Tremor Christ: Finite Title: Tremor Christ - Finite
Author: Starbuck
Disclaimer: If I owned them, which I do not, I would be sitting on a beach somewhere with a laptop writing these stories anyway. Oh and yeah, I'd be filthy, stinking rich. As it is, I'm just your fan fiction writing maniac who has little in the ways of money but much in the ways of the imagination. Enjoy the ride!
Rating: PG13
Summary: End of Tremor Christ saga...For parts 1 and 2 email me and I will forward them to you.
Spoilers: None...this one is all mine folks!
Archive: By permission only.
Scully file: Is there more to come? Who knows how the wind will blow.
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)
Winded is the sailor
drifting by the storm...
wounded is the organ...he left all...
bloodied on the shore...
2:30 PM
Seattle, Washington
Scully leaned in to listen to the news. Once again they were insisting that the storm was due to crash upon the shores any minute. Yet, as Scully looked out of her car window she saw that the storm was still lingering out at sea. It was waiting patiently. But for what? Scully couldn't understand it. For all her scientific knowledge there was no basis for a malevolent storm that thinks, feels, and breathes. Strangely, it wasn't her primary concern at the moment. She had been scouring the small port looking for any sign of Mulder. It had been hours since he had disappeared.
She grabbed the cell phone from the passenger seat and decided to call his cell phone again. She had made several attempts earlier but there was no answer. She was hopeful though that there was still a ring being heard on the other end. She didn't let any thoughts of something happening to Mulder enter her mind. A task that was getting harder and harder all the time.
Scully hit #1 on her auto dial. The phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mulder? Oh my God! Where the hell have you been?"
"Sorry ma'am, this isn't your partner. I'm Captain David Bell. Agent Mulder was seen twenty minutes taking a small craft out to sea by an as yet unidentified male. We found his cell phone a few minutes ago on the docks. We took it just in case he received any calls. We were just about to call you when the cell phone rang. Are you okay Agent Scully?"
"Yes. I need to know everything you know. Staring with how the hell my partner was able to get a craft out to sea during a small craft warning without you guys stopping him."
Scully got her answers but they weren't the ones she was hoping for.

3 pm
Somewhere off the coast of Seattle

Mulder sat across from his captor. Although he looked markedly different then he had that first day in the barracks. Sergeant Thomas Kipling was not "who he used to be", that was undeniably clear. Once a young, clean cut officer of the Coast Guard, Sgt. Kipling now resembled an old, decrepit man well beyond his years. His eyes were dark and sullen. More than that, they looked "hungry." Mulder was trying to remember everything he could about Greek legends with the hope of finding a way to get the young officer back. Preferably before they both drowned in the Pacific Ocean.
Mulder originally had thought the Admiral would have been the one to be "chosen" as it was in his office that the painting had been found. Over the course of the last few moments, Mulder learned more about the storm and the events leading up to his capture.
The Rear Admiral had told Mulder and Scully that the painting had been in he Admiral's office long before he came there. That part of the story would later be easily checked out and confirmed. What they didn't know was the previous occupant of that office had the painting removed in the beginning of his tenure to replace it with a landscape painting that had been done by his daughter in college. The man that removed it was now sitting in front of him with a look of quiet evil.
As Mulder stood looking out at the ocean, hearing this voice inside his head telling him to remain still and silent, Sgt. Kipling came up behind him, bound his hands together, and led him down towards the dock where they boarded what appeared to be the world's smallest boat. Not what one wanted to go off into a typhoon with that was for certain.

Scully didn't hesitate for a moment. She boarded the Coast Guard Clipper with the Rear Admiral and his crew. Mulder and Sgt. Kipling now had about an hour head start but in the Clipper they should be able to catch up to them in about ten to fifteen minutes.
Scully had gotten the Gunmen on the line after getting the update from the Captain. According to what the remainder of the transcript from the archives on the painting, the Sergeant was heading for the eye of the storm. Once there, he was offering up a sacrifice to unleash whatever or whomever had possessed him. The only way to stop this was to keep him from slitting Mulder's throat and throwing him overboard. The theory held by the Gunmen was that if there was no sacrifice the whole thing would unravel. The sea would become quiet and the young man would once again be the bright and obedient soldier he had been in the past.
Scully looked out from the bow of the ship, watching the clouds swirl up above her. She could hear the roar of the waves beneath her thrashing against the hull of the Clipper. She thought back on the last six years of all the myths and legends she had encountered that her mind told her had no basis in fact. That for the most part was nothing more than a fisherman's tale of the one that got away getting out of hand. Everyone had to believe something, didn't they? She thumbed the small gold cross that hung from her neck. She believed in something that science could neither prove nor deny. So, why was it that she always tried to see these things from a distance? She had to embrace the myth in order to conquer it. Putting her skepticism aside, she grabbed hold of the railing and prayed that the simple answer they were given would be enough.

Elsewhere.....

Mulder tossed about in the small boat like a child on a Tilt-A-Whirl. No, it was worse than that he decided. At least on a carnival ride you at least have some inkling that you'd get off alive. The Sergeant had not uttered one word to him the entire time they were at sea. He simply rowed with a pace that rivaled any cadet in the military. All the while he looked ahead at the approaching storm with no fear, no hesitation. Mulder decided that being a passive member aboard this ship was no longer an viable option for him. He needed to try and reach the sailor before they both lost their lives.
"Sergeant? I know you are in there somewhere. You have to fight whatever has a hold on you. Remember all your training. Remember the discipline they taught you there. How to wear the uniform, how to make up a survival meal, and the miles you ran to keep up with the pack. Do you remember that Sergeant?"
There was no response.
"Tom.....Tom...you have to fight it dammit!" Think about something basic. Something you know that isn't of its world. Bring yourself back to this time."
Mulder thought he saw a stirring in the soldier. A brief movement of his shoulders that didn't fit with the movement of the oars as he rowed. He wasn't sure if he should believe it so he tried again.
"Tom....think about your family..."
The young sergeant heard Mulder's words. Inside his mind a tug of war was beginning between the entity that controlled him and the man on the ship that was speaking to him. Tom Kipling thought about his family. His mother and father as they sat on the porch in their favorite chairs, sipping iced teas, and gossiping about the neighbors. He saw his sister Bridget with her boyfriend John sitting on the porch stairs holding hands. He even saw his fiancé sitting there waving to him as he drove his truck up the driveway to the house. Her eyes wide and bright with the anticipation of his arrival.
The evil inside him grabbed at him like the teeth of a savage lion. Pulling him apart from the inside out. It was telling him to keep moving towards the storm. It wasn't willing to let its chance to be free get away. It felt the turmoil within Tom Kipling. That was why it chose him. It knew that he was torn between his service to his country and his wanting to start a family with his fiancé. His life in the Coast Guard was demanding and sometimes even grueling. It knew that it was hard on Tom to be away from his family so often. It fed off of his sorrow. It used it against him.
Now it sensed strength in the man. It heard the words of the man in the boat and knew that whatever he was saying was getting to its host. That, it knew, was not acceptable. It must be silenced but it was still too soon. It needed to get to the eye of the storm. Then it would be quiet again.

Mulder felt the small craft toss about the ocean like a helpless fly who got too close to the water's edge and got pulled in. Yet, his mind told him that had he been anywhere else it would have been much worse. By all reason they should have been torn apart long before now by the savage waves and rain that now had begun to pelt them. As far as he could tell whatever force was controlling the sergeant was making sure that they got to where they needed to go...to the eye. Mulder new that he needling the man was a risky venture but he still believed that whatever was waiting for them out there was far worse than braving these waters. Besides, he was hoping that Scully was out there looking for him. He turned back and saw the outline of a ship approaching them. "That's my girl", he whispered. He went back to working on connecting with Tom Kipling.

On Board the Clipper....

"Agent Scully, we're closing in on them. They are only a mile or so ahead of us. We should be reaching them in about 5 minutes." The Rear Admiral looked worried.
"How far are we from the eye?" Scully asked him.
"They will get there just before us."
"Not good enough. If we don't get to them before they reach that eye we will lose them both."
"I understand." He grabbed the radio and paged his crew. "C'mon men, we need to move faster here. We have a boat to catch."
Scully stood next to the Admiral and they both had their eyes fixed at the horizon. Time was in short supply. They both knew it. One of them feared for a valued member of his crew. The other feared for a partner, and more so for a friend that was her life's blood.

Mulder kept his taunting of both Tom and the force within him. Suddenly, without warning, Tom Kipling turned to face him. He spoke. "Help me." He snapped forward again and kept rowing. Mulder knew the man was fighting it. It was a good sign. There was still hope. Mulder turned back and saw the Clipper and the men scurrying on its deck. Mulder knew that she was on board. His partner was once again trying to save him from meeting an untimely end. Something she did on a daily basis whether she realized it or not. It was that thought that Mulder decided to take his fight with the entity inside Tom Kipling up a notch. If he had to jump over board he was confident he could last in the water long enough for the Clipper to reach him. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. He preferred to bring the man back to whatever life he was now fighting to get back to. A fight that Mulder could appreciate.
Mulder stood up slowly in the small boat. "Hey! Poseidon, or whoever the hell you think you are! Hey! Look at me dammit! If you don't I'll jump overboard and you won't get your precious sacrifice. That's what you plan on having right? All great gods have to have one don't they? How original."
Tom Kipling turned to him. This time not as Tom but as something else.
"You will not stop me. You cannot stop me."
"Like hell I won't!" Mulder leaned closer to the edge of the boat.
Tom Kipling rose from his seat and lay down the oars. He grabbed Mulder by the shoulders and was attempting to push him back down. Mulder grabbed Kipling and was trying to keep them both from falling over the side. The boat rocked back and forth with a new fury that made Mulder dizzy. Mulder again spoke to Tom. "Now's your chance. Fight!" Kipling fought, that Mulder knew in an instant.
Tom Kipling released his hold on Mulder and held his head. He began screaming on the top of his lungs. Mulder couldn't tell what, if anything, he was attempting to say. "That's it...keep fighting....keep fighting." Mulder yelled to the young man as the storm intensified. Rain and hail was now pelting them. The winds had picked up speed and it was nearly impossible to stand. Mulder tried to keep himself balanced as the winds and waves threatened to toss them into the ocean. A sudden burst of wind knocked both Tom and Mulder over the side of the ship. As Mulder fell he grabbed the shirt sleeve of Tom Kipling and held on to him as they hit the water.

"Sir, we have two men going over board." Scully lifted her pair of binoculars and saw that Mulder and Tom Kipling were no longer on the boat. Scully saw Mulder surface but noticed that there was no sign of Kipling.

Mulder tried to keep his grip on the man but the waves were pulling them apart. He felt his hand lose the small piece of fabric that held them together. He watched as Tom Kipling descended into the dark waters below. Mulder didn't know what to do. He couldn't let the young man die. He may have saved his life fighting with "it" as he had. Mulder dove into the ocean and prayed that he could find him before it was too late.

Scully saw Mulder dive into the water. "Oh God Mulder...", was all she could think of to say. She knew he was going after Kipling. She just hoped that he didn't lose his life trying to save another. She wanted them both back in one piece.

Mulder opened his eyes and felt the brief sting of the salt water. As his eyes adjusted he swung his arms back and forth hoping to feel something he could latch onto. Mulder's eyes soon became accustomed to the water and he saw the man not far from him. He swam as hard as he could and saw that the man was just floating there. He appeared to be dead. Mulder reached out to him and grabbed a hold of him from behind. He lifted him carefully to the surface not wanting to harm him any further. He wasn't sure if he had sustained any injury from going over board. He held both sides of his neck as he had learned to do when in doubt of a neck or back injury. He struggled against the waves to keep them both afloat and braced the unconscious Kipling from the movement.
As Mulder opened his eyes it was as if the world had changed. The storm clouds had broken and the setting sun was beginning to peek out. It was beautiful. it was as if the storm had never happened.
Mulder looked around and saw that the Clipper was about to reach them and Mulder continued to tread water as he held Kipling above the surface. He wasn't sure if he was breathing but he thought he felt movement in the man.
The Clipper sent a small Coast Guard boat out to get them and Mulder noticed that Scully was on board. As Mulder relinquished Kipling to the paramedic that had jumped into he water next to him, Mulder locked eyes with Scully. She smiled at him and he returned the sentiment. Mulder felt weak and tired and was thankful that a paramedic had been there. Mulder passed out from exhaustion the second that he was safe on the ship.

A few hours later....
Coast Guard Infirmary

Mulder woke up in a hospital bed. Scully was sleeping in a chair next to him. Beyond her was Tom Kipling, also apparently asleep. "Scully?", he whispered. Scully rubbed her eyes and looked over at her partner.
"Hey there sleepy," Mulder said.
"Hey there yourself. You had me worried there you know."
"Piece of cake."
Scully laughed. "Yeah right."
"How he doing?" Mulder said as he motioned over to Tom.
"Well, as far as we can tell he's fine. He remembers everything you said to him out there but not much about whatever it was that was controlling him."
"Figures. Well, at least we got him back in one piece."
"His fiancé was very grateful to you. She left you those." Scully pointed to a small bouquet of flowers that was on his bedside table.
Mulder smiled. "And what did you get me?"
"Get you? If I remember correctly you got me out here on this trip with promises that rivaled a Carnival Cruise line."
"Oh yeah." Mulder smirked and tried to sit up in his bed. He found that his muscles were sore from exertion both on the boat as he tried to keep his balance and from the time he spent in the ocean.
"Mulder, you aren't going anywhere just yet so relax. Here, I'll help you." Mulder wrapped his arm around Scully's shoulder as she helped him to sit up. As she pulled back he felt a brief moment of hesitation. She felt it too. Scully cleared her throat and said, "You know we have to stop doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Ending up in the hospital. Skinner is having a fit over the medical bills the Feds are having to pay."
"Sucks to be him."
"Well, I let you rest." Scully began to get up from the chair but felt Mulder touch her hand.
"Don't go. Could you stay for awhile longer?"
"Sure, I think I can handle that."
Scully settled back into her chair. Mulder wrapped his fingers in hers and slowly let himself give in to sleep.

A few days later....
Skinner's Office

Skinner closed the file on his desk marked X #345-678-890-22. "Well, the Rear Admiral wrote the Bureau and remarked at what a professional job you both had done. He especially thanked you Mulder for saving the life of one of his men. Overall, not a bad job." Skinner leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. Mulder glanced at his partner and they looked at each other waiting for the hammer to fall. It wasn't a long wait. "What happened to the painting?"
"The painting, sir?"
"Yes, the painting that mysteriously moved. What happened to it?"
"Sir, we don't know." Mulder said as he fidgeted in his chair.
"You don't know what happened to a piece of evidence?"
"No sir, our "specialists" reported that when they went to retrieve the painting for us that all they found was the frame. The painting itself was gone."
"Uh-huh. Well, tell these "specialists" of yours Mulder that they should take better care of our evidence."
"Yes, sir."
"That'll be all agents. You may go. Oh, and take a few days off."
"Sir?" Mulder and Scully said in unison.
"You heard me. Go somewhere and relax for a few days. God knows I could use a break from you two."
Scully said, "Thank you Sir." She grabbed Mulder's coat sleeve and led him out of the room.
"What was that all about?" Mulder asked.
"I don't know what that was but I do know that I could use the time off."
"I heard from Tom Kipling today. He sent me an email." Mulder said as they walked down the hallway.
"Really?"
"He and his fiancé were married by the Rear Admiral, on land of course, the day after he was released from the infirmary."
"I guess he learned that there are more important things than just his work."
"He's right." Mulder looked at his partner. Knowing that he too took that lesson from his experience in Seattle. He now knew hewanted more from life than being an FBI agent chasing down aliens and conspiracies. Hw wanted it even more so for his partner. "So, what do you want to do with our time off? How about a cruise?", Mulder said with a smile.
"You've got to be kidding me?"
"I'm kidding. I'm kidding." Mulder laughed. "You didn't think I was serious did you?"
"With you Mulder, one can never be sure. Let's go to Blockbuster, rent some old movies, get some popcorn and vedge out."
"Vedge out Scully? For three days?"
"Yes, that is what I want. We can turn off the cell phones, all the phones, and the answering machines too. We can even make it a sleep over." Mulder's eyebrows rose and he smiled.
"By all means Scully, lead the way."
"Get you head out of the gutter, Mulder."
The two agents playfully bickered all the way out to the parkade. Each agreeing to meet at Mulder's apartment in an hour. Both feeling relieved to have survived yet another X-File. For the moment grateful to have time to lead a normal, average life in the company of a loved one.

Somewhere in a musty basement in Seattle there lies a painting of a boat out at sea. The skies are clear and the waves are quiet. For now.....

THE END

Turns the bow back
tows and...drops the line...
puts his faith in love and
Tremor Christ
Opening & Ending Quotes: "Tremor Christ", Pearl Jam, Vitalogy

Additional Credits: Song that inspired this fan fiction is "Tremor Christ" by Pearl Jam off their Vitalogy Album. Information about the US Coast Guard was obtained from the US Coast Guard, Thirteenth District Web site. Names have been changed. No references to actual persons, places, or things was intended (Hey...that is why they call it fiction folks!)