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FBI BUILDING, WASHINGTON D.C.
10TH APRIL, 2001
8:52 AM TUESDAY
Special Agent Fox Mulder sat behind his desk, an old case file opened out in front of him, chewing on a sunflower seed. Silence pervaded the room except for the tiny cracking sounds coming from his mouth as he expertly split the husk. His hazel eyes scoured the file, searching for something. Anything. The office door opened, but Mulder didn't look up. He didn't need to look up. There was only one other person who ever came through that door. He heard his partner's heels click their way across the office floor, saw out of the corner of his eye as she dumped her briefcase on what she used as a desk. Only when she settled into the chair across from him did he look up. She regarded him with her bright blue eyes for a few moments, her eyebrow rising up a little.
"Seed?" Mulder offered her. Scully sighed.
"I take it that you've got nothing." Mulder flicked the useless file and leaned back in his chair, his answering silence being the only response he gave her. Scully nodded, and reclined as far as she could in her own chair, folding her arms.
"Well, maybe we should make a start on our growing pile of expense reports." Scully provided. Mulder groaned, rolling his eyes back and twirling his chair a little.
"There's no chance you have a pack of cards on you is there?" Mulder asked, but the look of determination had already settled on his partner's face. Paper work it was until a new case showed up. He extended his lower lip in what he hoped to be a sad and endearing expression. It didn't even chink Scully's armor. She merely separated the two piles waiting for them, plonking one before him.
"Sooner we start, sooner it gets done." Scully said, walking over with her own pile of work to her area. She paused by her so called 'desk' to watch Mulder flick through the top pages, looking like he'd lost his best friend in the whole world. Scully sighed.
"Mulder, I know you find this boring. So do I. But it's." The ringing of Mulder's desk phone cut her off in mid sentence. Mulder picked it up after the first ring, looking hopeful that it might be about something that could lead to a case. Scully forgot all about the paperwork as she watched a frown slowly form on his face as he listened to the voice on the other end.
"Now..? Sir, what is this abou. Yes, we're on our way. I just want to know what." Mulder tried to cut in. His hazel eyes met hers as he dropped the phone back to its cradle. Mulder was on his feet in a second, his eyes never leaving Scully's.
"That was Skinner. He wants us in his office now."
"Right now?" Scully asked, but the deepening frown on Mulder's face put a halt to any argument she might have had. He nodded once, rounding the table and striding for the door. Scully almost had to run to match his pace, trying to side up to him.
"Mulder? Why?" Scully pressed, stopping beside her partner as they entered the elevator. Mulder hit the floor number.
"He didn't say, but he sounded. almost alarmed. I don't know." Mulder glanced back at Scully, her expression now mirroring his own. He gave her a lopsided smile.
"At least we're getting out of the paper work for a bit." He got a tiny smile from his partner. It faded as soon as they reached their floor. The agents strode through the hallway towards Skinner's office, peering through the glass partition into his assistant's area. They were shocked to see Kimberly looking out for them anxiously, almost leaning over her desk as they entered her view.
"The Assistant Director will see you now." Kimberly spoke quietly to the agents when they walked through the door. Mulder and Scully nodded once to the assistant, only stopping when they reached the office door. Scully glanced up at Mulder briefly, he reading her concern loud and clear, as her hand gripped the handle. Scully opened the door to see Assistant Director Skinner standing by his desk, staring warningly at the three men in front of him dressed in military fatigues. Mulder's jaw dropped open slightly in his shock, his pulse rate increasing the instant he saw the military uniforms. A flick of green to the right caught Scully's eye, she turning to see a fourth man seated at the meeting table. Judging by his three star decorated uniform, Scully knew this man was a high ranking officer. He was flicking through a file as calmly as one would flick through the morning paper.
"Agents Mulder, Scully. These men are from the Blackstone Military Base in Montana." Assistant Director Skinner rumbled, "I received a call from Lieutenant Colonel Thontan," He nodded towards the seated man, "ten minutes ago, advising me of this visit. It appears he has a proposition for you." Mulder stepped towards his superior, trying to read the dark eyes behind his glasses. He could only see mistrust. Both agents turned as the seated Lieutenant Colonel gave a grunt. He shifted his battle worn body in the chair to focus on the agents. Lines of age creased his face, but his eyes were bright.
"You have quite a history, Agent Mulder. You've clocked up quite a few frequent flyer miles. Look here! Oregon, Idaho, Wisconsin." The man's broad chest shook with a laugh, "Texas, Virginia, even Florida! Then there's your overseas 'trips'. You've been to Mexico, Russia, the Arctic Circle." The Lieutenant Colonel pushed himself to his feet, closing Mulder's file on the desk while giving the agent a crooked grin.
"Quite impressive for a one man operation. No offence to you, Agent Scully." Mulder stared at the older man, his mouth gaping a little further at the fact that he had just been going through his file.
"Assistant Director, how did he." Mulder began, but was cut off quickly by the Lieutenant Colonel.
"It wasn't anything I didn't already know, Agent Mulder. Your pursuit for proof of the existence of extra-terrestrials is almost common knowledge." The older man grunted. Mulder's frown deepened.
"Common knowledge to whom?!" Mulder asked, unable to keep the tones of trepidation and irritation from his voice. The Lieutenant Colonel stopped before the agents, now ignoring the Assistant Director. When Skinner made a move to intervene he was summarily grunted at, as if he was a Private to be dismissed.
"Lieutenant Colonel Thontan, sir, I have never heard of a Blackstone Military Base in Montana." Agent Scully spoke up, catching Thontan's attention. Thontan locked eyes with the female Agent. She did not look away, she stared almost defiantly right back. Not in the least intimidated by his military status.
"Which base are you familiar with in Montana, Agent Scully?"
"There is the Malmstrom Air Force base outside of Great Falls. There is also the Fort Harrison army base in Helena." Scully replied proficiently. Thontan's grin stretched from ear to ear.
"Very good." Thontan rumbled, "The Blackstone installation has only recently been constructed. She received her first unit in 1998, and I took charge a few months after that." Thontan returned his focus to Mulder, holding his hands behind his back. Mulder felt uneasy under his scrutinizing gaze, as if the man was trying to peer through layers of his skin and peruse through his mind like he had with his file.
"Agent Mulder, I'd like you, and your partner if you wish, to return with me to the Blackstone base. There is something there that I know you'll want to see. Of course, this is only a request." Thontan puffed out his chest in sigh, "From one man who knows to another." Mulder shook his head, rubbing his forehead in frustrated exasperation. He could not believe this military official had come all the way from Montana just to stand in Skinner's office and act like he owned the building.
"And that would be what?" Mulder asked. Thontan turned towards his men, holding one hand out while keeping his attention on the agents. A briefcase was opened by the second man and a file was handed over to the Lieutenant Colonel, who then handed it to Mulder. Mulder took the file, giving the military officer a wary look. He opened the file and his heart stopped dead in his chest.
"I was in an AWAC over the Antarctic ice shelf when I saw it." Thontan spoke, his voice low and deadly serious. He tapped the glossy A4 photo of the alien ship, the very ship that Mulder had rescued Scully from only moments before, "Rising up over the Pole of Inaccessibility. A big god damned craft coming out of the ice, just under a kilometre in diameter, leaving behind a gaping crater that no bastard could miss. I was the only one to get any shots of it, and it was gone so fast most of the crew had convinced themselves they saw nothing by the time we got back.
"Suddenly the project no one wanted to touch became a terrifying possibility. I was the only one with the balls to take it. The Blackstone base was created with its goal in mind." Scully took hold of the picture and stared at it in pure incredulity. Mulder had staggered back a step, his muscles slack as his mind tried to take in what he had just been handed. A photograph of the ship from Antarctica. a ship no one had known about except himself and Scully. An aerial shot, from above the craft. Assistant Director Skinner looked from Scully to Mulder, watching as they both took in information that seemed to stagger them. He made a motion to step forward, but was met by an austere glare from the Lieutenant Colonel. At ease, soldier. As a former Marine, he knew what the man meant. This wasn't his place.
"This is in my ball park now, Assistant Director." Thontan grunted quietly. The Lieutenant Colonel recaptured Mulder's attention, holding his hand out for the file.
"Agent Mulder, at Blackstone base we deal exclusively with the recovery and examination of downed alien space craft. And at approximately 1:30 in the early morning of last Wednesday we managed to recover such a craft. The vehicle is stored in a hanger at the base, and its single occupant is currently being observed in the maximum security wing." Thontan gave his waiting men a nod to indicate they were about to leave, "If you wish to take me up on my offer, just follow my men. I have the jet on standby by at the airport. Thank you for your time and co-operation, Assistant Director." With that the Lieutenant Colonel began to make his way from the office. Mulder turned around, still flabbergasted at what had just taken place, he barely hearing Skinner demanding to know what the hell was going on. All he was aware of was that he needed to say something quickly.
"Lieutenant Colonel, we accept." He blurted out, to which Scully gasped at. Her arm was taken by Mulder as he followed the uniformed men out of the door, turning around to give his astounded superior a quick apologetic shrug.
"You can read about it in the report, sir." He shot out as he disappeared from the office. Scully found herself having almost to run once again to keep up with her partner, wanting to speak to his face rather than the back of his head. They were moving through the FBI building at a rapid pace.
"Mulder! What the hell are you doing? You're following this man for what reason? That he says he has a UFO? Mulder!" Scully exclaimed angrily, grabbing Mulder's arm to rein him back a bit.
"Scully. I know this seems a little crazy. But I think this time." Mulder shook his head in exasperation, "Didn't you see the photo? It was the ship! From Antarctica. No one knows about it, Scully! I saw it, I know it is that ship!" They turned a corner and entered the elevator, Mulder and Scully moving to the back of it behind the enlisted men. Scully stared at Mulder in sheer disbelief.
"They could have fabricated that picture on any PC with a scanner and photographic editing software! Cut and paste, Mulder! I can not believe you are falling for this!" Mulder stepped back, looking like he'd been slapped. He rubbed a hand down his face.
"Scully. I. How could they have duplicated the same craft, no one saw it but me. You were there, Scully."
"Yes, Mulder. I was in Antarctica. I was half numb with frostbite and was physically fatigued. And you had just spent 48 hours on the go with no sleep and a gun shot wound to the head." Scully replied, and stopped when she saw the hurt on Mulder's face intensify. He closed his eyes, sucking his lower lip into his mouth. He sighed as the elevator doors opened, the marines marching out first.
"Scully. I know what I saw." Mulder looked back at Scully, shaking his head tiredly. There was an ache in his chest, the one he always got when he and Scully argued. The one he always got when she gave him that look, seeing the incredulity in her eyes. It was rare when he saw that, he could only count a few times. When he stood on one side of the fence and she remained stubbornly on the other. Scully held Mulder's gaze, feelings of fear and uncertainty clouding her heart. Mulder was so desperate to believe. He would do anything to learn the truth, and that was just what Lieutenant Colonel Thontan was dangling before him, like a carrot. She reached out to touch his hand.
"Mulder, I know you do. And I believe in you. But I don't trust what is happening here. We can find out another way, Mulder." Mulder looked at Scully's delicate hand touching his, and then to the marines waiting in the FBI building reception area. He closed his eyes again. He knew what Scully was saying, and there was a part of him, some small part that agreed. But the craft in the photo. He had memorized its every line, every alien structure as it passed over head. Granted, he hadn't seen it from above, but what he had made out matched what he remembered exactly. Eccentric behaviour or not, the man had seen it.
"Scully. You don't have to come with me, if you don't want to. But this is something I have to look in to. He knows something, I know that. And not just because of the photo. Why do you think he came to us? He could have sent for us from the base." Scully dropped her eyes from his, seeing his absolute determination. There was nothing she could say, Thontan had done too good a job. She felt his hand gently touch her arm, as if trying to get a response from her. There was only one response she could give.
"All right, Mulder." She said, more resignedly than she had wanted, but Mulder had not picked up on it. Once he had her support again, Mulder was off. Scully followed behind him, this time not hurrying to keep his pace. She stayed back to guard his rear, which she realised she would be doing for the majority of this 'case', until what ever conclusion came their way.
The ride to the airport was in heavy silence. Apparently the Lieutenant Colonel had gone ahead of them in another car to the military jet, they had been told by his men he would join them there. Both agents looked out of the car window as it rolled to a stop on the tarmac, airport personnel moving out of its way. Mulder and Scully stepped out of the car, looking towards the small military owned jet waiting only a few metres away, its engines already running. The agents were escorted from the car and towards the boarding stairs that were positioned by the entrance hatch of the jet. The whine of the engines died to a low hum once they were inside. Mulder and Scully stopped in the aisle. Six more men of the Military persuasion stared at the agents, all wearing uniforms of higher rank than those of the Marines who had escorted them. Mulder felt a slight prod at his side, and he heard a grunted voice from behind him.
"Please take a seat, sir." Mulder followed Scully to a nice aisle seat, far from the closest marine, and sat down. Mulder found to his surprise there was plenty of leg room, and the seats themselves were rather comfortable. He adjusted his Armani suit slightly and then looked to Scully to see how she was faring. She was already buckled in. She gave him a half smile, indicating she was all right. Mulder leaned in to her slightly, keeping his voice low.
"They haven't made any move to disarm us." He whispered, his eyebrows rising in surprise. He would have thought that it would have been their first move. Mulder looked up as all of the military men drew to sudden attention as the officer in charge stepped through the door of the cabin. Lieutenant Colonel Thontan straightened himself up, giving the all too small door a glare of annoyance, and basked in the respect of his men briefly. Leaving them at attention for the moment, the weathered officer plucked a cigar from a lapel pocket and fingered it.
"Sit down gentlemen, enjoy the flight." He grumbled, his wrinkled face forming a smile, waving his cigar bearing hand at the seats, "Smoke if you will." Thontan's eyes then darted to the FBI agents sitting further down, and his smile increased. As his men got themselves settled, the Lieutenant Colonel strode down the aisle, followed by only one assistant. His dark but shining eyes never left those of the agents. He stopped before them, and slowly eased himself into a seat facing them. His right knee cracked loudly, and the aged officer barked out a laugh.
"Damn, I'm showing my impediments. Do excuse that." He chuckled, resting his hand on the offending knee. Scully only smiled briefly, then clutched on to the arm rests as the jet began its way down the run way. The Lieutenant Colonel calmly lit his cigar as the jet left the ground, he puffing away contentedly. Only when the air craft had levelled off did Scully let go of the arm rests. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her partner shifting about in his seat, seeming anxious to speak. Scully quickly shifted forward, stepping in before Mulder could open his mouth.
"So, Lieutenant Colonel Thontan. You say you have a UFO at your base." Scully opened with, folding her hands in her lap. The military officer only grinned at her barely concealed disbelief. Mulder chewed on his lower lip and nudged Scully's elbow to get her attention. Scully completely ignored him and fixed her strongest glare on the military officer. Thontan's smile nearly split his weathered face in two.
"I wouldn't have come all this way to get you two if I hadn't, Agent." He chuckled, shifting himself into a more comfortable position. His eyes never left Scully's, he not flinching under her gaze. Scully merely continued.
"Do you have some evidence to back up your claim, a photograph perhaps?" Scully asked. Thontan's chest rumbled in a low chuckle, "Actually no. Our cameras won't work when we try to take any kind of shot of it."
"What do mean, 'won't work'?" Mulder asked.
"They turn off whenever we pointed them at the craft. No matter how far away we tried to take the shot." Thontan's smile was slowly disappearing. His forehead creased slightly with his thoughts. Scully shook her head, leaning back in her seat, "I don't believe I'm hearing this." Thontan watched the pair, Mulder gave her a concerned pat on her arm, but she shrugged it off, and propped up her head wearily. His gaze lingered on Scully the longest.
"It's not uncommon. In fact most people cannot handle the concept of alien life. All Marines wishing to work at the Blackstone Base are put through rigorous testing to prepare them, the drop out rate of which is over 90%. I've seen grown men piss themselves, drop to the ground and wail like babies during the training." Thontan fingered his cigar, "To see something truly alien. there's not a terror like it." Mulder leaned forward in his seat, getting the Lieutenant Colonel's attention, hoping to take the heat off of Scully. He could see her fear building, despite the stern front she was putting up. He locked gazes with the Lieutenant Colonel for the second time that day and saw nothing but sheer resolve in his eyes. The conviction that came with knowing the truth. The Lieutenant Colonel nodded almost imperceptibly at Mulder, seeing the same in the Agent's eyes.
"I know what you're both thinking. This is no joke. The alien craft I am holding at my base is real, as is what I believe to be the pilot of that craft. But as they say, seeing is believing..." Thontan turned in his seat and hollered back down the aisle.
"Major Paxton, tell the pilot to begin his approach from the west. We'll land on the western runway. Closest to the Site." Thontan boomed, and the Major left his seat to comply.
"We'll be landing at the base in a few hours time. I'll have the galley opened so you can have something to eat. I suggest you rest up before we get there. You're going to need it." Thontan grunted and pushed himself up from his seat, leaving the agents to sit in thoughtful silence.
FBI BUILDING, WASHINGTON D.C.
10TH APRIL, 2001
8:52 AM TUESDAY
Special Agent Fox Mulder sat behind his desk, an old case file opened out in front of him, chewing on a sunflower seed. Silence pervaded the room except for the tiny cracking sounds coming from his mouth as he expertly split the husk. His hazel eyes scoured the file, searching for something. Anything. The office door opened, but Mulder didn't look up. He didn't need to look up. There was only one other person who ever came through that door. He heard his partner's heels click their way across the office floor, saw out of the corner of his eye as she dumped her briefcase on what she used as a desk. Only when she settled into the chair across from him did he look up. She regarded him with her bright blue eyes for a few moments, her eyebrow rising up a little.
"Seed?" Mulder offered her. Scully sighed.
"I take it that you've got nothing." Mulder flicked the useless file and leaned back in his chair, his answering silence being the only response he gave her. Scully nodded, and reclined as far as she could in her own chair, folding her arms.
"Well, maybe we should make a start on our growing pile of expense reports." Scully provided. Mulder groaned, rolling his eyes back and twirling his chair a little.
"There's no chance you have a pack of cards on you is there?" Mulder asked, but the look of determination had already settled on his partner's face. Paper work it was until a new case showed up. He extended his lower lip in what he hoped to be a sad and endearing expression. It didn't even chink Scully's armor. She merely separated the two piles waiting for them, plonking one before him.
"Sooner we start, sooner it gets done." Scully said, walking over with her own pile of work to her area. She paused by her so called 'desk' to watch Mulder flick through the top pages, looking like he'd lost his best friend in the whole world. Scully sighed.
"Mulder, I know you find this boring. So do I. But it's." The ringing of Mulder's desk phone cut her off in mid sentence. Mulder picked it up after the first ring, looking hopeful that it might be about something that could lead to a case. Scully forgot all about the paperwork as she watched a frown slowly form on his face as he listened to the voice on the other end.
"Now..? Sir, what is this abou. Yes, we're on our way. I just want to know what." Mulder tried to cut in. His hazel eyes met hers as he dropped the phone back to its cradle. Mulder was on his feet in a second, his eyes never leaving Scully's.
"That was Skinner. He wants us in his office now."
"Right now?" Scully asked, but the deepening frown on Mulder's face put a halt to any argument she might have had. He nodded once, rounding the table and striding for the door. Scully almost had to run to match his pace, trying to side up to him.
"Mulder? Why?" Scully pressed, stopping beside her partner as they entered the elevator. Mulder hit the floor number.
"He didn't say, but he sounded. almost alarmed. I don't know." Mulder glanced back at Scully, her expression now mirroring his own. He gave her a lopsided smile.
"At least we're getting out of the paper work for a bit." He got a tiny smile from his partner. It faded as soon as they reached their floor. The agents strode through the hallway towards Skinner's office, peering through the glass partition into his assistant's area. They were shocked to see Kimberly looking out for them anxiously, almost leaning over her desk as they entered her view.
"The Assistant Director will see you now." Kimberly spoke quietly to the agents when they walked through the door. Mulder and Scully nodded once to the assistant, only stopping when they reached the office door. Scully glanced up at Mulder briefly, he reading her concern loud and clear, as her hand gripped the handle. Scully opened the door to see Assistant Director Skinner standing by his desk, staring warningly at the three men in front of him dressed in military fatigues. Mulder's jaw dropped open slightly in his shock, his pulse rate increasing the instant he saw the military uniforms. A flick of green to the right caught Scully's eye, she turning to see a fourth man seated at the meeting table. Judging by his three star decorated uniform, Scully knew this man was a high ranking officer. He was flicking through a file as calmly as one would flick through the morning paper.
"Agents Mulder, Scully. These men are from the Blackstone Military Base in Montana." Assistant Director Skinner rumbled, "I received a call from Lieutenant Colonel Thontan," He nodded towards the seated man, "ten minutes ago, advising me of this visit. It appears he has a proposition for you." Mulder stepped towards his superior, trying to read the dark eyes behind his glasses. He could only see mistrust. Both agents turned as the seated Lieutenant Colonel gave a grunt. He shifted his battle worn body in the chair to focus on the agents. Lines of age creased his face, but his eyes were bright.
"You have quite a history, Agent Mulder. You've clocked up quite a few frequent flyer miles. Look here! Oregon, Idaho, Wisconsin." The man's broad chest shook with a laugh, "Texas, Virginia, even Florida! Then there's your overseas 'trips'. You've been to Mexico, Russia, the Arctic Circle." The Lieutenant Colonel pushed himself to his feet, closing Mulder's file on the desk while giving the agent a crooked grin.
"Quite impressive for a one man operation. No offence to you, Agent Scully." Mulder stared at the older man, his mouth gaping a little further at the fact that he had just been going through his file.
"Assistant Director, how did he." Mulder began, but was cut off quickly by the Lieutenant Colonel.
"It wasn't anything I didn't already know, Agent Mulder. Your pursuit for proof of the existence of extra-terrestrials is almost common knowledge." The older man grunted. Mulder's frown deepened.
"Common knowledge to whom?!" Mulder asked, unable to keep the tones of trepidation and irritation from his voice. The Lieutenant Colonel stopped before the agents, now ignoring the Assistant Director. When Skinner made a move to intervene he was summarily grunted at, as if he was a Private to be dismissed.
"Lieutenant Colonel Thontan, sir, I have never heard of a Blackstone Military Base in Montana." Agent Scully spoke up, catching Thontan's attention. Thontan locked eyes with the female Agent. She did not look away, she stared almost defiantly right back. Not in the least intimidated by his military status.
"Which base are you familiar with in Montana, Agent Scully?"
"There is the Malmstrom Air Force base outside of Great Falls. There is also the Fort Harrison army base in Helena." Scully replied proficiently. Thontan's grin stretched from ear to ear.
"Very good." Thontan rumbled, "The Blackstone installation has only recently been constructed. She received her first unit in 1998, and I took charge a few months after that." Thontan returned his focus to Mulder, holding his hands behind his back. Mulder felt uneasy under his scrutinizing gaze, as if the man was trying to peer through layers of his skin and peruse through his mind like he had with his file.
"Agent Mulder, I'd like you, and your partner if you wish, to return with me to the Blackstone base. There is something there that I know you'll want to see. Of course, this is only a request." Thontan puffed out his chest in sigh, "From one man who knows to another." Mulder shook his head, rubbing his forehead in frustrated exasperation. He could not believe this military official had come all the way from Montana just to stand in Skinner's office and act like he owned the building.
"And that would be what?" Mulder asked. Thontan turned towards his men, holding one hand out while keeping his attention on the agents. A briefcase was opened by the second man and a file was handed over to the Lieutenant Colonel, who then handed it to Mulder. Mulder took the file, giving the military officer a wary look. He opened the file and his heart stopped dead in his chest.
"I was in an AWAC over the Antarctic ice shelf when I saw it." Thontan spoke, his voice low and deadly serious. He tapped the glossy A4 photo of the alien ship, the very ship that Mulder had rescued Scully from only moments before, "Rising up over the Pole of Inaccessibility. A big god damned craft coming out of the ice, just under a kilometre in diameter, leaving behind a gaping crater that no bastard could miss. I was the only one to get any shots of it, and it was gone so fast most of the crew had convinced themselves they saw nothing by the time we got back.
"Suddenly the project no one wanted to touch became a terrifying possibility. I was the only one with the balls to take it. The Blackstone base was created with its goal in mind." Scully took hold of the picture and stared at it in pure incredulity. Mulder had staggered back a step, his muscles slack as his mind tried to take in what he had just been handed. A photograph of the ship from Antarctica. a ship no one had known about except himself and Scully. An aerial shot, from above the craft. Assistant Director Skinner looked from Scully to Mulder, watching as they both took in information that seemed to stagger them. He made a motion to step forward, but was met by an austere glare from the Lieutenant Colonel. At ease, soldier. As a former Marine, he knew what the man meant. This wasn't his place.
"This is in my ball park now, Assistant Director." Thontan grunted quietly. The Lieutenant Colonel recaptured Mulder's attention, holding his hand out for the file.
"Agent Mulder, at Blackstone base we deal exclusively with the recovery and examination of downed alien space craft. And at approximately 1:30 in the early morning of last Wednesday we managed to recover such a craft. The vehicle is stored in a hanger at the base, and its single occupant is currently being observed in the maximum security wing." Thontan gave his waiting men a nod to indicate they were about to leave, "If you wish to take me up on my offer, just follow my men. I have the jet on standby by at the airport. Thank you for your time and co-operation, Assistant Director." With that the Lieutenant Colonel began to make his way from the office. Mulder turned around, still flabbergasted at what had just taken place, he barely hearing Skinner demanding to know what the hell was going on. All he was aware of was that he needed to say something quickly.
"Lieutenant Colonel, we accept." He blurted out, to which Scully gasped at. Her arm was taken by Mulder as he followed the uniformed men out of the door, turning around to give his astounded superior a quick apologetic shrug.
"You can read about it in the report, sir." He shot out as he disappeared from the office. Scully found herself having almost to run once again to keep up with her partner, wanting to speak to his face rather than the back of his head. They were moving through the FBI building at a rapid pace.
"Mulder! What the hell are you doing? You're following this man for what reason? That he says he has a UFO? Mulder!" Scully exclaimed angrily, grabbing Mulder's arm to rein him back a bit.
"Scully. I know this seems a little crazy. But I think this time." Mulder shook his head in exasperation, "Didn't you see the photo? It was the ship! From Antarctica. No one knows about it, Scully! I saw it, I know it is that ship!" They turned a corner and entered the elevator, Mulder and Scully moving to the back of it behind the enlisted men. Scully stared at Mulder in sheer disbelief.
"They could have fabricated that picture on any PC with a scanner and photographic editing software! Cut and paste, Mulder! I can not believe you are falling for this!" Mulder stepped back, looking like he'd been slapped. He rubbed a hand down his face.
"Scully. I. How could they have duplicated the same craft, no one saw it but me. You were there, Scully."
"Yes, Mulder. I was in Antarctica. I was half numb with frostbite and was physically fatigued. And you had just spent 48 hours on the go with no sleep and a gun shot wound to the head." Scully replied, and stopped when she saw the hurt on Mulder's face intensify. He closed his eyes, sucking his lower lip into his mouth. He sighed as the elevator doors opened, the marines marching out first.
"Scully. I know what I saw." Mulder looked back at Scully, shaking his head tiredly. There was an ache in his chest, the one he always got when he and Scully argued. The one he always got when she gave him that look, seeing the incredulity in her eyes. It was rare when he saw that, he could only count a few times. When he stood on one side of the fence and she remained stubbornly on the other. Scully held Mulder's gaze, feelings of fear and uncertainty clouding her heart. Mulder was so desperate to believe. He would do anything to learn the truth, and that was just what Lieutenant Colonel Thontan was dangling before him, like a carrot. She reached out to touch his hand.
"Mulder, I know you do. And I believe in you. But I don't trust what is happening here. We can find out another way, Mulder." Mulder looked at Scully's delicate hand touching his, and then to the marines waiting in the FBI building reception area. He closed his eyes again. He knew what Scully was saying, and there was a part of him, some small part that agreed. But the craft in the photo. He had memorized its every line, every alien structure as it passed over head. Granted, he hadn't seen it from above, but what he had made out matched what he remembered exactly. Eccentric behaviour or not, the man had seen it.
"Scully. You don't have to come with me, if you don't want to. But this is something I have to look in to. He knows something, I know that. And not just because of the photo. Why do you think he came to us? He could have sent for us from the base." Scully dropped her eyes from his, seeing his absolute determination. There was nothing she could say, Thontan had done too good a job. She felt his hand gently touch her arm, as if trying to get a response from her. There was only one response she could give.
"All right, Mulder." She said, more resignedly than she had wanted, but Mulder had not picked up on it. Once he had her support again, Mulder was off. Scully followed behind him, this time not hurrying to keep his pace. She stayed back to guard his rear, which she realised she would be doing for the majority of this 'case', until what ever conclusion came their way.
The ride to the airport was in heavy silence. Apparently the Lieutenant Colonel had gone ahead of them in another car to the military jet, they had been told by his men he would join them there. Both agents looked out of the car window as it rolled to a stop on the tarmac, airport personnel moving out of its way. Mulder and Scully stepped out of the car, looking towards the small military owned jet waiting only a few metres away, its engines already running. The agents were escorted from the car and towards the boarding stairs that were positioned by the entrance hatch of the jet. The whine of the engines died to a low hum once they were inside. Mulder and Scully stopped in the aisle. Six more men of the Military persuasion stared at the agents, all wearing uniforms of higher rank than those of the Marines who had escorted them. Mulder felt a slight prod at his side, and he heard a grunted voice from behind him.
"Please take a seat, sir." Mulder followed Scully to a nice aisle seat, far from the closest marine, and sat down. Mulder found to his surprise there was plenty of leg room, and the seats themselves were rather comfortable. He adjusted his Armani suit slightly and then looked to Scully to see how she was faring. She was already buckled in. She gave him a half smile, indicating she was all right. Mulder leaned in to her slightly, keeping his voice low.
"They haven't made any move to disarm us." He whispered, his eyebrows rising in surprise. He would have thought that it would have been their first move. Mulder looked up as all of the military men drew to sudden attention as the officer in charge stepped through the door of the cabin. Lieutenant Colonel Thontan straightened himself up, giving the all too small door a glare of annoyance, and basked in the respect of his men briefly. Leaving them at attention for the moment, the weathered officer plucked a cigar from a lapel pocket and fingered it.
"Sit down gentlemen, enjoy the flight." He grumbled, his wrinkled face forming a smile, waving his cigar bearing hand at the seats, "Smoke if you will." Thontan's eyes then darted to the FBI agents sitting further down, and his smile increased. As his men got themselves settled, the Lieutenant Colonel strode down the aisle, followed by only one assistant. His dark but shining eyes never left those of the agents. He stopped before them, and slowly eased himself into a seat facing them. His right knee cracked loudly, and the aged officer barked out a laugh.
"Damn, I'm showing my impediments. Do excuse that." He chuckled, resting his hand on the offending knee. Scully only smiled briefly, then clutched on to the arm rests as the jet began its way down the run way. The Lieutenant Colonel calmly lit his cigar as the jet left the ground, he puffing away contentedly. Only when the air craft had levelled off did Scully let go of the arm rests. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her partner shifting about in his seat, seeming anxious to speak. Scully quickly shifted forward, stepping in before Mulder could open his mouth.
"So, Lieutenant Colonel Thontan. You say you have a UFO at your base." Scully opened with, folding her hands in her lap. The military officer only grinned at her barely concealed disbelief. Mulder chewed on his lower lip and nudged Scully's elbow to get her attention. Scully completely ignored him and fixed her strongest glare on the military officer. Thontan's smile nearly split his weathered face in two.
"I wouldn't have come all this way to get you two if I hadn't, Agent." He chuckled, shifting himself into a more comfortable position. His eyes never left Scully's, he not flinching under her gaze. Scully merely continued.
"Do you have some evidence to back up your claim, a photograph perhaps?" Scully asked. Thontan's chest rumbled in a low chuckle, "Actually no. Our cameras won't work when we try to take any kind of shot of it."
"What do mean, 'won't work'?" Mulder asked.
"They turn off whenever we pointed them at the craft. No matter how far away we tried to take the shot." Thontan's smile was slowly disappearing. His forehead creased slightly with his thoughts. Scully shook her head, leaning back in her seat, "I don't believe I'm hearing this." Thontan watched the pair, Mulder gave her a concerned pat on her arm, but she shrugged it off, and propped up her head wearily. His gaze lingered on Scully the longest.
"It's not uncommon. In fact most people cannot handle the concept of alien life. All Marines wishing to work at the Blackstone Base are put through rigorous testing to prepare them, the drop out rate of which is over 90%. I've seen grown men piss themselves, drop to the ground and wail like babies during the training." Thontan fingered his cigar, "To see something truly alien. there's not a terror like it." Mulder leaned forward in his seat, getting the Lieutenant Colonel's attention, hoping to take the heat off of Scully. He could see her fear building, despite the stern front she was putting up. He locked gazes with the Lieutenant Colonel for the second time that day and saw nothing but sheer resolve in his eyes. The conviction that came with knowing the truth. The Lieutenant Colonel nodded almost imperceptibly at Mulder, seeing the same in the Agent's eyes.
"I know what you're both thinking. This is no joke. The alien craft I am holding at my base is real, as is what I believe to be the pilot of that craft. But as they say, seeing is believing..." Thontan turned in his seat and hollered back down the aisle.
"Major Paxton, tell the pilot to begin his approach from the west. We'll land on the western runway. Closest to the Site." Thontan boomed, and the Major left his seat to comply.
"We'll be landing at the base in a few hours time. I'll have the galley opened so you can have something to eat. I suggest you rest up before we get there. You're going to need it." Thontan grunted and pushed himself up from his seat, leaving the agents to sit in thoughtful silence.
