CUT TO:
EXT. 10/13/2017 10:13 PM. HOLLY OREGON. Suburban house at dusk. Children are playing outside.
INT. MAN IS WASHING DISHES IN THE SINK WHILE HIS WIFE DRIES PLATES NEXT TO HIM
DARYA
… Because when that whole thing happened, I really thought we were going to die, Miguel. The whole world was about to end.
MIGUEL
What are you talking about?
DARYA
And then that red head medical doctor came by and saved us all from those awful aliens.
MIGUEL
Ummm, huh? I don’t remember that happening. That must have just been a dream or a vision. Dreams are answers to questions we haven’t yet figured out how to ask.
DARYA
I just really hope that our daughter that we gave up for adoption is doing ok.
JUST THEN THE PLATE THAT DARYA IS HOLDING SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODES IN HER HAND WHICH STARTS TO BLEED.
MIGUEL
Oh my God. Are you ok?
MIGUEL RUSHES TO DARYA AND GRABS HER WOUND WITH THE CLOTH HE HAS IN HIS HAND
DARYA
It’s happening again! Oh, I have to go upstairs and tidy this up
MIGUEL
Want me come and help?
DARYA
That’s ok.
Miguel bends down and begins to pick up the shards of broken glass from the broken plate.
CUT TO:
INT. Bathroom. It’s a small and tidy pink powder room. The woman walks up to the sink and stares at her reflection in the mirror
DARYA
(speaking to her reflection)
Everything is going to be ok.
Just then, a humming noise can be heard out the window
DARYA
Miguel? Is that you?
The distant hum gets louder, the woman looks to her left and presses her face out the window. Nothing can be seen but the distant trees
DARYA
Miguel, do you hear that?
Something thuds loudly above the bathroom. The woman opens the window searching for the source of the noise. A breeze ruffles the towels and shower curtain
DARYA
(breathing hard, she looks at her reflection again in the mirror)
Everything’s going to be ok.
A torrent of water rushes into the window flooding the bathroom. The woman screams at the top of her lungs. A slimy object hits the open window shattering it.
CUT TO:
INT. Downstairs. Miguel looks up toward the ceiling
MIGUEL
DARYA? Are you ok?
He looks towards the staircase and notices a pool of water at the bottom. He slowly walks towards it. Water cascades down the stairs from the upstairs powder room. Miguel slowly heads upstairs towards the powder room and opens the door. Darya is dead on the floor and appears to have drowned. Miguel screams. The window and wall are severely damaged. In the distance, a hum echoes into the night. Miguel rushes over to the window and looks out. Very far in the distance what looks like the silhouette of a whale disappears into the night sky.
CUT TO:
Opening credits
INT. 10/14/2017 10:13AM. Mulder’s office. Looks the same as always except Scully has a desk too. Because this has been brought up before and she still doesn’t have one. A letter is on Mulder’s desk with the return address of Walter Skinner whose office is just down the hall. Mulder is sitting at his desk. Scully’s desk is empty.
Scully enters the room just as Mulder opens the letter from Skinner.
SCULLY
Hey Mulder, it’s me.
MULDER
Rise and shine Scully. Looks like we’re going to be… (he pauses as he looks down at the letter in his hands)
SCULLY
What is it Mulder? That looks like lab results of some kind. You know, I am a medical doctor. If you’d let me…
MULDER
No. (he hesitates) It’s a letter of resignation from Skinner
Mulder tears up the letter and throws it in the trash. He puts his head in his hands. Scully gives him a look of concern and platonically puts her hand on his back in a non romantic way even though they’ve been working together for god knows how long. I mean come on they have a child together and may or may not live in the same fucking house. Oh and Mulder has Scully’s ovaries in his refrigerator
MULDER
How could HE do this to me? We’re the only ones who are capable of finding the truth.
SCULLY
Well you know Mulder, Skinner is in his late 60’s. He probably should have retired a long time ago.
MULDER
This is a load of horse manure. They’ve been doing this to me since DAY ONE! This has nothing to do about Skinner. This has to do with them wanting to shut down the X-Files!
SCULLY
Mulder. Listen to me. I want to believe that’s not true. I have to believe that not everyone is out to deceive, inveigle or obfuscate. Skinner is on our side.
MULDER
I just want the TRUTH!!!!
SCULLY
Mulder, I left behind a career in medicine so I could help you find the truth. I want to believe the truth is out there. I have to believe to understand the X-files.
MULDER
So you believe the lie?
SCULLY
What lie?
MULDER
That Skinner is quitting?
SCULLY
All lies lead to the truth isn’t that right Mulder? You can’t deny what is right in front of you. That Skinner is quitting. If you do that then you have to deny everything!
MULDER
Then I guess we will have to trust no one. I have to find the truth.
SCULLY
As Albert Hosteen said, ‘éí ‘aaníígÓÓ ‘áhoot’é’
MULDER
You’re right. Well come here and take a look at this case Scully.
Mulder gestures to Scully to the power point presentation on the brand spanking new flat screen television. State of the fucking art, and obviously up to current times. Mulder and Scully glance at each other in front of this television, as if to be cheeky. Sadly no one else is in the room to get their stupid and obnoxious humor. Next they’ll probably make a fucking joke about Google, Facebook, president Trump, or some other shit that didn’t exist in the 90’s. Like we fucking care! As if the last time these two interacted was in that series 9 bullshit. My god I hate Chris Carter. Just gimme an X-file goddamnit!
The first picture displayed is the woman from the first scene dead on the bathroom floor with water around her.
MULDER
What do you make of this?
SCULLY
Not much. I see she’s covered in water. How did she die?
MULDER
Get this, she drowned. In her bathroom! Her lungs were completely filled with water. And take a look at this.
The next picture comes up on screen. It’s the staircase in the house with water running down the steps.
SCULLY
How did she drown Mulder? This water must’ve come from a leak or something in their house. Did she drown in the bathtub?
MULDER
There’s no indication that she was even in the bathtub. Believe it or not it was bone dry. And so was the sink. And the toilet has been broken for years which has been verified by the forensics team.
SCULLY
Was she alone?
MULDER
Her husband was home at the time. He says he was downstairs finishing the dishes.
Next picture shows a destroyed wall of the powder room with all the rubble in the interior of the house.
SCULLY
Well obviously this could have been caused by some sort of storm…
MULDER
No, perfectly calm day. It appears she drowned for no reason. Looks like you and I are going to be going to the beautiful town of Holly Oregon.
CUT TO:
EXT. 10/14/2017, 10:13 PM plane lands on runway at Portland International Airport
CUT TO:
EXT. 10/15/2017, 11:21 AM Holly Oregon. Clear and sunny afternoon in front of the suburban house from the beginning
Mulder and Scully exit their vehicle and walk towards the house. Scully reviews the X-file on their way to the door.
Mulder glances at the other homes on the street.
MULDER
Whatever damaged their house Scully seems to have singled them out.
Scully looks up from her file and sees that the affected residence is indeed the only house that is damaged. Mulder knocks on the front door.
Scully hesitates as she longs to no longer be working but to retire, or be a medical doctor or something. Mulder touches Scully’s shoulder to distract her from her daydream and they walk together to the front door.
Miguel opens the door. He is clearly distraught.
MULDER
Hi sir. I believe you and I spoke on the phone earlier. My name is Fox Mulder and this is Special Agent Dana Scully.
They display their FBI badges
SCULLY
I am also a medical doctor. (Scully holds up her long expired medical doctor license then shoves it back into her folder)
MIGUEL
Yes. Sorry for the mess. Please come in.
INT. Inside the kitchen
Moments later…
MIGUEL
And no one can explain to me how she died.
SCULLY
Is that your daughter?
Scully gestures towards a picture of a young girl on the mantel above the fireplace. There are no signs of any child having ever lived in the house.
MIGUEL
Yes…
SCULLY
And? I take it she is with relatives?
MIGUEL
Not exactly. You see, my wife DARYA, she suffered from severe anxiety. Just after she gave birth to Kathy, our daughter.
Scully notices behind Miguel’s shoulder an open cabinet an array of DARYA’s prescription bottles.
MIGUEL
She was on medication for her depression. After a while DARYA became very paranoid, specifically that the government was out to get her.
Scully gives Mulder a knowing sort of glance
MIGUEL
It began to ruin the family. I couldn’t control her anymore.
MULDER
Sorry, but what do you mean the government was out to get DARYA?
MIGUEL
Oh, no no I misspoke. DARYA thought the government was out to get our daughter Kathy. I thought she was losing her mind. I tried everything to help her. We tried therapy, moving across the country. It consumed her so much that I worried for, not just her life but our entire family.
SCULLY
Did she have any family or friends that could help?
MIGUEL
Well, she was so paranoid that DARYA alienated herself from everyone. I’ve never even met her family. I thought about leaving her but I couldn’t do that. I was afraid she might kill herself. So we did what any loving couple would do. We changed our daughter Kathy’s identity and gave her up to a random couple for adoption. (he begins to cry).
Scully gives Mulder a look of sadness and holds his hand. Obviously they are thinking of William. Mulder looks at Scully and then fixates on a trashcan behind her. He remembers how Scully believes they just threw William out in the trash. And we roll our eyes because we don’t fucking care about William. Except he has to be brought up in this episode because it’s the finale.
MIGUEL
It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But DARYA recovered. She became a new woman. And things were fine until a few weeks ago.
MULDER
What happened a few weeks ago?
MIGUEL
DARYA, she started having strange visions. About aliens coming to Earth and a plague spreading killing everyone.
SCULLY
I can assure you sir that there’s no truth to this “vision”. (Scully does air quotes with her fingers). It makes no sense.
MIGUEL
Oh I know it makes no sense! You don’t have to tell me that. DARYA talked about a plague, a lady with red hair who would save the world. And some UFO flying above ready to blow her up. Absolutely crazy! A child could come up with more believable story than that.
MULDER
And a better one! I’ve had my share of conspiracy theories for the better part of a decade and mine were never EVER as stupid as DARYA’s vision.
SCULLY
We don’t mean to lack sympathy for your wife. But her visions sound stupid. I’m very sorry that you had to waste your time listening to her nonsense. In fact, I offer you a sincere apology on DARYA’s behalf for the pain you must’ve gone through listening to her bullshit.
MULDER
We all can actually blame this bullshit on a jackass named Christopher Carter. His visions ruined my life.
Miguel and Scully appear to not have heard Mulder and continue their conversation as if nothing happened.
MIGUEL
I understand. I loved her. I just want to know how she died.
SCULLY
Mind if we take a look upstairs?
MIGUEL
Go right ahead. I’ll wait down here.
Mulder and Scully stand up to walk towards the stairs when something beneath Mulder’s shoe crunches. Mulder looks at his shoe and then Miguel
MIGUEL
That’s the plate I told you about that broke in DARYA’s hand.
INT. Stairwell of the house. Mulder and scully begin to walk up the stairs which clearly have water damage. They turn on their flashlights despite the fact there’s a lightswitch on the wall next to them. They speak in hushed voices so Miguel can’t hear them.
SCULLY
I can see water damage down here. Mulder. Why are we here?
MULDER
This woman died of mysterious circumstances. She drowned in an otherwise dry bathroom. Explain that!
SCULLY
Well you did show me a picture of their staircase looking like a waterfall. However I must admit it couldn’t have been deep enough for her to drown in here. I don’t have an explanation for you. Yet. But clearly DARYA was a deranged woman who had mental health issues. You of all people should be able to provide some insight on this since you’re a psychologist. Maybe she died by suicide.
MULDER
Would you go through all of this trouble for suicide Scully? She had a pharmacy’s worth of pills in that cabinet. If she wanted to she could have just taken them.
SCULLY
Well, you’re not suggesting there’s any truth to those visions her husband told us back there…
MULDER
(laughs at Scully’s suggestion) No Scully. Even people like me have limits to what they can believe. None of what her husband told us about those visions made any sense. I don’t believe they’re related to her death. Let’s take a look at this bathroom.
Mulder opens the door to the powder room and they walk inside. DARYA’s body is of course gone.. The wall is partially knocked down. All of the debris is inside the room.
MULDER
Looks like something must’ve hit the house from the outside. All of the debris is on the inside.
SCULLY
For one thing Mulder there’s weather phenomena that can explain this damage. Even on a clear sunny day a microburst could have generated enough wind to knock down the wall.
MULDER
That doesn’t explain her drowning Scully.
SCULLY
Well what do you think it is?
MULDER
I’ve seen cases like this before. There are water apparitions called Rusalka which are the souls of dead women that haunt bodies of water. This neighborhood was built on on an old lake. It was drained in the 1940’s to make this neighborhood. Perhaps this angered the Rusalka spirits.
Scully rolls her eyes
MULDER
There’s also beings called ashrays which are usually friendly beings composed entirely of water and upon disappearing leave behind only a puddle of water.
SCULLY
Mulder…For the sake of argument, if DARYA was attacked by a ghost why, and how, could a ghost destroy the bathroom wall?
MULDER
Not a ghost, Scully. The beings I am referring to have a physical presence in this world. It would be necessary for a being such as the ones I’ve described to break through the wall to get inside.
SCULLY
Mulder, it’s also possible DARYA simply had a case of pulmonary edema or what’s more commonly called dry drowning. It’s when the lungs fill up with water and literally drown the victim from the inside out. Maybe it coincided with strange weather phenomena or…
MULDER
And the damage to the room?
SCULLY
A microburst like I said… or maybe DARYA staged it all. She easily could have ingested one of any number of common household chemicals like herbicide, weed killer, or Tide Pods. Those could cause dry drowning as severe as hers. It makes a lot more sense than DARYA being killed by an evil ghost.
Mulder bends down and sees a damp spot in the corner. He dips his index finger into the spot, smells his finger intently, then licks it
SCULLY
Ewww (she winces)
MULDER
And, how do you explain that this is ocean water?
SCULLY
What?
MULDER
It’s salt water.
SCULLY
I’ll take some samples, Mulder, and bring them with me to Quantico.
MULDER
I’ve got a few more leads I want to check on in town.
Mulder and Scully exit the bathroom
FADE TO:
EXT. Underwater base in the pacific Ocean outside Seattle Washington.
INT. Cigarette Smoking Man is in a wheelchair smoking a cigarette. Monica Reyes stands next to him, both of them stare intently at a blue radar screen.
CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN
Well Monica, it seems that our plans are working so far…
He puffs a plume of smoke from his cigarette.
MONICA
Yes it does. I brought you something…
She reaches into sleek leather jacket pocket and pulls out a vaping pipe. She grabs the cigarette from his mouth, throws it onto the floor and steps on it with a twisting motion. Monica then sticks the shiny and futuristic looking vape into Cigarette Smoking…I mean Vapor Smoking Man’s… mouth
VAPOR SMOKING MAN
Why thank you. (blows a plume of smoke from the vaporizer, this time the smoke is green).
MONICA
These are supposed to be much better for your health. I switched to these years ago.
A beeper in Vapor Man’s pocket goes off. He looks at it and puts it away and faces Monica again.
VAPOR SMOKING MAN
It seems we’ve hit a roadblock with our plans.
On the screen in front of them, live CCTV of Mulder crossing an intersection pops up.
MONICA
Mulder.
VAPOR SMOKING MAN
Yes, he has a knack for getting in my way.
MONICA
If you know where he is at all times, why don’t you just poison him, or shoot him? Or hit him with a car?
VAPOR SMOKING MAN
(blows a plume of smoke into the screen)
Monica, we’d be turning one man’s quest into a crusade.
MONICA
Well then maybe we should take away from him that without which he cannot live without.
VAPOR SMOKING MAN
Of course. This time I’ve already planned for this. And you’re crucial to my plan.
MONICA
And when it’s over you’re not going to kill me are you?
VAPOR SMOKING MAN
We still have in our possession the vaccine. A vaccine against the colonists. This time next month the alien colonists will invade, and with your help the aliens will have no choice but to form an alliance with us. After we take over the world we will annihilate them and the syndicate will rule the world.
Monica’s phone buzzes she pulls it out and looks at the screen.
-Monica it’s me. Listen I am back in DC working on a case. Mulder really thinks I can solve this one being that I am a medical doctor and all. I’d love to catch up.
MONICA
Dana’s reaching out. Perhaps I should travel back to Washington. I could spy on Dana and Fox as an FBI agent.
VAPOR SMOKING MAN
We can’t afford another mistake (he blows a green plume of smoke into Monica’s face)
MONICA
I know what I am doing.
The radar flashes on screen, as the radar line circles around the screen a few large shapes begin to emerge around the base.
FADE TO:Black
> FADE IN
INT. Mulder takes his last bite of pie at a local diner. He glances down at his phone which just beeped.
-Hey Mulder. It’s me.
-Listen I just got back from driving to DC. They’re saying it’s deionized salt water.
(Mulder looks frustrated and types)
-Ok, I don’t understand. I will get back to you
Mulder puts away his phone and looks up
MULDER
Excuse me. Could I get another slice of the potato pie?
A waiter sets a slice of pie down in front of Mulder.
WAITER
Mulder?! What are you doing here?
MULDER
John?! John Doggett? I should be asking you the same question. Scully and I are out here working on case. She just drove back to Washington.
DOGGETT
Wow. Dana, she’s ambitious that one is. Just like Monica. Well, Walter and I have dreamed about opening up a house of pies restaurant. So… yeah. Walter just retired from the FBI and he’s headed out here to help me with this establishment.
MULDER
What are the chances we’d run into each other like this?
DOGGETT
Who knew right? This case you’re working on, it’s not some other crazy X-file of yours is it?
MULDER
Well. Yeah. Have you heard about the woman in Holly who drowned in her house?
DOGGETT
Yeah, maybe a little bit. You know people coming in and talking to Walter and me. Small town stuff. I have been trying to stay away from this nonsense since I quit. People talk you know. People have been saying they’ve been hearing weird noises. I haven’t heard anything. I try not to get involved.
MULDER
We could save people if we knew what happened to this woman.
DOGGETT
The X-Files, Mulder, they’re cursed. You’d best leave them alone. They’re not safe. Not for you and not for Dana.
Glass shatters from the back room. A lady shouts that she needs John’s help to pick up the broken pieces
DOGGETT
(looks behind him towards the commotion and then back at Mulder)
Listen Mulder I really don’t have time for this. Walter and I finally have gotten away from all of that X-File craziness. I have to help Linda. But you and Scully can come back whenever you want. Pies on the house… at our house of pies. (he winks at Mulder, turns and walks away)
John Doggett leaves through the door behind the counter. Mulder turns and observes the other patrons in the house of pies. Behind him he sees an elderly husband and wife. The elderly man fools around with his hearing aid. His wife sitting across from him speaks to him but he clearly cannot hear her.
ELDERLY WOMAN
This is the third set of hearing aids you’ve tried. Just write down what you want to say!
ELDERLY MAN
What?
ELDERLY WOMAN
Here write it down!
She hands him a piece of crumpled paper and an old pen from her purse. Mulder stands up from his seat and walks towards the couple. The man begins to scribble on the paper his wife handed him
MULDER
Can I help you with anything? My name is Bob, I’m an FBI agent
ELDERLY WOMAN
Oh no thank you sir. It’s alright. My husband here, his hearing aids broke again.
The elderly man hands back the crumpled paper to his wife. Scrawled in poor handwriting it reads “my hearing aids are screwed up again”
ELDERLY WOMAN
(Turns to her husband) I know!!!
ELDERLY MAN
What?
The elderly woman sighs and holds her hand up to her husband signaling him to stop talking. She turns and faces “Bob” giving him her undivided attention
MULDER
It might work better if you write things down for your husband since he can’t hear you. You’re doing it backwards.
ELDERLY WOMAN
Oh I’m sorry Bob. Well if you could please excuse me and husband we are trying to eat in peace.
MULDER
I didn’t mean to offend you.
ELDERLY WOMAN
Then please leave us alone. I am quite capable of taking care of my husband on my own.
ELDERLY MAN
(looks at Mulder then at his wife)
What does the gentleman want Lydia?
MULDER
I’m just curious about your hearing aids. (Mulder turns to Lydia). This is his third pair?
LYDIA
Yes. In the last month. They can’t seem to find anything wrong with them. After a few days every pair we try just stop working.
MULDER
May I take a look at them?
LYDIA
Well, he’s using them…
MULDER
Maybe one of his old pairs?
LYDIA
Oh, let me take a look.
Lydia reaches into her purse and pulls out a plastic baggie with hearing aids inside.
LYDIA
You think you can fix them?
MULDER
I’d like to get the analyzed if you don’t mind. I won’t be able to fix them but I hope to find out what is causing them to break.
LYDIA
Fine. Here, take them. Please, me and my husband would love to finish our pies in peace.
MULDER
I’ll let you know if I find anything.
Mulder walks out the front door
ELDERLY MAN
Did that man just steal my hearing aids?
Cut to:
EXT. 10/15/2017 3:23 PM Soba Noodle Shop Washington DC. Monica and Dana leave the restaurant and are deep in conversation. Both are holding umbrellas as it is raining outside.
MONICA
So you drove here all the way from Oregon? And you made it here in time to meet me for lunch?
SCULLY
Well yeah… (she shrugs as if it’s no big deal)
MONICA
How come we haven’t spoken all of these years? We were best friends. I helped you birth William. I mean if we’re to believe the shit in season 10 that has happened the last year is reality.
SCULLY
Well, I’ve come to realize that the people Agent Mulder and Doctor me speak to usually end up dead. So I stopped talking to you for your protection. Even though I am a medical doctor, Monica, there are limits to my abilities to stop people from dying. By not talking to you then there was no chance you could die. It’s a lot like this cross I wear around my neck (Scully grasps the cross we’re duly familiar with and holds it up for Reyes to see). I don’t even take this off when I shower anymore.
MONICA
Well have you moved to a new apartment? You’ve been kidnapped from there how many times? I’ve wondered why you kept that place…
A car horn blares next to them and the vehicle almost hits a biker crossing the street. Scully and Reyes look over for several moments until they are sure everyone is ok.
MONICA
I have to apologize about last week. About how I worked with CSM.
SCULLY
Honestly, I forgot about that. Monica you are my best friend. You delivered my baby William. (Scully gives Monica a hug). It’s all water under the bridge.
MONICA
Well, speaking of water there is something I feel I should tell… (Scully’s phone rings)
SCULLY
Hang on I have to get this. (she reaches in her pocket and answers the phone) Hello this is Doctor Agent Dana Scully MD.
MULDER
Hey Scully it’s me.(Mulder is standing in an electronics repair store with a lab technician behind him who analyzed the hearing aids. A fancy wavelike sound graph is on the computer screen in the background). I think I have a lead on what might be going on in this town here.
SCULLY
Well I’m way ahead of you on this one. What did you find?
Monica pulls on Scully’s arm impatiently, Scully holds up her finger in a wait one minute gesture and continues her phone call
MULDER
First, I ran into John Doggett, seems he and Walter opened up a House of Pies.
SCULLY
Yes. We weren’t supposed to tell you. Skinner was afraid you might punch him again.
MULDER
What? I was drugged, Scully. People’s hearing aids have been going on the fritz here. I had an elderly man’s hearing aids analyzed and guess what? We were able to reverse engineer how they were destroyed.
SCULLY
I don’t understand the connection Mulder…
MULDER
People in the town have reported hearing strange noises at night. The elderly’s hearing aids have been malfunctioning. They are breaking from an extra sonic-noise, an intermittent inaudible noise to the human ear. Yet somehow this noise is picked up by the hearing aids causing them to blow out. Some people can hear this noise.
SCULLY
What? Well what does that have to do with our drowning victim?
MULDER
I don’t know exactly but I’m sure it’s connected. Press record on your phone I’m going to play it for you. We were able to isolate the sound I believe is connected to this case. Here Scully take a listen.
Mulder holds his phone up to the speaker of the computer behind him. Strange and creepy noises emanate from Scully’s phone. It’s the same hum from the beginning that DARYA heard out her window.
MONICA
(She leans over towards Scully’s phone listening…) Whale song? (she looks around in alarm and turns around to run away)
SCULLY
(turns and sees Monica) Monica? MONICA!!! Mulder I’ll call you back! (she shoves her phone into her pocket)
Monica sprints down the street away from Scully. Scully drops her umbrella and begins to pursue Monica. A chase ensues down several streets, in front of cars, very dramatic of course. They both stop on a bridge that runs over the raging Potomac. Monica climbs and stands on top of the bridge railing and stares down at the river below. She turns around and looks at Dana. Black oil swims through her eyes. Scully stops and stares at Monica and puts her hand up as if to say stop.
SCULLY
Monica stay where you are. Don’t do anything stupid. We can work through this. You just have to tell me what’s going on. I don’t understand
MONICA
I can’t control it Dana. It’s VSM. He’s injected me with this virus. It’s why I’ve been working for him.
SCULLY
Monica. Listen to me. Come with me. I am a medical doctor. I’ve seen the cure for it. I can help you.
MONICA
You can’t help me. Besides, the whole world is in jeopardy. And it’s all because of him. He’s using me. You have to find the digital tape.
SCULLY
THE Digital Tape?!
Monica turns around and faces the river
SCULLY
Monica. Come with me please!
MONICA
We all come from whales, Dana. And as you said, it’s all water under the bridge.
Monica makes some whale noises. She closes her eyes and gracefully dives into the river. Just after disappearing beneath the surface, a humpback whale jumps out of the water in almost a Free Willy sort of way with Reyes sitting on top. The whale and Reyes splash back down into the river and disappear under the surface and never reemerge.
SCULLY
Monica!!!!!
Cut to: Commercial break
INT. House of Pies. Mulder walks into the house of pies and sees John and Walter standing behind the counter.
WALTER
(puts his hand on John’s shoulder)
If you don’t mind I’m going to sit down and catch up with Mulder for a bit.
MULDER
Hey you two. I’m not interrupting anything am I?
JOHN
No, it’s just the busy time of the day. You guys have a seat and I’ll join you in a minute.
Mulder and Walter walk to the nearest booth and have a seat. Linda the waitress stops over.
LINDA
Can I get you guys anything?
SKINNER
He’ll have a piece of the sweet potato pie. I’ll just have some coffee Linda, thanks.
As Linda heads to the back, the coffee pot near the kitchen door spontaneously explodes. Mulder and Skinner turn to look back
WALTER
(turns back to Mulder)
This keeps happening around here.
MULDER
(whispering) The broken glass…
Flashback shows Mulder stepping on the broken glass at Miguel’s home just in case you weren’t paying attention… you guys…
WALTER
What Mulder?
MULDER
The broken glass. It’s the sound! I think the low level hum… the sound that’s breaking the hearing aids… it’s the same thing that is breaking the glass!
WALTER
Ummmm, (he gives Mulder a questioning look)
MULDER
It’s this case Scully and I are working on. A woman drowned in her home and…
Mulder’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out and sees it’s Scully calling.
SCULLY
Hi Mulder, it’s me. Something, well something really strange just happened. I was with Monica…
MULDER
Who?
SCULLY
Monica. (there’s silence for several seconds, clearly Mulder has no recollection of Monica Reyes) Mulder… the agent who delivered William.
MULDER
Ok… (he clearly still doesn’t remember)
SCULLY
And when you played that sound over the phone, it was bizarre. She said something about whale songs. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, and I want to believe, but then she… she imitated the same sounds and rode a whale under the Potomac…
MULDER
And this was when she heard the sounds from this man’s hearing aids?
SCULLY
Yes. I don’t understand the connection at all or how this relates to our case. And Mulder, she’s infected with the black oil alien virus.
MULDER
Purity Control?
SCULLY
We need that digital tape. I’ll be right there. I don’t have time to explain.
Scully hangs up the phone
MULDER
(Speaking to himself under his breath)But… The digital tape? The one from way back when? (he sighs, looks at his phone and sticks it back in his pocket).
WALTER
(he clearly was being nosy and listening in to the conversation) Mulder, the digital tape…
MULDER
Yeah…
WALTER
I have the digital tape.
MULDER
What the eff skinner?
WALTER
After Krycek died, or when we think he might have died, I was hoping that somehow there’s a cure in there for those nanobot thingies he put in my blood. I’ve kept it safe.
MULDER
Jesus Christ! We all have the worst luck! (Mulder pushes away his sweet potato pie) Are the nanobots contagious? Don’t you think you should have thought about this before you opened a restaurant and served food to all of these people?
SCULLY
Hand it over Skinner!
Mulder and Skinner look up at the entryway and see Scully has just burst in the front doors. Her car is still running half parked on the curb and street in front of the restaurant. And she has a gun pointed at Skinner.
WALTER
What? Ok ok… Let me go get it. I hope you two know what you’re getting yourselves into. Be careful and trust no one.
Walter walks to the back
MULDER
Scully are you ok? What happened?
SCULLY
Of course I’m ok, I’m a medical doctor, Mulder. Those sounds you played on the phone. I think they’re whale songs. The way Monica reacted…
MULDER
Scully we need to find out if she is connected to this case.
SCULLY
I’ve no doubt in my mind that she is, somehow.
Mulder quickly explains to Scully about how he thinks it’s the sounds, perhaps whale sounds, are what are breaking everyone’s hearing aids and glass.
MULDER
… and the salt water. Scully listen to me. We found salt water at the crime scene. Maybe that whale and Monica are involved. That would explain the salt water… ocean water. Maybe the virus she was exposed to is making her do this.
SCULLY
Mulder… Holly Oregon is a long long way from the ocean. And Washington DC is even further.
MULDER
I am sure the truth can be found in the X-files, and possibly on that digital tape. I need you to find out what else is on that tape.
SCULLY
I am going to go back to Washington and see if we can triangulate the source of the hum. And what are you going to do?
MULDER
Learn about whales
Cut to: Underwater looking up at a circular airlock at the bottom of some underwater base. A whale swims by with Reyes holding on to its fin. She lets go of the whale and swims up into the airlock
INT: VSM’s base. Vaping man is sitting in a chair in front of a computer next to a young man standing next to him. From a pool in the center of the submarine, Reyes appears, climbs out walks up to them.
VSM
(without turning around) It seems we have hit a snag in our plans Monica. (he presses some keys on the computer and a screen of a UFO in outer space pops up onto the screen)
REYES
On the contrary, everything is falling into place.
The young man standing next to VSM turns around and faces Monica.
YOUNG MAN
I will sidetrack Mulder and Scully. You, so far, have been useless stalling them. As their son, they will have no choice but to cease investigating our plans.
REYES
William…
VSM
The alien ship will arrive tomorrow and our final plans will be set into motion. Without Scully and Mulder in our way we will finally have prevailed. Monica, if you could be so kind, I need you here to be our… communicator, with the sea beasts.
EXT Holly Oregon Public Library
Mulder enters the library. In the foreground is the silhouette of William.
INT. THE LONE GUNMAN OFFICE
Scully is in a lab coat. She and a Byers are standing over the digital tape
SCULLY
So you can’t get through this encryption…
BYERS
It’s 128bit encryption on top of something I’ve never seen before.
LANGLY
Probably developed by our government so we’ll never be able to figure it out
FORHIKE
Unless you guys have contacts at the NSA.
SCULLY
Most of the people I know now are from the hospital. Could it be written in Navajo? Isn’t that how it was protected?
LANGLY
Ummm… no… But it looks like here maybe we can enter a password!
Scully frantically searches the room and sees a poster of a battlefield…
SCULLY
Shiloh! Try that
LANGLY
(enters “shiloh” into the password field) No, that didn’t work.
SCULLY
Damn!
Just then Scully’s phone rings. She reaches into her lab coat and answers it
SCULLY
Doctor Agent Dana Scully
MULDER
Hey Scully it’s me. How’s it coming along
SCULLY
Mulder, I’m working on cracking this digital tape. We’ve already triangulated the source of the hum and it’s coming from… the Pacific Ocean, just off the coast of Oregon.
MULDER
(from inside the library)
That makes a lot of sense Scully. I’ve been doing some research on whales and they are most certainly the cause of the hum. I think somehow Cigarette Man is using these whales to communicate to the aliens!
SCULLY
Aliens? (Langly glances back to Forhike and Byers who all exchange confused looks. Scully notices and walks away from him a bit and speaks more softly) Aliens Mulder?
MULDER
Yes. And I think Monica is at the center of this
SCULLY
Even if so, Mulder, this doesn’t explain how this woman in Holly Oregon drowned in her bathtub.
MULDER
Actually… it does. It turns out that woman was Monica’s biological mother.
SCULLY
You’re not serious…
MULDER
The child they gave away for adoption, Kathy. That was Monica.
I think Monica summoned the whale to attack her mother. And get this Scully, according to the legends I’m reading, there are stories of whales actually leaving the ocean. In fact, some people believe that whales prefer to be airborne, that their presence in the ocean is only transient. That must’ve been what happened to Monica’s mother! During a migration through the air, Monica must’ve summoned the whale using whale songs and directed that whale to kill her mother.
SCULLY
I’ve heard you say some pretty outlandish things Mulder, but I think this takes the cake. You’re saying that a whale flew out of the ocean and murdered DARYA?
MULDER
How many times have I been right, Scully? We have a woman who is connected to these whales and her mother inexplicably died in what I believe to be a flying whale attack…
SCULLY
Mulder…
MULDER
It explains everything, the low level hum, the salt water! Reyes must have directed the whales to kill her mother under the influence of Purity Control.
As they are talking a few books fall from behind Mulder, an irritated patron sitting at table shush’s Mulder
IRRITATED MAN
(whispering) Can you take that phone call outside?
MULDER
(walks forward to pick up the fallen books and begins whispering) Scully, I think we’re close.
SCULLY
Well, I’ll keep looking into this digital tape. Whatever’s going on I’m sure the truth is in this tape.
A stack of books falls off the shelf next Mulder and scatter onto the floor.
SCULLY
What was that.
Mulder ignores her. Mulder picks up the books and tries to return them to the shelf when he sees a pair of eyes staring at him from the other side of the shelf. The person quickly turns and walks off.
SCULLY
Mulder is everything ok?
MULDER
Scully I’ll call you right back.
SCULLY
Muld…
Mulder hangs up the phone
Mulder realizes whoever it is was probably spying on him and begins to pursue the follower. Mulder walks to the end of the bookshelves and looks down the next few aisles and sees nobody. Mulder quietly walks through the library peering down several sections.
Eventually he turns and sees an emergency exit door close. Mulder quickly walks through the door and is in a dark creepy stairwell and pulls out his flashlight. He looks down the spiral staircase and sees nobody in the darkness.
He walks down several flights of stairs and just as he is about to give up someone bumps him from behind.
Mulder brandishes his gun and points it at the unsuspecting person who screams at Mulder
MULDER
Sorry! Sorry. (he flashes his FBI badge). Someone was following me and came down these stairs. Did you see which way he went?
WOMAN
(in disbelief and clearly shaken) He just went through the door behind me.
MULDER
Thanks. (he brushes passed her and walks through the door which leads outside).
Standing in an alley beside the library Mulder looks left and right, sees a man dressed in black in a trench coat walking away from him.
MULDER
FBI! Stop where you are. Put you hands where I can see them.
The figure runs at this point and a chase ensues.
MULDER
Stop or I’ll shoot!
Eventually, after rounding a corner, the pair runs into a parking lot full of cars. The figure is about 50 yards ahead of Mulder. Mulder sees the figure, points his gun in the air and fires upward. The man stops in his tracks.
MULDER
Next shot will be in your arm if you try to run away again!
The trench coat man stands up with his hands on his head and slowly turns around and faces Mulder. With his gun still drawn, Mulder walks up to the man and pats him down.
MULDER
Why are you following me? Who are you?
The man doesn’t respond.
As Mulder pats him down he pulls out from his jacket a vape and his wallet. Inside the wallet Mulder finds a picture of himself and Scully. Mulder looks at the man’s face in confusion.
WILLIAM
It’s me… dad.
MULDER
William?
MULDER
What are you doing here? Why are you running?
WILLIAM
Cancer Man sent me. I was sent to kill you. After I saw your face I got scared and realized how wrong this is of me to do this.
Mulder’s phone buzzes in his pocket, clearing receiving text notifications. He ignores it.
WILLIAM
You need to stop pursuing this case. Fox. Or he’s going to have you killed.
MULDER
Cancer Man?
WILLIAM
Yes. If you stop investigating this case I can come out of hiding permanently and we can all be a family again.
MULDER
It’s very dangerous for us to be talking to each other William. We worked hard to hide you.
Mulder’s phone rings. He pulls it out of his pocket and sees it’s Scully
MULDER
Mulder.
SCULLY
Hey Mulder it’s me.
MULDER
Hey Scully it’s me.
WILLIAM
Is that mom?
SCULLY
Is that William?
MULDER
Yeah William that’s mom.
WILLIAM
Dana it’s me!
Mulder backs away from William slightly for some needed privacy.
SCULLY
(whispering) Mulder, you have to kill him now!
MULDER
What?
SCULLY
Don’t ask questions. You have to shoot him in the back of the neck. Now. Trust me!
MULDER
(turns around and faces William) Look at that! (Mulder points in the opposite direction. William turns around and faces away from Mulder). Mulder takes out his gun and shoots him in the back of the neck. Green acid squirts out the back of his neck as he falls to the ground. Mulder puts his arm up to shield his eyes and runs
SCULLY
What’s going on Mulder, are you OK? You need to get out of there before you get caught.
MULDER
(still running) I’m headed back into the library. You’re right. That wasn’t William.
He goes back into the emergency exit and back into the library. People are rushing out the front to see where the gunshot came from. Some of the crowd heads into the parking lot.
SCULLY
There’s no way he can ever find us. You and I ensured that when we hid him.
MULDER
He said he was working for Cancer Man.
SCULLY
It doesn’t matter. Listen we’ve cracked the digital tape. (Scully turns and looks Langly, Frohike, and Byers who actually did all of the work)
MULDER
What did you find?
SCULLY
There’s mention of a cure for Skinner, but even better, Mulder, there is an organic compound described in reference to “merchandise”. (Scully walks over to Frohike’s computer, grabs a sharpie and circles the word “merchandise” on the screen. He glares at her as she turns around and continues her phone conversation) Now we know that this merchandise was really humans the Syndicate was experimenting on in the 50’s.
MULDER
An organic compound, is it something that could be manufactured?
(police sirens grow louder the background. Mulder walks out the front door of the library. Police exit their vehicles and walk towards the library parking lot. Mulder heads towards his rental car)
SCULLY
Yes, I’m going to synthesize it here in a few minutes actually.
(All three of the Lone Gunmen turn around and look super pissed off at her, clearly unsure how they’re going to accomplish the impossible task, and also that she took all the credit).
MULDER
When you’re finished all of that I think you should come meet me here in Oregon. I think something is going to happen soon. I think we need to be at the origin of this mysterious hum.
SCULLY
For once, I agree with you.
Mulder enters his car. As he does this, some cops gather around the green pool of acid which was once Imposter William.
POLICE OFFICER #1
(bending over the green acid holding some cloth in front of his face as protection from the fumes) Well, I don’t think anyone was shot… despite the reports. There’s no body…
POLICE OFFICER #2
It looks like garbage. Let’s just clean this up.
The two officers grab a pair of shovels from their cars and proceed to dispose of the acid pool into a nearby dumpster.
Cut to: commercial break
INT: VSM’s underwater base. VSM and Monica are watching a video feed of the UFO approaching. On a second screen, the radar blips, the red dots that were previously surrounding the submarine are bigger, closer, and can now be discerned as whales.
MONICA
William failed.
VSM
Don’t worry (he puffs a puff of… vape). Everything is going according to plan. I actually anticipated that William would not be able to delay Mulder and Scully. This is the endgame, Monica, and in chess, what matters is checkmate. Sometimes we sacrifice our pieces, a knight here, a pawn there. It’s easy to overlook the masterplan.
MONICA
Mulder and Scully, they’re on to us. They’re going to figure everything out (black oil swims in front of Monica’s eyes).
VSM
Tomorrow morning, I want you to have the sea beasts communicate to our friends that preparations are complete, and that the invasion is set to begin tomorrow, November 21.
MONICA
That’s right. On a holiday, a day when everyone is home with their families. Tomorrow, on World Hello Day.
VSM
No one would suspect anything could happen on such an occasion. The president is going to declare a national emergency. And FEMA will become the new government. Who would have thought that while celebrating world Hello Day, the world will be saying “hello” to some new found intergalactic friends.
MONICA
And some oceanic friends (she turns and faces the pool at the center of the base and makes some weird moaning noises).
Cut to: EXT of the base, whales are gathered around the base. As the whale sounds from Monica echo through the ocean, more and more whales converge around the base.
Cut to: Sky: A shadowy saucer shaped UFO far in the distance begins to appear.
Cut to: commercials
Cut to: Ext: 10:13 AM 11/21/2017 Somewhere near the coast of Oregon, Mulder is driving a rental car towards the ocean.
INT: Mulder’s rental car
Mulder twists the knobs on the radio to tune in to some music when he reaches a local news station.
Local fisherman just off the coast of Oregon have reported seeing a strange UFO in the sky. Local KYW reporter in the area can confirm the sightings and is on sight with an eyewitness
Mulder’s cellphone rings so he picks it up
SCULLY
Mulder, It’s me.
MULDER
Hey Scully it’s me. You should get down here. I think something big is going to happen.
SCULLY
That’s why I am calling. I’m just nearby
MULDER
Is that you waving? You don’t need to show me your Medical Doctor Badge
SCULLY
Yes it’s me!
Mulder stops and picks Scully up who has an overnight bag with her, obviously with important supplies. They switch seats so now Scully is driving.
Cut to: Broadcast is interrupted by a severe thunderstorm warning
MULDER
We’re near the fishing pier.
Several minutes later, they drive up to a fishing pier. They get out of the car and begin to walk along the coast. They see a fisherman speaking to the radio interviewer. And sure enough, up in the sky, in the distance is the UFO.
Mulder’s phone rings and he picks it up.
VSM
You’re a hard man to get a hold of.
MULDER
Whatever you have planned it’s not going to work.
VSM
You’re already too late. You see. As we speak you failed to keep your guard up.
A whale jumps from the ocean and hovers in the air just behind Scully. It opens its mouth revealing Monica Reyes inside. Monica grabs Scully.
SCULLY
Let go of me!
MONICA
I tried to warn you. I’m under his control. (Monica makes some whale noises).
The whale opens its mouth and Monica throws Scully inside.
MULDER
SCULLY!!!!
VSM
Alright Monica. It’s time to execute!
Monica makes some more whale noises. At that moment the whale rises higher into the sky with Monica standing on its head. More and more whales rise up out of the water and into the sky, gracefully hovering, heading upwards towards the UFO in the sky.
Monica makes more whale noises, which causes the whales to sing in harmony with each other towards the UFO which responds to their song. Clearly, for some reason, the whales were needed to communicate with the extraterrestrials. It gets bigger and closer until it’s merely hundreds of meters from Monica’s flock of whales, which are hovering in the sky. The whole scenario looks very ominous
MULDER
What are they going to do?
VSM
Under my direction, using the whales as communication through Monica, We and the aliens are going to invade the planet.
MULDER
This was your plan the whole time.
VSM
I’ve waited decades to see this in person.
A submarine, Cancer Man’s submarine, surfaces below the scene of whales and the UFO. The whales make more sounds and the UFO responds, it begins to glow ominously red.
MONICA
And NOW!!!!
As Monica shouts this. A beam shines down from the UFO directly to VSM’s submarine.
VSM
Wha??? Monica what are you doing? This isn’t supposed to be how it works.
MONICA
This is to get back at you for years of torture and servitude!!!
The red beam glows brightly and blasts the submarine, resulting in a huge splash. The submarine sinks below the surface. The UFO disappears into the sky.
Monica looks down. She sings some more whale sounds, the whales that had gathered fly in a V formation towards the horizon while the one she is on gracefully floats down from the sky in front of Mulder.
A close up of Reyes’ eyes reveals no more black oil. Reyes makes another sound and the whale she is riding on opens its mouth revealing Scully, who was never swallowed and never harmed, though she is a bit disoriented. The whale then takes off into the air and flies in the direction of the other whales.
MULDER
You’re alive!
Scully stands and walks towards Mulder and shakes his hand.
Monica jumps off the whale and walks up to Mulder and Scully
MONICA
I want to thank you two, and especially you Dana, for getting that awful disease out of my system.
Mulder looks at Monica then to Scully clearly confused. Scully reaches out and shows Mulder an empty syringe.
MULDER
You injected her?
SCULLY
Yes, just before she threw me into the whale’s mouth. It’s the vaccine I made using the instructions from the digital tape.
MONICA
Are we all OK?
MULDER
Seems so.
SCULLY
(Clutches her cross necklace)
Whale all be fine!
Cut to: Dana sitting at her laptop computer at night while typing.
Voiceover: Addendum to Case 10131121
Agent Mulder and I have persevered yet again on another challenging case. Monica has since gone into hiding and cannot substantiate Mulder’s claims as to the events of 11/21/2017. Despite numerous eye-witnesses and circumstantial evidence surrounding the death of Darya, we have insufficient data to support Mulder’s theory that whales can in fact, fly. VSM’s underwater base, submarine, and body still have not been located.
Curiously, the vaccine we used to cure Monica also eradicated the disease afflicting former assistant director Walter Skinner. Once again, we leave yet another X-File with more questions than we do answers.
Case 10131121, closed… but unresolved
Fade Out
Mulder and Scully's Travel Expenses 