Mulder and Scully made themselves as comfortable as possible in the cramped seats of the BOAC 747 for the long transatlantic flight. Scully was surprised that the bureau sprang for such an expensive trip. Scully knew, however, that sometimes the higher-ups indulged Mulder just to shut him up. As a Navy brat, Scully had been all over the world, but never to the Soviet Union. It would take a bit to remember that where they were going was now the Russian Republic, as the USSR recently disintegrated into several smaller nuclear powers. It was the job of the man that they were investigating, Brigadier General Anthony Nelson, to make sure those nukes were disposed of.
Mulder decided to use the time on the plane to examine another Air Force personnel file that he was able to get a copy of through some very clever doubletalk. The cover of the file read Colonel Alfred E Bellows, USAF (Ret.-Deceased). Much of the Dales report centered around Bellows' observations. The good doctor seemed to be the center of the Nelson conspiracy, so Mulder decided to read up on who made the original accusations.
Any hope Scully had of getting some sleep ended with Mulder blurting, "Hey Scully, listen to this…"
"What now, Mulder?" Scully asked.
Mulder started reading from Bellows' file:
"Dr. Alfred Bellows was born in October 1917 and graduated medical school in 1942. After graduation, he was commissioned a Captain in the Army Air Corps. In 1944 he completed an accelerated flight surgeon residency, simultaneously earning his wings as an aviator. Bellows spent the last year of WWII in Europe as flight surgeon with the 8th Air Force. In February 1945, he was given a battlefield promotion to major. After the war, he completed a residency in psychiatry, then came Korea where he did pioneering work in military psychiatry. He earned a promotion to lieutenant colonel in 1952. For five years after Korea, it's pretty much a blank page. All it says is 'assigned to Aviation Experimental Psychiatry,' which could mean Project Blue Book or any number of black ops. In October of '58, Bellows is assigned to NASA, and is promoted to full colonel two years later. His record was spotless, with stars in his future. Then in the late 60s, he started making these wild reports about then Major Anthony Nelson. Bellows never made it above Colonel, and retired with 30 years service in 1972, going into private practice. Here's where it gets even stranger, Scully: in January, 1990, then 72-year-old Bellows heads for Southwest Asia supposedly as a consultant on the psychiatry of war. He was last seen in Baghdad by a CNN crew before the bombing began and is presumed dead."
Scully replied, "Mulder, I'm well aware of Dr. Bellow's history, the man is a legend. I see nothing unusual at all about one of the most prominent military psychiatrists of our time being utilized as a consultant on the mental effects of war. His loss was tragic."
Mulder sighed, "Don't you get it Scully? Bellows was Air Force Special Operations, he was used to the unusual and unexplained. Yet, Anthony Nelson presented the preeminent physician with a puzzle even he couldn't unlock."
Scully knew there would be no use in continuing the conversation, so she simply responded with, "Good night, Special Agent Mulder."
Mulder also saw the logic of getting some sleep. When you're in the field you sleep when you have the opportunitiy. A tired agent is a sloppy agent. Besides, they wouldn't have much time for rest after they landed in Moscow. The plane was scheduled to land 1300 local time, and Mulder and Scully had an appointment with Brigadier General Nelson at 1600, 4PM on the twelve hour clock, Friday 12 November.