Medusa

Written By: Frank Spotnitz

Rewritten By: Samantha Wilkinson

SOUTH STATION T STATION

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

NOVEMBER 20, 2000

12:03AM

Brett Philbrick wearily leans against one of the walls of the

South Station terminal. The last commuter rail trains have
left for the evening, the eateries and booths dotting the
area have closed down, and only a handful of people
remain, waiting for buses or Amtrak trains. Philbrick sips
his coffee, cursing when a few drops spill on his MBTA
police uniform. Suddenly, the sound of running feet grabs
his attention. A boy in his late teens races through the
nearly empty station. He is wearing tight-fitting black
jeans and a black leather jacket. Philbrick snaps to
attention, however, when he notices the racing figure
clutching an incongruously floral purse. As the boy
clatters down the stairs towards the subway section of the
station, Philbrick starts running after him in pursuit. The
officer grabs his walkie-talkie from his belt clip. As he
chases the young thief through a maze of corridors lined
with the temporary walls that are the hallmark of constant
construction, he barks into his radio, "This is Officer
Philbrick. I'm heading towards the inbound platform at
South Station. Got a purse-snatcher, white, late teens,
brown hair, buzz cut, black jeans and jacket. Am in
pursuit."

His target vaults the turnstile and heads down the stairs to
the platform. Philbrick follows, hearing the rumble of the
approaching train. As he reaches the bottom of the stairs,
he spots the boy heading into the rear car of the train. He
dashes into the nearest car, narrowly avoiding being
caught by the closing doors. The car is empty except for an
elderly Caucasian man and a couple of smirking college
students whose laughter fades into unease as they catch
sight of him. The cop heads towards the rear of the train
where he saw the suspect enter. He slowly reaches behind
him and unholsts his weapon. After verifying that the
person he has been chasing is the only occupant, he
cautiously opens the door of the car and steps inside.
Suddenly, the lights go out and he hears a scream piercing
the darkness. The lights flicker on and off as the thief
stumbles into him, face contorted with fear and pain. The
lights in the train go out completely.

ALEWIFE T STATION

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

12:24AM

A recorded announcement reminds passengers, "Last stop.
Don't forget your belongings," as Joe Alvarez strolls along
the length of the train that has just pulled into the station.
He tugs his navy MBTA jacket closer around him to ward
off the late-night chill of the station.

A familiar face pokes out of the driver's window, and he
amiably calls out "Hey, Linda" as he ambles toward her.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spies someone lying across
several seats. "Hold on a sec," he tells her.

Alvarez leans his head in the car and says, "Sir? Sir?"
Getting no response he enters the car and puts his hand on
the man's shoulder. "Come on, sir, time to wake..." he
begins. He recoils when he sees the man's face. Raw flesh
shows through the sections not covered by burned and
blistered skin. The body is barely recognizable as Officer
Philbrick.

J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING

7:03AM

A knock on his office door alerts Skinner that he has a
visitor.

"Come in," he calls. Agent Scully walks in and slumps into
a chair in front of his desk. He discreetly examines her.
Mulder's disappearance has sapped her emotional
resources. Although she presents an unflaggingly
professional demeanor to the rest of the world, he can see
that worry and exhaustion have taken their toll on her.
"How are things going, Scully?" he asks her gently.

He means it as a general question, but she chooses to
interpret it in a professional sense. "Not well. The Gunmen
have still been unable to find any clues to the current
whereabouts of the ship. The only thing remotely
promising is a report I found on one of the MUFON
boards on the Internet. Several people who claim to have
been abducted from the Boston area returned two days
ago.

There were three total disappearances staggered over a
week to two weeks after Mulder's abduction."

"Are you planning to investigate?"

Scully sighs and resignedly says, "I can't afford not to. If
there's any chance, no matter how remote... I have to look
into it." A touch of desperation tinges her voice with the
last sentence. Skinner nods in understanding. Scully adds
in a more professional tone, "I need you to sign off on a
302 so I can go up there to investigate. I can't waste
personal time that I'll need later." She glances down at her
stomach significantly.

Skinner looks down at his desk, then back at Scully. His
face reflects his guilt and frustration. "Scully, I've got Kersh
constantly looking over my shoulder. You know there's no
way he's going to approve anything that reeks of 'alien
abduction.'"

"What do you think he'll say to this?" Scully hands him a
piece of paper. Skinner looks at it: it's a news article
printed off a web site. The headline blares, 'MBTA Cop
Found Dead on Train.'

"One of their officers was found on a subway train with his
face eroded by some caustic agent. I've spoken with a
Deputy Chief Karras at the Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority.

According to him, the medical examiner has so far been
unable to determine what caused this damage. He's had to
shut down one of the busiest sections of the system and
would, quote, 'welcome any help the FBI can provide.'"

Skinner hands the sheet back to Scully. He straightens up,
grateful to be able to do something to assist her search.
"Well then, Agent Scully, it looks like you've got business
in Boston."

TRANSIT OPERATIONS CENTER

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

12:34 PM

Scully strides into the transit operations center, Doggett a
step behind her. Computer terminals line the sides of the
room. On the wall is a map of the Boston subway system,
with blinking lights showing the positions of the trains in
the tunnels. A separate map details the status of the
commuter rail system. Several figures hunch over
monitors, typing furiously.

Over in the corner, two men stand talking quietly together.
As they notice the agents' presence, they move to greet the
two arrivals. The closest one, a stocky man in his 50s
wearing an ill-fitting suit steps forward. He looks at them
warily, conspicuously not offering his hand to shake.
"Deputy Chief Karras," he introduces himself. "You are?"

"Special Agent Dana Scully. This is Special Agent John
Doggett."

Both agents flip open their IDs.

Karras relaxes and smiles at them. "Right, we spoke on the
phone.

This is Lieutenant Mike Bianco with the transit police." He
gestures towards a tall, bulky man in his late 30s. "He'll be
acting as the T police liaison in this investigation."

The four shake hands and exchange the required
pleasantries.

Scully looks around the room. "Is there anyone else we're
waiting for?" she asks Karras.

"There're two more people waiting for you at South
Station, where Office Philbrick last reported in. We're
guessing that was where he met up with, well, whatever
killed him. As soon as we heard from the M.E. that we got
some kind of 'unknown agent' responsible for Philbrick's
death, we shut down that tunnel."

Karras sighs and runs his fingers through his thinning gray
hair.

"This morning's commute was a nightmare. Things have
slowed down right now, and I got shuttle buses
transporting people around, but there's gonna be a wicked
mess again at rush hour. Come four o'clock, the only
people who're gonna be happy are the cab drivers. I need
you guys to get me answers ASAP."

"We'll do our best," Doggett earnestly assures Karras.

Karras' voice turns harsh, and he steps forward in the
manner of a man used to intimidating his subordinates.
"That ain't good enough, Agent Doggett. I got thousands of
pissed-off commuters who're gonna want to get home on
time. And I got a pissed-off mayor who wants me to do
one thing, and one thing only -- get that train running."

"I hear you, sir." Doggett holds up his hand to placate the
upset man. "Rest assured, Agent Scully is an expert when
it comes to equivocal death."

Up until this point Bianco had been looming at the edge of
the conversation. Now he repeats skeptically, "Equivocal
death? What the hell is that supposed to mean? I mean,
you're dead or you're not, right?"

Scully looks uncomfortable. "Deaths for which there may
be many explanations or for which an explanation may be
hard to find."

Bianco's only response is a soft snort. He turns to Doggett
and challenges him, "So what are you an expert in?"

"I'm just a good shot," Doggett replies calmly, refusing to
let Bianco ruffle him. He turns to Karras, "So, do we gear
up here or down at the station?"

"We've got stuff for you down at the station. Mike'll take
care of you." He claps Bianco on the shoulder.

Doggett heads towards the door. He suddenly stops, then
turns to look at Scully, who hasn't moved. "Hey, Agent
Scully. Aren't you coming?" His face is puzzled.

Scully's right hand twitches towards her stomach, but she
restrains the gesture. "Actually, Agent Doggett, I've
decided I would be more effective up here. That gives me
a chance to coordinate with the medical examiner and
perform any scientific analysis that might be necessary."
She stares at a spot over Doggett's left shoulder, unable to
completely look him the eyes.

Doggett stares at her in disbelief, "Yeah, but I'm just
tagging along here. This is your thing. You've got all the
experience in this area."

Scully finally meets Doggett's eyes, doing her best to
convey assurance and sincerity. "You're going to have
capable people with you, Agent Doggett. What I need
down there are eyes and ears. Deputy Karras, we'll have
radio contact with the crew in the tunnel, correct?"

"Yeah, there's a headset for your partner down at the
station. Audio and visual." He glances back and forth
between the two agents suspiciously, uncomfortable with
the disagreement between them.

Doggett continues to look at Scully who once again is
avoiding his gaze. "Okay. I'll be your eyes and ears," he
finally relents. "But I wish somebody would tell me what
the hell I'm supposed to be looking for."

Scully makes no reply. "Hey, Wyatt Earp, are you comin'
or not?"

Bianco interjects impatiently from the doorway. Doggett
walks out of the room with Bianco close behind.

SOUTH STATION T STATION

INBOUND PLATFORM

Two people stand chatting next to a pile of scientific
gadgets and protective gear as Doggett and Bianco reach
the platform.

Doggett takes a moment to size up the other members of
his team.

One of the chatters is a tall African-American woman in her
late 30s. She is dressed sensibly in jeans, workboots, and a
fleece pullover. Whereas she looks fit and confident, her
companion's physique suggests a life spent behind a desk.
Also dressed in jeans and boots, the man sports medium-
length reddish brown hair, a full beard, and a beer gut.

The woman hears Doggett and Bianco approaching and
turns toward them, smiling. "Dr. Hellura Lyle. I'm with the
CDC." She alone of the quartet looks excited at the
prospect of the search.

Doggett and Bianco introduce themselves. Dr. Lyle's
conversation partner steps forward. "Steven Melnick, Chief
Structural Engineer with the MBTA. I'm your tour guide
for this trip."

Doggett and Bianco begin to pull on their bulletproof
vests. "So, Dr. Lyle," Doggett begins casually, "if the CDC
is being pulled in, shouldn't we be wearing HAZMAT
gear or something?"

"Someone from one of the local universities already sent
robotic sniffers through the tunnels before I got here.
Everything came up negative. I'm just here to help cover
all the bases." She picks up a heavy-looking backpack and
settles it on her shoulders.

"This whole thing is crap," Bianco scoffs. "No disrespect or
nothin', but we're lookin' for a cop killer, and we don't
need the FBI or the CDC or any other three-letter
organization to do that."

Doggett, already impatient with Bianco's truculent
attitude, testily rebukes him. "Hey, we're all on the same
side here. Let's just go in there and get this done." He puts
on the radio headgear allotted him. A small camera is
attached to the side that should allow Scully to see almost
everything he does. "Agent Scully, you there?" Upon
receiving her assent he tells her, "We're ready to rumble.
How's the picture?"

Scully's voice comes in through the radio. "I'm not ready to
give up cable, but you're coming through. Third rail's
powered down.

You're clear to enter the subway floor. As long as you stay
on this line, there should be no risk of accidental shock or
electrocution. You copy that, Agent Doggett?"

"Yep, we're going onto the track now. Stay tuned to this
channel." Doggett pushes back the short, swinging gate at
the end of the platform and climbs down the few steps that
lead him to the track. The floor of the subway tunnel is
covered with coarse gravel and littered with the occasional
cigarette butt and piece of trash. A narrow partition lined
with advertisements and movie posters separates the track
he is on from the one going in the opposite direction. A
few slits through the partition allow him to see through to
the other platform. As he waits for the rest of his party to
join him, he jokingly calls to Melnick, "So, how long we
gonna be walking today? I need to break these boots in."

"Karras has shut down the system all the way out to
Alewife, which is the last stop on the Red line in this
direction. That's almost seven miles from here. If we don't
find anything, we'll return on the other track." He pats his
paunch and grins, "I may need to lose a few pounds, but
I'm personally hoping we don't have to walk all that way."

"If we've got that much tunnel to search, we better get
started, then," Dr. Lyle butts in. She gestures towards the
tunnel entrance and nods towards Melnick, "After you."
Melnick and Bianco head into the darkness, turning on
their flashlights. Lyle follows eagerly behind with Doggett
bringing up the rear.

The four searchers send their flashlight beams bouncing all
over the tunnel, illuminating alternately the floor, sides,
and ceiling. Regularly spaced lights dimly illuminate the
braced concrete tunnel walls. The top of the tunnel is
shadow-filled and it is difficult to make out anything other
than the girders that support it. "So, Agent Scully, what
exactly are we looking for?" Doggett asks into his radio
microphone.

"Anything that looks out of place, no matter how
insignificant it seems. Until we know more about what
we're dealing with, everything should be considered
important. I wish I could be more specific for you. Karras
is getting the number of the M.E. for me. Hopefully after
consulting with him, I'll have more to give you."

Scully sounds apologetic and Doggett rushes to reassure
her, "No problem, Agent Scully. Whatever information you
can give me would be great."

The foursome walks along in an uncomfortable silence for
the next half hour. Even Dr. Lyle's exuberance is
dampened by the monotony of the tunnel and the fear of
the unknown.

A splash echoes through the quiet tunnel as Lyle steps in a
puddle. "Damn. I guess I should have worn my waterproof
boots," she comments wryly. "I didn't expect there to be
water in the tunnel."

"Must be a leak in the ceiling," Melnick offers. "I felt
something drip on my neck." He rubs absently at his
collar.

"Maybe I should go stand over there," Doggett jokes. "I'm
starting to work up a sweat."

"I wouldn't recommend it," Melnick chuckles in reply.
"Unless you enjoy being itchy." He scratches the back of
his neck as he speaks.

"Stop worrying about your neck and keep your eyes
peeled," Bianco chides, in a not unfriendly manner. "I want
to get out of here as soon as I can."

Suddenly Melnick shrieks and hunches over, clutching at
his neck. "My shirt, my neck. Omigod, get it off! Get it off!"
His voice rises in panic.

"What the hell is going on?" Bianco bellows as he and the
other members of the team rush to Melnick's side.

"Agent Doggett, what's happening?" Scully asks urgently
over the radio.

Doggett peers at Melnick's neck, illuminating the area with
a flashlight so that Scully can get a good view. Dr. Lyle
reaches into the backpack she's carrying and pulls out a jar
of ointment, the contents of which she daubs on Melnick's
neck. After examining the engineer, Doggett answers
Scully, "I don't know what happened. He's got a burn on
his neck, silver-dollar sized.

Could have something to do with that puddle we just
passed." He continues to Melnick, "What kind of seepage
do you get here? Melnick?" he prods when he realizes the
engineer is still distraught. He lays a reassuring hand on
the man's shoulder, careful to avoid his wounded neck.
"You gonna be okay there, buddy?" he asks gently.

"Umm, yeah," Melnick stammers. He takes a couple of
deep breaths to calm himself. "We're near the waterfront,
and the Big Dig construction is always stirring stuff up."

Dr. Lyle suddenly looks nauseous. "Oh God. I stepped in
that puddle."

"There's no reason to panic until we know what we're up
against," Doggett soothes.

"I know my job, Agent Doggett," Lyle responds
indignantly. She pauses then goes on in a calmer tone of
voice, "Sorry to snap at you. I guess this trip is bothering
me more than I thought.

Forgiven?" She gives Doggett a small, tentative smile.

Doggett waves it off, "Completely forgotten, Dr. Lyle."

Lyle offers a full-fledged smile in response then
announces, "I'm going to get a sample. Tell Agent Scully
I'll email her the results." She heads back down the tunnel,
unslinging a device off her shoulder the general shape and
size of a hardback book.

Doggett turns his attention back to the radio. "Agent
Scully, is it possible it's not a man we're looking for but
some sort of toxic leak?"

"I wouldn't rule that possibility out. However, we won't
know for sure until we get some definitive results either
from Philbrick's body or from Dr. Lyle's sample. How's she
doing down there?"

"Hold on a minute," Doggett replies. "I'll go check on her."
He starts towards Lyle, who is peering intently at the
screen of her analyzer, but Bianco's hand on his shoulder
interrupts him.

"Are you going to share with the rest of the class, Agent?"

Bianco asks belligerently. "What is all this crap about a
'toxic leak'? We were told this tunnel was clear of
contaminants."

Bianco begins to glance around the tunnel nervously.
Meanwhile, Melnick's hand hovers near the burn on his
neck, his face strained with pain, and his eyes widening in
fear at Bianco's words.

Lyle returns to the group, fiddling with her machine. "Tell
Agent Scully I'm transmitting now, " she directs Doggett.
"However, I don't know how much help this will be. The
analysis is only showing carbon, bromide, boron, and
calcium."

"You gotta interpret for me, Doctor," Doggett drawls.

"In other words," Lyle sighs with frustration, "it looks like
plain seawater."

"Tell Dr. Lyle I received the data," Scully's voice interjects.

"However, before we rule anything out, I'd like to get a
molecular analysis done on the sample. Since Melnick's
injured, send him back to the station. I'll get on the phone
and see if I can get someone to do the analysis. Tell
Melnick someone will meet him to receive the sample and
get him to a doctor."

Doggett relays Scully's instructions to the others. Melnick
looks relieved, but Bianco frowns. "Hey, what about us? Is
she expecting us to stay down here? I've got no desire to
end up like Philbrick."

Doggett opens his mouth to respond, but Scully speaks to
him before he can do so. "Right now we're just hedging
our bets. We can pull you out if you feel the situation
warrants it. However, we still need to determine if the
transit officer was attacked by someone or fell prey to
contagion in some manner. We have to make sure there are
no vectors for contagion in the tunnel. And if there are, we
need to identify them before they spread above ground."

"We'll keep going down here," Doggett promises.

"Speak for yourself," Bianco mutters under his breath.

Ignoring the testy transit cop, Doggett continues, "If our
guy's down here, we'll find him. Only one question, how
are we gonna navigate without our guide?"

"One of the technicians in the control center here can direct
you remotely," Scully offers. "I'll pass you off to one now
while I go make some phone calls."

* * *

Scully glances around the center, searching out the least
busy person. Spying the perfect target, she walks over to
where a young man is laughing with a co-worker and taps
him on the shoulder. "Can I borrow you for a minute?"

The man she has selected has curly dark brown hair and
freckles and barely looks old enough to be out of college.
"Sure," he smiles, pleased to be of help. "I'm Dave Parker.
You're Agent Scully, right?" He holds out his hand and
Scully shakes it briefly.

"I need you to monitor the crew in the tunnel for a few
minutes," she says briskly as she leads him to the post she
just vacated.

She waits until he's seated then heads toward an empty
corner of the room. As she walks away, she overhears
Parker introducing himself to Doggett.

Once she reaches a relatively quiet area in the center, pulls
out her phone and refers to a piece of paper she holds in
her hand, dialing the number written there. Someone picks
up on the other end. "James Parry," he announces in a
nasal voice.

"Dr. Parry," Scully begins, "this is Special Agent Dana
Scully with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I
understand you did the autopsy on Officer Brett Philbrick,
and I wanted to follow-up on the results of the tox
analysis."

"So far we haven't come up with much out of the ordinary.
There was a higher concentration of electrolytes around
the burn area, but nothing that could have proved fatal. He
died on the Red Line, right?" the doctor goes on without
waiting for a response.

"I heard they shut down the subway around South Station.
At least the commuter rail's still running -- I have a chance
at making it home on time tonight."

"What do you mean?" Scully wonders with growing
suspicion.

"Well, you did know that South Station is the terminus for
the southern half of the commuter rail system, right? Heck,
it's also the hub for all the commercial bus lines and the
Amtrak trains."

"No, Dr. Parry," Scully replies frostily, "no one bothered to
mention that to us. Call me at 202-555-0113 if you get
anything more. I've got to go." Scully hangs up the phone
and stalks over to where Karras is leaning over a
technician's shoulder.

"Deputy Chief Karras." Scully pronounces each word
slowly and separately, giving them weight. "I am given to
understand that you still have trains and buses running
out of South Station."

"Yes." Karras stares at Scully unblinkingly, unwilling to
give her any slack.

"If we're dealing with some sort of contagion situation
here, you could be endangering lives all along the East
Coast, if not the country. You've got to shut down the
whole station until we know what we're dealing with."
Scully focuses the full force of her steely gaze on the
bureaucrat.

"Look, Agent Scully," Karras says patronizingly, "I've been
listening to your conversations with Agent Doggett. You
said you're hedging your bets, right? I shut down the
subway line, but I can't afford to do anything more than
that without more evidence. Right now you've
got...seawater. Give me something to go on, and I'll
cooperate, but for now those trains keep running." He
makes a great show of speaking in an ultra-reasonable
tone. Scully almost expects him to pat her on her head and
send her on her way. She bristles in response.

"Then I'll go over your head," she warns, "as high up as I
have to in order to find someone who will listen to
reason."

"Fine, do that. Just don't expect a different response."
Karras turns his back on her. "I've got work to do."

Scully angrily whips out her cell phone and begins dialing
the MBTA main office. Her frustration escalates as she is
passed from person to person, each denying the necessity
of fully shutting down the station. Finally, she snaps the
phone shut with a scowl and rigidly walks back to where
Parker is talking to Doggett. From what she overhears of
the conversation, they're discussing the relative merits of
their favorite sports teams. She holds out a hand in front of
Parker, and he passes over the headset without comment,
sensing her foul mood.

"Agent Doggett, you there?" Scully asks as she adjusts the
headgear.

"Agent Scully, welcome back. Anything turn up?" Doggett
responds.

"Well, we've got a bit of a situation..."

* * *

"Son of a...," Doggett mutters after listening to Scully's
summary of the situation. His team has stopped for a
break while he talks with his partner. Lyle plays her
flashlight aimlessly over the ceiling while Bianco leans
wearily against a wall. "Well, we haven't found anything
down here. Except for a few mice, the whole place is as
silent as a..."

"Agent Doggett," Bianco hisses and draws his gun,
adopting an alert stance. Instinctively, Doggett follows
suit.

"What? What is it?" Doggett asks him quietly. He quickly
glances in every direction, searching for any potential
threat.

"There's somebody in the tunnel," Bianco whispers and
points with his gun into the darkness.

"All right, let's go find him."

Bianco and Doggett proceed down the tunnel, walking
rapidly, trying to minimize the echo of their footsteps.
Doggett can hear Hellura Lyle following a few feet behind.
He periodically looks over his shoulder to check on her. At
one point he notices her absently touching her bulletproof
vest as if to reassure herself of its presence.

As the beam from Doggett's flashlight bounces along the
walls, it illuminates a section of loose clear plastic the
height of the wall. Pulling it aside he reveals a side tunnel.
"Agent Scully, does anyone up there know what this is?"

He hears Parker's voice instead of the one he expects. "It's
part of an obsolete line. We mostly use it for storage these
days."

Doggett pushes through the plastic and enters the tunnel,
gun still held out in front of him. Bianco and Lyle
nervously glance at one another then follow.

"Agent Doggett," Scully cautions him, "be careful. You
don't know what's in there."

"I'm just taking a look," he protests absently. He is
concentrating more on looking around than what his
partner is saying. The tunnel is in an obvious state of
disrepair. Dankness and rust coat the walls and litter is
scattered along the tracks.

Doggett stares intently down the passage, straining his
ears for any sound that might betray the presence of
another person.

However, aside from the ragged breathing of his two
companions, he hears nothing.

After a few minutes of stillness Bianco grumbles, "All
right, there's nothing here; let's get out of here."

"Lots of places to hide in here," Lyle suggests.

"I agree, let's keep going," Doggett decides. Bianco shoots
him a resentful look that Doggett ignores.

Lyle glances suddenly to the right and shouts, "Agent
Doggett, look out!"

A figure rushes out of the shadows towards the trio.
Doggett's flashlight briefly illuminates the burned face of
what appears to be a teenager before the boy bowls him
over. Bianco runs after the fleeing figure while Dr. Lyle
kneels on the ground next to Doggett, inspecting him for
any sign of injury. Finished, she leans back.

"Everything looks okay, Agent Doggett. How do you feel?"
Lyle asks him.

Scully chimes in, concern evident in her voice, "Agent
Doggett, what happened? Are you all right?

Doggett attempts to catch his breath. The force of the
collision had been enough to knock the wind out of him.
"Yeah, I'm okay," he finally manages to choke out.

Bianco trots back into view. He holsters his gun and offers
a hand up to Doggett.

Doggett waves him away, "Nah, just give me a minute.
What hit me?"

"It came at you like some kind of phantom," Lyle
comments breathlessly. She is still wide-eyed from the
shock of the encounter.

"Some kid." Bianco shrugs. He seems unfazed. "He
matches the description Philbrick radioed in of the guy he
had been pursuing.

Anyway, he's dead now." Bianco gestures back the way he
came.

Doggett raises his eyebrows in surprise. "What
happened?" he asks incredulously. "I didn't hear a shot."

"Hey, I didn't touch him," Bianco lifts his hands
defensively.

"Come see for yourself."

The three make their way back to the main tunnel where
they find the body of the young man draped over the
track. Lyle stares at it for a minute, then turns away
suddenly. She clutches her gut as if she's going to be sick,
but quickly regains her composure and turns back to
examine the dead boy.

"Would you call that equivocal?" Bianco asks snidely. He
crosses his arms and stares down his nose challengingly at
Doggett.

Doggett isn't interested in playing macho games with
Bianco.

"Agent Scully, got any thoughts?" he asks instead. He leans
over the corpse and positions himself so that the camera
gets a good angle of the body.

"Uh, okay, I see it. It looks like a match for the wounds on
Officer Philbrick, but it's hard to tell without more detail."

"Sorry the picture quality's not the best."

Dr. Lyle perks up, "I've got a digital camera with me. I can
probably get some better shots for Agent Scully." She
rummages through her backpack and pulls out a camera.
She proceeds to circle the body, photographing it from
different angles.

"You've got a gadget for everything in there, don't you Dr.
Lyle," Doggett teases her.

She smiles at him in return, "One thing you can say for the
CDC: they give you good toys." Lyle sets up her gadgetry
to email Scully the photos. "Tell Agent Scully the pictures
should be coming through...now."

"Did you catch that, Agent Scully?"

"Yes, I just got them," Scully replies. "I'm opening the first
one...My God!" she gasps. "Poor kid. We can't let this
spread!"

"If there's something down here to be found, I'll find it,"
Doggett vows. He heads further down the tunnel in the
direction his team has yet to explore.

"What're you doing?" Bianco demands. "This man fits the
description called in by my transit cop. We found what we
were looking for. Let's get him wrapped up and go home."

"So you're saying this guy accidentally killed himself with
the same stuff he used to kill your man?" Doggett asks
incredulously. "That doesn't sound too plausible to me.
We've got to keep looking, make sure we've covered
everything."

"Fine," Bianco states snarkily. "Tell me, what exactly are
we looking for?"

* * *

Scully grimaces as she listens to the bickering between the
two men. She adjusts the radio so that she can monitor
Doggett's party without them hearing her, the picks up her
phone. After arranging to have Dr. Parry retrieve the
young hooligan's body, she sets her phone on the table
and rests her chin in her hands thoughtfully. Until she gets
the analysis of the seawater sample back or Doggett finds
something, there is little she can do. She glances back and
forth between the monitor showing Doggett's progress and
a folder she has brought with her. Finally, she reaches a
decision and opens the folder. She reviews the posting
authored by Bart Jameson, one of the three men who had
just returned. Phrases jump out at her: "painful injections,"
"cut into me without anaesthetic," "some kind of goo that
blistered me when they spread it on my genitals." She
squeezes her eyes shut against the cruel words.

Although Bart's account is self-contradictory, and at times
even silly -- the aliens apparently spent time debating
American pop culture with him when they weren't
performing their agonizing experiments -- her imagination
nonetheless tortures her with images of these unthinkable
acts being performed on Mulder. She forces herself to open
her eyes, at last reaching a paragraph in which Bart accuses
a Dr. Victoria Nguyen at Mass General Hospital of being
part of a conspiracy to cover up his experiences. Deciding
this is a good place to start, she gets the number of the
hospital from information and quickly dials it.

* * *

The developing blister on his left heel reminds Doggett of
the downside of new shoes. He, Lyle, and Bianco had
reached the end of the line and were now trudging back
towards South Station on the southbound track. Suddenly,
he trips over something as he steps around a curve in the
tunnel. He shines his flashlight on the obstacle he
stumbled over. The object in question is the body of a
shabbily dressed man with unkempt hair. He appears to
be in his late fifties. He, too, suffers from burns covering
much of his face and body.

"Agent Scully, we got another body. Looks like a vagrant
male." As with the first corpse, he crouches to give Scully
the best possible view.

"Yeah, I see him. Can you get any closer?" she finally
replies.

Doggett crinkles his nose. "Smell's a little overpowering.
He's been here for a while."

"I see signs of the same tissue degradation we saw in the
other victims. We may have a contagion here after all."

Lyle and Bianco exchange nervous glances, sensing from
Doggett's worried expression that the news is not good.

The brief sound of crunching gravel filters in from further
down the tunnel. "Somebody's over here!" Lyle cries out.
The other two rush off in the direction the noise came
from, guns at the ready.

"What did you see?" Doggett asks Lyle.

"Somebody out here just took off," Lyle answers while
looking up and down the empty tunnel.

"I don't see where." Doggett frowns.

Bianco also glances perfunctorily along the tunnel. He
turns to Lyle and says, "Look, we're all on edge right now.
You heard a rat. There's nothing else down here. We're
done. Let's just get this show on the road."

Lyle balls her hands on her hips and glares at Bianco.
"Look, I know what I heard. It was too loud to be a rat.
Plus I saw a human-sized shadow."

"Agent Doggett," Scully says over the radio.

"Hold on a minute, lieutenant," Doggett cautions. He grabs
Bianco's shoulder to stop him from leaving.

Scully continues, "Agent Doggett, if there's somebody else
down there you're going to need to find him."

Doggett opens his mouth to answer but is interrupted by
Karras' voice. "What are you doing, Agent Scully? Get
those people out."

"'Those people' have found two dead bodies and I want to
know what happened to them." Doggett smiles, enjoying
hearing his partner take on the obnoxious pencil-pusher.

"So, we'll bring up the bodies as well and you can do the
autopsies, or whatever it is you get paid to do." Contempt
tinges Karras' voice.

"You don't understand," Scully responds insistently. "They
could be infected and contagious."

"With what? Seawater?" Karras sneers. "You're being
irrational here.

The instruments said there are no contaminants. I'm going
to take their word on it."

"What about those dead men. How do you think they
died?" Scully challenges, anger and frustration clear in her
voice.

"Easy, the same guy that killed our officer killed this
homeless man. Now he's dead. Problem solved." Karras
speaks as if reasoning with a simpleton.

"Then take a look at the man who fits the description of
your killer, okay?" Doggett assumes that Scully is referring
to the pictures Lyle sent her. "Just look at his injuries, sir.
He died the same way as your officer and the vagrant.
There is something down there and I am not going to risk
bringing it up here before I figure out what it is!"

Scully's voice rises in volume throughout her speech,
forcing Doggett to listening to the conversation with the
earphone held slightly away from his head. He seizes the
opportunity to jump into the conversation, "Agent
Scully..."

"Yeah?" she snaps.

"What do you want us to do?"

The irritation in Scully's voice lessens slightly. "I want you
to leave those bodies where you found them and go after
whoever it is in that tunnel. We need to know whether he
is causing this or if he's infected himself. Either way, he
may kill more people."

Doggett turns to Lyle and Bianco. "All right, we just got
our order. We're going to continue on."

Bianco puts his hands on his hips. "Says who?"

"Says the boss," Doggett replies calmly.

He heads down the tunnel leaving the other two no choice
but to follow.

Bianco catches up with him. "Agent Doggett. This agent
you work with deals with weird stuff, right?"

Doggett looks surprised at the question, but answers
anyway, "We work on something called the X-Files -- FBI
cases dealing with unexplained phenomena."

"You know her at all?"

"Yeah, I know her. We've worked together for a couple
months."

"I wonder why she sent you down here instead of coming
herself."

Doggett stops and looks fully at Bianco. "I've seen Agent
Scully put herself on the line before. She's no coward. In
this case, it's the right call. You got a problem,
Lieutenant?"

"Yeah. A problem when somebody I don't know keeps me
down here in the dark looking for jack squat when we've
already found our man," Bianco blusters. Lyle rolls her
eyes at the macho posturing and folds her arms across her
chest, waiting for the dominance issue to be settled.

"It's a question of contagion. Agent Scully is a scientist.
She's needed up there to analyze the evidence," Doggett
counters.

"It's a question of who's in charge. And I don't see Agent
Scully adding much to this investigation." The two stand
staring at each other. A scream jolts the men out of their
impasse. Dr. Lyle tumbles to ground, clutching her leg.
She curls up in a fetal position, moaning. Her eyes tear up.
She yanks up her pant leg to reveal blistered skin,
sparking as if electrically charged. "My leg, ohgodithurts,
my leg," she sobs over and over. Doggett rushes to Lyle's
side. He reaches out to her, then pulls back, unsure if he
should be touching her. Bianco is at a loss as well, his
usual sour expression replaced by uncharacteristic
concern. "Agent Scully, what do I do?" Doggett asks,
beginning to panic.

"Yeah, um, get some fresh water on it!" Scully stammers.
"Dr. Lyle should have some distilled water with her."

Doggett decides it's safe to put a hand on Lyle's shoulder
to get her attention. "Dr. Lyle? Where's your water?" he
asks. She looks at him uncomprehendingly. "Water?" he
repeats. She raises a shaking hand to point to her
backpack. He retrieves a bottle and pours its contents over
her blistered flesh. The water douses the sparks and seems
to ease Lyle's pain. Her cries gradually soften as her panic
subsides. However, her clenched expression testifies to the
agony she is still feeling.

Lyle manages to choke out, despite the pain, "What the
hell is this?"

Doggett frowns. "I don't know, and I don't like it that you
don't know! Agent Scully, talk to me."

Scully's voice sounds uncertain over the headset, "I don't
know what to say... I, mean, i-it's something attacking the
dermis."

"Attacking? It's eating her leg off!"

"I know, Agent Doggett." Scully sounds angry and
defensive. "I can't be any more specific. It takes time to run
the tests and analyze the data. Right now, although the fact
that both Dr. Lyle and Melnick developed symptoms after
exposure to what seems to be sea water suggests that this
is something naturally occurring, we still can't rule out
other possibilities up to and including some kind of
biochemical weapon."

Doggett groans. "A biochemical weapon?"

Bianco snaps to attention upon hearing that. "What the
heck did she say?" Bianco demands.

"She said a lot of people might be taking cabs home
tonight. This might be a terrorist using some kind of
biochemical agent."

"Might? What, is she guessing?" Bianco's patience is
clearly stretched to the limit.

"Agent Doggett," Scully breaks in, "Parker and I pulled up
a map of the subway grid where you are now. We have an
idea of where your mystery man may be hiding."

Doggett nods his head periodically as he listens to her
directions. He then turns to Lyle and Bianco. "Okay, Agent
Scully's telling me there's a new tunnel being built from
South Station heading under the harbor to the airport.
Bianco, I guess you'd know about it -- she said it's part of
the Silver Line.

Apparently, it's the only place for a couple of miles that
this guy could be hiding."

Lyle's eyes are clenched shut with pain, and she rocks back
and forth, grabbing her leg. "There's no way I can go on
any further."

"I'll have a HAZMAT team come down here and prep you
for quarantine," Doggett decides.

"Got that, Agent Doggett," Scully pipes in. "I'll send a team
in."

"Come on, Lieutenant, let's go," Doggett addresses Bianco.
Bianco shows no inclination to go anywhere, leaning
insolently against a wall and idly scratching the back of his
hand. Tired of wrangling with the man, Doggett does an
about face and heads off down the tunnel. Finally he hears
Bianco's footsteps catching up behind him.

KENDALL/MIT T STATION

INBOUND PLATFORM

Scully rushes in as a team in HAZMAT suits carries Lyle
out of the tunnel on a stretcher. Lyle is in obvious pain and
periodically groans as the movement of the stretcher
jostles her.

"Dr. Lyle." Scully manages to get the doctor's attention.
"How are you feeling?" she asks with concern.

"I...I think it's getting worse," Lyle groans.

"Well, we got vehicles on the way. The CDC doctors have
been informed of your condition. They've been treating
Melnick with an alcohol bath. So far this seems to be
working, although we're still not sure exactly what we're
up against."

Lyle is clearly in no condition to continue the
conversation, so Scully backs off to allow the suited
figures to carry her to a waiting ambulance.

Scully spots another team carrying the two bodies from the
tunnel off into the opposite direction from Lyle's stretcher.
She runs after them, yelling "Hey! What are you doing?
Hey, where are you taking them? Those bodies go to the
CDC. Look, as a federal agent I order you to stop and
explain yourself." The figures quicken their pace, but
otherwise give no sign of hearing her words.

"Agent Scully," she hears the voice of a woman behind her.
Scully continues pursuing the retreating men. "Agent
Scully," the woman repeats more loudly, catching up to
her. She's around thirty, with mocha colored skin and
black hair pulled back neatly in a bun at the base of her
neck.

Scully sighs and stops. "Yes, can I help you?" she asks. She
folds her arms and gives off her best 'keep away' vibes.

The woman continues undeterred. "I was told I could find
you here. I'm Dr. Kai Bowe." Scully stares at her blankly.
"I'm a marine biologist from BU. I was sent a scribbled note
and a saltwater sample for analysis."

Scully's confusion clears and she lowers her arms. "I'm
sorry. Yes, Dr. Bowe, please. Um... Did you get an
analysis?"

"Well, yes, I have something to show you, that's for sure.
I'm going to assume you're in a hurry." Dr. Bowe sets her
laptop on a nearby bench. After some fiddling a picture
appears on the screen. "This is an image taken from a
stereo microscope of what's called a medusa. Your
saltwater sample was rather deceptive. Its components are
exactly as you'd expect except for higher levels of calcium.
This creature is primarily that."

"Calcium?" Scully peers more closely at the laptop screen,
intrigued.

"Yes," nods Dr. Bowe, happy to have an interested
audience, "it's what powers its movement and gives it
bioluminescence."

"No wonder the sniffers missed the organism," Scully
realizes, "it blends right into the background." She loses
herself in a moment of scientific wonder.

Dr. Bowe ploughs on enthusiastically, "Well, it's hard to
find. I daresay I'm not even sure if it's of the sea. But
wherever it's from, it... it's quite incredible."

"It's killing people." Scully's momentary awe wanes as she
recalls the reason for this conversation.

Dr. Bowe looks shocked. "How?"

Scully shrugs. "I was hoping you could tell me. There is
seawater in that subway tunnel and it's eating people's
flesh off. It's producing some kind of a...a reaction that
looks almost electrical."

"On contact?" Bowe asks, horrified.

"No. There's a delayed reaction."

"Have you seen it first hand?"

"No, my partner has. He's down in the tunnel now, and I
fear the worst."

SILVER LINE TUNNEL

Bianco and Doggett walk along an unfinished tunnel.
Scaffolding and girders line the walls, monuments to the
massive construction projects that have engulfed the city.
The two men are stiff with tension due to both the
situation and each other's presence.

"We're in the tunnel now, Agent Scully," Doggett
announces.

"Agent Scully?"

Parker's chipper voice floats over the radio. "I've got you
right now, Agent Doggett."

"Parker, where's Scully?"

"She went down to the station to check on Dr. Lyle. She
should be back soon."

Bianco, privy only to Doggett's side of the conversation,
complains, "Here we are, pissing away our time, and she's
off fixing her makeup," he tosses off derisively. He stops in
front of Doggett and faces him confrontationally, "Come
on, Agent Doggett. Make a decision. Let's get out of here."

Doggett shakes his head, equally as unbending as Bianco.
"We got to find whoever it is that's still down here,
Lieutenant."

"And what if we don't find him? Maybe it'll be us they find
lying facedown on the floor, dead." Bianco leans down to
hiss this in Doggett's face.

Doggett responds unfazed, "Agent Scully knows what
she's doing. This is about saving people's lives."

"If she's so worried about saving lives, then why isn't she
down here?" Bianco face begins to purple and he is about
to continue his rant when he notices Doggett staring at him
intently. "What?" he demands.

"Lieutenant. Walk towards me," Doggett directs in his
most soothing voice.

"Why? What is it?" Bianco starts to worry.

Bianco's arm and face are covered in the green substance.
Bianco looks at this arm and recoils. His voice is tinged
with hysteria as he says, "The stuff's on me. You see that
it's spreading. I told you, Agent Doggett -- we should've
gotten out."

"That's exactly why we've got to stay. We've got people to
protect."

Bianco looks scared. "You saw! You saw what it does." He
frantically scrubs his hands on his clothes, to no avail.

"Yeah, I saw what it did. But I don't see it having any other
effect on you, so just calm down." Despite his reassuring
words, Doggett's tone is impatient.

"Fine," Bianco relents. "One more hour, then I'm leaving."

Doggett starts back down the tunnel. He senses Bianco
moving behind him. A sudden pain pierces his skull as
something heavy hits it. He falls forward, his world
turning to black.

* * *

Scully enters the control center in time to overhear Parker
crying, "Agent Doggett! Agent Doggett!" She glances at the
monitor but only sees a close-up of what she eventually
realizes is a piece of gravel. "Parker, what's going on?" she
demands.

"I dunno," the tech replies. He's clearly unnerved and at a
loss as to what to do. "All of a sudden he just stopped
transmitting."

Scully grabs the headset from him and before she even has
it fully settled on her head is yelling into the microphone,
"Agent Doggett? Agent Doggett?" No one replies.

Scully paces nervously back and forth along the floor,
glancing at the monitor each time she passes it. Finally she
is rewarded by a groan. "Agent Doggett, are you all right?"

Doggett takes a moment to respond. "My head hurts. I
think Bianco clocked me. His arm and face were covered
with that green stuff, and he started panicking."

"I'm going to send a quarantine unit down to get you,
Agent Doggett, okay? I want you to stay right where you
are."

Doggett cocks his gun. "I appreciate the offer, Agent
Scully, but I can't do that. If we're going to stop the spread
of this thing I gotta stop Lieutenant Bianco."

"Fine. I'll send a team down on standby. You track down
Bianco. But make sure you don't touch him," Scully
cautions.

Suddenly a shot rings out in the tunnel. Doggett jogs
cautiously towards the sound, gun at the ready. He comes
upon a body lying on the floor, blood oozing from a chest
wound. Doggett kneels down and checks the man's pulse
careful to avoid the contaminated portions of his skin.
"Agent Scully, it looks like we've found our mysterious
tunnel rat." He examines the body further. The dead man's
face and much of his exposed skin are covered with burns
identical to those of the other victims. "Looks like he was
also infected. I'm going on; send someone to pick him up."

Doggett bursts into a run. He turns a bend to see Bianco
standing on a ladder banging at a service hatch.
"Lieutenant Bianco, stand down!" he commands. He points
his gun at Bianco. The officer turns around and Doggett
can see the sparks on his arm and face.

Bianco's face is scrunched up in pain as he cries out, "It's
burning me; I've gotta get out of here." He turns his
attention back to the hatch and begins to raise it. Doggett
sights along his gun. He hesitates, knowing he needs to
stop the other man, but not wanting to shoot him. Finally,
he clicks the safety back on his gun and holsters it. He
rushes at Bianco, grabbing the man's legs and pulling on
him. The two tumble to the floor. Doggett's flashlight spins
away. In the resultant darkness, green bioluminescence
begins to creep over his hands. Bianco has collapsed on
the floor, huddled in a ball moaning. As the minutes pass,
sparks spread steadily across Doggett's hands and arms,
leaving angry burns in their wake. By the time the
quarantine team reaches them, he is hunched with his back
against the wall, teeth gritted with pain.

RESIDENCE OF KEVIN FLAHERTY

BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS

NOVEMBER 21, 2000

Scully glares at the twenty-something man slouching
nonchalantly in the easy chair across from her. "Let me see
if I've got this straight, Mr. Flaherty. You say the aliens,
and I quote, 'drugged you up with something then
telepathically raided your mind to learn about earth
culture.'" Scully delivers this in her most deadpan tone.
Kevin Flaherty misses the sarcasm in her voice and nods
earnestly. "That's interesting," Scully continues, "since I
have a report from a Mr. Bart Jameson -- coincidentally a
member of your bowling league -- who claims that," she
reads off of her notebook, "'the aliens all spoke English
and talked about how much they loved "Seinfeld."' I won't
even get in to what your co-worker, Mr. Christopher
O'Meara, said." Scully wrinkles her nose in disgust.

Kevin Flaherty finally begins to realize he doesn't have a
sympathetic audience and starts to fidget in his seat. "Now
listen here, Miss..."

"Agent," Scully instantly corrects him.

"Okay," he smiles ingratiatingly, "Agent Scully. They were
torturing us. Of course we got a little confused. Doesn't
mean we didn't suffer. It'll be months before I can go back
to work."

"That's odd," Scully comments with a suspiciously flat
expression, "since I spoke to Dr. Nguyen, who examined
you at the hospital when you reappeared, and she reports
that there is nothing physically wrong with you."

"Alien technology?" Kevin offers weakly.

"You tell me," Scully leans forward, fixing him with her
stare.

"Is there any part of your story you'd like to change?"

Kevin's face adopts a sickly expression, as he realizes he is
trapped.

NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL CENTER

NOVEMBER 22, 2000

11:53AM

Scully cautiously enters Doggett's hospital room and
inquires,

"How are you feeling Agent Doggett? Ready to go home?"

"Well, I can't recommend the exfoliant treatment," Doggett
comments wryly. "But at least there's one bright spot --
we've got a nice black and white case report to turn in, tied
up with a scientific explanation. Not even Kersh could
complain."

"Actually, we don't even have that. Some people claiming
to be from the CDC took all of our samples, our data, even
the bodies you found in the tunnel."

"What do you mean 'claiming'?"

"Dr. Lyle was as surprised as I was to hear about them.
And when I called the main headquarters, they denied any
knowledge of the appropriation of our evidence."

"But who would have done such a thing? And why?"

Scully shrugs, "I imagine there are any number of parties
who would be interested in an organism that could be
used as a near-undetectable biological weapon."

"How can they get away with this? What do we do now?"
Doggett looks ready to charge out the door and single-
handedly wrest the evidence from whoever stole it.

"They've already gotten away with it, Agent Doggett. And
we go back to Washington once again empty-handed, with
no data to support our conclusions." Scully's voice starts
out matter-of-fact as she begins this statement, but
gradually a touch of anger creeps into her speech. Her tone
is bitter as she adds, "If you're going to stay with the X-
Files, Agent Doggett, you'll need to get used to that."

"Will I also have to get used to being unable to trust my
partner?" Scully blinks in surprise at Doggett's sudden
anger.

"What exactly are you referring to, Agent Doggett?" she
questions calmly, folding her arms across her chest and
cocking an eyebrow.

"I called the hotel yesterday to check for any messages.
The desk clerk informed me that you had received a fax
from a Dr. Victoria Nguyen. Figuring it had something to
do with this case, I gave her a call." As Doggett speaks, the
hauteur drains from Scully's face to be replaced by a blank
expression. Doggett continues, "Imagine my surprise when
Dr. Nguyen informs me she had been consulting with you
on three cases where the patients claimed to be the victims
of alien abduction." Doggett spits out the last two words.
"As both your partner and the agent in charge of the
investigation into Agent Mulder's disappearance, I should
have been kept in the loop about this."

"Why should I keep you in the loop, when you'll just
dismiss anything I say having to do with the subject." The
guilty expression Scully's face had begun to adopt is
burned away in anger. "You've been following all
the...,"Scully sneers, "standard procedures, but all the
'Missing' posters and calls to hospitals in the world are not
going to help find Mulder." Scully is in full throttle at this
point. Although she is too self-controlled to yell, her
narrowed eyes and tense posture betray her ire.

"You and Skinner keep promising me that you'll each be
the one to find Mulder. I have yet to see any results. He's
my partner! My responsibility! And I will do whatever it
takes to find him."

"And what exactly does it take?" Doggett counters. "Letting
your partner go without you into a contaminated area
because you've got to stay safe to save Mulder?"

Scully winces as the accusation hits home, but stonily
replies "I explained my reasons to you, Agent..."

Doggett cuts in, "Then why did I get the feeling you were
keeping something from me? You know, Mulder's not the
only one I investigated when I was first appointed leader
of the task force. The agents I spoke to who had worked
with you before all said you could be relied on when the
chips are down." Doggett pauses, then sneers, "I guess
they didn't know you very well."

Scully blanches, and Doggett looks apologetic, realizing
he's gone too far. Doggett's tone, although still frustrated,
lacks the bitterness it had before, as he continues. "Look,
Agent Scully, that was outta line. I'm sorry. But I don't
know how to convince you that I'm not the enemy here. I
want to find Agent Mulder almost as much as you do, and
we're not doing him any good if we're working against
each other."

Scully stares at Doggett, then drops her eyes. She looks
back up at him with a repentant face and opens and closes
her mouth twice as if about to speak. Finally, she sighs and
says resignedly. "The lead didn't pan out. It was just some
friends who decided to ditch their wives, then decided
they didn't enjoy doing their own cooking and cleaning.
Right now you know as much as I do about Mulder's
whereabouts -- nothing." Scully's shoulders slump,
allowing Doggett to see her weariness and desperation for
an instant before she pulls herself together again.

"We'll find him, Agent Scully." Doggett smiles. "Together."
He turns serious again, waving his hand dismissively, "I'm
just havin' trouble believing that a bunch of 'Extra-
terrestrial Biological Entities'," he pronounces the phrase
carefully, as if quoting it, "are zooming around in their
space-ships kidnapping people." He pauses, then goes on,
"Tell ya what. I'll keep lookin' for clues on this world, and
you take everywhere else. But we work together, okay?"

The corner of Scully's mouth turns upward and she nods.
"The doctor says you're ready to be discharged. Why don't
you get dressed and I'll go wait for you in the lobby."

"Sounds good to me," Doggett responds. Scully heads to
the door, pausing at Doggett's next words. "Hey, Agent
Scully." Scully turns toward him. "No more secrets, right?"
Scully gazes at him for a beat and then exits the room.
Doggett frowns at her retreating figure.

Outside the door, Scully nearly bumps into a gray-suited
man.

"Excuse me," she mutters, too absorbed in her own
concerns to pay any attention to him. The figure enters
Doggett's room. Doggett's voice floats cheerily into the
hallway. "Well, if it isn't Agent Crane. What the heck
brings you to this part of the woods, Gene?"

* * *

SHERATON COMMANDER

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

Scully performs her customary final check of her hotel
room, searching for any items she may have neglected to
pack. As she reaches for a trouser sock under her bed, her
cell phone rings.

She answers it with her standard greeting: "Scully."

"Please hold for a call from Deputy Director Kersh," a
bored female voice recites.

"Agent Scully?" Scully wrinkles her nose in disgust at
Kersh's voice on the line, but crisply replies, "Yes, sir?"

"Agent Scully, I was under the impression you were in
Boston to offer your medical expertise to help solve some
mysterious deaths on the transit system, but I've just
received a report informing me you've been interviewing
alleged," Kersh stresses the word, "alien abductees."

Scully stiffens in anger while listening to Kersh. "Sir, I..."

"Save it, Agent. I want to see you in my office Friday
morning at 8:00 a.m. And I hope for your sake you've got a
good explanation for this." Scully clenches her fist at
hearing the smugness of Kersh's voice.

"Oh, and Agent Scully," Kersh adds.

"Sir?" Scully spits out.

"Have a Happy Thanksgiving." The click on the line
indicates Kersh has hung up.

Scully hurls the cell phone onto the bed, hissing a single
word: "Bastard!"

She looks up at the ceiling and silently vows, "I won't let
anyone stop me from finding you, Mulder. I promise."

THE END!

