Title: The Others
By: X-Girl
E-mail: ChaviWestwind@hotmail.com
Rating: G now, later NC-17
Summary: Is everyone who they really think they are?
Category: All couples, after Season Finale, so spoilers for that.
Author's note: There is an actual rumored crash found in Kingman, Arizona in May 20, 1953, but a hole was found in the 30 foot disc, which was decided to be the cause of the crash. Any details that I have added are fictional. An abuelita is a grandmother, in Spanish, I think.
Max had always wondered about the other UFO sightings, the other crashes that had happened. The United States was large, and sightings were recorded daily. Could they be related to Max and Iz and Michael? Tess had said that in her traveling across the states, she had never met another alien besides Nasedo. But had he been keeping information from Tess to control her? To tease her mind and force her to obey his whims, his deal with the Skins on Antar?
Now he knew.
~*~*~
On May 20th, 1953, a UFO was found embedded in the soft sand of Kingman, Arizona. While being empty, a storm from the night before had destroyed any possible tracks or trails indicating whether or not the inhabitants had fled or died.
Not too far away, maybe 200 or so yards away, the sand had also uncovered hard rock, and a den whittled by thousands of years of pressurized sand and wind. Curiously, the entrance was sealed, and it looked like an ordinary rock formation.
When the hard sunlight beat upon it and people passed it while driving the highway, they did double takes. The rock never submerged beneath the sand again, although sand storms tried over the years. And if a lost straggler on their way to Roswell passed, they would see a reflection of light like a small mirror from the side, and excited, would stop and move back and forth, trying to see the momentarily blinding light again. Finally convinced it was a trick of their own eyes, they would get back in their cars and continue driving on to a confirmed UFO sighting.
Maybe they were going nuts.
Maybe the silver handprint was just fading away.
~*~*~
Many years later, eight pods burst open at different times.
A small blonde girl with haloed ringlets was picked up by an older man who took her away.
Two others waited in a dark room, trying not to cry, pressing themselves against the warmth of the remaining two pods. Their own broken pod was becoming colder, and they huddled together for warmth. The rustling and dim light kept them company.
A young boy with his hair sticking straight up into the air huddled against a remaining pod, looking around for the other inhabitant of the burst pod before leaving the cave looking for food and water. He was picked up by a rancher, who took the child to a nearby police department, where the boy shivered despite blankets and warm food. Nothing could make him feel warmer than sitting next to that pod. He wished he had stayed there.
When the last two pods finally broke, an arm flailed from each pod, at first softly, than more franticly. The pods gave way a little, but the weak limbs were no use, and with less oxygen, they were becoming weaker. The other two were beginning to panic, screaming and beating against the pods, guttural, primal sounds of anguish, fear, and panic. The hardened gel began to crack, and finally, after a couple of minutes, two bodies tumbled into the other two.
Gasping for breath, they helped each other up, than looked at each other for a while. Finally, the dark haired girl that had broken free first with the other dark haired boy turned around, fingers spread open, and moved her hands across the surfaces of the rocks. The other three watched for a while, then began to mimic her movements.
The strawberry blonde squealed as she pressed her hand against the warmer rock and a silver handprint flared, the rock disappearing like it never existed.
The children walked together, unsure of what to do or where to go. The followed their instincts and walked until they came upon a ranch. They skirted the premises, but could not avoid the young woman that was riding at night. She walked them back to the ranch, where they stayed. She remembered a barren daughter that had moved east, to New Mexico. A daughter or son would bring joy to her life. She wouldn't mind becoming an abuelita so soon. The next day, she set off on the long drive to Roswell, New Mexico.
The last pod opened easily, with all four arms pushing. Together, they crawled out of the cave. Together, they wandered along the highway. Together, they were picked up by a young couple. Together, they were adopted.
And the rest is history.