Author's comments: I have an additional spoiler alert here—Wetwired.

Skyscraper

Chapter Ten

Part 1.

"What do you have for me, boys?"

Langly waved Mulder over to the computer screen and pointed to some patterns on the screen. "It appears that the chip contains some images, and it projects these images at varying intervals."

"Kind of like a TV," Frohicke interjected.

Mulder tapped his finger on the counter. "Do you know what the images are?"

"No, they are projected in bands. Without better equipment, it's impossible to decode them."

Byers broke in. "Does this remind you all of anything?"

Mulder looked up from the computer screen and said, "The cable device. The one we found a couple of years ago, the same one that made Scully delusional. It affected people by projecting subliminal images on TV screens."

Langly held up a finger. "Right. What if—"

Mulder finished the thought. "What if the same type of device could be implanted into someone, in the form of this computer chip."

"That would give someone the ability to project images directly into someone's brain, without their knowledge," said Byers.

The room went silent as they realized the implications.

"Scully," said Mulder. "The chip in her neck—"

"Poor Scully," said Frohicke. "Do you think that's why—"

"Why she thought she saw me with Diana," Mulder said. His voice softened. "And probably why she became so paranoid. It may even explain why she . . ."

Nobody finished the sentence, but the silence revealed their understanding. "If that's the case," said Mulder, "she's been manipulated for some time now. I've got to get her out of the Baker Center—no telling what they're doing to her." His heart clutched as the possibilities became clear.

Part 2.

Blood vessels pounding in her head, Scully raced through the door and out of Ms. Snyder's office. She got halfway down the hall when Skippy appeared at the end of it and stood, arms wide, ready for action. Scully did a u-turn and ran back the way she came. Ms. Snyder stood in the hallway next to her office. Scully kept running straight towards her.

Scully braced herself and barreled through her, knocking her to the ground. Scully kept running, but soon realized she was running into a dead end.

Turning back now, she realized the only way out was through Skippy. It suddenly occurred to her how large the man was. Not tall, just solid like bricks and mortar. She would have to use speed as her a tool and give it her best shot.

She darted off to the side as she approached him, and he reached for her, stumbling off balance while doing so. She used the gap that had been created between him and the wall, and went for it. But he caught himself by putting his foot out, and he didn't fall. She was past him, but she felt a tugging on her gown, and had to slow down. This gave him the extra second he needed, and he got back solid on his feet and got ahold of her arm.

She knew it was all over as soon as she felt her arms being pushed in front of her, but she still wouldn't go in without a fight. She knew the dangers associated with ECT, and she was not ready to be another test subject. He threw his arms around her from behind, and they were wrapped snugly around her waist like a bear hug from the back. Her feet flew up, but she realized this would not do any good, so she planted them back on the ground and stomped on his foot with her house-slipper clad foot. He let out an "Oof," and bent slightly in pain, but he did not let go of her. Her arms were trapped crossed in front of her, his hands firmly holding them down, and his grip around her waist was unyielding.

All she could do now was wriggle, and he slowly moved her one step at a time down the hall. They came to another room, and he forced her into it. Scully saw an exam table with leather restraints attached. She had been scared up to this point, but terror gripped her insides so tightly now that she thought her heart might collapse in on itself like a black hole.

She stopped struggling. Ms. Snyder was in the room now. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry," Scully said. "Can we just talk about this? Can I talk to my doctor?"

Ms. Snyder stood behind her so that she could not see the woman. "I'm afraid not," she said.

Scully heard other footsteps in the room, right before she saw a nurse and another technician of some sort preparing equipment and supplies. While Skippy shoved her onto the table and strapped her in, Ms. Snyder said from behind her, "Let's do unmodified bilateral."

"Unmodified?" Scully said. She began to struggle again, but her arms were already in the restraints, and Skippy was working on securing one leg. Scully kicked at him and missed his chest by a hair, but caught one of his fingers, jamming it.

"Bitch!" he said to her, grabbing her foot and strapping the restraint around it.

Scully stopped and caught her breath. "Why in the hell are you using unmodified?"

Ms. Snyder took a second to answer her. "I don't even have to discuss this with you, Miss Scully. But in answer to your question, we don't have an anesthetist here."

Scully threw her head back. "You can't do this . . . " She knew that "unmodified" meant that she would not even be put under for the procedure. Even worse, they wouldn't give her muscle relaxers, which prevented the severe convulsions that sometimes caused bones to snap.

Skippy and an assistant got on either side of her and put their hands on one arm and one leg each to hold her body still. The nurse hooked electrodes to either side of her head, and then forced her mouth open to insert a mouth guard. Scully closed her eyes and braced herself.

"Let go," said Ms. Snyder, and all the hands left Scully's skin.

A sharp pain stabbed Scully's entire body like a bolt of lightning. At the same time, a flash of blue filled her eyelids, and she let heard herself say, "Mmmph." Her body was arching at impossible angles, just before her mind went blank.