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Accountability
Chapter 16
by Pam Gamble

"The tests indicate a great deal of genetic carry-over
from the first subject to the second. Heritability
seems to be consistent over all of the chromosomal
abnormalities. Overall, I'd say the results are
excellent. Better than what we predicted."

The smoking man nodded, ignoring the copy of the
charts which had been placed in front of him. Another
man in the room spoke up.

"We need to temper our optimism with caution.
Remember, gentlemen, this was a carefully controlled
experiment. Our test subjects were screened for
confounding factors, and have been monitored on a
daily basis. One cannot expect such ideal results once
we begin field tests."

The man with the clipboard, from his seat at the
center of the long mahogany table, nodded. "True, but
valid medical researchers have done field tests with
less substantial preliminary data. In my opinion, we
can green-light the experiment."

The grey-haired man at the head of the table blinked
once, tapped his cigarette into the silver ashtray
before him. His voice held no doubt, no hesitation.
"Then do it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mulder was watching the door to Scully's bathroom
close in his face as his cell phone rang. "Mulder."

"Hey, G-Man. We got that information you were looking
for. How soon can you get here?"

Mulder's brain took half a second to register
Frohike's voice, and another half a second to remember
what he'd asked for. It seemed redundant now, made him
feel more than a little paranoid. Besides, he was busy
hovering over his partner, and so far she was
tolerating it.

"Actually, Frohike, I don't think it's really that
important. I hope you didn't cash in any important
favors."

There was a pause on the other end. "Mulder, you're
going to want to see this."

All of Mulder's senses went on full-alert. "What is
it?"

"I can send you an encrypted e-mail. I take it you're
at the lovely Agent Scully's?"

Mulder actually blushed. "How did you know that?" His
mind immediately went to the extensive tracing
equipment the boys owned, but Frohike surprised him.

"Only reason a man turns down a hot lead is because he
has one of his own." 

At that moment, Mulder's hot lead came out of the
bathroom, practically knocking him down where he stood
blocking the hallway. Mulder took one look at her
face, and decided maybe she *did* need a little time
alone.

"On second thought, I'll be right over."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Scully exhaled, taking guilty pleasure in the empty
echo of her solitude. But Jesus Christ, he was driving
her crazy.

She leaned back into the couch cushions, letting her
mind drift over the events of the day. So much had
happened so quickly, and she hadn't had time to digest
it all. And there was the irritating sensation that
she was forgetting something.

As a precautionary measure, she flipped open her
laptop, and began writing up the details of Lauren's
reappearance, as far as she knew them. She hoped it
would help her to reach out to the shred of memory
that dangled just beyond her reach.

But when she had finished dictating her and her
partner's actions into text, she was still no closer
to reaching the elusive thought. She had long ago
taken to documenting as much as possible, since
evidence had a way of slipping through their fingers.

She considered calling the hospital to get an update
on Lauren's condition, but decided first to detail
what she remembered from the doctor. Most of the
information had come second-hand, from Lauren's
father, so it's reliability was questionable. Still,
she knew her chances of getting the doctor on the
phone were slim, and something questionable was better
than nothing.

 It was a little hazy, but she
could replay most of the conversation in her head.
'She has a few scars, nothing substantial...think she
was drugged, probably recently...still seemed to be
under the effects...risk of infection...' Scully typed
dutifully, watching the words color the screen before
her. She wished she had Mulder's memory--maybe he
would be able to fill in the gaps later. She pressed
play again on her mental tape recorder, recreating
David Harrison's voice in her head.

<'...and I think that's all. They just want to keep
her here to run some tests...'>

And that was all it took to snag the loose thread of
thought, and weave it darkly into the fabric of her
conscious memory.

Like flashbulbs popping in her head, Dana Scully
remembered.

Bright lights.

Cold.

Scared.

Alone.

And that voice.

'...run some tests'

*His* voice.

"Oh my god."