The X-Philes - Forever Autumn Part Three
Created | Updated Oct 21, 2004
Regents Park, London, 16th October, 12.45pm
A red haired woman is running down the path looking at her watch.
'He's going to kill me, he's definitely going to kill me. This is the second time this week I've been late. US Embassy and FBI wait for no woman' she gasps as she heads towards a man sitting on the bench. 'John!! John!! I'm here.' she calls to him.
He gets up and turns to face her. It's John Doggett - and she is Catherine McGuire. She runs up to him, throws her arms around him and kisses him.
Catherine: 'I am so, so sorry I'm late. Professer Knutz's meeting went on longer than anyone anticipated. Personally I think she's got it in for me ever since she found out about you.'
Doggett: *he grins at her* 'Your boss is a bitter old woman. She can't stand the thought of anyone being happy.'
Catherine: *shrugs* 'No, I think it's got to do with Vietnam.'
He looks amazed.
Doggett: 'Why? It was one of the greatest victories in American history. We rid the world of one of the most evil men, Ho-Chi-Minh.'
Catherine: 'Yep and she also lost her Son in the battle for Hanoi. He was a journalist covering the VietCong's retreat. She's had it in for America ever since. She also hit the roof when I told her I was marrying you. If I hadn't been the best at what I do she'd have got rid of me ages ago.'
She sighs deeply. He wraps his arms around her and kisses the top of her head.
Doggett: 'Don't let that old witch upset you.'
Catherine: *looking up at him* 'You don't regret chucking it in at FBI headquarters and moving to London do you?'
Doggett: 'No way, this is my home now.'
Catherine smiles up at him and they carry on eating lunch.
Krycek: 'Seen enough now?'
Doggett can only nod, dumbstruck at what he's just seen.
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FBI Directors office
Doggett is sitting back in his chair still dumbstruck at what he's seen.
Doggett: 'What the hell was that I just saw? How the hell did you set that up?
Krycek: *shakes his head* 'I didn't set it up. It's an alternative reality. Somewhere out there you moved to London and married...' *he licks his lips* '... a perky little redhead...' *he smiles suggestively at Doggett* 'who'd have guessed it... some guy's have all the luck. Is she any one I know?
Doggett rises from his chair and looks like he's about to punch Krycek's lights out. Scully puts her hand on his shoulder.
Scully: *whispers* 'Don't do it John. He knows what it's doing to you. Don't let him get to you. It's not easy but let it go.'
Doggett takes a deep breath and sits down.
Doggett: *snarls* 'Leave her out of this.'
Krycek grins. He's touched a nerve here, something worth remembering. Find out who the perky little redhead is in this reality and go from there, he decides.
Well Spoken Man: 'So, I assume that you've had a chance to see this work?' *the agents nod* 'and do you think it will have the desired effect?'
Mulder: 'I suppose... if we knew what the plan was.' He looks at Krycek who shrugs.
Krycek: 'I have no idea what they plan to do. I was asked to make sure you would be willing to help us seeing as you have the most information outside the Smoking son of a bitch's syndicate.'
Mulder looks at the Director.
Mulder: 'Do you want an answer now?' The Director looks a little puzzled.
Well Spoken Man: *he blusters* 'No but...'
Mulder: 'Good, because I'm sure we'd like to discuss this amongst ourselves.' *he looks at the others who nod* 'We'll let you know what we decide.'
The three agents get up and head to the door. Krycek starts to follow them.
Krycek: 'You must give me an answer. I need to know if you'll help us' *he shouts* 'Don't you understand what's at stake?'
Mulder waves his hand in a 'whatever' gesture and closes the door.
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The X Files Office (again)
Scully sits Doggett down and hands him a coffee cup as he still seems a little shakey.
Mulder: 'You ok?' *Doggett nods*.
Doggett: 'I think so.' *he groans* 'I've seen some freaky things since I started working with you guys but I've always managed to find a logical explaination for what I've seen. But not this time. I mean, somewhere in God knows where I'm marrying Catherine and did you hear what I... what she... we said about Vietnam? How is that possible and what else is out there... what... I don't know...' He struggles to find the words to carry on. Mulder sits opposite him.
Mulder: 'Well the theory is this. Every decision you make the alternative is played out in another reality. So what you saw is the otherside of a decision you must have made sometime ago. Same goes for world events. Somewhere in another reality Hitler won the second world war, the Confederates won the Civil War. *he grins* 'and the Lakers are a crap, second rate, third division basketball team.'
Doggett nods absentmindedly then suddenly looks Mulder in the eye.
Doggett: 'Yes, I did consider moving to London. About four years ago a post came up in the Embassy there. I just wanted to get out but some friends made me see sense. So what I saw was what would have been if I'd moved.' *Mulder nods* 'But why Catherine? I only met her this spring.'
Scully: 'Some people believe that groups of souls travel together throughout eternity. She could be your soulmate. You could have been together since the beginning of time, we've seen it before...' *hastily, seeing the look of confusion on Dogget's face* '...but that's another story for another time.'
Krycek: *appearing at the door* 'It's one I'd like to hear.'
Scully crosses over to him, slams the door in his face and jams a chair under the handle.
Scully: 'Do you think he'll get the hint now?' *the others start to laugh*
On the other side of the door Krycek lets fly a string of obscenities.
Krycek: 'I need to talk to you. Look, you don't know what's going on. It's not just the aliens who threaten us now. Something else is here, something more evil.' *he sighs* 'Ok. Ask yourself this; did you really stop the Devil-raising ceremony a couple of months ago?'
This piques Scully's interest. She opens the door and pokes her head out.
Scully: 'Go on.' *she lets him in and stands between him and the others* 'Ok, get on with it. You've got five minutes.'
Krycek: *sighs* 'You must have seen the strange goings on, the biblical signs? Scully, you must have recognised them.' *Scully looks blank* 'Wars, the rumour of war, a bid for world domination, peace gone from the world, famine, plague - the signs are there but no repentance. Not even the church can see what's coming. And what about the mass abductions? How many people have dissapeared?' *Scully shrugs* '144,000.' *Scully's mouth drops open*
Scully: 'No way!!!!! You're making this up.' *Krycek shakes his head and takes the bible from his pocket*
Krycek: 'Bet you never thought you'd see me with this, but it's all in here.' *he hands it to Scully* 'You know what to look for Dana. I'm telling you the Devil is here waiting to see how we handle this. We need to get rid of the Aliens. If we can fight them we can fight Satan. Send him to another reality along with the colonists. Show him we can fight back.' *he turns to go, Mulder calls after him*
Mulder: 'How do you know about all this? If things are going according to the bible why not just ride it out, let it come to its natural conclusion?'
Krycek: 'Do you want to wait for the Apocolypse because I don't. I'm going to Hell anyway, just not yet if I can help it. You both met Jay Fernandez. Scully you knew who he was even if Mulder couldn't see it. You know what's been happening since. This is tied into the colonists. You said yourself that Jay ascended to 'Heaven' in a UFO. Now Satan is here, according to this, a bit earlier than he should have been. But he's still here and he has a position of power - he must have.' *he moves forward and lowers his voice* 'But who?... That I don't know the answer to. He could be anyone.'
Mulder, Scully and Doggett look at each other not knowing what to say. Scully is the first one to speak.
Scully: 'Ok, just supposing for one minute you are telling the truth, what do you want from us?'
Krycek: 'Any data you can give me on Monsignior O'Bannion. All the data you have on the colonists and your support when the colonizing starts. You know their weaknesses better than anyone.'
Mulder: 'What about Satan? Aren't you trying to find out who he is?'
Krycek: 'Of course, but where do you start? Since 9/11 it could be anyone. Maybe you could help me for once in you life! You have access to all the files on the world's bad guys, see what you can do.' *he turns and opens the door* 'So can I count on you?'
Mulder looks at Scully and sighs.
Mulder: 'Going against my better judgement, ok you got a deal.' *Krycek smiles*
Krycek: 'I'll call in a couple of days.' *he leaves and closes the door. Mulder slumps forward and rests his head on his desk*
Mulder: *he wails* 'I'm going to regret this but what could I do?'
Outside Krycek pulls out his phone and dials.
Krycek: 'All is well. Yes, they'll help me. It took some convincing but they'll do it... ok I'll meet you there.' He crosses the road and heads for the Watergate building.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Underground Car Park, The Watergate Building
In the car park Krycek heads towards a black car. The window is open and cigarette smoke is wafting out. Krycek opens the passenger door and gets in.
CSM: 'Well, Alex, what do you know now that you didn't earlier?' *Krycek smiles*
Krycek: 'I know Agent Doggett has a weak spot - a very pretty weak spot.' *CSM frowns*
CSM: 'That's not what I meant but it's... interesting. Do they know about the colonization?' *Krycek nods* ''What about the time of the Evil Men?' *Krycek shrugs*
Krycek: 'They never said anything to me.'
The lies slip easily from his lips. The CSM stubs his cigarette out and then lights another.
CSM: 'It will soon be our time, Alex. Whoever wins, you and I will be there at the dawn of a new era.'
Krycek contemplates this for a moment. I'll be here at the end, old man, but if I have my way you'll be in Hell, he decides.
Krycek: 'Do you know who Satan is?' *the CSM nods*
CSM: 'Of course I do but if you think I'm going to share that information with a treacherous rat like you, you're mistaken.' *Krycek grins*
Krycek: 'Suit yourself. So now what?' *CSM blows smoke in his face and smiles*
CSM: 'When the colonists arrive, they'll take the replicants first to extract the mutated DNA so they can use it to make the slaves.'
Krycek: 'So how are they going to find the replicants, the chip in the neck?'
CSM: 'Yes, it was arranged long ago. That's why we inserted the cancer gene so, if it was removed, the... subject couldn't be traced back to us and its real purpose.'
Krycek: 'But why Scully? You had me kidnap her as part of the programme but why did you give her back to Mulder, why cure her cancer?' *inspiration flashes across Kryceks face* 'But you've known about this for ages. That's why you've been working on this NAT, BAT, DAT or whatever the hell it's called. It's the vaccine we've spent years developing.' *the CSM nods* 'Scully was the first test subject. You injected her with the stuff, removed her chip and sent her into that warehouse to be gassed with the mob. She can't die, can she, she's immortal!' *CSM nods again*
CSM: 'You've worked this all out well, Alex. Maybe I should have kept you closer instead of letting you go out there and work things out for yourself.' *he leans closer to Krycek* 'Yes it's all true. Scully is immortal and so am I. Now I know it works I'm going to win whatever happens. If they turn on me I'll win - nothing can hurt me. If they don't I'll outlive them.' *Krycek gets out of the car*
Krycek: 'But why? Mulder has been a pain in the ass to the programme for years. Why give him what he wants?' *CSM actually looks sorry for himself*
CSM: 'Because I can't do it to my boy any longer. I took his sister away from him, you killed Bill. Teena couldn't live with the guilt. I couldn't take Dana away from him, too. I couldn't do it.' *Krycek slams the car door and pokes his head through the window*
Krycek: 'So it is true.' *he sneers* 'You have gone soft in your old age.' *he walks away from the car*
CSM: 'Not soft, Alex. I've just covered all the bases that's all.'
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