"Adversity is a severe instructor, set over us by one who knows us better than we do ourselves, as he loves us better too. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. This conflict with difficulty makes us acquainted with our object, and compels us to consider it in all its relations. It will not suffer us to be superficial." -Edmund Burke
Scene3: Walter Skinner's office. Mulder and Scully are sitting next to each other opposite Skinner.
SKINNER: Agents.
Mulder and Scully look up at Skinner in anticipation. Mulder's eyes are heavy with irritation. Scully's face is expressionless as she folds her hands over her crossed knee.
SKINNER: (to Mulder) I received the profile you did for me. Thank you.
MULDER: (nods. looks over at Scully who does not return his glance)
SO... why not just cut to the chase?
SKINNER: (furrows his brow as he examines Mulder's impassive resolve. Sighs and removes glasses) I have been asked to keep close watch over the progress of all my agents. The bureau, as you may already know, is reviewing all expenses. Last year the amount of expenditures were doubled from the previous year--
MULDER: So, we're a waste of money, resource, time...(sarcastic)
Scully looks over at Mulder with a look of surprise.
SKINNER: Don't put words in my mouth Mulder
MULDER: I never said they were your words. Popular opinion, perhaps. Hey, I understand. Our work is the garbage left behind by everyone else. So we have become rather accustomed to 'dumping'.
SKINNER: Roll me a log here Mulder. What's the matter with you?
MULDER: Logrolling? Yeah. (laughs) Eye for an eye.
SCULLY: Sir, uh (lets out a heavy breath and then looks over at Mulder who wears a smirk on his face)
MULDER: Don't bother Scully.
SKINNER: Mulder, would you please step outside?
Mulder rolls his eyes but does as he's asked.
SCULLY: He's been under a lot of pressure, it's not a good time.
SKINNER: When is it ever? (stands and follows Mulder)
Mulder presses his back up against the wall and pops a sunflower seed from his coat pocket into his mouth.
SKINNER: I put my ass on the line for you.
MULDER: What do they want?
SKINNER: They want me to reassign the both of you-
Mulder shifts uncomfortably and tilts his head.
SKINNER: I need you to show me something, that's why I had you do that profile. I need to be able to justify the expenses. They are looking for recruits to the violent crimes section. Your name has been tossed around.
MULDER: I have worked too damn hard. Agent Scully and I have sacrificed too much to just...
SKINNER: I know agent Mulder. But you have to help me. I have to appease these people. I am your saving grace. You change your mind set or you'll lose. (turns and opens the door to his office)
Mulder pops another seed into his mouth and follows Skinner.
SKINNER: (picks up a file off of his desk and hands it to Scully)
SCULLY: Is it an x-file?
SKINNER: Michigan triple homicide in a suburban neighborhood. No evidence of a forceful entry into the homes and no identifiable murder weapon used.
SCULLY: Sir?
SKINNER: All three victims, in two separate households, were found with their doors locked and, well...their skulls collapsed.
SCULLY: Collapsed?
SKINNER: As though they were beaten with a baseball bat. But no evidence of any object used to create such damage has obtained.
MULDER: So, why are they murders?
SKINNER: (pulls out a picture of a couple in their mid 40's laying in a pool of blood with their heads sunken in like rotten pumpkins.) The frontal lobes of their brains have been removed.
SCULLY: (grimaces) How?
SKINNER: Through their noses. A very clean, precise procedure.
MULDER: And this made their heads sink in?
SCULLY: No, the skulls would have remained in tact. (examines picture closely in disgust and then looks up at Mulder and Skinner who share a similar expression)
SCULLY: They have already been given an autopsy?
SKINNER: Twice now.
Scully and Mulder both look up at him.
SKINNER: All of their organs had been removed and found beside them in a jar.
(pulls out several more pictures)
SCULLY: (reading a paper she has pulled from the file) The coroner's report states that all the noses, mouths, eyes and ears had all been coated in beeswax.
MULDER: Beeswax?
SCULLY: The abdomens were packed with lichen, snakes heads and dung beetles.
MULDER: (examining a picture of the dead couple) That's a canopic jar.
SKINNER: A what?
MULDER: ( points to the clay jars, one each found by the bodies containing the organs)
The Egyptians, while in the process of mummification, would remove all the organs and place them in the canopic jar.
Scully takes the picture from Mulder and examines it.
MULDER: (to Scully) You said the bodies were found with snake heads and dung beetles packed inside them? Well, the dung beetle is a green scarab. The scarab, or dung beetle, was an Egyptian symbol of rebirth and the endurance of the human soul. The snake's head is to protect against snake bite. These amulets, among others, were typically found in the wrappings of the mummified bodies. These charms served two purposes: to protect the deceased from danger and symbolic to the renewal of strength.
SKINNER: These bodies were not mummified, or wrapped.
MULDER: Well, maybe we are looking for someone who isn't too familiar with the ancient rituals.
SCULLY: Why would the murderer do all of that?
MULDER: To see that they cross over safely and properly to the afterlife. Or maybe he was trying to protect them.
SKINNER: From what? Why would he only remove part of the brain and remove all other organs?
MULDER: Maybe he thinks he's saving them from something.
SCULLY: I think Mulder has a point. Maybe the murderer is unfamiliar with the rituals.
SKINNER: But each body was found in identical condition. He didn't mess up. Everything performed was planned out.
SCULLY: Before we jump to any conclusions, I think we better determine all the facts.
Scene3: Walter Skinner's office. Mulder and Scully are sitting next to each other opposite Skinner.
SKINNER: Agents.
Mulder and Scully look up at Skinner in anticipation. Mulder's eyes are heavy with irritation. Scully's face is expressionless as she folds her hands over her crossed knee.
SKINNER: (to Mulder) I received the profile you did for me. Thank you.
MULDER: (nods. looks over at Scully who does not return his glance)
SO... why not just cut to the chase?
SKINNER: (furrows his brow as he examines Mulder's impassive resolve. Sighs and removes glasses) I have been asked to keep close watch over the progress of all my agents. The bureau, as you may already know, is reviewing all expenses. Last year the amount of expenditures were doubled from the previous year--
MULDER: So, we're a waste of money, resource, time...(sarcastic)
Scully looks over at Mulder with a look of surprise.
SKINNER: Don't put words in my mouth Mulder
MULDER: I never said they were your words. Popular opinion, perhaps. Hey, I understand. Our work is the garbage left behind by everyone else. So we have become rather accustomed to 'dumping'.
SKINNER: Roll me a log here Mulder. What's the matter with you?
MULDER: Logrolling? Yeah. (laughs) Eye for an eye.
SCULLY: Sir, uh (lets out a heavy breath and then looks over at Mulder who wears a smirk on his face)
MULDER: Don't bother Scully.
SKINNER: Mulder, would you please step outside?
Mulder rolls his eyes but does as he's asked.
SCULLY: He's been under a lot of pressure, it's not a good time.
SKINNER: When is it ever? (stands and follows Mulder)
Mulder presses his back up against the wall and pops a sunflower seed from his coat pocket into his mouth.
SKINNER: I put my ass on the line for you.
MULDER: What do they want?
SKINNER: They want me to reassign the both of you-
Mulder shifts uncomfortably and tilts his head.
SKINNER: I need you to show me something, that's why I had you do that profile. I need to be able to justify the expenses. They are looking for recruits to the violent crimes section. Your name has been tossed around.
MULDER: I have worked too damn hard. Agent Scully and I have sacrificed too much to just...
SKINNER: I know agent Mulder. But you have to help me. I have to appease these people. I am your saving grace. You change your mind set or you'll lose. (turns and opens the door to his office)
Mulder pops another seed into his mouth and follows Skinner.
SKINNER: (picks up a file off of his desk and hands it to Scully)
SCULLY: Is it an x-file?
SKINNER: Michigan triple homicide in a suburban neighborhood. No evidence of a forceful entry into the homes and no identifiable murder weapon used.
SCULLY: Sir?
SKINNER: All three victims, in two separate households, were found with their doors locked and, well...their skulls collapsed.
SCULLY: Collapsed?
SKINNER: As though they were beaten with a baseball bat. But no evidence of any object used to create such damage has obtained.
MULDER: So, why are they murders?
SKINNER: (pulls out a picture of a couple in their mid 40's laying in a pool of blood with their heads sunken in like rotten pumpkins.) The frontal lobes of their brains have been removed.
SCULLY: (grimaces) How?
SKINNER: Through their noses. A very clean, precise procedure.
MULDER: And this made their heads sink in?
SCULLY: No, the skulls would have remained in tact. (examines picture closely in disgust and then looks up at Mulder and Skinner who share a similar expression)
SCULLY: They have already been given an autopsy?
SKINNER: Twice now.
Scully and Mulder both look up at him.
SKINNER: All of their organs had been removed and found beside them in a jar.
(pulls out several more pictures)
SCULLY: (reading a paper she has pulled from the file) The coroner's report states that all the noses, mouths, eyes and ears had all been coated in beeswax.
MULDER: Beeswax?
SCULLY: The abdomens were packed with lichen, snakes heads and dung beetles.
MULDER: (examining a picture of the dead couple) That's a canopic jar.
SKINNER: A what?
MULDER: ( points to the clay jars, one each found by the bodies containing the organs)
The Egyptians, while in the process of mummification, would remove all the organs and place them in the canopic jar.
Scully takes the picture from Mulder and examines it.
MULDER: (to Scully) You said the bodies were found with snake heads and dung beetles packed inside them? Well, the dung beetle is a green scarab. The scarab, or dung beetle, was an Egyptian symbol of rebirth and the endurance of the human soul. The snake's head is to protect against snake bite. These amulets, among others, were typically found in the wrappings of the mummified bodies. These charms served two purposes: to protect the deceased from danger and symbolic to the renewal of strength.
SKINNER: These bodies were not mummified, or wrapped.
MULDER: Well, maybe we are looking for someone who isn't too familiar with the ancient rituals.
SCULLY: Why would the murderer do all of that?
MULDER: To see that they cross over safely and properly to the afterlife. Or maybe he was trying to protect them.
SKINNER: From what? Why would he only remove part of the brain and remove all other organs?
MULDER: Maybe he thinks he's saving them from something.
SCULLY: I think Mulder has a point. Maybe the murderer is unfamiliar with the rituals.
SKINNER: But each body was found in identical condition. He didn't mess up. Everything performed was planned out.
SCULLY: Before we jump to any conclusions, I think we better determine all the facts.