In the middle of a night, someone breaks in at the UFO musuem. Big surprise... it's Michael! He quietly creeps toward the back room, and looks up information about "James Atherton," the author of "Among Us," which was the book Max was reading in the last episode. He finds information on the museum database about Atherton, and the geodesic dome, and is about to leave when the computer beeps, and Max's slumbering boss wakes. Apparently, he had stayed the night (or maybe he does it every night). Michael begins to run for it, but the police are already there to block the way.
At school the next day, in history class, Mr. Summers goes on about the secrets that everyone has; the next assignment, he goes on to say, is to take on the job of a historian/biographer and find out information about a person. He pairs up people in the class... Isabelle and Liz, Maria and Michael, and Max and Kyle. How ironic, you say? Think again; Mr. Summers comments to guidance counselor Depolski about how wonderful the idea of the new project was, and she also asks if he paired the people up as she suggested.
After class, Max gets a phone in the office. The next thing we know, Max is at the sheriff's office. His boss seems shaken; Max covers for Michael, telling his boss that he asked Michael to do some research for him.
Back at school, Max and Isabelle cannot believe that Michael has gone to such lengths to find out about this dome. He wants to go to Marathon, Texas, where the photo was taken. The only problem is, he doesn't have a car.
As Maria is about to leave school, she spots Michael, who wasn't even in class earlier. Her main worry is that she will fail the assignment, since Michael is none too willing to answer any questions about his personal life. However, when he spots car keys in her hand, his attitudes change. He tells her that he'll answer her questions if she'll give him a ride, but he doesn't mention where.
Meanwhile, at the Crashdown Cafe, Max and Kyle are trying to finish the assignment as quickly as possible. Kyle's tone is filled with sarcasm and resentment. Liz and Isabelle are sitting nearby, and Liz can't help staring at Max and Kyle. Finally, she can't stand it, and walks over to give them ketchup. As she hovers above the two, Kyle skips to question 8, and asks if Max has ever been in love. After a long pause, and a glance at Liz's hopeful face, he answers no.
By now, Maria and Michael have found their way to a dusty auto repair shop, where Maria intends to drop off a package for her mother. As she is talking to the man at the store, Michael switches from the passenger seat to the driver's seat and starts the engine. When Maria sees this, and immediately runs in front of the car. It screeches to a halt, and Maria gets in the passenger side. Michael shrugs and drives off, with Maria wailing that she has been kidnapped.
At the Crashdown Cafe, Liz gets a cell phone call from Maria. Maria has secretly called her, and is trying to tell Liz where she is, and that they are heading south on Highway 285. Liz is confused, and mentions it to Isabelle.
Isabelle and Liz rush to tell Max, and they leave to rush after Michael and Maria, for they know Michael is on a mission to find the dome. New occurence: an agent waits in a parked car by Max and Isabelle's jeep, and reports on their movement.
Maria and Michael are busy arguing. Once Maria finds out that Michael is heading to Marathon, Texas, she can't believe it. Michael only replies that she wouldn't understand. As he mentions that this day might be the most important day of his life, sirens sound behind them. "Are you happy now?!" Michael exclaims, but Maria asks him to explain why this might be the most important day. He hesitates, then quickly tells her about the dome that might unveil new things about the aliens' past. When the cop approaches, Maria covers for Michael, and the cop lets them go.
At the Valenti's, Kyle is trying to reach Liz. He has called all Liz's friends, and she is nowhere to be found. The sheriff comes in, and asks his son what's wrong. Kyle mentions that Max and Liz just drove off all of a sudden that afternoon; the sheriff becomes suspicious, and suddenly has to leave for his office. Kyle begs for more information on Max, but Valenti tells him to stay out of it.
Meanwhile, Max and the others are at a gas station. Liz approaches Isabelle from behind with two cups of cocoa, but Isabelle accidentally knocks them over when she turns around. "I was just trying to be nice," Liz says quietly, as Isabelle cleans her shirt with a wave of her hand. Liz then goes on to say that she won't take Max away from him, but if the aliens find something in the dome, will they take Max away from her? Isabelle turns to look at Liz and sympathizes; she clears the stains on Liz's shirt too.
Unfortunately, for Michael and Maria, Maria's car breaks down. As Maria tells him to use his alien powers, he refuses; when she continues on, he yells that he's not that good at it. He attempts to fix the engine anyway, but it only blows up into flames.
Since the car has obviously died, Michael heads for the motel that they have stopped at. Maria follows reluctantly.
In Max's jeep, Liz receives a call on her cell. It's Kyle. He gives Liz a chance to tell the truth, but she lies again, saying she's at Maria's. After he hangs up, Kyle drives off in his car, on his way to down 285 South.
As his son drives off, Valenti is at the office, requesting information on the Evans. The speeding citation pulls up, and when Valenti hears "285 South," he follows the highway down to Marathon, Texas. Coincidentally he has also made copies of the information that Michael had collected (remember, Michael was arrested earlier). He also heads to that highway.
When Michael and Maria try to make the best of the situation, they end up in a raunchy motel, in the "honeymoon suite." Their initial hostility softens, and they begin to understand each other a bit. Michael explains that his hopes in finding this dome lie in a better life for the future. Maria relates, since her father apparently left her and her mother.
Another unfortunate coincidence, an overturned 18-wheeler has blocked off 285 South. As Max and Liz sit and wait in the car, Max apologizes for the situation. Liz mentions the deal they made earlier about them being just friends; they both obviously want to break that rule.
As they wait, they see Maria's car parked outside the trashy motel. The three of them are surprised, and sneak into Michael's and Maria's room. After a few jokes about Michael and Maria, Max steps in and asks Michael what he was thinking. Michael confesses that he was planning to just find the information out for himself, since Max and Isabelle obviously like their human lives. In mid-sentence, Kyle steps into the room. No one knows how much he heard, and Michael gets violent at the sudden invasion. So violent, in fact, that he throws Kyle across the room. Kyle, a bit frightened, starts to leave, and tries to take Liz with him. Liz refuses, though, and Kyle storms off.
After the gang is alone again, Liz turns to the aliens, and demands explanations for everything. Max begins to tell her everything, since the day Michael broke into Valenti's office and found the key. Once Liz and Maria know the entire truth, Liz seems just as enthused to find out the truth as well.
The five drive down to Marathon together in the jeep. The dome is haunting and white, and Michael begins to get excited, as it resembles the drawings he had been obsessed with. When they near the locked door, Michael tries the special key in the lock. It doesn't work. Max goes ahead and opens the door, using his powers. "Maybe it'll unlock something inside," he rationalizes.
The dusty cobwebs do not hide the fact that someone had been there before them, looking for something. Isabelle suggests holding the key to see images again. Michael tries, but nothing. Maria, then, speaks up and tells him to try again. Michael, calmer, tries once again, and this time has visions of a hidden room. The others begin to look for secret notches to reveal the room, when Michael stumbles upon a loose rock in the wall. It unveils a keyhole, and Michael tries the key. It fits. A door opens up from the floor, and the others slowly go under. As they look around, they hear footsteps from above. No one moves, and they all hold their breaths. We see that these footsteps belong to Sheriff Valenti... but before he comes upon the hidden room, a stranger hits him from behind, and he falls to the floor, unconscious. The gang jumps, as they all stare above, wondering what that last thud was.
