Chapter Fourteen

The troops spread out around the area. The tall, proud looking spaceship towered over them, some civilians stood and watched in amazement and wonder, and Mulder went up to them quickly.

'Mam, you should be out of here. The city has been ordered to evacuate by the President.' Mulder said to the wide eyed woman. She pulled her daughter close to her and looked at Mulder with scared eyes.

'Really? Oh my gosh!' She exclaimed in wonder. Mulder nodded.

'Please, you need to leave now. It's not safe here. Go home, pack some things and then make your way out of the city.' Mulder said in a low, but confident voice. She nodded silently, and ushered her daughter off towards her car, glancing back a few times to get a last glimpse of the huge craft. Mulder felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Why didn't these people know that there was an evacuation?

'Mulder, what are our orders Sir?' A soilder said, coming over to him his gun raised. Mulder looked up at the spacecraft for a moment and felt emotion running over him. It looked fantastic, he was so lucky to be seeing this… if only it didn't have such a bad omen to it, Mulder would have enjoyed the moment. Finally, people were seeing the truth, but it didn't feel exciting or relieving at all.

'I…' Mulder started, still distracted at the huge sight in front of him in the middle of the city. He didn't know where to begin. The solider looked at him with suspicious eyes. 'Just… surround the craft, then we have to wait and see if anything happens, if not we're going to find a way in.' Mulder said, and the soldier nodded, may be a little too falsely, as Mulder already knew that those were the original orders. Mulder started to feel nervous, he was very much out of practice and had no idea how he was going to capture one of these aliens. He sighed heavily to himself and looked up at the magnificent craft. Turning on his headset he switched on the camera which connected to the White House.

X x x x x x x x x x x

Dana Scully pushed herself out of the bed and slowly got to her feet. Her legs were still aching, but she knew that it wouldn't stop whatever she did. Deciding that she was feeling a lot better, she moved out of the room slowly and pulled on a clean cardigan over her clothes which she had borrowed from the White House. Scully wondered in amusement if these clothes belonged to the First Lady. She smiled to herself, but thought against asking anyone.

She slowly made her way up the stairs with painful steps and took deep breaths. She made her way into the corridor and looked forward to seeing Mulder waiting for her, may be talking to Doggett and Reyes. She burst into the bright corridor and saw people rushing around again, some looking a lot more scared and frantic than before. Scully caught sight of a broken desk in the far corner, and a smashed desk lamp. She glanced out of the window and for the first time, she saw the huge spaceship gliding up into the sky fiercely. She felt her heart rise to her throat as she saw that it looked strangely familiar. Scully turned away from it quickly as the horror inside her started to get heavier and she walked down the corridor, looking for Mulder. She wanted to see him desperately, to make sure that what she had just realised in herself really was true. Scully felt her heart racing inside of her and she caught sight of Doggett standing by the water cooler. She moved quickly towards him and he turned and saw her.

'Dana, how are you feeling?' He asked with a smile. Scully swallowed hard and looked up at him.

'Ok.' She said softly. 'Where's Mulder?' She asked. Doggett looked confused for a moment, Scully wondered whether she should repeat the question.

'Erm, you didn't hear?' Doggett said, looking uneasy. Scully frowned in confusion.

'No. Where is he, with the President?' She asked, glancing at the door to the office for a moment.

'No.' Doggett said quickly, and Scully turned back at him slowly. She frowned in confusion as she looked into his face.

'Well where then?' Scully asked, loudly this time, she felt panic in her chest.

'He's gone to the spaceship.' Doggett said as if she should already know this. Scully stared at him, not blinking. 'He said that he'd discussed it with you. He's leading the soldiers, they're going to capture an alien.' Doggett said, and looked at Scully silently as she took the news in. Scully blinked and she felt hot tears coat her eyes for a moment as the words hit her. She couldn't breathe. When had they discussed this? Nothing had been made certain, Mulder had just said he was leaving her and that he'd be back… not that he was leave her…

'Oh my god.' Scully breathed in a whisper. Doggett frowned in concern.

'He.. he didn't tell you.' Doggett said slowly.

'No.' Scully said quietly, and then turned from him quickly. Doggett tried to speak to her but he didn't know what to say. Scully blindly walked to the President's Office, anger and fear burning inside of her. But as she turned, she caught sight of the spacecraft again, and she suddenly felt very sick. Feeling her emotions running wild, Scully felt herself run towards the President's Office, and she was about to reach the door when two guards stepped out in front of her and pushed her away. Scully cried out in anger and started to struggle.

'Get off me!' She exclaimed.

'Now calm down Miss Scully, the President hasn't said that…'

'MR PRESIDENT! MR PRESIDENT!' Scully called out desperately as the guards held her. She felt hot tears swim her vision and she called out desperately, but nothing happened. Suddenly there was a firm hand on her shoulder and she spun around in shock. Scully let her breath catch in her throat as she saw Skinner standing in front of her. She stared at him for a moment and blinked silently and the guards slowly let go of her.

'Dana, calm down.' Skinner said gently, and she tried to take deep breaths.

'How could he do this?' Scully asked in a whisper, tears threatening to fall. She bit her lower lip to stop them.

'He told me that you talked about it.' Skinner said sympathetically.

'No. We didn't.' Scully said, fury burning inside of her.

'Well that doesn't matter now, come on. They're monitoring the team down the hall, you can talk to Mulder there.' Skinner said quietly, and Scully nodded silently, as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her down the hall. Scully felt her body tighten as she walked towards the room, she suddenly felt very alone.

X x x x x x x x x

Mulder checked his watch. They'd been standing there waiting for something to happen for over fifteen minutes, and still nothing. The soldiers stood, regimental and still at the sides. Mulder sighed heavily and stared at it, hoping that something would happen soon. He looked to his left and saw the nets that they had brought along. He felt strange, like he was capturing an animal, not an alien. Mulder shrugged his thoughts off quickly. This thing was an animal, it definetely wasn't human.

He scanned the area and felt frustration and impatience filling his chest. He wanted to find out more about this thing, and soon. Sighing heavily, he pressed his microphone on.

'This is Mulder, I'm going in.' He said quickly. The speakers on the other end questioned him, but he didn't care. Mulder was already on his way. He grabbed some of the soldiers and told them the plan. He looked up to see the helicopters circling the spaceship and signalled to them. One of them came down to him slowly, the large gusts of wind created by its chopper blowing his jacket and hair back violently.

As the helicopter came to the ground slowly, Mulder moved to the right of it and pulled the door open. The pilot gave him the signal, and he got in quickly and slammed the door behind him. They were soon in the air, and Mulder watched as he left earth and went up into the sky above the spacecraft. It was then that he realised just how tall it really was. Mulder scanned it as they flew past, the engravings on it were familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen them before, may be Scully would. The helicopter swung round and then came to the top of the spacecraft. Mulder looked down and felt a falling feeling in his stomach. It was high, very high. He looked across the city at the buildings and homes and he felt a sinking feeling. All of this was in danger, and everyone was counting on him to save them.

The helicopter lowered itself slowly on to the top of the spacecraft and Mulder jumped out just when it touched the bottom. Mulder turned and signalled to the pilot, and the pilot gave him the signal and then flew off again and began circling.

Mulder looked around him for a moment and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was standing on top of a spacecraft. He let the moment sink in for a moment and then was brought out of his own mind by the sound of an agitated voice in his ear.

'Mulder? Mulder?'

Mulder put his hand to his ear. It was Scully. He frowned in confusion.

'Scully?' Mulder called out.

'Yes it's me. Mulder, what are you doing!' She exclaimed. Mulder sighed.

'I'm finding the truth Scully.'

'Mulder don't you realise how dangerous this is?' She said in her firm voice that he knew so well. He heard the bustle of the White House around her.

'Aren't you supposed to be resting?' Mulder said to her, feeling a little annoyed.

'Never mind that now, Mulder please, don't do this.' Scully pleaded with him. Mulder paused for a moment as he felt her concern hit him. He shook his head.

'I have to Scully. We need to capture an alien.'

'I didn't mean for you to go out alone like that!'

'I'm not alone Scully, I've got a whole damn army with me.'

'Then what are you doing standing at the top of the spaceship on your own?' Scully said in a demanding voice. Mulder turned around quickly in surprise and looked at the White House. He imagined her sitting there watching him now.

'Scully… I have a sneaky suspicion that you were sent to spy on me…' Mulder said with a smirk, reminding her of the first few words that he had ever said to her when they had first met. She was silent for a moment, he knew that that had moved her.

'Mulder…' She said, now in a sad and emotional voice. Mulder could tell she was close to tears. He closed his eyes and waited for a moment, feeling concern for her.

'Scully, I'm going to be all right. I have to do this, you know that.' He said.

'I just wish I could be there with you.' She said softly. Mulder nodded.

'I know.' He said. There was a silence again for a moment, and then Scully broke it.

'Mulder?'

'Yeah.'

'I… I've seen this spaceship before. I recognise it.' She said in a shaky voice. Mulder frowned in confusion.

'What?'

'Don't you recognise it Mulder? It's nearly the same as… the one that I…' She said, her voice breaking off. Mulder felt realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.

'You're right.' Mulder said quickly. He felt confusion fill his mind and then he suddenly felt a sense of panic. 'It's similar to the one that you were taken to, in Antarctica.' Mulder said in a low voice. He looked down at the engravings once more. 'Hey Scully, you see these?' He said.

'Yeah.' Scully said, checking the monitors. Mulder waited for her reaction. 'Oh my god…'

'Do these look similar to you too?' Mulder asked.

'Mulder they're.. they're similar to the engravings of the spaceship in Africa, and that artefact that you..' She said, and Mulder could almost hear her mind clocking over. 'But Mulder, that was engravings from the Bible. This is… this is different. I can't read it.' She said. Mulder imagined her scanning the screens closely. Her nose almost touching the screen. He smiled to himself as he thought of her.

'So it's different. This is all different Scully, I think it's a completely new breed, more advanced, more capab…' But Mulder was suddenly cut off by a huge wave that hit the spaceship and made him nearly lose his footing. He fell to the side suddenly and struggled to keep his balance as the ship started to rumble uncontrollably. He cried out in shock as he lost his headset and it fell to the roof of the spaceship. Mulder scrambled for it, Scully's voice echoing quietly around him, but he couldn't reach it, for another wave like an earth quake hit the spaceship again and he was thrown to the roof hard, his chest hitting the hard surface painfully. Mulder cried out and stuggled to breathe as his lungs suddenly lost all their air. He heard the sound of the helicopters coming nearer and he blinked, his vision getting blurry. He looked up to the sound of the noise and saw a helicopter coming towards him and a soldier stepping out and holding out his hand to him. Mulder reached out to him and he nearly grabbed hold of his hand, but just as he was about to, another wave hit the spaceship and Mulder was knocked to the left violently, slipping along the metallic roof and then falling over the side of the spaceship, slipping quickly over the edge of the huge wall. Mulder cried out in shock and panic as he scrambled for something to hold onto but his legs slipped and he felt the metal slip from underneath him as he fell over the edge, reaching out blinding for something to grab as he fell…

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Mulder go splat!

… please review!!!!!!!!!!