Subject: NEW: Odyssey 12/12
Sent: 31/01 11:18 AM
Received: 31/01 6:14 PM
From: Sharon Nuttycombe, avalon@terranet.ab.ca
To: dobbo@c031.aone.net.au
Odyssey part 12/12
Sharon Nuttycombe
avalon@terranet.ab.ca
October 9, 1996
************************************************************
SUMMARY: When Mulder disappears in the Caribbean, Scully and
Skinner are drawn into a web of intrigue and danger.
CLASSIFICATION: T R
KEYWORDS: Scully/Skinner story
RATING: R (for violence)
I am a permanent resident of the State of Denial -- Avatar never
happened.
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Alistair Maclean's "The Golden
Rendezvous". OK - I shamelessly stole his ideas, but I made
lots of changes. Honest. This is an homage... :)
I would appreciate any comments or criticism. Many thanks.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Linda Campbell, my beta reader and
killer proofreader...and thanks to everyone for sending me
much-needed feedback. It's been a...dare I say it?...an odyssey!
Disclaimer: Scully, Skinner, and Mulder belong to Chris
Carter. I don't own them, I'm only borrowing them for a while
(But do I have to return Skinner? Can I keep him, huh Chris?
Please...?)
************************************************************
Odyssey part 12/12
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
WASHINGTON D.C. SKINNER'S OFFICE
Skinner is seated at his desk, one arm in a sling, leafing
through a file with his other hand. His intercom buzzes.
KIMBERLEY:Agent Scully is here, Sir.
SKINNER: Send her in.
Scully enters, her arm in a matching sling, with a sheaf of
papers in her other hand. Carefully keeping a professional
demeanor, she takes the seat opposite him, not meeting his gaze.
SKINNER: Where's Agent Mulder?
SCULLY: He was delayed. He'll be here in a minute.
SKINNER: (Pauses) Agent Scully...Dana...I...
SCULLY: Let's not...
Mulder enters, slightly out of breath, another report in his
hands. He notes the tension in the air and gives them both a
quizzical look. Skinner leans back, a mask of cool
professionalism on his face.
SKINNER: Agent Mulder. Good of you to join us.
MULDER: (Glances at their matching slings) You two look like
bookends. (Skinner glowers at him. Mulder continues
more formally.) Sorry, sir. But I was waiting for
this to come through. (He gestures to his papers.)
SKINNER: What is that?
MULDER: Answers.
He hands them to Skinner who leafs through them awkwardly.
SKINNER: (Looks up) Where did you get this?
MULDER: Ah...an unimpeachable source.
SKINNER: (Warningly) Agent Mulder...
MULDER: (Changing the subject) I finally found some background
on Josef. Turns out he used to be with German
Intelligence.
SCULLY: You're kidding.
MULDER: I kid you not. He was with them for about 8 years
before he was thrown out...Seems he was doing a
little gun-running on the side. When the GPD threw
him out, he took some of his team with him.
SCULLY: How did he find out about the Odyssey?
MULDER: No one's sure. He must have found a leak somewhere.
SCULLY: Senator Caine?
MULDER: Maybe. Perhaps the good Senator had a few skeletons in
his closet.
SCULLY: Such as...?
MULDER: Ah, well, that's where my sources started to run dry.
No one's talking. As far as anyone is
concerned, the book on the Senator's death is closed.
Just one more pointless tragedy...
SCULLY: Henderson told me that Caine spearheaded the funding
for the project...
MULDER: If he did, it's buried so deep that I don't think
anyone will ever be able to dig it up.
SKINNER: And Victoria Mason?
MULDER: (Looks at his file again) I had a bit more luck with
her. Turns out her real name was Lisl Strauss. She
was Josef's right hand...person...and his lover.
SKINNER: Your instincts were right, Agent Scully.
They share a long look. Mulder squirms uncomfortably and clears
his throat. Skinner looks away with a jolt, then slides a fax
across his desk.
SKINNER: This just came in.
MULDER: What is it?
SKINNER: Read it.
Mulder skims through the fax, Scully reading over his shoulder.
Scully looks up first.
SCULLY: Sunk?
SKINNER: That's what it says. According to official channels,
the Odyssey was lost at sea during Hurricane Matilda
with all hands and, not so incidentally, the terrorist
prisoners being transported to Nassau.
MULDER: (Dryly) What about unofficial channels?
SCULLY: (Interrupting) But we know the ship wasn't lost. It
sailed to Eleuthera Island, disembarked the
passengers...and us...then set sail for Nassau.
SKINNER: According to that (waves his hand at the fax) the
Odyssey sank several hours out of Nassau.
SCULLY: But the storm was blowing itself out. It couldn't have
sunk...What about Henderson? And the rest?
MULDER: (Bitterly) So that's it. Another professional cover up.
The whole thing gets swept under the carpet and we're
expected to go on with our lives as usual?
SKINNER: There's nothing else we can do.
SCULLY: (Angrily) People died. Those sailors had families,
friends...and nobody seems to care.
SKINNER: (More gently) There are some battles you can't win,
Agent Scully.
Scully opens her mouth as if she is about to respond, then falls
silent and looks away. Skinner shifts uncomfortably in his seat.
SCULLY: (Coldly) Come on Mulder. We've got work to do.
Together they rise and start to leave. Skinner watches them
through hooded eyes. As they are almost at the door, he speaks.
SKINNER: Agent Scully.
They both stop. Scully glances at Mulder.
SCULLY: Go on. I'll catch up with you.
Mulder nods, gives Skinner a questioning glance, then exits,
closing the door behind him. Scully turns to Skinner, but does
not walk back toward him.
SCULLY: Yes, Sir?
Skinner rises and crosses over to her.
SKINNER: I'm sorry.
For a moment it seems as if she will argue, then her shoulders
sag and she looks away.
SCULLY: So am I. All of those sailors...Henderson...
SKINNER: I know.
SCULLY: (Looks up at him) Do you believe they're dead?
SKINNER: (Hesitates) The facts...
SCULLY: Forget the facts. Do you *believe* they're dead?
SKINNER: No. I don't. But I also believe you have to focus on
the battles you can win, not lost causes.
SCULLY: Is that all the Odyssey was? A lost cause?
SKINNER: (Shakes his head) No. It wasn't. Look...we need
to talk...
She presses her back against the door.
SCULLY: There's nothing to say.
SKINNER: There's something I need to say. You were almost
killed.
SCULLY: (Whispering) So were you.
SKINNER: But I feel...responsible.
SCULLY: Why?
SKINNER: If I hadn't pushed Josef so hard...
SCULLY: Look -- we both made mistakes, but we survived. (She
puts a tentative hand on his uninjured arm). We won.
He stares down at her for a long moment, and unconsciously leans
closer. Then, after an endless moment, both pull away.
SCULLY: (Flustered) I should be going...Sir. (she puts her
hand on the doorknob behind her).
Skinner hesitates, then finally nods and steps back. She breaks
the eye contact and turns to go.
SKINNER: Dana...
SCULLY: Yes?
SKINNER: We...made a good team, didn't we?
SCULLY: (Smiles slightly) Yes. We did.
Then she turns and leaves. In the outer office, Mulder is
hovering, waiting for Scully.
SCULLY: Waiting for me, Mulder?
MULDER: What did he want?
SCULLY: (Pauses again) He...uh...he wanted to sign my cast.
She walks past him to the outer door. Mulder looks down at her
arm, then back at the inner door where Skinner stands on the
threshold, watching Scully leave. As Mulder meets his gaze,
Skinner turns and re-enters his office, closing the door firmly
behind him. Mulder hesitates, frowns, then follows his partner
out into the hallway.
* * *
EPILOGUE
Camera pans over a dry dock facility. There are no signs or
flags to indicate the location, but the port appears to be
somewhere in Europe.
Slowly the camera zooms in on a large ship that is being
repainted. One man on a scaffolding begins to cover the
letters "S-S-E-Y" with plain grey paint.
CUE X-FILES THEME
THE END OF "ODYSSEY"
Sharon Nuttycombe
avalon@terranet.ab.ca
--"I have as much respect for the chain of command as the next guy.
--Only if you're standing next to Fletcher Christian." -- Adderly
(
geocities.com/hollywood)