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Title: "Save The Future: Change"
Written by: Kristi & Cassie
Date: June 12-14, July 3-4, 2009
Air Date: July 24, 2009
Rating: R
Series: FRVS - Episode #192b
Spoilers: Past episodes of FRVS may be spoiled.
Feedback: We love it. Please e-mail us at frvs.feedback@gmail.com (please include the episode name in the subject) Thank you.
Archiving: "Fox & Rat" Virtual Series only!
Disclaimer: We do not own anyone. They belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions, and 20th Century FOX Broadcasting.
Author's Note: The personalities of the characters within the world of "Fox & Rat" are not those you know from "The X-Files" television series. We have warped them and given them a common past, immature behavior and a sense of humor. Any horrid behavior should not be mimicked in your every day life.
Summary: Picking up where season 9 left off, we travel back in time to the year 2007 to see if the future can be changed in the present.
FADE IN:
INT. ALIEN HEADQUARTERS – HOLDING ROOM – NIGHT
WASHINGTON, D.C. – THE PENTAGON
MAY 12, 2007Monica Reyes sits in the holding room cell, tears welling through shut eyes as her ability taps into the words of Brad Follmer, from a letter he was writing before the moment of his death. Satori, another psychic in the room approaches her.
SATORI
This is just so powerful.Satori can’t help but be awestruck at the power of Monica’s Gift and ability.
SATORI
You really are the one.Monica opens her eyes, unsure of what Satori means by this. For all her life, Monica has just been Monica – nothing more, nothing less.
MONICA
I’m what?SATORI
Do you have any idea who you are?MONICA
What do you-Her words are cut short by a sudden flash of visions: a world covered in ice and snow. She begins to shiver. Flashes of death and suffering. Krycek dying – again this vision haunts her as she sees him fall to the ground, blood coming out of his mouth. Another flash and she sees Brad Follmer, a knife stabbing him in the back, killing him. A final flash of an alien claw coming at her.
The flashes stop as suddenly as they came and she lets out a short gasping scream.
MONICA
(scared)
Something’s wrong here. I can feel it.Satori shakes her head, disagreeing.
SATORI
No, you don’t understand. They want
to harm us but they can’t. We can
out number them. Use our abilities-Monica shakes her head, the sensation growing in it’s intensity.
MONICA
No. They’re going to kill us.
You don’t sense it because they
have blocked you.Satori listens, after all Monica is the one with the strongest ability.
MONICA
We have to get out-She is cut off once again. However, this time not by flashes, rather by a strong force of aliens entering the room. Immediately the dark grey aliens begin to attack the psychics they have been holding – killing them.
Monica finds herself unable to move, yet the aliens do not harm her. However, she notices one alien just staring at her, as if it is looking deep inside of her. Seeing in her what she does not yet know about herself. A strong sense of fear washes over her as the blank, emotionless eyes pierce into her.
And then the visions start:
Again the world frozen. She sees herself killing the Cigarette-Smoking Man first with her hand and in another flash with just her mind. Another flash and she sees Dana Scully, blood trickling from her nose.
Her eyes blink and she is no longer in the holding room. She’s in an unfamiliar room. Her fear intensifies, and as she looks into the expressionless black eyes of the alien before her, she wonders why they have chosen to keep her alive.
CUT TO:
EXT. ANTARCTICA
MAY 12, 2007 – THAT SAME NIGHT
Charles Scully gets out of a snowmobile near the loading dock nearby a large Navy aircraft carrier, the Pequod. He slings a duffle bag over his shoulder and makes his way over to his father, carrying a single piece of paper.
CHARLES
Dad!His father looks over at him.
CHARLES (CON’T)
We just received this.He hands his father the piece of paper.
Captain Scully reads it:
“CAPTAIN. RECEIVED YOUR LATEST MESSAGE. I WISH YOU A SAFE JOURNEY. I HOPE TO REMAIN IN CONTACT AS MUCH AS I CAN. AS YOU KNOW THIS DEPENDS ON YOUR ACTIONS. PLEASE GO FORWARD WITH CAUTION.”
CAPTAIN SCULLY
Thank you.Charles nods and offers his father a hand with a piece of heavy equipment that needs to be loaded onto the ship. He glances up at the ship’s name.
CHARLES
The Pequod, huh? Wasn’t that the
name of the ship in “Moby Dick”?Captain Scully smiles.
CAPTAIN SCULLY
My favorite book, you know that.CHARLES
Yeah, but didn’t the ship sink?
Isn’t that kind of like bad luck?His father smiles at him.
CAPTAIN SCULLY
I’m not planning a whaling expedition, Stubb.Captain Scully looks at him with a reminiscent smile of the nickname he gave Charles as a kid, Stubb, a character from the novel that fit Charles’s carefree nature. Charles shakes his head and helps his father load the equipment onto the ship.
CHARLES
It’s a little large, dontcha think?
(beat) How many are on board?CAPTAIN SCULLY
The Pequod is not a full ship since
no one knows about her. We have enough
for a very small army. Enough personnel
to keep her running.CHARLES
Any of our alien friends and their
smart technology?CAPTAIN SCULLY
They prefer to be here. (beat)
And we’re taking our equipment
with us – including their technology.Charles nods his head and looks back at the snowmobile. In the distance he notices tall figures standing in the darkness, just out of reach of the ships light. He squints his eyes and sees that the figures are not human and are their alien friends.
CHARLES
I thought the aliens were coming to
colonize our planet? What made the
one’s here change their mind?Charles’s father is out of earshot by now. Eric, the facilities tech geek, over hears his question.
ERIC
The ones here are a different race.Charles turns around to face him. Eric has no military boot camp training, and would rather spend his time behind the screen of a computer, hacking into anything he can and learning about the new technology brought to them by the aliens.
Eric is loading and securing computers and other equipment onto the ship.
CHARLES
I thought they were all the same.ERIC
I’m sure they think the same about us.Eric extends his hand out to Charles and they shake.
ERIC
Eric Miles. Resident tech geek.CHARLES
Charles Scully, son of the Cap’n.ERIC
Nice to meet you. (beat) Must be strange
finding out your old man hasn’t croaked.CHARLES
Not really. (beat) Enough hints were dropped
where I suspected he faked his death. (beat)
And besides, if you knew the woman that –quote
un-quote- raised me and my sisters, well... you
would fake your death too.Eric nods, as if he fully understands.
ERIC
So what... off a hunch you just made
your way down here and...Charles smiles.
CHARLES
Yeah, took a leap of faith.TIME CUT TO:
INT. THE PEQUOD – NAVIGATION BRIDGE – NIGHT
William Scully checks all the instruments to make sure everything is how it should be. Behind him, Charles stands quietly watching his father in his element, remembering back to when he was nine years old visiting his father in Japan.
CHARLES
Well, Ahab...He enters the bridge as his father turns to face him.
CAPTAIN SCULLY
Get yourself settled in?CHARLES
I did. (beat) When do you think
we’ll get there?CAPTAIN SCULLY
We’re holding at thirty-five knots,
and if my calculations are correct
we should be there in about two weeks.CHARLES
I just hope we’re not too late.
I know it doesn’t seem very long,
but we are dealing with aliens.
Who’s to say they don’t have
similar technology that we have and
can find Rohrer in better time?CAPTAIN SCULLY
Try seeing if you can get him on the radio.CHARLES
I wouldn’t know what frequency, and
besides aren’t we out of range?His father doesn’t respond, allowing him to problem solve.
CHARLES
(after a short beat)
Or does that smart technology that
you have do the job just fine?His father smiles.
CAPTAIN SCULLY
You can get Eric to help you
with that. (beat) Have you met him yet?CHARLES
Yeah. Helped him lock and load
some of the equipment down below.
(beat) How’d you find that guy anyway?
(beat) Doesn’t exactly scream military.CAPTAIN SCULLY
He’s not. (beat) I seek out the finest
for my crew. He happened to be the man I needed
for the job. (beat) He understood their
technology faster than any of us old guns.Charles nods his head.
CHARLES
So is this thing armed?CAPTAIN SCULLY
It is.CHARLES
How well do you think she’ll
hold up against enemy attack?CAPTAIN SCULLY
Realistically, we’ll do what we can.
(beat) Remember to never underestimate
your ship, your crew, and especially your enemy.CHARLES
Yeah but... with how unmanned this vessel
is, how can we even defend ourselves?CAPTAIN SCULLY
I think we’ll manage. We’ve got
a few of the best fighter pilots
in the world on board.He turns to look at him.
CAPTAIN SCULLY (CON’T)
And I’m sure you know how to fly a
F/A-18 Hornet, or use a Mk. 29 Sea Sparrow.Charles cocks his eyebrow with boyish excitement.
CHARLES
(grinning)
You’ve got an ESSM Mk. 29?CAPTAIN SCULLY
Like I said, we’re armed. I didn’t
spend all those years with the Navy
because I loved the ocean. I actually
learned how to command one of these things.He smiles and Charles laughs.
CHARLES
I always thought you were with the
Navy to get away from Margaret.Captain Scully shakes his head at his son’s humor.
CAPTAIN SCULLY
Well... in a way. (beat) So,
why do you go AWOL all the time?
What about your family?CHARLES
I was lookin’ for you.The Captain nods his head.
CAPTAIN SCULLY
Tell me about my daughter-in-law
and my granddaughter.CHARLES
I thought you knew everything.CAPTAIN SCULLY
Only the technical stuff.He gives him a look to stop being such a smart ass.
With a smile Charles digs into his breast pocket and retrieves a folded Polaroid photograph of his wife and daughter at Time Square in New York City. He hands it to his dad.
CHARLES
I met my wife, Lin, in China. Her
family was killed and I helped her
get out of the country.CAPTAIN SCULLY
You were AWOL, weren’t you?CHARLES
(smiles)
Sure was. (beat) Met her back in ’99.
We were married in Perth the summer of
2000. (beat) And then there’s my pride
an’ joy, Lilly. She turned four last month.CAPTAIN SCULLY
She’s cute. Has the same devious
eyes that you had when you were a kid.He hands the photo back to Charles, who looks at it for a moment.
CHARLES
(remembering)
This was taken the day I was called
to duty for this war. It was their
first time in the States. (beat)
Just moved to the City too.He folds the photo and places it in his shirt pocket again.
CHARLES
I hope they’re all right.His eyes have become distant, thinking of the family he left behind.
CAPTAIN SCULLY
I’m sure they got out of the city.Charles nods, but doesn’t believe his father’s optimistic words.
CHARLES
I hope you’re right. I don’t
know what I’d do without them.
(beat) For so long it was just about
me and what I wanted. Never had to
give a second thought to anyone else.
That all changed... and I was stupid
enough to answer to the call of duty
rather than take care of them.CAPTAIN SCULLY
It’s what we’re trained to do.CHARLES
Yeah, but...His voice trails off. How does he tell his father, a man who has been dedicated to Navy service for decades, that he regrets leaving them behind. That he wishes he could turn back time and stay with his family rather than protect the country.
He shakes his head.
CHARLES
What’s done is done, right?CAPTAIN SCULLY
Stay positive. You did the right thing.CHARLES
Doesn’t feel that way.He let’s out a quiet sigh, then looks at his father in the eyes, knowing he spoke more about his feelings than he probably should have.
CHARLES
(quickly changing the topic)
We’ll I’m gonna go gonk.CAPTAIN SCULLY
All right.CHARLES
You’ll be all right here alone?CAPTAIN SCULLY
I’ll be fine.CHARLES
You call me if you need me.CAPTAIN SCULLY
I will. (beat) Good night, son.CHARLES
Night, dad.Charles turns and leaves the bridge, hoping to sleep through the night without incident and trying not to worry about his wife and daughter.
TIME CUT TO:
EXT. LONG ISLAND BEACH – NIGHT
MAY 15, 2007
THREE DAYS LATERScully sits on the beach alone, staring out in the direction where Mulder said he and Samantha saw an airplane crash into the ocean waters. She touches the back of her neck where the chip implant had been. A tear falls down her cheek. If she had known the aliens could make an airplane travel into the future for the purpose of extracting the exact chip that had been placed in her neck, out of a little girl, in order to discover how the human race could survive, she wouldn’t have told Knowle to remove it.
The aliens would have been able to track them more easily with the chip still in her, and she, Knowle and Skinner may have been captured and held prisoner at their breeding camps. At least in a breeding camp she’d have a better chance at survival than she has with her cancer. And she did escape. She was captured and held against her will at a breeding camp. She was subjected to being a part of breeding human-alien hybrids and she survived that. She should be able to survive this, but unlike her experience at the breeding camp, the growth of her cancer is out of her control.
There’s nothing she can do. She could ask if they could retrieve the chip from the little girl in Flight 194 and place it in her neck to put the cancer back into remission, but that would mean asking someone to risk his or her own life for her, and that’s not something that she wants to ask of anyone.
The wind whips a strand of hair across her face. She inhales the humid, salty beach air, smelling and welcoming Mother Nature inside her body. She had never stopped to really smell the earth around her, and the life in each breath she takes brings tears to her eyes. Her heart aches knowing that soon she will never breathe one more breath of fresh air, she’ll never again see the rising and setting sun, that she will never feel the tiny grains of sand between her toes, or hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Her head throbs in pain, more painful than the worst migraine. More tears fall down her face, but this time not for never being a part of this beautiful planet, but rather for her own mortality.
She makes no move to wipe the tears from her face. She sits alone so no one can see her suffer, least of all John Doggett. He’s been through too much pain and loss in his life to suffer with her every dying breath. She broke down and let him see her fear and vulnerability when she found him in the holding cell at the New York Facility, but since that day she’s given thought about how she should be protecting him from the grief the anticipation of her death brings him. She wants to protect him from the pain he will suffer in watching her die. She knows he wouldn’t want to be shut out, but it feels like the right thing for her to do right now. Whether or not she’ll be able to look him in the eye and lie to him about how she feels remains a question mark, but she’ll do her best.
She lowers her head and a couple drops of blood fall onto the sand. She rubs her hand under her nose to wipe the blood away. She doesn’t have anything to clean herself with so she just sits there. As much as she doesn’t want to die and leave John, she wishes that Death would just take her now to spare everyone the anticipation of her passing.
From the corner of her eye she sees someone approaching her. She turns her head to get a better look. It’s John. He doesn’t say anything to her as he sits down by her side. She watches him and wonders why he hasn’t made eye contact with her. He stares out at the ocean, deep in his own thoughts. His silence makes her uncomfortable, and for a second she wonders if he’s figured out her plans to hide her pain and suffering from him. She tries to make eye contact with him but with no success so she looks away from him, afraid she’s upset him. She looks back down at the blood drops on the sand below her.
She feels her heart breaking as the silence between them continues. The longer the silence lasts, the harder she finds it to search for the strength to lift her head and look at him. She feels she’s betrayed him by making the decision to not let him know all the truths about her condition. Another tear runs down her face and this time she wipes it away.
DOGGETT
Dana… I love you very much.
I want you to know that.John turns his head to look at her. He sees that she’s been crying so he moves closer to her and wraps his arm over her shoulders.
DOGGETT
Hey.He touches her chin and lifts her head so he can look into her eyes. He’s caught off guard when he sees the drying blood underneath her nose. His brow wrinkles and he wonders if she’s in pain. He lifts his hand to his face and licks his thumb. He reaches out to wipe the blood from under her nose. He wipes his thumb on his shirt, forever staining it with her blood.
He says nothing and holds her head in his hand and pulls her toward him. He kisses her on the forehead. She rests her head on his shoulder and continues to stare at the ocean.
DOGGETT
(whisper)
Are you in any pain?Scully sniffles and nods her head.
SCULLY
Yes.Her voice is hoarse as if she hasn’t had anything to drink in a long time. Fact is her mouth is dry from the nervousness she feels from wanting to lie to him. She told him the truth, right now she doesn’t have the strength to lie to him.
DOGGETT
Dana, sweetheart, you know I wouldn’t want
to tell you something that would hurt or upset
you unless it is important…SCULLY
I know.John takes a deep breath and with a little hesitation begins to speak.
DOGGETT
I overheard Knowle and Shannon talking
the other night while you were asleep...Scully lifts her head and looks at him, his tone of voice and his hesitation frightens her.
DOGGETT
They don’t want me to have any say when
it comes to you when your illness gets worse.
(beat) You need to tell them that you want me
to be the decision-maker for you when your
health declines otherwise...John looks away from her and swallows back tears. A rush of anger towards Knowle and Shannon rushes through his head.
DOGGETT
(trying not to let his anger show)
They want you to suffer, Dana. Knowle said
he and Montgomery have decided to deny
you pain killers or medication.Scully starts to shake her head, not wanting to hear this. She doesn’t need to know that her friends are beginning to give up on her already.
DOGGETT
(anger building)
Shannon sees you as something worth sacrificing
for the group... a liability. They don’t trust me
with you and I wouldn’t be surprised if they try
to separate us when you’re on your deathbed.Scully stands up, angry and upset.
SCULLY
SHUT UP!John looks at her, he’s confused where this outburst came from. He stands up as well.
DOGGETT
Dana...SCULLY
Just shut up, John!
I don’t want to hear this!DOGGETT
(helpless)
I’m telling you to protect
you... to protect us...He reaches out to touch her arm and she swats him away. He doesn’t know what to do and his face expresses this. He didn’t mean to upset her, even if what he had to say is upsetting to hear.
SCULLY
I don’t want to know that while I’m dying,
people I consider good friends want to tear us apart!She turns her back to him and starts walking away.
DOGGETT
That’s exactly why you need to tell them
what you want, otherwise you’ll die alone-!He stops abruptly, regretting what he’s just said. Scully stops in her tracks and slowly turns around and walks toward him calmly. Her eyes are filled with anger. She slaps him as hard as she can across the face. She doesn’t have to say a word to him. His words have thrust through her like a thousand knives.
She turns her back to him again as tears begin to stream down her face. Confusion has set in and she doesn’t know what to do so she continues to walk away from him.
DOGGETT
(hurt)
They’ll let you die in pain, Dana, alone
and I know you don’t want that.He reiterates what he said that upset her because he believes she needs to hear it. He runs toward her.
DOGGETT
Dana, listen to me!He grabs her arm again and she whirls around and hits him with her fist in a way that isn’t really meant to hurt him. He doesn’t let go.
DOGGETT
I’m not telling you this to get a rise out of
you. I’m telling you because I love you and
I don’t want to see you suffer.SCULLY
If you don’t want to see me suffer then let go!She struggles in his grasp, but he still doesn’t let her go.
DOGGETT
Dana... please...SCULLY
(angry)
Let go of me.He doesn’t. His eyes beg her to calm down and let him say what’s on his mind.
DOGGETT
(desperate)
We could run away...SCULLY
(says this to wound him)
You’re holding me here against my will.
(beat) What makes you any different from
Scott Williams or Charles Spender?Her voice packs venom and he lets go of her arm and lets her run away from him. He doesn’t want her to compare him to either of those evil creatures, and it kills him that she said that. He rubs his hand over his face, he’s at a loss as to what to do. He wants what’s best for her and staying here, with this group and Knowle Rohrer, may not be it.
He watches her run down the beach until she stops and falls to the ground, obviously in tears. She rolls over and sits on the sand and stares back out at the ocean. John looks back at the rest of the group behind him, no doubt at least one of them saw or heard their commotion. John sits down in the sand, keeping his distance from Dana. He stays here to keep an eye on her, ready as ever to run to her rescue if need be.
CUT TO:
EXT. BEACH CAMPSITE – CON’T – NIGHT
Mulder and Samantha are seated in front of the campfire singing “The Hokey Pokey” as Skinner goes through the motions of the song across from them. Samantha can’t help but giggle at how funny he looks. Shannon watches, trying to hide her amusement with this silly scene, while John Montgomery reads a medical book.
Away from the campfire, Knowle’s been watching John and Dana argue on the beach. For a little while now he’s been debating whether or not he should go out there and say something to either one of them. He feels it would be intrusive, but he feels the need to know about every situation going on right now with their group before any unnecessary drama. He makes his way out to John.
KNOWLE
Hey, John!John doesn’t acknowledge him, keeping his back to Knowle.
KNOWLE
Hey.Knowle pats him on the back.
KNOWLE
Everything all right?DOGGETT
No. Everything is not all right, Knowle.Doggett glares at Knowle. His anger is not because of his fight with Dana, his anger is towards Knowle, Shannon and to some extent John Montgomery for going along with Knowle’s horrible idea of denying Dana comfort in her impending death.
Knowle is uncertain what to say next. He looks out in the direction where Scully is seated. Knowle looks from Scully to John and back again.
KNOWLE
Any reason why she’s sitting alone?DOGGETT
It’s none of your business.John lies, it sort of is Knowle’s business, but he doesn’t want to talk about his problem with Knowle right now. Knowle clears his throat, indicating to John that he thinks that it is his right to know everything that goes on in their group.
KNOWLE
Actually John... it is my business
to know what’s going on. We can’t keep any
secrets otherwise things can get messy-DOGGETT
-Like the secret you’ve been holding from
me about not letting Dana have painkillers
or medications so she can suffer until she dies?KNOWLE
You heard Shannon and I talking?Doggett glares at him.
KNOWLE
John, I’m sorry that I didn’t discuss
this with you, but...He’s not sure how to say this without hurting him.
KNOWLE (CON’T)
Truth be told, she’s not getting any
better. To give her painkillers now
would only hurt the future of all of
us if we get into a mess down the road.DOGGETT
You don’t see her as a human being, you
see her as a liability. Someone who’s going
to get in the way, slow us down or get us killed.He glares at Knowle.
KNOWLE
No I don’t, John. I see her as a person.
I don’t see her as a liability, ok? (beat)
Listen, it kills me to know how she’s going
to die. It hurts to know that she’ll be
in pain, but John, sooner or later you have
to face the facts-DOGGETT
Put yourself in my shoes!His anger is coming through again and he stands up to be face to face with Knowle.
DOGGETT
What if you were losing someone
you loved? Huh? How would you feel?
Would you want them to suffer? Would
you want them to know that no matter
what amount of pain they are in that
no one cares?!KNOWLE
No, I wouldn’t. And we care for her, ok?
I don’t want her thinking no one cares
about her because that’s a lie. So don’t
go filling her head with thoughts that
aren’t true just because you’re angry.DOGGETT
How would you like it if I went behind your back?KNOWLE
(trying to calm the situation)
I understand, John. It would anger me too,
and I’m sorry I did that. But Dr. Montgomery
agrees that it would be best for everyone else.DOGGETT
(pissed)
That man. That doctor, has been dehumanized
by his work. And so have you! That’s why
the two of you think that letting her die
in pain and suffering is a good idea. (beat)
I won’t let you tear her away from me. I’m
not going to let you make her die alone, so
don’t even think of preventing me from being with her!KNOWLE
No one’s saying that, John.DOGGETT
Yes you are! By cutting me out of
decisions, you are tearing her away from me!John walks away from Knowle. His blood boils in anger, not believing a word that Knowle is telling him.
KNOWLE
John, I’m not-John doesn’t acknowledge him and keeps walking away to another part of the beach. Knowle stops, feeling that right now it’s useless to try to talk to him about this. John’s too strong in his beliefs right now to understand what he has to say. No one wants her to be in pain, but John has to understand that she’s not going to be getting any better and if something were to happen down the road where painkillers would be needed...
Knowle lets out a quiet sigh and looks over to Dana, who stares out at the ocean. He decides to let this matter rest until another time when he can talk to both of them, and have Dr. Montgomery talk with them as well.
CUT TO:
EXT. BEACH CAMPSITE – CON’T
The campfire songs have settled upon hearing John yell at Knowle, and taking the advice of John Montgomery (who was getting annoyed with the Hokey Pokey sing-a-long while reading his medical book), everyone is trying to get settled in for the night. Mulder and Samantha are organizing everyone’s belongings and trying to find something comfortable to use as a pillow.
MULDER
(to himself)
This is where my giant teddy
bears would come in handy...Samantha is rummaging through Knowle’s belongings. She picks up his jacket and pats at it.
SAMANTHA
This will be a good pillow.She takes it and scrunches it up, hearing a piece of paper crinkle in one of the pockets. She flips the jacket around and finds the piece of paper that is folded up. She opens it and reads it.
SAMANTHA
Fox?MULDER
Yeah, Sammy?SAMANTHA
Who’s Monica?MULDER
A friend. Before the aliens came she
was going to Mexico to be with her
Grandmama. I hope she’s all right, she
was a member of Super Buddies. (beat) Why?SAMANTHA
Because the big guy is carrying a note
from her where she says she loves him.Mulder is by her side in an instant, looking over her shoulder at the note with his eyes bugged.
MULDER
Oh my golly jeepers!SAMANTHA
I think the big guy’s story just
got a little deeper and personal.MULDER
I had no clue... I wonder how long
she had feelings for him. Do you think
it would be rude to ask him?SAMANTHA
Maybe you could bring it up. I don’t think
it would hurt to let him know its all right
to talk about things that may be bothering him.
(beat) Golly, he probably doesn’t even know if
she’s alive. I mean, if her grandmother lives in
Mexico and she was down there when the bees came...
her chances of survival are pretty low.Their vocal tone is very up and cheery considering the topic of Monica not surviving.
MULDER
I don’t think that would be a good way to
bring up the conversation of Monica with him.SAMANTHA
I’ll just put his jacket back where
I found it and find a new pillow.MULDER
Good idea.Just as Samantha puts Knowle’s things away, Knowle walks up to them.
KNOWLE
Need help finding something?MULDER/SAMANTHA
(guilty)
No. We’re good. Thanks!Knowle eyes them suspiciously as they walk away from his belongings. He looks down at his bag, noticing it is open and his jacket has been moved. He looks back up at the Mulders and can only wonder what they were up to.
Out of the corner of Knowle’s eye, he sees John, hurrying back towards the camp, carrying Scully in his arms. Knowle forgets about sleep tonight.
KNOWLE
MONTGOMERY!Knowle yells, waking Montgomery.
Knowle makes his way out towards Doggett.
KNOWLE
What happened?!DOGGETT
She collapsed.Montgomery comes up to them.
MONTGOMERY
Bring her to the Hummer. I
have my medical-Doggett cuts him off by walking by him quickly. He partly feels guilty for her current condition. If he never angered her would she be in this condition? Did their fight trigger her condition to worsen?
He lies her down in the back of the Hummer. Montgomery arrives and is quick to start examining her.
DOGGETT
Can you tell what triggered-MONTGOMERY
-I need you to step away, John.He uses his body to push Doggett out of the way so he can examine her without an obstacle. Knowle places a hand on Doggett’s shoulder and gently leads him out of Montgomery’s way. Doggett’s eyes are fixated with worry on Scully. Knowle watches him carefully. He can’t even imagine what he must be going through.
KNOWLE
John, let’s go over-Doggett snaps away from him. Gives him a slight glare. He doesn’t want this man to come between him and Dana. His look is filled with a thousand emotions, and Knowle gets it, and backs away.
SMALL TIME CUT TO:
INT. TENT – NIGHT
Montgomery has put Scully in as comfortable a bed as possible. He checks her pulse rate and looks up from her to the worried eyes of John Doggett. He stands and quietly walks over to him.
DOGGETT
Is she...He has trouble finding his words.
MONTGOMERY
Her cancer has...Montgomery struggles to find his words as well, but forces himself to find the words he needs.
MONTGOMERY
Her cancer has grown rapidly. Like
nothing I’ve ever seen before.Doggett’s heart shatters.
MONTGOMERY
It has grown considerably and
pressure is pushing in on her
brain. (beat) In my medical opinion...Tears fill Doggett’s eyes.
MONTGOMERY
... given our lack of resources...
She would be lucky to have more than
a week before...DOGGETT
There’s nothing we can do for her?MONTGOMERY
I’m afraid not.DOGGETT
What about pain medicine?
Is she in any pain?MONTGOMERY
It’s hard to tell. When I was
asking her questions, it was as
if she didn’t even know who I was.Doggett’s eyes shift to Scully.
MONTGOMERY
With how rapid the cancer has grown,
she may not even remember –DOGGETT
Enough. Please.His heart is breaking and there is only so much he can handle to hear. He goes over to her, kneels down at her side and holds onto her hand.
Montgomery watches for a moment.
MONTGOMERY
(after a beat; soft)
I’m sorry.Doggett doesn’t acknowledge him and after short beat, Montgomery leaves the tent, seeing Knowle sitting in front of a small campfire. His eyes fixed on the tent, patiently waiting for the news on Scully’s condition.
Montgomery comes over and Knowle looks up at him.
MONTGOMERY
(blunt and to the point)
I give her a week if she’s lucky.Though Knowle doesn’t show it, his heart breaks.
MONTGOMERY (CON’T)
Her cancer has grown rapidly.He shakes his head, still astonished by the swiftness in which the cancer has taken over.
MONTGOMERY
She didn’t remember who I was
when I was examining her. She
certainly doesn’t know what is
going on or that she is dying.
The cancer is pushing into her brain.KNOWLE
Is she in pain?He asks this because he is considering forgetting what they have discussed and giving her painkillers. If she doesn’t have much time left, what have they to loose? It’s the least he can do to let her die without much suffering.
MONTGOMERY
Probably.Montgomery reads into what Knowle’s eyes are saying.
MONTGOMERY
We can’t give her medication for the
pain, you know that.Knowle looks away from him. He understands this but now that he is faced with it, he doesn’t necessarily agree with it.
KNOWLE
I know... it’s just... now that...MONTGOMERY
We can’t.He stands his ground as a doctor.
MONTGOMERY
(after a short beat)
I’m sorry.He walks off, heading back to his tent. He is stopped by Shannon.
SHANNON
He’s not going to give her meds, is he?Montgomery looks back at Knowle, knowing he wants to.
MONTGOMERY
It’s on his mind.SHANNON
He’s not going to though, right?MONTGOMERY
He knows he can’t.He walks away and Shannon’s eyes drift to Knowle, seeing that he’s thinking and that his mind and heart are in turmoil. He has to understand that he can’t waste the medication and painkillers on a lost cause. If he can’t do it, then she’ll have to take matters into her own hands.
TIME CUT TO:
EXT. FRIENDSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA – DAY
MAY 18, 2007
SIX DAYS LATERKrycek and Comer are driving down the long and winding empty road. Rain falls in large drops and the window wipers can barely keep the water from blurring their vision out the window. The car they drive is crap and they can feel the humidity sticking to their skin. They don’t have air conditioning, where the hell did they get this piece of shit anyway? Unfortunately for them, it was the only hunk o’junk 1975 Firebird they could find to start their long travel eastward from Colorado.
Krycek is behind the wheel of the car, trying his best to concentrate on the road ahead of him and not think about the humidity surrounding him. He looks over at Comer and gives a glare.
COMER
What?KRYCEK
Just had to have the ’75 Firebird, did ya?Comer doesn’t say anything. It was always his dream to have a Firebird and at the time of their getaway he rationalized it as the perfect car. Now, with the sweltering heat and with the mix of rain and humidity, it really was a bad idea.
KRYCEK
A practical car would have been
that Chevy Tahoe.COMER
I know.They’ve had this conversation before on their journey, but Krycek can’t keep it out of his head that – although this looks like a pretty damn awesome vehicle – the practicality of it bites a big one.
KRYCEK
I mean... of all times to have
what women deem a “boy moment”,
you do the unthinkable and go with
a bad choice. Now, I would fully
understand taking this piece of crap
if the world hadn’t gone to shit, but
truth be told, it has-COMER
(getting irritated)
I know.KRYCEK
I mean, it would be like suddenly
deciding that it would be a good idea
to pull off to the side of the road to
get some shut eye without ever securing
or observing our surroundings...COMER
Yes, I know Alex. That was a
bad judgment call as well.Krycek really has a way of making Comer feel like crap as he brings up the painful reminder of a time when Comer was driving and Krycek was asleep. While feeling the need to rest himself, Comer pulled over to get some shut eye and their piece of crap Firebird was almost stolen right from under their sleeping eyes.
Luckily, they woke up.
COMER
What, would you have preferred
if I hadn’t rested at all and
drove while falling asleep?KRYCEK
Don’t get me started on the statistics.
(after a short beat) The U.S. Department
of Transportation estimates that over 190,000
fatal car crashes every year are linked to sleepiness.Comer gives him a look.
COMER
Since when did you become Mr. Encyclopedia?Krycek gives him a look that says he doesn’t appreciate his sarcasm.
KRYCEK
(eyes off the road)
I’m just trying to-COMER
-WATCH OUT!Krycek looks out the front window and slams on the breaks, and swerves off the road to miss hitting a woman walking onto the road. The Firebird comes to a stop a few inches away from smashing into a tree.
COMER
(smart ass)
So what are the statistics of
car wrecks from not watching the road?Krycek gives him a short glare, then turns his head to look behind them at the woman he almost hit. She looks back at them, worried.
Krycek gets out of the car and approaches the woman. He stops, recognizing her from the picture he carries with him. It is Marita Covarrubias. She is dressed for freezing temperatures and is disoriented, not knowing where or when she is.
KRYCEK
Marita...Memories of her slowly trickle back into his mind.
MARITA
Sasha?He approaches her and instinctively hugs her, never once questioning whether or not she is who she is. Never once doubting whether she is human or not.
KRYCEK
(soft)
You’re alive...Comer gets out of the car and watches them. He eyes their surroundings as they are surrounded by thick forest.
MARITA
Where am I?Krycek pulls away from her, his hand wipes a strand of hair from her face. He kisses the top of her head.
KRYCEK
Pennsylvania.He looks at her questioningly, wondering why she doesn’t know where she is. And her next question will further puzzle him.
MARITA
When am I?KRYCEK
When?Comer makes his way closer, his hand near his gun incase this is some alien trick, or some other human savage out to get them like that colony they were held at in Colorado.
MARITA
(not wanting to explain now)
Please, Alex.KRYCEK
It’s May...He has to think about the day.
KRYCEK
The eighteenth.MARITA
What year?COMER
(unsure of her now)
What is this?Marita looks at him, not wanting to waste much time.
MARITA
I was taken.COMER
By aliens?MARITA
(impatient)
Yes.KRYCEK
It’s May 18, 2007. (beat) What
do you mean you were taken by aliens?
(beat) I remember watching you die.
They made me kill you.MARITA
It was a trick of the mind and
I was taken to the future by aliens
that want to help us. (beat) May 18...
It’s not too late, there is still time.
But we have to get to Long Island.KRYCEK
That’s where we’re heading now.Marita nods her head and looks at Comer.
MARITA
Who are you? Where’s Mulder?KRYCEK
I don’t know where Mulder is. I had
amnesia for a time. (beat) This is
Robert Comer-MARITA
-Robert Comer?She looks at Comer, who isn’t sure how he should feel about this woman knowing him and having an interest upon hearing his name.
MARITA
Do you have an artifact- a rock
with strange little markings on it?COMER
Why?MARITA
(impatient)
Do you have it?COMER
Yeah. But what do you want
with it? It doesn’t belong
to you, it belongs to a friend.MARITA
It’s important.She lets out an impatient huff.
MARITA
Listen, we don’t have time to
stand here discussing any of this.
Time is off the essence and we must
get to Long Island before the twenty-fourth.Comer looks to Krycek, now sure about this.
MARITA
We need to get going.She heads towards the car and Krycek and Comer watch her.
COMER
You trust her?KRYCEK
With my life.Krycek gives him an assuring look and follows after her.
INT. CAR – CON’T
Krycek enters the car, sitting in the driver’s seat. Comer follows, sitting in the front passenger seat.
MARITA
Where’d you find this? A junkyard?She asks in all seriousness, and Krycek gives Comer a look.
FADE TO:
EXT. BEACH – NIGHT
LONG ISLAND, NY
Rain gently falls from the sky, as Knowle Rohrer sits alone in front of the pit where the campfire used to burn. His black t-shirt clings to him, and he is wearing jeans – not in his usual military fatigues. Though he should be, he is not armed. The campsite is quiet and no one stirs in their makeshift tents. The air is still and silent, including the sound of the ocean waves as they quietly splash onto the shore.
Usually this eerie silence would have Knowle on high alert, however, tonight he is calm, almost as if he is at peace with the world.
Footsteps are approaching him from behind, hitting the wet sand. Knowle doesn’t even look behind him to see who is coming. He doesn’t feel the need to.
Monica Reyes sits down on the other side of the campfire pit. Knowle smiles at her, now understanding why he feels at peace.
MONICA
You’re letting your guard down, Knowle.KNOWLE
What do you mean?MONICA
They’ll follow you back if you’re not careful.A drop of blood slowly seeps from her nose. He looks at her with deep concern.
MONICA
She’s unstable. She’ll kill her before
her time if you’re not careful. Don’t
fight her alone, Knowle.KNOWLE
Fight who?Monica stands up and walks over and looks down at him.
MONICA
You need the White Elephant.Knowle looks up at her, as if understanding what this means, but wondering how she would know about it.
MONICA
She can be saved, Knowle.Knowle looks over at one of the tents – the tent belonging to John and Dana.
KNOWLE
You mean Dana.He looks up at Monica again. The blood drop under her nose is gone now, however, blood is slowly oozing from a small hole in her forehead. Concern for her grows, and as he checks her over with his eyes, he sees blood dripping from her hands from identical wounds on each of her elbows.
KNOWLE
Monica?MONICA
It’s not too late for her.She starts to walk away from him. He stands, not wanting her to go.
KNOWLE
Monica... don’t go.She turns around and walks away from him.
KNOWLE
Wait! Monica... where are you?His mind is starting to realize that this is not real. This is a dream. Monica disappears from his sight.
KNOWLE
MONICA!She is gone and he stops walking. He turns around to face the campsite again and is immediately slashed across the front of his body by an alien’s claw.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. BEACH – NIGHT
MAY 18, 2007
The campfire cracks and pops in the calm night air. Rain clouds are slowly moving in from the ocean. Knowle Rohrer sleeps, not soundly. He twitches a bit, obviously nearing the end of the dream we just saw. Across the campfire, watching him, is Shannon McMahon. Her machine gun is ready to go at a single breath out of place. Shannon rolls her eyes as Knowle twitches in his sleep again.
SHANNON
(under her breath; annoyed)
Ooh, I’m Knowle Rohrer. I’m having a
bad dream. I’m so big and butch I won’t
admit it when I wake up.She rolls her eyes and looks around the campsite. Makeshift tents are up, all are dark, and their occupants are fast asleep.
Suddenly, Knowle’s eyes fly open and he sits up quickly, his heart is racing, and a small bead of sweat rolls down his face. He looks down the front of his body. His military fatigues are intact, not slashed from any alien claw.
The campfire quietly cracks in the still night.
Knowle calms, collects himself and looks around, meeting Shannon’s watchful eyes.
SHANNON
Bad dream?KNOWLE
(quick to deny)
No.Shannon nods her head, knowing he’d lie about it.
SHANNON
That’s why you woke with a start, breaking
into a sweat, and breathing rapidly?KNOWLE
(sitting up)
It’s nothing.SHANNON
(annoyed)
Lying again.Knowle looks over at her.
KNOWLE
What?SHANNON
Ever wonder why we had so many
problems when we were together?KNOWLE
Because you were a swinger.SHANNON
And because you would never tell
me things. You lied about everything.KNOWLE
Because I had to.SHANNON
(rolling her eyes)
Whatever.She looks away from him.
KNOWLE
I was Special Ops, Shan. It’s not like
I could come home and be like “hey honey,
I disarmed a nuclear bomb. How was your day?”SHANNON
You could’ve at least told me something. For
the most part the only communication we had
happened in sex. And even then, you were somewhere
else or didn’t want to do it at all.KNOWLE
Life of a Special Ops soldier. I couldn’t
tell you things and you would question what
a “paper pusher” like me was doing with wounds
like that on my body. So yeah, I had to lie and
wasn’t always there.SHANNON
You could have told me.KNOWLE
No I couldn’t. I couldn’t trust you
and who you may have accidentally
told during pillow talk.SHANNON
I would’ve understood, Knowle.KNOWLE
No, you would have wanted to
know every detail of every mission.She sits quietly. All right, he has a point there. She would have been too gung-ho about being with a man in Special Forces that she would’ve been nosey. And knowing her, she would’ve got to bragging with some random person during pillow talk about the other guy she was with who did special operations for the Department of Defense.
KNOWLE
Besides, it takes two to fail
a relationship.SHANNON
Like your feelings for Monica.KNOWLE
You were a swinger and then cheated
on me and left me for some General.SHANNON
You were sleeping with some reporter and
a blond woman, remember?KNOWLE
For information to help other people.
(beat) Not because I have an addiction to sex.SHANNON
I got over that because of my
steady relationship with Roger.KNOWLE
I’m happy for you.SHANNON
Yeah, and you’re still addicted to
distancing yourself from others. It’s
no wonder all these years Monica went
with Brad Follmer instead of you.Knowle looks over at her, not very happy.
KNOWLE
What exactly is that supposed to mean?SHANNON
Oh come on Knowle, it’s no secret you two
have this on-going attraction that never
got completely fulfilled and she was just
settling for Brad because you couldn’t emotionally
be there for her. Ever.KNOWLE
Monica loved Brad.SHANNON
And not you. (beat) Knowle, you need to
get over her and move on. She doesn’t share
your feelings for her.KNOWLE
Yes she does.SHANNON
Sure. Keep telling yourself that.KNOWLE
When I was called to Camp Lejeune before
all of this shit happened, I told her that
I love her and she returned the feeling.Shannon looks at him.
SHANNON
Then why isn’t she here with you now? If
you truly loved her, you never would have
left her. (beat) She felt sorry for you.KNOWLE
Shan, I’m not even going to discuss
this with you because you refuse to
open your mind to the possibility that
I can actually love.SHANNON
You never told me you loved me.KNOWLE
Because I have this thing about
being honest with myself. (beat)
Why are we even fighting?SHANNON
Because you can’t admit when you’ve
had a nightmare.KNOWLE
It was just a dream.SHANNON
About what? Her?Knowle looks away from Shannon, lays back down and looks up at the starry night.
KNOWLE
Yeah.SHANNON
(blunt)
Forget about her Knowle. She’s
dead. Just like everyone else.Knowle ignores her. He’s not in the mood for her pessimistic view on every topic brought up. He shuts his eyes, trying to get a little shut-eye.
Oh so quietly, Fox Mulder tip-toes by, hoping not to be noticed.
KNOWLE
(eyes still shut)
Where’re you going, Mulder?Mulder stops. Dead in his tracks. He’s very, very, very still. He’s even holding his breath.
Knowle opens his eyes and looks over at him.
KNOWLE
Fox, for the last time, I’m not
a dinosaur. I can see you when
you don’t move.Mulder doesn’t move.
KNOWLE
For cryin’ out loud. Mulder!Mulder turns to face him.
MULDER
Oh hi.Obviously, he’s guilty. Knowle sits up, Shannon watches on.
MULDER
(guilty)
I didn’t notice you there.Knowle looks down, rolls his eyes slightly.
KNOWLE
Mulder, what are you up to?He’s in no mood for bullshit.
MULDER
I um... well, I was just-KNOWLE
Fox, don’t lie. You wouldn’t
be able to live with yourself.MULDER
(spills the beans)
John asked me to give Dana
some more water and medicine
from Montgomery’s supply bag.Knowle takes in a deep breath, not happy about this.
MULDER
Oh gee... you’re mad at me, I just...
I want to help because I love and
well, Super Buddies, and-KNOWLE
(calm)
Fox, I’m not mad at you. John
just... Please don’t take water
from our supply in secret. We’re
tight as it is, ok?MULDER
Ok. I’m sorry.KNOWLE
It’s all right.MULDER
Should I take it back?Knowle gets to his feet and goes over to him.
KNOWLE
No. I’ll take it.Without hesitation, Mulder hands Knowle the bottle of water and the medicine.
MULDER
I’ll go back to bed now.He scurries off and ducks out of sight into his tent.
Knowle looks down at the water and meds, then over to John and Dana’s tent.
SHANNON
What are you going to do?KNOWLE
I’ll talk to John about this.SHANNON
He can’t keep wasting our supplies
on a lost cause. She’s dead anyway
and the sooner he realizes that-KNOWLE
-STOP!Knowle looks over at her.
KNOWLE
How can you be that way? Dana is a human being-SHANNON
No, she’s a lost cause. We need to think
about those of us who are going to live.KNOWLE
Shannon...SHANNON
You know I’m right.KNOWLE
Yes, Dana’s health is declining, but
is that any reason to not care? To not help-SHANNON
She’s a waste of our supplies. (beat)
You just told Mulder that water is tight,
we don’t have a lot. We’re suffering through
a drought and John wants to use our supply
to comfort her. And the meds – well, don’t get
me started on that. He needs to ball up and
start thinking about the day after she dies.
(beat) You have to tell him this. You’re our lead-KNOWLE
-I’m not our leader.SHANNON
Yeah you are. Like it or not, everyone
looks to you to guide us.He walks away from her, heading towards John and Dana’s tent.
Shannon sits back down, machine gun ready to go.
INT. JOHN & DANA’S TENT - CON’T
Knowle enters the tent, and immediately John’s hand grabs him by the neck and forces him out of the tent. Completely off guard, Knowle stumbles out, almost losing his footing.
DOGGETT
(hushed, harsh whisper)
I’m not going to allow you to
just let her die. If you can’t
handle that, then we’ll leave.Behind Knowle, Shannon stands, her machine gun ready to fire if necessary.
DOGGETT (CON’T)
(hushed, harsh whisper)
She’s a human being for God’s sake,
not an object or a liability.KNOWLE
(choking a bit)
John- I-DOGGETT (CON’T)
(pissed; harsh whisper)
I don’t want to hear it. Anything you have
to say doesn’t matter to me. You don’t care
about her, you’d rather she just die. (beat)
Stay the hell away from her.He gives Knowle’s neck a squeeze, then pushes him to the ground. He walks away from him, back into the tent, back to where he can protect Dana.
Knowle watches him, rubbing his neck, coughs a bit to get his breath back and gets back on his feet.
SHANNON
You all right?Knowle stands, picking up the now half-empty bottle of water that spilled when John pushed him down.
KNOWLE
I’m fine.He heads back to the campfire.
SHANNON
(sarcastic)
That was a nice talk you had with him.Knowle doesn’t respond to her and continues walking towards the Hummer to put the water and meds away.
Shannon watches him walk away from her. Her eyes fixate on John and Dana’s tent. She readies her machine gun and marches over to the tent. If no one else has the balls to take out a liability, she might as well do it herself. She’s the only one man enough to take matters into her own hands.
And just as she’s about to enter the tent, the cold steal of a gun barrel touches the back of her head.
SKINNER
Drop it now.Shannon’s eyes look over at him.
SHANNON
(using her sexy seductive voice)
You want me.SKINNER
I said drop your weapon.SHANNON
(sexy seductive voice)
You want me bad.Doggett quickly exits the tent, gun aimed at her. She looks at him.
SHANNON
(sexy seductive voice)
Ooh. A three-some. I like that.Doggett steps up to her and grabs her weapon from her hands and gives it to Skinner. He doesn’t take his eyes off of Shannon.
DOGGETT
(to Skinner)
Get her the hell away from here.He turns away from them and re-enters the tent.
Skinner watches Shannon, who now turns to face him.
SHANNON
You gonna man-handle me or what?SKINNER
Shut up.He grabs her by the arm and drags her away, just as Knowle comes back, having missed the entire drama Shannon was about to create.
Knowle walks up to them.
KNOWLE
What’s going on?SKINNER
Caught Shannon wanting to take
out Dana with her machine gun.SHANNON
(re: her machine gun)
Call her Betty, bitch.Knowle looks to Shannon with disbelief. This is the last thing he expected to hear... but perhaps it shouldn’t have been...
KNOWLE
Walter, I’d like a moment alone
with her please.Walter nods his head, sensing Knowle’s calm is really hidden anger. He walks away.
Knowle waits a moment until he’s sure Walter is out of eavesdropping range. He looks at Shannon.
SHANNON
What?KNOWLE
That’s all you have to say?SHANNON
She’s a liabi-KNOWLE
(intense)
-That is not your decision to make.SHANNON
It’s a decision you should’ve made
but didn’t have the balls enough to do it.KNOWLE
Dammit Shannon. You have to stop viewing
the others in this group as expendable objects.
This is not a time to be thinking about only
yourself. We have to stick together. We
have to protect people-SHANNON
-I AM protecting the others. Protecting
them from her, using OUR resources.KNOWLE
They are her resources as well Shannon.SHANNON
Then explain to me why a woman on
her deathbed needs to be using our
supplies in order to survive when it’s
inevitable that she will die sooner
rather than later.KNOWLE
We are all going to die one day. It’s not
about that. It’s about being humane.SHANNON
In the condition that she’s in right now,
can you honestly rationalize wasting our
food, our water, and our meds on her? She can barely speak.
She barely remembers who John is, she doesn’t
recognize you or me, and she doesn’t even know
what is going on around her. How do you rationalize
keeping her alive this long, especially if you speak
of doing the humane thing? Would you make a dog suffer
the way she has, or would you put it down to rest?KNOWLE
I have faith-SHANNON
-You don’t believe in God.KNOWLE
Not in God or a higher power. But faith
that there has to be something good for
them. Something more to this war than
just pain and suffering. And maybe that’s
wrong of me to believe in, but that’s the
way I am. I don’t give up on the possibility that -MULDER
- a miracle could happen...Mulder walks up to Knowle and Shannon. Tears are threatening to pour out of his eyes but he manages to hold them back.
MULDER
I believe in miracles, I do, but
I think Shannon may be right here, Knowle.
Scully is suffering more than any of us
ever thought she would. I think whether or not
we admit it, we all thought she’d pass before
she got this bad.KNOWLE
I understand what you are saying, Fox.
But I’m not giving up.MULDER
I’m not saying you should give up.
I think we need to have a heart-to-heart
with Doggett and talk sense into him.
We all know he doesn’t want Scully to suffer
but his own stubbornness and unwillingness to
let her go is what hurts her the most.Knowle looks over at John and Dana’s tent. There’s no way he can get in there to talk to John. The way John has been around him, it’s impossible. He simply doesn’t trust Knowle.
SHANNON
He’s right. John’s out of his mind.Knowle looks at her. And she’s of sound mind? He doubts her ability to make rational decisions when she just tried to kill Scully. Feeling like everyone is against his judgment and wanting to help Scully to the best of their ability, he walks away, heading towards Skinner.
KNOWLE
Walter, a word?Skinner nods his head and follows Knowle a little ways away from the campsite. They stand where John and Dana’s tent is in view to make sure Shannon doesn’t go section 8 on them again.
SKINNER
What is it?KNOWLE
There’s something I’ve got to do, and
I need you to keep an eye on things
while I’m gone.Skinner is about to speak in protest of Knowle leaving the group.
KNOWLE
(quick to continue)
Shan’s a problem.SKINNER
No shit. Why are you planning
to leave the group now? We need
you here with us.KNOWLE
Shan’s too dangerous for us to fight
her alone. When her mind is set on
something, she’ll usually accomplish it.
I have to go to get someone who can
help keep her in check. We’re out numbered,
Walter. Even Mulder is saying that we
should end her life and right now it
seems I’m the only one believing in miracles.SKINNER
When are you leaving?KNOWLE
Tonight.Skinner looks at him for a beat, then eyes the campsite. He’s unsure of Knowle’s decision to leave in a time like this. With Scully on her deathbed, he’s the only one who can keep Shannon in check without the use of complete force or threat.
KNOWLE
Watch over her. Do what you
can to protect her.Skinner looks back to Knowle.
SKINNER
Where are you going?KNOWLE
To bring in the White Elephant.Knowle walks off towards his belongings to find what he needs to take with him on his journey. Skinner watches him for a beat and then returns his attention to John and Dana’s tent. He’s not sure what the White Elephant is, but it must be something damn important if he’s leaving him in charge of keeping Shannon in check, while he’s gone.
TIME CUT TO:
EXT. NEW YORK CITY – THE NEXT DAY
Thunder quietly rolls in the distance. Knowle Rohrer cautiously makes his way through the city, keeping his back up against building walls. The rain and light thunder make traveling into the city more dangerous as Knowle cannot hear all that is around him clearly. It probably would have been wise to come by way of vehicle, but Knowle couldn’t leave the others without a fast get-away if the occasion called for it. He couldn’t risk their lives and decided he would go by foot.
He reaches the edge of a building and quickly peeks around the corner to see if it is safe to cross the alleyway and continue on. Though it probably doesn’t matter since the last time he was here he was told that aliens lived within the very building walls he was using as shelter and protection.
He’s certain he is being watched, even hunted by these aliens. But the risk, in his mind, is worth it.
Remembering his dream and the warning Monica gave him, he is not letting his guard down. He is not underestimating his enemy. Whether he likes to admit it or not, New York City is enemy territory and they have the home court advantage, not him.
A noise behind him elevates his senses even higher. He quickly turns around, seeing nothing but an empty sidewalk, empty stores. He looks up at the construction scaffolding. The hazy plastic covering makes it difficult to see anything. He allows his senses to heighten, but does not hear the sound again. Perhaps he is just paranoid, and with extreme caution he turns around to continue heading in the direction he was going.
He crosses the street, and again he hears a noise. This time, the sound of something small banging up against an old dumpster in the alleyway he just crossed.
His breathing stops as he cautiously backtracks to peek around the corner and look into the alley.
Again nothing.
He stays another moment. For certain he heard something. He looks in the direction he thinks the sound came from. Nothing moves near the dumpster.
And then his dream comes back to him. What if this is a trick for an alien to come up behind him and slash him across the front of his body. He quickly turns around, gun ready to blast. Adrenaline pumping through him.
But there is nothing.
He turns around to where he was looking before. Paranoia starting to cloud his rational judgment and he feels himself loosing control of his senses.
He calms himself with a few deep breaths, not letting down his guard, yet not allowing paranoia to get the better of him.
He is alone.
Until he hears the quiet whimper of a dog. The sound coming from the dumpster in the alley.
He squints his eyes and looks closely at the dumpster, seeing hidden in the shadows the figure of a little dog. A little beagle.
Weakly, the dog emerges from it’s hiding spot. From the spot where this beagle was probably hunting Knowle for his food. And Knowle recognizes the dog as Buddy, John Doggett’s little beagle dog.
KNOWLE
Buddy?The dog weakly makes his way over to Knowle, drenched in the rain, it is a sad and pathetic sight. Knowle bends down, checking the dog’s tags. Yes, it is Buddy.
KNOWLE
How’d you get here old boy?He checks the dog over for injuries. Buddy has scrapes on him, scars on his paws, even part of his ear has been bitten off. He is thin, more so than he should be, obviously lacking food.
Knowle checks his surroundings once again, making sure it is safe, and then leads the dog over to the building wall. He removes his rucksack from his back and sets it on the ground. Buddy sniffs at it as Knowle opens it, retrieving the little bit of food he has with him. He gives the food to Buddy, who eats it without any hesitation.
KNOWLE
You’re all right.He opens his canteen of water and pours some into his hand for Buddy to drink out of.
KNOWLE
I know right now you’re missing
your doggy bed, but I’m going to
need you out here.He pets the dog on the top of the head as he eats more food.
KNOWLE
Bet you’re wishing for a
hot dog stand right about now.
Is that why you came to the big city?Knowle pours more of his water into the cap of a thermos and sets it down for Buddy to freely drink. He sits down, leaning against the building. He rubs Buddy’s head, and his ears as he drinks. Buddy looks up at him with puppy eyes, even more thankful to have found someone to take care of him.
KNOWLE
Looks like you’ve been through
the shit, little guy.Knowle looks closely at Buddy’s ear that has been bitten, a piece of his ear missing. He digs through his rucksack, catching Buddy’s attention which is short lived as he re-finds the food Knowle set out for him. He retrieves a first aid kit and digs through it.
KNOWLE
I’ll get your cuts taken care
of. Make sure you’re a-okay.Buddy finishes his food, and the water from the thermos and crawls into Knowle’s lap, resting his head on him.
Knowle takes Buddy’s paw into his hand and looks at it. One of the cuts is fresh, still red with blood.
KNOWLE
This may hurt a bit.He starts to clean the wound so his paw doesn’t get infected. Buddy doesn’t bother moving even if it does hurt him, he’s just glad to have found someone who can help him.
SMALL TIME CUT TO:
EXT. NEW YORK CITY – 117TH & FREDERICK DOUGLASS BLVD. – EVENING
After taking a few hours to rest and get strength back, Knowle and Buddy both cautiously walk down the sidewalk. Buddy leads, sniffing and using his hunter instincts to navigate through the city.
Ahead of them, Knowle spots the entrance to the subway where he found his old special forces buddy, Ray Douglas – who’s call name happened to be White Elephant back in the days of special forces.
KNOWLE
Come on Bud’.Knowle takes off in a run, heading towards the entrance. Buddy follows and as Knowle makes it to the stairways going down, Buddy freezes and growls quietly.
Knowle stops and looks back at the dog, who looks at him and will not budge from his stance. Buddy is not going down there.
KNOWLE
Buddy. Come.The dog lies down on the wet pavement. He’s not budging
Knowle observes the dog, realizing that he’s telling him it’s not safe to go down there.
KNOWLE
What? Is it aliens? Are they down there?Buddy stares at him.
KNOWLE
If Ray’s not there, where the hell is he?He asks this knowing it’s useless to ask the dog a question. He makes his way up the stairs and Buddy stands up, ready to move away from the subway entrance.
If Ray Douglas isn’t down there, then what the hell happened? When he last saw him he was content being down there. It was safer for everyone. Of course the human-alien ratio in the city favored the aliens... it’s possible the entire Sub Rosa colony that Ray was building has been killed.
How stupid can he be? Coming into the city knowing the risks, yet not knowing for certain if Ray is even alive!
Knowle looks up to the sky. The rain is still falling and with the sun going down, the cloud cover, he’s not going to be able to see if something is coming.
As if on cue, Knowle is suddenly grabbed from behind. The last thing he hears is Buddy barking and then the pain from the amount of blunt force to his head becomes too much and he’s out.
SLOW FADE IN:
INT. ROOM – THREE HOURS LATER
Knowle’s eyes slowly open and can easily adjust to the dim light in the room. His head throbs in pain. He hears the sound of Buddy’s nose sniffing near his head, and then a slobbery pink tongue licks the side of his face.
Knowle moans in pain and looks over at Buddy, who is right in his face, standing on the floor next to the mattress Knowle is laying on. The dog makes a little whimper and nudges Knowle with his nose – he’s obviously been worried for his companion.
RAY DOUGLAS (O.S.)
You could be dead you know.Knowle looks beyond Buddy and sees Ray and another woman sitting at a table. Ray stands up and goes over to him. Buddy growls at him and Knowle sits up.
KNOWLE
It’s all right, Bud.He pats Buddy on the head.
KNOWLE
(not happy)
Why the fuck did you do that to me?RAY
Never can be too careful. Didn’t
know if it was really you or not.
Needed a blood test first.Knowle touches the sore spot on his head, realizing it has been bandaged up.
KNOWLE
You could’ve just asked.RAY
Why are you here?KNOWLE
I need you. (beat) What happened to Sub Rosa?RAY
Remember our last meeting?Knowle nods his head.
RAY (CON’T)
You said they’d wipe us out in less
than a minute of our AC died on us.
(beat) You were right. At the time
we had fifty-seven. Now, just Alex and I.Knowle looks behind Ray at the woman sitting at the table, Alexandra “Alex” McCord.
KNOWLE
(back to Ray)
You lost everyone?RAY
Everyone, everything. (beat) You
remember what I told you about how
many aliens were living in New York, right?KNOWLE
Yeah. Eighty inhabitants in each building.Ray kneels down in front of Knowle.
RAY
And you were still stupid enough to
come into the city with nothing
more than a little dog?KNOWLE
Like I said, I need you.Ray stands and walks across the room to a small stovetop. Knowle looks around the room. It’s a small apartment and all the windows have been sealed shut and reinforced with wooden planks.
Ray comes back over with a bowl of soup.
RAY
Eat this.Knowle takes the bowl and sips at it.
RAY
So you need me?KNOWLE
A woman in my group is dying of cancer.
It’s bad and there’s another who would
rather just blast her away.RAY
Is she a lost cause? A liability?Knowle doesn’t like the sound of this. He came here hoping to bring in a man who would be on his side.
KNOWLE
I don’t give up on people Ray, you know that.
I have faith that something-RAY
Sounds to me like you know what
has to be done. But you’re afraid.KNOWLE
Truth be told, she’s not going to live
and I don’t believe in letting her suffer.RAY
Is she suffering now?KNOWLE
She’s in pain and we have a limited
supply of pain killers.RAY
Save the medication for another
time, Knowle. You know that. (beat)
Did you seriously come here to
hear me say this?KNOWLE
A dream told me to come...He trails off when Ray starts to laugh at him.
RAY
A dream, huh?KNOWLE
Yeah. I was told that I needed
to bring in the White Elephant.RAY
A dream is just a dream, man.KNOWLE
And dreams are answers to questions
we haven’t yet figured out how to ask.
(beat) So perhaps I came here because
you two need me as well.ALEX McCORD
He has a point, Ray.Knowle looks back at her.
ALEX
He safely got into the city,
perhaps he can get us out.RAY
He’ll be hunted, just like
he was being hunted coming in.KNOWLE
And I got out last time.RAY
When I had two of my bravest men.KNOWLE
We have the two of us. The dog
has good senses.RAY
Didn’t sense me.Buddy cocks his head, as if understanding Ray’s doubt in his ability to hunt and sense danger.
KNOWLE
Perhaps he knew you weren’t a threat.Knowle smirks and pats Buddy on the head again.
RAY
Well we can’t leave tonight. This
is when they like to come out and
roam through the city.KNOWLE
Is that why we have this place
boarded up with wood?RAY
It’s all we could find. (beat)
We’ll leave when its safe. Till
then, we should all get some rest.CUT TO:
INT. COMMUNICATIONS ROOM – THE PEQUOD - NIGHT
MAY 23, 2007
Charles Scully sits in front of an old radio with large headphones covering his ears. He looks concentrated, listening to see if he can pick up any frequencies or signals from possible survivors.
Across the room, Eric, the tech geek, watches him. He shakes his head.
ERIC
Why not use this radio?Charles looks over at him as Eric motions to the radio that has the technology the good aliens gave them.
CHARLES
Because I don’t know how it works
and I’m more comfortable with this.ERIC
You were never into the digital age, were you?CHARLES
My wife couldn’t even get me
to buy a digital camera.He looks over to him and smiles proudly.
CHARLES
I still use my old Polaroid camera
I got from my dad when I was just a tyke.He turns his attention back to the old radio.
ERIC
What are you even doing?CHARLES
Trying to find other survivors.
We’re not too far from land now,
maybe we can pick people up.Eric nods his head and pops a Teddy Gram into his mouth.
ERIC
You know, you seem like one of those-He stops talking when Charles raises a hand to shut him up. He turns the dial on the radio.
CHARLES
I think I got something.He turns the volume up on the radio and holds the headphones close to his ears.
CHARLES
Give me pen and paper.He listens intensely as Eric hurries to give him what he needs. Charles starts to write immediately. Eric watches.
ERIC
What is it?CHARLES
Morse code coming though.He continues writing what he hears coming through the frequency. And suddenly, he stops writing. He throws the headphones off his head, grabs the piece of paper and hauls ass out of the room.
CUT TO:
INT. NAVIGATION BRIDGE – CON’T
Captain Scully talks calmly with Roger Thompson. The room is calm and quiet until Charles comes in.
CHARLES
This just came in. Morse code transmission.He hands the piece of paper to his father.
CAPTAIN SCULLY
Is this from our contact?CHARLES
No. Someone else. They’re under attack.
Said reports have been coming in about
massive alien attacks wiping out everything
and everyone in their path.Roger comes over and looks at the piece of paper too.
ROGER THOMPSON
(remaining calm)
They say the attacks start at sunrise.CHARLES
That would be tomorrow morning for us.
Something big is going down and we’re
heading right for the heart of it. (beat)
What’s going on, what this sounds like, is
a battle to wipe out our existence.CAPTAIN SCULLY
(to Charles)
Get on the radio. Contact as many
people as you can and warn them of this.
Day light is burning so don’t dick
around with the old radio. Get Eric
to help you with the new one. It can
find more people in less time.Charles nods his head and leaves the bridge. Captain Scully turns to Roger.
CAPTAIN SCULLY
General, group your men and brief
them in the ready room. Make sure
they are prepared.ROGER THOMPSON
Yes Captain.CAPTAIN SCULLY
Looks like we just entered this war.SMASH CUT TO:
BLINDING BRIGHT LIGHT
FADE TO:
INT. ALIEN HEADQUARTERS – FORMERLY THE PENTAGON – WASHINGTON, D.C.
THAT SAME NIGHT
The room is lit dimly with a cold, gray light. Monica Reyes is in a chair; her arms, legs and head strapped tightly preventing her from moving. Her eyes are forced open and she lets out a terrified scream. Her eyes don’t focus on anything in the room despite being opened. Instead, she is forced to stare into a blinding bright light.
WHAM!
A sharp object is violently slammed into her forehead. She screams, this time in pain.
Her mind is unable to form words as it is being tormented with the unearthly language of the aliens who are holding her captive. Their clicking and other strange noises do not make sense to her, which further worsens her situation.
In her head she can hear the screams of the other psychics who were being held in this building. She hears their screams of suffering even after the aliens have killed them.
Why don’t they kill her? Why are they torturing her? What are they doing to her?
Another pointed object is slammed into the back of both her elbows, causing her more pain. And as this happens, the object in her forehead begins to twist. She screams again as tears stream down her face.
From outside the room, there is a loud explosion! The aliens in the room with Monica look to one another, their dialogue unspoken yet she can still hear it, but not understand it. One of the aliens goes to the door, opens it and is immediately killed by another explosion, which is followed by a BRIGHT LIGHT.
Another alien enters the room, washing a sense of peace and calmness over Monica. Her pain diminishes in this alien’s presence. The alien approaches her, looking into her eyes and as it reaches out for her, we:
WHITE OUT:
TO BE CONCLUDED...
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