Michael, alone, is finishing cleaning the mess in the kitchen. Maria enters from the hallway.

She goes to the refrigerator and takes out two Cherry Cokes. She hands one to Michael.

They head for the living room and sit on the couch. Michael picks up the remote and turns on the TV but keeps the volume low.

They sit and watch the TV for a moment.

Frustrated, Maria gets up and starts pacing.

She stops her pacing to confront him.

Now it s Michael's turn to be frustrated and to get up to pace, but he also keeps his voice low.

Michael stops pacing and looks directly at Maria.

Maria takes his hands in hers and looks into his eyes.

Michael is really touched by what she has said and it registers on his face. He enfolds her in his arms and kisses her on top of her head.

Michael smiles. He is reluctant to break the embrace, but he notices the time and realizes he has to.

Maria puts her arms around Michael again, looks up at him and smiles.

Michael realizes what he just said. It takes him a beat for the look on his face to go from "Oh my God, how do I get out of this," to realizing he doesn't want to. A half smile crosses his face as he looks at Maria.

They kiss.

Cut to:

Alex is talking to Liz. Maria is with them trying to appear depressed, like Alex, but not quite pulling it off.

Isabel overhears this as she approaches their table.

Liz nods, Alex hasn't heard anything past "I wanted to go to the dance with you".

Maria glances quickly at Alex to see if he heard Liz, but he's oblivious to anyone but Isabel.

Liz and Maria take off.

Isabel beams.

Cut to:

Michael and Max are walking down a hallway, talking.

Cut to:

River Dog is sitting in the cave, the same area where they healed Michael in "The Balance"; he's meditating. The torches that were lit then are lit now, providing a modicum of light. Another light can be seen near the passageway to the exit/entrance of the cave. It appears to be moving--someone is approaching. Michael steps into the opening. When he notices the torches he extinguishes the light he had created with his powers in his cupped hands.

Michael nods and we cut to a montage of River Dog teaching Michael a meditation technique, showing him how to breathe, etc. Then dissolve to them finishing.

River Dog picks up a flashlight that was lying beside him and starts to exit, but Michael does not follow. River Dog turns back to him.

River Dog leaves. Michael walks over to the painting on the cave wall that Nasedo left for them to examine the symbols. He starts to lean on the wall above the symbols with his right hand as he peruses them. He's surprised when a silver hand print starts to glow under his right hand and he quickly removes it. He checks his hand but nothing appears amiss so, curious, he hesitantly reaches out and places his hand in the same spot. Again it starts to glow and this time his hand starts to sink into the wall. Startled, he pulls his hand back again and examines it. Once again, nothing seems amiss, so he places it back on the wall, this time letting his hand sink in up to his wrist. The look on his face tells us he feels something and when he pulls his hand back he's holding a metal book. Michael stares down at the book. Engraved on the front cover is the symbol that he and Isabel burned in front of the library in "Blind Date" to contact Nasedo. Before he can open the book he is hit with several visions in a row. Most are of the same symbols he saw in the desert during his illness in "The Balance" and each one seems stronger than the last, obviously causing Michael pain. His left hand goes to his head as he is hit with one more vision, different from the others. It's of a broken fence with a sign lying next to it that reads "Pohlman Ranch". This vision is so strong that it knocks him to the ground, unconscious, still clutching the book.

Cut to:

Michael, recovered, is telling the others (Max, Isabel, Liz, Maria, and Alex) about his visions. Maria is fussing over him trying to put wet cloths on his forehead which he immediately removes. The metal book from the cave lies open on the bed beside him; we can see that it is filled with symbols similar to those on the cave walls.

Isabel and Max move in closer to Michael, intrigued.

Blank looks all around. Then Max, Liz, and Alex simultaneously head for Max's computer. Alex sits at the computer and Max and Liz stand to either side.

Alex starts typing on the keyboard.

She leaves the room. Dissolves show a passage of time as Isabel returns, the others make phone calls home to explain their absence, everyone but Alex pacing back and forth, occasionally suggesting other places for Alex to look. The sun starts to stream through the window; they've been up all night.

They all gather round.

Max, Isabel, and Michael all look at one another.

Michael grabs the book and his jacket and starts heading out the window. The others pause for just a moment, grab their jackets and follow him.

Cut to:

Max and Liz are in the front seats, Isabel and Alex in the back. They are following the Jetta on a dirt road in the desert. Alex is looking back the way they came.

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

Cut to:

The Jetta approaches the rock formation. The Jeep is close behind.

Cut to:

Michael is stunned. He stops the Jetta and just stares at the rock formation.

Maria breaks his reverie by getting out of the car. He follows suit, as do the others in the Jeep. The camera follows them as they walk slowly towards the rocks. Max is the first to sense something and starts to pick up speed until he is practically running towards one of the rock walls. The others chase after him. Max reaches the rock wall, stands before it momentarily as the others catch up. Somehow he just knows to reach out and place his hand on the wall, as if he had been doing it all his life. It glows silver under his hand, then the stone appears to ripple and shimmer. They all look on, stunned and amazed as it transforms itself into a doorway-like opening. There is a hollowed-out area inside, large enough for two people and a child-sized pod. Light streams in from the opening Max just made and from a small one in the ceiling of the pod chamber, which also lets in air. Max steps in and we see the egg-shaped gossamer-like pod shell he emerged from in 1989. Max stares at it, mesmerized. He reaches out to touch it and gets a flash (two moons and green clouds). Isabel, standing at the opening notices an engraving on the wall opposite the pod.

Max sees the Whirlwind Galaxy symbol Isabel is pointing at.

Isabel suddenly senses something and runs to another section of the rock formation. Max follows her and the others follow him, each taking a glance inside Max's pod chamber before leaving, murmuring words of amazement and appreciation. Liz is the last to leave. She appraises the chamber with a scientist's eye, reluctant to leave but also curious to see what Isabel has found; she takes one last look then runs to catch up with the others. As Liz leaves, a ripple effect appears and the doorway- like opening of Max's pod chamber turns back into a solid stone wall. Michael is the only one who notices and heads back to Max's chamber. In the meantime, Isabel, imitating Max, has opened hers. As Isabel and the others examine her pod chamber, in the background we see Michael repeatedly trying to open Max's without success. Puzzled and dejected, he rejoins the others. Isabel's chamber is just like Max's, including the Whirlwind Galaxy engraving. Isabel touches her pod and lets out a small gasp as she gets a brief flash. She turns to Max.

Isabel steps out of the chamber so the others can have a look.

At their puzzled expressions, he points towards Max's chamber and they see that it has resealed itself.

Liz is in Isabel's chamber examining her pod when Max appears at the opening.

Liz complies but the chamber remains open.

They do and the ripple effect re-appears and the chamber seals itself. Max steps up and places his hand on the solid stone. Nothing happens. Isabel steps up and does the same. The silver hand print glows, the stone wall ripples and the opening re- appears. Scientist Liz immediately goes back in.

Michael smiles but still seems troubled. He walks away from the others, looking around, trying to locate his own pod chamber. Maria notices his troubled expression and approaches him.

Michael looks at her with a spark of hope.

Michael uses the breathing technique he learned from River Dog then closes his eyes and concentrates. He gets a flash, his eyes pop open, and he takes off running towards another section of the rock formation, dragging Maria behind him, who is still holding his hand. In the background we see Max and Liz have returned to his chamber and re-opened it. He enters and Liz stands by the opening. Isabel is in her chamber with Alex by the opening. Michael reaches his and, still holding Maria's hand he reaches out with his right hand, places it on the stone wall causing the glowing hand print, the rippling wall, and the doorway-like opening to appear. Releasing Maria's hand, he steps inside. Maria observes from the opening. Michael's chamber matches Max's and Isabel's. Michael reaches out to touch the Whirlwind Galaxy engraving on the wall and, like in the Mesaliko Reservation cave, his hand passes through up to his wrist. When he removes his hand he is clutching a pair of blue baby booties.

Cut to:

The cave is dark. We see a beam of light, but not its source. It travels through the cave to the symbols painted on the wall. A male hand reaches out above the symbols and touches the wall. A silver hand print appears and the hand sinks into the wall up to its wrist. It comes out of the wall almost immediately, freezing in mid-air as if the person on the end of the hand was stunned to see it empty.

Fade out.

Beta Testers:

Return to Act III

Click here to continue