Hello, ladies and gentlemen!! This week, TPTB at AS8 are bringing
you a very special treat that I like to call "The Secrets Behind
AS8." As the residential investigative reporter at AS8, it is my
duty to investigate the motives and reasoning behind the people
involved and report to the fans. Why are they doing this? Can the
fans trust them? Will they kill each other before it's over? Just
how badly do these people hate cats? Stick with me as I bring you
the answers to these and many more questions.

I'd like to begin by asking everyone wh
at the AS8 project means to
them?
Kristel St. Johns (Project coordinator, author of "Within",
"Without", "Per Manum", "Essence", "Existence", and as8x22) - I
think for me, it's basically just a chance to make things right. I
wanted so badly to like S8, and even as flawed as it was, I was
willing to overlook a lot had TPTB at 1013 just made the tiniest
effort to do right in terms of character integrity and the emotional
resonance of the story. S8 just seemed to be rife with wasted
opportunities, to the point where I couldn't bear to watch all these
wonderful chances to tell a truly good and unique story go to waste.

Hazel (Co-author of "Vienen")- It means trying to get some decent
resolution to eight years of highs and lows. I feel the fans and the
characters have been done a great disservice - not to mention other
people who had anything to do with the show.

Garrull (Author of "The Gift") - First of all, I hope lots of people
will read it. That's not just because I want the glory of a wide
audience, but because I think there's stuff here that goes beyond
fanfic into the heart of the series. I hope it prompts discussion,
debate. I was one of those who DID see Scully's grief as S8
progressed--I felt that Gillian Anderson's acting was tremendous in
terms of conveying loss, depression, despair while at the same time
staying true to Scully's essentially stoic public persona. However,
I know not everyone saw what I saw. I'm hoping they'll see it in
AS8.

XochiLuvr (Web Master and Co-Author of "Roadrunners") - It's a
chance to correct some mistakes. To take fan fiction to a new level.
Usually X-fic writers take what they've seen in an episode and
either fix it (by way of "missing scenes") or simply go off in
another direction entirely. AS8's a whole new reality; we're not
fixing the problems, we're eliminating them before they even happen.

Jennifer M (Grammar Beta) - It means fixing all the curve balls 1013
threw at us and trying to make sense of it all. It also means
watching people I never met in person but greatly admire work their
buns off getting this project off the ground and on the air.

Mary Ann (Author of "Patience") - A chance to fix the almighty screw-
up that has come to be known as S8.

Elizabeth (Co-Author of "Badlaa", Co-Author of "Vienen") - For me,
it means a chance to fix everything that went horribly wrong. I
think it's amazing that we even have this ability, to come together
as a fan base that was extremely disappointed, and prove to
ourselves and other fans that it could have been so much better.

Jaz (Author of "Via Negativa") - I thought that a lot of the stories
in S8 were very good ideas, and when I heard the summaries online, I
was excited, but whenever I actually SAW the episodes, I was more
often than not disappointed. This was a way for me to try to rectify
that.

Alicia (Web Mistress, Co-Author of "Badlaa") - AS8 has made me
realize that I wasn't the only intelligent, balanced, and creative
person sitting at home on Sunday nights screaming, "I could do this
SO much better!"

Lara Means (Author of "Redrum") - It's a chance for me/us to take
advantage of an opportunity 1013 missed. Mulder as the "absent
center" of the show could've been superb if they'd delivered on that
promise.  They didn't--they sacrificed a lot in terms of continuity
and character development by using so many episodes to introduce and
build up Doggett's presence when they really didn't need to do that.
Had they introduced him and developed his character more gradually,
the whole season would've worked so much better.

Heather (Author of "Salvage") - This is also a way to show what the
dedication of the fans, a group that 1013 seemed contemptuous of the
last few years, can translate in to...we're not just whining about
the things we didn't like.  We're doing something about them.


My next question is for our sole male member of AS8. XL, how does it
feel to be the only man involved with AS8?

All I need is a gross of condoms and two cases of vodka and I'd be
the happiest man on the planet.


Well, have you ever felt your manhood threatened by all the female
members on the project?

My manhood feels threatened every time I watch the Discovery
Channel. AS8's easy.


Hazel, I have recently checked out the bio page, and I see that you
have written one of the longest bios. Do you enjoy babbling about
yourself on a regular basis, or do you just like to see yourself
look good on the website?

What can I say? I am a chatterbox. ROTFL! I babble non-stop about
*anything* given half a chance.  When I had more time I used to
drive people nuts, I'm sure, with far too long posts on various
mailing lists.  I'm half Irish and kissed the Blarney Stone when I
was young.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it :-)


Another question for all AS8 members. What do you hope the fans will
take away at the end of AS8?

Heather- Hokey as it sounds...closure.  I think the type of fan
dedicated enough to still be reading fanfic at this point deserves
it.

Mary Ann - That this production is only intended to satisfy those of
us who were left hanging or disappointed by S8 and a sense of the
resolution denied by 1013.
Kristel - SO MANY people left S8 behind with a bad taste in their
mouth. Even though the final scene was touching, it was just too
little too late. But "The X-Files" has been a powerful part of all
our lives for a very long time, and it just seemed WRONG to me to
let it end that way. We deserved better.

Jennifer M. - A sense of closure, the enjoyment of believable
continuity, and hopefully the sheer pleasure of reading good fanfic.

Elizabeth - I suppose, really, that I want people who were as
unsatisfied with the season as we were to gain some of that
satisfaction back. To give them back the show as it once was,
perhaps even be able to replace the disappointment with something
positive.

Hazel - Well, a feeling of resolution obviously.  A sense of
completion.  A good feeling.  That eight years have not been
wasted.  Hopefully, it may open some minds up and make people feel
less sad or bitter about what has happened to the show.

Jaz - Exactly what I've taken away from the show for so many
years... just a good time. Well... if every now and then they get
shivers going down their spine or something, that's good too.

Lara Means - Vindication, sort of -- knowledge that it could've been
done by TPTB at 1013 if they'd tried.  And a greater satisfaction
with and respect for the character of Doggett, who I just love.

XL - I won't say I want people to think of AS8 as canon. It's merely
one way that things could have turned out. We're giving the season a
hand, helping it stand up on its own feet and be plausible.

Alicia - That this season wasn't doomed. With few of 1013's
resources, none of their financial motivation, and a little hard
work, this group of people has banded together with no other aim
then to entertain you. We hope you like it.


XochiLuvr and Alicia, you two have put together a wonderful website
for the AS8 project. How much experience do you have with web
design?

XL - About six years worth. I started by helping to manage parts of
my college's official site, and then a couple of us part-time
employees (along with financial backing from one of the professors)
started a web design company. The company is still a part time job
for us, but it's rewarding to be your own boss.

Alicia - I have no experience with regard to web design. None at
all. Why are you looking at me that way? What have you heard? Who?
What's an Ingo? I've never even watched General Hospital. OK, so
that was a lucky guess. OK, seriously, I might have watched it once
or twice but still. No, I swear that's not my web site. No really. I
had nothing do with it. Video captures from every single episode he
was on?  What kind of freak has that kind of spare time?!?!


Elizabeth, since you are co-writing "Vienen," which is centered on
Mulder, Doggett and the black oil, can you give us any preview of
some scenes of Mulder and Doggett running around that oil rig in t-
shirts and jeans?

Oh, let me just tell you... there will be tight-fitting t-shirts,
and there will be tight-fitting jeans, and there will be exertion of
all kinds, although not in a slashy way, as Mulder's heart, and
mind, and body, for that matter, belong to Scully.


Lego Arts" and "Muppet Mythology" weren't offered when you were in
college, Alicia. I know this was a great disappointment to you. Did
you take any action about this?

My inner child is considering a class action lawsuit for violation
of its civil rights.


If you guys could be any sandwich meat, which and why?

Heather - Hmm.  If I was baloney I could always remember my name.
If I go with pimento loaf it could reflect my inner complexity.  But
gross.  I think I'm stuck with thinly sliced baked turkey breast by
default.

Mary Ann - uh... Spam... uh, easy to spread? No, wait, that sounds a
little too porno. Let me rephrase. Spam, because it's been around a
long time, its familiar, when you mention it, people know what
you're talking about (most of the time), it usually gets a funny
reaction.

Very interesting. Personally, I would've gone with pimento loaf.
It's weird and unusual. Whenever you mention that strange meat with
all the little red and green pieces, people know what you mean, but
they can't seem to remember the name...


Efficiency is something I try to accomplish. But is it more
efficient to put on one sock, one shoe, the other sock and the other
shoe, or to put on both socks and then both shoes? What do you
think, Garrull?

This time of year I mostly wear clunky sandals, dispensing with that
sock dilemma. I think most of the time I do sock, sock, shoe, shoe;
but efficiency is not something I necessarily strive for in daily
life.


Jennifer M., you are an esteemed member of our Grammar Beta crew.
How much experience do you have with beta reading and English
grammar?

Both my parents are teachers, and my Dad's PhD is in linguistics. I
got chastised for any misuse of the language since word one. My beta
career is rather short, since it only includes Kristel's recent
work. I beta'd for Kristel's "Aphrodisia" series from part five on.
And no, I'm not in the publishing field or anything related. I'm
just picky.


Several people approached me wondering what were the specifics about
S8 that motivated TPTB at AS8 to get involved with this project.

Jaz - Quite a few things. 1) The disappointment to see the writers
butcher wonderful story ideas in the way that they did. 2) The lack
of continuity that kept happening and 3) the fact that I could SEE
the things that CC&Co were trying to show the audience but couldn't
get it out coherently

Heather - The decision to structure S8 as a transition to a new
character instead of concentrating on bringing to a close the story
of the two characters I had invested seven plus years in as a fan.
The character of Doggett in lieu of characterization.  The total
erosion of the character of Dana Scully.  The absolute failure to
display on screen that anyone was ever looking for Mulder outside of
sweeps weeks.

Garrull - What disappointed me most about S8 was not Mulder's
absence--which I expected--but Scully's relative absence. We'd been
led to believe that this was to be a Scullycentric season, and that
didn't happen.

XL - Oh, let me count the ways... :-) I'm a casual watcher of the
show - in other words, it's not the minutae I concern myself with,
but the characters and the situations. But I found inconsistencies
in nearly every episode I saw last season; Scully shooting first and
asking later, the tombstone, losing her gun, wailing like a
banshee...

Kristel - The sheer lack of sense of it all.  It seemed as though
1013 was not only neglecting, but also consciously ignoring even the
tiniest little concessions to what the fans really needed from the
show. Scully's cross, for example.  It was a symbol of hope for us,
and it has become a talisman for Mulder and Scully through the years-
-everyone knows that the cross ALWAYS comes back to her. Giving us
regular mentions of Mulder is another one.  Had they just diverted 5
or 10 seconds of dialogue in each episode to let us be aware that
Mulder was still a very important part of the characters'
consciousness, it would have gone a long way.  These issues were
made even more painfully obvious with the senseless retro-
storytelling.  The idea that Mulder was ill and didn't tell Scully,
or that Scully was seeking in-vitro fertilization, the fact that
from "Three Words" to "Alone" Mulder and Scully acted like they'd
never shared anything more intimate than a really lingering
handshake is just ASININE.  Those aren't the characters I spent
seven years coming to love. Then there were the major plot points.
Why introduce a new breed of aliens when you already have so many
other breeds you have yet to explain? The heavy handed religious
parallels, the soapish "who's the daddy" game, the absolute lack of
sense to the characterization of a major player like Alex Krycek.
There were just so many problems, and SO MANY of them would have
been relatively easy to fix.

Lara Means - "Redrum" to me, wasn't even an X-Files episode -- the
story was about some guy we'd never met and would probably never see
again, and he was a friend of the New Guy, who we really didn't know
all that well yet.  I kept thinking that it could've been an episode
of "The Outer Limits" for all Scully and Doggett mattered. My other
chief gripe about S8 was the drastic under-use of Walter Skinner

Jennifer M - I really hated how they had Scully haring off after
Monster of the Week for no apparent reason, and I felt that 1013
played the gross-out card way too often to compensate for Duchovny's
absence. The whole "who's the father" thing in particular drove me
crazy because there is no way Scully would not have verified that
herself as soon as it was possible, and it was completely in
character for her to do so. I wished that someone could explain to
me why Mulder was apparently not embalmed. I wanted to know why
Skinner was apparently testicularly challenged, even more than could
be explained by bureaucracy and nanocites.

Mary Ann - My main reason for watching "The X-Files" was Mulder and
Scully, primarily Scully because I think she is the strongest female
character on TV today & I love Gillian Anderson's acting. I really
thought Scully would get a chance to "stretch herself" with Mulder
missing...alas, all we saw was WeepyScully and the only thing that
got stretched was her stomach. That was the major disappointment for
me for S8.

Hazel-At this present time I haven't seen all of S8 but what I have
has left me feeling ill at ease, I guess.  I've found that despite
the fact that I used to live and breathe for even the smallest
morsel of X-Files news, I ended up not caring too much.  I hate the
total lack and disregard of continuity in the show now.  There seem
to be so many lose ends. They don't seem to really care about the
fans or the characters or even the show at times.  It saddens me.
There is such potential going to waste.

Elizabeth - The word that comes to mind when I think of S8 is
"tired." The writing seemed tired, the acting seemed tired, and the
plotlines seemed tired. The other word, quite frankly, is
"ridiculous." There were SO MANY things that were handled in a
completely ridiculous manner, even in the paradigm of a fictional TV
show.

Alicia - Pick one from the following:
"Honey I Shrunk The Pissed-Off Indian Guy And Now He's A Pain In My Ass"

"Time Life Presents: Songs of The Georgian Birthing Whale,
interpreted by Monica 'I Smoke Therefore I'm Intriguing' Reyes"

Chris "I keep forgetting there's no "T" at the end of Chris"
Carter


Next, I have a very controversial question for Lara Means. Should
vegetarians eat animal crackers?

Depends.  Ovo-lacto vegetarians, the ones who eat eggs and milk but
not meat, can eat chicken crackers and cow crackers.  But that's it.


Jaz, what would you do if you had one day left to live?

Bungee jump or skydive... it's a tossup


Elizabeth, you enjoy writing about yourself in the third person. Is
this a hobby, or more of an obsession?

Elizabeth can't really answer that question, as she has apparently
lost her concentration after all that talk of Mulder and Doggett
running around an oil rig in tight clothes.


I attempted to jot down all the great writings this group has
published, but to be honest, I couldn't understand them. Kristel,
Garrull, and Lara Means were all screaming the titles of their
greatest works at the top of their lung, trying to drown out the
others. XL appeared to be attempting to calm them down, but it
wasn't working. In the meantime, Hazel and Mary Ann, who have no
previous fanfic writing experience, sat in a corner and watched the
proceedings with interest and curiosity, in much the same way as one
passes an accident on the highway. The game of one-upmanship between
Kristel, Garrull and XL quickly degenerated into a screaming match
between them as they jumped on the chairs and belted out their
greatest works at the top of their lungs, trying to drown out the
others. Here is a small, coherent excerpt from the chaos that
followed:

Kristel - "Hegira" and "Aphrodisia" are the best!!

Garrull - Give me a break! "404" was featured as at "Today's
Special" as a pick of the day AND it was "Green Iguana" recommended.
Everyone here knows I could out write you any day of the week!

Lara Means -"Hegira" and "404" SUCK!! "Darkness Light" is SO much
better!

XL - Ladies, please, if you're going to fight, let's at least get
some mud in here.


Unfortunately the rest of the yelling and screaming was not
understood by any of us. So, on to the next question. Alicia,
hopefully you can help us figure this one out. When someone asks
you, a penny for your thoughts and you put your two cents in, what
happens to the other penny? Do you get change?

Since I'm both blond and a Republican, I don't understand this
sentence.
I had someone translate it for me. In my native tongue it reads, "I
have two cents. Someone is offering me a penny to talk to them.
Should I take the penny and invest it in commodities?  Or should I
leave their offer on the table and walk away knowing that by the
time I was done paying the "thoughts" tax I'd be lucky to clear 1/7
of a cent on the deal?"


What does each of you hope to gain personally from your
participation in the project? Any personal goals you've set for
yourself?

Mary Ann - The confidence to keep writing fanfic... there is so much
talent out there it's unreal... and a little intimidating for a new
writer, I would like for my writing to continue past the AS8
project.

Elizabeth - Fame, fortunate, a guest shot on the Today show in a
debate with Chris Carter... No, seriously. I had no intention of
writing an episode when I signed on, but now that I'm co-writing two
of them, I am looking forward to giving my writing skills a workout.

Jaz - I want to get some of my fanfic out there and see what people
think about it... get some experience and what not. It's pretty
selfish, but I guess that's why it's a personal goal, right? ;-)

Alicia -Inner peace, satisfaction in a job well done, and Pierce
Brosnan.

Lara Means- I see this as a blending of what I love about both
writing for TV and writing fanfic.  I love the freedom I get in
fanfic -- I can write whatever I want, with nobody really to answer
to.  In writing for TV, you have a whole cadre of people to answer
to; everything has to be approved by the people above you.  Believe
it or not, I love that -- executing what someone else expects of me
gives me a great sense of responsibility and commitment to the
people in charge.  AS8 has certain expectations, and I'm committed
to living up to them -- but at the same time, I'm essentially
working on my own, interpreting the characters and events the way
*I* see them.

Heather - I'd like to be able to look back at what we've
accomplished at the end of our version of S8 and say I was a part of
making it work.  Pretty simple.

Hazel - A sense of completion.  Of finally having the guts to do
something about this writing urge I have and also the hope that we
can make people happy and feel good once more about something that
was or is dear to them. Resolution also keeps springing to mind
again and again, for myself and for others.

Garrull - I took it on as a challenge to myself, to see what I could
do within this structure. And it was indeed a challenge--first of
all, it's a longer piece than I usually write. And, since the story
I started with wasn't my own, wasn't even one I was so attached to
on its own, I had to find a way to love it.

XL - Personally? Not a thing, other than to know to know that the
characters, and especially the fans, are treated with respect.
Kristel - Validation.  And I hope to walk away from the series with
something other than this lingering sense of bewilderment, shaking
my head and wondering "why?"

Jennifer M- Evil Jennifer says, "Smugness." Benevolent Jennifer
says, "Pride in contributing." Basically they mean the same thing.


Do you all plan to watch Season 9 when it airs? A yes or no response
only, please.

Hazel- Yes
Garrull- Yes
XL- Yes
Kristel - No
Jennifer M- Yes
Heather- No
Mary Ann- Yes
Elizabeth- Yes
Jaz- Yes
Alicia- Yes
Lara Means- Yes

And I also plan to watch Season 9. So that makes the tally 10 yeses
to 2 no's.


The AS8 group is made up of cat lovers, cat haters and cat owners.
Please tell me how you feel about this statement: "Cat - the other
white meat."


Mary Ann - is that the meat choice instead of dog? The thought that
comes to mind is generally low-fat, low-cal, heart-healthy...tasty,
if you can get around all the hair...you got me... how about its
what's for dinner.

Elizabeth - Gross!! I mean, my cat is insane, but still...

Jaz - Yum! Where can I find some? :-)

Alicia - I took AP Bio in high school and we dissected a cat but I
don't remember it being white...

Lara Means - I like cats, but they're not overly fond of me. Of
course, that could be because of that button I wear... how'd you
know what it says?

Heather - I think I'll stick with "Ewww".

Kristel - For critters with brains approximately the size of
walnuts, they've definitely got it together. They're the only
animals we've ever domesticated just because they're nice to have
around.  Little did we know we were fulfilling THEIR agenda...

Hazel - Anyone who comes between my cats and me lives to regret it,
if they are lucky!

Garrull - Most of what I eat is created in a lab; but thanks to the
advent of high-protein designer junk food, I probably no longer
qualify for the Twinkie Defense

XL - Can't be any worse than squirrel.

Jennifer M - The scientist part of my brain says: "Cats are
carnivores and not palatable, even when stewed." The cat owner part
of my brain laughs and thinks about the 3:00 AM wake-up calls our
Burmese kitty gives us. The PC part of my brain wants to call the
Humane Society on you.

Well, there are definitely some mixed reactions to this one. I enjoy
a love-hate relationship that works two ways - I love to hate cats
and they love to hate me. Cats are the evil of this world. My
philosophy is, fry them all up and serve them on a bun with a side
of fries. There would be plenty of kitty burgers to go around.


We had one final question, requested by XL to be asked to all the
women at AS8. "If the world was going to end in five minutes, and
there was nothing you could do about it, would you do XL?"
I am sorry to report, XL, that some of the responses were so graphic
that the censors cut out the details. But you'll be happy to know
that the responses were unanimously affirmative. Please let me know
if you'd like to see the uncensored answers.


I hope this has given everyone a better insight to the people behind
AS8. We are a strange bunch, but you can rest assured that we will
work our hardest to give you the best alternative season possible!
Tune in next week for Jo's rewrite of "Invocation!!