X FILES LYCEUM
409 TUNGUSKA

By Jo and John

"Come on out, you dirty rat."
James Cagney Taxi

SYNOPSIS

SENATE SELECT SUBCOMMITEE INTELLIGENCE AND TERRORISM WASHINGTON DC
HONOLULU AIRPORT US CUSTOMS TEN DAYS EARLIER
FLUSHING, QUEENS NEW YORK CITY 3:07 AM
WAREHOUSE
DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HERNDON, VIRGINIA
CRYSTAL CITY, VIRGINIA 11:02 PM
NASA-GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER GREENBELT, MD
FBI HEADQUARTERS 11:17 AM
SCULLY'S CAR
UPPER WEST SIDE NEW YORK CITY 12:36 PM
JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT NEW YORK CITY
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
SKINNER'S OFFICE
TUNGUSKA, SIBERIAN FOREST RUSSIA
GULAG
SENATE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING
TESTING ROOM

Scully risks Contempt of Congress when she refuses to divulge Mulder's whereabouts to a Senate Subcommittee.

SCULLYVISION

Scully vows at the beginning that she will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but how can she? She will read her prepared statement of the events that we're to see in the episode and of her career in the X Files. She has to be careful what she says though, as Mulder's life is in jeopardy and one wrong word could make the whole train that is the X Files division of the FBI derail.

ToughScully, stands firm in the congressional hearings, as well is in the first few minutes of her meeting with Senator Sorenson in his office when he asks if she knows about the concept of contempt: "Is that a rhetorical question, Senator?" She should have also said to the guy who kept calling her Miss Scully, "That's Doctor to you, Senator." If you don't think Scully is tough, just take one look at her in swat team gear including helmet. If Bambi wasn't intimidated by Scully and her hand gun in War of the Coprophages, she would have fled in fright this time.

As always we love watching Scully outrun Mulder. If she had running shoes on she would have lapped him. Even though she can run circles around her partner, she is more committed to him than ever. She says she doesn't know how far she can follow Mulder as she has risked her life, and now her career, for him. How much farther is there? Well, she could have gone to Russia with him but let's remember that ToughScully is also SmartScully.

Although some of us may have leapt for joy each time somebody sucker-punched Krycek, we must remember that he was always handcuffed. It seems that only Scully is decent enough to not attack a defenseless man.

MULDERVISION

What was he thinking? He goes to the Lovely Marita's apartment in the middle of the night. She's in her robe. She invites him in. What does he do? Dozes off and then quickly leaves for Russia. Did he not realize that the Beatles were kidding when they sang, "Ukraine girls really knock me out." Instead of spending the evening with Marita, he finds himself at first rooming with Krycek and then wearing chicken wire and black oil. If this chain of events is any indication, Mulder may well be an idiot.

MONSTERVISION

Like a bad penny, Krycek always pops up. Pick him up, you may have good luck. You really have to give this guy his due. He infiltrates a terrorist group, sends the proof of something happening to Mulder, endlessly suckerpunched while handcuffed, left out on a cold balcony, hangs from a handcuff from the balcony to kill a guy, allows himself to be punched again by Mulder, follows Mulder to a place he knows isn't good news, gets himself captured, speaks one thing to the guards while telling another to Mulder. If that snoopy prison cell neighbor, Pavlov Kravits, hadn't given Mulder the indication that Krycek was speaking out both sides of his mouth, things might have gone better. We see Mulder wearing oil at the end, but we didn't see Krycek. Hm... could this have all been a ruse to get Mulder to be a test subject? To get Mulder infected with the alien oil? To get Mulder prepped for what might be to come if/when the Erlenmeyer Flask comes into being? Krycek is a man with many hands in many pockets, and seems to always come out the winner, in his own way. At least he isn't killed. Because Krycek appears to others as being filth, a rat, and maybe stupid, Krycek shows signs that no one has him pegged yet as the events are mostly due to his influence, we have no idea who or what he's working for, or just flying luckily by the seat of his extremely tight and well-fitting jeans, Krycek gets 5 out of 5 rat droppings.

OH, COME ON!

The guys that type the scene locations on the screen don't have spell check? "Subcommitee" has two t's according to our spell check.

THINGS LEARNED

If someone says don't open a package because it contains biohazardous materials, don't open it!

Make sure that if you're carrying biohazardous materials that you have the proper biohazard paperwork, or immigration will open your containers regardless.

WRITER
Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter

Frank Spotnitz has come to be somewhat of a mini-Carter in terms of carrying out mythology episodes. This episode is smart, active, humorous, able to give satisfaction to Skinner, gives Pendrell something to do, and handily preps us for what's to come next. He's written episodes to be directed by Bowman before, and this time is also a winner.

DIRECTOR
Rob Bowman

Rob Bowman can bring on the action and psychosis (Our Town, Paper Clip, Wet Wired, Unruhe) as well as the tears (Paper Hearts). He also shows the chemistry between Scully and Mulder, even when they aren't in a scene together. Maybe it's just Gillian Anderson's brilliance, but we know that Scully is slowly going deeper and deeper, all for Mulder's benefit. The Marita scene was also mysterious, sensual, and ultimately funny as he makes sure we see the time clearly. Very nicely handled episode.

RUNNING TALLIES
Mulder's office
Guns
Mulder Breaks a Law, breaks into "mining camp"
Scully does an autopsy
Cell Phones
"Mulder, it's me."
Bathroom
Scully Drives!
Aliens, at least alien oil

RECURRING CHARACTERS
Assistant Director Skinner
The Cigarette-Smoking Man
Krycek
Agent Pendrell
Well-Manicured Man
Marita Covarrubias

Notes

When Krycek said the line about "When you go underground you've gotta learn to live with the rats," it was clearly an homage to those on the internet who have started to refer to him as 'Ratboy'.

While Mulder retrieved the cockroach from his soup, closed captioning shows, "Bambi?" Bambi is the cockroach expert in "War of the Coprophages".

POINT/COUNTERPOINT

MULDER: I don't know what's worse about this gulag, having you as a roommate or having to eat the soup du jour.
KRYCEK: Hey Mulder, I thought you were into coprophages and all things Bambi?
MULDER: How do you know?
KRYCEK: I've been watching.
MULDER: I don't like you, Krycek. Be thankful that you aren't handcuffed right now, because if you were, I'd beat the crap out of you.

ATHENAEUM

Scully went to the Athenaeum to find some logic concerning the possibility of intelligent life colonizing the Earth. She hadn't counted on quite this much logic. "Mr. Spock?" she asked the Curator.

"At your service, Dr. Scully," Spock replied with a slight bow.

"My partner is in serious jeopardy right now, and he believes it is due to the attempts by intelligent beings from other planets colonizing the Earth. I want to believe along with everyone else but science and logic tell me differently."

"Logic tells us that the mathematical odds of there being other intelligent life in the Universe are enormous. There could be as many as one million advanced civilizations currently in the Milky Way alone. Science, on the other hand, says we have absolutely no proof. How do you prove a negative? To say that we have no evidence that we are not alone in the Universe is hardly a theory you could hang your hat on."

"Fermi's Paradox," Scully offered.

"Precisely, Doctor. Fifty years ago, scientist Enrico Fermi basically said that there must be intelligent life out there, and they are clearly advanced enough to colonize us, but where are they? Many people have agonized over this paradox ever since."

"What are the explanations?"

"The most obvious answer to Mr. Fermi would be that they are not here because they do not exist. This is not logical because the circumstances necessary for life are prolific throughout the Universe. Nor is it logical to think that maybe we are just the first intelligent beings. Prime conditions for the development of life were present so long ago that surely our solar system would be colonized by now."

"Well, Mr. Spock, is it possible that we are already colonized and don't realize it?"

"Not logical. If you colonize someone, you would not let them flounder in war, disease, and all the other human failings."

"Unless we were an experiment."

"Perhaps, or possibly a zoo where the inmates cannot see the visitors who simply come to observe."

"If we are in a zoo, wouldn't there be 'don't feed the animals' signs posted everywhere?" Scully said, noticing the slightest smile flash across Spock's stoic face.

"It is also logical that if the aliens are out there they would not have passed us over. Earth may be considered one of the Universe's 'bad neighborhoods,' but intelligent beings can clean up any neighborhood no matter how bad."

"What if the alien's sense of ethics was as highly advanced as their intelligence, and they wouldn't want to colonize us?"

"Who is to say that their ethics would mirror our own? Especially if they viewed us as a lesser life form. The most ethical humans kill lesser life forms, even ones with some degree of intelligence. Have you ever stepped on an ant, Doctor?"

"Well, Mr. Spock, what if there was in intergalactic federation, led by say, a Captain Kirk type, who wouldn't allow colonization?"

"A distinct possibility. However, every federation would have its Klingons and others who would try to colonize regardless."

"So, what do you think Mr. Spock?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Scully was stunned until she saw the mischievous look in Spock's eyes. "Very funny. I forget you're half human."

"Well. Doctor, my logic tells me that we just do not have enough information to figure out an answer. Perhaps we do not have enough information to even ask the right question. We must continue to explore our inner and outer space. Someday we will have an answer to Mr. Fermi's Paradox. The truth is, indeed, out there, Doctor Scully, but with the truth will come more questions and more uncertainties."

"Well, Mr. Spock, thank you for all the information." Scully turned to go but hesitated briefly. "Mr. Spock, being part Vulcan, doesn't your very existence prove that there is alien life out there?"

"You are always the logical one, Doctor Scully."

QUOTES

SCULLY: I, Dana Katherine Scully, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. I left behind a career in medicine to become an FBI agent four years ago because I believed in this country. Because I wanted to uphold its laws, to punish the guilty and to protect the innocent. I still believe in this country. But I believe that there are powerful men in the government who do not. Men who have no respect for the law and who flout it with impunity.
CHAIRMAN: Ms. Scully.
SCULLY: I have come to the conclusion that it is no longer possible.
CHAIRMAN: Agent Scully. This is not a soapbox, Miss Scully. Your statement will be entered into the record.
SCULLY: With all due respect, Mr. Chairman, I would like to finish.
CHAIRMAN: This is not why we are here today.
SCULLY: Then why are we here, sir?
SORENSON: Agent Scully, do you or do you not know the whereabouts of Agent Mulder? Are you or are you not aware of Agent Mulder's present location?
SCULLY: I respectfully decline to answer that question, sir.
CHAIRMAN: Ms. Scully, you cannot refuse to answer that question.
SCULLY: Because I believe answering that question could endanger Agent Mulder's life.
CHAIRMAN: You don't seem to understand. Your response is not optional; you are an agent of the FBI.
SCULLY: Then if I could please finish my statement... that it is no longer possible to carry out my duties as an FBI agent.
SORENSON: Are you tendering your resignation, Ms. Scully? Is that what you're trying to say?
SCULLY: No, sir. What I am saying is that there is a culture of lawlessness that has prevented me from doing my job. That the real target of this committee's investigation should be the men who are beyond prosecution and punishment. The men whose policies are behind the crimes that you are investigating.
SORENSON: Either you tell us what you know about Agent Mulder's whereabouts, or you will be held in Contempt of Congress.

MULDER: I've received receipts over the past few weeks for detonation cord, for racing and diesel fuel, and for eighty bags of ammonium nitrate purchased in cash in three different states under three different signatures.
SCULLY: What makes you so sure that it's here? That it's tonight?
MULDER: I've received two new receipts. One for first and last on this storage space, and one to rent a two-ton truck yesterday. Both with the same signatures. We could be looking at the next Oklahoma City.
SCULLY: Well, so who do you think's leaking them, and why are they leaking them to you?

SCULLY: Mulder!
KRYCEK: I handed you this bust, Mulder!
MULDER: Oh, come on, Krycek!
KRYCEK: Who do you think sent you those receipts?

KRYCEK: Most of the detonation cord was stolen from a construction site, and some of the explosives were just taken from a military base. I mean, security's just so lax, it's a joke -- Most everything else was over the counter. Two thousand kilos of boom-boom.
SCULLY: How'd you get involved with these men?
KRYCEK: They found me in North Dakota. They liberated me on a salvage hunt. Hey, you go underground, you gotta learn to live with the rats.
MULDER: I'm sure you had no trouble adapting.
KRYCEK: These men are pathetic revolutionaries who'll kill innocent Americans in the name of bonehead ideologies.
MULDER: You're full of crap, Krycek. You're an invertebrate scum-sucker whose moral dipstick is about two drops short of bone dry.
KRYCEK: Hey! I love this country.
SCULLY: What do you want, Krycek?
KRYCEK: Same thing you do. To find the man who tried to kill me. The same man that was responsible for your father's death... your sister's.
SCULLY: You want this man brought to justice?
KRYCEK: You can't bring these men to justice. They're protected. The laws of this country protect them in the name of national security. They know no law.
MULDER: Then why don't you put a bullet in his head like you did that man out there?
KRYCEK: These men, they fear one thing; exposure. You expose him, you expose his crimes, you destroy the destroyer's ability to destroy.
MULDER: The only thing that will destroy this man is the truth.
KRYCEK: The truth, the truth! There's no truth. These men, they make it up as they go along. They're the engineers of the future. They're the real revolutionaries. I can get them for you too.
MULDER: We can't help you Krycek.
KRYCEK: Mulder. This is just one bomb I'm sitting on here. You didn't ask me how many more I know about.

SCULLY: Is this some kind of joke?
KRYCEK: What?
MULDER: Show him.
KRYCEK: What is it?
MULDER: Expose it for him, Scully.
Scully unzips the pouch, exposing a black rock.
MULDER: What did you get for Halloween, Charlie Brown?

SKINNER: What do you want, Agent Mulder?
MULDER: I need your authorization to provide a safe house.
SKINNER: A safe house for whom?
Mulder reaches to his left and yanks Krycek into view by the collar of his jacket.
MULDER: This man has information about extreme-right militia that could save the lives of innocent Americans.
SKINNER: He'll be safe here. Relatively safe. We're not even yet, boy.
KRYCEK: You can't -- you can't leave me out here, I'm going to freeze to death!
SKINNER: Just think warm thoughts.

SACKS: I know I asked you earlier, but you have no idea where this came from?
SCULLY: Not its origin, no.
MULDER: But you have an idea, don't you?
SACKS: This rock contains what are known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons fitting the approximate description of those in fragments of meteorite found in the ice fields of Antarctica.
SCULLY: Are you saying...
SACKS: What you're looking at is quite possibly from Mars. Over four billion years old.
MULDER: Is it valuable?
SACKS: Beyond adding evidence to the debate over the fossilized remains of alien bacteria, it's relatively worthless.
SCULLY: Does this rock contain fossilized remains, Dr. Sacks?
SACKS: Well, I won't know that until I'm able to take a core sample, which I very much hope you'll allow me to do.
MULDER: I think we'd all like to know what's in that rock.

CM: I didn't realize you lived in this neighborhood, Mr. Skinner.
SKINNER: I just moved in.
CM: I'd guess you live on an upper floor? For the view?
SKINNER: What do you want from me?
CM: Agents Mulder and Scully intercepted a diplomatic pouch here in Washington last night. I'm afraid it's created a problem in foreign policy circles. Quite a problem, actually.
SKINNER: I don't know anything about a diplomatic pouch.
CM: No? Nothing about the matter?
SKINNER: No.
CM: Well, I find that hard to believe. As their supervisory agent. As a friend, I should advise you, Mr. Skinner, that withholding information on matters of national security is punishable under the laws of this country for treason and sedition.
SKINNER: Thank you. I'll consider myself advised. As a friend.
CM: I need that pouch, Mr. Skinner. And I need to know who gave them the order to intercept it.
SKINNER: I'll get back to you.
CM: Wars have broken out over far less, Mr. Skinner. Far, far less.

MULDER: Big dead end at the State Department, but U.S. Customs officials detained another courier on a similar visa in Honolulu two nights ago. He was coming from Russian Georgia carrying some kind of toxic soil sample.
SCULLY: Toxic?
MULDER: Yes, which leads me to believe what's in this rock we intercepted are answers beyond the existence of extraterrestrial life. Even beyond the conspiracy to cover up that existence.
SCULLY: Mulder, that rock contains fossils of what is believed to be alien bacteria, and even that is under intense debate.
MULDER: Why all this effort to get it onto U.S. soil? I think what Alex Krycek has given us is the pivotal piece to an even larger plot.
SCULLY: What he's given us, Mulder, is a rock. Alex Krycek is a liar, and a murderer.
MULDER: Who wants to expose the same men that we do and will go to any lengths to succeed.
SCULLY: What I'm worried about is you, Mulder and how far you'll go and how far I can follow you.

SKINNER: The police are at my place with a dead body. They want to talk to everyone in the building.

MULDER: Pull over here.
SCULLY: What are you doing?
MULDER: I'm gonna take a cab. I want you to find out about that rock. Call me as soon as you do.

MULDER: We're going to walk out of here like nothing happened. If anybody speaks to us, you say nothing.
KRYCEK: I got no problem. You put me up here, man, I'm looking forward to seeing you get me out.
MULDER: Stupid-ass haircut!
KRYCEK: I got news for you, Mulder. When they find out who's dead on the ground down there, there's going to be no question whose apartment he was pulled out of.
MULDER: Who is he?
KRYCEK: Same guy with the pouch.
MULDER: Let's go.
KRYCEK: I say follow the pouch.

SCULLY: Whatever's in that rock, it appears to be lethal.
MULDER: What is it?
SCULLY: It's Dr. Sacks. He's... I don't know, Mulder. I've never seen this before. I don't know if he's dead or alive.
MULDER: I think you better find out. I want you to get me an address in New York. You're going to have to go through the Bureau to get that.

MARITA: What are you doing here?
MULDER: I need your help.
MARITA: How do you know where I live?
MULDER: FBI database. I'm sorry, it's a matter of extreme urgency. A diplomatic pouch left Russia and arrived here in the US. Two men are dead. I need to know why.

MULDER: Why are you helping me?
MARITA: Because I can. Because there are those of us who believe in you...believe in the search for the truth.
MULDER: How long will it take?
MARITA: How long do you have?

KRYCEK: Where have you been?
MULDER: Making travel arrangements.
KRYCEK: To go where?
MULDER: To follow the pouch.

KRYCEK: You're going to keep me in the dark?
Mulder punches him in the face.
MULDER: Yeah.

PENDRELL: These are Level 4 suits, exactly what he's wearing.
SCULLY: Contamination is impossible unless there's a tear or a loss of pressurization. So whatever happened to him, it's unlikely it penetrated the suit.
PENDRELL: What do you think happened?
SCULLY: We won't know until we get in there and take a closer look.

SCULLY: Oh my God! This man's alive!
PENDRELL: He can't be. I mean he's not breathing.
SCULLY: No, I think he is. I think he's in some kind of coma state or some kind of somatic rigor.
PENDRELL: Due to what?
SCULLY: I don't know, I don't know, but we have to get him out of here.

MULDER: I'm leaving the window rolled down. If I'm not back in a week, I'll call Agent Scully to come bring you a bowl of water.
KRYCEK: Mulder! You're not gonna leave me here! I got information, Mulder, about a second bomb! Time, date and place!

MULDER: What did you say to me?
KRYCEK: What?
MULDER: You called me a bad name.

MULDER: You speak Russian, Krycek?
KRYCEK: My parents were Cold War immigrants, what's it to you?

WMM: You've been putting on the miles.
CM: It would help if you had a phone.
WMM: I come out here because there are no phones.

WMM: You fool, you stupid fool! This must be corrected; this must be handled!
CM: Well, of course it can be! You know my capabilities in a crisis.
WMM: I don't think you realize what's at stake here, what level this must be carried to. This will take more than just a good aim!

SCULLY: Senator Sorenson wants to see us?
SKINNER: That's usually what a letter of summons means, Agent Scully.
SCULLY: Yes, but a summons for what??
SKINNER: I can only guess, but the fact I'm named in the invitation with you and Agent Mulder leads me to believe I've been implicated in something far more serious than I already know. How much more serious, Scully?
SCULLY: It's hard to say.
SKINNER: More serious than harboring a known felon? What about Agent Mulder? What does he know?
SCULLY: Agent Mulder is endeavoring to get his own answers, sir.
SKINNER: Where?

MULDER: June 30, 1908. Tungus tribesmen and Russian fur traders look up into the southeastern Siberian sky and see a fireball streaking to Earth. When it hit the atmosphere, it created a series of cataclysmic explosions that are considered to be the largest single cosmic event in the history of civilization. Two thousand times the force of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.
KRYCEK: What was it?
MULDER: It's been speculated that it was a piece of a comet, an asteroid, or even a piece of anti-matter. The power of the blast leveled trees in a radial pattern for 2000 kilometers. No real definitive evidence has ever been found to provide a satisfying explanation of what it was. I think somebody found that evidence. And the explanation is something that nobody ever dreamed of.

MULDER: I don't speak Russian.
PRISONER: Then no one has told you.
MULDER: Told me what?
PRISONER: You were brought here to die. To wish you were dead.
MULDER: I wasn't brought here. I came here looking for something.
PRISONER: The only thing you will find here is death and suffering.
MULDER: What is this place?
PRISONER: This place? A gulag. A place where the guilty rule the innocent.

KRYCEK: We gotta get out of here. They're going to torture us.
MULDER: How do you know?
KRYCEK: They were questioning me. Trying to get me to confess.
MULDER: To what?
KRYCEK: To being a spy.
MULDER: What did you tell them?
KRYCEK: That we were stupid Americans lost in the woods. Mulder, you're going to need me in here. Don't touch me again.

SORENSON: Ah, Agent Scully, Mr. Skinner, thank you for coming.
SKINNER: Well, it was difficult to decline an invitation from a member of Congress, Senator.
SORENSON: Please, have a seat. Are you familiar with the penalties for obstruction of justice?
SCULLY: Is that a rhetorical question, sir?
SORENSON: You know why you've been called here today?
SKINNER: We have an idea, Senator.
SORENSON: We've been looking into the death of this man outside your apartment, Mr. Skinner, and it's raised some troubling questions.
SKINNER: Such as?
SORENSON: What this man was doing on your balcony before he fell to his death. It was your balcony, wasn't it, Mr. Skinner? Perjury is a very serious offense, particularly for an FBI agent.
SCULLY: We intend to file a complete report on this matter, sir, once we fully understand what it is that we're investigating.
SORENSON: And Agent Mulder... can you explain to me why he declined my invitation to be here today?
SCULLY: Agent Mulder is in the field, sir, seeking answers to the questions you are asking.
SORENSON: And where is he seeking these answers?

PRISONER: That man is not your friend. He speaks indifferently to the guards. Formal language, as if to an equal. You are deceived.
MULDER: Who are you?
PRISONER: A prisoner, like you, but I have committed no crime.
MULDER: Why are you here?
PRISONER: To do the work. Like the others. Like them, I will die in an experiment when there is no longer any use for me.
MULDER: What kind of experiment?

THE END