Planning

Scully looked up at the stars and leant against the rocky surface. The small fire they had made crackled in the air and threw orange and red patterns across their faces. She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling herself drift into a doze. She shivered with the cold and it woke her senses. She turned towards Mulder and saw him lying on the ground sleeping. She smiled a little and felt relief flow through her, that he was still with her and that they were safe. Scully sighed with happiness and shifted to get more comfortable.

'Scully?' Mulder said in a muffled tone. Scully turned to face him in surprise.

'What, I thought you were sleeping.'

'I was thinking that we should go back in there, try and find out what's really going on.' Mulder said sleepily. Scully frowned in annoyance.

'You can't be serious.'

'Why would I be joking Scully?' He said in a voice which was almost as if he was laughing. Scully shook her head in disbelief.

'And how do you propose we get in there?'

'Well, we'll have to plan something.' He said, moving over onto his front. Scully saw his face glimmer in the fire light.

'Like what? I told you to get some rest Mulder.' She said, turning back away from him and pulling a blanket over herself.

'I've had some rest. I just need to know if you're going to come back in with me.' Mulder said; his voice softer now. He sat up slowly and Scully turned to him quickly in anger.

'Mulder what are you doing? You have to lie down and rest!' She shouted and moved towards him. She reached forward to push him down but Mulder grabbed her arms and held her above him. They stared into each others eyes. Scully suddenly blushed and pulled away from him angrily and brushed her hair back awkwardly.

The two of them sat awkwardly for a few moments and Mulder started to cough. Scully looked at him sadly and frowned with concern. He started to cough heavier and she moved towards him slowly. She took her medical bag and got out another injection. She prepared it as he hunched over in pain.

'Mulder, come on it's all right, sit up straight.' She said softly. Mulder sat up as she said and tried to catch his breath. Scully prepared the syringe and tapped it with her nails. She pulled Mulder's arm out and injected him carefully.

Mulder sighed and hung his head low. Scully put the syringe away and put an arm around him affectionately. Mulder coughed more but found his breath slowly. Scully looked at him with concern.

'You're not well enough for a start Mulder, you need a lot more rest and we need to get out of the country and get you to a hospital.' She said.

'Scully we're never going to get out of the country without being found out.' He said weakly. Scully sighed with frustration.

'Well if we don't get you help soon you're going to be ill for a long time.' She snapped, and pulled away from him. Mulder looked at her hopelessly.

'Scully, I know what's in there.' He said quietly. Scully didn't answer. 'It's something which we need to prove. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.' He said.

'No Mulder, you won't be fine.' She snapped.

'I don't care if I'm ill I just want to prove this. I need to show the people what's out there.' He said with longing. Scully shook her head hopelessly.

'Mulder, I know how much you want to prove this to people and so do I.' She said with sympathy. There was a silence between them, then Scully felt guilt take over suddenly. 'Mulder, I believe you. I saw something when I was in the base, before I found you, and I didn't tell you.'

'What?' Mulder said with hurt. Scully sighed.

'I saw a large room which was like a science laboratory. It was amazing, and so well constructed. I don't know what they were trying to do there, but they were making or holding a large tank full of strange green liquid.' She said unbelievingly. Mulder stared at her with interest.

'Well you'll come with me then, please Scully.' He begged. Scully sighed heavily and looked at him with annoyance.

'We'll see how you feel tomorrow and then we'll decide. I took pictures of it, so we can use that for evidence.' She said in a low voice. Mulder nodded and laid back down again closing his eyes realising that he wasn't going to get a better answer than that. Scully looked down sadly, and felt fear rise in her stomach and she needed to tell him straight away.

'Mulder, there was another thing that happened at the base.' She started. Mulder turned and looked at her with concern.

'What is it Scully?'

'When I went in that room, the lights came on automatically, but then something happened, it was as if something… it was as if something took a photo of me as I entered.' She said with difficulty, fear in her eyes.

'What are you scared about?'

'What if they took a photo of me and now have evidence I was in there.' She said, her voice wavering. Mulder looked at her with sympathy and condolence, and reached out to hold her hand.

'Whatever it was Scully, you're safe now, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you.' He said in a low voice. Scully felt adoration and emotion fill her insides and she looked at him with great affection. Mulder gave her a small smile then moved back to his lying position and closed his eyes. Scully looked at him with a smile but then felt her stomach cry out at her. She was very hungry, and she knew that they needed food. She reached into her bag and brought out a few supplies she had brought. She bit into an apple and lay back down on her blanket and looked up to the sky thinking about how she was going to deal with Mulder.

Scully woke up suddenly and stared across the open space. She felt her heart race in her chest as she heard trees rustling heavily. She scanned the area around her madly and stood up quickly, sensing a presence around her. Taking deep breaths trying to steady herself, Scully opened her eyes wide in shock when she saw something coming out of the trees towards her. She squinted in confusion as the bushes and trees started to sway together as if one entity. Scully rubbed her eyes to try and focus properly, but to her horror they were moving towards her, as if wanting to touch her. Scully scrabbled backwards in fear and reached for her torch. She pulled it up and quickly flashed it on and the area around her was suddenly light, and she saw it in a completely different way.

Scully breathed heavily and nervously as she looked around with fear. Her torch shone on the trees and she saw that they had stopped swaying, and she took a deep breath and frowned in confusion and annoyance at the sudden change. Scully thought to herself that she must just be dehydrated and that her mind was playing tricks on her, and with a deep breath she switched the torch out and went to lie down on her side.

Scully moved slowly to the ground but suddenly she was grabbed by the hair and pulled up to a standing position. Scully's heart skipped and her stomach flipped heavily.

'MULD..!' She cried out but was cut short quickly as a hand clasped over her mouth strongly. Scully struggled and kicked to get free but the person behind her was too strong. She felt terror run through her blood and stared, open eyed at Mulder. Suddenly she was pulled away from him and she cried out into the man's hand in pain as he tugged on her hair to pull her away. Scully felt tears sting her eyes and she squinted in agony. She took one last desperate look at Mulder and then was pulled to face the other way and was tugged along the ground roughly, losing her footing. Scully struggled with all her might but fell over a large rock. She was pulled up roughly straight away and she cried out again in agony, but it only came out muffled, her heart was racing with terror.

The Russian soldiers watched as the lady was carried away. When she was far enough away, they looked at each other solemnly and nodded. From behind them a large soldier with a huge scar across his face came into view carrying a body. They smiled a little and looked at Mulder who was sleeping. The soldiers nodded to each other and the man carrying the body brought it into view.

The soldiers gasped with astonishment at the body in his arms. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful, as if she was sleeping. Her limp arms hung low and her face was so beautifully made, and so accurate. One of the soldiers smiled menacingly at Mulder and nodded in excitement. The soldier holding the body brushed a piece of red hair from the body's face and touched its cheek softly. He murmured something in Russian and they all agreed silently, as if they were worshipping the body. He then moved towards where Scully had been lying and lay the body down as if it was sleeping. The solider moved to the back of the body and lifted its clothing up, and pulled a latch open. He opened the body up and saw the buttons in the torchlight. The soldiers around him all looked down at the robot with amazement and the solider pressed a few buttons then nodded, closing the latch at the back. He put the clothes back into place and lay the robot down again. Rising slowly he looked at it seriously and to Mulder. He stayed there for a moment then turned to the soldiers, then beckoned them to leave quickly, and with one last look of hope and adoration to the robot, they turned and made their way back to the base.