A Future Forsaken
By Emily Jennings
Summery: Max left in Departure with Isabel & Tess, who didn't kill Alex. 20 years later & the world has changed. Antar & Earth have formed an alliance & 'aliens' are a thing of faerie tales. Can Max & Liz truly forsake their love now that the ultimate boundary has been diminished?
Author's note: Hay guys! Sorry for the wait! ... So now the whole flashback thing is done and I can continue with the story. This chapter is back with Liz directly from where we left her at the end of chapter three. I hope it isn't too confusing. The timeline is disjointed I know but it should be worth while. Please, please review. Thank you! Enjoy. X
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Present day (2023), Earth ...
She smiled a self-satisfied, bitter smile and put her hand down, pulling it into a fist. Elizabeth Parker wasn't all she seemed after all, she mused resentfully, thinking of her husband and child. The trophy mother and wife perhaps, but there was a part of her she kept secret. It was the part of her that her husband could never touch or sedate, the part of her that was Max's and would always be so ...
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Liz's cell rung and for the first time since she had left the safety of the car she wondered where she was and how long she had been there.
'Answer' she muttered, frowning in the direction of the phone. Immediately she heard the static of the call connecting and mused at the advancement in technology since Earth had opened up communications with Antar.
There was a pause and then small click.
Your call has been successfully connected, please proceed said the smooth voice of the female automated call operator.
'Tony?' Liz queried. Only he held the number to that phone.
'Liz?! Chica?!'
Liz was only vaguely surprised to hear the voice of her best friend answer in place of her burly head-of-security.
'Maria? How did you get this number?'
'Off of Tony, that's how! He was worried about you Liz! We all are!' The vibrations of her voice had reached shrieking pitch and echoed around the dank alleyway and Liz thought that perhaps she should have noticed the first undertones of panic in Maria's initial frantic greeting.
'What's that supposed to mean?' she returned distractedly, as she absently assessed her environment. Something she should have done on her arrival in the shifty back street.
Everything Liz did now was absent, distant, distracted, without thought.
The acrid smell of burning aluminium filtered through the already muggy air as Liz surveyed the overflowing dumpsters, rotting and mildewing junk and the sizzling and melting forms that had been the objects of her earlier anger.
Somehow Liz had walked straight into the bad part of town. Here there advantages and improvements of the alliance were only just being put into place. Many of the old systems of sanitary and waste disposal were still upheld here. Old fashioned manual labour.
Liz ground her teeth. Those weren't the only things to lay unchanged in 20 years. The crime rate had soared. There was still real danger here. Especially for an important and as easily recognised interplanetary figure such as herself.
Feeling a headache coming on she turned her attention back to her distressed friend.
'Liz, where are you? You've been gone for over four hours. Claudine is distraught and screeching incoherently about how she made you mad and you're never going to come home, and Tony is silent and brooding.'
Maria paused for a moment's reflection, 'Well okay, he's more silent and brooding than usual ... Liz, talk to me Chica. I've been trying to get hold of you for months but you're never around. You've stopped coming to the Meetings since ... well, since ...'
Liz sighed, 'Go ahead and say it.'
'... Well, since Zan arrived. Honey, you never come to any of the social events anymore. There are rumours in the System about your sudden disappearance from the public eye. People aren't stupid Liz, they know something's wrong, they're guessing at the truth. I have a good idea of it myself but ...' she floundered, disheartened by her friend's silence.
'... Please Liz. We need to talk ... Michael told me that you were meant to come to the Welcoming Ball last week, he said you went missing then too. And turned up hours later covered in water and sand ...'
Liz could hear the hurt in Maria's voice. She had heard about this incident from Michael, she felt as though Liz no longer trusted her.
'... What were you doing by the coast Liz?' Maria finally continued, her voice soft with dejection. 'That is where you were wasn't it? I mean, the water and sand ...'
'Yes Maria. I went to the coast.'
'But why? I don't understand. That's over a two hour drive.'
Liz closed her eyes and admitted to herself that she would finally have to tell someone at least part of the truth. 'Okay Maria, I'll tell you. But not now. Not over the phone.' She hesitated and then with a certain feeling of reckless abandonment plunged head first, from the frying pan and into the fire.
'Meet me at The Coffee House in an hour' she continued. And before Maria could dispute the place or time she glanced back to the direction of where she had left the phone, 'End call' she muttered.
Another soft click was heard.
Thank you for using Interplanetary Telecom © Antar, we appreciate your custom said the smooth voice of the female automated call operator.
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Maria grabbed her oldest and most loved hoody of the cloak room and slipped on her most comfortable pumps. She wore a light, summer, floral cami top under faded denim dungarees. Today she was going for the incognito look. She wouldn't call round the driver or inform security that she was leaving. She would just go.
She walked into the main atrium of the house that her and Michael shared together and turned into the direction he was most likely to be in the late afternoon, relaxing in the Games room. 'Michael, I'm going out, I won't be too long. I have my mobile on me, don't worry about me!'
She turned towards the door and let out a piercing shriek as she came face-to-face with the addressed.
Michael grinned roguishly and slid his arms around her waist. 'And you say you know where I am at all times!' he teased fondly.
Maria pretended to be cross but did a very bad job at it. 'Like I said, I'm going out, you don't need to worry.'
'I don't need to but I will anyway' he replied, kissing her softly on the lips. 'Where did you say you were going?' he asked once they had untangled.
'I didn't'
'So I'll pretend like I don't know you'll be at The Coffee House talking to Liz then shall I?' Michael questioned, doing his very best impression of a serious face.
Maria's mouth hung agape.
'Don't worry Sweetie ...' he assured impishly, 'It'll be our little secret'
Maria huffed at his smug manner and stood in an aloof fashion out of the door and in the direction of The Coffee House ...
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