Okay, after many months of lurking in Vincent's archive enjoying the
immense wealth of talent of the writers, I have finally completed a story
of my own.  This is my first time in writing fanfic and I have not written 
creatively since finishing school over ten years ago.   This is the continuation 
of the government conspiracy arc created by Chris Carter.    The arc of the 
story can be taken after Nisei/731 but prior to Piper Maru/Acrocrypha.

Any errors in relation to medical terminology are my own.  Although
references made do have some factual basis from various library texts, I
have no knowledge in this area whatsoever and may have misinterpreted
some of the information contained therein!  I have also attempted to use
American spelling and terminology in the document but there may be the
occasional slip up and possible Australian slang thrown in.   

This was posted to ATXC in June, 1996 and this time round I have labelled 
the parts correctly so there will be no missing pieces or doubling up of sections
which I did previously.  Apologies to those who may have already read this 
piece.

Any comments, suggestions or flames can be sent to me at my NEW e-mail 
address - missy@ipax.com.au

Disclaimers:  The X Files characters of Mulder, Scully, Skinner, The Lone
Gunmen, the Well Manicured Man, the clean shaven man and any others which
you may recognise but which I have unintentionally missed belong to CC
and 10-13 Productions and kudos goes to the actors who portray them on
screen.

Copyright  June, 1996


A M B I G U I T Y (1/8)
by Missy
missy@lexicon.net


ITHACA, NEW YORK
NOVEMBER 17, 1996
10.17 P.M.


Dr. Charles Subanzki walked casually in the cool refreshing autumn
breeze with his old border collie dog, Blue, arthritically keeping pace
with him.  He enjoyed this time of the year, the heat of the day
dissipating into evening together with his responsibility and the tension
that came with his employment as a Professor at Cornell University.

The local park was dark with shadows being cast on the edges by the
street lights.  The gravel path crunched under his evenly placed
strides, the sound echoing in the still of the night.  Tall dark pines
swayed peacefully in the gentle movement of air, stars brilliantly lit
against the ebony darkness. 
 
Blue all of a sudden froze in his tracks, ears laid well back on his head
and deep growls rumbling from his throat.  Dr. Subanzki looked around
to see what had caused the old dog to react in such a way.  The park was
quiet but the darkness prevented him from being able to see if there
were any attackers lurking in the shadows.

The darkness abruptly changed to piercing light engulfing the entire
park blinding and paralysing Dr. Subanzki in his tracks.  As fast as the
light came, it disappeared.  The park was once again still with the only
one occupant - an old border collie dog lying prostrate on the ground.


ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
NOVEMBER 18, 1996


Hazy flickering light dimly lit the dark enshrouded lounge-cum-bedroom
of Special Agent Fox Mulder.  Half-empty containers of King Pao Chinese
littered the coffee table with disposable chopsticks poking out of their
tops.  Several used coffee cups sat in various states of growth, forgotten
from days past and incongruously set against this rubble was an
immaculately cared for Smith & Wesson 1056 encased in a removable
holster.

Fox Mulder sprawled his six foot body comfortably over the form-fitting
couch watching a classic science fiction movie which he had seen many
times previously.  It did not make any difference though, anything would
do when he could not sleep.  At least, it was better than the nightmares
which were a less than welcome additive to his sleep.

A quiet knock resounded on his front door. Mulder looked at his watch.
The iridescent dial read 3.41 in the morning.  He slowly extracted his
body from its reclining position wondering *who* could be calling at this
hour.

Another knock - more insistent than the first - sounded.  Opening the
door revealed a familiar escort and Mulder was aware of their
destination.


CAPITOL HILL,
WASHINGTON D.C.


The corridors of the building were silent at this hour of the morning as
they moved at a unobtrusive pace towards Senator Richard Matheson's
offices.  His offices reflected the required executive look
necessary for his position but also the old charm of the legal era of forty
years previously.  The maroon coloured walls were covered with diplomas
representing the very person it housed.  


Senator Matteson sat in contemplation at his desk looking down at the
crystal tumbler generously filled with liquid amber.  He had not even
touched it in Mulder's opinion.  Senator Matheson slowly lifted his head
indicating for Mulder to enter the room and take a seat.  The office was
filled with the music of Bach.

"Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F, First Movement" commented Mulder
with a sardonic grin.  "Are we playing Double Jeopardy this time?" 
Mulder seated himself opposite the grey haired older gentleman, noting
with concern the fatigue in his face.  

"Depends on the version of Double Jeopardy, Fox.  You have been aware
of my support of your investigations" Senator Matheson slowly
deliberated, he was a man who did not do anything rashly but with
deliberate concise movement not wasting any energy on the
unnecessary.  "I have become aware of a situation which has arisen in
relation to your investigations at Aricebo."

"All the evidence was destroyed Senator.  They took the body, tapes and
documentation which supported the receipt of transmissions the like of
which we have never seen before."

Senator Matheson noted Mulder's restrained anger and frustration at
having had the information he had been searching for in his hands only
to have it taken away at the last moment.

"Mulder...do you know of Dr. Charles Subanzki?

"He was the Director of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Centre at
Aricebo prior to the closure of the programme in 1992.  Since the
shutdown, I am not aware of his current position." Mulder stated.

"Charles is a good friend of my family.  His wife and mine have had quite
a close relationship for many years and our common interest...and that of
yours.... is our belief that life exists elsewhere in the universe.  Since
the closure of the Aricebo Observatory he has held the position of
Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences at Cornell University as well
as being the Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies."

Senator Matheson ceased his recitation watching his fingers slowly
playing with the tumbler in his hand.  He looked up at Mulder "Last
night, I received a call from his wife.  She was frantic.  Charles had gone
out on his usual routine late evening walk with his dog and did not
return.  There has been no trace of him at all but his dog was found
lying in the middle of the local park."

"What is my interest in his disappearance?" Mulder queried.

"This is where it gets interesting.  The dog is not dead, it appears to be
paralysed but not as a result of any sort of medical condition and his
eyes appear to have suffered the effects of radiation burns."


ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
4.31 A.M.


Special Agent Dana Scully wrapped herself tightly in her overcoat to
ward off the early morning chill as she seated herself in Mulder's car. 
The hour in which Mulder had contacted her did not leave her in a good
mood and was grateful when he handed her a cup of coffee to relieve her
lack of humour.

Mulder watched surreptitiously as his partner sipped the coffee before
handing her the file which was the subject of their investigation.

Scully got out her reading glasses, slipping them on her nose and
flipped through the file that Mulder had handed her, scanning the thin
file for details of what had gotten her out of bed and ready to leave at
4.30 a.m. in the morning.

"Dr. Charles Subanzki disappeared sometime between ten and twelve
o'clock last night.  His wife states that he was out walking his dog which
he did every evening at about this time and failed to return home.  On
contacting the local police and friends, a search was mounted locating
his dog but failing to find any trace...."

Scully had been listening to his diatribe but was suddenly struck by a
fact contained in the statistics on the missing Dr. Subanzki

"It states that he was the former Director of the National Astronomy and
Ionosphere Centre at Aricebo.   Mulder - how did you learn about this
case?"

Mulder did not answer and refused to look at her directly knowing that
one look into those cool blue eyes and Scully would read into his soul, if
she hadn't already.  She had become very intuitive into his thought
processes - especially his more wild ones.

"Is this related to Aricebo, to the lost documentation?"

"I'm not sure Scully but if you look further there is definitely something
not right *and* I don't think it's a simple case of a street mugging."

Scully waited for Mulder to continue.  His spiels of information on a case
were not just that.  They did serve another function of putting his
thoughts into a collective state together with providing his with
reasoned feedback based on scientific knowledge.

"Dr. Subanzki's dog is in a state of complete paralysis and signs of
radiation burns to its eyes."

"Mulder, the dog probably suffered a stroke causing the paralysis."

"But what about the radiation burns to the eyes, Scully?"

"In cases of extreme exposure to radioactive material, ataxia is one of the
symptoms together with loss of consciousness and convulsions in the
case of cerebral radiation sickness.  Has the dog suffered any
convulsions, Mulder?"

Mulder nodded in response digesting the medical information.  "But
where would a dog going for a walk in the local park come into contact
with radioactive material?"

"I don't know Mulder."  Scully frowned as she continued to go through
the sketchy details with which Mulder had been given.


ITHACA, NEW YORK
6.24 A.M.


Mulder pulled the car alongside the kerb at the local park at which Dr.
Subanzki had disappeared.  Several squad cars lined the street
indicating the importance of this investigation.  Mulder and Scully left
the car just as dawn was emerging and approached the park which was
cordoned off to the public with familiar yellow and black tape
representing the site of the investigation.  Flashing their identification,
they passed through the tape and were pointed in the general direction
of Sheriff Bill Davidson.

"Sheriff Davidson?"  Mulder began "I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder and
this is my partner Dana Scully.   We are with the FBI."

"Yes, I was advised that you would be investigating.  Sheriff Davidson
did not seem displeased at the news.

"What have you found?  Mulder inquired congenially.  He knew the
answers from  his early morning briefing but in one of his rare moments
of diplomacy, gave the Sheriff his moment of glory.

Scully stared at Mulder in disbelief.  <Maybe my presence is having some
effect after all.>  She hated how Mulder would for some unwitting reason
go all the way out to rub up the backs of the local police thus making an
unusual investigation impossibly difficult without the co-operation of
the local police.

"Just the dog in paralysis with no sign of tracks leading away from the
site.  It would appear from their tracks that they entered the park from
over there" said Sheriff Davidson pointing in a southerly direction on
the dirt path they were on and led them to the site of the disappearance.
"And that is it, no trace evidence of any other party in the vicinity at
the time."

Sheriff Davidson welcomed the opportunity to off-load a dead-end case
to the Federals.  It would not look good on his record to have an
unsolved disappearance of a well-known individual with connections in
Congress and went back to his own men to find out any further details
they had obtained.


Mulder crouched down to take a closer look at the ground where the dog
had been found.  As Sheriff Davidson had said, there was no evidence of
a struggle and it appeared from the paw prints as if the dog had been
standing one moment and struck down in paralysis in the next.  Mulder
put down his backpack and began removing a radiation meter.

Scully stood beside Mulder looking at the surrounding area.  "Mulder,
look at the trees."

Mulder noted the singeing to the tops of the trees in the immediate area
and was surprised by the fact that Scully had mentioned the fact in
front of Sheriff Davidson.  She generally avoided any confrontation with
the issue of alien abduction, especially when there were others within
hearing distance.  He looked around and realised that the good Sheriff
had left them to it.

"Yeah, have you also noticed the lack of litter debris in the immediate
vicinity of the abduction site?"  

Mulder placed a stop watch on the ground while he checked the
immediate area where the dog had been found with the radiation meter
noting the readouts being given and carefully checking the changes as
he extended his area of investigation.  

Scully investigated the ground for any sign of footprints which might
indicate a struggle at any stage in the surrounding area but found not
even a blade of grass trampled.  Yet, there was evidence in their midst. 
Scully noticed a light powdery substance seemed to be covering the
grass.  She removed an evidence bag and took samples from various
parts of the site and placed them in her briefcase.  It seemed to be just
within the borderline of where the litter had been spread in a
symmetrical circle.

Scully joined Mulder just as he was collecting his second stop watch
from the ground judiciously pressing the stop buttons within a
millisecond of each other.  "So, Mulder, what do we here.  An alien
abduction or a government conspiracy?" Scully mused quietly.

"I'm not sure, Scully.  This is weird.  Have a look at the stop watches." He
said turning their faces for her to see.

"They show two different times.  That supports your alien abduction
theory - so how is it *weird*?"

"There is usually a loss of time in one watch.  Not a complete cessation of
function altogether.   Somehow the circuitry has been interrupted." 
Mulder was fascinated by a new result in his paranormal phenomena
experience.

"Maybe your stop watch has finally given up the ghost, Mulder?" 

Mulder looked at her in astonishment.  "If I knew that getting you up
this early in the morning affected your humorous side, maybe I should
do it more often."

Scully pulled her face in disgust and shook her head at Mulder's version
of humour walking back towards their car.


SMOKE FILLED ROOM 
WASHINGTON D.C.
7.54 A.M.


The tall well-groomed man nodded his head in ascent in response to the
information being provided to him via the compact cellular phone.  As he
completed the call, his picked up the fine bone china cup and saucer
from the side table where he had placed it upon taking the call.

"Gentlemen, it would appear that Mulder has once again been provided
with information which may hamper our project.  I think it is time that we
took measures to ensure that our position is not comprised."

"Elimination?" queried a portly man with not much flair for fashion in his
broad pin-striped suit.

"No.  That would be too obvious.  There are too many who support him
and would find it necessary to investigate the matter.  I think using
history would be the best measure."

"Which part of history, may I ask."  

The well-groomed gentleman had them all intrigued by his insinuations
to the past.  "Not that far back, gentlemen.  You remember the elimination
of a certain government official who assisted Mulder with some of his
investigations.  In one particular instance, he misled Mulder with the
clever placing of a lie between two truths.  The only thing he forgot was
Mulder's skeptical partner but I think that we can cover that avenue
this time"

They all nodded in assessment, each insidious and clever mind
formulating different ways to develop their scheme into a working
facade.


SUBANZKI RESIDENCE
8.12 A.M.


Mulder and Scully stood and waited for an answer to their knock on the
door of the two storey weatherboard white Edwardian house located on a
quiet tree-lined street.  The garden was well kept with a variety of
flowering shrubs lining the pathway up to the dwelling.  The door was
opened by a tall gangly lad in his late teens.   Scully and Mulder
procured their identification for him to inspect.

"I am Special Agent Mulder of the FBI and this is Special Agent Scully. 
We would like to speak to Mrs. Subanzki regarding her husband's
disappearance."  

"Come in.  Mom's in the lounge"  the young lad informed them.

They were led into a dark hallway which was adorned with photographs
depicting various family members.  The soles of their feet reverberated
on the polished floor boards as they entered the spacious lounge at the
end of the hallway.  It was sparsely decorated with Edwardian furniture
and opulent antique rugs.

Seated on the couch looking stoicly out the bay window was a neatly
attired small boned lady with a rather round tabby cat on her lap
purring in response to the gentle strokes which it was automatically
being given.  Slowly and gracefully she turned her head to acknowledge
their presence.  Her eyes evidencing the emotional devastation she felt
over the disappearance of her husband.

"Mrs. Subanzki, I am Agent Dana Scully and this is Agent Fox Mulder.  We
are with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and we would like to ask
you some questions regarding your husband's disappearance."

Mrs. Subanzki nodded in response to Scully's introduction and indicated
for them to take a seat.  Mulder sat down on an armchair aligned near the
couch and Dana sat on the couch beside Mrs. Subanzki knowing that with
some of the questions she would need to give her some possible emotional
support.  Her son left the room.

"Could you tell us what happened last night?" Mulder inquired.

"My husband went out for his evening walk with Blue.  That's our border
collie - he's eleven years old and arthritic.  Charles takes him for a walk
each evening all year round - weather permitting, of course - to make
sure he gets some exercise into his legs and it also gives Charles a
chance to relax after work."

Mulder and Scully allowed Mrs. Subanzki to continue her diatribe
realising that it was therapeutic to her emotional state to actually speak
of the events which had taken place so recently.

"He has a pattern of where he goes and it does not differ.  Blue being so
old it gives him confidence in his movements to remain familiar with a
consistent territory.  Charles left at about ten o'clock and usually would
have returned by about ten thirty.  But he just never came back."  Mrs.
Subanzki struggled to retain her composure wringing her hands in her
lap but a small sob escaped her.  "I don't know who could have taken him
or what they have done to him.  And *why*?"
 
Dana put a calming hand on Mrs. Subanzki's hands "That's what we are
here to find out."

Mulder allowed Mrs. Subanzki to regain her composure before gently
inquiring "What exactly did your husband do?" 

"I am not interested in, nor do I understand, astronomy or physics. He
would talk about his work in general terms just explaining what he was
doing but not going into any great details.  I know he has been putting a
lot of time into a new project which has been running for the last six
months and he was having great success with.  It was an improvement on
the SETI project of which he was the Director of at Aricebo, Puerto Rico
until 1993 when the project was closed."

"Was your husband happy at the time of his disappearance?" Mulder
asked

"He would not have killed himself!" Mrs. Subanzki said adamantly sitting
up ramrod straight, her sudden movement sending the cat flying off into
the other room in fright.

Dana looked across at Mulder indicating to him that she would continue.
"Mrs. Subanzki, we are trying to ascertain whether there was anything
to do with his work that might have had some influence over his
disappearance."

"Charles had mentioned something in relation to the BETA project but I
cannot remember what it was" apologised Mrs. Subanzki.  "You could
speak to one of his graduate students who assisted him.  Ethan will know
his name."

Suddenly Ethan appeared in the doorway indicating to Mulder and Scully
that he had been within eavesdropping distance of the lounge.  Mulder
admired the intelligence of the boy to give them a chance to question his
mother in private but yet also keeping within protective distance to give
her support.

"You would probably be best to speak to Kevin Sagan.  He worked with
Dad the most on the BETA project and can give you any information you
feel is necessary."  commented Ethan whilst leaning against the
doorframe. "Most of the time you will find him in the basement at the
Laboratory of Physics at Cornell University. He lives on campus, so you
will find him quite easily."

"Just one more question, where is your dog?" Scully asked.

"He's at the vet." Ethan replied.  "At the moment he is in a state of
paralysis but they are not sure what has caused it nor the damage to his
eyes.  Later today they are getting in some specialists from the Werribee
Animal Clinic to conduct some special tests."  

"I would like to have a look at him as well.  I am a forensic pathologist
and I would like to examine your dog, with your permission.  I have had
experience with unusual diagnosis and I understand that his condition is
of an unknown nature."  

"I will have to speak to our vet but I do not see any problem" stated
Ethan.  "This is his card and if you contact him this afternoon, I will
have had a chance to discuss the matter with him."

"Thank you very much for your time.  If anything comes to mind, this is
my cellular number."  Scully handed over a card to Mrs. Subanzki and
stood up beside Mulder.  


CORNELL UNIVERSITY
8.47 A.M.


Scully pulled the car into the first spare car space that was available
noting the lack of available car spaces in the area.  Locking the car, they
proceeded towards the administration building to advise of their
investigation, and in particular, to locate where the Laboratory of
Physics was situated.

Following the instructions given at the administration building, they
proceeding across the campus to the building housing the Department of
Astronomy and Space Sciences.  Apparently the Laboratory of Physics
was located in the basement of the building.  

The stairs leading to the basement were grey as were the walls
reminding Scully of the building which housed Mulder's friends The
Lone Gunmen.  Mulder knocked on the heavy door and waited for a
response.  When none was forthcoming, he tried turning the door handle
and was surprised when it opened lightly under his hand.

"Hello.  Anybody here?" Mulder called.  "Looks like they've slept in."

The room now exposed to their eyes was encased wall to wall in man-sized
racks of circuit boards, radio transmitters, receivers and computers. 
Work stations displayed patterns of green and red spikes, needles
fluttering on glowing dials, lights blinked on a bank of small computers. 
The basement was filled with an audible static-filled hiss amplified by a
stereo amplifier. 

"This reminds me of an up-graded SETI project" commented Mulder as he
took in the set up.  Moving to a desk which was littered with piles of
printouts which had been randomly scattered over it.  He began flicking
through the various printouts and suddenly stopped, a look of
consternation on his face.

"What is it Mulder?"  Scully asked looking over his arm at the printouts.

"Some printouts.  Remember when I went down to Aricebo and had all
those computer printouts which could have supported the fact that
*contact* had been established."  Scully nodded awaiting his
continuation.  "I think I might borrow one of these and go through it
just to check."

"Mulder, just because at one SETI project there was a chance of proof
does not mean that each time you have access to these printouts that
they will support your theory."  Scully looked imploringly at him
compelling him to take a step back from the giant leaps he she knew he
would want to take if she let him.  "When I took that document to Naval
Observatory it was only the second transmission which had been
received.  The SETI project has been going for over three decades yet
only one signal has been attributed to it - and that was only for one
minute.  The likelihood of there being a transmission in that sheaf of
papers is very slim"  

Scully turned and went over to a small desk located discreetly in a
corner.  She sat down thumbing through the desk calendar noting down
some of the entries in her notebook and then proceeded to rummage
through the single drawer.  It only revealed paper and pens and other
stationery accessories as well as a small book which was caught.  All of a
sudden, she let out a yelp of pain as the book released from its prized
position.

Mulder turned from the machinery which he had been investigating to
find Scully nursing the back of her left hand in her right with blood
running between her fingers and over the back of the black book in her
possession.  He quickly moved towards her removing a handkerchief
from his pocket to wrap around her hand "Are you okay?"

"Yeah.  I just caught my hand on something on the side of the drawer." 
Scully replied faintly.  "Mulder, pull out the drawer and have a look"  

Scully got up out of the chair to allow Mulder access to the drawer
placing the small diary she had extracted from the drawer in her pocket. 
Mulder gave the drawer a gentle pull and it slid out of the rollers into
his hands.  He set it down on the desk removing its contents
methodically, which was very unusual for him, but since Scully had
already been hurt putting her hand into this drawer he was not about to
succumb to the same treatment.  

Scully watched expectantly as he got continued his diligent work, a few
rusted nails on the side on the drawer were exposed to the light.

"Ah, Scully, when did you last have a tetanus injection?" Mulder asked.  

She leaned over to view the small sharp nails which had inflicted the
damage to her hand wincing as she realised the treatment she would
have to seek.  "Mulder look at the differences in the thickness of the
sides of the drawer.  There's a false insert on this side."  

End Part 1/8