Ethiopia
20 million years ago
* * * * * *
Deterministically inclined astronomers are convinced by statistical
Reasoning that what has happened on the earth must also have
happened on planets of stars other than the sun. Biologists,
impressed by the evolution of man, consider... "the prevalence of
humanoids" exceedingly improbable. --Ernst Mayr
* * * * * *
The animal was exploring. It was a young male, venturing off on its own
away from the rest of the band. He was a curious animal by nature, and
it did not take much to distract him. Moving away from the relative
safety of the forest, he climbed out of a tree and began to approach the
cleared area where the fire and noisy explosion had been.
The ground was still smoldering from the intense flames of the previous
day. The shattered remains of the meteorite littered the ground for
several miles, leaving decimated trees and charred remains in its wake.
The animal approached the edge of the charred ground and eyed the thing
in front of him warily. The oil lay pooled on the blackened barren
ground. The reflective nature of the oil had attracted him, but now he
was beginning to feel uneasy. The smell of fire and smoke was still
heavy in the air, and now it seemed as if the oil had moved of its own
volition.
He waited several moments; the oil remained motionless. Quickly
forgetting his concern, the animal began to move even closer. Pausing
just within arms length of the oil, he cautiously reached out to the
substance. Pulling its hand back, the animal looked at the viscous fluid
clinging to his fingers.
The oil shattered and the tiny worm-like segments began their assent up
the animal's body. The animal began to cry out as he felt the pinpricks
of pain as each segment pierced the skin. The startled cry was abruptly
cut short. The animal's eyes clouded over briefly.
Although his cries had been interrupted, they had been enough to alert
some of the members of the band, one of which was the animal's mother.
Grunting with displeasure, the mother scurried out to her young.
Sweeping him into her arms, she pulled him to her breast and he clinged
to her as she hurried back to the forest and away from the openness of
the desert.
The child had already forgotten what had disturbed him.
And mankind took his first step.
* * * * * *
March 7, 1999
Resistance Headquarters
Mulder's Room
1:57am
When Mulder woke up, he had the oddest sensation of dj vu, like a cool
breeze from an unseen window. It was Scully's soft, soothing voice that
first roused him, as well as her light touch on his forehead. "Mulder?
Mulder, can you hear me?" He stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
"Scully?" A soft voice, barely a whisper, called her name. "Scully is
that you?" Hadn't this just happened?
"Mulder? Are you awake? How do you feel?" She pulled a chair closer to
the bed and sat down. Her eyes met his confused ones.
He shook his head in confusion, trying his best to organize his
thoughts. Didn't he just wake up? Or had that been a dream? "I feel
like......... I don't know... how am I supposed to feel?" He shifted in
the bed, and only then did he realize that they were no longer in her
apartment. He was in a hospital type bed, but the rest of the room did
not look like a hospital room. Aside from the bed, the rest of the room
gave no hint as to where he could be. The room was sparsely furnished; a
cheap looking dresser, mismatched nightstands and a single chair which
Scully now occupied. He could be anywhere. "Where are we? How did we
get here? What's going on?"
"Do you remember what happened in my apartment?" She asked carefully.
He smiled a lazy, loopy smile that stemmed from the narcotics and beamed
up at her. "Of course. You came back to me. I missed you so much."
She nodded slightly, and chose her next words carefully. "That did
happen. Do you remember what happened after that?" She prompted.
His forehead furrowed as he tried to think through the haze of
medication. He blinks rapidly and she watches as his eyes clear, his
mind following slowly behind. And then he remembered. And the lightness
and joy in his eyes vanished. "The bounty hunter came. He tried to shoot
me, but you pushed me out of the way." He smiled a thank you before
continuing. "I didn't get hit, but you did. And instead of blood..." He
stopped, unable to finish. Instead, he changed the subject. "How did we
escape?" He paused as he considered something else. "How did you even
get away in the first place?"
"Diana."
"Diana? Really?" If Mulder hadn't been fully awake before, he was now.
Surprised flashed over his features.
Scully smiled slightly. "Surprised me as well. She rescued me, and you."
"What do you mean, me?"
"She wasn't supposed to get you. 'Wasn't the plan.'" She paused now.
Mulder could read that look. It was bad news. "What?"
"She was killed." Mulder's face maintained its careful impassiveness.
How should he feel about that? He didn't know. Things had ended so badly
last time he had seen her, he never thought that he could feel anything
toward her again. But if she really had saved Scully like Scully
claimed...
All of this flashed through his head in an instant. Scully was still
speaking. "She died for you Mulder. You're not supposed to be here with
me now, and you wouldn't be if it weren't for her. It was just me that
they wanted."
"Wanted for what? Do we even know? How can we even know if these people
are any better than the others?"
"They are." Another pause. She was having trouble finding the words. "I
don't think that they'll hurt us, although no one has answered any of my
questions to my satisfaction."
"How can you know, though? As you say, they haven't answered your
questions... we don't know anything about them..."
She hesitated once again. Beats of silence and then she plunged.
"Mulder, I have...I've been changed. I'm not quite the same as I once
was."
"I know." Mulder whispered.
Scully shook her head. "No you don't, not all of it. It's not just..."
She looked down to her abdomen. Mulder's eyes followed hers. She didn't
finish.
"But I do." He squeezed her hand tightly, then loosened. "A report was
given to me. Diana actually. I know what they did to you."
His comment distracted Scully from telling him her news. "What did they
do to me? How did they change me?"
Now it was he who hesitated. "They altered your genes."
Fear filled the room. Fear of the unknown. Fear of her. Scully gasped
from the strength of it, and it was a moment or two before she could
concentrate enough to form the words to speak. "What are you saying?"
If he noticed her reaction, he was kind enough to ignore it. "Genes were
added." He watched as her eyes widened in fear and he hurried to finish.
"Not foreign genes, your own. Your own introns were prevented from being
removed."
"Something more than human..." Scully softly echoed Dagen's words of
before. She was starting to understand.
"Did you say something?"
"Hmmm? Oh, no, I didn't." Her eyes refocused on him, although when she
spoke, her voice was distant. "Mulder, I'm sorry that I woke you, I
really should have let you sleep..." She began to stand.
"No, don't leave me." The strength as well as pure need in his voice
startled them both. "Please don't run away. What ever has happened, what
ever will happen, I'll still need you. We need each other to get through
this together." Pause. "Nothing's changed." But the hesitation in his
voice belied his own words.
"Except her. Nothing's changed, except her."
She's silent. Unconsciously her hand slowly traced circles on the thin
cotton of the blue shirt she wore. Her hands moved restlessly on her
abdomen, the circles becoming tighter and tighter the longer she stood
thinking.
Silence as they both stared at one another. Her expression was
impenetrable to him.
Finally she sat down again.
It was obvious that she was upset, yet...what could he do to make it
better? "Scully, I--" Mulder didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry. If you
want to go you can. You probably need your rest too."
"No. I'm fine. I'll stay here with you."
Silence.
"Ok." Pause. "Goodnight Scully."
"Goodnight."
And the silence settled uncomfortably around them. It was hours before
either fell asleep.
* * * * * *
Kenya
500,000 years ago
The young man called out, alerting the others of his tribe. "Fire, I see
fire over there. It came from out of the sky. Come with me and we will
get it together." He said this with half formed words and gestures, but
the message was clear. Another man approached and they left together.
The men set out in the direction of the billowing smoke over the
horizon. It would be a full days travel, but both understood the
importance of obtaining fire. They had been without fire for several
days, ever since the savage storm. They had lost the fire and they were
not close enough to another band to obtain more. They had feared that
they would have to wait for the stormy season, the time of the flashing
streaks of light, to get more, but it seemed like things were beginning
to look up.
The two men traveled in silence all day, always on the lookout for food,
as well as the wild animals that could attack. The trip was uneventful,
though slow. Everywhere they turned, they saw the effects the storm had
had on the land. Trees fallen, branches broken, and carcasses of animals
spotted the ground. The men had investigated the killed animals, but
found them to be in such foul form that they were useless. They left the
remains to the scavenging animals.
As the day progressed, they made their way out of the ruins of the
storm, and into an entirely different type of ruins. They'd just cleared
a bluff when they took in a startling sight. Here, the trees were
toppled, but not in the haphazard, random way of before. And instead of
just a few of the older, weaker trees falling, the entire forest before
them had fallen, all laying in the same direction, toppled as if mere
branches. The tips of the trees singed and striped of their bark. They
had never seen any thing like it before.
They paused at the crest, confused and uncertain as to what to do next.
Then the first man, the one who had first spotted the smoke, made their
choice. The fire was far to valuable to give up, to pass up this
opportunity.
They continued.
It was approaching dusk when they arrived at the place of fire. Knowing
the late hour, and hazards of traveling at night, the two prepared to
stay.
First wrapping a segment of animal skin to the end of a fallen branch,
they walked up to the edge of the billowing smoke. The stench of the
surrounding animal carcasses, as well as the gray ash, remnants of the
life now being burned, filled the air, causing their chests to tighten,
and left them gasping for air.
Once completed, they set up their impromptu campsite. The men moved to a
safe distance away from the glowing fire and settled on the blackened
earth. They had learned long ago that fire cannot go to the blackened
areas, so they knew that this would be a safe region.
Although they were both hungry and tired from their travels, they were
both pleased to have warmth after so many nights without. The first man
indicated to the second that he was to stay awake to keep guard since
they were in an open and unfamiliar territory. The second man got up
and gathered some of the easily accessible wood to fuel the fire and
pulled out his stone knife. It wasn't much, but his other, larger weapon
had been loss in the storm. He sat close to the fire for warmth, while
the other man slept.
* * * * * *
The heat was bothering the oil, speeding up its processes to an
uncomfortable level. Driven by instinct, it strove to clear the flames.
The oil couldn't find what it needed. It had been seeking for awhile,
but nothing it found triggered nothing more than a passing
acknowledgment. Everything around it was far too simple in nature.
Moments later it managed to clear the last of the flames. Moving easier
now, it explored its environment. Still only nothing. It needed
something more-and then it found it.
* * * * * *
The second man had just begun to nod off when he heard movement, a
rustling sound, like leaves against the earth. But he knew that there
were no leaves in this area that had not burned. He stood up, knife in
hand and surveyed his surroundings. He saw nothing; he heard nothing
more. He stood still, motionless. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he
saw something. Moving his head almost imperceptibly, the man turned to
face that direction. He saw the movement again.
He couldn't tell what it was. He had never seen anything that reflected
light like it did. The man began to cautiously move toward the
substance, curious.
Squatting before it, he slowly brought his hand down to touch the
material. Bringing his hand up, he rolled the oil between his
fingertips, feeling its smooth texture and watching the light play
against the liquid substance.
* * * * * *
The man's contact was all that was necessary to catapult the creature
into action. Pulling itself into the man, the creature had found its
place. If it could have sighed, it would have in relief.
* * * * * *
When the first man woke up in the middle of the night, he saw his
companion a few paces away, staring off and motionless. He signaled to
him "What's wrong? Danger?"
The second man turned. "No. I thought I saw something, but I was wrong.
My turn to sleep?"
The other man looked at him, his eyes slightly squinting, before he
responded. "Yes, we can switch now."
* * * * * *
The next day the two men set off, each carrying a torch. The first man
had forgotten about his misgiving of the previous night, while the
second man's memory of the event had disappeared with the night
And man took another step.
* * * * * *
March 7, 1999
Resistance Headquarters
Ed Bower's Office
6:42 am
Ed Bower wearily opened the door to his office and dropped his overnight
bag just inside. He pulled off his well worn, dust covered jacket, and
placed it on his coat rack. He happened to glance at his reflection in
the mirror next to the door. Something looked odd. He ran his hand over
his bearded cheeks, in the process disturbing much of the dust that had
settled there from before he'd gotten the urgent call twelve hours ago.
He had gotten on the first flight available straight from the field and
hadn't even paused to clean up.
His hand was still on his beard as he leaned closer to the mirror. Had
he been this gray before he left? He didn't quite remember having this
much salt to his pepper. "I wouldn't be surprised if I've gone total
white by the time this as all said and done."
He turned away from the mirror and crossed to his desk, bring his
overnight bag with him. He sighed with relief as he sat in his
comfortable chair. He suddenly felt incredibly old.
It had been a long flight, but it was going to be an even longer day. He
sat heavily in his chair and rested his head on his cupped hands.
"God, had it finally come to this?" Not for the first time he wished
he were like everyone else, blissfully ignorant. If only he had taken
that teaching position... what was it now? 20 years ago?... he could be
the head of the department by now, published... But no, he had chosen to
return to the field. Seeking glory. He'd wanted to find something new
and revolutionary. What a damn cocky kid he had been; he had certainly
gotten what he wished for.
He brushed those thoughts away with an ease born of many years of
practice. No use looking to the past. The present needed all of his
attention.
Thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in." He didn't
look up.
"I'm glad to see that you're back. How was your trip?" He could feel
Cassandra's smile through her words.
He raised his eyes to meet Cassandra's. "Long. I didn't get much sleep
either. What time is it anyway? I'm still on Tunisian time."
She glanced at her watch. "About a quarter to seven."
Her answer spurred him into action. "Already? I'm not even
half-prepared...and I still need to speak with that new guy, Dagen is
his name I think..." His voice trailed off as he set the overnight bag
on the floor and began to sift through the mess that he called a desk.
She leaned across his desk and laid a calming hand over his, halting his
motion. "Don't worry about that. Dagen is organizing the evidence in the
conference room, and you already know much of the story."
"It's not that so much, as I'm worried about how I present it. This
isn't something that is easily excepted. I just don't want to scare her
off. From what Allen has told me, she is crucial to our efforts."
She walked up behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders. "I'm
sure that you will do just fine. You just have to speak the truth." As
she spoke, she began to massage the tense muscles of his shoulders and
neck. Ed let out a sigh of relief as warmth infused his tired muscles.
"You always give the best shoulder rubs."
"It's a gift." The irony of that statement did not escape him. A moment
passed before he spoke again. "And how are our guests?"
"You know that Mulder is here with us?" She asked.
He nodded. "Allen has kept me updated."
He placed his hands over hers and halted her motion. He turned his chair
to face her. "Are you sure that we can trust them?"
"We can trust them. This is what they've been working for all of these
years. Once everything is explained I am sure that she will help us."
She said this confidently.
"Are you sure?" Concern laced his words.
"Yes. Mulder will be easiest to convince, but Scully will believe once
we show her the evidence. Of course," she amended, "she will be forced
to believe once she begins to witness the evidence first hand."
"I'm not worried about that so much as I am worried about her
participation. If they are as close as you say, will he let her do
this?"
She couldn't help but smile at his comment. "'Let' her? How
progressive." She was only slightly teasing.
Ed had the sense to look contrite. "That's not what I meant. It's
just..."
Cassandra let him struggle for a moment longer before rescuing him.
"They will both see that this is the only option. And I don't see either
of them putting themselves before the rest of the world."
"Is it wrong for me to be happy that we can't have you do it?"
"It would make things much simpler for everyone." She acknowledged.
He looked up to her face. Their eyes met. "If I were in Mulder's place,
I don't know if I could let you do it."
"You would. I know you, and I know that you would do what was right."
He squeezed her hand. Softly, he said, "I missed you."
She smiled down at him. "I know. I missed you too."
She let the moment linger before changing the subject. "So, what was so
important at the site that you had to rush out of here like a maniac
last week? Did you find anything worth mentioning?"
His eyes immediately lit up with excitement. "I can't believe that I
almost forgot to tell you this." He bent at his waist and pulled his bag
from the floor. From it, he pulled out a large piece of paper with an
intricate etching on it. "You know how we haven't discovered anything
that could be construed as art, or writing or anything that indicates
creativity at the site?"
Cassandra nodded, she remembered what he had told her.
"Well anyway," He continued, "we have studied this specific site for
nearly twenty years and haven't found anything remotely like this. This
is a first major breakthrough in five years.
"A couple of months ago we decided to expand the dig, to explore the
surrounding area. To our surprise, we found another settlement about 500
yards from the main site. It was clearly from the same era, the
materials and methods used for the buildings were the same as the
original site, but there was a huge difference. There was art. This," He
opened the folded paper and spread it flat against the desktop, "this is
just a part of a series of complex pictographs that adorned the walls of
the dwellings."
Cassandra looked down at the paper with amazement. "What do you think
that this means?" She asked as she looked up from the paper to his face.
"This is only a segment of a much larger..." He paused, searching for
the correct word, "...story. Yes, story is the right word. The carvings
seem to depict a story, perhaps even a history of these people. I took a
great deal of pictures of the various carvings, but I knew that the
pictures could not do it justice, as far as the grand scope of this art,
as well as the intricate depictions presented, so I took an etching.
This is the final picture in the series, and the one that I feel is the
most significant."
Ed met Cassandra's eyes. "I know what I think I see, but I want you to
tell me what you see when you look at this. What do you think this
represents?"
She carefully studied the etching for several moments before speaking.
She chose her words carefully. "It looks... well this right here," she
pointed to a corner, "looks like a group of people..." She hesitated,
still studying the picture. "No, actually it looks like two specific
groups. Yes..." She murmured to herself. She pointed to two different
areas. "Yes, there are two groups, one here, and the other, smaller
group here."
Although he did not wish to influence her take on the etching, Ed
couldn't help but nod with enthusiasm at her interpretation. If she,
most definitely a layperson, could see what he did... He needn't have
worried about Cassandra witnessing his reaction; she had not yet taken
her eyes off the paper.
Ed watched as her eyes took in the sight before her; as tried to make
sense of it all. He saw the moment she comprehended; he knew that she
saw what he, and the others, saw, even before she spoke. Cassandra began
to speak excitedly. "Yes, two groups, and this right here," she pointed
to the large geometric figure that took up much of the center of the
carving, "this is a spacecraft, and this group, the larger one," once
more she gestured toward one of the groups that represented the people,
"this larger group is going to it, boarding the ship."
Only now did she look up and meet Ed's eyes as her last comment took a
firm hold in her psyche. "This group is boarding the ship and leaving on
it."
* * * * * *
20 million years ago
* * * * * *
Deterministically inclined astronomers are convinced by statistical
Reasoning that what has happened on the earth must also have
happened on planets of stars other than the sun. Biologists,
impressed by the evolution of man, consider... "the prevalence of
humanoids" exceedingly improbable. --Ernst Mayr
* * * * * *
The animal was exploring. It was a young male, venturing off on its own
away from the rest of the band. He was a curious animal by nature, and
it did not take much to distract him. Moving away from the relative
safety of the forest, he climbed out of a tree and began to approach the
cleared area where the fire and noisy explosion had been.
The ground was still smoldering from the intense flames of the previous
day. The shattered remains of the meteorite littered the ground for
several miles, leaving decimated trees and charred remains in its wake.
The animal approached the edge of the charred ground and eyed the thing
in front of him warily. The oil lay pooled on the blackened barren
ground. The reflective nature of the oil had attracted him, but now he
was beginning to feel uneasy. The smell of fire and smoke was still
heavy in the air, and now it seemed as if the oil had moved of its own
volition.
He waited several moments; the oil remained motionless. Quickly
forgetting his concern, the animal began to move even closer. Pausing
just within arms length of the oil, he cautiously reached out to the
substance. Pulling its hand back, the animal looked at the viscous fluid
clinging to his fingers.
The oil shattered and the tiny worm-like segments began their assent up
the animal's body. The animal began to cry out as he felt the pinpricks
of pain as each segment pierced the skin. The startled cry was abruptly
cut short. The animal's eyes clouded over briefly.
Although his cries had been interrupted, they had been enough to alert
some of the members of the band, one of which was the animal's mother.
Grunting with displeasure, the mother scurried out to her young.
Sweeping him into her arms, she pulled him to her breast and he clinged
to her as she hurried back to the forest and away from the openness of
the desert.
The child had already forgotten what had disturbed him.
And mankind took his first step.
* * * * * *
March 7, 1999
Resistance Headquarters
Mulder's Room
1:57am
When Mulder woke up, he had the oddest sensation of dj vu, like a cool
breeze from an unseen window. It was Scully's soft, soothing voice that
first roused him, as well as her light touch on his forehead. "Mulder?
Mulder, can you hear me?" He stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
"Scully?" A soft voice, barely a whisper, called her name. "Scully is
that you?" Hadn't this just happened?
"Mulder? Are you awake? How do you feel?" She pulled a chair closer to
the bed and sat down. Her eyes met his confused ones.
He shook his head in confusion, trying his best to organize his
thoughts. Didn't he just wake up? Or had that been a dream? "I feel
like......... I don't know... how am I supposed to feel?" He shifted in
the bed, and only then did he realize that they were no longer in her
apartment. He was in a hospital type bed, but the rest of the room did
not look like a hospital room. Aside from the bed, the rest of the room
gave no hint as to where he could be. The room was sparsely furnished; a
cheap looking dresser, mismatched nightstands and a single chair which
Scully now occupied. He could be anywhere. "Where are we? How did we
get here? What's going on?"
"Do you remember what happened in my apartment?" She asked carefully.
He smiled a lazy, loopy smile that stemmed from the narcotics and beamed
up at her. "Of course. You came back to me. I missed you so much."
She nodded slightly, and chose her next words carefully. "That did
happen. Do you remember what happened after that?" She prompted.
His forehead furrowed as he tried to think through the haze of
medication. He blinks rapidly and she watches as his eyes clear, his
mind following slowly behind. And then he remembered. And the lightness
and joy in his eyes vanished. "The bounty hunter came. He tried to shoot
me, but you pushed me out of the way." He smiled a thank you before
continuing. "I didn't get hit, but you did. And instead of blood..." He
stopped, unable to finish. Instead, he changed the subject. "How did we
escape?" He paused as he considered something else. "How did you even
get away in the first place?"
"Diana."
"Diana? Really?" If Mulder hadn't been fully awake before, he was now.
Surprised flashed over his features.
Scully smiled slightly. "Surprised me as well. She rescued me, and you."
"What do you mean, me?"
"She wasn't supposed to get you. 'Wasn't the plan.'" She paused now.
Mulder could read that look. It was bad news. "What?"
"She was killed." Mulder's face maintained its careful impassiveness.
How should he feel about that? He didn't know. Things had ended so badly
last time he had seen her, he never thought that he could feel anything
toward her again. But if she really had saved Scully like Scully
claimed...
All of this flashed through his head in an instant. Scully was still
speaking. "She died for you Mulder. You're not supposed to be here with
me now, and you wouldn't be if it weren't for her. It was just me that
they wanted."
"Wanted for what? Do we even know? How can we even know if these people
are any better than the others?"
"They are." Another pause. She was having trouble finding the words. "I
don't think that they'll hurt us, although no one has answered any of my
questions to my satisfaction."
"How can you know, though? As you say, they haven't answered your
questions... we don't know anything about them..."
She hesitated once again. Beats of silence and then she plunged.
"Mulder, I have...I've been changed. I'm not quite the same as I once
was."
"I know." Mulder whispered.
Scully shook her head. "No you don't, not all of it. It's not just..."
She looked down to her abdomen. Mulder's eyes followed hers. She didn't
finish.
"But I do." He squeezed her hand tightly, then loosened. "A report was
given to me. Diana actually. I know what they did to you."
His comment distracted Scully from telling him her news. "What did they
do to me? How did they change me?"
Now it was he who hesitated. "They altered your genes."
Fear filled the room. Fear of the unknown. Fear of her. Scully gasped
from the strength of it, and it was a moment or two before she could
concentrate enough to form the words to speak. "What are you saying?"
If he noticed her reaction, he was kind enough to ignore it. "Genes were
added." He watched as her eyes widened in fear and he hurried to finish.
"Not foreign genes, your own. Your own introns were prevented from being
removed."
"Something more than human..." Scully softly echoed Dagen's words of
before. She was starting to understand.
"Did you say something?"
"Hmmm? Oh, no, I didn't." Her eyes refocused on him, although when she
spoke, her voice was distant. "Mulder, I'm sorry that I woke you, I
really should have let you sleep..." She began to stand.
"No, don't leave me." The strength as well as pure need in his voice
startled them both. "Please don't run away. What ever has happened, what
ever will happen, I'll still need you. We need each other to get through
this together." Pause. "Nothing's changed." But the hesitation in his
voice belied his own words.
"Except her. Nothing's changed, except her."
She's silent. Unconsciously her hand slowly traced circles on the thin
cotton of the blue shirt she wore. Her hands moved restlessly on her
abdomen, the circles becoming tighter and tighter the longer she stood
thinking.
Silence as they both stared at one another. Her expression was
impenetrable to him.
Finally she sat down again.
It was obvious that she was upset, yet...what could he do to make it
better? "Scully, I--" Mulder didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry. If you
want to go you can. You probably need your rest too."
"No. I'm fine. I'll stay here with you."
Silence.
"Ok." Pause. "Goodnight Scully."
"Goodnight."
And the silence settled uncomfortably around them. It was hours before
either fell asleep.
* * * * * *
Kenya
500,000 years ago
The young man called out, alerting the others of his tribe. "Fire, I see
fire over there. It came from out of the sky. Come with me and we will
get it together." He said this with half formed words and gestures, but
the message was clear. Another man approached and they left together.
The men set out in the direction of the billowing smoke over the
horizon. It would be a full days travel, but both understood the
importance of obtaining fire. They had been without fire for several
days, ever since the savage storm. They had lost the fire and they were
not close enough to another band to obtain more. They had feared that
they would have to wait for the stormy season, the time of the flashing
streaks of light, to get more, but it seemed like things were beginning
to look up.
The two men traveled in silence all day, always on the lookout for food,
as well as the wild animals that could attack. The trip was uneventful,
though slow. Everywhere they turned, they saw the effects the storm had
had on the land. Trees fallen, branches broken, and carcasses of animals
spotted the ground. The men had investigated the killed animals, but
found them to be in such foul form that they were useless. They left the
remains to the scavenging animals.
As the day progressed, they made their way out of the ruins of the
storm, and into an entirely different type of ruins. They'd just cleared
a bluff when they took in a startling sight. Here, the trees were
toppled, but not in the haphazard, random way of before. And instead of
just a few of the older, weaker trees falling, the entire forest before
them had fallen, all laying in the same direction, toppled as if mere
branches. The tips of the trees singed and striped of their bark. They
had never seen any thing like it before.
They paused at the crest, confused and uncertain as to what to do next.
Then the first man, the one who had first spotted the smoke, made their
choice. The fire was far to valuable to give up, to pass up this
opportunity.
They continued.
It was approaching dusk when they arrived at the place of fire. Knowing
the late hour, and hazards of traveling at night, the two prepared to
stay.
First wrapping a segment of animal skin to the end of a fallen branch,
they walked up to the edge of the billowing smoke. The stench of the
surrounding animal carcasses, as well as the gray ash, remnants of the
life now being burned, filled the air, causing their chests to tighten,
and left them gasping for air.
Once completed, they set up their impromptu campsite. The men moved to a
safe distance away from the glowing fire and settled on the blackened
earth. They had learned long ago that fire cannot go to the blackened
areas, so they knew that this would be a safe region.
Although they were both hungry and tired from their travels, they were
both pleased to have warmth after so many nights without. The first man
indicated to the second that he was to stay awake to keep guard since
they were in an open and unfamiliar territory. The second man got up
and gathered some of the easily accessible wood to fuel the fire and
pulled out his stone knife. It wasn't much, but his other, larger weapon
had been loss in the storm. He sat close to the fire for warmth, while
the other man slept.
* * * * * *
The heat was bothering the oil, speeding up its processes to an
uncomfortable level. Driven by instinct, it strove to clear the flames.
The oil couldn't find what it needed. It had been seeking for awhile,
but nothing it found triggered nothing more than a passing
acknowledgment. Everything around it was far too simple in nature.
Moments later it managed to clear the last of the flames. Moving easier
now, it explored its environment. Still only nothing. It needed
something more-and then it found it.
* * * * * *
The second man had just begun to nod off when he heard movement, a
rustling sound, like leaves against the earth. But he knew that there
were no leaves in this area that had not burned. He stood up, knife in
hand and surveyed his surroundings. He saw nothing; he heard nothing
more. He stood still, motionless. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he
saw something. Moving his head almost imperceptibly, the man turned to
face that direction. He saw the movement again.
He couldn't tell what it was. He had never seen anything that reflected
light like it did. The man began to cautiously move toward the
substance, curious.
Squatting before it, he slowly brought his hand down to touch the
material. Bringing his hand up, he rolled the oil between his
fingertips, feeling its smooth texture and watching the light play
against the liquid substance.
* * * * * *
The man's contact was all that was necessary to catapult the creature
into action. Pulling itself into the man, the creature had found its
place. If it could have sighed, it would have in relief.
* * * * * *
When the first man woke up in the middle of the night, he saw his
companion a few paces away, staring off and motionless. He signaled to
him "What's wrong? Danger?"
The second man turned. "No. I thought I saw something, but I was wrong.
My turn to sleep?"
The other man looked at him, his eyes slightly squinting, before he
responded. "Yes, we can switch now."
* * * * * *
The next day the two men set off, each carrying a torch. The first man
had forgotten about his misgiving of the previous night, while the
second man's memory of the event had disappeared with the night
And man took another step.
* * * * * *
March 7, 1999
Resistance Headquarters
Ed Bower's Office
6:42 am
Ed Bower wearily opened the door to his office and dropped his overnight
bag just inside. He pulled off his well worn, dust covered jacket, and
placed it on his coat rack. He happened to glance at his reflection in
the mirror next to the door. Something looked odd. He ran his hand over
his bearded cheeks, in the process disturbing much of the dust that had
settled there from before he'd gotten the urgent call twelve hours ago.
He had gotten on the first flight available straight from the field and
hadn't even paused to clean up.
His hand was still on his beard as he leaned closer to the mirror. Had
he been this gray before he left? He didn't quite remember having this
much salt to his pepper. "I wouldn't be surprised if I've gone total
white by the time this as all said and done."
He turned away from the mirror and crossed to his desk, bring his
overnight bag with him. He sighed with relief as he sat in his
comfortable chair. He suddenly felt incredibly old.
It had been a long flight, but it was going to be an even longer day. He
sat heavily in his chair and rested his head on his cupped hands.
"God, had it finally come to this?" Not for the first time he wished
he were like everyone else, blissfully ignorant. If only he had taken
that teaching position... what was it now? 20 years ago?... he could be
the head of the department by now, published... But no, he had chosen to
return to the field. Seeking glory. He'd wanted to find something new
and revolutionary. What a damn cocky kid he had been; he had certainly
gotten what he wished for.
He brushed those thoughts away with an ease born of many years of
practice. No use looking to the past. The present needed all of his
attention.
Thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in." He didn't
look up.
"I'm glad to see that you're back. How was your trip?" He could feel
Cassandra's smile through her words.
He raised his eyes to meet Cassandra's. "Long. I didn't get much sleep
either. What time is it anyway? I'm still on Tunisian time."
She glanced at her watch. "About a quarter to seven."
Her answer spurred him into action. "Already? I'm not even
half-prepared...and I still need to speak with that new guy, Dagen is
his name I think..." His voice trailed off as he set the overnight bag
on the floor and began to sift through the mess that he called a desk.
She leaned across his desk and laid a calming hand over his, halting his
motion. "Don't worry about that. Dagen is organizing the evidence in the
conference room, and you already know much of the story."
"It's not that so much, as I'm worried about how I present it. This
isn't something that is easily excepted. I just don't want to scare her
off. From what Allen has told me, she is crucial to our efforts."
She walked up behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders. "I'm
sure that you will do just fine. You just have to speak the truth." As
she spoke, she began to massage the tense muscles of his shoulders and
neck. Ed let out a sigh of relief as warmth infused his tired muscles.
"You always give the best shoulder rubs."
"It's a gift." The irony of that statement did not escape him. A moment
passed before he spoke again. "And how are our guests?"
"You know that Mulder is here with us?" She asked.
He nodded. "Allen has kept me updated."
He placed his hands over hers and halted her motion. He turned his chair
to face her. "Are you sure that we can trust them?"
"We can trust them. This is what they've been working for all of these
years. Once everything is explained I am sure that she will help us."
She said this confidently.
"Are you sure?" Concern laced his words.
"Yes. Mulder will be easiest to convince, but Scully will believe once
we show her the evidence. Of course," she amended, "she will be forced
to believe once she begins to witness the evidence first hand."
"I'm not worried about that so much as I am worried about her
participation. If they are as close as you say, will he let her do
this?"
She couldn't help but smile at his comment. "'Let' her? How
progressive." She was only slightly teasing.
Ed had the sense to look contrite. "That's not what I meant. It's
just..."
Cassandra let him struggle for a moment longer before rescuing him.
"They will both see that this is the only option. And I don't see either
of them putting themselves before the rest of the world."
"Is it wrong for me to be happy that we can't have you do it?"
"It would make things much simpler for everyone." She acknowledged.
He looked up to her face. Their eyes met. "If I were in Mulder's place,
I don't know if I could let you do it."
"You would. I know you, and I know that you would do what was right."
He squeezed her hand. Softly, he said, "I missed you."
She smiled down at him. "I know. I missed you too."
She let the moment linger before changing the subject. "So, what was so
important at the site that you had to rush out of here like a maniac
last week? Did you find anything worth mentioning?"
His eyes immediately lit up with excitement. "I can't believe that I
almost forgot to tell you this." He bent at his waist and pulled his bag
from the floor. From it, he pulled out a large piece of paper with an
intricate etching on it. "You know how we haven't discovered anything
that could be construed as art, or writing or anything that indicates
creativity at the site?"
Cassandra nodded, she remembered what he had told her.
"Well anyway," He continued, "we have studied this specific site for
nearly twenty years and haven't found anything remotely like this. This
is a first major breakthrough in five years.
"A couple of months ago we decided to expand the dig, to explore the
surrounding area. To our surprise, we found another settlement about 500
yards from the main site. It was clearly from the same era, the
materials and methods used for the buildings were the same as the
original site, but there was a huge difference. There was art. This," He
opened the folded paper and spread it flat against the desktop, "this is
just a part of a series of complex pictographs that adorned the walls of
the dwellings."
Cassandra looked down at the paper with amazement. "What do you think
that this means?" She asked as she looked up from the paper to his face.
"This is only a segment of a much larger..." He paused, searching for
the correct word, "...story. Yes, story is the right word. The carvings
seem to depict a story, perhaps even a history of these people. I took a
great deal of pictures of the various carvings, but I knew that the
pictures could not do it justice, as far as the grand scope of this art,
as well as the intricate depictions presented, so I took an etching.
This is the final picture in the series, and the one that I feel is the
most significant."
Ed met Cassandra's eyes. "I know what I think I see, but I want you to
tell me what you see when you look at this. What do you think this
represents?"
She carefully studied the etching for several moments before speaking.
She chose her words carefully. "It looks... well this right here," she
pointed to a corner, "looks like a group of people..." She hesitated,
still studying the picture. "No, actually it looks like two specific
groups. Yes..." She murmured to herself. She pointed to two different
areas. "Yes, there are two groups, one here, and the other, smaller
group here."
Although he did not wish to influence her take on the etching, Ed
couldn't help but nod with enthusiasm at her interpretation. If she,
most definitely a layperson, could see what he did... He needn't have
worried about Cassandra witnessing his reaction; she had not yet taken
her eyes off the paper.
Ed watched as her eyes took in the sight before her; as tried to make
sense of it all. He saw the moment she comprehended; he knew that she
saw what he, and the others, saw, even before she spoke. Cassandra began
to speak excitedly. "Yes, two groups, and this right here," she pointed
to the large geometric figure that took up much of the center of the
carving, "this is a spacecraft, and this group, the larger one," once
more she gestured toward one of the groups that represented the people,
"this larger group is going to it, boarding the ship."
Only now did she look up and meet Ed's eyes as her last comment took a
firm hold in her psyche. "This group is boarding the ship and leaving on
it."
* * * * * *