The Lone Gunmen: Your Title Here
(That's a fancy way of saying I'm too lazy to think of a good one.)
By "Shane McHennal"
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters (except Shane*, of course). I am making no money (that I know of) by writing this story. It is solely for my own enjoyment, and just to say I did. The Lone Gunmen and the X-Files belong to FOX, 1013, and Chris Carter, and they always will. May the hair on their toes never fall out. So please don't sue me. Please?
Summary: The Gunmen get a visitor who fills them in on a new conspiracy that could have much farther-reaching effects than any of them realize. And oh, yeah, Langly gets a girl. *Maniacal laugh*
*Note: The name "Shane McHennal" is an anagram of my real name. I use both for my pen name on fanfiction.net and the character name in this story.
Prologue
March 14th, 1995
On a cool spring morning, a dark blue SUV made its way down a peaceful suburban road. Its destination lay half a mile away, but for the vehicle's driver, the journey's end could not come soon enough.
Inside the car, the driver glanced anxiously at her passenger. Though lined with age, her face was still quite pretty, and the resemblance to her young companion was unmistakable. Softly, the older woman said, "I don't want you to be scared, honey."
"Why would I be scared, Mom?" her daughter asked solemnly as she gazed out the window.
Her mother shrugged slightly. "Lots of kids are scared when they get vaccinated. My company's doing this, so you have nothing to be scared of."
"I know." Then, "Mom?"
"Yes, Shane?"
"I thought your company makes processors."
The other set her jaw grimly. "They do."
-1-
March 16th, 2001
Melvin Frohike wiped a putrid mix of rainwater, sweat and grime from his forehead as he and his companions entered the main office of The Lone Gunmen. Behind him, Langly cleaned his glasses and complained, "That is the last time I go digging through a Dumpster for floppy disks!"
Byers answered, "Hopefully, it's the last time we'll have to. At least we found something."
"Yeah, and I'll bet you anything it's someone's chat transcripts from the 'Secrets of Star Wars: Episode II' room." Frohike fished the bagged disks from his jacket pocket and pried the cover off one with his pocketknife. He then proceeded to take an empty cover and put the plastic circle from the trashed disk inside. Once the repaired disk was complete, he fed it into the drive.
After a few command lines, a logo appeared onscreen: Lewis & Nash, Attorneys at Law. "Well, at least there's something there," Frohike murmured. Byers and Langly peered over his shoulder at the screen. A login prompt appeared over the logo, and Melvin stepped aside to let Langly take over.
After several minutes of typing, the younger man shook his head. "Whatever is hidden on this disk, it's hidden well. I can't get past their firewall."
Byers sighed. "So much for that." The doorbell buzzed.
Frohike checked the monitor by the door; a short, soaked figure waited in the stairwell outside. "Guys," he said softly, "anyone order pizza?"
The other two Gunmen glanced at the screen. "Nobody I know," Langly said softly. Byers studied the figure, then nodded toward the door.
"Might as well open it."
Frohike unlocked the heavy door and opened it a few inches. As he did, the figure looked up, and her face came into view. It was a young woman, just out of her teens, and her face bore an expression of desperation.
As they stared, she spoke, voice strained. "You don't know me," she said, "but I need your help."
(That's a fancy way of saying I'm too lazy to think of a good one.)
By "Shane McHennal"
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters (except Shane*, of course). I am making no money (that I know of) by writing this story. It is solely for my own enjoyment, and just to say I did. The Lone Gunmen and the X-Files belong to FOX, 1013, and Chris Carter, and they always will. May the hair on their toes never fall out. So please don't sue me. Please?
Summary: The Gunmen get a visitor who fills them in on a new conspiracy that could have much farther-reaching effects than any of them realize. And oh, yeah, Langly gets a girl. *Maniacal laugh*
*Note: The name "Shane McHennal" is an anagram of my real name. I use both for my pen name on fanfiction.net and the character name in this story.
Prologue
March 14th, 1995
On a cool spring morning, a dark blue SUV made its way down a peaceful suburban road. Its destination lay half a mile away, but for the vehicle's driver, the journey's end could not come soon enough.
Inside the car, the driver glanced anxiously at her passenger. Though lined with age, her face was still quite pretty, and the resemblance to her young companion was unmistakable. Softly, the older woman said, "I don't want you to be scared, honey."
"Why would I be scared, Mom?" her daughter asked solemnly as she gazed out the window.
Her mother shrugged slightly. "Lots of kids are scared when they get vaccinated. My company's doing this, so you have nothing to be scared of."
"I know." Then, "Mom?"
"Yes, Shane?"
"I thought your company makes processors."
The other set her jaw grimly. "They do."
-1-
March 16th, 2001
Melvin Frohike wiped a putrid mix of rainwater, sweat and grime from his forehead as he and his companions entered the main office of The Lone Gunmen. Behind him, Langly cleaned his glasses and complained, "That is the last time I go digging through a Dumpster for floppy disks!"
Byers answered, "Hopefully, it's the last time we'll have to. At least we found something."
"Yeah, and I'll bet you anything it's someone's chat transcripts from the 'Secrets of Star Wars: Episode II' room." Frohike fished the bagged disks from his jacket pocket and pried the cover off one with his pocketknife. He then proceeded to take an empty cover and put the plastic circle from the trashed disk inside. Once the repaired disk was complete, he fed it into the drive.
After a few command lines, a logo appeared onscreen: Lewis & Nash, Attorneys at Law. "Well, at least there's something there," Frohike murmured. Byers and Langly peered over his shoulder at the screen. A login prompt appeared over the logo, and Melvin stepped aside to let Langly take over.
After several minutes of typing, the younger man shook his head. "Whatever is hidden on this disk, it's hidden well. I can't get past their firewall."
Byers sighed. "So much for that." The doorbell buzzed.
Frohike checked the monitor by the door; a short, soaked figure waited in the stairwell outside. "Guys," he said softly, "anyone order pizza?"
The other two Gunmen glanced at the screen. "Nobody I know," Langly said softly. Byers studied the figure, then nodded toward the door.
"Might as well open it."
Frohike unlocked the heavy door and opened it a few inches. As he did, the figure looked up, and her face came into view. It was a young woman, just out of her teens, and her face bore an expression of desperation.
As they stared, she spoke, voice strained. "You don't know me," she said, "but I need your help."