, gasping from his exertions. “You came just in time. I don’t know how much longer we would have been able to hold that boulder off of Cladar.”

“Is he all right?” Dijanya asked. “Are they both all right?”

“The baby’s fine,” Maria said.

“What about Cladar?” Dijanya asked. “What about my husband?”

“I- I’m not sure,” Maria hedged, unwilling to cause her Antarian mother-in-law any pain. “I think Max can probably fix whatever it is,” she added hopefully.

“You know, I really think we need to focus on the matter at hand here,” said Alex. “And that would probably be the very large bomb that we have in front of us.”

“We can’t change it,” said Max. “We need to have some basic idea of its workings before we can modify its molecular structure.”

“Can we do what we did with the other one?” asked Isabel. “Just keep a shield around it until it detonates?”

“We’ve had a shield around it for what seems like forever,” Kitana offered, regretfully. “And it hasn’t gone off yet.”

“Father, if you have any suggestions, and you’re just holding off for fear of stepping on my toes, please feel free to step all you want,” said Max, looking at Drinian hopefully.

“I’m sorry, Max, I don’t,” said Drinian. “My only suggestion is that Maria get the baby as far away from here as possible.”

“Got it,” said Maria. She scrambled and managed to locate some of the necessary things any baby, be he from Earth or Antar needed and made her way back to the main chamber.

“Here’s what I’m thinking,” said Max. “If you can open up your shield just enough to let Alex or I shoot a bolt of energy at it, and then we close the shield right away, maybe we can force it to blow and still contain the explosion.”

“It beats my idea,” said Alex.

“What’s that?” asked Drinian, his lips twitching slightly despite the precariousness of the situation. He knew whatever Alex said was going to do much to relieve the tension in the small chamber.

“Well, I was going to go with the run like hell theory,” said Alex. “Followed by the whatever it takes to save my sorry ass plan. But Max’s idea sounds good too.”

“Isabel, I want you to shield yourself and Cal,” said Max, going into king mode. “Keep him protected as best you can. Alex, add your shield to theirs. On my word, I want all of you to open up a small opening directly in front of me. Does everybody understand?”

He waited until each of them nodded that they understood before giving the signal. On three, they created an opening in the force field just large enough for Max to fire one single bolt of energy. As soon as he did, they closed the shield and watched as the energy bolt struck the detonator pack. The resulting explosion filled the contained area, and they struggled to maintain their shields against the blast.

After what seemed like an eternity, but in actuality was only several minutes, Max finally gave the signal to lower the shields. The room immediately filled with a cloud of choking dust from the exploded boulder. A coughing and gasping Max made his way over to Cal and began to work tirelessly over his damaged body. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead and streaked down his face.

Several more minutes passed as the others watched in silence as Max did his best to heal Cal. Drinian wrapped his arms around Dijanya trying to comfort his sister as she realized that the husband she had so recently found would be lost to her again.

Kitana knelt down beside Max and placed her hands along side his on Cal’s body. Together their combined healing power did what his could not do alone. Max could see Cal’s wounds in his mind and began to work to repair the damage. The older man’s eyes fluttered open, and his gaze flew straight to Dijanya.

“You haven’t lost me yet,” he whispered.

“Oh, Cladar!” Dijanya cried. She flew from the shelter of her brother’s arms and knelt down beside Cal, showering him with her tears.

“Wh-where’s the baby?” Cal asked. “Please tell me I didn’t fail again?”

“He’s fine, Prija,” Max said, using the formal Antarian word for Uncle as a sign of respect. “You saved him, and it almost cost you your life. Valrik is with Maria.”

“Valrik is right here,” said Alex, with Maria and the baby in tow. Alex nudged Maria forward, and she knelt down beside Cal to show in that Valrik was indeed alive and well.

“He owes you his life,” Maria said.

“And I apparently owe mine to all of you,” said Cal, struggling to sit up.

“Damn straight you do,” Maria said. “And don’t you ever forget it.”

Maria shoved Valrik into Isabel’s arms and stormed out of the decimated living quarters.

“One thing you can say for Maria,” Isabel said to no one in particular. “She sure knows how to hold a grudge.”

** * ** * ** *

Max formally addressed the remaining survivors, reminding them that this was a setback, not a loss.

“We will not let this small setback stop us in our fight to free our world from the Gadori,” he said as cheers filled the demolished chamber. “Hold strong to the knowledge that we have always worked toward peaceful co-existence with our Gadori neighbors, but that does not mean we will allow them to take away our home! We will reassemble in two days time at our new rendezvous point in eight hours time. Be safe my friends.”

Cheers erupted in the cavern as the survivors showed their support for Max and the royal family. When the cheers died out, the survivors crept out of the cavern in small groups of two and three until all that were left were Max and the others.

“What do we,” began Isabel.

“Don’t say it,” said Max.

“Do now, Max?” Isabel finished with a grin.

“We try and find the others and tell them what’s going on,” said Max. “Zan had a list of places to meet if we got separated, so I think we should go to the first one on the list and then go from there. They must be crazy by now trying to figure out what’s happened to us.”

They made short work of changing their appearances, and gathering the remaining supplies that had survived the blast before moving out on their journey to locate the others

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Author’s Note: This is happening while Max and the others are dealing with the fall out in the underground cavern.


Chapter Fifty-Two

“Nice quarters, Your Majesty,” Michael said in a deadpan voice as she surveyed the decrepit building.

“Stuff it,” Zan responded. “Before I let Shandar beat you up.”

Michael eyed Shandar carefully before he answered. “Well, she looks tough, but I think I can take her.”

Shandar, still unused to the bantering between the friends, looked up in alarm.

“Take me?” she asked Liz. “Where is Lord Michael taking me?”

“First, lose the lord thing, will you please?” said Liz. “We don’t need his head getting any more swelled than it already is. And Zan told Michael that if he continued to criticize the new royal dwelling, he’d let you fight him.”

“Fight Lor, I mean Michael?” asked Shandar, alarmed. “I don’t want to fight him.”

“It’s okay, Shandar, he was only kidding,” said Liz. “It’s just their feeble attempt at humor. And to be honest, if it came right down to it, I really do think you could take him. Michael’s a total wuss. He’d never hit a girl.”

“I’ll make an exception for you, Queen Brat,” said Michael, cuffing her lightly on the shoulder. “But before I do that, does anybody else think we should track down my wayward, headstrong sister, and her husband?”

“Kyle knows where we are,” said Liz, smiling serenely. She was starting to enjoy this new power and couldn’t resist the urge to show it off just a little.

“And how exactly do you know that?” Zan asked, raising one eyebrow. His expression sent a small shiver down Liz’s spine. Usually when she looked at Zan, she saw Zan. She never noticed any resemblance to Max. To her they were two separate individuals. But once in a while, Zan would do or say something that would make her think of Max. This was one of those times.

“Nice trick with the eyebrow,” she responded. “Max teach you that?”

“I taught him,” Zan shot back. Now, how does Kyle know where we are?”

“Oh yeah, about that,” she said, stalling in an entirely un-Liz-like manner. “Well apparently, this empath thing has developed a tad bit more than we had anticipated.”

“Liz!” Zan said in frustration.

“Yeah, don’t bother,” said Michael, grinning. “You’re not going to get it out of her, no matter how hard you try. Might as well just kick back and relax and wait for her to spill.”

“You are such a wise ass, Michael,” Liz said with a pretend pout.

“Wise ass?” queried Michael. “What, are you channeling Valenti now or something?”

“Close,” said Liz. “No, I’m not channeling him, but I am communicating with him.”

“You mean like telepathy?” asked Zan.

“No, not that,” said Liz. “I can’t talk to him or read his mind, but I’m so in tune with his emotions, that I can…damn, I can’t explain it,” Liz ended in frustration. “It’s like, I’m so in tune with him, and he is with me. I can almost, like, see through his eyes, or something.” She sighed with frustration. “I’m not explaining it right at all, but trust me when I say, Kyle knows where we are, and he and Ava will be here shortly.”

“Yeah, thanks so much for clearing that up for us,” Michael said, not unkindly. “But if you say they’re on their way and it’s good, then who am I to argue. Question is, what do we do in the mean time.”

“Actually, I have an idea,” Shandar volunteered. “I don’t know if it will work, or even if you want to do it, but it just might work.”

Liz looked over at their new friend. She was beautiful, but the excitement she was feeling at her plan heightened her beauty. She seemed to sparkle. It was almost if she was lit from inside, and the light was spilling out. Her glance shifted to Zan, and she struggled to smother a laugh. He was clearly besotted with Shandar. From what Liz could see, Shandar could suggest that they all walk naked out into the market place and surrender to the Gadori, and Zan would happily comply. In a way, it was almost like watching her and Max’s relationship. She’d have to remember to apologize to Maria for the gushiness later on.

“Hey, come on, snap out of it,” Zan said, waving his hand in front of Liz’s face. “Are you with us Liz?”

“Uh, oh, sorry,” Liz said, blushing a little. “I kind of got lost in thought there for a minute. What’s up? What’s the plan?”

“I was thinking about the Gadori, and their inability to adapt to rapidly changing weather,” Shandar said. “We can use that. I know we can.”

“It sounds good,” said Liz. “And God knows, we need something against them. We can barely tell who the enemy is anymore. But as advanced as Antarian technology is, I don’t think we can just go somewhere and whip up a weather machine.”

“Liz is right,” said Michael. “It’s a good plan, Shandar. It’s the best we have so far, but I don’t know how we could even begin to implement it. We can’t control the weather.”

Without warning, Liz stood and crossed the large room and peered out one of the grime-encrusted windows. She began to fidget with her hands, aimlessly twisting her wedding ring around on her finger. She turned back toward the others, started to speak, halted abruptly and turned back toward the window. Zan and Shandar stared at each other in confusion, but Michael walked over and joined Liz at the window.

“I know,” he said, softly. “I feel it too. I just don’t know what it is.”

“I’m not sure,” Liz said. “The connection isn’t as strong as with Kyle, but I think they’re in danger.” She held up a hand to forestall the questions she was certain were coming. “No, I don’t think any of them are – well, Max and Maria are alive, I know that for sure. I’m just not sure of anything else other than I’m feeling a lot of fear and tension.”

“What is it?” Zan asked. “Liz, Michael, please. Don’t keep it from us.”

“If we knew what it was, we’d tell you. I promise,” Liz said. “But that’s just it. I don’t know what it is, and I can’t tell you anything concrete.”

“Damn it, don’t give us concrete, just tell us what you’re feeling!” Zan shouted.

Liz’s complexion turned deathly white, and she began to sway on her feet. Without warning, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Michael knelt down beside her and gathered her in his arms as one would a small child and began to stroke her hair gently.

“It’s okay, Liz. It’s okay,” he whispered over and over.

“It is,” Liz said looking up, her face shining with an inner radiance that can only come from joy. “It is okay. They’re all okay, and they’re on their way to find us.”

well this sure took a heck of a lot longer to update than I had ever anticipated. Sorry everybody.

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Three – The End is Near

It was a somber group that joined Liz and the others at the abandon warehouse. To call the reunion bittersweet was something of an understatement. The loss of Sanctuary had discouraged them all, and for the first time ever, the group was at a loss as to how to proceed. The only truly joyful reunion was that of Zan and Shandar with their child, and everyone smiled to see the small family reunited.

Max took Zan and Michael aside and told them about Cal and the lengths he had gone to protect Valrik, and it gave Michael cause to look at his father in a new light. None of them had any great fondness for Cal, but they could see that he took at least this duty seriously.

“Where are Kyle and Ava?” Max asked, looking around.

Liz thought for a moment before replying. “They’re on the outskirts of the marketplace and should be here in about fifteen minutes.”

Max looked at Liz, askanced. Her answer was just a bit more specific than he had been expecting.

“Huh?” was his reply.

“Now I know why they didn’t make you the king,” joked Zan. “You really need to work on those speaking skills.”

Liz smiled and thought carefully, looking for a way to word her answer.

“The uh, connection between Kyle and I has deepened somewhat,” she said. “At times, I’m well, not able to read his mind, but I’m completely aware of where he is and what he’s doing. But,” she rushed to say, “He has to want me to know. Does that make any sense?”

“Yeah, it does, and I’m so not thrilled,” said Max. “Especially if the connection works both ways. You better learn to shut it off at certain times.”

The look Max gave Liz made his meaning very clear, and she felt a burst of heat rush through her body at the thought.

“It won’t be a problem,” she assured her husband, along with a meaningful glance of her own.

“Why aren’t they here, anyhow?” Max asked. “Are they out scouting for information.

“Um, apparently, Ava got more than a little tweaked at the newest development in Kyle’s power, and she stormed off,” said Michael, both amused and frustrated at his sister’s antics.

“Great,” said Max. “We really need to do some serious planning here, but I don’t want to start without everyone on board.

“Everyone is here,” said Kyle. “So just relax. Max, nice piece of work back in the chamber.”

“What? How do you know, you weren’t there?” He glared at Liz who had the decency to blush. “Are you telling me both of you can do this with all of us?”

“Uh, yeah, kind of,” Liz said.

“Man, we have got to find the off switch for this,” said Max.

“We’ve got to find an off switch later,” said Liz. “Right now, I think we all need to listen to Shandar. She’s been kind of off the charts all day, emotionally. First high, then lower than low.”

“Liz is right,” agreed Michael. “She’s so manic or something, even I can feel it.”

“You’re starting to feel things too?” groaned Max.

“So are you,” said Liz. “If you’d give yourself a chance to feel it. I think you just haven’t had time to really process it.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll deal with it later,” said Max. “Now, this thing with Shandar. If you guys think she has something to say, we’d better listen. Though I hate to pull her away from Valrik,” he added thoughtfully, observing the way she was hovering over the baby.

“Max, I think she can talk and hold the baby at the same time,” Liz said a bit bitterly. At times, it still stung her to observe Shandar with Zan’s child. A child that for all intents and purposes shared the same father as the child she lost.

Max looked at Liz, puzzled by her attitude, and decided there was no time like the present to see if he really did have access to Michael’s newfound abilities. He relaxed his mind and tried to focus strictly on Liz. The pain he felt was so unbearable, he almost doubled over from the force of it. Clearly this was something he and Liz were going to have to talk about. But this wasn’t the time. This was a time for strategizing. They needed to save their lives or there wouldn’t be anything to talk about.

Max and Zan conferred for several minutes, both of them looking at Shandar, nervously. It was clear to anybody that took the time to observe them that they were worried about putting Shandar in a responsible position. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust her. After spending so much time with her, Zan had come to the conclusion that he’d trust her with his life.

Shandar had such a low sense of self-worth, they were concerned that she would not tell them something because she was certain it wouldn’t be important.

“Maybe you should have a little faith in her,” said Kyle, interrupting the discussion between the two royals. “I think you’ll find what she has to say very important.”

“Can I just say, I’m so not liking this new ability,” said Max. “Stay out of my head Kyle.”

“Not a problem Max, it’s a pretty scary place, truth be told. Lots of nothing going on in there,” Kyle answered.

“Shut up, Kyle,” Max said. “Or I’ll demote you to Keeper of the Royal Garbage Dump, or something.”

“I’m afraid that would be impossible, my son,” said Drinian, joining the conversation. “For your esteemed wife gave me that very title when I first brought you back to Antar.”

“Oh my God,” gasped Kyle in mock horror. “They share one brain. That would explain so much. When Liz is busy being Liz, all smart and intelligent, Max gets to be like his is all the time – a total d’uh!”

“If you boys are done fooling around,” Drinian said with mock severity. “Perhaps you’d like to do some planning?”

“Don’t look at me, father,” said Zan. “I’ve been trying to get them to work, but no, with them, it’s all play, play, play.”

“Jerk,” said Max. “You’re just mad because you know Dad likes me better.”

Zan ignored Max and let out with a piercing whistle that captured everybody’s attention.

“It’s good that he has a marketable skill if the king thing doesn’t work out,” Kyle whispered to Ava. “We can market him as a cab calling system.

“Okay, everyone, our position is looking kind of bleak. Our home base was invaded, and we’re still not sure how, and it was completely destroyed. We’ve had some luck in identifying the Gadori, but it’s been strictly one by one. We can’t eradicate the enemy that way. We need something, anything that will somehow allow us to isolate and identify them in large groups.”

“And you have a plan?” Maria asked.

“No, I don’t,” said Zan. “But Shandar does. Shandar, can you tell everyone what you’ve been working on?”

Shandar’s skin flushed a delicate shade of red, and she swallowed convulsively. The look she shot Zan would have felled a lesser man, but Zan simply smiled back encouragingly. Shandar took a deep breath and began to address the royals.

“When I was being held by the Gadori, I learned that they have an aversion to extreme temperature fluctuations,” she began. “It seems that their bodies while able to change shape, are ill equipped to deal with rapid changes in temperature.”

She swallowed nervously, and her eyes searched everyone, hoping to see that anyone was interested in what she had to say.

“Go on, Shandar,” said Drinian, encouragingly.

Shandar smiled at Drinian, shocked by his unexpected encouragement, took a deep breath and continued.

“One of the things they feared most, was the Granolith,” she continued. “When it was down on Earth, they were relaxed, and did not feel the need to actively attack Antar. Their plan was to just infiltrate our cities until there was no place left for the Antarians. That changed when the Granolith was returned to Antar.”

“But why,” asked Kyle. “We know it’s pretty powerful, but it can’t control the weather. Can it?”

“It can,” said Shandar. “Or so the Gadori think.”

“None of know the full power of the Granolith,” said Drinian. “Do not forget, the Granolith isn’t a thing. It is a living, breathing entity, and we are privileged to live in symbiosis with it.”

“So that means…” Michael’s voice trailed off, asking the question they all wanted to ask.

“That means it can be done,” said Cal.

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Four –Homeward Bound

“Who’s going to go back?” Max asked.

“Who knows best how to activate and operate the Granolith?” asked Michael. “Zan obviously, but he can’t leave. Who else can control it? Well besides the obvious,” he added, looking at Drinian.

“Well, that’s the problem,” Drinian admitted. “It’s how you would say ‘A king thing.’ Meaning, only Zan, Max or myself can activate it.”

“I don’t know how to, and I’m afraid to do the Cliff Notes version,” said Max. “And Michael’s right, Zan can’t go. That leaves you, Father.”

“You know what, that makes sense,” Maria added. “All the parents can go back. That way, they can send the Granolith back, and let our parents know what’s going on, and that we’re okay.”

“I’m afraid I’m not following your logic, Maria,” Kitana said. “Why would that require all of us?”

“Simple,” said Maria, smiling smugly. “I know I wouldn’t go without Michael, and I’m fairly positive Drinian won’t go without you.”

“You are correct, Little General, but what about Cladar and Dijanya?” asked Drinian with a smile.

“Well, no offense to any of you, but Cal’s the one who’s spent the most amount of time on Earth. Drinian, I know you moved among the people a little bit, but not enough to get around. And now that Dijanya has Cal back, I can bet she’s not going anywhere without him.”

“Michael, your wife is wise beyond her years,” said Dijanya.

“”The only problem is I’m not going back there,” said Cal.

“You will if I order it,” Zan bristled. He was learning first hand why Max and the others had such a difficult time dealing with the arrogant Antarian.

“You will, because I’m going to ask you to take our son with you,” Shandar interjected. “Cal, I entrust my son’s safety to you. Take him back to his father’s home. I know that if we fail, you will raise him to be a good man. All of you will,” she added, her gaze encompassing the four adults.

Cal opened his mouth to speak but was unable to find the words. He had failed to protect the father, and he was being given the chance to redeem himself by protecting the son.

“So be it,” said Cal. “I’ll do it, but only if Dijanya agrees. I’ll not leave Antar again, unless she is by my side.”

“Of course Cladar. I will follow you anywhere,” she said, repeating the vow she made on their joining day.

The couple smiled at each other, and for a moment, the others ceased to exist. It was Michael who finally broke the reverie.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked Cal. “Over there.”

The two men walked away from the others, neither saying anything, and both wondering what the other was thinking.

“That was pretty decent of you,” Michael said, finally. “Agreeing to protect Valrik.”

“Aww, gee,” Cal said sarcastically. “I’m so glad you care.”

“Yeah, well don’t make me regret it,” said Michael. “Listen, Kyle’s dad comes out and checks the chamber on a daily basis when we’re up here, in case we need anything. After you send the Granolith back, just hang tight. He’ll be out at some point and can take all of you back to Roswell. You guys can stay with him, or Maria’s mom, or Max and Isabel’s family. If, if we don’t make it back,” Michael swallowed, clearly unhappy with that particular thought. “If we don’t make it back, Jim Valenti has power of attorney for me and Maria. We’ve got over a million dollars in various banks. Use the money to take care of you, Mother and Valrik.”

Cal laughed, not unkindly, for the unexpected gesture from Michael touched him more than he thought possible.

“Michael, don’t forget, down there, I’m a Hollywood producer. I have millions of dollars,” Cal said.

“Yeah, well, I was just trying to help,” said Michael. He should have known better than to make any overtures to Cal. Even though he expected to be shot down, Cal’s rebuff still stung.

“Besides,” Cal added, clapping Michael on the shoulder. “I fully expect you and Maria to make use of that money when you come back. I know I screwed up back on Earth, and I know I haven’t given you any reason to trust me or like me, but I do care Michael. I really do.”

“Yeah, well,” said Michael, floored by the unexpected display of emotion. “You just take care of mother and the baby, okay?”

Cal nodded, knowing it was too much to expect good wishes from Michael for himself. He turned and started to walk back to where the rest of the group was making plans

“And hey, Cal, take care of you, too, will ya? I’ve gotten kind of used to having you around.”

“You got it kid,” Cal said with a small smile.

** * ** * ** *

It seemed as if hundreds of plans were conceived and discarded in a short space of time. They had the element of surprise on their hands, knowing that the appearance of the Granolith would send the Gadori into a tailspin. There was just one small sticking point.

“We have to take the castle,” Michael said, flatly. “There are no two ways around it. While the Granolith can operate anywhere on Antar, historically, it’s power has always been strongest when at the palace.”

“Michael, how did you know that?” Drinian asked, while the others simply stared with open mouths.

“Well, I’ve kind of been accessing the collective consciousness,” he admitted.

“You have?” Maria asked incredulous.

None of them enjoyed the process, but Michael especially had avoided it. He hated any reminder of how his former self had let his best friends and his sister die at the hands of Kivar and his minions.

“Don’t look so surprised,” he said, brusquely. “I did what I had to do.”

“I know, Space Boy,” Maria said in an attempt to sooth him. “I just know you hate it. We allhate it,” she added.

“In any event, Michael is right,” Drinian said in an attempt to deflect questioning away from Michael. “The Granolith will operate at optimum performance if it resumes its rightful place atop the palace.”

“But how do we take the palace?” said Zan with a sigh.

“Why don’t we just walk right in?” asked Isabel.

“Yeah, Isabel, honey, I think that’s a bit ballsy, even for us,” Alex said.

“But it might not be,” said Kyle, getting excited as Isabel’s plan became clear in his mind. “Who’s to say we’re not Gadori impersonating us?”

“Right,” Liz added excitedly. “And if we meet up with any Gadori pretending to be us, Kyle and I will know it.”

“I think I can tell the difference too,” said Michael. “Max, what about you?”

“I don’t know,” he said, uncertainly. “I wouldn’t want to bank on my ability to tell the difference. “Not yet, anyhow.”

“Well I guess the balls have it,” quipped Kyle. “We actually have a working, feasible plan. Hell, that’s more than we usually have.”

“Right,” said Isabel. “Now let’s iron out the kinks and end this thing. I’m ready to go home.”

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Five – Granolith Returning

The small party arrived in the pod chamber accompanied by the wails of a crying Valrik. Kitana reached out and took the baby from Cal and propped him up on her shoulder. She bounced him gently, trying to soothe the crying child.

“Do you think the journey disturbed him?” she asked worriedly.

“No worries, wife,” Drinian said. “I’m sure the babe is fine. He’s probably hungry. If you look over there in those bags, I’m sure you’ll find something to feed him, even if it is only one of Kyle’s HoHo’s.”

While Drinian fiddled with the controls of the Granolith, Dijanya rummaged through the bags, looking for something for the baby. Cal, ever the warrior, stood guard over his sister-in-law and the baby, his back to the Granolith, facing the door, watching for approaching enemies. Dijanya smiled in relief when she found a bottle of water. She opened it and passed it to Kitana who dribbled a small stream of water into the baby’s mouth.

“You can stand down, my friend,” Drinian said with a chuckle. “Lest you kill the father of your son-in-law when he enters the chamber.”

“Thanks, my friend,” Cal said, dryly. “I do know what Sheriff Valenti looks like. Despite my son’s lack of belief, I did keep watch over them. I had the sheriff checked out, and found him to be a kind and just man. They did well in trusting him.”

“I need all of you,” said Drinian. “Could you please come and stand on the four sides of the control panel. On my signal, place your right hand on the panel, and the Granolith will return to Antar.”

“Do you really think this is a wise idea?” Kitana asked. “Sending the Granolith back right now?”

“What I think doesn’t matter,” Drinian said. “A decision was made by our king, and our children, and it is a decision I will honor. I have faith in them,” he added softly. “I’ve seen them work together before when our world was in danger. They will make this work.”

“Drinian is right,” Cal added, unexpectedly. “They’re cheeky, and irreverent, and resort to humor at the most inappropriate times, but for some reason, this works for them. Don’t worry, they’ll be okay.”

“They always are,” came a voice from behind them.

“Sheriff Valenti, it is good to see you,” said Drinian, smiling.

“And it’s good to see you, but I take it since you’re here, and the kids aren’t, things aren’t going well?” Jim asked, a worried expression crossing his face.

“I believe your son would make a reference to some movie right now and say ‘About the same as usual,’” Drinian responded.

“That kid watches too much T.V.,” Jim said with a smile. “Kitana, Dijanya, how are you?”

“We are fine, Sheriff,” Kitana answered. “It is good to see you.”

“Hey, I know you,” Jim said, looking at Cal. He stuck out his hand in a friendly gesture. “You’re Cal Langley, the producer. We’ve met several times when your production company has done some filming around here. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Jim, you should also know that Cal is Michael and Ava’s father,” Drinian said.

In one fluid move, Jim pulled his hand from Cal’s, balled his fist and sent it crashing into Cal’s stomach. Cal’s breath left him in a whoosh, and he doubled over, clutching his stomach. Jim prepared to hit him again, but Drinian stepped away from the Granolith and in between his two friends.

“Jim, you need to stop!” Drinian commanded.

“Look, pal. I like you and all that, but you sure as hell aren’t any king of mine. That bastard deserves to suffer for abandoning those kids.”

“Jim, stop,” Drinian said again. “It is a long story. You will be told all. Suffice to say, Michael and Ava are at peace with their father. They, as well as the others, know why Cladar kept his distance. I’m asking you as a friend to respect my wishes, and leave Cladar alone.”

Jim forced himself to contain his anger, but it was difficult. Knowing how both Michael and Ava grew up rankled him. And knowing that their salvation had been around all along and did nothing caused him nothing but fury.

“Fine,” he ground out. “But I’m telling you now, I’m not at all responsible for what happens when Amy finds out.”

“Amy?” Cal questioned, his breath still coming in short, sharp gasps.

“Maria’s mother,” Jim provided.

Cal groaned. “Maybe I’d be better off just staying here. Everyone in this town seems to have a predisposition to hitting me.”

“Staying, you’re staying here?” Jim asked.

“Yes, for now,” said Drinian. “If you can provide us with a safe haven. It is the wish of Zan and the others, that we remain here, and protect Valrik.”

“Valrik?” Jim questioned. He looked around the chamber for another person. His gaze stopped on the small bundle in Kitana’s arms. “Please tell me that isn’t what I think that is.”

“It is,” said Drinian. “Allow me the honor of presenting Valrik.”

Drinian pushed back the blanket and revealed the baby’s slumbering face.

“I don’t understand,” said Jim. “How did this happen?”

“Not in the usual way, I can tell you that,” Drinian said with a small grin. “We will tell you all, Jim Valenti, but first, we have an important matter to attend to.”

Drinian motioned to the others, and they resumed their places around the Granolith. He nodded, said something in Antarian, and they all placed their hand on the control panel. The Granolith hummed to life, filling the small chamber with lights and color. There was a loud humming sound, and a beam of light shot out from the Granolith, enveloping Valrik. In a matter of seconds, the beam dissipated, and the Granolith disappeared, leaving silence in its wake.

“What the hell just happened?” Jim asked, breaking the silence.

“We sent the Granolith back to Antar,” said Drinian.

“Yeah, that much I figured out on my own. I meant with the baby. What just happened?”

“I promise, we’ll explain everything, but first, may we impose upon your good nature and stay with you? We can’t keep the baby out here,” said Drinian.

“No, no, of course not,” Jim said, distractedly. His mined whirled with everything he had just seen and learned, the least of which being, one of his kids was now a parent. “Let’s see, I have the Blazer with me, so I can put one in the front. The baby’s going to be a problem because we don’t have a car seat, but I guess if we’re careful, and you don’t mind being squeezed in the back, we can all make it to my place without any problems.”

Jim exited the pod chamber first, and drove his Blazer as close to the entrance as he could. Drinian climbed into the passenger seat, and Cal, Kitana and Dijanya squeezed into the back seat. Cal held Valrik in his arms and used his powers to contain the child in a force field.

It only took several minutes to get to the Valenti household, but the ride seemed interminable. Jim pulled into the driveway and helped his passengers out and rushed them into the house as quickly as possible. Once he had them settled inside the house, he rummaged around for cold drinks and food. As soon as their appetites were satiated, Jim began questioning them.

“Who are Valrik’s parents?” he demanded.

“Jim, before we begin, Max specifically asked that we inform all their parents of what was happening. Don’t you think it would make more sense to tell everybody at once?” Drinian asked.

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re stalling for time,” Jim asked.

“I’m not,” said Drinian. “We will tell you everything. But please, can you invite the others to your home so we can do this all at once.”

“And that way, everyone can get their punches in all at once, too,” Cal said with a wry grin.

Jim shot him a dirty look, but nodded to Drinian. He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“Hi Amy, it’s me,” he said, still glaring at Cal. “Can you round up the Evans’, the Whitmans and the Parkers and have them all come out here please. It’s kind of urgent. Oh, and can you bring two sets of women’s clothing, a infant car seat, some diapers, baby bottles and some baby food.”

He listened for a few minutes, holding the phone away from his ear as the voice on the other end grew louder and louder. After several failed attempts, he managed to talk over Amy’s still ranting voice.

“Okay, great. We’ll see you in an hour.”

He hung up the phone and turned to the others.

“This is going to be very interesting.

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Six – Welcome to Earth – Maybe

It didn’t take long for the other adults to arrive at the Valenti home, but to those waiting, it seemed like forever. Three cars came careening up the short driveway, barely missing each other and Jim’s Blazer. Each one of the adults carried something in their arms, from bags of groceries - and diapers, Jim hoped, to baby furniture. He opened the door and rushed them into the house, quickly closing the door behind him.

“Jim, what is it?” Amy asked. “Why all the secrecy?”

“And why the baby clothes?” Diane asked, dropping several packages of disposable diapers in the cluttered hallway.

“Yeah, well, about that,” Jim said, as a small steady wail came from the living room.

“Jim, what’s going on here?” Amy said.

“Look, Amy, Diane, everyone, there isn’t any easy way to tell any of you this. Maybe you’d better just come in and see for yourselves,” Jim said helplessly. The look on his face clearly indicated that he’d rather be any place but here, but here is where he was, and he had no choice but to play the hand the fates hat dealt him. He stepped aside to allow the others to enter the small living room.

“Jim, isn’t that?” Amy began then stopped, not wanting to offend anybody.

“Greetings,” Drinian said. “And yes, I am Drinian, and this is my beloved wife Kitana.” He smiled at everyone, but held out his hand unerringly to Philip Evans. “And you are the people to whom we owe such an incredible debt of gratitude. Thank you so much. Max, and Isabel are fine people, and I know that is because of you.”

“Oh,” Diane said softly, her hand rising up to cover her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked upon the two people who had given life to her precious children, not once, but twice. “Oh.”

“Please,” said Kitana, reaching out to touch Diane on the arm. “You mustn’t look so afraid. “We are not here to replace you in their lives. You, are their parents. You are the ones who took in our poor lost children and protected them and loved them. We owe you a debt of thanks that can never be repaid.”

“Okay, I’m sorry to interrupt this Hallmark moment,” said Amy. “But I’m confused. We know who you are,” she pointed to Drinian and Kitana. “And you are obviously, Dijanya, Michael and Ava’s mother. But aren’t you Cal Langley, the big producer?”

“Is that Maria’s mother?” Cal asked.

Jim nodded and Cal took several steps back and handed the baby to Dijanya before answering.

“Yes, on Earth, I’m known as Cal Langley, but I’m also Michael and Ava’s father,” he said, steeling himself for the physical onslaught he was certain was coming. Instead of fists, he was on the receiving end of a glance that would have decimated him, if the old adage about looks killing was true. Amy’s glare made him feel as about appealing as something scraped from the bottom of a shoe. He shrugged slightly and stepped back to claim the baby from Dijanya.

“Not that it’s not nice to finally meet you,” Nancy Parker said. “But why are you here, and where are our children?”

“And whose baby is that?” added Charles Whitman, Alex’s father. “Please tell me that none of us are grandparents all of a sudden.”

“Well, that’s a matter of perspective,” said Drinian. “Perhaps we should all sit down and talk about this.

“No, perhaps you should tell all of us whose baby that is before we all suffer from a collective nervous breakdown,” said Philip Evans.

“This is Valrik, and he is Zan’s child,” said Drinian. “I know that he was never officially a part of your family,” he added, looking over to Philip and Diane Evans. “But I also know from everything Max and Isabel have said that it wasn’t for lack of trying on your part. So if you want to look at it from that perspective…”

“Forget perspective,” said Diane. “Let me see that cute little baby.”

She reached over to take the child from Cal, but he was unwilling to release the child. Reluctantly, and only after Drinian glared at him, did he surrender the child to Diane.

“Zan charged me to watch over the child,” he said.

“Oh, that’s rich,” said Amy, who had been strangely silent until now. “I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you were one of the protectors that were supposed to keep those poor kids safe. Well you sure made a mess of that, didn’t you? Max and Isabel were lucky. Philip and Diane found them and took them in and loved them. But what about poor Michael; he was stuck in the foster system. Did you know that? And what about Ava? She lived in a sewer. Did you care about them at all, or were you too concerned with living your fancy Hollywood style life?”

“ENOUGH!” Cal roared, startling the child in his arms. “I have had it up to here with everybody criticizing me for what I did while I was stuck on this rat infested hell hole. None of you, and I mean none of you have the slightest idea of what I went through. I was captured. I was tortured. I risked my life to escape to protect those pods. I watched over them for years, never knowing what was happening back on my own world. As far as I knew, everybody I loved was dead. Those kids were all I had. How do you think I felt when it looked like they had turned their back on me after they emerged? For years I tried to contact them to no avail. They ignored every message I sent. How was I to know they couldn’t read Antarian? They were supposed to be able to read, write and speak Antarian when they emerged. I kept leaving them messages, but they couldn’t read them. That was my fault?”

Cal paused to both capture his breath and soothe the crying Valrik. Amy started to say something, but Cal held up his hand to forestall her and continued his diatribe.

“I did my best watch over them,” he said. “And yes, it sucked royally that Michael was picked up by Social Services, but if I had stepped in and taken him away, he would have been separated from Max and Isabel. Or, I could have come in and taken them too. Would you have liked that?” he asked, looking over at the Evans’ “At least this way they were in the same town, and they had each other. I did step in and eliminate that bastard when Michael was old enough to look out for himself. I tried to let him know that I was here if he needed or wanted help from me, but again, I was too late. Yes, it was all my fault. Is that what you wanted to hear. Well, fine. Blame it all on me. I really don’t give a fuck anymore.”

Cal felt his temper rising to the boiling point. He paused in his rant long enough to hand Valrik to Dijanya before he continued.

“I have been hit by Michael, Max, Kyle, and even Maria. But I will be damned if I’m going to stand here and let any more of you heap abuse on me when you don’t have the slightest idea what really happened. Is that perfectly clear?”

A thick silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of Cal’s breath as he struggled to calm himself down. He was angry, far angrier than he had been in a long time, and he knew when he was that angry, he often lost control of his powers. The others looked at one another, uncertain of what to say until Amy Deluca bravely broke the silence.

“Yeah, I see that temper is definitely a family thing.”

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Seven – Critical Situation

“You guys ready?” Max asked.

“As we’ll ever be,” Michael answered. “Let’s just get this over with.” He looked at the palace looming in front of them. “I so don’t want to go in there. No offense, Isabel, but as far as plans go, the just walking in - not the best plan we’ve ever come up with.”

“Yeah, well, Michael, I didn’t see you coming up with anything better,” Isabel said, her voice trembling.

“All of you, just cool it,” said Kyle. “Number one, it’s getting us nowhere, and number two, it’s giving Liz and I headaches. Michael, chill. It’s a good plan, and it’s going to work.”

“How do you know?” Michael asked. “Unless, did you develop a new ESP type power?” he added hopefully.

“No, I did not develop an ESP type power, though how cool would that be. We could like, get the lottery numbers and everything like that. We’d be rich.”

“Kyle, you need to focus,” Ava said, laughing at her exuberant husband. “We already are rich, well, rich enough, and we don’t need to win the lottery. What we do need to do is get in there.”

“Fine then, let’s do it,” Kyle said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

He reminded Liz of a player seconds before the big game full of nervous energy. She looked around at her friends and saw similar looks on all their faces, mixed with fear and determination. She couldn’t shake the sense of foreboding that something bad was going to happen. Tamping down the fear, she presented the others with a bright, albeit false smile.

“Kyle’s right, let’s do it,” she said. “Though I have to confess, I feel really weird walking in not in disguise. So much of our time here was spent not as us, you know?”

“Don’t worry, Liz,” Max said. “I’ll be right beside you. We’ll finish this, and go back home and live our lives.”

“I love you,” Liz said, leaning against her husband, trying to absorb some of his strength.

“Yeah, yeah, you love each other, we get it,” said Alex. “I love Isabel, she loves me. Kyle loves Ava and she loves him. Maria loves Michael, though I still don’t get why and Michael loves Maria, and we all love each other. Now can we get on with it?”

“What do you mean, you don’t know why she loves me?” Michael demanded. “It’s my open and caring nature!”

“Puhleeze, Space Boy,” said Maria. She rolled her eyes, but also reached out and squeezed his hand gently.

“Yeah, I thought she said it was the size of his,”

“AVA!” Maria shouted. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“This is where Father would say we’re being inappropriately humorous again,” said Isabel, “And I suppose he’s right, but honestly, I feel much better now.”

The ten friends exchanged hugs, and quickly changed their appearance to walk through the capital city. They didn’t want to draw any undue attention to themselves before they reached the palace. They walked in pairs, nobody saying much; just enjoying what could be their last time together.

Zan grabbed Shandar’s arm and held her back. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asked.

“What’s wrong, Zan?” Shandar asked. “Are you worried?”

“Well, yeah, but it’s not that. Well, it is that, but – I’m not making much sense, am I?”

“Not really,” Shandar admitted. “Would you rather I not be involved in this? Are you still worried about my loyalties?”

The look of astonishment on Zan’s face was genuine. He could no more imagine Shandar being a traitor than he could Max. He stopped and took her hand in his.

“No, not that, never that, Shandar. You’re one of us. I know it; we all know it. We believe in you. I only wish you believed in your self half as much. In a way, I guess you’re right; I don’t want you involved in this, but only because I’m afraid for you. I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’re – well you’re too important to me,” he said in a rush.

Shandar’s face flushed a delicate pink, and she stared down at the ground. Zan reached out and placed one hand under her chin and gently lifted her face back up. He stared down into her green eyes and found himself drowning in their depths. Without thought or planning, he kissed her, gently at first, and then deeper, with a growing passion.

Her lips parted under the pressure of his lips, and his tongue slipped gently into her mouth. His hand moved from under her chin to the side of her face, and he gently caressed her cheek as he enjoyed the unique taste of her. He sighed deep within his throat when her arms found their way around his waist. He pulled her closer, enjoying the feeling of her in his arms. He could have stood their forever, and would have had he not felt an annoying slap on his arm. Reluctantly, he lifted his face from Shandar’s and saw Kyle’s annoying smirk staring at him.

“Having fun?” he asked.

“We were,” Zan said, glaring at his friend.

“Well, we were just wondering if you were planning on joining us any time soon? Cause if not, you need to get a room. But I’m thinking you should reconsider, and save yourself for marriage. Don’t you want to be able to tell Valrik that mommy and daddy didn’t do the nasty until after they were married?”

“Jackass,” Zan said, slapping Kyle lightly on the shoulder.

“Yeah, I am, but you love me anyhow,” quipped Kyle. “Anyhow, we’re just outside the city proper, and your generals are in disagreement about the best way to proceed. Personally, I think we should let them duke it out. Maria can so take Michael, but Ava doesn’t want to see her brother get hurt.”

“I swear, I’m going to step down from my throne – once we get it back,” said Zan. “We’ll be right with you.”

“No problem, I’ll wait,” Kyle said, a mischievous grin on his face.

“Ass, get out of here,” said Zan.

Kyle jogged up to where the others were waiting and Zan turned reluctantly to Shandar.

“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to return to Earth?” Zan asked.

“I’m sure,” Shandar said. “I’ll make my stand with you, and live or die, I know I’ve made the right choice.”

They quickly joined the others, and after a quick final hug, the ten friends made their way into the city. An almost eerie feeling hung in the air. People made their way about their business, but something wasn’t right. It was intangible, none of them could put their finger on it, but something just didn’t feel right.

They made their way to the marketplace, smiling at the people they passed, but for some reason, reluctant to engage any of them in conversation. Liz dropped back from Max and whispered something to Kyle, and he nodded his head in agreement. Liz made her way back up to Max and whispered to him and pointed to a secluded alley. When they were certain nobody was watching, they ducked down the alley and waited.

“I suppose you’re all wondering why I called you here?” Kyle joked. “But I suppose now isn’t the time or the place for levity.”

“What is it Kyle, why are we here, and not walking into there?” Maria asked, looking toward the palace.

“Uh, mostly because every person we’ve passed on the street is Gadori, and not Antarian. I don’t think there are any Antarians left on Antar,” Kyle said, sadly.

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Eight – The Long Journey Home

The trip to the palace was uneventful. Here and there, they would pass a person who wasn’t Gadori, but for the most part, every single person they came in contact with wasn’t Antarian. A deep sadness filled the group as they realized that there was a good chance that everyone they had come to know and love on Antar was dead.

By unspoken agreement, they made a detour to the marketplace and to the small restaurant they used to frequent when they first came to Antar. Liz and Kyle looked closely at the patrons, hoping against hope to find someone they knew, but all of the patrons were Gadori masquerading as Antarians.

“Let’s get out of here,” Zan said. “We’re too late. There’s nobody left.” He shook his head and looked around. “I failed them all.”

“Don’t say that,” said Shandar before anybody else could say anything. “How can you think that you failed? The Gadori have been planning this for centuries. Nobody had an inkling of what they planned, and that includes your father. Why do you think you who took the throne less than a year ago should be any different?”

Zan smiled at her words, but it didn’t reach his eyes. What she said made sense, but logic didn’t mean much when it came to matters of the heart, and how he felt about Antar was definitely a matter of the heart.

Max touched his brother gently on the shoulder. “Come on,” he said. “There isn’t anything we can do here.”

They filed out of the restaurant and stood in the market place feeling lost. Kyle suggested they take one last look at their secret room deep within the bowels of the Training Academy. He didn’t say it out loud, but each of them knew it was a last chance to say goodbye to a place that meant everything to them.

Michael led the way to the hidden entrance and they swiftly made their way through the network of tunnels until they stood before the door to their Antarian Eraser Room. Each one of them smiled at the faded sign that hung above the doorway and remembered with happiness the day Ava and Alex had plotted to hang the sign there.

“Wait a second,” Maria said, slowly. “We took that down, remember. We didn’t want to leave any trace of ourselves here.”

“That’s right,” said Michael. “Which means…” He kicked the door open ready to blast anyone or anything in front of him. He prepared to fire a blast of energy at the 20 or so people he found hiding within, when Liz’s voice stopped him.

“Michael, wait!” Liz shouted behind him. “They’re Antarian!”

“Are you sure?” Michael answered, not lowering his hand.

“Since they haven’t killed you yet, Michael, I’d say she’s sure,” Maria said. She pushed past him and entered the room and looked down at the people huddled on the floor.

“Who are you?” she asked, gently. “Don’t worry, we’re not here to hurt you.”

“Please,” a young woman said. “My name is Na’dria, my brother Quor`toth told us that if things got too dangerous, to hide here. He said if you found us, you’d keep us safe.”

“Well, he wasn’t wrong about that,” Alex said, softly. “The question is, how exactly do we do that?”

“Na’dria, who are these people and what happened?” Zan asked, assuming the mantle of command.

“These are some of my friends and neighbors,” the Antarian woman said. “We were having a small party at our home when several people, Quor`toth included came in. I knew this wasn’t possible because he was still back on your planet. Several of the men began fighting, to give us time to escape. We came here and hid.”

“That does not sound promising,” Isabel said. “But we can’t leave them here. What are we going to do with them?”

“Um, I have an idea,” Kyle said. “Why not use our belts and take them back home?”

“We can’t leave 20 Antarians to fend for themselves,” said Maria. “They’d be lost. Besides, we only have what, 9 belts.”

“Again with the idea,” said Kyle. “I’ll take a group of them back, call my Dad to come get them, and come back here with the belts and take back the other bunch.”

“Great, except for how exactly do you plan on calling your father?” Michael asked. “I don’t think the phone company has installed a phone in the pod chamber since we left.”

Kyle didn’t say anything. Instead, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a cell phone and dangled it in front of Michael’s face.

“ET, phone home,” he said. “I didn’t think much about having it with me because I sure don’t have a cell signal out there, but I do at the pod chamber.”

“Kyle, I could kiss you, except for, well, the ick factor,” said Zan. “That is fantastic!” He turned to the Antarians who watched the exchange with interest. “Would you be willing to return to our planet? It’s the best protection we can offer you for right now.”

Na’dria and her friends spoke softly for a few minutes before quickly agreeing to take their chances on Earth. Each member of the pod squad removed their belts and fastened them around the waist of an Antarian.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a bit,” Kyle said. “Do not, I repeat, do NOT leave this room until I get back. And if anything happens to Ava while I’m gone, there isn’t a safe place in the universe you can hide,” he added, looking at Michael, Max, Zan and Alex. “Do we understand each other?”

Ava’s goodbye to Kyle was brief. She had no doubt her husband would return to her and quickly. She smiled at him has he double checked the belts of everyone he was transporting. Liz stepped over and took her hand and held it tight as the first group flashed out of sight. In what seemed like hours, but was in actuality only minutes, Kyle reappeared before them carrying a load of belts in his hands.

“We had some extra’s stored in the pod chamber in case of emergencies,” he said. “Hurry everyone and get these on. I left the others waiting for us. I’ll call my dad as soon as we get back down there, and then I’ll be right back.”

“Kyle,” Max said, while helping the remaining Antarians fasten their belts. “Bring the extra belts back with you. We may find others who need our help.”

“You got it,” Kyle said, giving Max a mock salute just before he vanished from sight for a second time.

** * ** * ** *

“Okay, everybody accounted for?” Kyle asked when he reappeared in the pod chamber. He pulled out his cell and rapidly punched in his father’s number. He explained, briefly what was going on and expressed the need for transportation for twenty Antarians.

“No, Dad, I won’t be here when you arrive. I have to get back up there. Yes, I know it’s dangerous, and no, I don’t have a choice. That’s right, we’re stronger together than we are apart, that’s right,” Kyle said, patiently. He understood his father’s fears, but he didn’t have time to deal with his fears. “Don’t worry, Dad, we’ll be back, I promise,” Kyle said, sounding far more confident than he felt. “And Dad, I love you.”

Kyle smiled reassuringly at the Antarians and explained that his father and some friends would be there soon to bring them some place more comfortable. With one last reassuring look, he activated has transporter belt and disappeared from sight.

** * ** *

Everyone sighed with relief when Kyle reappeared before them, his arms full of transporter belts. Each one of them reclaimed their own belt, as well as one of the extras Kyle had brought back with them. They took one final look around the room that had provided them with so much and headed back out into the tunnels.

Once they were back free of the tunnels, they walked to the entrance of the palace, noting with relief the Granolith sitting in its traditional resting place. On Zan’s signal, they passed through the gates and entered the palace unmolested. They walked past countless Gadori who were busy stripping the palace of any and all remnants of the royal family. It was a disturbing site, but one that they didn’t allow to bother them. They followed single file behind Zan to the room adjacent to the Granolith. Once inside, Zan used his powers to seal the door.

“Is everybody ready?” he asked.

“Let’s do it,” said Max.

Zan stepped out to the Granolith, motioning to the others to follow him. Without prompting, they assumed their foursquare pattern around the control panel – Liz bringing Shandar to stand with her and Max. Zan activated the Granolith and moved into position next to Max, Liz and Shandar while they waited to see if their plan would work.

It didn’t take long before the weather outside began to change. The sky darkened dramatically, and the wind began to whip. The temperature began to drop rapidly, and snow fell from the gathering clouds. As quickly as it began, the snow ended, and the double suns reemerged, their heating rays beating down over the land. Screams of pain could be heard all over the city as the Gadori’s bodies began to disintegrate.

There was a flash of light from the Granolith. Beams of light shot out from it, encompassing the group as it had so many times before, but this time, it was different. Liz began to float off of the ground, moving closer to the Granolith. The beams of light seemed to fill her very being. Her eyes, which had been closed, snapped open and seemed to glow with a silver light. She entered the Granolith and looked down on her friends.

“Your attempt will not be successful,” she said. “It is time for Antar to cease. The Gadori have been eradicated, but at great expense. This planet, like the Gadori could not stand the stress of the rapid weather changes. Gather those who remain and flee. Your time is short. Flee before it is too late.”

Without warning, the lights disappeared and Liz fell to the ground and lay motionless within the Granolith.

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Fifty-Nine

“Liz!” Max shouted. He rushed to the Granolith and pulled her out, cradling her unconscious body in his arms. He brushed her hair back from her face and looked at her closely, checking for signs of injury.

“Max?” Maria asked, her voice trembling with fear. “Is she…”

“No,” he whispered gratefully. “She’s just,”

“She’s unconscious, but she’s okay,” Kyle said, stepping closer. “I can feel her.”

“Look, she’s starting to wake up,” Ava said.

The all looked down, and sure enough, Liz showed signs of regaining consciousness. Her eyes flickered several times before opening, and she looked around the room, with a dazed expression.

“Anybody mind telling me what the hell just happened?” she asked.

“Well, from where I stood, you just did a Vulcan mind meld with the Granolith,” Alex said.

“Oh, yeah,” Liz said, trying to recall what happened. “I guess that’s a fairly accurate description. The Granolith wants us to know that what we tried did eliminate the Gadori, but it didn’t matter. Antar’s geological structure couldn’t handle the rapid changes. We don’t have long, we need to find the surviving Antarians and try to evacuate the planet.”

“Damn it,” said Zan. “This planet is huge, and there are cities all over it. We’ll never be able to find them all.”

“Yeah, we will,” Liz said, her voice bleak. “There are less than a hundred Antarians left,” said Liz. “The Granolith is able to sense it, and it also has a way of warning people. They’re on their way to the palace right now.”

“A hundred people?” Zan asked in horror. “Everyone else is dead? Oh my God, what have I done?”

“Actually she said less than a hundred,” Michael said, quickly followed by an oof and an ouch when Maria elbowed him in the stomach.

“You’ve done nothing, Zan, except try to save your people and your home,” Shandar said, her tone vehement. “You didn’t know none of us knew what the end result would be. What we need to focus on now, is finding the survivors and getting them out of here.”

Shandar’s message shook Zan from his reverie, and he struggled to organize his thoughts. “Okay, we need to find the people, no, wait, Liz said the Granolith directed them to come to the palace. How?” he added, shooting Liz a puzzled glance.

“Don’t ask me,” she said. “I’m just the messenger.”

“The Granolith is the prime essence of the collective consciousness,” said Michael. “It has the power to tap into the conscious of each and every Antarian. Normally it won’t because it considers such a process to be invasive and takes away free will. I’m guessing that in this case, however, it decided that in order to save what’s left of Antar, it would be worth it to kind of squish free will and get everybody to come to the palace.”

A shocked silence filled the room at the conclusion of Michael’s speech.

“It looks like Michael,” Isabel said. “The voice even sounds like Michael, but what’s coming out of the mouth – well, that’s just not Michael.”

“Shut up, Isabel. I told you – I’ve been accessing the collective consciousness,” Michael said. “And, I’ve learned a lot,” he added, defensively. “You know, I’m getting kind of sick of you guys thinking I’m not smart. I am smart,” Michael added, defensively.

“We know, Space Boy, we know,” said Maria, patting his shoulder. “Its just that you show that side of your self so little, that we tend to forget. Now, since you seem to be the one in the know, what do we do now, Michael?”

“Now, we get our asses outside, and try and find those hundred or so people,” said Michael.

“Now that’s strange,” Isabel whispered to Ava. “Isn’t it supposed to be ‘What do we do now, Max?’” Both girls burst into giggles despite the seriousness of the situation and followed the others down the stairs leading to the central hall of the palace.

As they left the palace, Maria pulled Liz aside. Are you okay, chica, I was really worried about you, seeing you floating around in the Granolith.”

“Well, it wasn’t a Disney ride, but it didn’t hurt,” Liz said. “It was almost like I was above myself, watching it all happen.”

“Oh wow, you mean like you had an out of body experience?” Maria asked excitedly. “You astrally projected? How cool. Did you see the silver cord leading from you spirit back to your body?”

“Maria, you should probably breath now,” Liz suggested. “And no, I didn’t see a cord, but it was kind of like that time I warned Max when he was in New York with Tess.”

“Man, you get all the good powers,” Maria grumbled, good-naturedly.

“Yeah, but you get to be a general, so it’s all good in the ….” Her voice trailed off as they reached the courtyard and found it filled with confused Antarians.

Zan jumped up on a low roof of a guard building and addressed his people for what was possibly the last time.

“People of Antar,” he called. “I have terrible news. This planet is no longer stable and it is not safe for us to remain. Unbeknownst to us, the Gadori have been infiltrating our ranks for years. Their goal has been the complete takeover of Antar. For years, the moved slowly, working with Kivar to take the place of Antarian citizens. It wasn’t until the Granolith returned that they began to fear their plans would fail.”

The people in the courtyard began to grumble and Zan paused and gave them time to digest this information. After several minutes had passed, he continued his speech.

“You are all that are left of Antar, my friends. We can take you to safety on the very planet that sheltered myself, and the rest of the royals, for so long. To stay here is to cause you certain death. We will not force anyone to leave, but again, to stay is to die. If you wish to return with us, I ask you to please come stand beside King Max, and Queen Liz.”

The people talked quietly among themselves for several minutes before they all moved to stand by Liz and Max. Zan heaved a sigh of relief, he said he wouldn’t force them to leave, but when it came right down to it, he knew he couldn’t leave anybody behind.

Michael and Max began fitting belts on the citizens, taking the youngest children first. Zan waited until the last possible second and slipped his belt on Shandar. He nodded to Michael who was making the trip back to Earth with the first group. He activated the belt and stepped aside and watched as Shandar vanished, along with the other Antarians, from sight.

“She is going to be so pissed at you,” Max said.

“Yeah, I know,” Zan said with a sigh. “But what could I do, Max. Valrik’s down there, and on the off chance something goes wrong up here, he should have at least one parent around.”

“No arguments here,” Max said, “however, there are four women over there who are plenty pissed with you.”

Zan looked over and saw that Max was right. Liz, Ava, Maria and Isabel were staring at him, and if an Antarians power were based in his eyes, he would surely be dead right now. A fact that was confirmed when the air around them shimmered briefly and Michael and Shandar appeared before them. She said nothing to Zan, and instead, slapped across the face and went to stand with Liz and the others.

“Yeah, that worked real well,” Michael said. “Luckily for me, I was able to convince her I was just following the orders of my King.”

“Yeah, lucky for you, Shandar doesn’t know you very well, or she would never have bought that,” Alex said moving to stand next to Michael as the ground beneath their feet began to rumble ominously.

“Not wanting to be the serious one here,” Kyle said. “But I don’t think we have a lot of time. We still have people to get out, and then, since I don’t plan on dying any time soon, WE need to get the hell out. Michael, what’s happening back home?”

“Man, your dad is the bomb,” said Michael. “He and Max’s dad have two freaking school buses waiting to bring people back. And Liz’s folks opened up the CrashDown to feed everybody. And Maria’s mom, God, I see where Maria gets it from. Apparently, she and Cal bought that empty office building next to the CrashDown and turned it into refugee central. The rest of the parents are buying sleeping bags and clothes and stuff for people. It’s amazing.”

“Well, it’s all going to be for nothing if we don’t get moving,” said Liz, who had come to join them. “Look.”

The others followed the track of her arm that pointed to the double suns of Antar that usually moved in unison across the heavens. Instead of sweeping across the sky, the two suns split now pulled away from each other and moved in opposite directions, signaling what could only be the end of Antar.

The Enemy Unknown The Enemy Unseen

Chapter Sixty

The land beneath their feet rumbled ominously, and a scream from the remaining crowd ripped through the air. Max looked into the crowd and his face paled when he saw the chasm that had opened in the courtyard of the palace.

“Zan, how many people are left?” he asked.

Zan did a rapid head count and related the depressing number to Max. There were still well over fifty people, not including themselves to be returned to Earth, and time was running out.

“We have to get them out of here, Maxwell,” Michael said.

“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know,” said Max. He heaved a sigh of relief when Alex and Isabel materialized in front of them after their trip to Earth with the last group of Antarians. They had decided to go in rotating teams of two so that none of them would become over tired from making repeat trips to Earth and back.

“Who’s next?” Alex asked, fumbling with the release mechanism on his belt.

“Kyle and Ava,” said Michael, taking the remaining belts from Isabel and fastening them on the next group of Antarians. “But where the hell are they?”

“Right here,” said Kyle running up to join them. He dropped a large bag on the ground at Max’s feet, revealing another cache of transporter belts.

“Where the hell did those come from?” Michael asked.

“The belt fairy,” said Kyle. “Where the hell do you think they came from? I went back to the Training Academy and found some more that Alex had been working on. He hid them before we did our big battle thing.”

“And promptly forgot about them,” Alex groaned. “How could I be so stupid?”

“Alex, you’re not stupid,” said Max. “You’ve had a lot on your mind. We all have. What matters is that we have them now. Uh, they do all work, don’t they?”

“Yeah, they do,” Alex said. “And there should be about twenty five of them, right?”

“Yep,” said Kyle. “So let’s get moving.”

Ava reached out and grabbed a handful of the belts and began to fasten them on the remaining children. By unspoken consent, the rest followed suit until all the children and the few remaining elderly people were all belted. Kyle and Ava fastened their belts while Zan counted down. When he reached the end, the group activated their belts and vanished from sight.

It was a much smaller group that remained in the courtyard to watch as the two suns drifted farther apart. The ground rumbled ominously, and in the distance, they watched as buildings in the central market area crumbled to the ground.

Several people in the crowd began to cry as they watched the plumes of dust shoot up into the sky.

“People of Antar, don’t despair!” Zan called out. “You will soon be safe. I know it’s hard leaving everything you have known, but our people have done this before to survive, and we will do it again.”

“What is Earth like?” one young man called out.

Zan smiled and looked at his friends. “Earth is a wonderful place,” he said. “How could it not be, Alex, Kyle, Maria and Liz all come from Earth and they are wonderful people.”

Liz looked at Zan, the doppelganger of her husband and smiled.

“Earth is like Antar,” she said. “There are good people and there are bad. There is much to like about our world, and we will work with you to help you survive.”

“That’s right,” Michael added. “Just remember these two words, and you’ll be fine.”

“What two words?” the same person from the crowd called out.

“Tabasco Sauce!” Michael said amid the laughter of his friends.

And it was to laughter that Kyle and Ava returned to Antar with the remainder of the transporter belts. They made short work of strapping the belts on those who remained. Zan took one last look around to make certain there were no stragglers before giving the signal to all of them to press the transport button on the belts.

Just as the Antarians faded from sight, another tremor shook the ground. There was a sharp crack, almost like an explosion, and the palace slowly imploded upon itself. When the dust cleared, it was to reveal nine people still remaining. Zan laughed at the site of his family and friends, all standing there with the same sheepish look on their faces as he was sure was on his.

“I just wanted a chance to say goodbye,” he explained to the others.

“I think we all did,” said Zan. “I’m sad to see it end. This is the first place I ever felt like I belonged.”

“You belong with us, Zan,” Ava said, moving in to hug her oldest friend. “All of us – we belong together.”

“You’re right,” he admitted. “I just hate saying goodbye.”

“You’re not saying goodbye,” said Max. “There are people on Earth who need you, and are going to look to you for guidance. And more importantly, there is a woman over there, who if I’m not mistaken, has fallen in love with you, and a child who needs his father.”

“Max and Ava are right,” said Isabel. “You’re still the king, Zan, and you still have people to lead. They’re waiting for you.”

“Uh, look, as touching as this is,” said Kyle. “I think we need to get the hell out of here.” He pointed to the sky. The double suns, which had earlier started to drift apart, now moved toward each other at an alarming rate.

“On three!” Zan shouted. “One, two, three!”

On his signal, they activated their belts and left Antar for what would be the last time. As they disappeared from sight, the two suns collided in a violent explosion, and Antar was no more.
** * ** * **
Their arrival in the Granolith chamber was met with cheers by the remaining Antarians, and Kyle’s father. Sheriff Valenti pushed through the crowd to hug each one of them in turn, almost as if to reassure himself that they had survived.

“I can’t tell you how good it is to have you standing here in front of me,” he said, giving Kyle and Ava and extra hug. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks, Jim,” Zan said, still saddened by the loss of the world he had come to call home. “Thank you for everything you did. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you did for these people.”

“It was nothing,” said Jim. “And it wasn’t just me, we all did our part. The last bus should be back in a few minutes, and we’ll get you back to town.”

“How is everybody settling in?” Max asked.

“You’d be amazed,” said Jim. “Amy, and Cal bought the building next to the CrashDown, and moved everybody into it. It’s not exactly set up for living, but we’re making do. I can’t believe how quickly Cal was able to get his hands on the amount of money needed to buy the building so quickly, but he did. Nancy and Jeff have been cooking up a storm, and Diane, and Alex’s folks have been taking people out in groups of two and three to get them outfitted for clothing.”

“God, this is going to get so expensive,” Michael said. “Looks like it’s time for another trip to Vegas,” he added, half joking.

“None of your money has been touched,” said Jim. “Cal’s paying for everything. And it seems as though he knows some pretty unsavory type people who can help us come up with identities for the people you brought back.”

“Wow, that’s pretty incredible,” Max said. “Man, maybe we should have let all of you handle all our problems.”

“Maybe you should have,” said Philip Evans, who had returned with the empty bus to the pod chamber. “But we still understand why you didn’t.”

Max reached out and hugged his father, and reveled in the knowledge that no matter what, his parents would always love him. Philip released Max and hugged his daughter just as tightly. When he released Isabel, he stepped forward and hugged Liz, Alex, Michael, Maria, Kyle and Ava. From there, he walked over to where Zan stood, self consciously trying not to watch the loving reunion.

“Welcome home, son,” Philip said, simply. He pulled Zan into his arms and hugged him tightly.

Zan felt himself tense up reflexively at first, but he forced himself to relax. It meant more than he could ever say to have the man that raised Max accept him so unhesitatingly.

“And you must be Shandar,” Philip said, opening his arms to the Antarian woman. “I have something here that belongs to you.”

Philip looked behind him and nodded, and someone passed an infant carrier forward. “You have a beautiful little boy,” he said, passing the carrier to Shandar. “But he missed his Mom and Dad. Zan, I know you have parents in Drinian and Kitana, and Diane and I don’t want to overstep or anything, but please know that we already love you both very much, and would be honored if you would call us Mom and Dad.”

Philip stepped away, seemingly embarrassed by his somewhat emotional outburst. “I’ll – I’m just going to go help Jim get the last of the people on the bus. We uh, we brought your cars out earlier, so you can just follow us into town.” He passed three sets of keys to Max and moved to follow Jim to the entrance of the chamber.

“Hey, uh, Dad, thanks!” a voice called out.

Philip paused momentarily and looked first at Max, who was grinning widely then to Zan, whose grin mirrored Max’s in everything but size. If anything, it was bigger.

“You’re welcome, son,” said Philip, returning the smile with one of his own.

** * ** *

In a matter of minutes, the chamber emptied, leaving only Max, Liz and the others alone in the silence. By unspoken consent, they stood in their original foursquare positions around the Granolith, Zan and Shandar, again joining Max and Liz in their corner. The Granolith hummed slightly, and filled the chamber and bathing them all with a soft glowing light. After several minutes, the light dimmed, leaving them all filled with a sense of both sadness and contentment.

“It’s over,” Max said. “Antar is no more.”

“Yeah, but I think everything is going to be all right,” said Michael. “I think the Granolith was letting us know we did the best we could.”

“Yeah,” Zan said, finally. “I think we really did, and now, I think we have a bigger task ahead of us. There are about a hundred people who are going to need our help learning how to live in this world.”

“Don’t worry,” Maria said. “By the time we get done with them, nobody will ever be able to tell they aren’t from around here.”

“By the time Maria gets done with them,” Alex whispered to Isabel and Kyle, “They’ll probably be begging us to send them back to whatever’s left of Antar.”

“I heard that!” Maria said.

And so, laughing eight of the friends exited the Granolith chamber and walked out into the hot desert sunshine.

** * ** *

“What do you think?” Max asked Liz after everyone left the chamber.

“About?”

“About anything,” Max said. “You were so upset when all of this happened, and we really haven’t had much of a chance to talk about anything that happened.”

“You know what, Max? There really isn’t anything left to say. I was furious to think that we were the cause of Agnes and Jose’s death, but later I realized it wasn’t us. Death is a part of life, and there are good and bad people everywhere. Yes, both of them died because of the Gadori, but they could just as well have died at the hands of humans. I can’t control the world, and I can’t fix it. All I can do is make sure that I live my life the best I can and stay happy, and I’m happiest when I’m with you.”

“And?” Max prompted.

“And I think from this day forward, I’m going to worry a little less about everything, and stop trying to be the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and yeah, even the perfect wife, and I’m just going to be me, Liz Parker Evans, enjoying her life with the love of her life.”

Max leaned down and kissed her, gently at first then with more passion as she responded. So engrossed were they in their kiss that neither of them noticed the Granolith returning back to life and filling the chamber with twin beams of light in pink and blue.

The End