Laura J. Burns co-created “Roswell” with Melinda Metz (Metz wrote the “Roswell High” books and Burns edited them) and then co-wrote the popular episode “A Tale of Two Parties” (3.10). But her most impressive contribution to the “Roswell” mythos might be “Quarantine” (March 2003), the seventh book of the tie-in novel series.
Filling in a plot hole
Burns retroactively writes the first Meta-Chem story, taking place in the summer before “Michael, the Guys and the Great Snapple Caper” (3.2) and “Panacea” (3.13). By doing so, she creates a more coherent trilogy — although, admittedly, not much of “Snapple Caper” snaps into place with the other two installments. We still don’t know what Terry O’Quinn’s security chief Carl is stealing in that episode, nor why Carl would hire extra security (Michael) that therefore increases his risk of getting caught.
But at least the broader scheme of Meris Wheeler (spelled “Maris” in this book and played by Morgan Fairchild on TV) gets fleshed out; she creates Meta-Chem as a front for studying alien DNA, hoping that it will cure her dying husband (with whom Max body-swaps at the end of “Panacea”).
“Quarantine” (2003)
Author: Laura J. Burns
Series: “Roswell” No. 7
Genre: Science fiction
Setting: Summer before Season 3
It is admittedly strange that she learns about the Crashdown Cafe shooting — and has the connections to purchase Liz’s alien-DNA-stained waitress uniform from a corrupt FBI agent — and knows that Liz was healed by an alien, yet does not learn that Max is the Healer. On the other hand, Wheeler’s limited knowledge explains her need to create Meta-Chem and invite Liz aboard as an intern for the purposes of getting her DNA in “Quarantine.”
This novel is similar to “Little Green Men” — which Burns briefly references in the first example of a “Roswell” novel giving a nod to another novel — in that there’s a city-wide outbreak that sends many people to the hospital. The science is even wonkier here than a case where people turn green from the water supply.
In this case, certain genes in people are activated by alien DNA, which is spread through the soup at the Crashdown that has been infected with Liz’s infected water bottle. So Jesse has a heart attack, Amy DeLuca has an asthma attack, and Liz and Kyle develop extreme sensitivity.
They’re part alien
I suspect part of the purpose of “Quarantine” is to drive home the point that Liz and Kyle are “part alien” after being healed by Max. We already knew this about Liz from “Chant Down Babylon” (3.14), but her (and Kyle’s) alien nature is central to this book. I think this will come into play in the post-Season 3 novels.
Burns is allowed more creative freedom here than in most tie-in books. For one thing, she introduces Maria’s dad, Richard, and a half-sister Maria never knew she had, 11-year-old Sadie. She also has an off-page half-brother. We learn that Maria hadn’t seen her father in a decade and that she traces any confidence shortage (not something she outwardly displays all that often) to his departure.
The writing of the Richard-Maria relationship comes in fairly shallow YA fashion, but at least it’s better than the story of Michelle leaving Kyle and Jim in the previous book, “Dreamwalk.” Paul Ruditis is hesitant to broach the backstory of the Valenti family drama, whereas Burns dives headfirst into the DeLucas.
Another major continuity point is that Liz tells Max about Future Max’s visit — and his instruction to Liz to get Max to hate her — in “The End of the World” (2.5). So we have a ret-con now where Max is aware throughout Season 3 about Future Max and the reason for Liz’s behavior in Season 2. It makes logical sense that Liz would tell Max about this. The reason for the breakup was to prevent Tess from leaving the group. Tess left anyway, so the plan failed, but also set up a new timeline.
She knows the TV characters well
Despite spending more time on the “Roswell High” teens, Burns knows the “Roswell” TV characters well, and — as she demonstrates in “A Tale of Two Parties” — she is good at writing about rare pairings. The platonic friendship between Liz and Kyle — and their bond as humans saved from death by Max — comes to the fore as they lay in hospital beds dealing with their oversensitivity.
It’s amusing to read about Michael and Maria dealing with Sadie, who is (or wants to be) like a younger version of Maria. This could’ve been fun to watch on TV. M&M go back on forth over whether or not Sadie is a threat — is she merely a little girl, or is she the next big threat (after all, Skins leader Nicholas looked like a kid)?
At 172 pages, “Quarantine” is an easy one- or two-sitting read. Although you won’t want to take the DNA science to the bank, it’s great to learn more about Maria’s life and get a clearer picture of the scheme of Meris Wheeler and Meta-Chem. The book’s greatest value, though, is that it puts the final building block — the fact that Liz and Kyle have changed at a DNA level — in place before the four-book finale.