Peering out of his father's hospital room, William made sure the coast was clear before making a swift getaway from the medical bay. He didn't want to deal with the nurse trying to argue him out of leaving before being 'properly discharged'.
He'd mislaid his ID wristband but it didn't seem to matter, the security pads had been overridden to allow people to move freely through the complex. Curious, William thought. All the more of a concern was where Doggett had shepherded the residents after the power blew. It seemed an attack was being launched. Perhaps he was in the middle of a warzone without even realising?
"Hey, kid" A man hollered at him from down the corridor, "What are you doing? The seminar is in five and they want everyone there, no exceptions"
The man rounded him up, ushering him to the second floor, "Come on, lets go, lets go"
"I'm looking for Agent Scully" William asked, unsure of what was going on.
"She'll be there, they all will"
"It's important I see her right now"
William noticed the faint remnants of dried blood on the man's cheek. The entire base must have been affected by the bizarre ringing.
"Kid, I got told to round up the stragglers, that's what I'm doing" He pushed open the large doors to the canteen with a knee and shoved William inside.
The hall was full of people, most sitting but some standing, meandering in the sidelines. Chatter was erupting, echoing off the walls. William stood awkwardly for a moment before taking a spare seat at the closest table.
"Okay folks, calm down, lets have some quite so we can get down to business"
It was the voice of John Doggett. As he spoke silence washed over the people as they listened intently.
"Apologies for the venue, this is the best we could do given the current situation. So…"
Doggett cleared his throat, and waited for the projector screen to kick in.
"…I realise a lot of you are confused, and scared. Firstly, as you're all already aware, the medical bay will be open to deal with any injuries caused by the tremor, and any ear related issues. I know you've all been asking what it was that happened, all we can tell you is that it was not an earthquake and it was not natural. We believe the crafts caused it as they passed over us, we are yet to confirm how"
The projector screen shone a display against the back wall of the canteen, a satellite image of the United States.
"Our radars are detecting no sign of the crafts in our immediate area, but there have, however been reports coming in of sightings over the North East coast of the US. We've received reports of more cases of this widespread pandemic. It's concentrating in pockets of towns and cities. There's yet to be a cure but local medical facilities have found ways of slowing the virus. We received the first figures of casualties caused by the virus and the numbers are quite frankly…alarming"
Doggett scratched his beard and sighed. He'd always known this day would come but somehow wished it could be postponed. They were nowhere near ready for this.
"This is what we've been working for, working to prevent, and sadly we are not as prepared as we would like to be. But we will do our best to fight it with the research we've done, the resources we have, and the understanding we hold of this apocalyptic force"
William caught sight of his mother. Her red hair standing out against the stands where she was sat amongst other concerned looking individuals.
"We need people on the ground. People to take control of the situation and help organise relief efforts to the areas affected. It will be risky, dangerous and potentially life threatening merely leaving this place. Therefore, we have decided by anonymous vote that no one under the age of seventeen will be allowed to leave the base unless given consent by a parent or legal guardian. This facility will remain functioning. A select few will remain behind to continue research and keep the base operational. For the rest of you, we have a number of propeller planes coming in from the mainland. These will take you to an area just outside of DC where you will be co-ordinated further. Remember this is optional, those that are willing to go and help fight will be supported entirely, but the risks stand as they do with any war. No one will be judged for staying behind"
Residents looked around at one another, trying to decide who would stay and who would fight, or rather who would die and who would die at a slightly later date. There was little in the way of hope.
"The planes will be arriving in just under an hour. I suggest you pack only the bare essentials. God speed to all of you…"
People rose from their seats and began discussing loudly with one another. William jumped to attention, keen to catch his mother before she disappeared out of view. He climbed on top of the stool and spotted her red head bobbing in the distance making to follow Doggett from the hall.
William ducked and dived through the crowds.
"Mom" He yelled, when there were only a few people separating them.
She turned, looking startled when he finally burst through the remaining people to reach her.
"Mom, I found you"
"They let you out of the infirmary already?" She queried, checking the stitching on his forehead.
"Umm, yeah" He brushed her hand away, "I'm fine. They took Alex, and Rachel is still out there"
Scully pulled her son to one side to evade the mass of people trying to pile through the single exit.
"They've not sent any one to find them, have they?" William asked, already knowing the answer.
"No, they haven't"
"And they're not going to either?" He pressed.
"William, you have to understand the magnitude of the situation…"
"I do, I do, I know what's happening, and I realise they can't afford to spend all their time and resources on just two people, but you have to understand that this is my brother. I can't leave him"
Scully shook her head slowly, "The ships have left the area, William, they could be anywhere in the world by now. It would be like trying to find a needle in a hay stack…"
William stood in silence, wondering what it was he was trying to prove or even hope for.
"Your test results came back…" She began, trying to change the subject.
"Of course, my blood, you can use my blood to cure people" He'd completely forgotten about the tests until now, "The alien DNA trace you were talking about, you found it, right?"
Scully made a face, "William, your test came back negative. You're a perfectly ordinary fifteen year old boy, completely alien-free"
His heart sunk, his last hope of being some use in this whole mess. He felt completely useless.
"William, I need to know… how did you save Mulder, what did you do to him?"
Will scrunched up his face. He didn't have the answer, he didn't know himself. It was a fluke, an accidental miracle.
"I was hoping you could tell me. You're supposed to be the sceptic out of you and Dad, right?"
She smiled, "After all these years, I think your father is beginning to wear some of his 'believer' tendencies off on me. I've seen too much to not believe"
"You're staying here, aren't you? To work on the cure and to keep an eye on Mulder" Will asked.
She nodded, "I'm more use in the labs here than I am on the battlefield"
William pondered for a moment, "I have to go…" He finally spoke.
"What? What do you mean?"
"I have to get back to the mainland. I'm going to find Alex and Rachel, and then help win this war." He'd decided upon the senseless idea and he was dead set on following it through.
"No" Was as much as Scully could fathom, "I mean, you'd be flying to your death. You have no proper training, likely no immunity to the virus. I can't let you, I'm sorry"
"So I'm supposed to sit around here twiddling my thumbs and hoping it'll all just blow over?"
"I'm not arguing with you William"
They were defiantly arguing. She'd spent years trying talk Mulder out of crazy ideas and it had gotten her nowhere. Now here she was having the exact same argument with her boy. He was without a doubt his father's son.
"Is that it then?" He asked in a bitter tone that he'd rarely heard himself use before.
"I'm not going to lose you."
They were both on edge, desperate for the other to cave. It wasn't going to happen. Unfortunately William had inherited his mother's stubbornness.
"Fine" He finally ended.
Without another word, he turned his back on her and made for the exit. He heard her calling after him but refused to acknowledge it. He only had an hour to make one of those planes, now he'd have to blag his way on one without consent.