Disclaimer: Everything As Before, and anything else I might have forgotten,
like refrences to things that aren't mine.
****************************************************************************
***
December 24, 2002. Mulder's Apt. 8:40 P.M.
Federico adjusted her equipment. She'd become very comfortable with its functions.
"Can you hear me?"
"That's right." She smiled, outside the door. Frohike opened it up. They wanted to make sure the equipment still worked, after Langly had accidentally dropped it down the drain.
"Okay. We're gonna be inside the cable system of the Pentagon."
"How you gonna do that?"
"Ask no questions, I'll tell you no lies. From there, will have visual of what you see on your laptop, a map of where you are, audio, and we can bypass the system by cutting wires."
"Okay. How are you going to move about?"
"Ask me no question and I'll tell you no lies. When you swipe this fake card, our timing will have to be precise and synchronized to make it look like you have the level four clearances."
"How'll you accomplish that?"
"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies. Once you're inside the filing room, we may get fuzzy readings, but as long as you make no sudden movements, it should be alright."
"And if I do make a sudden movement?"
"Ask me no----"
"Questions, and you'll tell me no lies. I know, I know. Good luck, guys. I'll be at the Pentagon at 11, you should be set up by then, Langly said."
15 Minutes Later.....
"I love these cable-transportation things!" Frohike smiled, riding the cabled up and down.
"Frohike, Your gonna choke yourself."
"Will not, Byers. Oopps....Uh....guys? I think I'm stuck. Can I get some help here?"
"NO."
Pentagon 11:00 P.M.
Federico entered the building, trying to appear that she knew what she was doing, and acting like there was every reason in the world why should be aloud in there. The high ceiling, and overly spacious lobby gave her the creeps, and she considered hiding behind some plants. She pretended to adjust her hair, but really pressed against her audio device in her ear, so she could hear the Gunmen among the throngs of people.
"Well? Where to?"
"Over you left....." Byers's voice rang in her ears. She tried to imagine him sliding around on distorted cables. "There should be a doorway. It looks like an exit. But----"
"That's the door Mulder and I used the other day." She mentioned, walking calmly towards it.
"Ready?" Frohike sang. "When you swipe the card.....On my mark.....NOW!"
She swiped it through. Waiting, waiting. The little red light flicked off. The green came on.
She smiled at the door guard smugly, then continued forward. The door swung closed behind her.
"Right.....Down the corridor." Byers chimed in again. "Turn left."
"Left?"
"Right."
Federico halted.
"Right or left, Byers?"
"Left." Byers corrected himself.
Federico turned onto the left corridor and slid past several darkened rooms.
"Okay. Turn into this door. Wait! Wait! Back up, you went too far."
Federico rolled her eyes, and ran backwards.
"HALT!" Byers screeched. His voice echoed throughout the cable system. If Langly and Frohike thought that their ears were in pain, imagine Federico's as Byers' voice ran through her brain at what felt like close proximity.
She stalked off. She waited for her cue from Frohike, then swiped her card. Red. Green.
She walked in, closed the door behind her. She reached for her gun (Yes, she made sure that it was loaded this time, as she had learned her lesson.) and flicked her flashlight on, waving it around wildly.
"All clear?" She asked the Gunmen, hoping they would detect anyone else's presence in the room that she might not be able to.
"All clear." She proceeded with caution, despite Byers' warnings.
Around the corner, she paused, listening. No one. Man, she hated her job. NO, that was a lie. She loved her job. She just hated when she got stuck in these situations. Yeah, she'd had to get Garaguso out of some pretty hostile situations. You know, the usual disgruntled terrorist, the ones that you usually got in her division. Somehow this was different. Very different.
She frowned, coming to two doors. Hmm.....
"Well?"
"Umm...."Byers sounded somewhat unsure. She wasn't too happy about that.
Byers looked at the other Gunmen.
"DARN THSESE CABLE MESSES!" Langly screamed. He'd temporarily turned off his speaker, so Federico never caught on he was having some difficulties.
"Langly, what is going on!?" Byers demanded.
"I know. I know. It's just....Hold on." He looked at a red cable a minute, studying it intently. Then he clipped it promptly, alerted Byers that it was all clear, and switched his speaker back on.
Byers tapped around his computer. Right, left?
"Forward march." Frohike called out.
"What?" Federico was at a dead-end.
"Forward."
"Frohike, I----"
"I know. But go against the wall, then turn around, and get your gun."
"Man." She did as she was told, Swung around and aimed her gun.
"Oh, wait. False alarm."
"Frohike!" She hissed into the dark.
"If it's any consolation, I know you need to go to the door to your left now."Byers announced hopefully.
"Thanks." She swiped her card on cue, and the door opened.
"Okay. Straight. No. Left. Darn it!"
"What now?"
"Nothing," Langly lied. Actually, his audio system just went fuzzy, Byers no longer had a map of the Pentagon, and Frohike couldn't tell whether there were other people in the room, and No one had visual of Federico anymore.
"Just go ahead." Byers said, looking at the others concerned.
"Okay...." She went straight, and came to a door.
"This the door."
Byers wished he really had installed a "Hold" button. Unfortuanylly, he hadn't. He looked at the others with a pleading look. No one actually knew.
"Ummm.....Yeah."
She swiped, and Langly cut a random cable. Luckily for him, it worked.
She went in and took a good look around her. Chills ran up and down her spine.
"I'm where Mulder last disappeared."
"Then at least we know you're close."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Federico proceeded to the past. She cringed.
"See those E.B.E.s? UGHH."
"Uh....Yeah." Frohike lied again.
"Go straight into the room." He added, guessing his way through this.
Again, Langly cut a random circuit. Nothing.
"Langly?"
"Wait...." He no longer knew which cables belonged to what anymore, as he no longer knew where Federico was, nor did they have diagrams, maps, and audio was going fast. Frohike was working on it, but you know, there's only so much one guy can do.
"Okay." He smiled. Federico swiped again, it worked. She stepped in, and nearly fainted.
"I'm gonna be sick." She moaned. "What if they're not....you know....."
"Dead?" Frohike offered hopefully.
"Yeah."
"Then we'll rig up some Indiana Jones music to your audio device."
"Not funny."
She proceeded to the only door she could see. "Okay?"
"Yeah."
She opened it. She hated her job. No that was a lie. Didn't she already have this conversation with herself?
"Okay. Ummm.....What the? Hold on, Federico, something funky goin' on with my screen. Hold it. Who the....."
"Byers? Byers! What! Hello?????"
All the Gunmen heard it. Federico yelped. And there audio left them. And there visual was moot. And all they could do was look at each other. And then they frantically pulled on cords, and typed, and pulled files, and hacked......
"Federico? Hello? Come on. Come on. Federico? Do you hear us? Come on. Come one. Answer. Answer. Federico? FEDERICO?"
"Langly?" She called, rubbing her head. She sat up, but fell back down. She was really dizzy, and the hard floor her head just slammed against did not help.
"Oh, good."
"Langly? What happened?"
"I wish we knew."
"What do you mean?"
"Our audio and visual cut out about 20 minutes ago." Byers explained. "We just got audio back. I really don't know what happened, I mean, even our audio's a little fuzzy. Do you know what happened?" He added after a short time.
"No...." She stood up, her head on her head. She couldn't tell if she was bleeding or not. "Ummm....I remember feeling someone push me.....I know I was near stairs. Could I have fallen down them?" She asked absent-mindedly. "I don't know," She admitted, her voice faltering. "I felt someone give me c good kick in the ribs. And, then I woke up here.....Well....Wherever here is. I mean......Woow! It's DARK! Where am I, guys?"
"Well. We don't actually know."
"Pardon?"
"We lost our map way back when in the filing room."
"And our little diagrams." Frohike cut in.
"Man."
"Can you tell us any landmarks around you?"
"Landmarks?" She sounded something similar to amused.
"Yeah."
"Okay. I don't know, really. There's, umm. There's a little bit of a chip in the paint on the door."
There was an annoyed silence from The Gunmen.
"Sorry, guys, but there's really nothing I can identify. I mean, its dark, its small. Look. You ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer. That's all there is to it."
"Okay. So it's dark. What else? The space you're in?"
"Okay.....I'd say that I have about 4 feet of room. The walls....Four of them....Go down to the floor and up to the ceiling. Except for the front one. That one goes from the very bottom of the floor to about 4 feet from the ceiling.......That's it."
"Hmmm....Sounds like a bathroom." Frohike said.
"Pervert." Langly accused from behind him.
"What? I'm really serious!" He sounded quite indignant.
"Tell me. Do you feel a...." He added.
"Toilet?" Federico cut him off, laughing. She felt around with her foot.
Her eyes widened. Wow.
"Uh....Yeah."
"Told ya'." Frohike smiled a smug smile at Langly who kept his back to him, although he was secretly annoyed.
Federico rattled the door. How annoying.
"It's locked." She commented. "From the outside." She kicked it.
"Can't help you there." Byers sounded somewhat regretful.
"Maybe if I....Well...." She jumped on the toilet. Felt the door with her hands. She could do it. Leaning forward, she gripped the top, jumped, held herself up, hoisted herself up and over the top, then jumped down with a nasty crash.
"UYFF............."As if her shoulder didn't hurt enough as it is.
"Okay. I'm out.....I don't know how." She smiled. "But I'm out."
"Great. Because we couldn't have helped you out of that one."
Federico frowned. She felt her way along the wall, and out the door.
"Woo. Where AM I?" She called into the darkness.
"Sorry. We're kinda.....ummm......................disabled."
"I know, I know, Byers. Let's see if my brain still works. Boy. They never taught this at the academy." She mentioned a short time later.
"Langly? Byers? Frohike? Hello?" She paused in her tracks, pressing against her device. It had suddenly gone completely silent. She'd never realized until then how much their typing and snipping echoed in her ears. She'd grown accustomed to it. But now that it stopped, she grew quite worried. "Guys? Come on? Hello? HELLO!?"
She closed her eyes, and hit the wall with her fist again. She exited through the doors. Man. Where was she?
She heard voices. Voices. She didn't know whether to take that as a good or a bad omen. She accepted it as bad, and poised her gun apprrrropprietly.
She poked her head around the corner. "My heavens......"
She pressed her head against the wall. Then prepared to charge......
December 24, 2002. Mulder's Apt. 8:40 P.M.
Federico adjusted her equipment. She'd become very comfortable with its functions.
"Can you hear me?"
"That's right." She smiled, outside the door. Frohike opened it up. They wanted to make sure the equipment still worked, after Langly had accidentally dropped it down the drain.
"Okay. We're gonna be inside the cable system of the Pentagon."
"How you gonna do that?"
"Ask no questions, I'll tell you no lies. From there, will have visual of what you see on your laptop, a map of where you are, audio, and we can bypass the system by cutting wires."
"Okay. How are you going to move about?"
"Ask me no question and I'll tell you no lies. When you swipe this fake card, our timing will have to be precise and synchronized to make it look like you have the level four clearances."
"How'll you accomplish that?"
"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies. Once you're inside the filing room, we may get fuzzy readings, but as long as you make no sudden movements, it should be alright."
"And if I do make a sudden movement?"
"Ask me no----"
"Questions, and you'll tell me no lies. I know, I know. Good luck, guys. I'll be at the Pentagon at 11, you should be set up by then, Langly said."
15 Minutes Later.....
"I love these cable-transportation things!" Frohike smiled, riding the cabled up and down.
"Frohike, Your gonna choke yourself."
"Will not, Byers. Oopps....Uh....guys? I think I'm stuck. Can I get some help here?"
"NO."
Pentagon 11:00 P.M.
Federico entered the building, trying to appear that she knew what she was doing, and acting like there was every reason in the world why should be aloud in there. The high ceiling, and overly spacious lobby gave her the creeps, and she considered hiding behind some plants. She pretended to adjust her hair, but really pressed against her audio device in her ear, so she could hear the Gunmen among the throngs of people.
"Well? Where to?"
"Over you left....." Byers's voice rang in her ears. She tried to imagine him sliding around on distorted cables. "There should be a doorway. It looks like an exit. But----"
"That's the door Mulder and I used the other day." She mentioned, walking calmly towards it.
"Ready?" Frohike sang. "When you swipe the card.....On my mark.....NOW!"
She swiped it through. Waiting, waiting. The little red light flicked off. The green came on.
She smiled at the door guard smugly, then continued forward. The door swung closed behind her.
"Right.....Down the corridor." Byers chimed in again. "Turn left."
"Left?"
"Right."
Federico halted.
"Right or left, Byers?"
"Left." Byers corrected himself.
Federico turned onto the left corridor and slid past several darkened rooms.
"Okay. Turn into this door. Wait! Wait! Back up, you went too far."
Federico rolled her eyes, and ran backwards.
"HALT!" Byers screeched. His voice echoed throughout the cable system. If Langly and Frohike thought that their ears were in pain, imagine Federico's as Byers' voice ran through her brain at what felt like close proximity.
She stalked off. She waited for her cue from Frohike, then swiped her card. Red. Green.
She walked in, closed the door behind her. She reached for her gun (Yes, she made sure that it was loaded this time, as she had learned her lesson.) and flicked her flashlight on, waving it around wildly.
"All clear?" She asked the Gunmen, hoping they would detect anyone else's presence in the room that she might not be able to.
"All clear." She proceeded with caution, despite Byers' warnings.
Around the corner, she paused, listening. No one. Man, she hated her job. NO, that was a lie. She loved her job. She just hated when she got stuck in these situations. Yeah, she'd had to get Garaguso out of some pretty hostile situations. You know, the usual disgruntled terrorist, the ones that you usually got in her division. Somehow this was different. Very different.
She frowned, coming to two doors. Hmm.....
"Well?"
"Umm...."Byers sounded somewhat unsure. She wasn't too happy about that.
Byers looked at the other Gunmen.
"DARN THSESE CABLE MESSES!" Langly screamed. He'd temporarily turned off his speaker, so Federico never caught on he was having some difficulties.
"Langly, what is going on!?" Byers demanded.
"I know. I know. It's just....Hold on." He looked at a red cable a minute, studying it intently. Then he clipped it promptly, alerted Byers that it was all clear, and switched his speaker back on.
Byers tapped around his computer. Right, left?
"Forward march." Frohike called out.
"What?" Federico was at a dead-end.
"Forward."
"Frohike, I----"
"I know. But go against the wall, then turn around, and get your gun."
"Man." She did as she was told, Swung around and aimed her gun.
"Oh, wait. False alarm."
"Frohike!" She hissed into the dark.
"If it's any consolation, I know you need to go to the door to your left now."Byers announced hopefully.
"Thanks." She swiped her card on cue, and the door opened.
"Okay. Straight. No. Left. Darn it!"
"What now?"
"Nothing," Langly lied. Actually, his audio system just went fuzzy, Byers no longer had a map of the Pentagon, and Frohike couldn't tell whether there were other people in the room, and No one had visual of Federico anymore.
"Just go ahead." Byers said, looking at the others concerned.
"Okay...." She went straight, and came to a door.
"This the door."
Byers wished he really had installed a "Hold" button. Unfortuanylly, he hadn't. He looked at the others with a pleading look. No one actually knew.
"Ummm.....Yeah."
She swiped, and Langly cut a random cable. Luckily for him, it worked.
She went in and took a good look around her. Chills ran up and down her spine.
"I'm where Mulder last disappeared."
"Then at least we know you're close."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Federico proceeded to the past. She cringed.
"See those E.B.E.s? UGHH."
"Uh....Yeah." Frohike lied again.
"Go straight into the room." He added, guessing his way through this.
Again, Langly cut a random circuit. Nothing.
"Langly?"
"Wait...." He no longer knew which cables belonged to what anymore, as he no longer knew where Federico was, nor did they have diagrams, maps, and audio was going fast. Frohike was working on it, but you know, there's only so much one guy can do.
"Okay." He smiled. Federico swiped again, it worked. She stepped in, and nearly fainted.
"I'm gonna be sick." She moaned. "What if they're not....you know....."
"Dead?" Frohike offered hopefully.
"Yeah."
"Then we'll rig up some Indiana Jones music to your audio device."
"Not funny."
She proceeded to the only door she could see. "Okay?"
"Yeah."
She opened it. She hated her job. No that was a lie. Didn't she already have this conversation with herself?
"Okay. Ummm.....What the? Hold on, Federico, something funky goin' on with my screen. Hold it. Who the....."
"Byers? Byers! What! Hello?????"
All the Gunmen heard it. Federico yelped. And there audio left them. And there visual was moot. And all they could do was look at each other. And then they frantically pulled on cords, and typed, and pulled files, and hacked......
"Federico? Hello? Come on. Come on. Federico? Do you hear us? Come on. Come one. Answer. Answer. Federico? FEDERICO?"
"Langly?" She called, rubbing her head. She sat up, but fell back down. She was really dizzy, and the hard floor her head just slammed against did not help.
"Oh, good."
"Langly? What happened?"
"I wish we knew."
"What do you mean?"
"Our audio and visual cut out about 20 minutes ago." Byers explained. "We just got audio back. I really don't know what happened, I mean, even our audio's a little fuzzy. Do you know what happened?" He added after a short time.
"No...." She stood up, her head on her head. She couldn't tell if she was bleeding or not. "Ummm....I remember feeling someone push me.....I know I was near stairs. Could I have fallen down them?" She asked absent-mindedly. "I don't know," She admitted, her voice faltering. "I felt someone give me c good kick in the ribs. And, then I woke up here.....Well....Wherever here is. I mean......Woow! It's DARK! Where am I, guys?"
"Well. We don't actually know."
"Pardon?"
"We lost our map way back when in the filing room."
"And our little diagrams." Frohike cut in.
"Man."
"Can you tell us any landmarks around you?"
"Landmarks?" She sounded something similar to amused.
"Yeah."
"Okay. I don't know, really. There's, umm. There's a little bit of a chip in the paint on the door."
There was an annoyed silence from The Gunmen.
"Sorry, guys, but there's really nothing I can identify. I mean, its dark, its small. Look. You ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer. That's all there is to it."
"Okay. So it's dark. What else? The space you're in?"
"Okay.....I'd say that I have about 4 feet of room. The walls....Four of them....Go down to the floor and up to the ceiling. Except for the front one. That one goes from the very bottom of the floor to about 4 feet from the ceiling.......That's it."
"Hmmm....Sounds like a bathroom." Frohike said.
"Pervert." Langly accused from behind him.
"What? I'm really serious!" He sounded quite indignant.
"Tell me. Do you feel a...." He added.
"Toilet?" Federico cut him off, laughing. She felt around with her foot.
Her eyes widened. Wow.
"Uh....Yeah."
"Told ya'." Frohike smiled a smug smile at Langly who kept his back to him, although he was secretly annoyed.
Federico rattled the door. How annoying.
"It's locked." She commented. "From the outside." She kicked it.
"Can't help you there." Byers sounded somewhat regretful.
"Maybe if I....Well...." She jumped on the toilet. Felt the door with her hands. She could do it. Leaning forward, she gripped the top, jumped, held herself up, hoisted herself up and over the top, then jumped down with a nasty crash.
"UYFF............."As if her shoulder didn't hurt enough as it is.
"Okay. I'm out.....I don't know how." She smiled. "But I'm out."
"Great. Because we couldn't have helped you out of that one."
Federico frowned. She felt her way along the wall, and out the door.
"Woo. Where AM I?" She called into the darkness.
"Sorry. We're kinda.....ummm......................disabled."
"I know, I know, Byers. Let's see if my brain still works. Boy. They never taught this at the academy." She mentioned a short time later.
"Langly? Byers? Frohike? Hello?" She paused in her tracks, pressing against her device. It had suddenly gone completely silent. She'd never realized until then how much their typing and snipping echoed in her ears. She'd grown accustomed to it. But now that it stopped, she grew quite worried. "Guys? Come on? Hello? HELLO!?"
She closed her eyes, and hit the wall with her fist again. She exited through the doors. Man. Where was she?
She heard voices. Voices. She didn't know whether to take that as a good or a bad omen. She accepted it as bad, and poised her gun apprrrropprietly.
She poked her head around the corner. "My heavens......"
She pressed her head against the wall. Then prepared to charge......