Author: Starbuck
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: Even if they did belong to me, which they do not, I would still be sitting on a beach somewhere with my laptop writing these stories for the hell of it. Alas, they belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, FOX, and a bunch of other very wealthy and happy people.
Summary: Scully and Mulder discover the meaning of the lull before the storm.
Scully file: It's about time I finished this part. Counting down the days until the 26th!
Credits: Took liberties with the Greek Mythology and artist depicted here. So, you can forget about emailing me that my legends are wrong. I made them up on purpose.....its called literary license folks! (further credits at the end)
He whispers pleasing words
Triumphant are the angels
If they can...
Get there first.
The dark room is lit only by the small flashing lights of an electronic console and the soft blue haze of a computer screen. In front of the computer is the silhouette of a man plucking away ferociously at a keyboard humming a tune indistinguishable to anyone but himself. Suddenly a flash of white light from the opening of a door crashes into the room startling the man enough to make him leap up in his chair.
"Damn, a little advance warning might be nice", stammered Frohlike.
"Quit your griping'." answered Langley. "Don't you think that the alarm would go off if we were trespassers?"
"Not if you were any good", quipped Frohlike who was obviously impressed with his comeback by the apparent smirk that was on his face.
"What are you working on anyway?" asked Langley.
"Mulder sent over a copy of a painting he found up in Seattle. Thinks it might be tied into the storm activity that has everyone up in arms." Frohlike returned to his chair and pulled up the file photo he just received from Mulder.
"It looks like an ordinary painting to me", said Byers.
"Yeah but here is a photo taken ten minutes later. Watch as I layer the photos over one another." He clicked the mouse and the two photos lay one over the other. "See here, where the boat is? I ran a program to determine if there was any differential between the two photos and guess what I found?"
"Dare I ask?" asked a hesitant Byers.
"There is a .02 mm change between this photo and the one taken just prior to it. It doesn't end there. I figured out, based on the time between each photo and the movement of the boat, that it matches the exact time they expect the storm to hit landfall. That is if the storm continues to advance at its current speed."
"Where did the painting come from?"
"Not sure yet. I was hoping you would use your unique skills and find out that part of the puzzle, Byers. Oh and Langley there's a FedEx package there with audio tapes that need to be checked out."
"Let me at it."
Byers and Langley quickly set about their work. Meanwhile, Frohlike continued to chart the current path and speed of the storm. Langley grabbed the phone to call in to Mulder. As he did this he opened the FedEx package to remove the tapes.
"What did the Gunmen have to say?" Scully asked over her cup of coffee.
Mulder snapped the cell phone shut. "It seems that the painting is definitely related to our storm. It's moving."
"The storm or the painting?"
"Both."
"How can that be Mulder? Paintings just don't move. Are they sure their eyes aren't playing tricks on them?"
"I made them check and recheck the computer models that are used for time lapse photography. There is no question, that painting is moving."
"How so?"
Mulder removed two photos from his jacket. "This is Photo A. The time it was taken is on the back. (6:10:13 PM EST) This is Photo B. It was taken 10 seconds later. There is a small change between these photos. So small that only a highly trained photographer or a sophisticated computer program could detect. Most people would barely notice the difference."
"Did they find any information as to the origin of the painting?"
"They are attempting to trace the sale of the painting as far back as the records can take them. They are also going to check several well known museums both here and in Europe to see if they can get any information about the painting and/or the artist. How did you do with the witnesses?"
"Most have long since left town but the ones that remained didn't tell me anything new. Except for one eighteen year old girl. She heard the same voices that the Rear Admiral described to us this morning."
"Langley is checking the tapes out as we speak."
"He may not have to bother."
"Meaning?"
"From what the girl told me the voices said something in Latin. She is a third year Latin student at the local college."
"She must be great to have at frat parties." Scully gave him her 'could you please be serious look'. He decided to humor her. "What did she have to say?"
"The voices repeat the phrase 'non sum qualiseram' which is Latin for 'I am not what I used to be'."
"I'll have the guys check the tapes out to confirm that. Maybe they can dig up any folklore or legend in the area that is Latin based. I doubt it but it is worth a shot."
"Mulder, what do you think is going on here?"
"I don't know. And I don't think we'll know anything from here. We better make sure our little voyage into the deep blue sea is ready to go."
I was afraid you were going to say that. You owe me...big time."
Mulder chuckled. "Just think Scully, you'll be the only girl on board."
"Yeah lucky me. I'll be drenched to the bone. Forget about makeup. I don't think luck has anything to do with it."
"Not that my opinion is worth much but I think you look great when you are drenched. Just an observation."
"Oh really?"
"We better get going."
"I want to hear more."
Mulder and scully continued their banter not hearing the soft moan in the wind that was coming up from the ocean behind them.
"Well Byers, we don't have all day."
"You can't hurry these things Frohlike."
"Tell that to Mulder when he three sheets in the wind."
"That's three sheets to the wind and it doesn't really apply to this case," said Langley.
"Whatever", quipped Byers. "There, I got it! The painting was bequeathed to the Immediate Past Rear Admiral. His name was um....here....Rear Admiral Gene Caret"
"Carrot", chimed Frohlike and Langley simultaneously.
"I believe it's French. Pronounced like Ka-ray." He continued. "Anyway, this Admiral was apparently a big fan of Greek and Roman mythology. You know, gods and monsters, Zeus and his pals."
"Yeah I think we got that part." Langley said sarcastically.
"The Admiraly went to some big auction held in Paris where he was vacationing with his wife." Byers said with a miffed tone in his voice. "Probably on the happy taxpayers. Anyway, the story behind the painting itself was that the man who painted it, Isaac detainee, died suddenly four days after the painting was finished. The painting, course, tripled in value after his death. His death was ruled accidental."
"How accidental?" asked Langley.
Byers continued, "He went sailing with a few rich friends of his. They never made it back. A storm hit them suddenly while they were at sea and they were heard from again."
"So", asked Frohlike, "How does this relate to what we have going on in the Pacific?"
Byers flipped through a file and came to the page he was looking for. "Do you know about a little legend about Poseidon's revenge?"
Frohlike rubbed his temple signifying an oncoming headache. "Is this a quiz? If not, get on with it."
"All right, all right." Byers paused to gain his composer. "Legend has it that Poseidon got a little too high and mighty for Zeus' liking. So, Zeus banished Poseidon and remanded him to the sea, relinquishing him of his powers. It is said that Poseidon waits deep beneath the sea for Zeus to turn away long enough for him to rise again. It also says there is a chosen one who will embody Poseidon on earth so he can never be banished to the seas again."
"There's always a chosen one. Did you ever notice that?" Langley said.
Frohlike gave him a look saying 'not now'. He looked back to the most recent satellite photos of the storm. "Looks like our buddy Poseidon is ready to strike at any time. But why now?"
"I don't know the answer to that." Byers admitted begrudgingly. "But I can attempt to find one." Frohlike looked to Byers anxiously.
"Well, you better find one. Mulder and Scully are going out to sea in a few hours and unless you want to see our precious Scully tossed about the ocean, you better find out why it started."
"What else does that file say?" asked Byers.
"Well, according to some it could also be a reference to the devil. In the bible it says that an angel in heaven became greedy and was cast below the earth by God as punishment. One of Satan's demons is said to rule the seas. Casting sailors through rough waters, causing them to be lost, and never seen again. I guess this whole thing depends on what you want to believe."
"Better yet, how the hell do we stop it?" Byers asked. "What about the tapes?"
"Well," said Langley, "There are two phrases being repeated. I could only distinguished one of them clearly but both were definitely Latin in origin. The second phrase was fairly long...almost a paragraph in length."
Byers raised his hand at Langley like a schoolboy. "What did it say? In English if you don't mind."
"Rough translated it said:
I will bring forth wind and rains.
Terror upon the land and seas.
One will be chosen among them.
He will spread death and despair.
Their souls he will bring to me.
"Nice guy, isn't he?", remarked Byers.
"He's a God. An evil one at that. What do expect?", answered Langley.
"Well, whatever he wants he might just get if we don't stop yapping and get to work on this", said Frohlike. "Legend or not, I don't want to be around when this thing hits land."
"Byers, you better get that info to Mulder and fast." Langley said tensely.
"Already on it." Byers had the phone in his hand and was readying the computer to end the file to Scully via her email.
The Lone Gunmen quietly returned to their computers and databases. Each silently praying that Mulder and Scully could stay on land long enough for them to find out how to stop whatever was happening in the Pacific.
"Any word from the Gunmen?" Scully asked her partner.
Mulder paced impatiently in the hotel room. "Not since this morning."
"Don't you think we should call them?"
"A few more minutes. Right now I need to think."
"I can smell the wood burning from here."
"Haha. Funny. Keep that up Scully and you'll start sounding like me."
"God help me."
Mulder continues his pacing. Scully thought he looked a lot like Perry Mason or Matlock considering a big case on TV. The idea made her want to chuckle but she held it in. From the look on Mulder's face he wasn't in the mood for comedy. Which says a lot for her partner's current state of mind.
"This case bothers you, doesn't it Mulder."
"That painting, I can't seem to get it out of my head."
"What about it?"
"It almost seemed to be calling out to me in a way."
"You're just caught up in the moment. It's not unlike you to get passionate about a case, Mulder." Scully reached into her purse for her cell phone.
"Well, I have waited long enough. I'm calling the Gunmen." Scully didn't realize that Mulder didn't hear her because his mind was already somewhere else. Unable to hear anything but the beckoning call of the sea.
"Well Mulder, I just got a call from Byers. He is emailing me the info they have on the painting so far. They want us to wait twenty-four hours before we go out there with the Coast Guard." Scully paused to look at Mulder. He was sitting on the bench of the overlook behind the hotel. On an ordinary day it would have been beautiful. The way the sun would hit the waves as they came ashore would have been breathtaking. Today, dark clouds lingered in the distance. The surf was anything but gentle as it came crashing onto land like the brutal fist of God himself.
Mulder was fascinated by it all. Scully could tell by his blank expression that all he saw was the sea and the ebbing of the waves as they came ashore. It was as if he was mesmerized by it. Scully was alarmed by this behavior because for as well as she knew him, she never thought him to be a big fan of the ocean. Not so much as to completely be lost to it. Not like this.
"Mulder, did you hear what I said?" Scully said as she playfully waved her hand in front of his face. Mulder did not react. He just kept looking out towards the ocean. Scully grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Mulder, snap out of it. What is wrong with you?"
"Um....Scully...I'm sorry. What did you say?" Mulder felt confused. He didn't know where his thoughts had taken him. Yet, deep down he knew it was a place he didn't want to be. Afraid that he frightened his partner, he decided to downplay what had just happened. "I wasn't paying attention."
"I'll say. What is so enthralling out there?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking a little too hard about this case I guess. So, what were you saying?"
"Byers called a few minutes ago. I had to go inside to take the call, remember?"
"Yeah, what did he say?"
"He sent the file to my email address. We should go back inside so we can take a look at it."
"Sure, I'll be up in a minute."
"Mulder, are you sure everything is okay?"
Mulder smiled at his partner. He reached out to brush a stray hair from her face. "I'm fine. I'll be right behind you. I'm just going to grab a cup of coffee from the lobby. Do you want one?"
"That'll be great Mulder. I'll see you up in my room." Scully walked up the uphill ramp that flattened out just before you reached the main lobby of the hotel. As she reached the sidewalk leading to the lobby, Scully turned to look back to where Mulder had been standing. Only when she turned around, Mulder was nowhere to be found.End Part II
Opening quote: "Tremor Christ", Pearl Jam, Vitalogy