�Dana? Dana, wake up.� Scully stirred, and realized that she�d been asleep only as she awoke. Reflex prompted a yawn, and her jaw strained against the cloth wrap. That brought memory, and the now almost familiar stirrings of subdued panic. She opened her eyes, and stared blindly into the omnipresent darkness. She closed the lids again, but the patterns had faded, and the black within was as oppressive as that without. What had awoken her, then? Scully could hear nothing, see nothing, and now that her skin had become acclimated to the slick wrap she could feel nothing but the flicks of her tongue against her teeth and gums.
She tried to judge how long she�d been unconscious, but her mind and body were sluggish and aching- which could mean that she hadn�t slept enough, or had slept for far too long. Or it could simply be a reaction from the drug they�d kidnapped her with. Too many possibilities, not enough clues.
�Dana?�
Melissa? Scully jerked beneath the wrap as the oh-so-familiar voice echoed in her ears. No, not Melissa. Melissa was dead, killed by the men who, in all probability, held her prisoner. This... wasn�t real. Best case scenario, it was a trick. Worst case, the hallucinations had started. Either way, it was not to be believed.
�Dana, I know you�re awake. It�s okay, everything will be okay.�
No. Not real. Go away. Scully squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the soft, concerned voice. But her mind was starved for input, any input, and she found herself listening despite herself.
�Dana, I know you won�t believe this, but it is me, Melissa. Your sister. The woman in the hospital bed wasn�t me.�
Not true. I remember... I remember, damn it! Scully felt her jaw work frantically against the wrap, struggling to shout the words, to deny the lies, seductive though they may be. Her sister was dead.
�Dana, don�t hurt yourself, please. Let me explain. I had to play along, I was in danger. You put me in danger. You and your partner have put the entire world in grave danger. That�s why we brought you here. So you can understand what Mulder has done.�
Lies. If anyone had put the world in danger, it was those in the highest reaches of the government who had willingly sold out their species for their own survival. Not Mulder, and not her. And Melissa was dead... and it was not Scully�s fault. Even if the bullet had been meant for her. Even if it was at her request that Melissa came over that night...
�Please listen to me, Dana. You�ve been deceived by your partner. But it�s not entirely his fault either. He is easily manipulated, and there are those in the government who would stand to gain greatly from his actions, if they were successful. Dana, have you ever thought about what would happen if the �truth� about aliens was brought to the public?� The voice paused, as if expecting an answer.
The bastards who killed you... who killed Melissa, and Emily, would be brought to justice, Scully thought, and felt a momentary flash of fear at her lapse. This wasn�t Melissa. She had to remember that, no matter what. She began to hum, a steady loud monotone. The only effect was to make her jaw vibrate. The voice began again, crystal clear.
�Panic, Dana. A global catastrophe like none seen in the history of civilization. Remember how you used to talk about nuclear war? The upheaval would make your worst nightmares look like idle daydreams. Mass suicides, world revolutions, riots, and utter and complete chaos. And when we had succeeded in the near total destruction of ourselves... friendly visitors from the stars would wander in, bearing the gifts of the universe in exchange for our freedom. Don�t you understand? They want you and Mulder to bring the Truth to the masses; they need you to. Mulder is their chosen agent of the Apocalypse.�
Scully had almost stopped listening after the second sentence. �Remember how you used to talk about nuclear war?� She did. She remembered long talks as they walked home from school, talks she�d never shared with another member of her military family. Only Melissa. But Melissa was dead, damn it! She had to be.
�Dana, you always were the stubborn one.� The voice held a tone of amusement and frustration that caused Scully�s throat to tighten. So familiar... �Like I said, I knew you wouldn�t believe me, which is why we have to keep you here for now. Some wanted to kill you, but I... I miss you, sis. You have to see sense, before it�s too late. For all of us. I�m sorry.�
Scully felt the tears welling up, then flowing from her eyes, leaving silent, cool tracks until the hit the wrap and were absorbed. For the first time, she was grateful for the darkness. Mulder, she cried silently, where are you?
-----
�He�s looking for her, isn�t he?� The woman with the crystal pendant looked at the smoking man as she spoke, averting her eyes from the cool blue tracks of Scully�s tears in the monitor.
�Of course,� The smoking man replied, �She is of great importance to him. His quest has been abandoned in favor of finding her. His zealotry is alienating several of those who would have helped him decipher the papers.� He smiled, a thin, humorless expression that rose and fell in an instant. �It�s very touching.�
The woman looked away, her face troubled. She studied the monitors again. The smoking man glanced sideways at her. �Having second thoughts, Ms. Scully?�
�No.� It was without hesitation. �Dana needs to know the truth. We have to make her see. Mulder is beyond hope... but Dana isn�t. She was always the rational one. All we have to do is remove his influence from her, and everything will be right again.� Her voice hesitated for a moment, �Right?�
�Of course. I have the highest regard for Agent Scully. Once we bring her to accept the truth, she will do what needs to be done. But I don�t think that words will be enough. She has seen too much to trust words. We will have to try... stronger methods.�
Melissa Scully took a deep breath, as if to brace herself. �If you feel it is necessary, sir.�
The smoking man nodded solemnly, and she entirely missed the light of satisfaction in his eyes.
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