Everyday Inn

7:00 PM

"Are you all right, Mulder?" Scully asked as she walked in after him. She hung up her coat and stood at the table watching him do the same. She had finally convinced him that their mystery woman wasn't going to show. The drive back to the hotel had been a silent one and it was starting to bug her. She knew how important it was for him to find out this woman's connection to his sister. Hell, she wanted to know more so for Mulder's sake than her own.

Mulder sat on the edge of the bed. Something had to have happened to her. He was sure that she had every intention of meeting them. Why didn't she show? For that matter was it chance that this X-File even came across his desk?

"Scully . . .?" there was a knock at the door before he could continue. Scully went to answer it and found a teenage boy standing in the hall with a package in his hand. He looked homeless.

"I'm suppose to give this to a 'Mulder.'" He said hesitantly.

"What is it?" Mulder asked, approaching the boy.

"Hey, man, I was just told to deliver it and get my money." He said handing Mulder the package.

"Your money?" Scully asked.

"Hey, don't worry. The lady already took care of it," with that the boy walked in past Scully, forcing her to move aside. He went straight to the table Scully had been standing by just a moment ago. He stuck his hands under it and felt around until he pulled out an envelope. He opened it and pulled out what looked to be about $200 in small bills. He was about to leave when Mulder stopped him.

"Wait a minute. What lady? What did she look like? What did she tell you?"

"She looked like you."

"What do you mean she looked like me?" Mulder asked.

"I mean what I said, she *looked* like you. Girl could be your sister or somethin'. Only she's a little darker, and she had really long hair. She didn't tell me her name or nothin'. She just said if I didn't hear from her, I should deliver the package. She said she'd pay good money." He smiled at that, looking at the money in his hands. He then pushed past Mulder and was out the door.

Mulder didn't bother going after him. Instead, he went to the table and emptied the package. Inside he found what looked to be a detailed blueprint for a building. Also included were what looked to be project locations in the building and a smaller envelope labeled code keys and passwords. Finally, he pulled out a hand written letter:

Agent Mulder, something must have happened to me and I didn't make the meet. Someone needs to know the truth. Someone needs to know about Them, and you and your partner seem to be the ideal people to entrust with what I know. They call themselves the Syndicate. I don't know the particulars, but I know that they have been conspiring with unknown alien entities for years. They have been manipulating genes of both our race and the aliens' for years in hopes of creating a more perfect race of people. One that can perform tasks in which both sides can benefit from without the risk of getting hurt themselves. Essentially a slave race.

Agent Mulder, I know that stopping them will be next to impossible for you, but as they say, knowledge is power. You must spread what you will learn from the information you will acquire. I've enclosed the passwords you will need to access their systems and the building layout. The computers can not be accessed from the outside and the codes are changed every two days and, if I have been caught, maybe sooner. It is imperative that you gain access tonight. The codes won't give you deep access into their systems, but they'll get you enough information to hurt them.

Find the truth Agent Mulder.

Vesper

Mulder put down the letter then picked it up to read again. He almost couldn't believe what he was reading. For the first time in a long time he was at a loss for words. His contacts had never handed him information like this. He had known about the existence of this organization for awhile but now he had a name. And though he'd known about the hybrids, he now had a reason for them. It was starting to make sense. All he had to figure out now was the ultimate goal behind the Syndicate. That should be as easy as breaking into a high security building and gaining access to computers using stolen codes. Codes that he's not even sure will still be active when he uses them. A piece of cake.

Scully picked up the letter and read it as Mulder studied the building plans. She too read it twice, but for a different reason than Mulder.

"Mulder, have you noticed anything particular about this letter?" Scully asked, handing it back to him.

"You mean by the fact that the person who wrote it, one that, according to that boy, looks like me, has handwriting practically identical to mine. Then yeah."

"This doesn't surprise you?" Scully asked incredulously.

"Actually, Scully, I knew something was up, but I wasn't sure of the turn it would take." Turning toward Scully as she sat down, he continued. "There have been one too many coincidences. First, this woman uses the same name as my sister. Second, she continually goes on about the truth."

"Like you do."

"Yeah, like I do. I mean the first time I saw her; there was something familiar about her. I just didn't know what."

"Mulder, how do you know that this isn't some strange and twisted attempt to set us up and totally discredit the X-Files. That would give them a perfect excuse to shut us down. Mulder, it'll be the whammy all over again."

"Set up or not, Scully, I can't pass this up."

Scully looked at Mulder. She could see it in his eyes that he was determined to see this through. There would be no amount of persuading that would convince him otherwise. They both knew where the other stood and that was always enough. She just hoped that this carrot They dangled in front of him wouldn't make too big an ass out of either of them, ending their careers.

"Okay, Mulder. Let's go."