• Abstract and Figures
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THE X FILES FADE IN: EXT. STREET - DAY A typically all-American, white-picket-fence neighbourhood; all angular set houses, neatly trimmed gardens, leafy trees hanging down. HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND 3:43pm A young BOY (around eleven years old, tall, dark hair, innocent face) cycles down the sidewalk. He passes an elderly NEIGHBOUR mowing the lawn. BOY Hi, Mr. Silversteen! The old neighbour - MR. SILVERSTEEN - smiles and waves back at him, saying hello but it can’t be heard for the mower. The pleasant Boy, full of life, cycles on before turning into the driveway of a house holding a mailbox marked: ‘FRIEDMAN’. The garage is open and the Boy rides it inside, leaping off the top and jogging deeper into the house-- INT. FRIEDMAN RESIDENCE - CONTINUOUS --running immediately into a pair of TODDLERS, a BOY and GIRL, running around the house screaming and chasing each other. MRS. FRIEDMAN (O.C.) (shouts) Will you two be careful?! You’ll hurt yourselves! Moving past them, grinning, the Boy moves through the house - passing a picture of good old Jesus Christ on the wall. BOY Hey Mom. MRS. FRIEDMAN (O.C.) Hey honey, I’m in the kitchen. BOY Just going to the bathroom. MRS. FRIEDMAN (O.C.) Don’t be long, supper’s on the table. Racing up the stairs, the Boy hears his mother once again call the Toddlers - still running about, screaming. 2. INT. UPSTAIRS LANDING - MOMENTS LATER The toilet flushes and the Boy emerges from the bathroom, after briefly drying his hands on a towel. He moves to the stairs--until he begins to hear a BABY crying from one of the upstairs bedrooms. He heads inside: INT. BABY’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS A little BABY BOY, a matter of months old, is crying inside a cot on the far wall of the room. The Boy approaches him as the baby INTERCOM crackles: MRS. FRIEDMAN (O.C.) Don’t cry baby, Mommy will be right up. Slowly, the Boy moves toward the cot, before his eyes become transfixed by a DIORAMA OF PLANETS hanging over the cot... CLOSE ON THE DIORAMA... CLOSE ON THE BOY... staring at it... CLOSE ON THE DIORAMA... as it suddenly begins to slowly creak, unnaturally rotating... CLOSE ON THE BOY... unnerved... is he doing this? MRS. FRIEDMAN (O.C.) (CONT’D) William? The boy - WILLIAM FRIEDMAN - jumps as he puts his hand to the diorama, stopping the movement quickly. He turns to see his mother, MRS. FRIEDMAN (late-thirties, homely), rushing in toward the crying baby. MRS. FRIEDMAN (CONT’D) Why didn’t you call me if you knew he was crying? William watches, spooked, as she picks up and comforts the baby. WILLIAM Sorry Mom, I thought you were... He looks back at the diorama - now silent, still, as it should be. A shake of the head from Mrs. Friedman as she taps the baby’s bottom, heading past William. 3. MRS. FRIEDMAN Come on. Supper’s ready. ON WILLIAM as his mother moves on, taking one last look back at the diorama, before following her out. PUSH IN ON THE DIORAMA... still... BLACK OUT: 4. FIGHT THE TRUTH Resist by A J BLACK 5. FADE IN: EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY An old CAR drives through remote country roads, moving away from the vista of the Appalacians in the distance. WEST VIRGINIA 7:47am INT. CAR - CONTINUOUS The car bumps and rattles along as it drives, FOX MULDER in control - saying nothing to JEFFREY SPENDER perched in the seat next to him. The ‘nothing’ continues for a few moments, Spender reeling from something he’s been told. SPENDER You’re saying Control is gone. All of it? MULDER Given the FBI were tearing down the brickwork as I evaded their perimeter, I’m guessing as much. SPENDER What about Gibson? MULDER Most likely in custody. With all the rest of them. MALE VOICE (O.C.) No thanks to you... ON SPENDER, the only one hearing the familiar American purr coming from behind them. He looks back... seeing the CIGARETTE-SMOKING MAN sitting in the rear, in all his suited, wrinkled prime, inevitably puffing smoke into the air. CIGARETTE-SMOKING MAN If you hadn’t turned Gibson down when he asked you to be part of Control, you might have been there to help. Spender looks away, at Mulder - staring forward, not sharing the vision. 6. CIGARETTE-SMOKING MAN (CONT’D) (takes a drag) But then you always were a coward, weren’t you Jeffrey? ON SPENDER as he shakes his head, looking back at Mulder. SPENDER I’m concerned about what you have in mind, Fox. (Mulder doesn’t turn) William has a foster family now, he won’t even remember his real parents. You just turn up on the doorstep unannounced-- Mulder reaches into the bag just behind him, pulling out who BADGES he throws onto Spender’s lap. Spender flips them open: both his and Mulder’s FBI ID. MULDER Knew they’d come in handy again someday. He continues driving as Spender looks at the badges, getting the idea - but he’s still worried. CUT TO: EXT. SCULLY RESIDENCE - DAY To establish - a crisp day shines down on the picturesque family home. FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA 9:12am INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS Pills drop from a small tub into the hand of DANA SCULLY, dropping two into a glass of water - where they begin to dissolve. WIDER Taking in MARGARET SCULLY, out of bed in her dressing gown, perching at the kitchen top. MARGARET I feel good today, Dana. No need for the meds. SCULLY There’s always need for your meds, Mom. 7. Scully pops the tub of pills back onto the shelf and begins stirring the water. MARGARET But I’m awake today, you know these things make me drowsy. Finishing stirring, Scully hands the drink over to Margaret. SCULLY Drink up. Come on. With reluctance, Margaret begins to drink the pills back as Scully watches. SCULLY (CONT’D) Drowsiness is a worthy side-affect of helping to ease the chemo, take it from me. MARGARET (finishes drink) I know, Dana. (sighs) Sometimes I wish you hadn’t become such a good doctor. A little grin from Scully as they hear movement coming down the stairs... revealing CHARLES SCULLY as he enters. He’s suited up, briefcase in hand, grabbing a piece of TOAST that pops up from the toaster. CHARLES Morning everybody. SCULLY Not staying for breakfast, Charlie? CHARLES I’m sorry, I can’t. I just came back to change, another busy day of patients ahead. He approaches Margaret, putting his arm around her. CHARLES (CONT’D) You going to be ok, Mom? MARGARET (smiles) Of course. Dana’s here. Charles smiles at Scully, before giving his mother a kiss on the head - grabbing his briefcase. CHARLES I’ll call you later. Take care. 8. MARGARET You too, honey. Taking a bite of his toast, Charles heads out-- INT. FOYER - CONTINUOUS He grabs his coat on the stand, draping it over his arm, and he unlocks the door-- SCULLY (O.C.) Charlie! Charles turns as Scully reaches him quickly. CHARLES Everything ok? SCULLY Yeah, I just... wanted to thank you for being with Mom. I know it’s helped her. And... well, you helped me. Your advice. CHARLES It’s like I said, Dana... it’s why I’m here. (smiles) Look I’m sorry, I gotta run. SCULLY Sure. Go. With a smile tinged by guilt, Charles hastily exits. ON SCULLY, not picking up on it though, who smiles a little before heading back toward the kitchen. PUSH IN on her JACKET hung up nearby, she oblivious to her cell phone BUZZING repeatedly inside-- CUT TO: INT. PHONE BOOTH - DAY --a call being made from within a grimy booth by JOHN DOGGETT, facing the courtyard of a cheap motel. The phone rings: no answer. SCULLY (V.O.) Hi you’ve reached Dana Scully. I’m not here to-- Doggett hangs up, a little frustrated - ejecting his quarters from the phone and heading out. He moves across the courtyard toward the rooms at a jog. 9. BOWIE, MARYLAND 9:17am INT. MOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS Pacing up and down the cheap motel room, RENEE LASSITER looks visibly shaken up - not even minding the peeling decor and antiquated furnishings. She jumps a little as Doggett enters quickly, sealing the door; moving to grab his things. RENEE Did she pick up? DOGGETT I got no answer, from neither Reyes or Scully. (nods) I gotta go down there myself. RENEE Don’t you... have to be back in New York? At your job? DOGGETT I can’t just go back. One of the supersoldiers who came after us, the one who tried to kill me, he was my partner. Hearing that disturbs Renee, watching Doggett zip up a bag. DOGGETT (CONT’D) More could be waiting for me back there. RENEE What about the woman? (off his look) I saw them take a woman who saw there, who saved you-- DOGGETT Her name is Shannon McMahon, Bravo Company MC. The last of them after me. (pauses) She’s a supersoldier too. ON RENEE, her eyes widening in surprise. DOGGETT (CONT’D) I believe she wants to help. Don’t ask me to explain it. (shakes his head) (MORE) 10. DOGGETT (CONT’D) For a long time I thought she was dead but now, without her help... I may be more at risk than ever. Lifting the bag, Doggett hoists it over his shoulder, making for the door. RENEE I can’t go with you, John.

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