Everything Changes
Pt 3: Apostatized
Start: July 6, 2000
Cat: Skinner angst
Disclaimer: We don't need no stinking disclaimers!
Authors note: I feel most certain about the first half of
this piece... but after that I haven't got the slightest clue
where to go. Again, to be honest, I feel that this piece is
as vague as an episode we would all rip to shreds-- but
that's the feel I'm kinda' going for here, I guess.
My apologies for my shredding of the Navajo language—
I consulted everything I could find to make sure I was
as close as possible.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^XXX^^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Office of Professional Responsibility
J. Edgar Hoover Building
"Why did you go with Agent Mulder?"
Skinner looked back at them, three men and a woman. They wanted answers to their questions, and Skinner was afraid of the answers he had.
"Agent Scully had become ill," Skinner replied to Section Chief Wallis' question, and laced his fingers on the desk before him.
"Were there no other agents available?" AD Melissa Tork asked.
"Yes," Skinner answered, "but time was an issue with this case. I was familiar with details that would have taken too long to brief other agents about."
"Again, if you will," said AD Kersh, sitting forward, "what were the details of the case?"
"Agents Mulder and Scully were contacted by the Bellefluer, Oregon Sheriff's department, regarding recent disappearances that closely resembled the disappearances of a previous investigation in the same area seven years--"
"An investigation conducted by Agent Mulder?" Kersh interrupted.
"Yes."
"Disappearances that Agent Mulder reported to be abductions," AD Tork looked up from the papers lying before her, "alien abductions, correct?"
Skinner gritted his teeth. He could hear it in their voices, he could feel it in his spine-- they were baiting him in, waiting for him to hang himself. "Yes," he answered.
"The same individuals who were reported missing-- or rather abducted and then returned seven years ago were involved yet again. Is this correct?"
"Yes, they were."
"Including Agent Mulder?" Kersh asked.
Skinner looked at Kersh squarely. "I don't understand the question."
"Agent Mulder, who has a well recorded history of a belief and pursuit of other worldly entities was, too, involved again, was he not?" Kersh pressed.
"Yes, but not as a previous abductee. He and agent Scully investigated the incidents of seven years ago, but--"
"That was actually their first assignment together, wasn't it?" AD Tork asked.
"Yes," Skinner answered her distractedly, "it was."
"Aside from agent Mulder's disappearance," Section Chief Wallis leaned close to the paper on the desk in front of him, "twenty four other individuals are also reported missing from Bellefluer, Oregon."
Skinner hesitated, unsure if he should respond until Wallis looked up at him expectantly. "Yes, there are," he answered quickly.
"AD Skinner," Section Chief Marcel said, "from what you've told us, it would appear that Agent Mulder was an unwitting victim of cult activity-- perhaps even a mass suicide."
"What--?"
"The press and the people of Bellefluer are saying this was a mass suicide," Kersh cut him off briskly. "Have you ruled this out?"
"No," Skinner said, frowning, "but no bodies have been recovered. I know what I saw--"
"AD Skinner, we've heard what you say you witnessed, and by all means the magnitude of it is not lost on us, but, sir, you are clearly affected," Wallis said.
"Yes, I am. What I witnessed was--"
"Staggering," Kersh said, leaning back, "Yes, we know. But what proof do you have to show us?"
Skinner glared at the man, his insides twisting. "I don't."
"I'm sorry," AD Tork said, "I don't understand your answer."
Skinner swallowed. "I don't have proof of what I saw."
Silently, the panel members exchanged uncomfortable glances, doubt and contempt saturating their demeanor.
"Mr. Skinner," AD Tork said, summoning her best pleasant smile, "I believe I can speak for the entire panel, when I say that we require additional time to review your report of the Bellefluer incident."
Marcel and Wallis nodded their agreement. Kersh remained still, his expression stony as he stared at Skinner.
"You will be contacted, Mr. Skinner." AD Tork said and closed the file before her. "Until then, this meeting is adjourned."
Skinner felt his strength dwindling, the courage to take over a battle he'd seen Mulder fight and lose again and again over the years, but he refused to let the misgivings he felt about the adjournment betray his ridged exterior. His mouth held in a firm slash, Skinner gathered his report with numb fingers, the sound of rustling papers breaking the oppressive silence of the room.
As Skinner moved for the door, in spite of the panel members stirring to leave, he could feel their gaze on his back. He knew they had the power to take his career, his authority-- his access and ability to protect Scully.
"Sir?" Skinner looked up as he entered the hall outside the boardroom, seeing Scully approaching.
"Scully, why are you here?" he asked gruffly. She was the first and last person he wanted to see; she could give him immeasurable strength and yet knock him to his knees with a single harsh glare. Seeing her there stirred the conflict inside Skinner; he needed her there, but wanted her as far from the narrow-minded scrutiny of the FBI as she could be.
"I wanted to be here. I thought I could--"
"What? Help me make a bigger fool of myself?" Skinner interrupted her, aggravated with himself and feeling an undeniable sense of humiliation in her presence. "I don't need any help in that area, Scully."
"What's been said?" Scully asked, refusing to lose eye contact with him.
"The meeting has been adjourned while they review my report-- but they've already relegated this to the cult mass suicide heap-- They're giving this the heaven's gate spin based on what the people of Bellefluer are saying."
"Suicide?" Scully said, dismayed, "How could any one come to that conclusion? No bodies have been found. There were no--"
"They'll make it what they want, Scully." Skinner hissed.
Scully stared at him a moment. "Maybe for a while," she said, determination burning in her eyes, "but not forever. Not after we find Mulder."
Skinner felt the aggravation swelling in his chest. "Scully, how-- Where do we even begin?"
"There's a place near Albuquerque," Scully began, enthusiastically, "the Foresight institute."
Skinner frowned; he thought he recognized the name. "The Foresight institute, what is it?" he asked.
"A privately funded remote viewing project. A private sector off shoot of the disbanded CIA project called Stargate."
Skinner squinted down at her, having difficulty following. "I don't understand, Scully."
"I've narrowed down a small group of people at this institute who have suffered the same electo-encephalitic trauma as Mulder and the others in Bellefluer. Several of the members of the project are registered with MUFON, they're abductees."
Skinner looked at her, concern coming with his understanding. "You think there will be more that go missing?"
Scully nodded. "We have to go there," she said.
"Scully, I--" Skinner stopped, letting his breath escape in a long hiss as he glanced toward the boardroom. Turning back to Scully he urged her to walk with him. "It's a hundred to one-- a thousand to one shot that you'll find anything there," he said, once they were further away from the boardroom.
"We have to try," Scully said, stopping in the hall to face him, "it may be a long shot, but it's still a good start. More than we could have hoped for."
Skinner darted his eyes around the hall a second, considerations pummeling his consciousness. "I'm being held accountable for Mulder's disappearance, Scully. They're in there right now deciding my next career move-- I can't take off on a wild goose chase right now-- and neither can you," his lowered his voice, "you know that."
Scully looked back him, her expression hardened. "I didn't expect the kit gloves to come out so soon, sir," she said, her jaw tight with indignation.
"Scully, you don't understand," he tried to explain, "there's something we need to talk about--"
"Don't under estimate me, sir, I understand more than you'll ever know," Scully said and turned to walk away.
"Scully, wait--"
"You've got a real way with the ladies."
Skinner stopped and turned, glaring at Krycek. Had Scully seen him there? Son of a bitch-- "I told you I'd take care of this," he hissed at Krycek.
"When?" Krycek threw back, "looks to me like your interests are split right now-- you're distracted and we don't have time for distractions, Skinner."
"Just back off, Krycek. She doesn't trust you or anything you might have to say-- I'll handle this," Skinner declared.
"Make sure you do," Krycek's words were laced with threat.
~~~~~~~~~~^^XXX^^~~~~~~~~~~
North Cibola National Forest
New Mexico
In unison, Daniel and Chris looked up from their work on the motorcycle engine. The dogs had suddenly stopped barking and everything had gone deathly still.
Daniel stood, surveying their surroundings; the cottonwood sprinkled canyon was an ashy landscape of shadows framed by the jagged edge of the mountains to the east. He could see nothing, but thought he could hear a rumble far off. Or did he feel it?
"What is it?" Chris asked, his voice hushed as he stood beside Daniel.
Daniel shook his head, feeling a breeze lift the hair at the nape of his neck.
The dogs were beginning to whimper, cowering among each other near the house. Daniel watched them in the dim porch light; he believed that if they could have crawled under they would have.
The back door came open and their father stepped down to the ground, great curiosity and concern creasing the already deep ruts in his forehead. "Nido, dâ îîsoîts ââ?" he questioned his sons in a quite voice as he came across the yard to stand beside them.
"No," Daniel answered, "we feel it."
Their father nodded, and the three watched as the stars above the mountain ridge were blotted out. They said nothing, even when the light erupted over the ridge. It was the brilliance of the sun but clean light like the moon-- pure and white. The low sound grew from the light, traveling across the canyon floor like a giant humming bird, the beat of his wings lifting the air and stirring it around the three men without harm or threat.
Father and sons stood silently watching the pure light hum, certain of their security where they stood until the roar rushed over their heads-- blue eyes of fire screamed away from behind them and toward the serene light above the mountains.
"A jet!" Chris shouted excitedly.
Only a moment passed before they witnessed the explosion-- a ball of flame ripped through the sky and crashed into the mountain ridge, showering fire down over the brushy land. The light vanished, and soon a ribbon of amber light appeared across the ridge as fire licked the dry foliage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^XXX^^^~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was no hesitation; Scully's bag was packed, her flight was booked and she was ready to go. There had been some part of her that had held out hope of Skinner calling, telling her he'd come, but no call came. She couldn't wait, even if she did believe he'd somehow find a way to free himself of the review panel's endless scrutiny of his actions.
If he could, Skinner would help. Scully knew this from experience. In spite of what he might have said, he'd always helped.
Scully headed for the front door, a wash of thoughts gripping her concentration, leaving her unprepared for the sight of Marita Covarrubias standing outside the door.
"You shouldn't travel alone," Marita said, her voice low and her eyes level on Scully.
Scully stopped dead in the doorway, shocked but held onto her composure. "What do you want?" she asked sharply.
"We need to talk," Marita answered, stepping toward the entrance to the apartment.
"I'm fresh out of time," Scully said, pushing the woman back from the door, "try another apartment. I have to be leaving now."
"Where ever you go, you'll only find what you think you need to," Marita said while Scully worked to lock her front door. "It won't be what you need."
"Oh, yeah," Scully huffed, "and I suppose you know what it is that I need?" Scully turned to face her. "All I need is to find Mulder."
"This isn't just about Mulder or you anymore," Marita declared, her eyes boring into Scully, "You came into contact with something months ago, something powerful enough to cause the spontaneous regeneration of cells in your body."
Scully stared at the woman, shaken and suddenly feeling vulnerable. Marita knew. She knew only what Scully had confided in one person-- How could he have done this to her again? How could she have let herself trust in Skinner again?
"What ever it was, you must find it again," Marita instructed Scully solemnly.
"For whose benefit?" Scully retorted, the anger twisting at her chest, welling up unbidden with tears behind her eyes. "Yours and Krycek's? Didn't Skinner prove good enough to do your dirty work-- now you're doing it yourself?"
"I came to you," Marita said, tilting her head, "sympathetic to the position you find yourself in. If you don't find what it was that reversed your infertility, your pregnancy will not go full term."
"Is that a threat?" Scully fought against the quiver of her lip, the pull of tears in her eyes.
"No," Marita's tone softened, "a word of urgency. The child you carry holds within it a key to save humanity from the coming plague."
"No," Scully shook her head, pushing to past Marita, unable to hear anymore. She felt fear and anger raging within her. "No," she said again near a sob, "I've heard the lies and I've believed them, but not again." She turned to look at Marita squarely, reining in her equanimity. "You can't touch this part of my life. I won't let you."
Scully turned to go and heard Marita say, "deny the truth and everything changes. Everything you've ever known."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^XXX^^~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was late afternoon when Skinner was finally called back to the Office of Professional Responsibility. The afternoon sun cast long shadows in the boardroom, but the corners were dark and Skinner half expected to see cigarette smoke drifting out from any one of them as he moved to take his seat again.
"Assistant Director Skinner," AD Tork said before Skinner was fully seated in the boardroom. She looked down at the folder in front of her, arching a dark, angled brow. "During the last four hours an intensive review has been made of your report and oral account of events surrounding the recent disappearance of Special Agent Mulder and twenty four residents of Bellefluer, Oregon. Upon this review, the conclusion can not be denied that something overwhelming occurred, yet we can not dismiss the measure of uncommon disorder of facts and the extravagant premise you have presented to us."
"Extravagant?" Skinner repeated, quietly stunned by her choice of words.
"Mr. Skinner," Section Chief Marcel said, his tone carefully neutral, "with respect to the lack of evidence to support your claims, we have been unable to give credence to this fantastical tale of alien abduction sanctioned and coordinated by the very government we are entrusted by."
"Mr. Skinner," Tork said, clearing her throat demurely before continuing, "we're not insensitive to the ordeal you've witnessed and have obviously been affected by, yet it is our duty to ensure that the FBI and it's distinct members perform without impairment."
Skinner stiffened, dread saturating him.
"Therefore," Tork continued, giving each of the panel members a brief glance before she looked directly at Skinner, "it is our recommendation that you be given paid leave of your duties and responsibilities as Assistant Director, during which time you are to be evaluated by Bureau psychologists and certified as to your fitness for work."
"You can't--" Skinner began, but shut his mouth tightly.
The panel of his peers looked back at him.
"We can't what?" AD Kersh finally asked. He'd been silent, watchful. "We can't refuse to believe you witnessed an alien space craft abducting Agent Mulder along with two dozen others?"
Tork gestured to man, then turned to Skinner. "You still have the opportunity to continue a good career with the Bureau," she said, as though it were a warning, "don't apostatize yourself for Agent Mulder's cause."
Skinner bit back his indignation. He was slapped down but not out.
"This meeting is closed," Tork slapped the folder before her shut.
~~~~~~~~~~^^XXX^^~~~~~~~~~~~
Coming...
Other eyes