textfiles/sf/frostbit

Hi all!  It's been a whiile since I've posted here so I hope you enjoy  
this one;  it was written at warp speed (to get it in before season 
two begins) and late at night, so bear with me. 
WARNING:  NO graphic sex inside! ;-)  It would be good to have 
seen the episode "Ice"- but since that ep is one of the top five, I doubt 
it will be much of a problem.   
 
Comments can be sent to madge@uclink.berkeley.edu and are  
welcome.  All the usual disclaimers apply. 
 
FROSTBITE- PART I,  by Peggy Li September 16, 1994 
 
[FBI HEADQUARTERS, Washington, D.C.] 
	Assistant Director Walter Skinner was not a man to sweat  
under pressure.  Yet for the second time that morning he reached  
for his handkerchief and wiped his brow, giving himself an excuse  
to break eye contact from the man who sat smoking in the chair  
opposite him.  The man waited patiently for Skinner to continue. 
	"She is not an appropriate choice, sir."  Skinner tried hard  
to keep the conviction he felt in his mind steady in his voice.  "I  
don't see how she could be a viable option to the expedition;  she's  
too great a risk."  Skinner watched as the implacable smoking man  
blew another leisurely puff of smoke from between his lips, and  
tried again.  "She knows too much, sir." 
	"*That* is why I want her up there," the smoking man  
replied calmly, the cigarette smoke curling out of his nostrils and  
the slight smile cut into his face.  Skinner felt his insides twist as he  
imagined a demonic laugh rising out of the sinister figure before  
him, and wondered, briefly, just how much one had to pay for  
selling one's soul to the devil. 
	Putting on his best poker face, Skinner reached for the  
phone and felt very, very, sorry for what he was about to do. 
 
[The following day. 12:45PM Eastern Standard Time] 
	Special Agent Fox Mulder pretended to study the map  
spread out upon his desk.  He traced his pencil idly over the  
surface, randomly connecting the dots that marked the locations of  
the recent rash of shopping cart thefts in Birmingham, Alabama.   
The rest of the cubby-holed agents had plenty to do while he was  
stuck with the most mundane and tedious of cases in white collar  
crimes;  a peculiar side-effect of his recent dismissal from the X- 
files.  Sighing, Mulder opted to put his John Hancock on the case  
he had before him and pass it off on some other shmo, most likely  
the fresh-from-the-academy Cleaning, who, with a name like that,  
was the only person in the huge office who was one rung below  
Mulder on the popularity ladder. 
	Mulder slapped the file into the "Out" box and reached for  
the next file in the "In" box while he glanced at the clock for the  
fifth time in so many minutes.  *I bet this is what half the class is  
doing right now,* he thought wryly, then imagined Scully pacing in  
front of a blackboard in full lecture mode, eyes flashing and lips  
curling to form those perfectly articulated sentences, with thirty or  
so testosterone-drenched trainees in the audience.  "Maybe not," he  
corrected out loud with a small laugh, drawing glances from his  
neighboring agents, and ignoring them.  Mulder heaved another  
sigh, opened the folder but did not read, and allowed himself the  
luxury of thinking about Dana Scully. 
	He had been thinking of her quite often lately;  she had been  
assigned to the Academy, back to her old job of teaching, which he  
knew she would enjoy.  It was still an ego boost- and a comfort-  
though, to hear her voice and to hear her talk about how she missed  
working on the X-files and working with him.  She never actually  
said so in so many words, of course, but Mulder knew.  As time of  
their separation had increased from days to weeks, however, the  
mutual bitching sessions about their predicament had become less  
frequent as the higher-ups gave them more to do.  Mulder glanced  
at the clock again like an impatient trainee;   Scully's class would be  
out in exactly four minutes and her call would be in twenty. 
 
[1:20PM] 
	The light on Mulder's phone blinked, indicating an outside  
connection;  Scully was on time as usual. 
	"Mulder here.  Hey Scully, class is no longer in session?" 
	"Mulder..."  Scully hesitated and Mulder stopped nibbling  
on sunflower seeds.  He stopped reclining and leaned forward in his  
chair. 
	"Scully, what's wrong?"  Mulder could hear the background  
commotion of a large group of people and surmised that Scully  
wasn't in her office.  "Where are you?" 
	"Nothing's wrong, I hope. I'm in the Commons at the  
Academy because I've been called into a meeting with the CIC." 
	"You sound nervous." 
	"Yeah," Scully replied,  "I feel like I've been caught  
smoking in the little girls' room or something and have been called  
into the principal's office for a reprimand." 
	"I hope it goes okay."  Scully was silent at the other end of  
the line.  "What?" he asked. 
	"I was just waiting for the witty commentary on my high  
school career, Mulder.  Your desk job hasn't made you go soft on  
me, has it?" 
	Mulder looked around the monochromatic office, at the  
rows and rows of hunched-over agents wearing identical  
expressions on their faces, and replied wearily, "You know, Scully,  
I think it has." 
	Scully's voice became hushed and concerned, "Mulder,  
we've got to stay on our guard.  You know we will..." 
	"I know, Scully," Mulder replied quickly. "I haven't given  
up. I can't-"  Mulder knew he was begining to sound like a broken  
record and decided to switch gears.  "Scully, these talks with you  
are what keep me grounded, keep me down to earth."  He smiled at  
the irony and let his voice carry traces of his amusement, "For once  
your sane and reasoning voice is a welcome addition to my day." 
	"I'm your 'one sane voice in this crazy world'?  I think  
you've got that backwards, Mulder.  You like to hear from me  
because for once I agree with you and now you aren't the only one  
who sounds completely nuts."  Scully was teasing him but Mulder  
was reminded of the true dire nature of their situation and was  
instantly sombered.   
	"Oh wait, hold on." 
	"Scully?" 
	"I've gotta go.  I'll let you know what's up." 
	Mulder hung up the phone, hoping that Scully's meeting  
with the commander-in-chief would be nothing but routine.  Deep  
in thought, he rubbed his lower lip and his eyes drifted once again  
to the clock on his desk. 
 
[4:22PM]         
	Mulder had just returned from the archives, his tie dripping  
over the stack of papers he was trying to negotiate onto his small  
desk when his phone buzzed for attention.  Hastily sliding papers  
across his chair Mulder reached for the phone. 
	"Mulder." 
	"Hi Mulder." 
	Mulder took off his glasses and found an empty corner of  
desk to sit on. "Did they give you a detention, Scully, or are you  
going to be valedictorian this year?" 
	Scully's reply sounded stiff, forced.  "Something's  
happening that I had to tell you about." 
	"What is it?" 
	"I've been reassigned, Mulder, I- I can't talk about it right  
now."  Mulder distinctly heard the sound of flesh being slapped  
over the receiver and someone talking to Scully in gruff tones.  He  
frowned in confusion, then Scully was back on the line. "Mulder, I  
just want you to go to my apartment and lock up for me, would  
you?" 
	"Scully, wait, what's going on...?" 
	"Just do this for me Mulder.  I don't have time to explain.  I  
think I left a window open." 
	Mulder grit his teeth in concern and said warningly,  
"Dana..." 
	"A window, Mulder.  It's open.  I've got to go, bye." 
	The line clicked dead and Mulder just gaped at the receiver.   
Agent Bledsoe leaned over from his cubicle and cracked, "What's  
the matter, Mulder, you look like you've just seen a ghost!"   
Mulder gathered his things and left in the wake of the laughter that  
spread across his corner of the room, unfazed.  All he could  
concentrate on was the fact that Scully was being reassigned and  
didn't sound the least bit pleased about it.  His mind raced over the  
possibilities. They had been working on a few side-projects  
together, Mulder doing most of the legwork while Scully made  
discrete inquiries from her end.  They had decided early on that  
what they needed to do to get the X-files reopened and expose  
those who were supressing the truth was to find definitive proof  
that extraterrestrials existed before they could claim a government  
cover-up.  In esssence, nothing much had changed;  they were still  
investigating X-file cases, but there would be no slide shows for a  
while.   
	Shrugging into his trenchcoat, Mulder realized that up until  
this moment, he had taken it for granted that eyes would be soley  
upon him and he realized angrily that he may have made a grave  
error.  He had to find out what was happening to Scully and hoped  
that he would be in time to intervene, if necessary.  And if he could. 
 
[5:33PM] 
	Mulder flipped on the lights of the bath and scanned the  
room warily, but nothing seemed out of place.  On the contrary, the  
air was stale and musty and Mulder had been unable to find the  
open window that Scully had been so concerned about.  Ever since  
her move to Quantico, Scully only visited her D.C. apartment on  
weekends, but still considered it her home.  Mulder had discreetly  
peeked into her closet only to find her suitcases and other traveling  
gear still intact. 
	He had been to Scully's apartment many times before, but  
never without her present.  He felt uncomfortable, awkward.   
Fingering the couch where he often sat for one of their late-night  
debates, he found himself bending his legs to sit.  He had a hunch  
that if she was going to contact him again, it would be here at her  
apartment;  she had made a point of drawing him there specifically.   
So Mulder sat and listened to the silence of Scully's apartment, and  
wondered, worried, where she could be. 
 
[DOOLITTLE AIRFIELD, Nome, Alaska 2:57 PM Pacific  
Standard Time] 
	Russ Jarvis was annoyed.  They had been ferrying  
equipment, people, and supplies through the airfield for over two  
weeks now, and the last shipment had gone out three days ago.  He  
had been looking forward to returning to his regular schedule when  
they informed him that there was going to be a last-minute  
passenger he had to fly up to the cape that day.  He had protested  
on the grounds that the clear weather they had been experiencing  
was bound to turn bad, but how could he refuse when they insisted?   
	 
	Russ pulled out his checklist and started at the top.  He  
wanted his plane in peak condition to make this last hop.  While  
Alaska was officially part of the good ol' US of A, Jarvis had  
learned from experience that there was only one law that governed  
this far North;  the law of Nature, and it just wouldn't do to be  
caught by a lady with his britches down. 
 
[6:00PM EST] 
	Mulder picked up a book lying on the coffee table and  
opened it to read.  He felt almost voyeuristic, violating Dana's  
things, but there was an overriding curiosity that compelled him to  
nose around in her belongings.   
	They had become so much less formal after their official  
partnership was dissolved.  Mulder had secretly wondered about  
what would happen to their relationship outside the X-files and was  
pleased to discover that they were as good at being friends as they  
were as being partners.  But they had always been friends, hadn't  
they?  *You are getting soft, Mulder* he thought with  
bemusement.     He scrunched down into the couch and began to  
read,  clinging to the faith that Scully would somehow contact him,  
even if it meant violating regulations.  Two images instantly flashed  
into Mulder's mind:  one was of Scully the day they had met and he  
had accused her of spying on him.  He would never forget the look  
of disbelief and cold, analytical reasoning she had appraised him  
with that first day, for he expected to never see it again.   
	The other image was of Scully getting into her car to leave  
for Quantico, knowing full well why the X-files were being  
dissolved, and the look of anger and distrust and fiery independence  
that she had embodied that day.  *That* was the Scully who would  
bend the rules to contact him and Mulder hoped it would be soon.   
He glanced at the clock on Scully's wall and conceeded to himself  
that Scully wasn't the only one to have changed over the last year.   
The lone Fox was no longer quite so alone. 
 
[ICY CAPE, Alaska 5:50PM PST] 
	Russ returned to his single-engine airplane, happy to be  
leaving the godforsaken place.  He had left the engines running so  
they wouldn't freeze in the sub-zero weather and also so he could  
make a quick gettaway.  He was now two days behind his usual  
Nome-to-Anchorage supply route, but when the Government said  
jump, Russ had asked, "How high?"  He squinted across the frigid  
airfield, if one could call it that, and tried to make out the lone  
figure of the passenger he had just dropped off.  The white snow  
parka blended in very well, even when the wind wasn't blowing  
snow in every direction, but on this clear day he could just make  
out the dark color of snow boots and the coppery smear of red hair  
contrasted against the ice. 
	He got into his plane and felt truly sorry for anyone who  
had to be stuck on the icefloe.  His passenger had said very little on  
their flight up, perhaps already knowing that he wouldn't have been  
able to answer any questions anyway.   
	He taxied the plane down the track that had been marked  
with sputtering pink flares and thanked God that the reported four- 
day window of clear weather had held as promised.  It would be  
clear sailing once he was off the ground. 
	Russ brought his little plane around in a lazy circle, his eyes  
just picking out the solitary blob of a human being moving off  
towards the compound situated about a hundred meters to the east.   
He could imagine the young woman, lost in her parka and shivering  
in the Arctic cold, and wondered who in their right mind would  
send anyone to this place.  "All in the name of science," he  
muttered to himself, when a light suddenly flashed on his control  
panel.  Russ reluctantly turned his eyes from the lone figure, which  
was rapidly becoming just a pinprick against the snow, and flew  
steady on his course back to Nome. 
 
[8:55PM EST] 
	Mulder woke with a jerk, his body feeling sticky and his  
clothes wrinkled.  The book he had been reading had slipped from  
his hands and one side of his face held the imprint of the couch  
fabric he had been sleeping on.  He glanced at his watch and ran a  
hand across his face and hair.  Still no sign of Scully. 
	Mulder quickly made up his mind to call Quantico and find  
out what they could tell him.  Fishing around in his pockets, he  
realized he had left his cellular phone in his car.  "Damn," he  
muttered, then spotted a phone in the kitchen just beyond.  Mulder  
reached for the reciever when he noticed the answering machine  
sitting on the kitchen counter.  A strange feeling overcame him and  
he pushed the "messages" button.  Dana's voice came clearly  
through.   
	"You have reached Dana Scully.  I'm not able to come to  
the phone right now, so please leave a message."  The answering  
machine beeped and Mulder felt a selfish urge to hear her voice and  
play the message once again.  His finger poised over the button  
when suddenly, it all clicked into place.  Mulder saw that this  
machine had no messages;  but Scully also had a private machine.   
He moved into the little hallway and found the second answering  
machine on the sideboard.  The red messages light was flashing,  
beckoning him to press it;  Mulder pressed it. 
	It whirred and clicked and finally the message played.   
"Mulder, when you get this message I will be on my way to my new  
assignment."  Scully sounded breathless, edgy.  "They haven't  
given me any information;  no destination, no contacts, nothing.   
They have given me orders to maintain communications silence,  
which I guess I've just breeched."  There was a slight pause in the  
message, then Scully continued. "I don't know how long it will be  
before I can contact you again, or when I'll know more.  Don't  
worry about me, ok?"  Mulder clenched his fists, "Take care."  The  
machine clicked and hummed to a standstill.  Mulder was puzzled  
until the machine's mechanical voice intoned, "Four-oh-five, PM."   
Hitting the machine's erase button, Mulder headed for the door.   
He now had all the pieces and he wanted to go home to the droning  
of his TV set to figure out how they fit together.   
	Scully's conversation with him at the office had come  
*after* the recorded message;  Mulder felt sure that she had  
somehow conveyed to him the destination of her new assignment  
within those few moments.  He would check the phone records at  
the Bureau in the morning.  Until then, he decided that Scully  
would be alright;  she had just wanted to let him know where she  
would be and he felt confident that if she were to get in trouble, she  
would find a way to reach him again.  Until then, all he could do  
was wait.  And perhaps do a little poking around on his own. 
 
		*               *               *

	
 [ICY CAPE 6:00PM] 
	Dana Scully looked up into the sky and watched her only  
means of escape fly south across the white horizon.  She stifled the  
pointless urge to shout at the top of her lungs to call the small  
airplane back and had to face facts.  She was stranded in Alaska.   
They had gone to great pains to get her there, too;  in Virginia she  
was told practically nothing until she was loaded on a plane to  
Seattle.  They hadn<64>t even given her any time to pack or to contact  
her friends at the Academy-  somehow Scully had managed to make  
a call beforehand on her private line on the pretext of checking her  
messages, and left a message for Mulder about her reassignment.   
She knew she was being watched at every turn and couldn<64>t risk  
talking to Mulder directly at that point, but felt it vital that he know  
what was happening to her.  Instead of landing in Seattle, the plane  
was diverted and she got word that her true destination was Alaska.   
After she had protested loudly, she was told that the secrecy was  
necessary because it was a highly sensitive mission and that word  
came down from the top of the brass that she was to be a part of it-   
quite an honor.  She was told to make contact with those who  
would become worried by her extended absence, and with someone  
watching over her shoulder, was allowed to make phone calls.  The  
first call went to her mother...the second call went to Fox Mulder.   
	Dana picked up the supplies she had been provided with at  
Nome and began the march towards the corrugated iron outpost  
that looked like a black beetle entrenched in the snow, low and  
hugging the ground, her way marked by a line of pink flares.  Even  
in the cold, the exertion was making her sweat under her parka.  As  
she trudged closer and closer to the nearest building, she also began  
to sweat from fear. 
	Just being there made her frightened;  her last experience at  
the Icy Cape had been horrific and she never thought she<68>d find  
herself there again.  She stopped in front of one of the doors and  
hesitated.  Her official assignment was to be there as some sort of  
<EFBFBD>scientific observer<65>- apparently the FBI wanted to know firsthand  
just what the Government Advance Research Project was doing  
back in the Arctic.  Scully had been assured that this AICP team  
was not drilling into the ice as deeply as the previous team;  just  
what they *were* doing and how much they knew, she wasn<73>t told.   
Details of her assignment and their project were to be provided  
upon her arrival, but it was obvious to Scully that her scientific  
background and first-hand experience with the Arctic Ice Core  
Project incident made her ideal for the job.   
	Scully didn<64>t care how qualified she was for this.  She had  
the growing suspicion that they hadn<64>t told her the whole truth  
behind what this new project was all about.  There was talk about  
medical breakthroughs and the like but Scully couldn<64>t shake the  
feeling that something more was in the works.  Her feet beginning  
to go numb, she realized she couldn<64>t stand there stalling any  
longer.  She reached for the doorknob when it suddenly turned on  
its own and rough hands grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked  
her inside.  Scully yelped in surprise and jumped away the instant  
the hands let her go.  She was about to draw her weapon when she  
was greeted by friendly voices. 
	<09>Welcome!  Don<6F>t stand outside on our account!  You must  
be Dr. Scully.<2E>  Dana looked up at a huge, towering man of  
obvious Nordic descent and realized that he was the one to drag her  
in from the cold.  She began brushing snow off of her arms warily  
and felt her extremities begin to tingle as the warmth of the room  
immediately began to penetrate. 
	<09>That<61>s right.  And you are?<3F> 
	<09>Svenson.  I<>m sorry I surprised you, but I noticed that you  
were standing there for quite some time and thought you might be  
shy.<2E>  The blond man<61>s laugh reverberated around  the small room  
and Scully smiled weakly as he proceeded to introduce the others  
present. 
	Scully recognized the names from the file she had read on  
the way up:  Karen Frankel, neurobiologist, was a surprisingly  
young woman in her thirties who gave Scully a warm smile and a  
mug of hot chocolate;  Joyce Brand and David Brand, husband and  
wife team of geologists who had been researching Arctic geology  
for over thirty years;  George Tanaka, chemical engineer with an  
impressive background in both biology and toxicology; and of  
course, Theo Svenson, microbiologist.  One person was missing  
from the group, however. 
	<09>Where<72>s the team leader, Philip Starky?<3F> Scully asked. 
	Svenson gestured to a doorway, <20>He is in the lab and  
regrets he couldn<64>t meet you personally.  Your arrival was a bit  
unexpected, and he is in the middle of some tests and could not  
leave them.  He wanted to make sure that we made you as welcome  
as possible, though.  Karen?<3F>  He gestured towards Dr. Frankel  
who moved to give Scully a hand with her bags.  
	<09>Dr. Scully, I<>ll show you to your quarters so you can settle  
in.  You<6F>ll also find all the latest data on your desk so you can get  
up to speed before dinner.<2E>  
	Scully appraised Frankel carefully and saw only honesty in  
her dark eyes and round face.  <20>Dana,<2C> she replied, <20>and thanks.<2E> 
	The group dispersed as Scully and Frankel made their way  
down a long corridor.  Scully still felt apprehensive, but less so after  
meeting a group of such friendly and intelligent people.  She began  
to think that her fears were unfounded when sign caught her eye  
and Scully stopped walking. 
	<09>Can we go in there?<3F>  She gestured to double doors that  
marked the entrance to the labs. 
	Frankel glanced nervously at Scully and seemed uncertain  
how to respond. 
	<09>I<EFBFBD>d like to meet Philip Starky,<2C>  Scully added, giving  
Frankel a warm and innocent smile. 
	Frankel wasn<73>t fooled and replied tentatively, <20>Certainly.   
But we can<61>t enter the clean-room.<2E> 
	Scully and Frankel dropped their bags and Scully pushed  
through the double doors eagerly.  They entered a dressing area  
where lab scrubs were provided and a clear view of the inner lab  
was visible through glass walls.  Scully had braced herself for  
whatever she would find they were experimenting on in the labs but  
still was shocked at the sight that greeted her within. 
	A man was seated at a counter at the other side of the room  
with his back to them, using a microscope and handling jars of  
specimens.  But he wasn<73>t what made Scully gasp; the glass case  
above the counter was backlit by florescent lights and filled the  
entire wall.  Inside the case, lined up on every shelf, were dozens of  
glass specimen jars.  And within each jar Scully could see the  
jerking, wriggling movement of a honey-colored worm. 
	<09>Wha...?<3F>  Scully managed, fear gripping her and making  
her speechless, <20>What is the meaning of this?  Who authorized  
these, these,<2C> she gestured at the far wall.  <20>I demand to know what  
is going on here!<21> 
	Frankel took Scully by the arm and Scully shook her off  
roughly, tensed and ready for action.  <20>Dana,<2C>  Frankel began,  
worry creasing her eyes, <20>I think you better read the reports we  
have prepared for you.  You don<6F>t understand what we are trying  
to accomplish here and I won<6F>t bother explaining it to you until you  
read those papers.<2E>      
	Dana glanced nervously at the wall of worms, edging away  
from it as if the jars were going to bound off the shelves by  
themselves and fly at her at any moment.  She knew that she was in  
a precarious situation and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.   
Scully could feel Frankel studying her reaction with interest and  
hoped she sounded reasonably rational and calm. 
	<09>All right.  I resent the fact that I have been denied adequate  
information on this assignment but I will read what you have for  
me.<2E>  Scully gave Frankel an icy glare, <20>And then I expect some  
answers from all of you.<2E> 
	Frankel folded her arms and didn<64>t seem the least bit upset  
by Scully<6C>s defensiveness.  <20>We<57>ll have a meeting tomorrow  
morning.  You must be exhausted and you<6F>ll want to get rid of your  
jet-lag,<2C> Frankel raised a hand to stop Scully<6C>s protest, <20>we<77>ll all be  
thinking more clearly in the morning.  Please,<2C>  Frankel pushed  
through the doors and recovered one of the bags, <20>we<77>ll answer all  
your questions in the morning, if we can.<2E>  She fixed Scully with a  
hopeful smile and said quietly, <20>Then perhaps you can answer some  
questions for *us*.<2E> 
	Frankel continued down the hall as Scully followed in bitter  
silence.  She didn<64>t know what questions she could answer for these  
people;  they seemed to hold all the cards.     Shivering at the  
thought of the lab filled with those terrible creatures, Scully prayed  
that she would be able to handle on her own the information she  
was about to receive.  For no matter how nice or innocent the team  
of scientists appeared, Scully wasn<73>t prepared to trust anyone. 
 
[Washington, D.C. 11:00 PM] 
	Mulder ran a hand across his eyes and used his remote to  
turn off the television.  The papers in front of him told him in plain  
black and white that Scully had been sent to Seattle for a highly  
sensitive assignment.  The fact that <20>radio silence<63> was tagged on  
the file suggested undercover work, most likely in the drug market  
or dealing with arms smugglers along the boarder.  Not exactly  
Dana Scully<6C>s line of work, in Mulder<65>s opinion, but the Bureau  
was always in need of female agents to go undercover, and any case  
where a large seizure of contraband was possible became high  
priority for the FBI.  But while this information seemed to answer  
the question of where Scully<6C>s new assignment was, something still  
didn<EFBFBD>t sit right in Mulder<65>s mind. 
	It was late, and any leads or inquiries that Mulder wanted to  
follow would have to wait until morning.  Mulder was sure he was  
beginning to make a big deal out of nothing, but would check up on  
Scully<EFBFBD>s whereabouts anyway- just in case. 
 
[Icy Cape 12:30 PM] 
 
	Scully carefully removed the chair from where it was  
wedged against the door handle and returned it to it<69>s proper place  
by the desk.  Scully cleared some papers from  the bed where she  
had been reading and threw herself down, her eyes burning from  
fatigue and her back aching.  She allowed herself to close her eyes  
and relaxed for the first time since she had arrived at the outpost.   
She was tired and her muscles were just beginning to unwind, but  
she still could not go to sleep.  Sitting up, Scully pulled her hair into  
a knot and wearily pulled out her laptop.  She moved to sit at the  
desk and settled down to write in her field journal.  She<68>d picked up  
the habit from Mulder and found it was a good way to help  
organize her thoughts. 
	At the thought of Mulder, Scully felt her heart leap as she  
wondered if he had received her messages.  She selfishly wanted  
him to be there with her, be there to help her get through this  
expedition, but more specifically, - could she even admit this to  
herself?- be there so she could draw strength from his presence. 
	Pushing her thoughts of Mulder aside- his wry smile- Dana  
booted up her computer and began to write - <20>Bring your  
mittens...<2E> - 
*DAY 1 
	The AICP II project has returned to the Icy Cape to further  
study this area, but was carefully warned to not drill below certain  
depths in the ice.  They were told that these precautions were  
necessary to avoid contamination from super-heavy radioactive  
elements that were deposited here by the meteorite they were aware  
had crashed at this site.  Following these precautions, the team was  
assigned to gather as much information as they could about the  
area, especially details about the size of the impact crater.  Research  
was proceeding as planned until three weeks after their arrival,  
when the outpost received a distress call originating near Point Lay,  
about eighty miles to the south.  Knowing that aid from Nome  
would take over three hours to reach them, the team voted to use  
their own emergency plane and Svenson and Frankel were sent to  
try and aid the team.  They returned to the AICP outpost with three  
bodies.  Judging from the equipment and documents found at the  
decimated drilling site, Svenson and Frankel discovered they had  
found a survey team sent by the ARPA that had been taking core  
samples in search of petroleum deposits.  A classic case of <20>the  
right hand not knowing what the left was doing.<2E> 
	The team immediately radioed in their discovery and were  
told to hold the bodies in quarantine, as well as the core samples  
they had recovered from the drilling site, and that an agent would  
be flown up immediately.  Frankel, who took charge of isolating the  
bodies, noticed something strange protruding from the head wound  
of one of the victims.  Scientifically curious, Frankel took a sample  
from the body since they had not been ordered *not* to examine  
them.  Starky was furious with Frankel for violating the quarantine,  
but was soon fascinated with her discovery.  Soon, the whole team  
was involved in studying their unusual find.* 
	 
	Scully paused in her narrative to pick up the latest reports  
by Tanaka and Brand.  She shook her head slowly and still couldn<64>t  
believe their findings. 
 
	*While an agent was scrambled to make contact with the  
AICP team, the team was making their own progress.  Tanaka was  
interested in the worms<6D> biochemistry and their possible application  
in medicine while Brand had begun analyzing the core samples  
recovered from the Point Lay site for their geological significance.   
Their findings have been radioed to headquarters and they were  
awaiting an answer at the time of my arrival on the scene.* 
 
	Scully looked again at her closed door, now unbarricaded,  
and listened for any sounds within the compound.  Except for the  
humming of the heating system, all was quiet. 
 
	*My instructions are to survey and advise the scientific team  
for the worms<6D> possible commercial value- or else, find a way to  
exterminate them.  Either outcome would involve determining the  
creatures range, living requirements, and behavior.* 
 
Scully licked her lips slowly and continued. 
 
*However, no mention was made in any of the files I have read as  
to determining the organisms<6D> origin or ancestry.  I do not believe  
that headquarters is unaware of the possible connection between  
these creatures and the meteorite that crashed here years ago, and  
yet no suggestion has even been made that they may be  
extraterrestrial in origin- which would be more significant a  
scientific discovery in itself than anything else they may acquire  
from their study.  I believe the scientists themselves are not blind to  
the fact that they are dealing with something extraordinary here, no  
matter what their orders are.* 
 
Scully again found herself wishing Mulder was there, knowing that  
the research being done could possibly give them the answers  
they<EFBFBD>ve been looking for. 
 
*Tomorrow morning I will investigate how much the AICP team  
has discovered and we will also be receiving instructions via  
satellite hook-up.* 
 
Scully<EFBFBD>s fingers paused over the keys, then she typed rapidly. 
 
*I also must find a way to contact Mulder, though at this point,  
contact seems improbable.<2E> 
 
Scully hit <20>save<76> and let her computer put away her journal under a  
coded file.  The irony of her situation felt like a weight upon her  
shoulders.  Mulder was the one who had insisted these creatures be  
studied and Scully had persuaded him to forget it.  If she hadn<64>t  
stopped him, perhaps the existence of E.B.E.<2E>s would<6C>ve been  
established and the events leading to the shut-down of the X-files  
would never have occured.  Mulder was the one who had wanted to  
return to the Icy Cape, yet she was the one to be placed in the midst  
of the research.  It made her feel terribly sad and even guilty;  Dana  
found herself fighting back tears that suddenly came to her eyes.        
	Throwing herself onto the tiny bed, Dana curled up into a  
ball and wept quietly, angry with herself for coming so undone.  As  
she drifted off into welcome sleep, Scully swore to herself that she  
would make the most of what she found here in the Arctic;  for her  
own sake and for Mulder<65>s, for Mulder<65>s... 
 
		*               *               *
[Washington, D.C.  5:00 AM]
*DAY 1*
Mulder paused his pen, hit "play" on the small tape recorder on his 
desk, and listened again to the recording as he continued to write in 
his field journal.

	*Listening to the recording of yesterday's conversation, I 
am reminded that Scully was being very careful with her words and 
that someone was possibly monitoring her call.  I also can't rule out 
the possibility that Scully was trying to avoid Bureau surveillance.  
In any case, her "open window" ploy did succeed in drawing me to 
her apartment where I received her other message.*

Mulder fingered a file that Cleaning had provided him with last 
night and frowned.

*Her last call had originated from Seattle, Washington, and 
checking up on her reassignment, I have been able to find 
conformation that she had been sent there for an undercover 
operation.  This explains the Bureau's desire for "radio silence" and 
also corresponds with the information Quantico received about 
Scully's transfer.*

	Mulder still wasn't satisfied.  There was something here that 
he just wasn't seeing;  Scully should've known that he would be 
able to get information on her re-assignment as soon as he heard 
about it, so why the messages?  *Unless* she had suspicion that any 
information he'd receive would be false.
	"Good morning, Agent Mulder.  You're up early."
	Chris Cleaning, starched and coifed to a hilt, eagerly passed 
by his cubicle to join Mulder.  His soft brown eyes and baby-fine 
hair only emphasized his young age, no matter how polished he 
tried to get himself to look.  Pelted with the usual affection given 
Academy graduates, Cleaning was awarded such nicknames as 
"Cleaning Agent" and "Kris Kringle", among others.  His pariah 
status had instantly bonded him to "Spooky" Mulder, although 
Mulder still hadn't made up his mind about him.
	"Agent Cleaning.  You're up early as well, I see.  Be 
careful, or people might think you're trying to get ahead around 
here."
	Cleaning blushed and put his hands in his pockets.  Mulder 
decided to give the kid a break.
	"While you're here, Cleaning, do you think you could help 
me out?"
	Cleaning brightened up considerably and replied,  "Sure, 
Agent Mulder.  Do you need another report?"
	Mulder lowered his voice confidentially and Cleaning was 
forced to lean in closer, "I think you are ready to move up from 
being gopher, Cleaning.  I have a job for you."  Mulder could see 
the light in Cleaning's eyes spark as he asked quietly,
	"What do you need me to do?"
	Mulder hoped he was making the right decision in trusting 
this bumbling, but seemingly competent, young agent.  "There's a 
sting operation going down in Seattle, and I want you to find out 
just what it's all about."
	Cleaning's face registered puzzlement, and he asked slowly, 
"I don't understand..."
	Mulder hesitated for only a second, then plowed ahead, "I 
think there may be more going on up there than the Bureau might 
think."  He waggled his eyebrows for emphasis and was rewarded 
with a start from Cleaning.
	"You mean...?  FBI agents?  A conspiracy?"  Mulder was 
nodding to all of the above, "I don't believe it," Cleaning breathed.
	"Believe it," Mulder replied. 

[ICY CAPE 7:00 AM]
	Scully was greeted the next morning by a steaming mug of 
coffee, murmured "good morning"s and six expectant faces.  They 
had all gathered in the central portion of the main building and 
everyone looked ready for answers.  Scully opted to speak first.
	"As you all are aware, I am Special Agent Dana Scully and I 
was sent here by the FBI to investigate what you have discovered 
here at the Icy Cape.  I have read all of your reports so," she looked 
at each face one by one, "I know what you know." 
	Philip Starky, a slim man in his fifties with features chapped 
and weathered and hair white as snow, folded his arms and asked, 
"Where would you like to begin, Agent Scully?"
	"Where are the bodies?"  Scully asked coolly.
	"In the cold storage room adjacent to this building."  
Frankel replied.
	"Good.  I'll begin there.  Frankel, you reported that you 
believed the men were infected by these parasites through...?"
	"The ice core samples they had recovered while drilling.  
When examined, they contained the worms in some sort of larval 
stage.  Agent Scully,"  Frankel paused, and Scully could feel all 
eyes in the room upon her, "what exactly do you know about this?  
They won't tell us anything.  Have- have you seen these creatures 
before?"
	Scully couldn't read the variety of emotions that were 
playing across everyone's faces and wondered how truthful she 
should be.  "Ye-es. Yes.  I've seen these parasites before," a 
collective breath was released by all, and the questions began in a 
rush.
	"How much do we know about them?"
	"Where were they discovered?"
	"Who documented this find?"
	"Why haven't we heard about this?"
	Scully waited patiently for them to stop when one voice 
made itself clear from the rest of the barrage.
	"How many have died?"  The crowd fell silent and everyone 
turned to Tanaka, who cleared his throat and asked again, "How 
many, Agent Scully?"
	Scully lowered her eyes and said quietly, "Last year- the 
previous AICP team.  Four people- plus others."  She looked up 
and fixed Svenson and Frankel with her gaze, "Like the survey team 
you found at Point Lay."
	"How much do you know?"  Starky asked, and Scully 
began to explain the events that occurred during her investigation 
of the other AICP team, keeping it as brief as possible- and 
omitting certain details.
	When she was finished, Starky stepped away from the 
group and everyone demurred to his leadership, "What do you plan 
to do with them, Agent Scully?"
	"I've been assigned to find out whether or not they have any 
commercial value- if not, find ways to exterminate them."
	Tanaka spoke up immediately, "We've been studying them 
for three days now.  They are about as useful as a tapeworm, 
Scully, and obviously more deadly.  And now that I know what 
they could do to a population, I say we do what we can to eradicate 
them, then get the hell out of here.  We aren't even sure how one 
gets infected!"
	A chorus of voices rose up again as Scully felt panic begin 
to take hold of the group.
	"Wait a minute.  WAIT A MINUTE!"  She could feel their 
growing hostility but also noticed that Starky was standing next to 
her and helping her settle them down by gesturing with his hands.  
She was instantly grateful.  "Now, I agree with all of you that this 
thing cannot leave this outpost.  What it could do to a population is 
too horrible to imagine.  But I ask you all if you are aware that this 
outpost, built directly over the remains of the previous AICP site, is 
also part of a meteor crater?  And that these organisms may have 
been carried here by that same meteor?"  Scully's unsaid questions 
hung heavily in the air until Joyce Brand spoke up excitedly, 
	"That would explain the depth of the ice sheet in this area.  
And the high levels of ammonia in the core samples, of course!  
Agent Scully, you don't think..."
	"I don't know what to think.  I want you people to help me 
find out."
	Svenson raised a hand, "But what about the survey team?  
Point Lay is not within the crater radius."
	"What if,"  Joyce Brand said, snapping her fingers, "before 
settling here at Icy Cape, the meteor slid and dug a trench along the 
surface, depositing these organisms along the way.  The ice sheet is 
not nearly as deep at Point Lay, which is why the survey team was 
drilling for petroleum there.  Ancient crash sites all over the world 
show evidence that great swaths of land were often affected by a 
meteorite's trajectory before impact."
	The room was again abuzz with voices as the scientists 
began digesting this new idea, until Starky spoke up and addressed 
Scully squarely.
	"Agent Scully, is it the governments intention to discover 
whether or not these organisms are extraterrestrial?  That *is* what 
you are hinting at, isn't it?  The government knew about 
their existence from the incident last year- they gave us strict orders 
to not drill below certain depths in the ice- what are they planning 
to do now?  This kind of investigation can only be done properly in 
a high-tech facility, not in some Arctic pup-tent such as this.  Just 
what is the government asking us to do?"  Starky took a step closer 
to Scully and looked her full in the face, "Just what are *you* 
asking us to do?"
	Scully did not let her gaze falter as she thought of Mulder 
and replied, "I'm asking you to find the truth."
	The nearby radio crackled and Svenson moved to answer.  
"Yes, hold a moment.  Agent Scully?"
	Scully grabbed the receiver, very aware that everyone could 
hear the transmission.
	"Scully here, Doolittle."
	"Results of last reports.  Core samples indicate a large 
deposit of petroleum AV3 and rare earth metals at Point Lay drill 
site and Icy Cape margin.  AICP team is ordered to destroy all 
organism samples and proceed with all due caution to immediately 
exterminate the threat to future drilling parties.  You have 72 hours 
to complete procedures, then a plane will arrive at your location to 
remove data and the bodies, do you copy?"
	Scully felt numb and drained;  she should have expected 
something like this, but what could she do?  "AICP copies.  Over."
	Scully bent her head in defeat;  when she looked up at 
everyone, her eyes were weary, "Well.  You heard?  They are going 
to destroy this site.  Again."
	"Petroleum AV3 is a highly volatile, extremely high-grade 
crude.  Labs have been unable to synthesize a suitable substitute.  If 
this area actually contains a large deposit of this material, it's a 
coup for the U.S. to acquire it."  David Brand explained to the 
puzzled group.  "There's sure to be a lot of profit in it."
	Scully was barely listening and turned to address Svenson, 
"Do you have a way to kill them?"
	"Not yet, but soon."
	Scully put her head in her hands and felt her opportunity 
slipping away- she was between a rock and a hard place.  On one 
hand, Scully believed these creatures should be destroyed- on the 
other, she and Mulder could use these creatures to prove the 
existence of E.B.E.'s and get the X-files reinstated...but what were 
she and Mulder compared to the welfare of humanity?  Scully 
pushed herself off of the radio bench and moved towards the lab.  If 
the government wanted these things exterminated, at least she 
could make sure that it was done properly so they would never 
have to deal with them again.  Philip Starky grabbed her arm as she 
moved.  
	"Where are you going?"  he asked, alarmed.
	"I'm going to start by destroying those specimens in the lab.  
This all stops right here;  right now,"  Scully replied, defeated.
	"You can't!"  Frankel exclaimed, as the AICP team 
gathered around Dana.  "We've got a lot of work to do and we 
don't have much time."
	Scully looked at the faces surrounding her and couldn't 
believe her ears.  Philip Starky spoke quietly and released her arm.
	"If we only have 72 hours to study these things, we're going 
to learn as much as we can in that time.  We find the truth;  right 
here, right now."  Heads nodded in silent agreement and Dana felt a 
ray of hope in her heart that brought a small smile to her lips.
	"You got it," she said, "let's get to work."

[FBI Headquarters 4:00 PM]
	Mulder could feel his wheels spinning in place as he tossed a 
fax from Quantico into his briefcase.  He'd spent all day chasing 
down papers, being put on hold, and learning little.  The file open 
on his desk outlined the various cases the Seattle office was 
working on at the moment, but the list was marked "Incomplete" 
and Scully's name wasn't on it.
	Cleaning sidled up to Mulder's side and asked as casually as 
he could manage, "Find what you needed, Agent Mulder?"
	Mulder smiled encouragingly at the young man and lied, 
"Yes. You did a good job, Cleaning,"  the young man beamed and 
ran a hand through his sandy-blond hair.  Mulder decided that 
Cleaning was all right;  if he had been a plant, Mulder would've had 
a detailed profile- a doctored one- on the case Scully was working on
by now.  They were patient, but not that patient.
	"I need you to do me one more favor, Cleaning."  Mulder 
pushed a wad of bills in Cleaning's direction and watched with 
amusement as he saw the man's eyes widen.  "I need a plane ticket.  
One way, to Seattle."

[ICY CAPE 10:45 PM]
	Scully put away her laptop, turned out her light, and sank 
gratefully into the crisp, cold sheets.  The team had been working 
hard all day in hopes of unlocking the mystery surrounding the 
parasitic creatures.  Gene maps were going to be run the next day, 
and the cultures the scientists had been working on before Scully 
even arrived would be ready for analysis as well.
	A thought stabbed at her before she drifted off to sleep- she 
hadn't gotten around to completing the autopsies on the bodies 
they had in storage.  Scully wondered what prolonged exposure to 
the parasite might cause, even if it was only present in a dead body.  
The cold storage would effectively keep the corpses in suspended 
animation, but if the worms natural environment was one of sub-
zero temperatures...she made a mental note to check it out first 
thing the next morning.  With a yawn and a secret hope that the fine 
weather they had been having would turn bad to give them more 
time to gather data, Scully slipped quietly into a deep sleep.

[SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. DAY 3 - 9:00 AM]
	Mulder found Sallers, Scrantons, and a Skully, but no Dana 
Scully within the Seattle office records.  The Section Chief had had
no explanation for the missing record, except that perhaps a delay of 
the transfer report had occurred, and that Mulder should ask the 
Washington office for details.  Mulder was now positive that 
Washington was the last place he could look for answers.

[ICY CAPE 9:40 AM]
	Scully was putting together a medical bag for the autopsies 
when David and Joyce Brand entered the room.
	"Agent Scully, we just wanted to let you know that we're 
going to be setting off some explosive charges- it's part of a 
geological experiment, so don't think it's an earthquake!" Joyce 
smiled.
	Scully smiled thinly and replied, "Thanks for the warning.  
What exactly are you doing?"
	"We're making more accurate assessments of the crater's 
size and depth.  We'll be using the holes we have from the removed 
cores to deposit the explosives.  We've got to be extra careful 
because of the petroleum AV3.  The incorrect charge, and BLAM.  
The whole deposit could vaporize this entire area."  David Brand 
waved a slim canister in the air, "Which is why we have a specially 
designed charge.  You can adjust the amount of detonation by just a 
twist, here."  Brand demonstrated the device to Scully, who began 
to back out of the room.  Joyce Brand just watched her husband 
and whispered to Scully, "You know men and their toys."
	"Uh, right.  Let me know what you find."
	Scully left the geologists to continue their experiments, 
shaking her head.  Everyone was being extremely productive, but 
there still was quite a bit to get accomplished before the next 
morning.  She wanted to go do the autopsies at that moment, but 
knew that Frankel and Svenson would be looking at the gene maps 
soon;  she also had to talk to Tanaka about how to destroy these 
things, if that was even possible.  Looking down the long, cold 
corridor to the storage shed, Scully sighed and tucked the black bag 
under her arm.  The autopsies would just have to wait.

[Seattle, Washington.  10:20 AM]

	After wandering the streets of Seattle for over an hour, Mulder 
parked himself at a small, anonymous cafe and opened his field 
journal.

	*Still no sign of Dana.  The Seattle office was notified of 
the transfer, but no record can be found detailing her assignment 
here.  I have come to the conclusion that Scully was never in 
Seattle to begin with;  her whereabouts?  Unknown.*

Mulder's hand was shaking as he tried to write legibly.  He felt his 
fears as a cold lump in his stomach and clenched his jaw, determined 
to go over the facts in his mind clearly and rationally before making his 
next move.

	*Fact:  the message on Scully's answering machine had 
been from Virginia.
	Fact:  her second call was made in Seattle and her call was 
being monitored by parties unknown.
	Fact:  Scully is not in Seattle.*
	
	Mulder's thoughts turned once again to their last 
conversation.  He felt that the key was there, that, somehow, Scully 
had managed to tell him what was happening to her.  A surly voice 
broke into his thoughts.
	"Hey you, could you close that window?"
	Mulder looked up, confused, "Excuse me?"
	A plaid-clad boy with a ring through his nose snarled at 
Mulder, "The WINDOW, hotshot.  Close it."
	Mulder smirked at the jerk and reached over to the window 
next to him to pull it shut, when some thought began to tickle the 
back of his mind...
	Windows.  He could hear Dana's voice saying, "A window, 
Mulder.  It's open."  Certainly Scully meant that a window was 
open in her apartment, or else she could have been referring to...?  
Mulder bolted to his feet.  He needed to get back to the Seattle 
office to confirm his theory;  then he'd have another plane to catch.


		*               *               *

	
[At 30,000 feet 12:40 PM] 
	Mulder leaned back in his uncomfortable airplane seat and  
tried to relax. 
	His hunch had paid off;  making some discrete inquiries at  
the Seattle office, Mulder discovered that there was indeed a new  
AICP team stationed at the Icy Cape.  That in fact, the outpost had  
been experiencing some difficulties and an agent was supposedly  
sent out there to see what was going on.   
	Danny also had come up with some information about  
Scully<EFBFBD>s last phone call.  Aparantly, she *had* been on a plane to  
Seattle, but it was diverted at the last minute and was last seen  
crossing the boarder into Canadian airspace. 
	Mulder listened to the droning of the light aircraft and  
thought with dread what he surmised had happened to Dana;  the  
AICP II must have stumbled upon something the FBI knew Scully  
would recognize- and would agree to destroy.  Unless, of course, it  
destroyed her first. 
	Mulder glanced out his window and fancied he could see the  
dark shadow against the whiteness that would be Nome.  The four- 
day window of weather- the <20>window<6F> that Scully had been  
refering to in her phone call- was going to be closing within a day  
and Mulder wondered if he<68>d be able to find a pilot willing to fly  
him up to the Cape.  It really didn<64>t matter because Mulder would  
drive a dog team if that<61>s what he had to do to find out if Scully  
was alive and well.  He looked out again at the vast whiteness of ice  
and felt some part of him, some part of his soul, call out to Dana  
across that great void. 
 
[Icy Cape.  1:00 PM] 
	Scully had a light lunch and prepared to finally do that  
autopsy.  Frankel had only done a cursory examination of the  
bodies when she had noticed the parasite in the body of Chuck  
Sierra.  She did a complete autopsy on Sierra, but hadn<64>t gotten  
around to doing Arthur Conley or Matt Spiner.  While Sierra died  
from massive head trauma, Spiner had died from strangulation and  
Conley from internal hemmoraging.  According to Svenson and  
Frankel, it seemed that Conley and Sierra had fought to the death,  
while Spiner had been the first to be killed. 
	Scully glanced around the room and asked Tanaka, who  
was sitting analyzing something under a microscope, <20>Tanaka, have  
you seen Karen?<3F> 
	<09>Yeah, she went ahead to prep the bodies for your  
dissection.<2E>  Tanaka replied. 
	<09>Thanks.<2E>  Scully rubbed her eyes and headed down the  
corridor.  So far, the team hadn<64>t come up with any conclusive  
evidence about whether or not the parasites were actually  
extraterrestrial in origin;  they were certainly different from  
anything anyone had seen before, but the Brands reminded  
everyone that the Icy Cape was a whole different environment two  
hundred thousand years ago, and that a meteorite that contained  
rare earth metals could possibly have mutated some pre-existing  
microbes from that era.  At any rate, their data still looked  
promising. 
	Scully could feel the temperature drop as she neared the  
shed doors.   The storage room was purposefully placed far from  
the main building so they could cut it off from the central heating  
system and allow it to remain at freezing temperatures.  Amongst  
the food and supplies usually stored in the shed would be three  
corpses in body bags.  Scully yanked open the heavy door and  
noticed immediately that something was very very wrong;  there  
were only two black body bags lying on the floor of the shed.   
	<09>Karen?<3F>  Scully called, droping her med kit and drawing  
her weapon.  She flexed her hands to warm them up and glanced  
cautiously around the shed.  Noticing vapors rising from behind a  
pile of crates, Scully edged closer and peered over them. 
	<09>Oh my God!<21>  Scully choked down the urge to vomit;   
Karen Frankel lay behind those crates, disembowled, steam rising  
from her opened body.  In the distance, Scully could hear George  
Tanaka calling her name and moved her lips to respond when she  
sensed something behind her. 
	Turning quickly, Scully saw from the corner of her eye her  
black medical bag rushing towards her head with deadly force. 
 
[Doolittle Airfield. Nome, Alaska.  1:23 PM] 
	Mulder had no problem finding out who was making the  
flights to Icy Cape.   So far, a simple flash of his ID had given him  
enough leverage to wander around the airport freely.   As long as  
no one checked up on his story, Mulder would be using every  
advantage he had to get to the truth.  Walking into hanger five, he  
approached the grizzled pilot and pulled out his ID. 
	<09>Russ Jarvis?  I<>m Special Agent Fox Mulder and I<>ll be  
accompanying you on your next flight to the Icy Cape.  This  
afternoon, if possible.<2E> 
	<09>What?  I wasn<73>t told that I<>d have a passenger this time!   
Who do you people think you are, anyways, switching your  
schedules, ordering me around.<2E>   The wiry man narrowed his eyes  
at Mulder. <20>My flight wasn<73>t supposed to be until tomorrow  
morning.  What<61>s your hurry?<3F> 
	Mulder opened his mouth and shut it, then replied evenly, <20>I  
want to take advantage of the clear weather.<2E> 
	Jarvis rubbed his chin and found it hard to argue with that  
logic.  <20>I guess it would be ok.  You people do what you like  
anyways.  When do you want to go?<3F> 
	<09>As soon as you<6F>re ready,<2C>  Mulder replied. 
	<09>Give me twenty minutes to prep the plane.<2E> 
	Mulder breathed a sigh of relief and watched the old man  
begin puttering around his plane.  He now had twenty minutes to  
see if he could pull the same trick on the radio tower operator and  
somehow get his hands on the AICP transmissions.  It was worth a  
try. 
 
[Icy Cape.  1:46 PM] 
	Scully was freezing.  She tried to move her head but it was  
stuck to the floor.  She cracked open her eyes and licked her lips,  
tasting blood at one corner of her mouth.  As she regained  
conciousness, Scully realized in horor that herown blood had forzen  
her face to the floor. 
	Moving her hands to cup her cheek, Scully breathed to  
defrost her skin.  Her gun still lay within reach, but her position  
didn<EFBFBD>t allow her to see the door to the shed.  Straining to hear  
above the sound of her breaths, Scully could not make out  
anything. 
	At last her cheek painfully peeled away from the floor and   
Scully picked up her gun.  Turning to the doorway, Scully found  
the body of George Tanaka.  He had been hit on the head, a look of  
horror and surprise literally frozen on his face.  Scully reeled but  
managed to wedge herself alongside the door and stop to take some  
deep breaths.  Looking back around the shed, Scully noticed the  
third body bag crumpled in the far corner.  Her mind raced to  
understand what was happening.  She glanced at the nametags on  
the black bags-  Sierra, Conley.  Spiner<65>s was the body missing.   
Spiner, Scully recalled, was the victim who had died from  
strangulation.  Could it be that he wasn<73>t really dead? 
	<09>He was dead, Scully, dead.<2E> she murmured to herself,  
grateful for the feeling of movement in her cold features.  The  
bodies had been in the shed for over five days now;  how could  
anyone survive?  Unless...Scully remembered the autopsies of  
Richter and the previoius AICP members.  All the worms but one  
were dead- the worm that was still living was found in the  
hypothalamus of the brain.  Those bodies hadn<64>t been there for  
much longer than these, so perhaps there were worms still alive in  
Spiner and Conley as well.  They really didn<64>t know what would  
happen to a parasite once lodged deep in the brain.  Perhaps in the  
brain it pupated into another form, a form that could take more  
direct control over it<69>s host.  Spiner had recieved the least amount  
of injury to his body and the extreme cold would<6C>ve prevented any  
extensive tissue damage due to decay.  Scully felt dizzy as she came  
to the conclusion that Spiner, somehow, had risen from the dead- to  
kill.   
	The tinkle of breaking glass and a muffled scream brought  
Scully back into focus.  Gripping her gun tightly between her hands,  
Scully swung out from the protection of the shed walls and moved  
out down the corridor in the direction of the sounds. 
 
[En route to Icy Cape.  2:11 PM] 
	Mulder crunched on sunflower seeds and couldn<64>t believe  
what he was reading.  Authority obviously went a long way out  
here in the Arctic as the radio operator at Doolittle had been more  
than helpful in providing Mulder with the transcripts of the  
transmissions between the airfield and Icy Cape once Mulder had  
flashed his ID.  
	As he expected, the AICP II team hadn<64>t intentionally  
unearthed the parasite;  the government hadn<64>t any plans for  
research, especially considering they had torched the same facility  
only a year ago.  The survey team stumbling on the creatures by  
accident was certainly unfortunate, but was bound to happen, in  
Mulder<EFBFBD>s opinion.  He now could guess why the Bureau had sent  
Scully;  with her previous experience at the Icy Cape and her  
scientific background, she would be well prepared to handle what  
she would find.  Also, Mulder was sure that this time the  
government would go in and exterminate the creatures, and Scully  
had gone on record a year ago stating that she agreed with that  
policy. Many things had happened to them since then, but that  
didn<EFBFBD>t make these creatures any less deadly, or any less dangerous,  
to society. 
	Mulder noticed with interest that there was a vast petroleum  
AV3 deposit directly underneath the meteor impact site.  And, as  
usual, the government had made the recovery of that precious  
natural resource their top priority.  Even if it meant extermination  
of a new life form, possibly an alien life form. 
	<09>How much longer?<3F> he bellowed at Jarvis over the noise of  
the airplane. 
	<09>About twenty five minutes, not including landing,<2C>  he  
yelled back.  <20>I<EFBFBD>ve never seen anyone so eager to reach the Icy  
Cape before.  Won<6F>t they be surprised?<3F> he added, sarcastically. 
	Mulder thought of Scully, the look on her face when he<68>d  
step out of the plane, and wished they could get there faster.  
 
[Icy Cape 2:22 PM] 
	The sounds were coming from the direction of the lab.   
	She found the double doors proped open with the body of  
Svenson, his throat roughly gashed.  Careful not to slip in the  
blood, Scully eased her way into the scrub room, then peered  
through the glass walls. 
	Inside the lab, David Brand lay slung over a chair.  Joyce  
Brand had stopped her screaming and was held in the clutches of an  
unfamiliar form;  Scully assumed it had to be Spiner.  Ugly purple  
bruises stained his neck but otherwise his skin looked like cream  
and his movements were fairly coordinatedfor a man who had been  
dead and frozen for five days. 
	Spiner had taken the specimen jars off of the shelves and  
had smashed them open;  golden worms writhed all over the lab  
floor.  Spiner stepped on worms with his feet but also held one in  
his hands with a pair of forceps.  He was preparing to drop that  
worm into Joyce Brand<6E>s ear when Scully opened fire. 
	The safety glass shattered all around Scully and she ducked  
and rolled into the lab room, bringing up her gun to bear on Spiner.   
The noise had startled him into dropping the forceps, but he now  
held Joyce Brand closely to his chest. 
	<09>FBI!  Release your hostage at once!<21>  Scully yelled, not  
caring whether or not Spiner could understand her.  <20>I<EFBFBD>m armed!<21> 
	Spiner stared at her dumbly, his eyes glassy and his features  
flaccid.  Then his lips curled into an open-mouthed gape, and he  
bent his head towards Joyce<63>s neck... 
	Scully was ready to fire when David Brand suddenly leaped  
up from his chair to grapple with Spiner. 
	<09>Get down!<21>  Scully yelled, getting up from her crouched  
position, but it was too late.  Spiner deftly twisted Joyce<63>s neck  
with a sickening pop, then reached for a heavy drill bit he must have  
recovered from the storage shed to strike at David.   
	David Brand was dead before he hit the ground and Scully  
opened fire.  She squeezed off three shots as Spiner rushed her  
when somebody tackled her from behind.  Spiner, his wounds only  
oozing a dark black substance, barreled past them and kept on  
going through the doors.  Scully looked down to find Philip Starky,  
gasping and terrified. 
	<09>Are you ok?<3F>  she asked, struggling to get up. 
	<09>Yes.  No.<2E>  Starky stood, backed against a wall, and  
promptly vomited.  <20>Everyone?<3F> he asked after the heaving was  
over. 
	Scully nodded.  <20>It<49>s just you and me.<2E> 
	<09>That was Spiner, wasn<73>t it?  How could that be?<3F> 
	Scully shook her head, <20>I don<6F>t know, Starky.   This didn<64>t  
happen last time.  Perhaps the worms have some sort of more  
advanced stage, a stage that we hadn<64>t seen.<2E> 
	<09>Until now.<2E> 
	<09>We<57>ve got to destroy it.<2E> 
	Starky shrugged.  <20>You have the gun, Agent Scully!<21> 
	<09>I mean all of it, Starky.  This whole site.  And I know  
how.<2E> 
 
[Icy Cape. 2:32 PM] 
	Mulder jumped out of the plane and Jarvis threw his pack  
down after him. 
	<09>Agent Mulder, I<>m going to take care of my plane first.   I  
don<EFBFBD>t trust this nice weather.<2E> 
	Mulder waved an affirmative and headed towards the main  
building.  It looked exactly like the previous outpost and Mulder  
had a strange sense of deja vu.   
	As he entered the building, the first thing he noticed was the  
sharp smell of ammonia and alarms began to go off in his head. 
	<09>Scully?<3F>  he called.  <20>It<49>s Mulder!<21>  Slinging his backpack  
around his shoulders, Mulder unholstered his gun and headed in the  
direction he believed was the lab.  Seeing feet protruding from the  
doorway, Mulder broke into a run down the corridor. 
 
	Scully and Starky ran down the hallway towards the back of  
the main building. 
	<09>Are you sure they<65>re here?<3F>  Scully asked breathlessly as  
Starky bent to fiddle with a padlocked cabinet. 
	<09>Yes.  The sheds which cover the drill sites are just beyond  
this wing of the building.<2E> 
	Scully squinted through a window to see four wooden sheds  
about twenty-five meters from their position.  Glancing down at  
Starky, she pushed him aside by the shoulder. 
	<09>Let me,<2C> she said, then fired at the lock. 
	 
 
	Mulder heard the gunshot and sprang up from where he was  
examining David Brand<6E>s body.  After listening for a beat, Mulder  
yelled, <20>Scully!<21>   but there was no reply.     Mulder stepped over  
Svenson<EFBFBD>s body and headed down the corridor in the direction of  
the storage room when a voice behind him called out, <20>Agent  
Mulder!<21> 
	Russ Jarvis stood in the outer doorway, his mouth agape  
and his eyes wide with terror.  <20>What<61>s going on?<3F>  he wailed. 
	<09>Stay with the plane!<21>  Mulder ordered, and watched as  
Jarvis turned to go.  Just as Mulder turned to proceed back down  
the hall, he heard a muffled cry and whipped around in time to see  
Jarvis crumple to the floor.  Racing to his side, Mulder cursed and  
felt for a pulse.   
	Lifting his hand away from the dead body, Mulder saw a  
figure retreating down a second corridor and got up to follow,  
wondering if there was anyone left at this outpost who was who  
they were. 
 
	Starky held an armful of geological charges as Scully piled  
them up like kindling, pausing occasionally to glance down the  
corridor. 
	<09>How much time will we have?<3F> 
	<09>We can set the timers at twenty minutes.  I need time to  
prep the plane and we<77>ve got to taxi before we take off.<2E> 
	<09>Ok.<2E>  Scully tried to give Starky a smile of encouragement.   
<EFBFBD>We<EFBFBD>re going to make it.<2E> 
	They both jumped as they heard sounds coming from down  
the hall and moved together to the door.   
	<09>Are you ready?<3F>  Scully asked, and Starky nodded  
anxiously.  <20>Go!<21>  Scully pushed Starky out ahead of her as she  
covered the rear and the two of them headed over the ice to the  
first shed. 
 
	Mulder rounded the bend, gun ready, only to see swirling  
snow as whoever he was following exited the building.  At the end  
of the hall, Mulder noticed that a supply cabinet was open and  
funny looking canisters marked <20>Explosive charges: Caution<6F>  
littered the floor around it.  Finding a padlock with a clear bullet  
hole through the middle, Mulder murmured, <20>Scully,<2C> then threw  
himself out into the cold. 
 
	Scully and Starky worked frantically, Scully keeping watch  
while Starky set the charges to detonate at maximum charge and at  
the proper depth.   They had already loaded one of the core sites  
and after this one, would go do one more just to be sure the chain  
reaction would propagate and vaporize the entire impact site. 
	<09>How far away do we need to be when this goes off?<3F>   
Scully asked as she attempted to see through a crack in the shed  
doors. 
	<09>Just off the ground.  The petroleum will ignite and  
superheat the surrounding ice or soil layers, and the steam  
produced will crack or even melt the top crust of ice.  It all depends  
on how much fuel is underground.  There.  Now just one more  
should do it...<2E> 
	Scully backed quickly away from the door and Starky fell  
silent instantly.  She pushed him behind her and they backed into  
the far corner of the shed. 
	There was a knock on the door and Scully braced herself to  
shoot.  The flimsy wooden doors gave way with the next thump and  
Scully drew a bead on the movement when a voice called out,  
<EFBFBD>Scully!<21> 
	Scully dropped her hands and couldn<64>t believe her eyes.   
<EFBFBD>Mulder?!<21> 
	Mulder got up from the ground, rushed up to her and  
grabbed her elbows, his eyes all fire and intensity.  <20>Scully, are you  
ok?  What<61>s going on here?<3F>       
	Scully drank him in with her eyes and smiled up at him, her  
body going limp in his arms and a dozen questions forming in her  
mind.  <20>Mulder, you have the most incredible sense of timing...<2E> 
	<09>Look out!<21>  Starky shouted, and Mulder tossed Scully to  
one side as he was pounded from behind.   
	The two men rolled on the ground until they bumped into  
one of the walls, a struggling mass of arms and legs.  Scully  
brought up her weapon but couldn<64>t fire;  Spiner and Mulder were  
too close.  Mulder did something to Spiner she couldn<64>t see, then  
he was up and grabbing her by the hand.  <20>Run!<21> he said, then  
yanked her along. 
	The three of them ran out of the shed and Scully now pulled  
Mulder<EFBFBD>s hand towards the runway where Jarvis<69> plane was visible.   
	<09>We<57>ve got to get out of here, now!<21>  she yelled.  <20>We<57>ve  
set these explosive charges to detonate petroleum underneath the  
ice!<21> 
	Mulder looked at her in shock, then looked over her  
shoulder and stopped running.  <20>Hey!<21> he shouted, as Scully turned  
to see Starky get enveloped in a bear-hug by Spiner a few strides  
behind them.  There was a flash of silver in Starky<6B>s hands and  
Mulder moved to help him but Scully held him back, leaning against  
his weight with all her might.  
	<09>No!<21>  she cried, <20>We<57>ve got to go NOW!<21> 
	The two of them were blasted off their feet as the entwined  
Spiner and Starky blew up in a dirty grey cloud of smoke and ash.   
They lay stunned in the snow until Mulder scrambled to his feet and  
scooped up Scully with both hands.  He looked deeply into her  
startled eyes and said firmly,  <20>We<57>re going.  NOW.<2E> 
	They stumbled towards the airplane, the howling of the  
Arctic winds taunting them as they struggled through snow drifts  
until they finally made it to the smooth runway.  As they paused to  
take a breath, Scully gasped, 
	<09>Mulder.  The research, the data.  I have material all  
prepared...<2E> 
	<09>Forget it, Scully.<2E>  Mulder grabbed her hand again and  
pulled her towards the waiting plane, his face as icy as the ground  
they stood upon. 
	 
		*               *               *

	
	The two piled into the airplane just as they heard a deep
rumbling come from the bowels of the earth.  They looked at each
other for a moment;  Scully, her eyes wide, Mulder giving her a
lopsided smile, then they both jumped into the pilot<6F>s seats and
began scanning the dials and buttons.
	<09>Here it is,<2C>  Scully said, pushing a button, and the warm
engines sprang to life.  The ground beneath the plane shook and
heaved, and Mulder saw the outpost begin to topple.
	<09>Can you fly this thing?<3F>
	<09>Nope.  But I watched my father fly.<2E>  Scully was calm and
cool as she closed her eyes and tried to visualize exactly what had
to be done.
	<09>Dana...<2E>

	<09>Hold on, Mulder.<2E>  Dana grasped a lever and began
pushing it forward, goading the plane to taxi down the runway.
The ice pitched and rolled and cracked beneath the plane and steam
began venting from the openings in the runway.  A sharp crag of ice
split directly in front of them and there was no way to avoid it.
They both winced at the sound of their wing being torn, but after
they passed over the obstacle, the plane had sufficient speed to take
off.
	Scully struggled with the controls, <20>Mulder...I-can<61>t...<2E>
	<09>Don<6F>t worry, Scully.  Aim for that rise just ahead.<2E>  He
placed his hands on hers and helped her maintain control of the
tilting plane while underneath them, the ice began to liquefy.
	They reached the top of the rise, the plane plowing roughly
through the soft snow before finally coming to rest.
	Scully eased herself out of her seat and checked her body
for injury.  Finding none, she reached over to Mulder and checked
him for broken bones.
	<09>Ugh.<2E>  he mumbled as her hands explored his prone body,
then opened his eyes.  Seeing her close, he managed to murmur
with a twinkle in his eyes, <20>Scully.  I was having to most interesting
dream...<2E>
	Scully swatted him with her gloves and smiled at him, too
exhausted formulate a proper retort.  Looking out the plane
window, Scully could see a surging aqua-blue river flowing past the
embankment they had landed on.
	<09>Do you think we<77>re safe up here Mulder?<3F>  she asked,
worried that the rise they were resting on would soon get washed
away.
	<09>It doesn<73>t matter, Scully.  Look!<21>  Scully followed
Mulder<EFBFBD>s pointing finger and could just make out the small black
forms of helicopters on the horizon.
	<09>Amazing.  How did they know?<3F>
	<09>They<65>re probably after me.  I didn<64>t exactly <20>go by the
book<EFBFBD> to find you.<2E>  Mulder replied, reaching for the radio as it
crackled to life.  <20>This is Special Agent Mulder and Special Agent
Scully issuing a general distress call, over?<3F>
	The radio buzzed and a voice replied, <20>We have you
sighted, Agent Mulder, Agent Scully.  Please exit the airplane and

be prepared for evac.<2E>
	<09>We<57>re pretty happy to see you guys.  How did you know
we<EFBFBD>d be out here?<3F>
	<09>Agent Mulder, we were scrambled to intercept you as soon
as we discovered your arrival at Doolittle.  Now you have just
witnessed the destruction of a massive area of government
property.  Someone has to be held accountable, over.<2E>
	Mulder just gaped in astonishment as Scully took the
handset from him.  <20>We copy that, out.<2E>   She placed a hand on his
shoulder and sighed.  <20>Don<6F>t worry Mulder.  We<57>ll work this out
somehow.<2E>   Shrugging slightly, Dana added bitterly, <20>They don<6F>t
even care about the loss of life, the loss of a scientific discovery of
phenomenal proportions.  All they are upset about is the loss of
some valuable petroleum deposit.<2E>
	Mulder nodded slowly, then turned to Scully and stated
without irony, without bitterness, just stating a simple fact,  <20>We
finally hit them where it hurts.<2E>  Then his eyes softened and he
smiled at her gently, a look that Scully knew so well.  <20>This brings
to mind the great words of Ripley...<2E>
	<09> <20>Believe it, or not<6F> ?<3F>  Scully interrupted with an arched
brow.
	<09>Nooo.  Wrong Ripley.<2E>  Mulder reached into a jacket
pocket and pulled out a small vial that contained an obviously dead
and pristine sample of the parasitic worm, and bobbed it up and
down in his hand.  <20> <20>At least you don<6F>t see *them* screwing each
other over for a damned percentage.<2E><>
	Mulder opened the door on his side, hopped out of the
plane, then held his arms out to help Scully down.  She sat for a
minute, looking at him with a mixture of awe and annoyance, and
something more, then jumped out and promptly knocked him into
the snow.  <20>Incredible,<2C> she breathed close to his startled face,
smiling wickedly, <20>they haven<65>t got us yet, have they Mulder.<2E>
	They could hear the sounds of the approaching choppers,
but Mulder made no attempt to get up.  <20>Believe it or not, Dana,<2C>
he said quietly, his eyes glimmering with a new hope and his hands
moving to rest lightly on her waist.  Through the numbing cold and
layers of clothing, Scully felt Mulder give her waist a gentle
squeeze, <20>we<77>re not finished yet.<2E>

Frostbite
    From: Peggy Mei-Ling Li <madge@uclink.berkeley.edu>
    Date: 16 Sep 1994 07:15:17 GMT    (Page 1 of 1)

I'm sorry for the wierd formatting and punctuation problems this story
might have-  For some reason, parts one and three came out fine, but the
rest are messed up.  If anyone out there can help me with this, I'd
really appreciate it.  I'm doing the same things I've done in the past to
post, so I can't figure out what's gone wrong all of the sudden.  Email me!

Hope you like(d) it!  Thanks,
Peggy