Mulder wipes the tears from his face as he reaches for his gun, checking to make sure the clip is full. "If only the tragedy had been mine alone, it might be more easy tonight to bring this journey to its end." Mulder looks up at the ceiling and sees a small hole next to the light fixture. In the apartment above, we see an image of Mulder looking up at the ceiling on the screen of a surveillance device. Mulder charges upstairs and finds Scott Ostelhoff, the man who killed Arlinsky and Babcock. He tells her about the surveillance and shows her the ID card he took off Ostelhoff bearing the words Department of Defense. Scully inquires about the event leading to Ostelhoff's demise and Mulder informs her that he died from a gunshot wound to the face. "That would mean that for four years we've been nothing more than pawns in a game, that it was a lie from the beginning." Scully attends a meeting that is strikingly similar to her first meeting with Blevins when she was assigned to The X-Files division. Blevins sits behind his desk with his faithful lackey at this side as Skinner stands at the back of the room (very reminiscent of CSM). Skinner finally speaks, asking Scully whether the man in a photo he holds is the DOD employee that spoke to them. The photo is obviously an image captured by the surveillance camera in the apartment above Mulder's. Meanwhile, we see the Cigarette Smoking Man enter Mulder's empty apartment. As he looks down at the chalk outline and blood stained floor, a look of horror and shock crosses his face. Mulder says he wants to find out who gave Scully her cancer but Kritschgau says he can find out much more than that...what he wants most of all. Mulder surprisingly says, "The cure for Scully's cancer?" apparently making this his priority now. Kritschgau's affirmative nod brings a smile to Mulder's face. Kritschgau tells Mulder that the hoax goes back to just after W.W.II. That Roswell and all that followed was used by the military as a cover story to distract people from a military build-up for the purpose of global domination and a top secret program involving the DNA they were collecting. Scully receives a call from Dr. Vitagliano at the Paleoclimatology Lab where her ice core samples are still under study. He tells her that he has tested some of the cellular material and it began to divide into some sort of life form he can't identify. Scully has an idea that if she tests the culture against her own blood and DNA, she might find a match. Scully takes the matter into her own hands saying, "Everything in my life depends on [the results]." Skinner tells Scully that he has the pathology reports back on the body in Mulder's apartment and it's clear he knows that her story is confabulation. He says she'll have to answer for those lies in five hours when the committee convenes to which Scully replies, "All lies lead to the truth, isn't that right?" Mulder turns to survey the room he's in and is astounded to find it filled with tables of alien bodies identical to the one unearthed in the ice cave. He is shocked to find another room full of examination tables but these contain women with distended stomachs. This is the vision we had of Scully when she was abducted in "Ascension" except this one is multiplied, equaling enough women to fill the room. He has somehow worked his way through the corridors and catacombs leading to the Pentagon basement where CSM stores the consortium's little secrets. Using Ostelhoff's ID card, he opens the door and begins a search of the extensive storeroom. Mulder finds a section in the storeroom containing boxes and in the box labeled with Scully's number are vials, one in particular whose number exactly matches the ID numbers on her card. Removing the vial, he holds it up to the light and looks at what appears to be a clear, colorless liquid. "My DNA hybridized with the viral DNA from the cell culture," Scully says. She knows now that whatever she was exposed to during her abduction is responsible for her illness but even this knowledge cannot provide her with a cure. With the film containing the results of her experiments she tells the committee she has "proof undeniable that the men who gave me this disease were also behind the hoax, a plot designed to lead to Agent Mulder's demise, and to my own. Planned and executed by someone in this room." The film she holds is marred by drops of blood. Scully realizes that the blood is coming from her nose as she experiences another of her tumor-induced nosebleeds. Skinner jumps to her side and lowers her into her chair before she falls. "You," she says faintly as her eyes shut. Mulder makes it to the access door to level four unaccosted but when he tries to use the ID card to exit, he is denied. Just as it seems the MP's will reach him, a swipe of the card suddenly receives a green light and Mulder pushes his way out of the security door. The MP who called CSM informs our cigarette smoking friend that he'll alert security at the main entrance. CSM says, "That's okay. Let him go." Back at the offices of the Lone Gunmen, Byers pours the contents of the vial into a glass container which is inserted into a machine for analysis. They wait for the display on the monitor but when it comes, the three gunmen look at each other in confusion and disappointment. Byers reluctantly tells Mulder, "It's deionized water. It's nothing more than that."

Redux Part I We join this middle episode in the cliffhanger/premiere trilogy with Mulder sitting where we last saw him, in his apartment listening to the conference on extraterrestrial life. He has tears of anger, frustration, and despair on his face as the light from the TV falls across him. In a voice-over, Mulder speaks of his past beliefs and motivations in his quest and how they now all seem to be false; a combination of being steered down the wrong path and his own self-deception in the search for his truth. He wipes the tears from his face as he reaches for his gun, checking to make sure the clip is full. "If only the tragedy had been mine alone, it might be more easy tonight to bring this journey to its end." Before he can possibly put thought to action regarding the gun, the phone rings and he answers it, hearing Kritschgau's voice on the other end. Mulder is bent on getting more answers and clarification but Kritschgau wants to warn Mulder that upon leaving the apartment he was followed. He believes their conversation was monitored and that they are probably monitoring Mulder at that very moment. As he speaks these words, Mulder looks up at the ceiling and sees a small hole next to the light fixture. In the apartment above, we see an image of Mulder looking up at the ceiling on the screen of a surveillance device. Mulder charges upstairs and catches Scott Ostelhoff, the man who killed Arlinsky and Babcock in "Gethsemane", trying to burn a possible papertrail of evidence in the trashcan. Trying to salvage the burning papers, Mulder commands Ostelhoff to back away but is distracted, allowing Ostelhoff to grab a shotgun. We hear a single gunshot from the hallway as the door to the apartment slowly closes. Scully returns to her apartment, apparently physically and mentally exhausted. She walks into her bedroom and begins to undress but is surprised by Mulder's voice from the darkened corner of her room. When she asks what he's doing there he jokes that it was too crowded in his apartment and he couldn't sleep. He tells her that there's a dead man on the floor of his apartment and they need to act quickly if they are going to make use of the situation to track some information. He tells her about the surveillance and shows her the ID card he took off Ostelhoff bearing the words Department of Defense. Scully inquires about the event leading to Ostelhoff's demise and Mulder informs her that he died from a gunshot wound to the face. Mulder points out the man's connection to the military and how everything (the hoax, her cancer) leads not just back to the military but to the FBI itself. He shows her the burnt paper he recovered which is a phone record showing one number called 17 times; the operator at the FBI. They consider the fact that this conspiracy and cover-up has been underway for the duration of their partnership. Scully wonders aloud, "That would mean that for four years we've been nothing more than pawns in a game, that it was a lie from the beginning." Mulder is convinced that there are still some at the bureau who can be trusted but he wants to find out who is behind the lies and treason. Scully points out that they can't just walk in and make these grave accusations and Mulder says, "No, but as they lie to us, we can lie to them. A lie to find the truth." We catch up to the scene from "Gethsemane"...Scully identifying the body lying on the floor of Mulder's apartment. She confirms to the detective that the faceless corpse is Mulder. This deception is a risk on multiple levels since they know there is a limited amount of time until their lies are discovered. But in addition, Mulder has moved the body from upstairs and destroyed the face by administering a post-mortem shotgun blast to the face. This is a serious action which could be questioned morally and legally and now Scully has been brought into the deception. As Scully leaves the apartment, she runs into Skinner who asks her if it's true. She seems unable to meet his eyes as she confirms the news. It appears to be difficult for her to lie directly to her superior as she stumbles through an explanation of how she could positively ID a body without a face. Skinner seems skeptical but allows her to pass, offering his sympathies. As she heads toward the elevator, he informs her that her presence is requested in Chief Blevins' office to divulge information they feel she is withholding. Scully attends a meeting that is strikingly similar to her first meeting with Blevins when she was assigned to The X-Files division. Blevins sits behind his desk with his faithful lackey at this side as Skinner stands at the back of the room (very reminiscent of CSM). Blevins mentions their first meeting four years ago, notes that she seems to have grown quite close to Mulder during their work together, then his right-hand man offers his condolences for Mulder's passing. Blevins gets to the point, saying that they have reason to believe that she and Mulder were contacted by a DOD employee. She admits as much, telling them that they were offered information about the alien and its part in a grand hoax. Blevins wants to know whether they were given hard evidence and, more importantly, he wants the man's name. When Scully hesitates, Blevins says, "Whatever you're withholding, you'll be asked to explain yourself tonight at a joint FBI panel I've asked to be assembled on this matter." Skinner finally speaks, asking Scully whether the man in a photo he holds is the DOD employee that spoke to them. The photo is obviously an image captured by the surveillance camera in the apartment above Mulder's. Scully casts a suspicious look at Skinner, most likely wondering how involved he is if he has possession of this photo. After the meeting, Scully makes an effort to trace the number listed on the phone records that Ostelhoff attempted to destroy. The most information she can obtain is that they are to an FBI branch extension that includes Skinner's extension. Not proof, but certainly unsettling. It is clear that she is questioning Skinner's alliances within the bureau. Meanwhile, we see the Cigarette Smoking Man enter Mulder's empty apartment. As he looks down at the chalk outline and blood stained floor, a look of horror and shock crosses his face. If anyone thought he didn't care, this is rather convincing proof to the contrary. He walks to the desk and lifts a picture of Fox and Samantha as he tries to contain his emotions. As he glances back at the blood-stained floor, he notices a point of light and his eyes follow it back up to the ceiling and the surveillance hole. Heading to the racetrack to meet with the Chunky Italian (First Elder) of the consortium, CSM informs him that he doesn't like being left out of the loop. CSM tells him that he's aware of the surveillance and is mad that he wasn't informed. The Chunky Italian denies all knowledge and CSM blows up, "I will not be cut out like this. You need my expertise." He goes on to claim that he initiated this aspect of their work and always kept Mulder in check to which the Chunky Italian replies, "Agent Mulder is dead. Our FBI source confirmed it this morning. Mulder killed himself. Mulder was an asset. Without his partner, you may have underestimated his fragility." "I've never underestimated Mulder," CSM says, "I still don't." As if confirming CSM's belief in him, we see Mulder using the ID card he acquired from Ostelhoff to access the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). As he walks the corridors, trying to go unnoticed, he runs into Kritschgau who is clearly surprised and worried to see him. He leads Mulder into an office and, closing and locking the door, tells Mulder that the card he's holding gives him level four clearance; higher access in the building than Kritschgau has. Mulder says he wants to find out who gave Scully her cancer but Kritschgau says he can find out much more than that...what he wants most of all. Mulder surprisingly says, "The cure for Scully's cancer?" apparently making this his priority now. Kritschgau's affirmative nod brings a smile to Mulder's face. As Kritschgau leads Mulder further into the complex, he explains to him that level four is a biological quarantine wing housing labs and medical facilities for storing mass quantities of DNA from virtually every American born since 1945. He proceeds to tell Mulder that the hoax goes back to just after W.W.II. That Roswell and all that followed was used by the military as a cover story to distract people from a military build-up for the purpose of global domination and a top secret program involving the DNA they were collecting. The more the stories and sightings were denied by the government the more they were believed by the public. "But I've seen aliens. I've witnessed these things," Mulder argues. "You've seen what they wanted you to see," Kritschgau replies. He tells Mulder that it's all about control of the very elements of life...DNA. Mulder ask Kritschgau why he went along with the hoax; why he allowed this to be done to Scully. "I paid the price, Agent Mulder. When my son came back sick from the Gulf War, that was my retribution. I'm helping you now but not unselfishly." Kritschgau is hoping that in his search for Scully's cure, Mulder may find something to help his son. Their walk through the building has lead them to a security entrance leading to level four. Mulder uses the ID card to enter as Kritschgau watches him go beyond his clearance. Just then, two MP's approach Kritschgau and ask him to come with them. They inform him he is being detained for questioning. Mulder's stolen ID card is successful in getting him into the level four security area and past the sentry without comment. Scully receives a call from Dr. Vitagliano at the Paleoclimatology Lab where her ice core samples are still under study. The doc wants Scully to come to his lab because he has found something that has him both excited and agitated. When Scully arrives, he tells her that he has tested some of the cellular material that he had mentioned finding in "Gethsemane". He tells her that when he put the unclassifiable cells in media, they began to divide into some sort of life form he can't identify. Apparently the cells contain a virus and Scully has an idea that if she tests the culture against her own blood and DNA, she might find a match. She needs to collect and analyze the data by the time her meeting with the FBI panel convenes that evening but the doctor tells her it's likely to take much longer. Scully takes the matter into her own hands saying, "It's going to happen. Everything in my life depends on it." Before she sets to work on the experiments, she runs into Skinner in the hallway outside the lab. She wants to know what he's doing there and he is interested in knowing the answer to the same question regarding her presence. Scully wants to know why he's following her, wondering aloud if it's work he's doing for the DOD. Skinner says it's his job to direct the agents under him, to question their motives when they are lying about investigations. Skinner knows that Scully was lying but Scully throws the accusation of lying right back at him. He tells her that he has the pathology reports back on the body in Mulder's apartment and it's clear he knows that her story is confabulation. He says she'll have to answer for those lies in five hours when the committee convenes to which Scully replies, "All lies lead to the truth, isn't that right?" Scully tells him she wants the truth about what happened to her (the abduction and tests), about the implant, her lost memories, and the disease she was given. Skinner angers Scully by saying, "Is that your justification?" Scully wants to know if he's afraid of what she'll be telling the panel that evening. Skinner says he's afraid for her because of the lies she and Mulder have told in their search for answers. "Where is Mulder?" Skinner demands. But Scully gives him only silence in return as she leaves in search of her proof. While Scully attempts to obtain her scientific proof, Mulder is in search of answers at the DARPA facility. As he walks down the hallways of level four, every door that greets him is locked. He quietly turns corners trying to avoid the MP's who appear to be searching for an intruder. As the MP's approach, he finds himself at a dead end and picks a lock to hide in a darkened room, barely evading detection by the guards. As Mulder lets out a relieved sigh, he turns to survey the room he's in and is astounded to find it filled from end to end with tables of alien bodies identical to the one unearthed in the ice cave. With further searching, Mulder finds a closed doorway behind which streams a blue light. Looking through the door's small window he is shocked to find another room full of examination tables but these contain women with distended stomachs. This is the vision we had of Scully when she was abducted in "Ascension" except this one is multiplied, equaling enough women to fill the room. Walking down another corridor even deeper in the building, Mulder find a door with a warning sign like the one outside the Pentagon Basement warehouse from the season one premiere and finale. He has somehow worked his way through the corridors and catacombs leading to the Pentagon basement where CSM stores the consortium's little secrets. Using Ostelhoff's ID card, he opens the door and begins a search of the extensive storeroom. Looking for a cure to Scully's cancer appears to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Metal shelves containing boxed evidence reach to the ceiling and run from one end of the room to the other. At the far reaches of the storeroom, Mulder finds an old filing system and, searching the drawers, he desperately looks for some information that might provide some hope for Scully and even Kritschgau's son. Opening a drawer labeled "scu-scv", Mulder finds a card for Dana Katherine Scully. It is covered with codes and numbers which are meaningless to him. Taking that card he then searches for a similar card for Kritschgau's son but the only card he finds has the son's name but otherwise is entirely blank. Using a number from Scully's card as an identifier, he finds a section in the storeroom containing boxes and in the box labeled with Scully's number are vials, one in particular whose number exactly matches the ID numbers on her card. Removing the vial, he holds it up to the light and looks at what appears to be a clear, colorless liquid. While Mulder searches the Pentagon basement, Scully continues her work in the lab. She wants to know if the organism from the ice is proof of extraterrestrial life or a chimeric cell line engineered by the people involved in the hoax. She is beginning the think that the virus contained in the cells may be the link to whatever is causing her cancer; something she was exposed to during her abduction. Isolating DNA from her own cells, she runs an analysis to compare her samples with the DNA collected from the unclassified cells and the virus contained within them. In a voice-over, Scully comments that the very thing that brought her to the X-Files to debunk Mulder's work, her scientific approach, may be what provides the connection between the conspiracy and her cancer, possibly allowing them to blow open this conspiracy of global consequences. As Scully finishes her experiments and holds the proof in her hands, she shares with Dr. Vitagliano the answer the film has provided. "My DNA hybridized with the viral DNA from the cell culture," Scully tells him. She knows now that whatever she was exposed to during her abduction is responsible for her illness but even this knowledge cannot provide her with a cure. We are now full circle to the last moments of "Gethsemane". Scully is seated before the FBI panel with Blevins at the head of the table. She announces that she is here to explain the manner in which Mulder was deceived for the last four years, and herself with him. She tells them of the meeting with Kritschgau and the elaborate web of lies designed to draw Mulder into their deception. She says she couldn't convince Mulder of the lies because of "...what I couldn't tell Agent Mulder. What I had only just learned myself was that the cancer which had been diagnosed in me several months earlier had metastasized." She says the doctors told her that she would succumb to the inevitable without a miracle. She then recounts her early morning phonecall from the police and the trip to identify Mulder's body. At this point, Skinner enters the room and Scully meets his gaze with something combining defiance and anger. Skinner has with him a folder which most likely contains the autopsy and pathology reports proving the lies that she and Mulder have been propagating. But before he has a chance to speak, she stands before the group and announces that she has proof to back the charges she brings before them. With the film containing the results of her experiments she tells them she has "proof undeniable that the men who gave me this disease were also behind the hoax, a plot designed to lead to Agent Mulder's demise, and to my own. Planned and executed by someone in this room." With this bombshell dropped, Skinner appears to shift uncomfortably and everyone else seems shocked at her claim. But before she can disclose and explain her scientific evidence, the film she holds is marred by drops of blood. As she raises her hand to her face, Scully realizes that the blood is coming from her nose as she experiences another of her tumor-induced nosebleeds. As Scully appears on the point of fainting, Skinner jumps to her side and lowers her into her chair before she falls. "You," she says faintly as her eyes shut. The scene closes with Skinner shouting for someone to get a doctor. Meanwhile, Mulder has the vial from Scully's evidence box in the Pentagon warehouse and is trying to make his way out of the facility without being apprehended. We see a telephone ringing and a hand moves from behind a cloud of smoke to lift the receiver. It is CSM receiving a phonecall from one of the MP's stationed in level four. He informs CSM that someone used Ostelhoff's identification to enter the facility and has since breached the Pentagon building. CSM asks if the guard is sure it's Ostelhoff but he can only say that his ID was used to gain access. The MP wants to know if he should detain Ostelhoff but CSM tells him not to do anything, saying he's on his way. Mulder makes it to the access door to level four unaccosted but when he tries to use the ID card to exit, he is denied. Instead of a green light, multiple swipes of the card only produce a steady red light. At the far end of the hallway, a door opens and two MP's emerge and begin making their way down the corridor toward a suddenly frantic Mulder. Trying to keep his cool, he continues trying the ID card to exit the secure area. Just as it seems the MP's will reach him, a swipe of the card suddenly receives a green light and Mulder pushes his way out of the security door and walks rapidly from the facility. Inside the guard booth, the MP who called CSM informs our cigarette smoking friend at his side that he'll alert security at the main entrance. CSM tells him not to bother. "That's okay. Let him go." Back at the offices of the Lone Gunmen, Byers pours the contents of the vial Mulder retrieved into a glass container. While they all gather around, the container is inserted into a machine for analysis. Tapping at the computer, they wait for the display on the monitor but when it comes, the three gunmen look at each other in confusion and disappointment. "What is it?" Mulder asks. Byers reluctantly answers him, "It's deionized water. It's nothing more than that." Mulder's features dissolve into frustration as "To Be Continued" splashes the screen.