The X-Files - 6.

writer: John Shiban

director: Dan Sackheim

STARRING:

David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder

Gillian Anderson as Special Agent Dana Scully

Guest Cast:

Mitch Pileggi as Assistant Director Walter Skinner

Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek

Raymond J. Barry as Senator Richard Matheson

Arlene Pileggi as Skinner's Secretary

Kenneth Tigar as Dr. Plant

Jenny Gago as Dr. Katrina Cabrera

John Towey as Dr. Kenneth Orgel

Donna Marie Moore as ICU Nurse

Greta Fadness as OR Nurse

Dan Klass as Forensic Tech

Susana Mercedes as Driver

Tim Van Pelt as Young Surgeon

Keith Coulouris as Intern

Al Paris as Silk Shirt Man

Jonathan Fraser as Uniformed Cop

Julie Hubert as Exam Room Nurse

Mickey Knox as Trainer

In a nutshell, Skinner is poisoned and given 24 hours to live. Through flashbacks, we see the events leading up to his "death". Mulder and Scully scramble to save him, meeting both Senator Matheson and Krycek along the way. By the end, after he saves Skinner, we find out Krycek is literally holding Skinner's life in his hands from now on.

I've got you under my skin

I've got you deep in the heart of me

So deep in my heart, that you're really a part of me

I've got you under my skin

from Frank Sinatra's "I've Got You Under My Skin"

Don't wanna be under your thumb forever

Don't wanna be under your thumb forever

Don't wanna be under your thumb

It's over and done, I'll never be

Under your thumb forever

from Godley and Creme's "Under Your Thumb"

You must explain why this must be

Did you lie when you spoke to me?

Did you stand by me

No, not at all

from The Clash's "Train In Vain"

I threw the last one in there 'cause I'm a Clash fan from way back and couldn't resist a title with the word "vain" :-) Well, blow me down and knock me sideways, what have they done to my poor Skinner now?! And what's Krycek up to with his little Palm Pilot <http://palmpilot.3com.com/> Of Death thingy?! And who forgot to give Senator Matheson some Grecian Formula for that hair of his?! All shall be revealed as we step into this week's episode. Check your exits, this one's a dark ride ....

Plotline

The action begins in a hospital hallway, St. Katherine's Hospital to be precise (as in Dana Katherine Scully perhaps? We always knew she was a saint!). Dr. Katrina Cabrera walks swiftly down the hall as an intern fills her in on her patient's move from ICU (Intensive Care Unit) to trauma. He's not looking good, his vitals are dropping like stones. Dr. Cabrera tells the intern to call Scully at the FBI as the patient is a fellow agent ... and he's dying. Gasp! Not Mulder, surely! We see her looking down at her patient ... the camera scans up a nasty looking arm that appears to be ready to explode with a bad case of varicose veins throbbing like my head after a night out with ... oh, sorry, more info than you need. The camera pans further up the patient ... is it Mulder?! No, it's worse (for some of us anyway), it's .... their old boss, Walter Skinner, yikes! His face is covered with the same throbbing veins. The doctor leans down to try and hear him as his mouth moves in an attempt to speak. When the intern asks what he said, she says, "a name", and the machines next to him suddenly flatline. Nooooo! Not my Skinner! Do something, you fools! The intern's on the ball and prepares the defib paddles to shock him back to life. Dr. Cabrera, however, doesn't move from Skinner's side and refuses to move when the intern tells her to (you can't use the defib paddles when someone's touching the body). With no concern whatsoever for the best damn A.D. Mulder and Scully ever had,

she says, "let him go". The camera closes in on Skinner's lifeless face, his eyes staring straight ahead as that spine-tingling flatline noise fills my ears ... beeeeeepppp .....

Teaser over, your webmistress now firmly perched on the edge of her chair, concerned her spoiler sources may have been playing with her pretty little head, we return to Skinner. More accurately, an extreme close-up of his brown eyeball. Really close, way too close if you want to disguise the makeup job. The camera pans backwards, revealing his face again, his lips cracked and chapped. Death doesn't stop him from finally performing his own voiceover (*sigh* Even when he's dead he has a voice to melt butter). He speaks of choosing sides in life, who to defend and protect, "Choosing by not choosing. Defending a center which cannot hold. So death chose for me." With this, a nurse pulls the blue hospital sheet over his head. He's dead, Jim.

No, wait a minute, he's alive again and in a gym being suited up for a boxing match (sans the promised boxing trunks, grrrrr). Flashback alert, we're starting 24 hours before the teaser. As Skinner inserts his mouthpiece, he looks over at his opponent warming up next to the ring. Was that a homeless man walking by and bumping into the boxer's arm? Hmm .. just some guy with long hair and a beard, nevermind. The boxer enters the ring and starts duking it out with Skinner. He gets a few good shots in as the trainer coaches from the sidelines. Skinner and the other boxer get into a huddle/hug/clinch, whatever you call it in boxing terms. As he looks over his opponent's shoulder, Skinner's vision seems to blur. They unclinch and start to spar again. Skinner takes a hard shot to the right rib area, steadies himself on the ropes and looks out at the stands. As his vision blurs again, we see the same bearded man as before sitting and watching him. Skinner starts to spar again but now

he's having trouble seeing the other boxer at all and shakes his head to clear his focus. Everything begins to move in slow motion as the boxer lands one to Skinner's jaw (the one time you don't clench, man, and look what happens!). He falls to the mat. The trainer rushes over and removes his headgear, trying to talk to him. We see from Skinner's point of view as everything goes fuzzy.

The trainer's face is replaced by a nurse as he wakes up in the hospital. She makes a lame joke about not getting his ear bitten off (Mike Tyson ref), tells him to sit tight, Dr. Plant is on his way, and

she leaves. He sits up, clears his head, looks at the clock on the wall, which reads 9:33, and his cellphone rings with an electronically-enhanced voice on the other end. "Have ... you heard ... the news? It's ... in ... you. You ... have ... 24 hours ... to go. You ... are ... already dead." At least it wasn't Candice Bergen trying to sell him cheap long-distance rates. The music swells slightly in the background and, gosh, it sounds familiar. Ah, yes, Mark Snow's score from The Movie, that's it (I have it practically memorized by now). Wonder what THAT means?

Dr. Plant arrives and after a quick rinse of his hands at the sink (no soap?! Don't let him touch you, Walter!) goes to look over Skinner. He sits on the gurney, wincing in pain, as the doc reminds him that he's already examined him but Skinner doesn't remember. After checking his eyes with a penlight, the doc declares him raring to go (after a repeat of the same lame ear-biting joke), suggesting he curb the boxing as he's not 20 anymore (no, but I'll bet he could deck Mulder if need be ;-). Skinner's surprised to hear he checks out clean. The doc says he's fine but might want to ice that bruise. "What bruise?" The doctor lifts up Skinner's shirt and points out a huge bruise on his right ribcage, punctuated by a nasty, red mark that looks like a needle-point to my untrained eye. Neither Skinner nor the doc notice it, though.

Cut to a little less than an hour later at the FBI Headquarters. We see Mulder sitting at his desk in the darkness (the lamp on his desk is on) flipping pencils at the ceiling (ala Chinga) and not succeeding as they fall back to earth. He looks up to see Skinner slowly walking past his window towards his own office, a hand on his side indicating he's still in pain. Having nothing better to do it seems, Mulder follows him and finds Skinner sitting on the couch in his secretary's area, his top few shirt buttons open, tie gone. Skinner then lies down slowly, his hand shielding his eyes from what little light there is coming from the hallway. Mulder smiles and asks if he's sleeping one off (meaning a drinking binge or partying too hardily. Like Skinner would really do that, phlease!). No, Skinner tells him, he just didn't want to drive as he's having trouble seeing, no big deal (the man's a rock!). Mulder receives no answer when he asks if the A.D. will be all right.

Less than an hour later, the elevator opens and Scully sweeps into the hallway, her long coat billowing as she walks purposefully into Skinner's outer office area. Skinner's still lying prone on the couch, Mulder's perched on the edge of the secretary's desk and the lights are still off. Skinner insists that he's fine, Scully is told he's having trouble with his eyes and has a nasty bruise on his ribs so she kneels down to look. Mulder flicks on the desk lamp and shines it on the bruise for Scully to see. Not looking good, all bluish-purple, not what *I* want to see when that shirt is lifted! He tells her the doc at the hospital said he was fine as she lightly touches the bruise and he winches again. Mulder then tells her about the weird phone call Skinner received saying he had 24 hours to live. Skinner's sure it was just some nutbar's idea of a joke as he tries to get up and leave.

Scully stops him with a gentle push back to the couch and checks his eyes. She asks if he's consumed anything that tasted metallic or otherwise odd in the last 48 hours, maybe we're dealing with poison. Did they take his blood? Sure, he says, and he's fine, besides, why would someone poison him then call him at the hospital? Mulder suggests they wanted to warn him and see where he turned for help. Skinner can't believe Mulder could be so paranoid and arrogant to assume this has

anything to do with him (Mulder) or the X-files. They're not even working on the X-files anymore. But Skinner is, Scully reminds him (well we know Spender isn't, so I do hope someone is).

Surmising that the poison could have been passed on by a mere touch or handshake, Mulder moves into interrogation mode and starts to question him about his activites that day. Did anything strange happen? Did he come in contact with anybody? Did he wake up alone? (see Avatar for when he woke up next to a dead hooker. That Mulder, just can't let something like that slide ;-) While he narrates we watch Skinner's slo-mo flashback of his day from when he arrives at the office. He exits the elevator, overhead lights gleaming on his dome as he strides down the hall (well, the episode's so dark otherwise I figure it's worth noting). Faces flash past us as the scene picks up with Skinner arriving in his office and saying "good morning" to his secretary. She replies with the same and we're back to present day Skinner on the couch. Mulder's not happy with this. Think, man, what else happened?

The slo-mo flashback is replayed as Skinner gets off the elevator only this time he recalls a man stopping him to ask for the time. It's the man we'll soon know as Dr. Kenneth Orgel. He remembers him wearing a black leather glove and grabbing Skinner by his right wrist. As Skinner grasps and looks at his wrist, Scully warns him it may not have left a mark as some poisons are absorbed through the skin. Mulder asks what time this happened and the scene changes to the security video footage

taken earlier that day. The time on the screen says 9:06 as Skinner walks through the front door's metal detector. At 9:07, Dr. Orgel walks through. They stop the tape as Scully recognizes him as an advisor to a Senate subcommittee on ethics and new technology. Uh-oh, you just know this isn't good. Skinner asks if he's a scientist and Scully says, "A physicist. Very well known, as far as physicists go." (the way she says this line really tickled me, no offense intended to Gillian) Mulder checks the log book and finds Orgel signed in as a visitor to Skinner's office but he has no idea why he'd be coming to see him. Scully's concerned that if *this* man poisoned him, he should be off his feet and

under a doctor's care (umm .. you're a doctor, aren't ya, Scully? ;-) Skinner's not interested in lying around, he vows to find the doc and put a gun to his head 'till he gives him the cure. He storms out of the tech room. When Scully asks what hospital he went to, Mulder tells her St. Katherine's and leaves after Skinner. We see the wheels turning in Scully's scientific mind as the music swells.

The tune sounds familiar as the scene cuts to an equally familiar-looking overhead shot of cars driving along a bridge. This time it's Chevy Chase, Maryland, instead of Montgomery County, Maryland, though. ... The Big Screen Movie, people, wake up in the back there! (When Mulder and Scully went to Bethesda, for those taking notes) We see Skinner banging on the door of a house, Mulder by his side. He winches as the overhead porch light is turned on and Dr. Orgel opens the door. The doctor says he has no idea who Skinner is, they must be mistaken about his visit to the FBI building and he closes the door. Mulder gives Skinner a yeah-right grin and pulls out his gun, telling him to go around back. Skinner's now taking orders from Mulder it seems as he heads off round the back of the house.

Mulder bangs loudly on the door again. Dr. Orgel opens it and immediately tries to close it but Mulder heaves his shoulder into it. His attempts are fruitless though as a shot rings out from inside the house. It goes clean through the door and shatters the porch light above Mulder's head. He's thrown back from the door as he tries to duck and the door slams close. Curses, foiled again. But, fear not, through the back door with a mighty heave-ho, his gun drawn, comes Skinner. Moving pretty good for a "dead" guy! He makes his way down the hallway then sees a man taking Dr. Orgel hostage. Skinner points his gun at them, yelling, "Federal agent!". From behind him pops another man. He promptly

whacks Skinner on the head, sending him to the floor. The bad dude kicks away Skinner's gun as he struggles to see what's going on, barely lifting his head off the floor as he nurses the back of his neck where he was hit. As the first bad guy walks by, still holding Dr. Ostel hostage, Mulder bursts through the now unguarded front door.

He starts to run towards the downed A.D. but Skinner yells at him, "Go!" Now it's Mulder's turn to take orders. He heads out the back door as a shot pings off the door frame. Mulder sees the two men running through the backyard with the doctor, shooting back at him and the chase begins. Cue the music to swell again (three guesses what's still playing? There *will* be a quiz later, pay attention!). Mulder gets to the alleyway they disappeared down and hears a car starting behind him. He whirls

around to see the men running towards their getaway car. His trenchcoat flapping in his wake, Mulder races after them and manages to tackle the second one (not the guy holding Dr. Orgel). Holding him down, Mulder looks up in time to see the other bad guy shoving the doc into the back of the car (license plate #EJP 259, whatever hidden message *that* may mean) and speeding away. He's disappointed, but at least he caught one of them. He yells at the man to drop his gun then grabs him by the coat collar and yanks him up off the ground. They begin to walk back to the doctor's house.

Meanwhile, back at the house, Skinner tries to stand up but his legs give way beneath him and he falls, propping himself up in the doorway. The man's obviously in pain. The veins on the left side of his neck have begun to swell. He runs his hand gently over them as he turns to see Mulder bringing his prisoner back. He can barely tell it's them as his vision is beginning to blur. He stands up, still leaning against the doorway for support, and puts away his gun as Mulder reaches the front porch.

With his prisoner yammering away at him in a foreign tongue, Mulder antagonizes the guy, saying, "Yeah, so's your Mom." Such a charmer, eh? Skinner starts checking the guy's pockets and finds a diplomatic passport. He tells Mulder to release him. The guy smacks away Mulder's arm as Skinner tells him he can go. He doesn't stick around and takes off at a good trot. Mulder's right ticked now. Skinner tells him he can't wait around for the police and their questions, Mulder will have to deal with 'em. The man's name is Alexander Lazreg and he's the cultural attache with the Tunisian mission there in D.C. "See what else you can find out about him." (Pencils down, folks, Tunisia ... hint, hint) Mulder eyes the throbbing veins on Skinner's neck and tells him he really needs to get to a hospital. "No. I'm trying to stay out of one." Skinner leaves. Mulder turns to watch him, distressed at how weakly Skinner's moving.

Cut to St. Katherine's Hospital, approximately an hour and a half later. Onscreen, the countdown has begun. Skinner has 20 hours and 29 minutes remaining. We see Scully walking down a hallway with Dr. Plant, the man that last examined Skinner. They walk into a lab, Dr. Plant picks up a chart from the wall as Scully tells him his patient may have been poisoned. The doc's shocked, poisoned by who? She doesn't know and isn't even sure what she's looking for. According to Dr. Plant, as he makes a lame attempt at a joke about the government's lousy health care plan, Skinner's samples haven't been touched. Scully walks over to a fridge full of blood vials and pulls one out. Luckily, as we're so pressed for time, it's Skinner's. The doc's all nervous about letting her touch them without a written release from the patient. (Did she bother telling him she's a doctor?!) We don't have time for that, Scully says, and neither does Skinner. She holds up one of the vials, inspecting it in the fridge

light. Something is not right as it appears a black substance has settled in the bottom of the vial. Dr. Plant assures her the vials have probably not been touched at all. Scully's brow gathers in concern as

she stares at the black stuff.

Cut to Dr. Orgel's house, Mulder sitting at a desk in the office, papers and folders spread out before him. He's looking through everything, tossing them onto the floor when he's done. A uniformed cop walks in and expresses his concern for Dr. Orgel's belongings and preserving any evidence they may hold. "I'd be a lot more concerned with the preservation of Dr. Orgel." Mulder says as he spots something in the trashcan. He pulls out what looks to be a proof sheet of pictures and recognizes someone. A smile spreads across his lips, "Hello, Senator." The camera zooms in to show Senator Matheson (last seen in Nisei) and Dr. Orgel smiling, their hands displaying an official-looking paper

between them.

Next we see Scully and Dr. Plant running some tests on Skinner's blood sample. They watch the results on a computer screen as a red line climbs on a graph. Dr. Plant is stunned to discover it's pure carbon. "How in the world would that get into his bloodstream?" More importantly, as Scully asks, "How is it working as a poison?" She places some more of the sample under a high-tech microscope and they both look up at a screen displaying the magnified image. Small dark circular objects are

bouncing back and forth among the other lighter circles. Suddenly the objects multiply before their eyes ... then they multiply again ... Dr. Plant taps away at the keyboard to zoom in on the image they can't believe they're seeing. Close-up, the dark objects now look like eight-legged bugs or cogs with an eye-like design on their "backs". Dr. Plant speaks for us all. "What the hell are they?"

It's now 4AM as Mulder is being let into Senator Matheson's stately looking mansion by a butler. As he goes upstairs to collect the senator, Mulder waits impatiently. Shortly, the senator comes downstairs, tying up the belt around his bathrobe and chastising Mulder for the lateness of the hour. He seems to have aged a great deal since we last saw him. Mulder whips out the picture he pulled from Dr. Orgel's trashcan. It was taken a mere three days ago, he tells the senator, and he asks him about the paper they're holding; Senate Resolution number 819, what's that all about? Matheson tells him it's a funding bill, why? "A friend of mine is going to die because of S.R. 819. I don't know how, I don't even know why but I'm betting you do." What little evidence Mulder has right now seems to lead to a plot to kill an Assistant Director of the FBI. Does that make sense? But the senator's not biting. He tells Mulder the bill will provide money and supplies to the World Health Organization, medical technology to third world countries. How dare he accuse the senator of being involved with such dark intrigue. Mulder pleads with him, Skinner may only have a few hours left! "My intention is to save

lives, Fox, but I can't save his." He holds the door open for Mulder, indicating he's overstayed his welcome. "Good night, Fox. Drive safely." Crestfallen that his old ally seems to have turned his back on him, Mulder slowly walks out the door.

An hour later, the Tunisian man released earlier pulls his car, the same one used in the kidnapping, into a parking garage. As he drives up to the machine and receives his ticket, the music begins to "tinkle" in the background (you know which music ... specifically the track called "Facts". Download a sample for comparison purposes here <http://members.xoom.com/oroborus12/facts.wav>). A moment

later, Skinner pulls in behind him and retrieves his own ticket. What is this man doing driving a car when he was so sick 5 hours ago?! He pulls in in front of the parked car, checking the licence plate number. The car appears deserted so he settles in to wait. The veins in his neck are getting worse. He grimaces in pain and adjusts the rearview mirror to check them. Suddenly a bullet punctures a hole in his windshield. We see the Tunisian man standing and pointing a gun. Skinner falls out of our

view. What are they doing to him now?!

Cautiously, with his gun still trained on the car, the Tunisian walks toward it. In a flash, Skinner pops up and fires off two rounds as the Tunisian ducks and then runs off. In pain and supporting himself against the car door, Skinner gets out to look for him. His breathing erratic, he stumbles through the aisles, scanning back and forth in search of his quarry. He loses his focus again, the cars blurring. He has to slow down as he tries to concentrate and clear his vision. From behind him, the Tunisian trains his gun on Skinner's back but before he can squeeze the trigger, a car squeals around the corner surprising them both. Wham! It slams into the Tunisian, killing him instantly, and rolls him off its

hood. Skinner tries to focus again as the car passes by. For a brief second we see a blurred but definitely bearded man driving the murder weapon. Barely able to stand now, Skinner falls against the hood of a nearby car, causing a massive dent as the alarm system begins to wail its warning. See? Skinner really IS "solid as a rock" after all!

About an hour later, we join Scully in the lab at St. Katherine's Hospital still working on the blood sample with Dr. Plant. She seems to have finally made a breakthrough. The carbon they found is not only reproducing itself, she says, but it appears to have behavior and is creating something, "a matrix stimulated by blood flow in response to movement." It is building valves or dams in Skinner's vascular system. Dr. Plant's shocked again. "It's building a heart attack." he says ominously. A nurse enters to tell them the paramedics have picked up a Walter Skinner and are taking him to D.C. General. Odd, seeing as how the opening teaser had him "dying" at St. Katherine's.

Cut to an operating room in D.C. General where Dr. Cabrera is now working apparently. Must be short-staffed, I guess, so she wanders aimlessly from hospital to hospital pronouncing ADs prematurely dead and trying to hack off their arms ... somebody stop her, take away her licence before she strikes again! Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. Ahem. We cut to the emergency operating room of D.C. General. Skinner's on the table and a nurse is swabbing his arm for some reason. Dr. Cabrera studies some x-rays as another doctor stares at the mass of veins before him, wondering how it's possible the man's still alive. Glancing down at Skinner for a second, (what constitutes an examination for this quack, I'm sure) Dr. Cabrera sends a chill down my

spine with her immortal words ... "We'll take the left arm first." Noooooo! ... A nurse wheels in a tray full of nasty, sharp instruments including a hacksaw-like tool. Nooooo! ... Dr. Cabrera picks up a

scalpel, directing the nurse to mark above his bicep. Someone stop this madness! I'm having Krycek flashbacks from Terma here! Stop her!

The door finally opens as my breath leaves my body. It's Scully, with Dr. Plant tagging along, come to save her boss in the nick of time, whew. The other doctor challenges her and Dr. Cabrera tries to have them tossed out but Scully wins the day and the surgery is stopped before it gets out of hand ... ouch, bad pun. Next we see the blinding lights in the hallway as Scully walks beside Skinner's gurney being wheeled to another room. He struggles to lift his head, but can't hold it up and gives in. He asks her who did this to him and she assures him Mulder is trying to find out. In the meantime, they'll do everything they can to help him. He has a brief flashback of being knocked down in the boxing ring, Dr. Orgel grabbing his wrist and then the Tunisian man being killed in the garage. He whispers, "I don't know. I can't remember." Scully looks on with concern as they load him onto the elevator.

More than 2 hours later, the FBI Building. Why is Scully walking into Skinner's outer office with a handful of mail? And with her hair cut all wrong, tucked behind her ears? Oh, wait, nevermind, it's Skinner's secretary. She hears noises coming from the boss' office and slowly opens the door to find Mulder tearing apart the desk area, papers flying everywhere. He can't open one of the drawers and asks her for a key. She wants to know what the heck he's doing and he tells her Skinner's been poisoned "for doing his job." (nothing like breaking it to them gently, Mulder). No time to waste with explanations, Mulder's looking for anything relating to S.R. 819, he says. "If you want to save his life,

you'll help me open this drawer." She doesn't have a key so he goes to her desk to find a letter opener. As he picks it up, he notices the morning mail, one envelope in particular sticking out like a sore, veiny, thumb. The oversized one with the fancy-schmancy Senate stamp on it. Mulder grabs it and rips it open, pulling out a piece of paper he reads intently. He can barely hear the concerned secretary's query, "Is he going to be all right?"

Next we cut to Scully in some fetching burgundy colored hospital scrubs (oooh-la-la!) going over Skinner's charts. Mulder arrives and stands outside the door, waiting to talk to Scully outside of Skinner's earshot. Scully's worried, he's not stable and it's not looking good. "His blood has become a weapon against his body." They'll keep lasering his arteries open, she says, but it's building walls faster than they can tear them down and they just don't have the technology to fight it. "Maybe we do." Mulder pulls out the paper he took from Skinner's office. Senator Matheson's office address is readable, Skinner's address is listed below it. He tells her that Skinner was doing a security check on

a Senate bill for violation of trade laws involving sensitive technology. But that's just routine, Scully counters, the FBI must do dozens a year. But this bill was going to vote in the Senate, just waiting for Skinner's review and Dr. Orgel's analysis. Scully asks if he's saying Dr. Orgel poisoned Skinner to cover up his analysis? According to Mulder, no, Dr. Orgel didn't poison anybody. He came to tell Skinner about a gross violation of export laws involving new technology. "New technology." Scully repeats, her mind reeling with possibilites. In the distance, a cellphone starts ringing. Mulder checks

his pocket but it's not his. A nurse comes out of Skinner's room and hands Mulder a phone. "It was in his pants pocket." Aren't they illegal in hospitals?

Mulder answers and hears the same electronic voice as before. "Might as well ... give up. You ... can't ... stop it." He hands the phone to Scully saying someone must know Skinner is here and he heads off in hot pursuit. The voice continues: "Walter Skinner ... your time ..." (we now see the words being printed on a hand-held screen hereby known as The Palm Pilot Of Death) "... is almost up". Mulder looks around the hospital hallway. He sees a ragged character with long dirty hair and a beard hunched and writing intently. The man peeks up through his hair, spotting Mulder and he begins to walk away. Mulder shouts at him to stop so, of course, the man starts to high-tail it outta there. He chases him down the stairwell and into the parking garage, losing him in the process. Mulder pulls out his gun as he enters the parking deck. He scans the cars, the camera spinning in circles around him as a light flickers above his head. Suddenly he hears a sound and whirls around armed and ready to shoot. It's just a blonde nurse arriving for work. He waves her on and continues the search. A car squeals into life and Mulder watches as the bearded man drives off. He half-heartedly gives chase on foot but it's useless. As that wonderful music continues to swell in the background, Mulder dashes back up the stairwell, arriving at the car's exit ramp only to find the car crashed and holding up

traffic. The bearded man is nowhere to be seen. An angry woman yells at Mulder in Spanish, obviously ticked about the broken gate.

Outside in the bright sunshine, we come across Senator Matheson driving in his car (alone? no chauffer?). His cellphone rings and it's the bearded man calling from a phone booth. Hardly any effort made to disguise his voice, *now* you know who it is, right? The man warns the senator that the bill is in danger, a new threat has emerged and "blood will be on your hands." The senator appears shaken but he keeps his cool saying he doesn't buy into the bearded man's hollow threats. "Well, Dr. Orgel does. You can ask him." He offers to tell the senator where to find the kidnapped doc and soon after he hangs up the phone.

Next we find Mulder talking to a technician at the FBI impound garage. They've been looking at the car Mulder brought in. It's leased to the diplomatic counsel corps and they couldn't find much evidence other than a couple of human hairs from an expensive wig. Mulder looks at the evidence bag and spouts out one of the more unfortunate Mulderisms to date, "Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful." The only other thing of interest were the scrapings from the tires. They found PCBs of levels not seen since the '70s, "Right before the EPA got fangs." The tech hands Mulder a vial of the scrapings and tells him they may have come from an old power plant. Mulder inspects the vial closely.

Cut to a car pulling into what appears to be an abandoned power plant. Its license plate, S4578, fills our screen then the driver gets out. It's Senator Matheson. He opens the old, creaky door to the building as a flock of pigeons flaps in his face, startling him. He walks through the building, looking for something or someone and comes across a door. He opens it, his body framed in the doorway by the light streaming in behind him. In the near-darkness of the room, he walks toward a man strapped to a table, a light from above highlighting him. The door creaks closed behind him. As he gets closer to the man, we see it's Dr. Orgel in the same condition as Skinner, his veins displayed prominently.

Matheson begins unstrapping him as Orgel begs him to hurry, telling him they think Orgel has exposed them to the FBI. "I told the FBI nothing.", Dr. Orgel says, "Please, I promise not to expose anyone." In another part of the room we see the bearded man in the shadows, manipulating his Palm Pilot Of Death. The doctor screams in pain and Matheson backs away from him, not sure what's happening. We see from the bearded man's viewpoint as a cone shape on his display screen begins to fill in. The more it fills up, the louder Dr. Orgel yells and the more the veins on his head throb madly. Senator Matheson looks on in horror as the screams fill the air.

As the scene changes to Skinner's hospital room, the onscreen countdown continues. He has 3 hours and 56 minutes remaining. Scully walks in and he smiles weakly at her. The poor fella looks awful. She's come to tell him about a radical procedure she'd like to try whereby his blood would be completely filtered out of his body, therapeutic plasmapheresis. There's a chance he may go into shock. Skinner quietly says what will be one of my new Start sounds ... "I'm in your hands." *swoon* Pardon me, back to the plot. With his time ticking down, Skinner figures he has nothing left to lose and offers up a deathbed confession to Scully she finds hard to swallow. He apologies for not being a better ally to her and Mulder. "Your quest ... it should have been mine." He feels his life had no purpose, "If I die now, I die in vain." Groan, I really hope that wasn't supposed to be a pun, awful timing, Skinner! She protests, "You've been our ally more times than I can say." and gently touches his wrist.

Her touch sends Skinner flashing back again to when Dr. Orgel grabbed him in the hallway. "I remember now." he blurts out. Although he can't see the man's face, he sees all the places he remembers the bearded man. In the stands at the boxing ring, walking past his hospital room, driving the killer car and even in the FBI hallway when Orgel asked for the time. The tape, Scully, he's on the security tape! She races off to check, hope faintly shining through the darkness.

Mulder's car pulls up to the old power plant and he parks next to Senator Matheson's vehicle. As he gets out, he studies the license plate, obviously recognizing it. He enters the building and takes out

his gun as he walks through the flock of fearless pigeons. He's drawn to the same door which Matheson spotted and opens it slowly, gun drawn in anticipation. We see a lone figure standing by the now empty table. It's Matheson, not the man Mulder was looking for, he says. He tells Mulder that Dr. Orgel is dead but he doesn't believe him, "You lied to me this morning; you're lying to me now." The senator tells him to drop it but Mulder's riled now and yells that he must know what Orgel knows, his friend is dying! Whatever Orgel knows dies with him, he's told, but Mulder's not taking this garbage and grabs Matheson by his coat lapels, shouting in his face, "Tell me what you know, Senator! This is about S.R. 819, isn't it? What the hell did they put in Skinner?"

The senator pushes him away saying he must have some idea by now. "It's the same technology that S.R. 819 will export.", Mulder says in realization. You betcha, the senator confirms, "Technology that the world believes is purely theoretical." Mulder stands in shock, drinking it all in before saying the word aloud ... "Nanotechnology. Microscopic, atom-sized machines." As Senator Matheson pleads that he has nothing to do with this, he's merely a victim as well and if Mulder pursues this, they'll kill him too, Mulder storms out. "I will stop this!"

The camera shows us the clock on the hospital wall reading 9:32. We're back to the teaser as that nasty Dr. Cabrera says "Let him go." The orderly looks up at the clock, "Call time of death, 9:33." A nurse pulls the sheet over Skinner's lifeless form and the camera leaves the room as we see the display screen for the Palm Pilot Of Death. The cone-shape we saw earlier is filled in, then we watch as it quickly "unfills", disappearing completely. Now what?! The monitors in Skinner's room suddenly come to life and with a gasp from beneath the sheet, so does Skinner. WHEW! Dr. Cabrera pulls back the sheet as Skinner struggles to breathe. She looks over at the orderly with a sheepish look which says, "We are never to speak of this again or I'm taking you down with me!" (poetic licence, this isn't in the script ;-) As they check his condition, Skinner turns his head and sees the bearded man standing outside his room's window. Their eyes meet briefly. A food cart passes between them and the man disappears.

Time has passed, it's now 3 weeks later as we join Mulder and Scully is Skinner's office. The A.D. is back to his old self, looking fit as a fiddle and twice as fun ;-) We can't help but get the warm and fuzzies seeing our agents seated in front of their old boss' desk, just like the good old days. Scully smiles warmly as she relates what his doctors have said, that Skinner's prognosis is excellent and his recovery is being hailed as a miracle. Mulder's a happy camper as well but it's back to business as he hands over two pictures Scully pulled off the security video of the bearded man. Skinner glances at them briefly but hands them back saying he doesn't recognize the man. Mulder's taken aback then

tells him that S.R. 819 was withdrawn last night without any explanation. Skinner proclaims this as good, the man failed, but Mulder counters that he doesn't believe this was the man's intention. Why call Skinner to warn him if he wanted to poison him? The man worked for the same government that was going to receive the technology (Tunisia), drove one of their cars and killed one of his own in order to *save* Skinner. The A.D. can't believe Mulder still believes this is connected to the X-files, but he says he does and he thinks he knows who's behind it but will need Skinner's authorization to continue. A pregnant pause fills the air as we await Skinner's word. It's not coming as he tells them he has neither the authority nor the will to allow any continued inquiry. "You'll perform your duties as directed by A.D. Kersh and only A.D. Kersh." The agents stare at him, surprised at this reversal of

Skinner's loyalty. What happened to the man that "confessed" to Scully? His final words to them: "This matter's closed, Agents. Am I clear?" Mulder and Scully just look at each other, resigned to yet another dead end.

Later we watch Skinner enter the FBI parking garage and walk toward his car, using the remote control to unlock it. He sits for a moment in the driver's seat then senses someone in the back seat. Skinner says he's been expecting him to show up. The left thumb of a figure in the darkness closes the lid on the Palm Pilot Of Death. The bearded man is no longer bearded, we can see his shape in the dark. "You know I can push the button any time." Without turning around, Skinner says, "What

do you want from me? What's this about, Krycek?" as the man finally reveals himself as that no-good-for-nuthin-but-we-can't-help-loving-him Ratboy, Alex Krycek! "All in good time." he says quietly then exits the car. Skinner sits in his car, wondering what his life has become now and who he'll need to answer to. He starts the car and begins to leave. Fade to black ...

Notes

Hello Skinner! Howdy Krycek! And, more importantly, a hearty welcome back to the X-Files, I had almost forgotten this season why I love this show so much. Maybe I've been lulled into submission by the overuse of what's become known as XF Lite with the episodes shown so far this year, but this one knocked me out. Now I see the plan, get the silly eps out of the way to make room for the heavy stuff we're promised over the next batch of shows. All is forgiven, Chris, even if it meant torturing my poor Skinner. Don't do it again!

The most puzzling part of this ep which left us scratching our collective heads, just HOW did Skinner get poisoned? If we go with the obvious, Dr. Orgel infecting him through his gloved touch, then why on earth would he sign in as Skinner's visitor? The cops in D.C. aren't really that incompetent are they? But then again, he never did go to see Skinner, just stopped him in the hall. Skinner was in his office for quite some time and Orgel never showed up for an appointment. Hmmm ... How's this sound then? Orgel DID poison Skinner in an attempt to get him to stop the investigation into the nanotechnology. Krycek followed him, kidnapped him and stole his Palm Pilot Of Death to control Skinner. Saving him at the end merely prolongs his hold over the A.D. and, thus, the X-files themselves.

Don't bother speculating that Krycek somehow infected Skinner's boxing opponent in the gym, he barely touched the man's shoulder as he passed him. Krycek was there to merely watch what happened when he pumped up the volume on the Palm Pilot Of Death.

Writer John Shiban has become every fan's favorite whipping boy after the inexcusable atrocities we've been subjected to in the past from his poison pen (Teso dos Bichos and El Mundo Gira). But, with The Pine Bluff Variant last season, the bar was raised, and with this beauty he just may be redeemed. Well done, John. And a nice connection with The Pine Bluff Variant with the poison being spread by touch.

What on earth was Mulder doing at the office tossing pencils at the ceiling so late at night? Was he waiting for the hum of Spender's paper shredder so he could sneak down with his trusty roll of tape?

The only jarring scene for me involved my favorite actress, Gillian, which made it all the more difficult to accept. When she burst in on Skinner's impending arm surgery, where was the Angry!Scully we saw in Apocrypha? "This wasn't a random shooting. I want guards posted here and I want them here now!" I found her reaction to seeing her boss' arms about to be hacked off a bit low-key considering all they've been through.

Who is that evil woman, Dr. "Let's-chop-his-arms-off" Cabrera, working for anyway? Why is it no one else knows what name Skinner whispered to her before she pronounced him dead? It's hard to read cracked and chapped lips, but it sure looks like "Krycek" to me. Maybe time will tell but she gave me the heebie-jeebies, don't let her near my boy, Skinner, again.

Both John Towey (Dr. Orgel) and Jenny Gago (Dr. Cabrera) were in one of the "Alien Nation" movies. Which one, you ask? Cue the Twilight Zone theme .... "Alien Nation: Millennium"!

If you're new to the series and wonder who Senator Matheson is and how he's helped Mulder in the past, check out these eps: Little Green Men and Nisei. The character is probably named for the popular sci-fi author, Richard Matheson.

A short Krycek primer for the new fans who have no idea who this man is, with or without a beard. He first appeared in Sleepless as Mulder's new partner but a meeting with Cancer Man at the end of the ep alerted us to his true nature and mission. Over the years, we've seen his loyalties sway from one side to the other, although by Patient X/ The Red And The Black he seemed to be on Mulder's side against the impending alien invasion. He lost his left arm in Terma and I'm guessing he's had a

high-tech prosthetic arm built since then. Maybe even using this nanotechnology.

Speaking of which, here's a terrific link which explains all this better than I ever could, Nanotechnology and Medicine <http://nano.xerox.com/nanotech/nanotechAndMedicine.html>. Basically, it's just what Mulder says, microscopic machines that work within the human body with more accuracy than our current tools.

The Movie Connection: Did you notice the background music for almost all of this episode came straight from Mark Snow's movie score? Oh, you did :-) I mean, come on now, how could there not be a connection? Might this technology coursing through Skinner's veins be used as a cure against the alien virus? And why else would we be dealing with Tunisian diplomats? The last thing we saw in the movie was a corn field in the Tunisian desert overseen by Conrad Strughold. Seems they've been busy as bees since then ... ouch.

As you may be able to tell, I enjoyed this hour very much and truly did find myself perched on the edge of my seat and biting my well-worn nails. I was beginning to worry about "my" show losing its edge but if this is any indictation, they're back on track and I'm strapped in for the ride. I'm so glad to see the old gang together again. Now, let's see what we can do about tossing Spender and Fowley!

Quotes

____________________

Skinner's opening voiceover: "Every minute of every day we choose. Who we are. Who we forgive. Who we defend and protect. To choose a side or to walk the line. To play the middle. To straddle the fence between what is and what should be. This was the course I chose. Trying to find the delicate balance of interests that can never exist. Choosing by not choosing. Defending a center which cannot hold. So death chose for me."

____________________________________________________________

In the gym, to Skinner

Trainer: "Go easy on him, Slugger. I need him to lock up for me tonight, okay?"

____________________________________________________________

In the gym, to Skinner's opponent, Dre

Trainer: "Don't telegraph that left, Dre. Stevie Wonder would see that one coming."

____________________________________________________________

Skinner answers his cellphone and hears an electronic voice

Electronic Voice: "Walter ... Skinner."

Skinner: "Who is this?"

Electronic Voice: "Have ... you heard ... the news? It's ... in ... you."

Skinner: "What is this?"

Electronic Voice: "You ... have ... 24 hours ... to go."

Skinner: "What is this? What do you want?"

Electronic Voice: "You ... are ... already dead."

____________________________________________________________

Scully: "Well, if you were poisoned, it could have been overlooked."

Skinner: "If it did, why call and tell me at the hospital?"

Mulder: "To scare you. See what you'd do. Who you'd turn to."

Skinner: (sarcastically) "Oh. This is about you."

Mulder: "Or about the X-Files."

Skinner: "You are so paranoid, Mulder. You're not even on the X-Files anymore."

Scully: "I know. But you are. You still supervise them."

Mulder: "What happened today? Anything out of the ordinary?"

Skinner: "I'm not going to play this game."

Scully: "Look, it could've been anything. It could have been the slightest touch, or a handshake."

Mulder: "This morning, you woke up ..."

Skinner: "I woke up."

Mulder: "Alone?"

Skinner: (defensive) "Yes. Alone." (see Avatar)

____________________________________________________________

Looking at the security video

Scully: "Wait a second. Back up. It can't be. That's Kenneth Orgel. An advisor to a Senate

subcommittee on ethics and new technology."

Skinner: "He's a scientist?"

Scully: "A physicist. Very well known, as far as physicists go."

Mulder: (reading the log) "He signed in here as a visitor to the office of Assistant Director Walter

Skinner."

Scully: "Why would he be coming to see you?"

Skinner: "I'd like to ask him that myself."

Scully: "Sir, if this man poisoned you, you should be off your feet and under a doctor's care."

Skinner: "If this man poisoned me I'm going to put a gun to his head, find out why and ask him how

he's going to make me well."

____________________________________________________________

Tunisian Man: (something Arabic and angry I won't even attempt to translate)

Mulder: "Yeah, so's your Mom."

____________________________________________________________

At Senator Matheson's lovely looking mansion, Mulder visits at 4AM

Senator Matheson: "I don't have to tell you how late it is, do I, Agent Mulder? But I suspect that wasn't

even a consideration of yours."

Mulder: "Actually, time is my only consideration, Senator. (Mulder shows him the picture he found)

This was taken only three days ago. It's of you and Dr. Kenneth Orgel holding a Senate

Resolution. S.R. 819, I think it's called. What is that?"

Senator Matheson: "A funding bill. What is this all about?"

Mulder: "A friend of mine is going to die because of S.R. 819. I don't know how, I don't even know why

but I'm betting you do."

Senator Matheson: "What are you talking about?"

Mulder: "I don't even really know yet; all I have are a few pieces: a Tunisian diplomat, this Dr.

Kenneth Orgel, this health bill, S.R. 819 -- all leading up to a plot to kill an Assistant Director

of the FBI. Does that make sense?"

Senator Matheson: "The bill you've referred to will provide money and supplies to the World Health

Organization, medical technology to third world countries. I have aided you in the

past with information, Fox, and advice, which right now is to leave here at once and

never again suggest to anyone my involvement in any such dark intrigue. Am I

understood?"

Mulder: "This man may die; he may only have a few hours to live."

Senator Matheson: "My intention is to save lives, Fox, but I can't save his. (he opens the door for

Mulder) Good night, Fox. Drive safely."

____________________________________________________________

After finding the carbon in Skinner's blood

Scully: "I think I've found it. I think I found what the carbon's doing. It's, uh ... it's not just reproducing

itself. It has behavior. It's creating something, a-a matrix stimulated by blood flow in response

to movement. It's multiplying and solidifying in an orderly fashion. It's building valves or-or

dams in the vascular system."

Dr. Plant: (shocked and amazed) "It's building a heart attack."

____________________________________________________________

Skinner's veins are throbbing as the doctors prepare for surgery ...

Dr. Cabrera: "We'll take the left arm first." (TD NOTE: Aiiiii! Noooo!)

____________________________________________________________

Dr. Cabrera: "If he's gonna live, he's gonna have to lose his arms." (TD NOTE: see above ;-)

Scully: "No, that's not going to save him. It's his blood."

Dr. Cabrera: "Who the hell is this woman?"

Dr. Plant: "She's a doctor."

Scully: "You're not going to solve anything until you get a scope into him. Nothing else is going to

work. Look, if you want to save this man listen to what I'm saying."

____________________________________________________________

Mulder: "I found this with Skinner's morning mail. He was doing a security check on a Senate bill for

violation of trade laws involving sensitive technology."

Scully: "Yeah, but this is just a routine procedure, Mulder. The FBI does dozens of these a year."

Mulder: "No. This bill was going to vote in the Senate. All it was waiting on was Skinner's review and

an analysis by Dr. Kenneth Orgel."

Scully: "You're saying that Dr. Orgel poisoned Skinner in order to cover up his analysis?"

Mulder: "No. Orgel didn't poison anybody. Orgel came to the FBI to tell Skinner what he knew -- that

there was a gross violation of export laws involving new technology."

Scully: "New technology."

Mulder: "You know what that means?"

Scully: "Well, I think I might."

____________________________________________________________

Garage Technician: "Inside we found a couple hairs -- human -- from an expensive wig."(he holds up

an evidence bag with some blonde hairs)

Mulder: (looking at the hairs) "Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful."

____________________________________________________________

Skinner's in bad shape as the clock ticks down. With barely four hours remaining, he confides in Scully

Skinner: "I think I owe you an apology, Scully. You and Mulder."

Scully: "Sir?"

Skinner: "I've been lying here thinking. Your quest ... it should have been mine."

Scully: "What do you mean?"

Skinner: "If I die now, I die in vain. I have nothing to show for myself. My life ..."

Scully: "Sir, you know that's not true."

Skinner: "It is. I can see now that ... I always played it safe. I wouldn't take sides. Wouldn't let you and

Mulder ... pull me in."

Scully: "You've been our ally more times than I can say."

Skinner: "Not the kind of ally that I could have been."

____________________________________________________________

Mulder: "Tell me what you know, Senator. This is about S.R. 819, isn't it? What the hell did they put in

Skinner?"

Senator Matheson: "I'm sure you already have some idea, Fox."

Mulder: "It's the same technology that S.R. 819 will export."

Senator Matheson: "Technology that the world believes is purely theoretical."

Mulder: "Nanotechnology. Microscopic, atom-sized machines? Machines can be stopped."

Senator Matheson: "Your friend is already dead."

Mulder: "I don't believe that."

Senator Matheson: "If you pursue this, Fox, they will kill you."

Mulder: "Not before I expose you and your role in this." (Mulder angrily begins walking away towards

the door)

Senator Matheson: (desperate) "My role? I am a victim here. Don't you understand that? I'm fighting

for my life."

Mulder: "I will stop this!"

Senator Matheson: (even more desperate) "It's too late, Fox. It's too late!"

____________________________________________________________

In Skinner's office, 3 weeks after he "cheats" death ... for now

Scully: "Sir, I've spoken with your doctors and your prognosis is excellent. Whatever you are infected

with appears to be dormant and your recovery is being hailed as miracle."

Mulder: "The man who poisoned you was at the FBI that day. Scully was able to pull these off the

security video tapes. (he hands over 2 pictures of Krycek disguised by a cheesy wig)

Hopefully, it might jog your memory. Maybe you can identify this man."

Skinner: (glancing briefly at the photos) "No, I'm sorry."

Mulder: "S.R. 819 was withdrawn by committee late last night. Without explanation."

Skinner: "Good. So this man failed then?"

Mulder: "If that was his true motive. If he wanted to poison you to prevent you from investigating S.R.

819, why call you to tell you that? This man worked for the government that was to receive

this technology. He drove one of their cars and he killed one of his own to save you."

Skinner: "So you still think this is about you? About the X-Files?"

Mulder: "Yes. Yes, I do. And I have an idea who may be behind all this. But I'd need your authority to

continue the investigation."

Skinner: "I have neither the authority nor the will to allow your continued inquiry into this matter. You'll

perform your duties as directed by AD Kersh and only AD Kersh."

(Mulder and Scully stare at Skinner in surprise)

Scully: "Sir?"

Skinner: "This matter's closed, Agents. Am I clear?"

(Mulder and Scully look at each other)

____________________________________________________________

Skinner receives a visitor in his car

Skinner: "I've been expecting you to show up."

(A figure in the backseat closes the lid on his Palm Pilot Of Death)

Bearded Man's Voice: "You know I can push the button any time."

Skinner: "What do you want from me? What's this about, Krycek?"

(The previously bearded man, now clean-shaven, leans forward exposing his face)