MITOCHONDRION EPIDEMIC
By: Stiltzkin
Author's Note: This fan fiction is an experimentation of sorts. Some of my friends [at school] consider my writings too serious and because of that constructive criticism I thought I would tried my hand at humor. My attempts in using the X-Files characters Fox Mulder and Dana Scully for comedic relief fail miserably [I found after writing this that it was not funny, but silly, something I wasn't going for]. So I changed everything back to "normal" [whatever that is] and couldn't decided whether to take the X-Files characters out or leave them in. That question consumed me way too much that I thought: 'Hey let the readers decide.' So, please read and tell me if you like the cameo of the X-Files characters and if you would like to see them again in the future chapters. Oh, for those who wants to know the title is Latin for "The Truth is Unbelievable" to go along with the X-Files theme. Finally, I'll like to apologize for getting this uploaded so late. I was busy with school and writing my other fan fiction series for Final Fantasy VIII, regardless, I hope the wait was well worth it (and length, sorry about that). Enjoy!
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CHAPTER TWO: VERITAS EST INCREDIBILIS
Streets of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
July 13, 2003 05:45 PST
Kyle Madigan hated to feel useless, especially when it came to Aya. He knew zealously that she could take care of herself, but there was always a consistent and relentless agape love he had for her that wouldn't let go. 'No it's more than that.' Kyle thought. 'Can it be true love?' Regardless, he couldn't stay inside when everything that he care for in the world was in potential danger. He needed to get some fresh air.
The morning was warm and humid; the sun had yet to rise. The air was stuffy and almost unbreathable. The city's power was still down and the sky was overcast they only light came from two tiny stars, one of which was the morning star. Madigan ended up walking in the dark, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to get of his apartment and think things through.
Part of him wished that he didn't know the significance of Code Yellow - the truth behind it, but the greater part of him, was glad that he did. The musty morning air helped him realize that the code was based on military monochromatic message flags. 'Of course.' He cursed to himself. 'White represents truce or surrender, black: death, red: danger, green: proceed, orange: distress and of course yellow - yellow means quarantine.' Kyle finally realized.
He walked alone and aimlessly through the dark streets of Los Angeles being lost in thought - a debate, a small war being waged in his head. A dangerous feat to perform especially for those without any basic combat training. Although this Texas native was never apart of the army or received any police training he was able to take care of himself in a fight.
He was so consumed in thought that he lost all track of time. Time slowly, carelessly flowed; the sun rose and the brown out ended, but he was oblivious to his surroundings. Eventually he found himself before his office, six blocks away. 'Might as well start my day.' Kyle thought picking up the morning paper and headed upstairs.
"Good morning." Della Fletcher, his secretary greeted.
"Yes, if it is indeed good." He miserably returned ignoring her altogether.
"You and Aya had another fight?" She conceitedly presumed.
"What?" Kyle asked with confusion. "Why would you say that?"
"Well you only come in early when you're fighting with Aya and you don't usually come in on Sundays." Fletcher pointed out.
"Well we're not fighting." Kyle corrected pouring a cup of coffee. He looked at the clock and saw that it was seven, and that it was indeed early. "Do I have any messages."
"No." Fletcher returned. "You know if you apologize..."
"Why would I apologize if we're not fighting." Madigan defended, this time with a hint of anger.
"All right." His secretary said unconvincingly.
"Good day Miss. Fletcher." Kyle sighed in defeat. "I'll be in my office and I don't want to be disturbed." Kyle added slamming the door to his office.
He threw the paper on his desk effortlessly and looked out his window. His walk didn't do him any good - he still felt useless, powerless. He took a sip of his coffee - it was too hot. His tongue mildly scalded, Della Fletcher was a very competent secretary, but her coffee was much to be deserved. He put his coffee down on his desk and read the headline of the newspaper that he threw on his desk earlier.
SCIENTIST STRICKEN BY MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS
Kyle was intrigued with the headline; he carefully picked up the paper and started reading. "New York scientist Dr. Robert Smith of N.Y.U, fame for the discovery of the Xeno Stone was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital earlier this morning for treatment and was put under bio-hazard quarantine..." Kyle stop reading the paper and threw it back on the desk.
He pressed on the intercom. "Della, get me a ticket to New York City!" Kyle demanded.
"Sir?" Her voice came back.
"It's for a case." Kyle lied.
"They'll be at the front desk at the airport." Her voice came through the intercom. Kyle rushed out of the office without even saying goodbye to his secretary.
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles, California
08:00 PST
Aya Brea listened to her mobile phone rang unanswered. She was getting worried. 'Why isn't Kyle picking up? Where can he be?' She looked out the window and saw the clear blue sky. The sun was bearing down hard on the City of Angles. She was glad that she was inside the cool, air-conditioned airplane.
"Excuse me ma'am, but we can't take off until you turn off your phone." The flight attendant said politely.
"Of course." Aya blushed turning off the phone. "My apologies." She sighed.
"Couldn't get a hold of him?" Broderick, her partner asked.
"No." Aya sighed.
"You know he doesn't need you to cheek up on him."
"I know." Aya sighed. "I just don't want him to do something stupid, like following me around."
"He wouldn't do that." Broderick quickly dismissed. "Would he?"
Aya left the question hang in the air for a moment before answering. It was cold damming silence. "I don't know." She finally sighed. "He probably would."
The flight attendant offered the Agents complementary papers, Aya declined but her partner took the Los Angeles Times and started reading. "Hey Aya read this." Broderick said giving the paper to his partner.
Aya's pupils dilated as she read the story. '...was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital earlier this morning for treatment and was put under bio-hazard quarantine. Doctor refuse to comment, but rumor has it that his cells have mutated.' Aya gasped. "How can they print this?"
"What print rumors? In my day, facts..."
"Not that." Aya interrupted. "This would put all of New York in a fritz."
"Relax Aya, it's a Californian paper." Broderick tried to calm her down. "I doubt New Yorkers would read a paper printed from across the country." Broderick explained.
"Well I hope that New York reporters are more professional than those employed by the Los Angeles Times." Aya sighed ominously. She tried to believe her hopes, but something inside told her to prepare for the worse.
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington, District of Columbia
15:30 EST
Special Agent Dana Scully scoffed at the arrival board - the flight that they were waiting was still delayed. They plane should have landed in Washington D.C. half an hour ago. She marched back towards the waiting area, her high heel shoes echoed throughout the busy airport merging and adding to the synthetic environment.
Her stomach rumbled. She was forced to leave her mid-afternoon lunch half eaten back in her office. 'Just once.' She thought to herself. 'Just once, I wish I could have nice uninterrupted lunch.' She glanced at the vending machine and headed for it.
She scanned the contents within and fed the machine a series of coins, pressed a combination of buttons and retrieved her snack. 'Not the most healthiest of lunches, but it'll do.' She sighed opening her bag of pretzels. Putting a pretzel in her mouth she continued with her previous destination.
Scully circumspect the waiting area and found her partner, Fox Mulder sitting patiently reading a newspaper while cracking a sunflower seed between his teeth. 'I'm going to kill him.' She thought to herself. "So help me God." She said under her breath.
"What was that?" Mulder asked looking up from his paper.
"Nothing, just thinking out loud." Scully said taking the empty seat beside him. Scully hated waiting, but what she hated more was doing menial tasks when there's an investigation that needed to be closed.
"So when's our guests coming?" Mulder asked, his face still in his paper.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Scully sighed. "The plane is still delayed."
"Hmm too bad." Mulder sighed looking up. "Could I have one of your pretzels?" Mulder asked nonchalantly and carelessly. Scully exasperated and let her partner take a few. He offered her his sunflower seeds, but she declined. "What I thought you ate like a bird?" Mulder said clueless about his partner's state of mind. Scully darted at him with animosity. She didn't want to dignify that comment with a response. "What? Are you frustrated or something?" Mulder asked.
"Yeah Mulder." Scully sighed. "What are we doing here?" Scully whined with indignation.
"What do you mean?" Fox replied with innocent confusion in his voice. He thought the answer was obvious. "Skinner said that there are important V.I.P.s on the plane that needed escorts."
"I know Mulder." Scully scuffed. "I mean what are WE doing here." Scully clarified. "This could be done by other agents, it's rather a menial task and there's no X-Files here nor does it pertain to our present investigation with the phenomenon surrounding the National Air and Space Museum." Scully said with frustration.
"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look when you're frustrated?" Mulder smiled mockingly.
"Mulder." Scully was in no mood for sarcasm. "There's no X-Files here." She repeated earnestly.
"Oh, but there is." Mulder smiled giving a folder to his partner.
"What is this?" Scully asked rhetorically.
"It's an F.B.I. personal report."
"Having trouble finding a date?" Scully mocked opening the file glancing at the report. "Special Agent Aya Brea." Scully read still not seeing her partner's point. She hated being out of the loop in an investigation even more than doing menial tasks for the Bureau. "Cute." Scully said unimpressed. She handed back the file to her partner. "You should ask her out."
"She's our V.I.P." Mulder said defensively. "Or at least one of them."
"How does Special Agent Brea pertain to our investigation?" Scully asked.
"Glad you asked. About six years ago in New York City, there was a mitochondrion outbreak killing thousands in the process." Mulder started to explain.
"Yeah, if I remember correctly Melissa Pearce, an opera singer was taking heavy medication for her weak constitution." She was started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "The medication or a combination of which somehow allowed her mitochondria to take over the nucleus and thus mutating her to the infamous Mitochondria Eve." Scully explained medically.
"On her debut performance in Carnegie Hall, Melissa Pearce's mitochondria awakened and in the process she incinerated about two hundred spectators and a dozen actors. Aya Brea was present and the only survivor."
"She probably got lucky." Scully said unconvincing even to herself.
"What was not reported in any newspapers was that Agent Brea had the ability to pass through the same mysterious force fields that is surrounding the National Air and Space Museum." Mulder explained. "She even did it a second time in Nevada three years later and she will do it again today." Mulder added.
Scully jaw dropped. She finally knew all the pieces of the puzzle and that this pointless act of escort did pertain to their investigation. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Scully asked.
"You didn't ask."
Scully scoffed at her partner's statement. "I assume that you have a theory of how she could do this." She retorted.
"I believe that the mitochondria in Agent Brea's genes has gone through the very same mutation to that of Melissa Pearce." Mulder proposed.
"Mulder, even if we consider this, logically one would ask why hasn't Agent Brea mutated into a monster or a second Mitochondria Eve long ago?" Sully presented her logic.
"I don't know. Perhaps, her mutation is slightly different or incomplete." Mulder suggested. "It is my theory that her mutation gives her superhuman powers or at least some sort of resistance to this shield." Mulder sighed.
"Superhuman powers? Like Superman?" Dana said unconvincingly. "Mulder do you know how preposterous that sounds?"
"Well do you have a theory?"
Scully stuttered and stalled. "I don't know Mulder." Scully sighed in defeat. "But I'm sure that there's a reasonable scientific explanation to all this." She sighed. The intercom mumbled that the flight that they were waiting for had landed. "That's them." Scully said getting up.
They scan the mass of angry people exiting the plane. Fox pulled out a photo of the agents that they were waiting for. Fox gazed into the crowd and saw a woman with shimmering emerald green eyes and short blonde hair countering her clear oval face. Her escort a tall dark skinned man dressed in a suit with a shaven headed with a clean-cut goatee with a hint of gray in it. "That's them." Mulder pointed out.
"Mulder that can't be them. The person we're looking for is thirty, she's in her early twenties, perhaps mid-twenties." Scully observed.
"No that's them." Mulder insisted as he rushed to them. Scully reluctantly followed him. "Agents Brea and Broderick?" Mulder asked.
"Who wants to know?" Aya asked defensively.
"Agent Fox Mulder, my partner Dana Scully." They flashed their identification. "We're here to escort you to F.B.I. Headquarters."
Aya looked to her partner with confusion. He shrugged his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Agent Mulder, but we weren't told that we'll be getting escorts."
"Here's the order." Mulder handed over a file to Aya.
"What does it say?" Broderick asked.
"Agents Brea and Broderick please report to Assistant Director Walter Skinner for further orders pertaining to your mission, two escorts would be at the Washington Dulles International Airport to accompany you. Signed Eric Baldwin, Director." Aya read.
"That's Bureau efficiency for you." Mulder smiled.
"Indeed, shall we go? Our mission is of the utmost of emergencies."
"Our car is just outside." Scully directed. Brea and Broderick walked pass the agents and left them behind. "So Mulder she doesn't look like a superman to me." Sully observed.
"Ay, but Superman had a disguised." Mulder said with his boyish smiled. He pulled out a set of glasses and put it on. "Clark Kent." Then he took them off. "Superman. Think about it." Mulder smiled walking away.
"Up, up, and away." Scully said, her voice in a dry sarcasm. She followed quickly behind them.
En Route to F.B.I. Headquarters
Streets of Washington D.C.
16:00 EST
Aya and Rupert were waiting patiently in the car when Mulder came out of the airport and into the driver's seat. "Where's Agent Scully?" Aya asked a little ticked off.
"She'll be here soon." Mulder smiled. Just when he said that Scully came out of the airport and entered into the passenger seat. "I'm sorry I'm late." Scully smiled.
"That's okay." Broderick quickly forgive.
"All comfy?" Mulder asked looking at his guest flashing his smile.
"We're fine Agent Mulder." Broderick politely replied. "Please drive."
"Okay." Mulder sighed. He turned on the engine and pulled out of the airport. There was silence in the car that felt rather uncomfortable. Broderick decided to be the first to break it.
"We apologize for making you wait." Broderick said showing off his good-natured attitude. "Our pilot had to circumnavigate around a storm to get here." Broderick explained.
"No worries." Mulder replied. "Those things happens."
There was silence once again this time Dana Scully broke the silence. "Aya may I ask a personal question?"
"You may ask, but I can't promise if I'll answer." Aya replied.
"Your F.B.I. personal report says that you're thirty, but you don't look a day over twenty-four, how do you do it?" Dana asked.
"Why did you read my personal report?" Aya returned.
Scully and Mulder looked at each other for answers. "It's procedure when we're escorting F.B.I. agents. It gives us a pictorial reference to tell who you are." Mulder suggested.
"Yeah, it's not wise going up to an ordinary citizen and ask if they are F.B.I. agents." Scully added.
"That IS standard procedure." Broderick confirmed, albeit suspiciously. Rupert Broderick has been with the F.B.I. far longer than Aya. He was working in New York for the F.B.I. on the organized crimes unit. His career was blossoming, he was going up the ranks fairly quickly and some say that he would make assistant director or director by now, that is until his family died six years ago during the Mitochondria Eve revolution in New York.
He gave everything up when his family died, his career, a chance to be an assistant director - everything. Instead he joined M.I.S.T. and devoted the rest of his life in the extermination of Neo-Mitochondrion Creatures.
"So what's your secret to your youthful exterior." Scully asked.
"Oh, you know." Aya sighed. "Exercise, eat right, and L.A. has the best plastic surgeons in the world." Aya said sarcastically. She didn't want to tell the truth, she couldn't. Aya didn't think that Dana Scully would understand that when the mitochondria within her was awakened her aging process slowed.
"You're not serious?" Mulder said smiling to himself. He saw the image of Aya in his rearview mirror.
"A lady must keep some of her secrets Agent. Mulder." Aya smiled.
"Quite right, Agent Brea, quite right." Mulder smiled. "So tell me what brings the two of you to Washington D.C.?" Mulder asked innocently.
"That, Agent Mulder is confidential." Aya replied with a smile. Feeling more cordial Aya continued the conversation. "So what branch of the Bureau are you from?" Aya asked.
"We're from the X-Files."
"The X-Files?" Aya asked. "Never heard of that branch. What do you specialize in?" Aya asked with intrigued.
"We specialize in the truth." Mulder replied enigmatically.
"Don't we all, Agent Mulder, if you please can you be less ambiguous?"
"We specialized in paranormal and unexplained activities." Scully clarified.
"Paranormal Activity?" Aya asked with confusion.
"Yeah you know extra-terrestrial biological entities, unidentified flying objects, ghosts, invisible fire walls. Stuff like that." Mulder planted the last example on purpose.
Aya and Rupert looked at each other dumfounded and flabbergasted. Aya stomach started to knot, she didn't like the fact that they knew about the force field. She didn't know how to respond she looked at her partner for help. "I...I didn't think the Bureau investigates cases like those." Broderick finally said. "You must have a small office."
"You're looking at us." Mulder smiled. "So what branch of the Bureau are you from?" Mulder probed.
"I'm sorry, but that too is classified." Aya sighed.
"Is there anything that isn't classified with you?" Mulder asked, not with frustration, but with intrigued.
"That, Agent Mulder, is yet to be seen." Aya smiled to herself.
F.B.I. Headquarters, J. Edgar Hoover Building
Washington, District of Columbia
16:30 EST
Assistant Director Walter Skinner sat behind his desk reading reports and doing paper work that he had neglected for days. The sun was shining on his bald head as beads of sweat accumulated. He dried his head with a handkerchief.
"Agents Mulder, Scully, Brea and Broderick here to see you." His secretary called through the intercom.
Skinner quickly put away the files he was working on; leaving one, unclassified folder on his desk to show his guest the illusion that he was doing something. "Please send them in." Skinner said.
The door quickly opened and he stood up to greet his Californian agents. Mulder and Scully entered the office leading the way for Aya and Rupert. No introductions were made. "I'm sorry for bringing you here on a Sunday and interrupt your investigation, but your orders have been extended." Skinner passed the folder on his desk to them.
Aya quickly read the letter in her mind from Baldwin telling her to co-operate with them. She showed the letter to her partner to read. He handed the letter back to the Assistant Director who quickly shred it.
Aya gathered her thoughts together and took a deep sigh. "How much do you know?" Aya asked.
"Just about your mission." Skinner replied.
"What about them?" Aya asked looking at Mulder and Scully.
"Their investigation coincides with your mission."
"Let me guess, the invisible fire walls."
"Yeah." Mulder smiled in confession.
"What I'm going to tell you must stay in this room." Aya asked. The three nodded and reluctantly agreed. "Agent Broderick and I are from a classified branch called M.I.S.T."
"M.I.S.T.?" Skinner asked in awe. "Never heard of it."
"I have." Mulder replied. "The Mitochondrion Investigation and Suppression Team. I thought that branch was a rumor." Mulder replied.
"Well, Agent Mulder rumors are sometime true." Aya sighed.
"Are you the NMC Hunter?" Mulder asked.
"The one and only."
"What are NMC?" Skinner asked.
"Neo-Mitochondrion Creatures." Aya replied.
"Mitochondrion?"
"Mitochondria are organelles found within the cells of all living organisms which generate adenosine triphosphatase or ATP which is an important source of cell power. The Mitochondria possesses a DNA different from that in the cell's nucleus. It has been theorized that the mitochondria may be the remains of a separate organism that the nucleus absorbed into the cell shortly after life on this planet began." Scully answered. She saw the shocked looked from the Californian guest. "I'm a doctor." Scully announced.
"I see." Aya sighed. "There is another theory that states that the mitochondria deliberately entered the cell as a nucleic parasite." Aya pointed out. "That's the theory M.I.S.T. believes in. My partner and I have been hunting NMC for the last six years."
"How does NMCs created?" Scully asked with scientific curios.
"The mitochondria and the nucleus has been living in symbiosis since the dawn of life. Somehow either through natural or synthetic means the mitochondria 'awakes' and takes over the cells function changing a normal organism into a NMC." Aya stated.
"That...that's hard to believe." Skinner said.
"Theoretically, it's possible." Scully agreed.
"So why do you want the Xeno Stone?" Skinner asked.
"Since the discovery of the Xeno Stone a month ago we believe that the alien micro-organism's mitochondria laced around it was absorbed into the world populace via the scientist that discover it thus creating new N.M.C.s of extra-terrestrial properties. Our mission is to recover the Xeno Stone and dispose of it." Aya explained.
"Dispose, you mean destroy it." Mulder interjected.
"Yes." Aya said.
"You can't do that!" Mulder demanded passionate.
"Agent Mulder, it's either destroying the Xeno Stone or allow dangerous Mitochondrion creatures attack the populace."
"You can't destroy the only evidence..." Mulder angrily vented.
"Calm down. Agent Mulder." Skinner calmly interrupted.
"...of extra-terrestrial biological micro-organisms!" Mulder ranted.
"That's enough! Agent Mulder!" Skinner said raising his voice.
"You can't let them do that." Mulder said to his director.
"Even if I could, I can't this order comes down from the President himself." Skinner said. "The Xeno Stone must be destroyed."
"No." Mulder gasped.
"Mulder, they're right." Scully said putting her hand on his shoulder. "For the sake of humanity, the Xeno Stone must be destroyed."
"Et tu, Scully." Mulder said coldly.
Taking offense Scully tried to explain her statement. "Mulder at least we have scientific evidence that extra-terrestrial biological micro-organisms exists."
"Don't you see Scully, it's not the same thing as having the hard evidence. Scientific reports can be discounted within time and pretty soon the thought of extra-terrestrial biological micro-organisms would fade into history. It's a governmental cover up!" Mulder explained quietly.
"Than consider the alternative." Scully said looking into his eyes. "Consider the six billion lives at stake, would you sacrifice one life for this precious hard evidence of yours?" Scully asked trying to appease to his morality.
"Maybe." Mulder sighed. "How many people died covering up the truth?"
"Mulder, I know how important this evidence is to you, but you're not like them. I know that you're better than that." Scully said putting her hand on his shoulder. "We'll find more evidence." She reassured.
"What do you think THAT is all about?" Broderick asked whispering to his partner.
"I don't know." Aya whispered back. "I think it's sexual tension." Aya smiled.
Aya could see Mulder debating within his head. She knew that having one's life work thrown away is heart wrenching. "You're right." Mulder sighed to Scully. "I'm sorry." He apologized to the guests.
"I sympathize with your pain, but I assure you we're not here to cover up anything." Aya reassured. "Besides we don't have a plan to dispose of it yet." Aya added.
"Actually there is." Skinner said. "And it finally explains why this was sent to me." Skinner said showing a metallic box, which he picked up, from the floor.
"What is it?" Aya asked in awe.
"It's a portable vacuum box. It was specifically designed by N.A.S.A. to encompass and hold the Xeno Stone. Your orders are to retrieve the stone and place it in this box, then the Bureau will fly you to Florida where the stone would be jettison towards the sun." Skinner explained.
"Why the sun?" Aya asked.
"It makes sense." Scully said. "These micro-organisms had survived a planet exploding, interstellar space travel, re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. The only safe way to make sure this doesn't happen again is to send it to the sun." Scully explained.
"Sounds good, let's go." Aya said getting up.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Scully asked.
"What?" Aya asked confused.
"The invisible fire shield surrounding the National Air and Space Museum." Scully added.
"Ah, the X-File." Aya sighed. "Don't worry, I'm...immune to the shielding." Aya explained simplistically.
"How?" Scully asked.
"That's confidential." Aya replied.
"Your were ordered to explain everything and aid us Agent Brea." Skinner replied forcefully.
"With all due respect Director Skinner, the answer to that question requires a level omega ten clearance." Aya replied confidently. "Something neither of you have." Aya sighed.
"Omega ten?" Skinner said. "Only three people has that clearance."
"Who?" Mulder asked.
"The Minister of Defense, the Surgeon General, and the President." Skinner replied.
Mulder groaned in frustration. "Could you at least help us in solving the case of the invisible fire wall?" Mulder asked.
"That I can do." Aya sighed. "The invisible fire wall, is not a wall as you perceive it. It's more like a defense mechanism from a very large and powerful Mitochondrion Creature. This defense mechanism has the ability to awaken the mitochondria in any organism and direct them to incinerate their host." Aya explained. "There's your X-File, Mr. Mulder." Aya smiled.
"Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that there's a powerful Mitochondrion Creature within the National Air an Space Museum?" Scully asked in disbelief.
"Yes." Aya sighed.
"And you're going in alone?" Mulder asked.
"I'm a big girl, Agent Mulder, I could take care of myself. Now can we leave? Time is of the essence here." Aya asked picking up the vacuum box.
"After you." Mulder smiled. The four agents left the assistant director's office quickly.
National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Washington, District of Columbia
17:30 EST
Aya looked at a rather plainly designed rectangular building and felt somewhat disappointed. Washington D.C. was full of monuments, but the only thing she could see is the capitol to the Northeast and a plainly built building before her. 'You're not here to see the sights.' Aya rebuked herself. 'Concentrate on your mission.'
She put on her Turtle Vest over her black top and draped her favourite jean jacket over her armour. Although limited in attachments, only three, it was the armour she preferred the most. Her weapon of choice was M93R, a standard 9mm handgun, not the most powerful weapon, but it was light and maneuverable.
"Hey, you're ready?" Mulder asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Aya sighed.
"Do you need anything?" Mulder asked.
"Yeah, one hundred 9mm ammo, one hundred 9mm hydra bullets and a M4A1 Rifle with a bayonette attachment." Aya replied. The bayonette was a last resort, just in case she ran out of ammo, she had a backup weapon.
"Wow, a gal who sure knows her weapons." Aya looked at him giving him a solemn look. "Be back in a moment." He said leaving.
"Aya."
"Rupert." Aya smiled. "How can I help you?"
"I'll like you to wear this wireless walkie-talkie so we'll be in contact with you. It also doubles as a sensor so we know where in the building you are." Broderick said giving the delicate, expensive equipment to her.
"Thanks." Aya smiled putting it on her head. "Testing, testing, one, two, three." She said.
"All clear." Broderick smiled.
"Here's the items you requested." Mulder said handing her the ammunition she requested and the bayonette.
"Thank you." Aya smiled.
"Agent Brea, this is Robert Fri, he's the director of the Smithsonian." Scully introduced. Robert Fri was a tall man with chestnut hair and wore thin brimmed glasses.
"Thank you, Agent Scully." Aya smiled. "Director did you bring the map of this building I requested?"
"I have it right here." He said unrolling the map. It was a simple rectangular building with eight open sections for display on the first floor. On the far right was a circular room, which was the cafeteria. On the second floor there were four exhibit rooms and three-theatre rooms.
"Where's the Xeno Stone?"
"In the Planetary Exhibition on the second floor to the far right." The director pointed.
"Thank you." Aya sighed.
"Anything else I can help you with?"
"Yeah, do you have rats?"
"Pardon?"
"In the building, do you have rats, mice, cockroaches any life forms that I may come into." Aya didn't mean any disrespect to the director, but she needed to know what sort of mitochondrion creatures she may run into.
"Why?" The director asked.
"Just answer the question, director." Aya said with frustration. The last thing she wanted to do was to explain mitochondrion creatures again.
"There are no rats in the building I assure you." The director replied with smug arrogance.
"What about bugs?"
"We have no infestation that we know about, but we can't keep all the bugs that the public bring in." The director smugly replied.
"Thank you director, that'll be all." Aya said not being totally convinced by the director's statement. "Please stay around, just incase I run into problems in there." Aya said taking a deep breath and sighed. "I'm ready."
"Good luck." Broderick said giving his partner the vacuum box.
"Thanks." Aya smiled. She walked towards the police barricade and flashed her identification and walked another six feet towards the building. She stuck her hand into the air and felt a burning, tingling feeling around her hand. She quickly retracted.
"Are you okay?" Broderick came through the intercom.
"Fine." Aya lied. This was the first time that she felt a burning sensation when passing a barrier. It wasn't strong, just a tiny tingling of the skin, like a small itch. She took a deep sigh and pass through the barrier.
"I'm in." Aya said entering the building with her gun at the ready. "The power's out, it rather dark." Aya reported as she circumspect the room and caught a pile of white ashes to the corner. "I think I found the remains of a security guard." Aya said running towards the pile of ashes. "He's dead, been incinerated to ashes." Aya said solemnly as she checked his uniform and found his identification. "His name is Morris Spencer."
"We'll contact the family." Broderick said via the intercom. Aya checked the remaining pockets of the uniform and found two keys and put them in her pocket. In the background she heard a ruckus. Because of the echoing effect in the museum she wasn't sure where the sound was coming from.
"What was that?" Broderick's voice came through.
"I don't know." Aya sighed. "Is the radar picking up anything?" She knew that it probably didn't, but she asked just in case.
"No." Scully came through.
"Is the director with you?" Aya asked.
"He's right here." Scully replied.
"Ask him how I can power the elevator?" Aya asked waiting impatiently. She could hear her heart beat. It felt like a drum being pounded in her chest. "Come on Scully, hurry up." She whispered to herself.
"The director said that there's a fuse box in the cafeteria which could reroute power to the elevator in case of emergencies." Scully replied. "The cafeteria is to..."
"My right." Aya acknowledged. She headed into the main foyer and turned right. She heard another sound this time she knew where it came from. It emanated from in front of her, the cafeteria. 'Oh, great.' She thought. Aya quickly, but carefully walked towards the cafeteria.
She stopped after a couple of meters and felt her cells warning her of an impeding danger - a sixth sense that she's developed about six years ago. Her heart pounded harder and louder, the bitter taste of adrenaline was in her mouth.
She heard a buzzing surrounding her and saw three flies the sizes of her fists. The flies had two giant black eyes and fangs protruding from their mouths. 'Just flies, this shouldn't be a problem.' Aya thought remembering how easy these Mitochondrion Creatures were to defeat. Aya raised her gun and aimed at the first fly.
The three flies darted at her firing missiles from their mouths. Aya's pupils dilated as the missiles screamed towards her. She jumped out of the way and swore to herself. She had forgotten that these Mitochondrion Creatures were extra-terrestrial in nature and weren't the typical flies she battled in the past. "What the hell was that?" Mulder's voice came ringing through.
"Just some bugs." Aya responded taking three shots to the closest fly with their back turned against her. The flies came around for a second attack. The two remaining flies zoomed past by her firing their missiles at her again. Aya jumped out of the way, but was caught by one of the flies razor edge wings cutting her right cheek. "Damn." She swore tasting the blood in her mouth. It was a superficial cut and ignored it. "That does it." She swore. The remaining two flies darted towards her with the missiles at the ready coming out of their mouths. Aya shoot twice, aiming not at the flies, but at the missiles. The explosion engulfed the flies in flames killing them.
Aya reported that she was fine and continued towards the cafeteria. The sounds of life became louder as she approached the cafeteria. "I'm entering the cafeteria now. I'm expecting danger." Aya report.
"Confirmed." Broderick replied.
She tried to open the door, but it was lock. She went into her pocket and took one of the keys and tried it. The key fit and turned. Aya took a deep breath and kicked the door open seeing four giant rats about her size rushing towards her. "Damn." She swore dropping the vacuum box. Lasers were emanating from their tails as she rushed to the nearest table and kicked it down ducking behind it for protection.
"What the hell was that?" Broderick said.
"Nothing." Aya said. She stood up from behind the table taking four shots at the nearest rat and hid behind the table again. "Just tell the Director that he has rat problems." Aya said taking another four shots killing the rat. She took the last seven shots at one rat ducking every three of four shots. "Where are the fuses?" Aya yelled through her intercom as she changed the cartridge of her gun. She quickly got up and shot once hitting the rat she shot seven times before killing it.
"It's in a cupboard behind the kitchen counter." Scully came back. Aya looked down towards the counter and estimated that it was about twenty meters away. There was another table halfway between her destination and her present position. Aya got up and headed towards the table shooting aimlessly behind her as she ran. She was about to reach the table when a laser from one of the rats shoot her hand flinging her gun five meters away and behind her. "Damn." She swore. The gun was near the table a row above from where she started.
She had no choice - she had to use her parasite energy. 'Which one.' She thought. 'Antibody.' She felt the earth's energy surged from the ground enveloping her as she released her parasitic energy. She felt her defense growing stronger as she rushed towards her gun grabbing it and rolled towards the table nearby, knocking it down for protection. She was shot five times during her stunt. Aya was in pain - she could feel her life draining away from her. She cast Healing and felt the cool, healing powers of the water, refreshing her health.
"That does it you're going down." Aya said getting up from the protection of her table taking another four shots. She repeated the procedure three more times and killed the two remaining rats.
Aya changed her cartridge and headed towards the cafeteria door and checked on the vacuum box. 'Undamaged.' Aya sighed with relief. She picked it up and headed towards the counter and searched the cupboards pertinently and found a box of fuses. "Where's the fuse box?" Aya asked waiting for Scully's answer.
"In the broom closet." Scully returned.
"Thanks." Aya replied. She looked behind her and entered the closet carefully. Two flies darted her way instinctively she raised her right hand and commanded the mitochondria in her body to generate electricity which emanated from her hand which exploded the missiles engulfing their carriers, she felt a surge of wind breezing as the bolts shot out of her hand. Aya raised the other hand protecting her eyes from the explosion.
She went into the broom closet and opened the fuse box looking for the one marked elevator and replaced it. Aya heard the humming of electricity running through the pipes. "I restored power to the elevator and heading to it now." Aya report.
"Roger." Broderick replied.
The elevator was at the opposite end from the cafeteria. On the way, she encountered three more Mitochondrion flies and quickly killed them. She pressed the button for the elevator when she heard a creaking sound coming from above her. She looked up and saw a giant spider standing on the Wright Brother's glider.
"Oh my God." She swore to herself as she saw silk emanating from the spider's mouth gluing her to the wall. Her gun dropped from her right hand as the vacuum box from her left. She felt an electrical surge coursing through her body that emanated from the webbing. The spider ran quickly towards her as she tried to use her parasitic energy, but was interrupted as the spider bit her.
She was poisoned. Aya didn't give the spider the satisfaction of a scream. After the attack she quickly commanded the mitochondria within her body to produce heat. The Inferno power drained her parasitic energy stock, but it served its purpose, destroying the web and pushing the spider away from her. Aya quickly picked up her gun and fired frantically as the spider rushed towards her. She fired through the whole cartridge and the spider stilled came towards her. "Damn." She swore grabbing her bayonette and swing at the spider killing the mitochondrion creature. She quickly cast Metabolism and felt the healing power of the water element and felt the poison feeling from her body.
"You okay?" Broderick asked.
"Aren't I always?" Aya smiled putting the bayonette away and retrieving her gun as she changed cartridges. "I'm going into the elevator now." Aya reported. 'I'm almost done.' Aya sighed to herself. The Xeno Stone was on the other side of the hall. She slowly, but carefully rushed down the hall. Aya encountered four more flies and took care of them easily. Among the dead bodies she found a Pike for her M4A1 Rifle. 'A curious item.' Aya thought. She decided to keep it dropping her 9mm bullets. 'At least I have the Hydra bullets left." She thought.
"I'm approaching the Xeno Stone." Aya reported. It was encased under bulletproof glass. She saw a lock on the podium where the stone was laid. Aya inserted the second key and turned it. Aya heard the lock clicked and slowly opened the glass. 'This is too easy.' Aya thought.
Before her eyes Aya saw a bacterium growing on the rock. "Why do I always have to be right?" Aya sighed. It jumped on Aya and grew until it reached the ceiling.
It was suffocating Aya as its weight was growing. Aya put her palms on the ground and slide herself away from the bacterium. 'At least it's slippery.' She thought. Aya flipped backwards and shot the remaining 9mm bullets in her cartridge, it rebound from the bacterium. In response the bacterium produce a sonic boom. It made Aya flew in the air slamming against the wall hard. She lost her voice. 'Damn.' She thought. 'Can't use my parasitic energy.'
Aya quickly dropped her cartridge still filled with 9mm bullets and replaced it with the 9mm Hydra bullets. They bullets were slightly stronger and more effective against flesh creatures not bacteria. 'Might as well try.' Aya thought. She shot four times, each time the bullets rebounded. 'Damn.' She dropped the cartridge and her gun. In response the bacterium created another sonic boom she ran behind the arch for protection.
She tried to speak but nothing came out. Aya took out her M4A1 Rifle and took off the bayonette extension and replaced it with the Pike. Aya checked the battery and saw that she had enough for sixty seconds. 'Die you alien bacteria scum.' She thought.
Aya ran within range and pressed the trigger. A huge column of fire spiraled towards the giant bacterium. She heard it scream in pain Aya rather enjoyed it. She kept her finger on the trigger until the battery drained. In response the bacterium punched Aya with one of it's many flagella. The impact slammed her against the wall.
If it weren't for her armour, she would have been paralyzed. She was grateful that she picked wisely. She went behind the wall and switched the Pike with the bayonette extension. 'How can I get close enough?' She thought. She stood up and accidentally hit a display in the room she was in making a loud crash. The bacterium responded to the sound and headed towards the sound. 'Of course, it's blind, but could hear through the vibration in the air.' Aya thought holding the Pike extension. She threw it at the model of Saturn in the opposite side of the room where the bacterium was. It fell down producing a loud noise; the bacterium responded in kind and headed towards the new noise. 'Not really smart.' Aya sighed rushing towards its back slashing it with all her might. The bacterium tried to turn around and attack her, but was defeated before it could counterattack. It was defeated and Aya found a Stim among the wreckage and injected herself with it.
She could speak again. "I'm okay." Aya said breathlessly. Her partner had been going out of his mind asking if she were okay.
"Why didn't you answer?" Broderick freaked out.
"I lost my voice for a moment." Aya said nonchalantly. "I'm fine now." Aya reassured. She checked on the vacuum box and was relieved that it was fine and headed towards the stone. "I believe the mitochondrion field has been disabled." Aya said. "Approach with caution, just in case."
"Roger." Broderick answered.
"I putting the stone in the vacuum..." Aya didn't have the chance to finish her statement. Something from behind Aya hit her in the back.
"Aya! Aya! Answer me." Broderick's voice came frantically through the intercom. Aya saw the perpetrator before her world blacked out. "Agent down! Agent down!" Broderick voice came through, that was the last words Aya heard before blacking out.
* * * * * * * * * *
Aya woke up laying on a metallic table. She felt groggy; there was a bright light shining in front of her. Everything was blurry and white; she could hear her heart beat all around her. A dark humanoid silhouette hovered above her. It looked familiar. "What are you doing to me?" Aya said weakishly.
"Aya! Wake up!" She heard Broderick's voice coming from outside. She ignored her partner's voice.
"What's going on?" Aya said weakly.
"Anesthetize her." The dark shadow said.
"Yes sir." Another voice came from the shadows.
"No." She weakly protested.
* * * * * * * * * *
Aya opened her eyes frantically. She was back in the museum with Broderick, Mulder and Scully standing around her. 'It must have been a dream.' Aya thought.
"Agent Brea are you okay?" Scully asked.
"Yeah. Fine." Aya responded. "I was attacked."
"Evidently." Broderick smiled. "It's good to see that you're fine."
"The Xeno Stone." Aya gasped.
"Gone." Mulder said. "Did you see the perpetrator?"
"Yeah." Aya sighed.
"Well." Mulder waited impatiently. "Give us a description."
"Agent Mulder, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you...actually maybe you would." Aya smiled to herself. "Com'on let's go, I'll tell you on the way." Aya said getting up.
F.B.I. Headquarters, J. Edgar Hoover Building
Washington, District of Columbia
20:00 EST
"You saw what!" Skinner yelled slamming the file down on his desk.
"I...it's in the re...report." Aya stuttered.
"You expect me to file this!" Skinner continued.
"It's the truth." Aya replied confidently. "It's what I saw."
"You're expecting me to believe that you saw an alien stole the Xeno Stone?"
"I didn't say alien." Aya corrected.
"No, you said you saw a three foot, green skinned, black eyed, humanoid like creature taking the Xeno Stone before blacking out." Skinner read. "It's sounds like an alien to me!"
"I have a theory." Aya sighed.
"This better be good." Skinner barked.
"I believe it may be an advanced form of a Mitochondrion Creature." Aya suggested.
"Or it could be an extra-terrestrial biological entity." Mulder smiled.
"I don't need that right now Agent Mulder." Skinner said with frustration. He took a deep breath and recomposed himself. "Are you going to stand by to what you wrote?"
"Yes." Aya replied.
"All right. Dismissed." Skinner sighed. The four agents got up from their seats and were about to leave the assistant director's office.
"Sir do we know where the Xeno Stone is?" Aya sighed.
"No. We don't." Skinner sighed.
"Thank you." Aya sighed leaving the room.
The air was significantly cooler outside the office as Aya took a deep breath. She failed a mission, the first in her F.B.I. career.
"Whoa! Did you see that vein on his forehead pop?" Mulder said enthusiastically. "I've never seen the Skin man so mad," Mulder smiled. "And trust me, I've seen him mad."
"Sounds like you're an expert in that area." Aya smiled.
"He's the king." Scully answered sarcastically.
"Well it looks like this is where we part." Mulder said.
"I guess it is." Broderick sighed. "Well thank you for your help Agents, we better get to our motels." Broderick said. "Good luck in your future endeavors and your search for truth." Broderick shook hands.
"Thank you. It's been a pleasure working with you too." Scully answered.
"Ahh. Agent Brea may I speak with you in private?" Mulder asked nervously.
"Sure." Aya smiled suspiciously. "I'll meet you at the motel." Broderick nodded and left the hallway with Agent Scully. "What's up?" Aya asked.
"Um...I was wondering if you want to grab some dinner sometime." Mulder nervously asked. He sounded unexpressed, something that he doesn't normally do.
"Are you asking me out on a date Agent Mulder?"
"Yeah." Mulder sighed. "Why you don't want..."
"No, it's not that." Aya stuttered. "I just thought you and Agent Scully were..."
"No, we're just partners." Mulder defended. "So...dinner?"
"Are you asking me because you're interested in me, or are you asking because I'm a living X-File?" Aya returned.
"Am I that transparent?" Mulder smiled.
"Just don't play poker with me." Aya smiled.
"I just want the truth of what you are." Mulder sighed.
"The truth, Agent Mulder is sometimes unbelievable." Aya smiled.
"Try me." Mulder smiled.
"You know I can't do that." Aya returned.
"So that's no for dinner."
"I'm sorry, Agent Mulder, I'm involved." Aya smiled. "But it was tempting." She said leaving the agent alone.
Brea's Motel Room
Washington, District of Columbia
23:00 EST
It has been a bad day, a long day, and a day that she would rather quickly want to forget. She failed in a mission for the first time. She wondered how careless she could be not hearing someone approaching from behind her. She couldn't get the fact that she failed. 'No the mission was not a failure, just extended.' Aya thought encouraging herself.
She lay in her bed looking at the ceiling. 'I wonder what Kyle is up to?' Aya contemplated. 'He better not be doing something stupid.' Aya sighed. She wanted to fall asleep, to forget what had transpired through the day. Yet even that would be taken away from her.
"Aya you in?" Broderick asked from behind her door.
"What is it Rupert." Aya said unlocking the door.
"Quick turn your television on to C.N.N." Broderick said making his way through the threshold of her room and turned Aya's television on. Aya knew that there was trouble.
Aya joined Broderick on her bed and watched with the new cast. "What's going on?" Aya asked.
"It's coming on in a few minutes." Broderick replied. They sat in silent for a couple of moments. "So what did Agent Mulder want with you?" Broderick reached.
"Just a date." Aya sighed.
"I thought he and Agent Scully were..."
"There just partners."
"Why don't I believe that." Broderick sighed. "Here it is." Broderick said turning up the volume.
"Earlier tonight Dr. Robert Smith escape from Mount Sinai Hospital and is reported in the New York City area. If you see him, please stay away, he is consider unarmed but dangerous, he is still under quarantine and must be..."
Aya's mobile telephone rang. She knew who it was, so did her partner. Broderick turned down the volume as she answered the phone. "Brea."
"Baldwin here, are you watching..."
"Yeah." Aya interrupted.
"You're new orders are to go to New York and recapture Dr. Smith dead or alive." Baldwin ordered.
"What about the Xeno Stone?"
"It'll have to wait."
"I understand." Aya sighed hanging up the phone. "I guess we're going back to New York." Aya sighed.
"Yeah." Broderick sighed brushing his goatee. He was worried, the fact of the matter was, he didn't want to go back to New York - neither of them did.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Parasite Eve Genre (specifically Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve II (video game)) is not my invention and is the property of Square. [2] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the X-Files Genre is also not my invention and the property of Twentieth Century Fox - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. [3] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous two clauses and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
By: Stiltzkin
Author's Note: This fan fiction is an experimentation of sorts. Some of my friends [at school] consider my writings too serious and because of that constructive criticism I thought I would tried my hand at humor. My attempts in using the X-Files characters Fox Mulder and Dana Scully for comedic relief fail miserably [I found after writing this that it was not funny, but silly, something I wasn't going for]. So I changed everything back to "normal" [whatever that is] and couldn't decided whether to take the X-Files characters out or leave them in. That question consumed me way too much that I thought: 'Hey let the readers decide.' So, please read and tell me if you like the cameo of the X-Files characters and if you would like to see them again in the future chapters. Oh, for those who wants to know the title is Latin for "The Truth is Unbelievable" to go along with the X-Files theme. Finally, I'll like to apologize for getting this uploaded so late. I was busy with school and writing my other fan fiction series for Final Fantasy VIII, regardless, I hope the wait was well worth it (and length, sorry about that). Enjoy!
* * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWO: VERITAS EST INCREDIBILIS
Streets of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
July 13, 2003 05:45 PST
Kyle Madigan hated to feel useless, especially when it came to Aya. He knew zealously that she could take care of herself, but there was always a consistent and relentless agape love he had for her that wouldn't let go. 'No it's more than that.' Kyle thought. 'Can it be true love?' Regardless, he couldn't stay inside when everything that he care for in the world was in potential danger. He needed to get some fresh air.
The morning was warm and humid; the sun had yet to rise. The air was stuffy and almost unbreathable. The city's power was still down and the sky was overcast they only light came from two tiny stars, one of which was the morning star. Madigan ended up walking in the dark, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to get of his apartment and think things through.
Part of him wished that he didn't know the significance of Code Yellow - the truth behind it, but the greater part of him, was glad that he did. The musty morning air helped him realize that the code was based on military monochromatic message flags. 'Of course.' He cursed to himself. 'White represents truce or surrender, black: death, red: danger, green: proceed, orange: distress and of course yellow - yellow means quarantine.' Kyle finally realized.
He walked alone and aimlessly through the dark streets of Los Angeles being lost in thought - a debate, a small war being waged in his head. A dangerous feat to perform especially for those without any basic combat training. Although this Texas native was never apart of the army or received any police training he was able to take care of himself in a fight.
He was so consumed in thought that he lost all track of time. Time slowly, carelessly flowed; the sun rose and the brown out ended, but he was oblivious to his surroundings. Eventually he found himself before his office, six blocks away. 'Might as well start my day.' Kyle thought picking up the morning paper and headed upstairs.
"Good morning." Della Fletcher, his secretary greeted.
"Yes, if it is indeed good." He miserably returned ignoring her altogether.
"You and Aya had another fight?" She conceitedly presumed.
"What?" Kyle asked with confusion. "Why would you say that?"
"Well you only come in early when you're fighting with Aya and you don't usually come in on Sundays." Fletcher pointed out.
"Well we're not fighting." Kyle corrected pouring a cup of coffee. He looked at the clock and saw that it was seven, and that it was indeed early. "Do I have any messages."
"No." Fletcher returned. "You know if you apologize..."
"Why would I apologize if we're not fighting." Madigan defended, this time with a hint of anger.
"All right." His secretary said unconvincingly.
"Good day Miss. Fletcher." Kyle sighed in defeat. "I'll be in my office and I don't want to be disturbed." Kyle added slamming the door to his office.
He threw the paper on his desk effortlessly and looked out his window. His walk didn't do him any good - he still felt useless, powerless. He took a sip of his coffee - it was too hot. His tongue mildly scalded, Della Fletcher was a very competent secretary, but her coffee was much to be deserved. He put his coffee down on his desk and read the headline of the newspaper that he threw on his desk earlier.
SCIENTIST STRICKEN BY MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS
Kyle was intrigued with the headline; he carefully picked up the paper and started reading. "New York scientist Dr. Robert Smith of N.Y.U, fame for the discovery of the Xeno Stone was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital earlier this morning for treatment and was put under bio-hazard quarantine..." Kyle stop reading the paper and threw it back on the desk.
He pressed on the intercom. "Della, get me a ticket to New York City!" Kyle demanded.
"Sir?" Her voice came back.
"It's for a case." Kyle lied.
"They'll be at the front desk at the airport." Her voice came through the intercom. Kyle rushed out of the office without even saying goodbye to his secretary.
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles, California
08:00 PST
Aya Brea listened to her mobile phone rang unanswered. She was getting worried. 'Why isn't Kyle picking up? Where can he be?' She looked out the window and saw the clear blue sky. The sun was bearing down hard on the City of Angles. She was glad that she was inside the cool, air-conditioned airplane.
"Excuse me ma'am, but we can't take off until you turn off your phone." The flight attendant said politely.
"Of course." Aya blushed turning off the phone. "My apologies." She sighed.
"Couldn't get a hold of him?" Broderick, her partner asked.
"No." Aya sighed.
"You know he doesn't need you to cheek up on him."
"I know." Aya sighed. "I just don't want him to do something stupid, like following me around."
"He wouldn't do that." Broderick quickly dismissed. "Would he?"
Aya left the question hang in the air for a moment before answering. It was cold damming silence. "I don't know." She finally sighed. "He probably would."
The flight attendant offered the Agents complementary papers, Aya declined but her partner took the Los Angeles Times and started reading. "Hey Aya read this." Broderick said giving the paper to his partner.
Aya's pupils dilated as she read the story. '...was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital earlier this morning for treatment and was put under bio-hazard quarantine. Doctor refuse to comment, but rumor has it that his cells have mutated.' Aya gasped. "How can they print this?"
"What print rumors? In my day, facts..."
"Not that." Aya interrupted. "This would put all of New York in a fritz."
"Relax Aya, it's a Californian paper." Broderick tried to calm her down. "I doubt New Yorkers would read a paper printed from across the country." Broderick explained.
"Well I hope that New York reporters are more professional than those employed by the Los Angeles Times." Aya sighed ominously. She tried to believe her hopes, but something inside told her to prepare for the worse.
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington, District of Columbia
15:30 EST
Special Agent Dana Scully scoffed at the arrival board - the flight that they were waiting was still delayed. They plane should have landed in Washington D.C. half an hour ago. She marched back towards the waiting area, her high heel shoes echoed throughout the busy airport merging and adding to the synthetic environment.
Her stomach rumbled. She was forced to leave her mid-afternoon lunch half eaten back in her office. 'Just once.' She thought to herself. 'Just once, I wish I could have nice uninterrupted lunch.' She glanced at the vending machine and headed for it.
She scanned the contents within and fed the machine a series of coins, pressed a combination of buttons and retrieved her snack. 'Not the most healthiest of lunches, but it'll do.' She sighed opening her bag of pretzels. Putting a pretzel in her mouth she continued with her previous destination.
Scully circumspect the waiting area and found her partner, Fox Mulder sitting patiently reading a newspaper while cracking a sunflower seed between his teeth. 'I'm going to kill him.' She thought to herself. "So help me God." She said under her breath.
"What was that?" Mulder asked looking up from his paper.
"Nothing, just thinking out loud." Scully said taking the empty seat beside him. Scully hated waiting, but what she hated more was doing menial tasks when there's an investigation that needed to be closed.
"So when's our guests coming?" Mulder asked, his face still in his paper.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Scully sighed. "The plane is still delayed."
"Hmm too bad." Mulder sighed looking up. "Could I have one of your pretzels?" Mulder asked nonchalantly and carelessly. Scully exasperated and let her partner take a few. He offered her his sunflower seeds, but she declined. "What I thought you ate like a bird?" Mulder said clueless about his partner's state of mind. Scully darted at him with animosity. She didn't want to dignify that comment with a response. "What? Are you frustrated or something?" Mulder asked.
"Yeah Mulder." Scully sighed. "What are we doing here?" Scully whined with indignation.
"What do you mean?" Fox replied with innocent confusion in his voice. He thought the answer was obvious. "Skinner said that there are important V.I.P.s on the plane that needed escorts."
"I know Mulder." Scully scuffed. "I mean what are WE doing here." Scully clarified. "This could be done by other agents, it's rather a menial task and there's no X-Files here nor does it pertain to our present investigation with the phenomenon surrounding the National Air and Space Museum." Scully said with frustration.
"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look when you're frustrated?" Mulder smiled mockingly.
"Mulder." Scully was in no mood for sarcasm. "There's no X-Files here." She repeated earnestly.
"Oh, but there is." Mulder smiled giving a folder to his partner.
"What is this?" Scully asked rhetorically.
"It's an F.B.I. personal report."
"Having trouble finding a date?" Scully mocked opening the file glancing at the report. "Special Agent Aya Brea." Scully read still not seeing her partner's point. She hated being out of the loop in an investigation even more than doing menial tasks for the Bureau. "Cute." Scully said unimpressed. She handed back the file to her partner. "You should ask her out."
"She's our V.I.P." Mulder said defensively. "Or at least one of them."
"How does Special Agent Brea pertain to our investigation?" Scully asked.
"Glad you asked. About six years ago in New York City, there was a mitochondrion outbreak killing thousands in the process." Mulder started to explain.
"Yeah, if I remember correctly Melissa Pearce, an opera singer was taking heavy medication for her weak constitution." She was started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "The medication or a combination of which somehow allowed her mitochondria to take over the nucleus and thus mutating her to the infamous Mitochondria Eve." Scully explained medically.
"On her debut performance in Carnegie Hall, Melissa Pearce's mitochondria awakened and in the process she incinerated about two hundred spectators and a dozen actors. Aya Brea was present and the only survivor."
"She probably got lucky." Scully said unconvincing even to herself.
"What was not reported in any newspapers was that Agent Brea had the ability to pass through the same mysterious force fields that is surrounding the National Air and Space Museum." Mulder explained. "She even did it a second time in Nevada three years later and she will do it again today." Mulder added.
Scully jaw dropped. She finally knew all the pieces of the puzzle and that this pointless act of escort did pertain to their investigation. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Scully asked.
"You didn't ask."
Scully scoffed at her partner's statement. "I assume that you have a theory of how she could do this." She retorted.
"I believe that the mitochondria in Agent Brea's genes has gone through the very same mutation to that of Melissa Pearce." Mulder proposed.
"Mulder, even if we consider this, logically one would ask why hasn't Agent Brea mutated into a monster or a second Mitochondria Eve long ago?" Sully presented her logic.
"I don't know. Perhaps, her mutation is slightly different or incomplete." Mulder suggested. "It is my theory that her mutation gives her superhuman powers or at least some sort of resistance to this shield." Mulder sighed.
"Superhuman powers? Like Superman?" Dana said unconvincingly. "Mulder do you know how preposterous that sounds?"
"Well do you have a theory?"
Scully stuttered and stalled. "I don't know Mulder." Scully sighed in defeat. "But I'm sure that there's a reasonable scientific explanation to all this." She sighed. The intercom mumbled that the flight that they were waiting for had landed. "That's them." Scully said getting up.
They scan the mass of angry people exiting the plane. Fox pulled out a photo of the agents that they were waiting for. Fox gazed into the crowd and saw a woman with shimmering emerald green eyes and short blonde hair countering her clear oval face. Her escort a tall dark skinned man dressed in a suit with a shaven headed with a clean-cut goatee with a hint of gray in it. "That's them." Mulder pointed out.
"Mulder that can't be them. The person we're looking for is thirty, she's in her early twenties, perhaps mid-twenties." Scully observed.
"No that's them." Mulder insisted as he rushed to them. Scully reluctantly followed him. "Agents Brea and Broderick?" Mulder asked.
"Who wants to know?" Aya asked defensively.
"Agent Fox Mulder, my partner Dana Scully." They flashed their identification. "We're here to escort you to F.B.I. Headquarters."
Aya looked to her partner with confusion. He shrugged his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Agent Mulder, but we weren't told that we'll be getting escorts."
"Here's the order." Mulder handed over a file to Aya.
"What does it say?" Broderick asked.
"Agents Brea and Broderick please report to Assistant Director Walter Skinner for further orders pertaining to your mission, two escorts would be at the Washington Dulles International Airport to accompany you. Signed Eric Baldwin, Director." Aya read.
"That's Bureau efficiency for you." Mulder smiled.
"Indeed, shall we go? Our mission is of the utmost of emergencies."
"Our car is just outside." Scully directed. Brea and Broderick walked pass the agents and left them behind. "So Mulder she doesn't look like a superman to me." Sully observed.
"Ay, but Superman had a disguised." Mulder said with his boyish smiled. He pulled out a set of glasses and put it on. "Clark Kent." Then he took them off. "Superman. Think about it." Mulder smiled walking away.
"Up, up, and away." Scully said, her voice in a dry sarcasm. She followed quickly behind them.
En Route to F.B.I. Headquarters
Streets of Washington D.C.
16:00 EST
Aya and Rupert were waiting patiently in the car when Mulder came out of the airport and into the driver's seat. "Where's Agent Scully?" Aya asked a little ticked off.
"She'll be here soon." Mulder smiled. Just when he said that Scully came out of the airport and entered into the passenger seat. "I'm sorry I'm late." Scully smiled.
"That's okay." Broderick quickly forgive.
"All comfy?" Mulder asked looking at his guest flashing his smile.
"We're fine Agent Mulder." Broderick politely replied. "Please drive."
"Okay." Mulder sighed. He turned on the engine and pulled out of the airport. There was silence in the car that felt rather uncomfortable. Broderick decided to be the first to break it.
"We apologize for making you wait." Broderick said showing off his good-natured attitude. "Our pilot had to circumnavigate around a storm to get here." Broderick explained.
"No worries." Mulder replied. "Those things happens."
There was silence once again this time Dana Scully broke the silence. "Aya may I ask a personal question?"
"You may ask, but I can't promise if I'll answer." Aya replied.
"Your F.B.I. personal report says that you're thirty, but you don't look a day over twenty-four, how do you do it?" Dana asked.
"Why did you read my personal report?" Aya returned.
Scully and Mulder looked at each other for answers. "It's procedure when we're escorting F.B.I. agents. It gives us a pictorial reference to tell who you are." Mulder suggested.
"Yeah, it's not wise going up to an ordinary citizen and ask if they are F.B.I. agents." Scully added.
"That IS standard procedure." Broderick confirmed, albeit suspiciously. Rupert Broderick has been with the F.B.I. far longer than Aya. He was working in New York for the F.B.I. on the organized crimes unit. His career was blossoming, he was going up the ranks fairly quickly and some say that he would make assistant director or director by now, that is until his family died six years ago during the Mitochondria Eve revolution in New York.
He gave everything up when his family died, his career, a chance to be an assistant director - everything. Instead he joined M.I.S.T. and devoted the rest of his life in the extermination of Neo-Mitochondrion Creatures.
"So what's your secret to your youthful exterior." Scully asked.
"Oh, you know." Aya sighed. "Exercise, eat right, and L.A. has the best plastic surgeons in the world." Aya said sarcastically. She didn't want to tell the truth, she couldn't. Aya didn't think that Dana Scully would understand that when the mitochondria within her was awakened her aging process slowed.
"You're not serious?" Mulder said smiling to himself. He saw the image of Aya in his rearview mirror.
"A lady must keep some of her secrets Agent. Mulder." Aya smiled.
"Quite right, Agent Brea, quite right." Mulder smiled. "So tell me what brings the two of you to Washington D.C.?" Mulder asked innocently.
"That, Agent Mulder is confidential." Aya replied with a smile. Feeling more cordial Aya continued the conversation. "So what branch of the Bureau are you from?" Aya asked.
"We're from the X-Files."
"The X-Files?" Aya asked. "Never heard of that branch. What do you specialize in?" Aya asked with intrigued.
"We specialize in the truth." Mulder replied enigmatically.
"Don't we all, Agent Mulder, if you please can you be less ambiguous?"
"We specialized in paranormal and unexplained activities." Scully clarified.
"Paranormal Activity?" Aya asked with confusion.
"Yeah you know extra-terrestrial biological entities, unidentified flying objects, ghosts, invisible fire walls. Stuff like that." Mulder planted the last example on purpose.
Aya and Rupert looked at each other dumfounded and flabbergasted. Aya stomach started to knot, she didn't like the fact that they knew about the force field. She didn't know how to respond she looked at her partner for help. "I...I didn't think the Bureau investigates cases like those." Broderick finally said. "You must have a small office."
"You're looking at us." Mulder smiled. "So what branch of the Bureau are you from?" Mulder probed.
"I'm sorry, but that too is classified." Aya sighed.
"Is there anything that isn't classified with you?" Mulder asked, not with frustration, but with intrigued.
"That, Agent Mulder, is yet to be seen." Aya smiled to herself.
F.B.I. Headquarters, J. Edgar Hoover Building
Washington, District of Columbia
16:30 EST
Assistant Director Walter Skinner sat behind his desk reading reports and doing paper work that he had neglected for days. The sun was shining on his bald head as beads of sweat accumulated. He dried his head with a handkerchief.
"Agents Mulder, Scully, Brea and Broderick here to see you." His secretary called through the intercom.
Skinner quickly put away the files he was working on; leaving one, unclassified folder on his desk to show his guest the illusion that he was doing something. "Please send them in." Skinner said.
The door quickly opened and he stood up to greet his Californian agents. Mulder and Scully entered the office leading the way for Aya and Rupert. No introductions were made. "I'm sorry for bringing you here on a Sunday and interrupt your investigation, but your orders have been extended." Skinner passed the folder on his desk to them.
Aya quickly read the letter in her mind from Baldwin telling her to co-operate with them. She showed the letter to her partner to read. He handed the letter back to the Assistant Director who quickly shred it.
Aya gathered her thoughts together and took a deep sigh. "How much do you know?" Aya asked.
"Just about your mission." Skinner replied.
"What about them?" Aya asked looking at Mulder and Scully.
"Their investigation coincides with your mission."
"Let me guess, the invisible fire walls."
"Yeah." Mulder smiled in confession.
"What I'm going to tell you must stay in this room." Aya asked. The three nodded and reluctantly agreed. "Agent Broderick and I are from a classified branch called M.I.S.T."
"M.I.S.T.?" Skinner asked in awe. "Never heard of it."
"I have." Mulder replied. "The Mitochondrion Investigation and Suppression Team. I thought that branch was a rumor." Mulder replied.
"Well, Agent Mulder rumors are sometime true." Aya sighed.
"Are you the NMC Hunter?" Mulder asked.
"The one and only."
"What are NMC?" Skinner asked.
"Neo-Mitochondrion Creatures." Aya replied.
"Mitochondrion?"
"Mitochondria are organelles found within the cells of all living organisms which generate adenosine triphosphatase or ATP which is an important source of cell power. The Mitochondria possesses a DNA different from that in the cell's nucleus. It has been theorized that the mitochondria may be the remains of a separate organism that the nucleus absorbed into the cell shortly after life on this planet began." Scully answered. She saw the shocked looked from the Californian guest. "I'm a doctor." Scully announced.
"I see." Aya sighed. "There is another theory that states that the mitochondria deliberately entered the cell as a nucleic parasite." Aya pointed out. "That's the theory M.I.S.T. believes in. My partner and I have been hunting NMC for the last six years."
"How does NMCs created?" Scully asked with scientific curios.
"The mitochondria and the nucleus has been living in symbiosis since the dawn of life. Somehow either through natural or synthetic means the mitochondria 'awakes' and takes over the cells function changing a normal organism into a NMC." Aya stated.
"That...that's hard to believe." Skinner said.
"Theoretically, it's possible." Scully agreed.
"So why do you want the Xeno Stone?" Skinner asked.
"Since the discovery of the Xeno Stone a month ago we believe that the alien micro-organism's mitochondria laced around it was absorbed into the world populace via the scientist that discover it thus creating new N.M.C.s of extra-terrestrial properties. Our mission is to recover the Xeno Stone and dispose of it." Aya explained.
"Dispose, you mean destroy it." Mulder interjected.
"Yes." Aya said.
"You can't do that!" Mulder demanded passionate.
"Agent Mulder, it's either destroying the Xeno Stone or allow dangerous Mitochondrion creatures attack the populace."
"You can't destroy the only evidence..." Mulder angrily vented.
"Calm down. Agent Mulder." Skinner calmly interrupted.
"...of extra-terrestrial biological micro-organisms!" Mulder ranted.
"That's enough! Agent Mulder!" Skinner said raising his voice.
"You can't let them do that." Mulder said to his director.
"Even if I could, I can't this order comes down from the President himself." Skinner said. "The Xeno Stone must be destroyed."
"No." Mulder gasped.
"Mulder, they're right." Scully said putting her hand on his shoulder. "For the sake of humanity, the Xeno Stone must be destroyed."
"Et tu, Scully." Mulder said coldly.
Taking offense Scully tried to explain her statement. "Mulder at least we have scientific evidence that extra-terrestrial biological micro-organisms exists."
"Don't you see Scully, it's not the same thing as having the hard evidence. Scientific reports can be discounted within time and pretty soon the thought of extra-terrestrial biological micro-organisms would fade into history. It's a governmental cover up!" Mulder explained quietly.
"Than consider the alternative." Scully said looking into his eyes. "Consider the six billion lives at stake, would you sacrifice one life for this precious hard evidence of yours?" Scully asked trying to appease to his morality.
"Maybe." Mulder sighed. "How many people died covering up the truth?"
"Mulder, I know how important this evidence is to you, but you're not like them. I know that you're better than that." Scully said putting her hand on his shoulder. "We'll find more evidence." She reassured.
"What do you think THAT is all about?" Broderick asked whispering to his partner.
"I don't know." Aya whispered back. "I think it's sexual tension." Aya smiled.
Aya could see Mulder debating within his head. She knew that having one's life work thrown away is heart wrenching. "You're right." Mulder sighed to Scully. "I'm sorry." He apologized to the guests.
"I sympathize with your pain, but I assure you we're not here to cover up anything." Aya reassured. "Besides we don't have a plan to dispose of it yet." Aya added.
"Actually there is." Skinner said. "And it finally explains why this was sent to me." Skinner said showing a metallic box, which he picked up, from the floor.
"What is it?" Aya asked in awe.
"It's a portable vacuum box. It was specifically designed by N.A.S.A. to encompass and hold the Xeno Stone. Your orders are to retrieve the stone and place it in this box, then the Bureau will fly you to Florida where the stone would be jettison towards the sun." Skinner explained.
"Why the sun?" Aya asked.
"It makes sense." Scully said. "These micro-organisms had survived a planet exploding, interstellar space travel, re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. The only safe way to make sure this doesn't happen again is to send it to the sun." Scully explained.
"Sounds good, let's go." Aya said getting up.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Scully asked.
"What?" Aya asked confused.
"The invisible fire shield surrounding the National Air and Space Museum." Scully added.
"Ah, the X-File." Aya sighed. "Don't worry, I'm...immune to the shielding." Aya explained simplistically.
"How?" Scully asked.
"That's confidential." Aya replied.
"Your were ordered to explain everything and aid us Agent Brea." Skinner replied forcefully.
"With all due respect Director Skinner, the answer to that question requires a level omega ten clearance." Aya replied confidently. "Something neither of you have." Aya sighed.
"Omega ten?" Skinner said. "Only three people has that clearance."
"Who?" Mulder asked.
"The Minister of Defense, the Surgeon General, and the President." Skinner replied.
Mulder groaned in frustration. "Could you at least help us in solving the case of the invisible fire wall?" Mulder asked.
"That I can do." Aya sighed. "The invisible fire wall, is not a wall as you perceive it. It's more like a defense mechanism from a very large and powerful Mitochondrion Creature. This defense mechanism has the ability to awaken the mitochondria in any organism and direct them to incinerate their host." Aya explained. "There's your X-File, Mr. Mulder." Aya smiled.
"Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that there's a powerful Mitochondrion Creature within the National Air an Space Museum?" Scully asked in disbelief.
"Yes." Aya sighed.
"And you're going in alone?" Mulder asked.
"I'm a big girl, Agent Mulder, I could take care of myself. Now can we leave? Time is of the essence here." Aya asked picking up the vacuum box.
"After you." Mulder smiled. The four agents left the assistant director's office quickly.
National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Washington, District of Columbia
17:30 EST
Aya looked at a rather plainly designed rectangular building and felt somewhat disappointed. Washington D.C. was full of monuments, but the only thing she could see is the capitol to the Northeast and a plainly built building before her. 'You're not here to see the sights.' Aya rebuked herself. 'Concentrate on your mission.'
She put on her Turtle Vest over her black top and draped her favourite jean jacket over her armour. Although limited in attachments, only three, it was the armour she preferred the most. Her weapon of choice was M93R, a standard 9mm handgun, not the most powerful weapon, but it was light and maneuverable.
"Hey, you're ready?" Mulder asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Aya sighed.
"Do you need anything?" Mulder asked.
"Yeah, one hundred 9mm ammo, one hundred 9mm hydra bullets and a M4A1 Rifle with a bayonette attachment." Aya replied. The bayonette was a last resort, just in case she ran out of ammo, she had a backup weapon.
"Wow, a gal who sure knows her weapons." Aya looked at him giving him a solemn look. "Be back in a moment." He said leaving.
"Aya."
"Rupert." Aya smiled. "How can I help you?"
"I'll like you to wear this wireless walkie-talkie so we'll be in contact with you. It also doubles as a sensor so we know where in the building you are." Broderick said giving the delicate, expensive equipment to her.
"Thanks." Aya smiled putting it on her head. "Testing, testing, one, two, three." She said.
"All clear." Broderick smiled.
"Here's the items you requested." Mulder said handing her the ammunition she requested and the bayonette.
"Thank you." Aya smiled.
"Agent Brea, this is Robert Fri, he's the director of the Smithsonian." Scully introduced. Robert Fri was a tall man with chestnut hair and wore thin brimmed glasses.
"Thank you, Agent Scully." Aya smiled. "Director did you bring the map of this building I requested?"
"I have it right here." He said unrolling the map. It was a simple rectangular building with eight open sections for display on the first floor. On the far right was a circular room, which was the cafeteria. On the second floor there were four exhibit rooms and three-theatre rooms.
"Where's the Xeno Stone?"
"In the Planetary Exhibition on the second floor to the far right." The director pointed.
"Thank you." Aya sighed.
"Anything else I can help you with?"
"Yeah, do you have rats?"
"Pardon?"
"In the building, do you have rats, mice, cockroaches any life forms that I may come into." Aya didn't mean any disrespect to the director, but she needed to know what sort of mitochondrion creatures she may run into.
"Why?" The director asked.
"Just answer the question, director." Aya said with frustration. The last thing she wanted to do was to explain mitochondrion creatures again.
"There are no rats in the building I assure you." The director replied with smug arrogance.
"What about bugs?"
"We have no infestation that we know about, but we can't keep all the bugs that the public bring in." The director smugly replied.
"Thank you director, that'll be all." Aya said not being totally convinced by the director's statement. "Please stay around, just incase I run into problems in there." Aya said taking a deep breath and sighed. "I'm ready."
"Good luck." Broderick said giving his partner the vacuum box.
"Thanks." Aya smiled. She walked towards the police barricade and flashed her identification and walked another six feet towards the building. She stuck her hand into the air and felt a burning, tingling feeling around her hand. She quickly retracted.
"Are you okay?" Broderick came through the intercom.
"Fine." Aya lied. This was the first time that she felt a burning sensation when passing a barrier. It wasn't strong, just a tiny tingling of the skin, like a small itch. She took a deep sigh and pass through the barrier.
"I'm in." Aya said entering the building with her gun at the ready. "The power's out, it rather dark." Aya reported as she circumspect the room and caught a pile of white ashes to the corner. "I think I found the remains of a security guard." Aya said running towards the pile of ashes. "He's dead, been incinerated to ashes." Aya said solemnly as she checked his uniform and found his identification. "His name is Morris Spencer."
"We'll contact the family." Broderick said via the intercom. Aya checked the remaining pockets of the uniform and found two keys and put them in her pocket. In the background she heard a ruckus. Because of the echoing effect in the museum she wasn't sure where the sound was coming from.
"What was that?" Broderick's voice came through.
"I don't know." Aya sighed. "Is the radar picking up anything?" She knew that it probably didn't, but she asked just in case.
"No." Scully came through.
"Is the director with you?" Aya asked.
"He's right here." Scully replied.
"Ask him how I can power the elevator?" Aya asked waiting impatiently. She could hear her heart beat. It felt like a drum being pounded in her chest. "Come on Scully, hurry up." She whispered to herself.
"The director said that there's a fuse box in the cafeteria which could reroute power to the elevator in case of emergencies." Scully replied. "The cafeteria is to..."
"My right." Aya acknowledged. She headed into the main foyer and turned right. She heard another sound this time she knew where it came from. It emanated from in front of her, the cafeteria. 'Oh, great.' She thought. Aya quickly, but carefully walked towards the cafeteria.
She stopped after a couple of meters and felt her cells warning her of an impeding danger - a sixth sense that she's developed about six years ago. Her heart pounded harder and louder, the bitter taste of adrenaline was in her mouth.
She heard a buzzing surrounding her and saw three flies the sizes of her fists. The flies had two giant black eyes and fangs protruding from their mouths. 'Just flies, this shouldn't be a problem.' Aya thought remembering how easy these Mitochondrion Creatures were to defeat. Aya raised her gun and aimed at the first fly.
The three flies darted at her firing missiles from their mouths. Aya's pupils dilated as the missiles screamed towards her. She jumped out of the way and swore to herself. She had forgotten that these Mitochondrion Creatures were extra-terrestrial in nature and weren't the typical flies she battled in the past. "What the hell was that?" Mulder's voice came ringing through.
"Just some bugs." Aya responded taking three shots to the closest fly with their back turned against her. The flies came around for a second attack. The two remaining flies zoomed past by her firing their missiles at her again. Aya jumped out of the way, but was caught by one of the flies razor edge wings cutting her right cheek. "Damn." She swore tasting the blood in her mouth. It was a superficial cut and ignored it. "That does it." She swore. The remaining two flies darted towards her with the missiles at the ready coming out of their mouths. Aya shoot twice, aiming not at the flies, but at the missiles. The explosion engulfed the flies in flames killing them.
Aya reported that she was fine and continued towards the cafeteria. The sounds of life became louder as she approached the cafeteria. "I'm entering the cafeteria now. I'm expecting danger." Aya report.
"Confirmed." Broderick replied.
She tried to open the door, but it was lock. She went into her pocket and took one of the keys and tried it. The key fit and turned. Aya took a deep breath and kicked the door open seeing four giant rats about her size rushing towards her. "Damn." She swore dropping the vacuum box. Lasers were emanating from their tails as she rushed to the nearest table and kicked it down ducking behind it for protection.
"What the hell was that?" Broderick said.
"Nothing." Aya said. She stood up from behind the table taking four shots at the nearest rat and hid behind the table again. "Just tell the Director that he has rat problems." Aya said taking another four shots killing the rat. She took the last seven shots at one rat ducking every three of four shots. "Where are the fuses?" Aya yelled through her intercom as she changed the cartridge of her gun. She quickly got up and shot once hitting the rat she shot seven times before killing it.
"It's in a cupboard behind the kitchen counter." Scully came back. Aya looked down towards the counter and estimated that it was about twenty meters away. There was another table halfway between her destination and her present position. Aya got up and headed towards the table shooting aimlessly behind her as she ran. She was about to reach the table when a laser from one of the rats shoot her hand flinging her gun five meters away and behind her. "Damn." She swore. The gun was near the table a row above from where she started.
She had no choice - she had to use her parasite energy. 'Which one.' She thought. 'Antibody.' She felt the earth's energy surged from the ground enveloping her as she released her parasitic energy. She felt her defense growing stronger as she rushed towards her gun grabbing it and rolled towards the table nearby, knocking it down for protection. She was shot five times during her stunt. Aya was in pain - she could feel her life draining away from her. She cast Healing and felt the cool, healing powers of the water, refreshing her health.
"That does it you're going down." Aya said getting up from the protection of her table taking another four shots. She repeated the procedure three more times and killed the two remaining rats.
Aya changed her cartridge and headed towards the cafeteria door and checked on the vacuum box. 'Undamaged.' Aya sighed with relief. She picked it up and headed towards the counter and searched the cupboards pertinently and found a box of fuses. "Where's the fuse box?" Aya asked waiting for Scully's answer.
"In the broom closet." Scully returned.
"Thanks." Aya replied. She looked behind her and entered the closet carefully. Two flies darted her way instinctively she raised her right hand and commanded the mitochondria in her body to generate electricity which emanated from her hand which exploded the missiles engulfing their carriers, she felt a surge of wind breezing as the bolts shot out of her hand. Aya raised the other hand protecting her eyes from the explosion.
She went into the broom closet and opened the fuse box looking for the one marked elevator and replaced it. Aya heard the humming of electricity running through the pipes. "I restored power to the elevator and heading to it now." Aya report.
"Roger." Broderick replied.
The elevator was at the opposite end from the cafeteria. On the way, she encountered three more Mitochondrion flies and quickly killed them. She pressed the button for the elevator when she heard a creaking sound coming from above her. She looked up and saw a giant spider standing on the Wright Brother's glider.
"Oh my God." She swore to herself as she saw silk emanating from the spider's mouth gluing her to the wall. Her gun dropped from her right hand as the vacuum box from her left. She felt an electrical surge coursing through her body that emanated from the webbing. The spider ran quickly towards her as she tried to use her parasitic energy, but was interrupted as the spider bit her.
She was poisoned. Aya didn't give the spider the satisfaction of a scream. After the attack she quickly commanded the mitochondria within her body to produce heat. The Inferno power drained her parasitic energy stock, but it served its purpose, destroying the web and pushing the spider away from her. Aya quickly picked up her gun and fired frantically as the spider rushed towards her. She fired through the whole cartridge and the spider stilled came towards her. "Damn." She swore grabbing her bayonette and swing at the spider killing the mitochondrion creature. She quickly cast Metabolism and felt the healing power of the water element and felt the poison feeling from her body.
"You okay?" Broderick asked.
"Aren't I always?" Aya smiled putting the bayonette away and retrieving her gun as she changed cartridges. "I'm going into the elevator now." Aya reported. 'I'm almost done.' Aya sighed to herself. The Xeno Stone was on the other side of the hall. She slowly, but carefully rushed down the hall. Aya encountered four more flies and took care of them easily. Among the dead bodies she found a Pike for her M4A1 Rifle. 'A curious item.' Aya thought. She decided to keep it dropping her 9mm bullets. 'At least I have the Hydra bullets left." She thought.
"I'm approaching the Xeno Stone." Aya reported. It was encased under bulletproof glass. She saw a lock on the podium where the stone was laid. Aya inserted the second key and turned it. Aya heard the lock clicked and slowly opened the glass. 'This is too easy.' Aya thought.
Before her eyes Aya saw a bacterium growing on the rock. "Why do I always have to be right?" Aya sighed. It jumped on Aya and grew until it reached the ceiling.
It was suffocating Aya as its weight was growing. Aya put her palms on the ground and slide herself away from the bacterium. 'At least it's slippery.' She thought. Aya flipped backwards and shot the remaining 9mm bullets in her cartridge, it rebound from the bacterium. In response the bacterium produce a sonic boom. It made Aya flew in the air slamming against the wall hard. She lost her voice. 'Damn.' She thought. 'Can't use my parasitic energy.'
Aya quickly dropped her cartridge still filled with 9mm bullets and replaced it with the 9mm Hydra bullets. They bullets were slightly stronger and more effective against flesh creatures not bacteria. 'Might as well try.' Aya thought. She shot four times, each time the bullets rebounded. 'Damn.' She dropped the cartridge and her gun. In response the bacterium created another sonic boom she ran behind the arch for protection.
She tried to speak but nothing came out. Aya took out her M4A1 Rifle and took off the bayonette extension and replaced it with the Pike. Aya checked the battery and saw that she had enough for sixty seconds. 'Die you alien bacteria scum.' She thought.
Aya ran within range and pressed the trigger. A huge column of fire spiraled towards the giant bacterium. She heard it scream in pain Aya rather enjoyed it. She kept her finger on the trigger until the battery drained. In response the bacterium punched Aya with one of it's many flagella. The impact slammed her against the wall.
If it weren't for her armour, she would have been paralyzed. She was grateful that she picked wisely. She went behind the wall and switched the Pike with the bayonette extension. 'How can I get close enough?' She thought. She stood up and accidentally hit a display in the room she was in making a loud crash. The bacterium responded to the sound and headed towards the sound. 'Of course, it's blind, but could hear through the vibration in the air.' Aya thought holding the Pike extension. She threw it at the model of Saturn in the opposite side of the room where the bacterium was. It fell down producing a loud noise; the bacterium responded in kind and headed towards the new noise. 'Not really smart.' Aya sighed rushing towards its back slashing it with all her might. The bacterium tried to turn around and attack her, but was defeated before it could counterattack. It was defeated and Aya found a Stim among the wreckage and injected herself with it.
She could speak again. "I'm okay." Aya said breathlessly. Her partner had been going out of his mind asking if she were okay.
"Why didn't you answer?" Broderick freaked out.
"I lost my voice for a moment." Aya said nonchalantly. "I'm fine now." Aya reassured. She checked on the vacuum box and was relieved that it was fine and headed towards the stone. "I believe the mitochondrion field has been disabled." Aya said. "Approach with caution, just in case."
"Roger." Broderick answered.
"I putting the stone in the vacuum..." Aya didn't have the chance to finish her statement. Something from behind Aya hit her in the back.
"Aya! Aya! Answer me." Broderick's voice came frantically through the intercom. Aya saw the perpetrator before her world blacked out. "Agent down! Agent down!" Broderick voice came through, that was the last words Aya heard before blacking out.
* * * * * * * * * *
Aya woke up laying on a metallic table. She felt groggy; there was a bright light shining in front of her. Everything was blurry and white; she could hear her heart beat all around her. A dark humanoid silhouette hovered above her. It looked familiar. "What are you doing to me?" Aya said weakishly.
"Aya! Wake up!" She heard Broderick's voice coming from outside. She ignored her partner's voice.
"What's going on?" Aya said weakly.
"Anesthetize her." The dark shadow said.
"Yes sir." Another voice came from the shadows.
"No." She weakly protested.
* * * * * * * * * *
Aya opened her eyes frantically. She was back in the museum with Broderick, Mulder and Scully standing around her. 'It must have been a dream.' Aya thought.
"Agent Brea are you okay?" Scully asked.
"Yeah. Fine." Aya responded. "I was attacked."
"Evidently." Broderick smiled. "It's good to see that you're fine."
"The Xeno Stone." Aya gasped.
"Gone." Mulder said. "Did you see the perpetrator?"
"Yeah." Aya sighed.
"Well." Mulder waited impatiently. "Give us a description."
"Agent Mulder, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you...actually maybe you would." Aya smiled to herself. "Com'on let's go, I'll tell you on the way." Aya said getting up.
F.B.I. Headquarters, J. Edgar Hoover Building
Washington, District of Columbia
20:00 EST
"You saw what!" Skinner yelled slamming the file down on his desk.
"I...it's in the re...report." Aya stuttered.
"You expect me to file this!" Skinner continued.
"It's the truth." Aya replied confidently. "It's what I saw."
"You're expecting me to believe that you saw an alien stole the Xeno Stone?"
"I didn't say alien." Aya corrected.
"No, you said you saw a three foot, green skinned, black eyed, humanoid like creature taking the Xeno Stone before blacking out." Skinner read. "It's sounds like an alien to me!"
"I have a theory." Aya sighed.
"This better be good." Skinner barked.
"I believe it may be an advanced form of a Mitochondrion Creature." Aya suggested.
"Or it could be an extra-terrestrial biological entity." Mulder smiled.
"I don't need that right now Agent Mulder." Skinner said with frustration. He took a deep breath and recomposed himself. "Are you going to stand by to what you wrote?"
"Yes." Aya replied.
"All right. Dismissed." Skinner sighed. The four agents got up from their seats and were about to leave the assistant director's office.
"Sir do we know where the Xeno Stone is?" Aya sighed.
"No. We don't." Skinner sighed.
"Thank you." Aya sighed leaving the room.
The air was significantly cooler outside the office as Aya took a deep breath. She failed a mission, the first in her F.B.I. career.
"Whoa! Did you see that vein on his forehead pop?" Mulder said enthusiastically. "I've never seen the Skin man so mad," Mulder smiled. "And trust me, I've seen him mad."
"Sounds like you're an expert in that area." Aya smiled.
"He's the king." Scully answered sarcastically.
"Well it looks like this is where we part." Mulder said.
"I guess it is." Broderick sighed. "Well thank you for your help Agents, we better get to our motels." Broderick said. "Good luck in your future endeavors and your search for truth." Broderick shook hands.
"Thank you. It's been a pleasure working with you too." Scully answered.
"Ahh. Agent Brea may I speak with you in private?" Mulder asked nervously.
"Sure." Aya smiled suspiciously. "I'll meet you at the motel." Broderick nodded and left the hallway with Agent Scully. "What's up?" Aya asked.
"Um...I was wondering if you want to grab some dinner sometime." Mulder nervously asked. He sounded unexpressed, something that he doesn't normally do.
"Are you asking me out on a date Agent Mulder?"
"Yeah." Mulder sighed. "Why you don't want..."
"No, it's not that." Aya stuttered. "I just thought you and Agent Scully were..."
"No, we're just partners." Mulder defended. "So...dinner?"
"Are you asking me because you're interested in me, or are you asking because I'm a living X-File?" Aya returned.
"Am I that transparent?" Mulder smiled.
"Just don't play poker with me." Aya smiled.
"I just want the truth of what you are." Mulder sighed.
"The truth, Agent Mulder is sometimes unbelievable." Aya smiled.
"Try me." Mulder smiled.
"You know I can't do that." Aya returned.
"So that's no for dinner."
"I'm sorry, Agent Mulder, I'm involved." Aya smiled. "But it was tempting." She said leaving the agent alone.
Brea's Motel Room
Washington, District of Columbia
23:00 EST
It has been a bad day, a long day, and a day that she would rather quickly want to forget. She failed in a mission for the first time. She wondered how careless she could be not hearing someone approaching from behind her. She couldn't get the fact that she failed. 'No the mission was not a failure, just extended.' Aya thought encouraging herself.
She lay in her bed looking at the ceiling. 'I wonder what Kyle is up to?' Aya contemplated. 'He better not be doing something stupid.' Aya sighed. She wanted to fall asleep, to forget what had transpired through the day. Yet even that would be taken away from her.
"Aya you in?" Broderick asked from behind her door.
"What is it Rupert." Aya said unlocking the door.
"Quick turn your television on to C.N.N." Broderick said making his way through the threshold of her room and turned Aya's television on. Aya knew that there was trouble.
Aya joined Broderick on her bed and watched with the new cast. "What's going on?" Aya asked.
"It's coming on in a few minutes." Broderick replied. They sat in silent for a couple of moments. "So what did Agent Mulder want with you?" Broderick reached.
"Just a date." Aya sighed.
"I thought he and Agent Scully were..."
"There just partners."
"Why don't I believe that." Broderick sighed. "Here it is." Broderick said turning up the volume.
"Earlier tonight Dr. Robert Smith escape from Mount Sinai Hospital and is reported in the New York City area. If you see him, please stay away, he is consider unarmed but dangerous, he is still under quarantine and must be..."
Aya's mobile telephone rang. She knew who it was, so did her partner. Broderick turned down the volume as she answered the phone. "Brea."
"Baldwin here, are you watching..."
"Yeah." Aya interrupted.
"You're new orders are to go to New York and recapture Dr. Smith dead or alive." Baldwin ordered.
"What about the Xeno Stone?"
"It'll have to wait."
"I understand." Aya sighed hanging up the phone. "I guess we're going back to New York." Aya sighed.
"Yeah." Broderick sighed brushing his goatee. He was worried, the fact of the matter was, he didn't want to go back to New York - neither of them did.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Disclaimer: [1] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the Parasite Eve Genre (specifically Parasite Eve and Parasite Eve II (video game)) is not my invention and is the property of Square. [2] The names of persons, places, and events pertaining to the X-Files Genre is also not my invention and the property of Twentieth Century Fox - no profit was made from the writing of this fan fiction. [3] This is a fan fiction and as such names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination that is, those not mentioned in the previous two clauses and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.