From drjudd@rainbow.net.au Fri Aug 30 08:47:55 1996
OFFSPRING
DESLEA R. JUDD
drjudd@rainbow.net.au
Copyright 1996
DISCLAIMER
This book is based on The X Files, a creation of Chris Carter owned by
him, Twentieth Century Fox, and Ten-Thirteen Productions. Fox Mulder,
Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, and a number of lesser characters including
Bill Mulder, Mrs Mulder, Samantha Mulder and her clones, Maggie Scully,
Melissa Scully, Captain Scully, Sharon Skinner, Kimberly Cooke, the
Cigarette Smoking (Cancer) Man, the Well Manicured Man and his offsider,
Frohike, Quiqueg, Gautier, Jean Gautier, Ellen, and Alex Krycek remain the
intellectual property of those parties. A number of other characters are
the author's creation and are copyright, and may not be used without her
written permission. These include but are not limited to Dr Karen
Koettig, Agent Grbevski, Melissa Samantha Scully, Grace Skinner, Clone 1
(Cynthia), Clone 3 (Carolyn), Clone 4 (Catherine), Dr Sam Fieldman, Dr
Paul Sturrock, Dr Marion Pieterse, Wendy Tomiris, Serena Ingleburn,
Amarette, Dr Jillian Maitz, Hallie, and Emily Trent. Any queries
concerning ownership of minor characters not mentioned here should be
directed to the author.
(See Pt 1 for complete spoiler, content, and comments info).
A few spoilers from Pilot, Duane Barry, Ascension, One Breath, Colony,
Endgame, Anasazi, Blessing Way, Paper Clip, Nisei, 7.31, Piper Maru,
Apocrypha, and Avatar.
I've rated this book R just to be on the safe side, but I think it's more
PG-13, in truth. There's some low-level sex (three scenes, more
emotional than anatomical), low-level bad language, low-level violence,
and that's about all.
Comments, good and bad, are welcome; but make sure they're constructive,
please! My e-mail is drjudd@rainbow.net.au, but don't worry if you see
something else in your "reply" header like magna.com, because Rainbow.Net
shares a server with another ISP called MagnaData. And if you think my
work's worth stealing, I'm flattered; but don't even think about it.
Archivists, feel free to add this to your collections; but be sure to let
me know.
OFFSPRING BY DESLEA R. JUDD (9/18)
FOUR CONTINUED
GenTest Pty Ltd
Annapolis, Maryland
19 January 1997
Scully pulled into the parking lot. Without speaking, she switched
off the instruments and the ignition. She stared straight ahead for a
moment.
"Dana?" Skinner's voice was strained.
She didn't answer.
<<"Dana.">> He touched her arm.
She turned to face him. "What is it, Walter?" Her voice was devoid
of character or expression.
Skinner looked at her. Her skin was pulled tight across her
features. Her normally beautiful features were set in a grimace. Her
eyes were distant. Scully, he knew, was not far away from the edge. But-
"I have to know, Dana." She looked away. "I'm here for you, no
matter whose child this is. But I have to know. I have to." He paused,
but she wouldn't look at him. "Dana, when you were away..." he trailed
off momentarily, hesitated. There was no way to ask that wasn't cruel.
"Dana, could you have been raped?"
Scully didn't answer him. Her expression stony and cold, she opened
the car door and walked away. He leaped out and followed her, breaking
into a run. "Dana!" he called. He caught up and grabbed her by the arm,
dragging her around to face her. "Dana!" he cried out. "Damn it, could
you have been raped?"
"<>" she cried in sudden anguish. "I can't remember!"
One look at her face, and Skinner was gone. He wrapped her tightly
in his arms and held her, crying unashamedly the first tears he had shed
since Sharon had died. Scully held on, shaking violently against him.
But still she didn't cry.
A few minutes later, rather more composed, the two of them walked
through the doors to the GenTest Centre. Skinner's unnaturally bright
eyes were the only clue to the recent storm. They were shown into Sam
Fieldman's office, and in due course, Fieldman joined them. They rose and
shook his hand in turn. "Dr Scully, Mr Skinner. It's good to see you
again."
"I wish I could say the same," Scully said ungraciously, on edge.
She chastised herself. It wasn't like her to be rude. "I'm sorry," she
apologised.
Fieldman gave her a compassionate smile. "Doctors make the worst
patients. And so would anyone, in the circumstances. Take a seat."
Both Scully and Skinner took their seats, Skinner moving his
fractionally closer to hers. She might want to be stoic, but he had a
feeling he would need her before they were through here, even if she
didn't need him. As it was, his mind was jamming with every possible
terrible twist to this horrid saga. <> <>
<> <> <> The words swirled monotonously through
his brain, like a surreal tape on life's little jukebox. He realised that
Fieldman was speaking, and endeavoured to clear his head.
"As you know, we were initially looking for mutations and
interruptions in the DNA chain which might indicate problems arising from
your exposure to radiation. We did that, and found some disturbing
information." Fieldman paused until he judged that they had had a chance
to prepare themselves. (Not that any amount of time could prepare
themselves for this, of course. Fieldman had a feeling that he had seen
the most bizarre thing he was ever going to see in his career - if not his
life).
"Firstly, the question of radiation exposure. This in itself was
fairly straightforward, and I might add, rather surprising, given the
levels to which you were exposed, Dr Scully. The very fact that you are
alive after exposure to over a thousand rem is incredible - all the more
so as you show no signs of permanent injury." That wasn't precisely true,
Scully knew; her internal organs had recovered, but her teeth seemed more
brittle, somehow. She suspected that the same applied to her bones. She
had noticed no further deterioration from the time of her recovery; but
they hadn't completely recovered, either.
Fieldman continued. "The foetus - do you want to know the sex, by
the way?" Both nodded, and he continued, "Well, it's a girl. The foetus
showed no signs of radiation damage or sickness of any kind, either. No
mutations to control genes, nothing to even suggest that she might have a
higher susceptibility to cancers than the norm. It's quite amazing, in
the circumstances." He turned to Scully and looked at her, curiously.
"Also interesting to me personally was your own body's response, Dr
Scully. As you know, in the end we took a small sample of your tissue to
test for changes, and we did that on-site, in one of the specialist labs.
We exposed the tissue to radiation. The cells showed typical signs of
radiation exposure for a period of around five hours. However, the
radioactive process inexplicably ended quite suddenly, and the cells then
began to spontaneously recover. By the time a further five hours had
passed, everything was normal. As far as we could make out, some sort of
enzyme-like substance was involved, but we can't identify it. Whatever it
was, it kick-started an auto-repair response, one which caused or enabled
a complete recovery - even in the most seriously damaged cells. This does
not differ substantially from your personal findings or those of your
clinicians, Dr Scully; but I did feel that it was important to see for
myself exactly what happened in case that shed some light on your child's
situation. In the end, of course, it was a wasted exercise, because we
can't explain it, or even document how it was done. Quite fascinating
scientifically, as you will appreciate, and also quite inexplicable." He
paused. Neither Scully nor Skinner registered any signs of relief, and
Fieldman was glad, given the rest of what he had to say.
He hesitated maddeningly, then cleared his throat. "I'm afraid, Dr
Scully, Mr Skinner, that the good news ends there. There's no easy way to
tell you the remainder of our findings, and it's even harder because I
don't understand them myself."
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, then went on cautiously, "In
the course of DNA studies, we made some other findings. One of these was
the presence of human DNA which was unidentifiable. It originated from
neither of you, but a third party. This in itself is not unusual - it's
not uncommon for a couple to genuinely believe that a pregnancy is theirs,
when it isn't. I say that without judgement on either of you."
Skinner looked away with a swift movement. Scully bowed her head
suddenly. She didn't try to defend herself: there was no need. He knew
that. Still, it hurt; he wouldn't deny that. He couldn't bring himself
to look at her, but he reached out blindly and took her hand in his. She
held it, tightly.
Fieldman continued, his eyes fixed discreetly on Scully's file for a
time. "What makes it so unusual is that there are signs that this party's
DNA has been altered, presumably by genetic engineering. I don't think
this level of interference can be explained by natural mutation,
particularly given the nature of the alteration. The interference seems
to involve some kind of splicing of DNA with foreign genetic material,
although exactly how this was done is impossible for me to say because we
don't recognise the foreign material. It bears no resemblance to either
human or animal DNA. It's in a completely different category, and we just
can't classify it. The main areas in which this appears are sectors
determining immunology and the central nervous system, although there are
traces everywhere." Fieldman's features tightened with the effort to
convey that which he didn't understand. "Dr Scully, I don't have any
answers for you. I don't know how this happened, or even exactly what has
happened. All I can tell you is the outcome."
Scully said cautiously, "And the outcome is that this child is not
entirely human." She seemed completely devoid of emotion, save for a
certain stiffness in her body.
Fieldman hesitated. "I didn't say that, Dr Scully. Not on the
record. The most I will say is that there are genes present which are not
consistent with human DNA at any of its evolutionary stages."
Skinner gave him a withering look, but Scully understood. She would
not have committed herself to such a statement, either. Skinner himself
should also have understood, but she was beginning to realise that the
professional Skinner was quite different from Skinner, the person. For
Scully, who was so buried in her work and her science that analysis had
become her way of life, this was foreign - and intriguing. Fieldman went
on, "Off the record, I would suggest that you think over your options. We
don't know how the effects of all this may be manifested in the foetus or
her offspring, assuming she's capable of reproduction at all. We don't
know what this child will look like, whether she will be superhuman or
subhuman in her abilities and skills - we just don't have the technology
to find out whether this - this <> will be capable of existing
in human society. It's an extraordinary case."
"It means something else," Scully said. She didn't want to continue,
but it had to be said. She tightened her grip on Skinner's hand. She had
only just realised what it had meant to her for him to be with her in this
pregnancy. With a pang of regret, she knew that whatever support he gave
her, she was now essentially alone. "This isn't Walter's child."
Fieldman's response was unexpected. He was silent for a moment, but
they could see his mind working. Finally, he said slowly, "Dr Scully,
you're both right and wrong. It's true that this foetus cannot possibly
have originated from the two of you. But-"
" 'But'?" Skinner's voice was tight with confusion.
"Mr Skinner, your inherited DNA was unmistakeable in the foetus.
It's Dr Scully's which is absent. The foreign material - whatever it was
- originated with the ovum. Dr Scully, there's no easy or kind way to
tell you this, but genetically speaking, this isn't your child."
Scully's jaw dropped, thunderstruck. She sat back suddenly in her
chair, as though she had been hit. She said, slowly, "Oh, my God." She
was silent for a long moment, before saying quietly, "I'm not the mother.
I'm a - host-" she broke off. Skinner watched her, alarmed.
Fieldman dropped his gaze. "I wouldn't have put it so brutally
myself, Dr Scully. I know a lot of IVF mothers of children born of
donated ova who would disagree."
"They chose," she said simply. "I didn't."
Fieldman nodded silently. Then, in response to Skinner's suggestive
frown, he rose. "I'll give you some time alone."
"It must have been while I was - gone."
The self-evident fact was said tonelessly, with neither hope nor
despair. Her emotionless veneer was starting to frighten him.
"How? Skinner asked. "Don't they do that surgically? Wouldn't you
have known?"
"Laparoscopy," Scully said automatically. Her brow furrowed as she
thought. This was a scientific question; she could bear to dwell on
this. "I might not have known, Walter. They shot me in the stomach.
That's where the wound from a laparoscopy is - right in the navel. I
wrote off all the discomfort I had that week or two afterwards to being
shot. My God," she said in dawning realisation, "that's probably why
they shot me there." She was silent a moment, thinking. "This is
obviously part of some kind of breeding program. They couldn't have
counted on me to have gotten pregnant to a man in the normal scheme of
things. It must have been complete embryos. An unfertilised ovum - that
would have been like deliberately setting a timebomb. That must have been
a mistake." She paused, the lines of her face etched deeply as she
frowned. "It wouldn't be hard to find out - about the laparoscopy, I mean
- there will be a hairline scar. I'll look when I get home."
"Dana-" He broke off.
She turned to face him, almost puzzled at his concern. "I'm fine, Walter."
Skinner's voice was penetrating. "Are you? Dana, you're so wrapped
up in the science of this that you've lost touch with your own feelings."
She flinched; her sister had said something similar to her only days
before she had died. Scully didn't answer him, and they were silent for a
time, each lost in their own thoughts.
Skinner considered the situation. He knew what Dana had said about
abortion before. But surely this was different. For God's sake, the
child wasn't even human. It was a grotesque existential accident of
mammoth proportions.
And yet, that wasn't the whole story. It wasn't even <> of the
story. Whatever the genetic facts, in every way that mattered, this was
his child with the woman he loved. He wanted the child. He didn't want
to lose any more in his life. But could he make her give birth to it (he
had to say 'it', 'her' hurt too much right now), and raise it? What if
she just <>? It hurt him more than he had ever been hurt in his
life to do it, but he took her hands in his. "What do you want to do?"
She met his gaze. She recognised the surrender of the decision to
her in his eyes, and she loved him for it. She gave a sad little smile.
"No," she said resolutely. "No abortion. No more deaths to these
people." She paused. "This child is a creation of my own actions. I
chose to be with you. And yet she's not mine. I have no right of control
over her destiny." She looked at him squarely. "It's still a life,
Walter; a blameless life. I don't have the right to make this decision."
He nodded, and for him, that moment would always be the moment that
he committed himself irrevocably to his child. "All right."
Fieldman came back into the room, clearing his throat. Scully looked
up as he retook his seat before them. "Dr Fieldman, could you reconstruct
as best you can the substance of the foreign human DNA before it was
tampered with?"
Fieldman's brow furrowed. "I can try, Dr Scully. But don't expect
100% accuracy. A certain amount of guesswork will be involved. I can
also give you a reading of the incomplete data, which will be accurate as
far as it goes."
"All right. Send it to me at the Bureau, as quickly as you can."
Scully paused, thinking furiously. "Tell me, have you billed my medical
insurance for these tests and consultations yet?"
Fieldman shook his head. "Probably not. We were going to claim it
against the FBI's employer liability insurance, in light of the fact that
you were working during the power plant incident; and presumably they
would have referred it to the power plant's liability insurers. We only
send non-standard claims once a month. I can go and check, if you like."
Scully nodded. "Please do. I'd like to settle privately, if it's
not too late to do so. Today, if you'll take a check."
His eyebrow rose, even as Skinner turned to look at her, surprised.
"It's a lot of money, Dr Scully. Thousands."
"I don't care."
Frowning, Fieldman rose and left the room.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Skinner asked her, "Why?"
Scully turned to face him. "If any of this is even half true, they
will be watching me to see if I am pregnant. They will be watching for
any transfers to desk work, any attempt to claim my employment benefits
for pregnancy, and probably my medical insurance as well. If it's
complete embryos they were aiming for, they must know that the chances of
implantation are slim; but I'm sure they will still be watching, just in
case." Skinner nodded slowly. She laughed suddenly. "I'm starting to
sound like Mulder. <> this, <> that."
Skinner's voice was gravelly. "If anyone's got a right to be
paranoid, it's you, Dana. My God-"
"Not now," she said crisply, and as if on cue, Fieldman returned to
the room with a sheet of computer paper.
"Your invoice, Dr Scully."
As she fished in her purse for her checkbook, Skinner took it from
him. It <> a lot of money. Not a fortune, but a nice deposit on
one. He took out his own checkbook. "Dana, I think maybe this should
come from my account, don't you?" he asked, pointedly.
Scully looked at him, instantly on guard. "Why, yes - yes, you're
right. Thank you." She watched him write out the slip of paper and hand
it to Fieldman. <>
she thought, suddenly completely unnerved. She struggled inwardly to keep
a grip on things, going through the motions of farwells and shaking
hands. She walked out of the building at Skinner's side, and when they
reached the car, she fumbled with the lock, dropping the keys with a
clatter.
Skinner swooped them up. "I'll drive. You're in no fit state."
"And you are?" she demanded, her voice hollow.
The accusation was fair, so he didn't respond to it. Instead, he
maneouvered her into the passenger seat, got in, and drove off.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked wearily. She had seen that he
wasn't taking her to the Bureau, and although her surroundings were
familiar, she was in a fog and she just couldn't piece together the route
in her head.
"Home. You're going to sleep and then we're going to talk to Mulder."
She nodded in mute agreement, then lapsed back into her stupor.
Skinner wondered when she would break.
Coming In Part 10: Scully's Heartbreak/Scully's Decision/Putting The
Pieces Together
--
_______________________________________
| |
|Deslea R. Judd (drjudd@rainbow.net.au) |
|"The Owls Are Not What They Seem" |
| - The Log Lady, Twin Peaks) |
|_______________________________________|
(
geocities.com/hollywood)