Odyssey 1 ODYSSEY
by Avalon (avalon99@telusplanet.net)
http://members.dencity.com/avalon_online
Skinner, Scully, R, 1/12


NOTES: This was an experiment -- A Skinner and Scully story written in screenplay format (mostly because if I had tried to write it in prose format, it would have taken several hundred pages, and half a century...)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Alistair Maclean's "The Golden Rendezvous". OK - I shamelessly stole his ideas, but I made lots of changes. Honest. This is an homage... :). And thanks to Linda Campbell for racking up a huge phone bill helping me plot this monster, for refusing to let me pack it in when the going got tough...and for finding answers to REALLY esoteric questions.

DISCLAIMER: Scully, Skinner, and Mulder belong to Chris Carter. I don't own them, I'm only borrowing them for a
while (But do I have to return Skinner? Can I keep him, huh Chris? Please...?)

ODYSSEY I

PROLOGUE
RAWLINS PARK, WASHINGTON DC, SUNSET.

A man in a grey business suit walks through the park, stopping to watch some ducks in a pond. After a few
moments, another man appears and closes the distance between them.

SECOND MAN:
You're late, Senator. (He speaks with a trace of an accent.)

SENATOR:
I had difficulty getting away. I think I'm being monitored.

SECOND MAN:
Do you have it?

SENATOR:
Yes. What are you going to do with it?

SECOND MAN:
That's not your concern. Give it to me. Now.

The Senator reluctantly removes a large, buff-coloured envelope from his inside coat pocket and hands it to the
other man who flips it open and scans the pages inside.

SENATOR:
(Desperately) You've got what you wanted.
Now give me the photographs.

The second man does not speak. Instead, he pulls an envelope from his jacket and hands it to the Senator who looks inside then closes it, a look of relief on his face.

SENATOR:
We're finished now. I don't expect to see
or hear from you again.

SECOND MAN:
(Smiles menacingly.) You won't.

The Senator puts the photographs inside his coat and leaves. The other man watched him soundlessly. Camera follows the Senator, who stops when he is out of sight around some trees to light up a cigarette. Abruptly his hands begin to tremble. The cigarettes fall as he clutches at his chest then collapses.

The other man emerges from behind the trees and regards the body for a moment. He bends to withdraw the envelope from the Senator's coat, then picks up one of the cigarettes.

SECOND MAN:
Thank you for doing business, Senator.

He lights the cigarette, inhales deeply, and walks away into the deepening shadows. The camera zooms in on the Senator's body.

CUE X-FILES THEME
"The Truth is Out There"

* * *

SATURDAY AFTERNOON
SCULLY'S APARTMENT, WASHINGTON DC.

Scully enters carrying a bag of groceries. She removes her coat and begins to unpack them. There is a knock at her door. She peers through the peephole then opens it to reveal the three Lone Gunmen.

FROHICKE:
(without preamble) Have you heard from Agent Mulder?

SCULLY:
No. He's taking some time off. Why?

LANGLY:
Do you know where he is?

SCULLY:
He didn't say. Just left a message on my
answering machine to feed Wilbur and Orville, and
that he was going to be away for a few days.

LANGLY:
He's in Nassau.

SCULLY:
Nassau?

LANGLY:
It's in the Bahamas.

SCULLY:
I know where Nassau is. What's he doing there?

BYERS:
Have you ever heard of the Odyssey?

SCULLY:
No.

BYERS:
Not surprising. Until a week ago, it was one of
the most closely guarded secrets in the intelligence
community.

SCULLY:
Go on.

LANGLY:
(sitting down) Last Monday we intercepted a
transmission from persons unknown regarding the
Odyssey. This morning a high-ranking government
official who was mentioned in that transmission
turned up dead.

FROHICKE:
They made it look like a heart attack.

SCULLY:
Senator Caine? (Picks up a newspaper - it is the
front-page story) You're suggesting that Senator
Caine was a spy? Or a traitor?

BYERS:
Not suggesting. Stating. He was one of the few
people whose name has been linked to the Odyssey.

SCULLY:
(sitting down) All right. What exactly is the
Odyssey?

LANGLY:
It's an American passenger liner based in the Caribbean.

BYERS:
It's also the cover for an ultra-top-secret
operation which has been in place for years.

SCULLY:
What operation?

FROHICKE:
The Odyssey regularly sails from Nassau to Puerto
Rico.

BYERS:
The edge of the Bermuda Triangle.

SCULLY:
(Quirks an eyebrow) The Bermuda Triangle. I
should have known.

LANGLY:
Listen to us. Agent Mulder is in danger.

SCULLY:
(Frowns) What sort of danger?

FROHICKE:
He went to Nassau to investigate the Odyssey.
(Picks up the newspaper.) This, however,
indicates that whoever is behind this operation
is aware of the leak, and is trying to plug it.

LANGLY:
They'll stop at nothing to keep this secret.
Including killing Agent Mulder.

SCULLY:
(Exasperated) What secret? You still haven't
told me what's going on.

BYERS:
We've managed to piece together some information
over the years. We believe that the Odyssey is
being used to secretly transport alien weaponry
from a downed UFO, located somewhere in the
Bermuda Triangle.

LANGLY:
Which could also account for many of the odd
occurrences in the area, from faulty magnetic
compasses to unexplained...

SCULLY:
Right. A UFO.

BYERS:
You must believe us, Agent Scully. This
organization has already eliminated Senator
Caine. We believe Mulder is next on their list.

FROHICKE:
This morning we obtained this. (Hands her a one-
page computer printout. She reads it and looks
up in alarm.)

SCULLY:
Where did you get this?

LANGLY:
From the office of the Assistant Director of the
FBI to Odyssey Cruises in Nassau.

SCULLY:
Skinner? I don't believe it.

BYERS:
Believe it.

SCULLY:
I can't.

FROHICKE:
Are you willing to risk Agent Mulder's life on
that?

SCULLY:
(Pauses and looks at the memo). No. (Picks up
her phone and dials).

FROHICKE:
What are you doing?

SCULLY:
Calling the Bureau. They owe me some vacation
time.

Camera zooms in on the printout lying on her table. It reads: "Situation regarding C resolved. Could not
intercept M at airport. Deal with situation your end. Authorized to use any means necessary. W.S."

* * *

SATURDAY EVENING
DULLES AIRPORT, WASHINGTON DC.

Scully arrives at the airport. She does not see a man dressed as a tourist following her. He boards the
airplane and sits several rows behind her. He opens a magazine and begins to read, glancing at her occasionally.

* * *

SUNDAY MORNING
NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS.

Scully arrives in Nassau and discovers that Mulder had booked himself into several hotels, but has not checked in
to any. The booking agent for Odyssey Cruises confirms that he purchased a ticket and that it was picked up by
someone answering Mulder's description. Mulder has also made reservations in hotels on several islands in the area
and has purchased tickets for a multitude of flights from one island to another. He was obviously being cautious to
the point of paranoia.

As the Odyssey steams into port that evening, Scully begins to feel that time is running out. Not knowing what
else to do, she boards the ship. As she does, she notices the man who followed her from Washington, watching her
from the quay. Their eyes meet briefly, and he quickly looks away. As she continues to gaze at him, he turns and
leaves. As soon as he is out of sight, he dials a number on a cellular phone.

TOURIST:
She's just boarding now. Yes, Sir. Right away.

He ends the call and walks away. Behind him, the setting sun backlights the Odyssey.

* * *

MONDAY MORNING.
FBI HEADQUARTERS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SKINNER'S OFFICE.

Skinner is reading some reports when his phone rings.

SKINNER:
Skinner. Yes. Yes, I understand. Yes Sir. (He
hangs up and buzzes his secretary.) Get me Agent Mulder.

KIMBERLEY:
He didn't show up for work this morning.

SKINNER:
Then send up Agent Scully.

KIMBERLEY:
She called on the weekend and asked for some
vacation time. She won't be in either, sir.

SKINNER:
(His jaw tightening). Did either of them mention
where they're going?

KIMBERLEY:
No sir.

SKINNER:
I see. Thank you.

He releases the intercom button and retrieves his pencil. After a moment he tosses it down in anger. He picks up
the phone and dials first Mulder's home number, then Scully's but reaches only their respective answering
machines. He hesitates, then dials again.

SKINNER:
This is Skinner. I want a trace put out on the
location of Agents Mulder and Scully. Yes. As soon as
possible.

A short while later, his phone rings again.

SKINNER:
Yes. Are you sure? Right. Thank you.

He hangs up then buzzes his secretary again.

SKINNER:
Get me Odyssey Cruises.

* * *

MONDAY EARLY EVENING
FBI HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON DC.

Skinner walks through the deserted underground garage to his car, carrying a briefcase. Three large men in suits
step out from the shadows and surround him. One man steps forward, backlit by the garage lights so that his features
are in shadows.

SKINNER:
Let me guess. You're from the Intelligence
Community, right?

MAN:
You've been making inquiries into Odyssey
Cruises.

SKINNER:
So?

MAN:
So I suggest you stop now, and recall your agents
before events take an unpleasant turn.

SKINNER
What agents?

MAN:
Don't play games with us, Mr. Skinner. Agents
Mulder and Scully are treading on very dangerous
ground.

SKINNER:
You'll find they don't intimidate easily,
gentlemen. And neither do I. If you'll excuse
me...

He shoulders roughly past them and unlocks his car door. They step aside and watch him leave expressionlessly.
Inside the car, Skinner dials his carphone one-handed.

SKINNER:
This is Skinner. Book me a seat on the next
available flight to the Bahamas.

END OF PART ONE