ROSWELL: WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN - "Damage Control" - ACT III - 04/20/02

ACT III

  14 INT. SENOR CHOW'S BOOTH - NIGHT

MICHAEL
I can't believe I'm stuck here at this crummy restaurant when we need more bodies searching at the apartment.

MARIA
(in a voice that says they've been over this a few dozen times, but she's still trying to be patient)
No, I need your body here, helping me keep Jen and Larry away from the search.

Michael slouches in his seat, looking sulky and angry.

MARIA
(out of patience)
Michael, you're here, okay? Just behave.

Michael sinks lower in his seat.

MARIA (cont'd)
(glaring)
... better.

Maria sees Jennifer and Larry enter the restaurant. She waves at them and they approach their booth.

JEN
Hi. Larry, you remember Maria and Michael.

LARRY
I definitely remember Michael. He made a distinct impression.

Jen gives Larry a worried look. Larry and Jen sit.

JEN
Thanks so much for asking us here.

MARIA
(nervously looking at Michael)
It's our pleasure.

JEN
We don't know many people in Roswell yet, do we, Larry?

LARRY
This is a great opportunity to find out about the people who make Roswell ... unique.

He stares at Michael with a slight smirk. Michael stares back.

Cut to:

  15 INT. EVANS KITCHEN - SAME

Phillip and Diane are preparing dinner. Phillip goes to set the table and takes out three plates.

DIANE
Don't set a place for Max. He had dinner earlier, with Isabel, so he could spend the night studying for a big test.

PHILLIP
(skeptical)
Are you sure he's studying and not brooding about Liz?

Diane gives him a knowing look.

DIANE
I'm sure there's a little of that too.

(pause)

PHILLIP
So what did you think of Isabel's date tonight?

DIANE
Alex Whitman? He seemed nice. Definitely different than most of her other dates.

PHILLIP
I'll say! He didn't really seem her type--not that I'm complaining, mind you. I'm just surprised ... pleased, but surprised.

DIANE
I know what you mean. Perhaps her taste in guys is maturing. I'm just glad Isabel is finally seeing someone with ... substance. Some of her other dates just seemed so ... superficial.

PHILLIP
Yes, and others, a bit on the wild side. It's nice to know she's out with someone like Alex. This way I can relax, and enjoy my evening, instead of spending it worrying about what kind of trouble Isabel might be getting into.

Cut to:

  16 EXT. STREET OUTSIDE LARRY AND JEN'S APARTMENT - SAME

Max, Liz, Alex and Isabel are seated in the Jeep. Liz's cell phone rings; she answers it.

LIZ
(into phone)
Yes ... Okay ... Bye.

Liz puts the cell phone back into her jacket pocket.

LIZ (cont'd)
(to the others)
Larry and Jen are at the restaurant.

ISABEL
Good.

They leave the Jeep and head to Jen and Larry's apartment door.

ALEX
So, aren't you two afraid your parents will find you missing?

LIZ
Oh, we took care of that. I told mine I was having dinner in my room, while studying for a big test tomorrow.

MAX
And I told mine something similar. Isabel and I had dinner early so she could go to the "movies" with you, and I could spend the night studying. Our parents never bother us when we're studying.

They reach the door. Max uses his powers to open the lock, and they all enter.

  17 INT. JEN AND LARRY'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS

They step into the entryway.

MAX
Good, they left the lights on; it will make our job easier.

ALEX
(solemnly)
Don't you just love the irony of that?

LIZ
The irony?

ALEX
Yeah, they probably left them on to prevent a break-in.

Liz sighs and nods, saddened that circumstances force them to take such measures. Max scans the apartment. Straight ahead is the kitchen and dining area. To his left is a hallway, presumably leading to the bedroom and bath. To his right is the living room, which has a sofa, reclining chair, an entertainment unit holding a large-screen TV, a stereo system, CDs, videos, etc, and in the corner is a desk, chair and computer setup.

MAX
Alex, you take the computer. The rest of us should spread out and check every room, in case he's hidden his notes elsewhere.

Alex heads straight for the computer and sits down at the desk. His back is to the wall, and he is facing the interior of the living room. He turns on the computer. Liz heads towards the kitchen and Isabel towards the bedroom and bath. Max starts searching the desk.

Cut to:

  18 INT. SENOR CHOW'S LADIES' ROOM - SAME

Maria is putting her phone back in her purse. She leaves the ladies' room, spots their waiter, out of earshot of their booth, and walks over to him.

MARIA
Could I ask you a favor? My boyfriend and I are having a special dinner with some old friends and we would really like to be able to catch up on old times, so if you could just take your time ... you know, be a little less attentive, give us some time and space to talk ... it would be great.

She hands him a bill and smiles.

WAITER
No problem.

As Maria turns to head back to the booth, she notices that Larry is talking to Michael and Michael is ignoring him by pretending to read the menu. She picks up her pace to rescue them.

JEN
(desperate to find something to talk about)
So, what's good here?

Michael remains silent, continuing to look at the menu, but Maria arrives at that moment.

MARIA
The sweet and sour tortillas are a real treat!

She slides into the booth next to Michael and glares at him. He notices out of the corner of his eye.

LARRY
(determined to get Michael involved in the conversation)
What do you recommend, Michael?

MICHAEL
(under his breath, so softly that only Maria can hear)
You getting out of Roswell, and never coming back.

Michael jerks slightly, as Maria kicks him under the table.

MICHAEL (cont'd)
(out loud from behind the menu)
Reading the menu.

Maria does one of her "Why do I bother" looks and shakes her head; Jen laughs nervously.

LARRY
Right.

Larry and Jen pick up their menus. Maria picks up her water and starts to drink. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Michael wave his hand over his menu. Jen and Larry are engrossed in their menus and do not notice. Maria glances at Michael's menu and sees that he has added a cartoon spaceship to it, along with a cartoon alien abducting a cartoon Larry, who looks terrified. Maria starts to laugh and chokes on the water. Jen and Larry look up from their menus, concerned.

JEN
Are you all right?

Maria nods, as she hides her smile with her napkin.

MARIA
(hoarsely)
Yeah, my water just went down the wrong way.

Jen and Larry go back to reading their menus and Maria looks back at Michael's. Michael waves his hand again and the alien spaceship starts to beam up both the alien and Larry, whose speech balloon says "Help me, help me!" Maria bites her lip, then brings her napkin back up to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter. Larry looks up and eyes them suspiciously. He reaches out and grips the top of Michael's menu.

During the following exchange, they have a minor tug of war with the menu. Jen and Maria, embarrassed by their companions' behavior, quickly look to see that no one else in the restaurant is paying attention.

LARRY
May I see your menu?

MICHAEL
Why? What's wrong with yours?

LARRY
It doesn't seem as fascinating as yours.

MICHAEL
They're all the same.

Larry leans in.

LARRY
What are you trying to hide, Michael?

(pause)

MICHAEL
Nothing.

Michael releases his grip on the menu and Larry takes it, but not before Michael surreptitiously waves his hand and removes all traces of his artwork. Larry glances at the menu and frowns when he finds nothing unusual. Jen gives Larry a puzzled look and turns her attention back to her menu, relieved that this battle is over.

JEN
What's mole sauce?

Jen looks up from her menu and makes eye contact with Maria.

JEN (cont'd)
(joking, trying to lighten the mood)
It's not made from little rodents, is it?

MARIA
(laughs openly this time)
No. It's pronounced molay. It's a Mexican sauce--a mixture of chocolate, spices, and chilies.

JEN
(aghast)
Chocolate, spices, and chilies ... on a cheese enchilada!?

MICHAEL
It's good. I recommend it.

Jen and Larry exchange disgusted looks.

JEN
(to Larry)
Ewwwww!

Jen turns to Michael and shakes her head.

JEN (cont'd)
I don't think so.

Michael scowls; perturbed that his suggestion was ridiculed. He opens his mouth to say something, but Maria jumps in before he can respond.

MARIA
It's an acquired taste.

LARRY
And ... unique.
(beat, smiles)
Like Roswell.
(pause)
So, how long have you lived in Roswell?

MARIA
(sighs, then unenthusiastically)
All my life.

LARRY
What about you, Michael?

MICHAEL
(abruptly, still perturbed)
Too long.

LARRY
Anxious to leave?

MICHAEL
Isn't everyone?

LARRY
No. Jen and I just got here, so we want to stick around and see what Roswell has to offer.

MICHAEL
Then it should be a short stay.
(under his breath)
Hopefully.

LARRY
I don't think so. Roswell has a rich history. Very often, people don't appreciate what they have in their own backyards. There's lots to discover here.

MICHAEL
Like?

LARRY
Like who might be living among you. Come on, Michael, haven't you ever wondered if someone you met here might be ... an alien?

MICHAEL
(matter-of-factly)
I don't have to wonder, I know. I've met several.

Larry and Jen look shocked at Michael's admission. Maria glances nervously at Michael.

MICHAEL (cont'd)
We're not that far from the Mexican border, you know.

LARRY
(disappointed)
Very funny.

Not waiting for a segue, Maria decides to steer the conversation into a different direction.

MARIA
So, are you two all settled in your new apartment? How are you decorating it?

JEN
Well, we're using all the artifacts we collected in our travels and on our honeymoon ...

Cut to:

  19 INT. LARRY AND JEN'S LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Isabel is standing by the entertainment unit, holding an alien figurine bud vase, with a look of disgust on her face. She puts it back on the shelf, wiping her hand distastefully, and looks around, with the same look of disgust, like she can't believe all the crap they have. Alex is still at the computer, Max and Liz are peering over his shoulder, having completed their search.

ALEX
Good news! I found something and it has nothing to do with Liz getting shot at the Crashdown.

Isabel rushes over to him; Max and Liz lean in closer.

ALEX (cont'd)
It's about the death of some guy named Hubble.

MAX
Oh my God!

Cut to:

  20 INT. SENOR CHOW'S BOOTH - MOMENTS LATER

JEN
... and that's why we decided to get married in an Elvis chapel.

Maria smiles, then glances at Michael. Michael and Larry seem to be engaged in a staring contest.

MARIA
(sighs)
Do you have any pictures, Jen?

Cut to a picture on the computer screen in the apartment.

  21 INT. LARRY AND JEN'S LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

The picture is fuzzy at first but as Liz speaks we see the person in the picture clearly. Max looks stricken.

LIZ
Max, are you all right?

No immediate response from Max, who continues to stare at Hubble's picture.

LIZ (cont'd)
Who's this Hubble guy? Why are you so upset?

MAX
He is--was, an alien hunter. He thought an alien killed his wife and he spent his life hunting him down. Valenti told him about the hand print Kyle saw on you, and so Hubble suspected that I was the shapeshifting alien who killed his wife. He had every intention of killing me. If Michael and Valenti hadn't shown up when they did ... Anyway, Valenti had to shoot him, to keep him from shooting me.

Liz puts her arms around Max, holding him like she never wants to let go. She can't believe she almost lost him.

LIZ
Why didn't you tell me this before?

MAX
I didn't want to worry you.

LIZ
I'd rather worry about you than not know who your enemies are. Please don't keep me in the dark like that again.

Liz pauses and relaxes from her embrace enough to look at him.

LIZ (cont'd)
Wait a minute. Why wasn't any of this in the papers? If Hubble attacked you, and Valenti was there, how come this never came out?

MAX
I don't know. Valenti told Michael and me to leave. "You were never here," he said. I assumed that meant he was going to keep us out of it somehow, and I guess he did.

ALEX
You're right, he did. And actually it was in the paper, tucked away in the police blotter section. Larry scanned a copy into his computer. It says that Hubble was found by Valenti at the old abandoned Pepper's Cafe, shooting at empty spaces and ranting about killing every alien on Earth. He took a shot at Valenti and Valenti returned fire, killing him. It goes on to say that he was a former resident, who became renowned in UFO circles as an alien hunter. Larry even has a copy of the State Police investigation of the shooting.

ISABEL
The State Police! He drove all the way to Santa Fe, looking for information on this?
(looks at Max with concern)
Max, this guy is serious.
(sighs in frustration)
Why can't Larry get a life of his own and leave us out of it?
(pause)
So, what does the report say?

ALEX
Pretty much the same as the newspaper account, but it gives a little more detail about how Valenti was on his way to Bitter Lake when he heard the shooting and went to investigate. Their investigation cleared him, and it has been classified as a clean shoot.

MAX
Alex, would you scroll down, I think I recognize something.

Alex scrolls down and we see the information on the Silo Murder that Max found previously on the Internet.

MAX (cont'd)
It seems our boy has been busy with more than trips to Santa Fe. Looks like he found the story on the Silo Murder that Hubble was involved with in 1972.

Alex scrolls down a little further.

ALEX
He also dug up information about a Sheila Hubble's murder; that must be the wife. Based on his notes here, Larry knew you left with Hubble and figured out there was a cover up. He also mentions how upset Michael was that you were with Hubble.
(pause)
I think his evidence is just circumstantial, but it might be enough to get a reporter interested.

MAX
(to Alex)
Has he sent this?

Alex types on the keyboard.

ALEX
Yes. A couple of hours ago.

(pause)

ISABEL
I can't believe we were that close. If we got here earlier ...

LIZ
Wait. A couple of hours would mean it was after 5:00. Maybe the reporter hasn't seen it yet. Alex, is there any response?

ALEX
No. There's no return receipt either. That's no guarantee that he didn't get it, or hasn't opened it yet, but it's a hopeful sign.

LIZ
So there's still a chance.

ALEX
You mean if we erase the file here ...

LIZ
... and on the reporter's computer. Exactly.

ISABEL
But, if it just disappears, won't Larry get suspicious?

ALEX
(thoughtfully)
Well, instead of deleting the file, we could corrupt it, like a virus.

MAX
I wouldn't want to infect his computer with a virus, I think that's going too far.

ALEX
No, not actually insert a virus, just make it look like there might have been one that damaged a few files.

MAX
Would he be able to prove that we, or anyone else, tampered with his computer?

ALEX
I doubt it. Based on how he's set things up on his computer, I can tell he's not a total beginner, but he's not really knowledgeable either. Let me put it this way: I don't think Valenti needs to worry about Larry hacking into police records.

LIZ
(smiles)
Or FBI files?

Alex smiles.

Cut to:

  22 INT. SENOR CHOW'S BOOTH - MOMENTS LATER

The food has arrived and Michael and Larry are eating without talking. Maria pulls a bottle of cypress oil from her purse surreptitiously, sighs, then openly sniffs it. She offers it to Jen, who takes it gratefully.

Cut to:

  23 INT. LARRY AND JEN'S LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Alex turns away from the computer.

ALEX
Okay, the file is corrupted but we might have a problem.

MAX
What?

ALEX
He's bound to have made a back-up copy, but I can't find it among his disks and CDs.

MAX
Did either of you notice a disk or CD when you were searching for his notes?

Liz and Isabel shake their heads.

MAX
Damn! Where could he have put it?

Liz notices Larry's collection of music CDs.

LIZ
(smiling)
Where's the best place to hide something?

MAX
(noticing her smile, smiles back)
OK, I give ... where?

LIZ
In plain sight!

Liz points to Larry's music CDs.

LIZ (cont'd)
What better place to hide a CD, than among CDs?

Max is disheartened as he looks at Larry's vast collection of music CDs.

MAX
That's a lot of CDs to go through. It will take forever.

ISABEL
(almost disdainfully)
No, it won't.

Isabel waves her hand over the CDs, playing each one briefly, until she gets to one that doesn't play. She holds it up triumphantly; it's the soundtrack for the TV series "Secret Agent Man."

MAX
Well done!

ISABEL (cont'd)
See, it does pay to use your powers recreationally.

Cut to commercial


END OF ACT III


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Original contents copyright (C) 2002 by Roswell: What Might Have Been