Disclaimers:  See part 1.

A M B I G U I T Y (3/8)
by Missy
missy@lexicon.net

"My husband was a scientist with the CSIRO in New South Wales in 1992
working in a computerised investigation division.  An opportunity came
for him to participate in a low profile but high ranking project named
Project Phoenix which was to take place at the Parkes Observatory in
north eastern New South Wales.  The project was to send out
transmissions in an extrapolation of the SETI project that was run by the
US Government from the observatory to the 172 stars in the southern
hemisphere that are only visible and accessible from Australia.  He went
out to the CSIRO observatory and was to head a small team of three
scientists of a similar ranking to himself also connected with the CSIRO."

"What is the CSIRO?" Scully interjected.

"It stands for Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation and is a Government run organisation which has offices in
each state of the country.  It basically carries out research on behalf of
the Commonwealth."  Her mouth twisted in an ironic smile.  "I've always
had a strong belief in the Government of my country, that it had a
certain integrity - even if the political parties did abuse each other in
Parliament."

"Your views have changed?" Scully asked.

"With what my husband has told me.  Although I have never seen any
documentary evidence,  my husband told me about the tranmissions he
had in his possession.  I would never have believed it possible but I
would also never have believed the fear which he held for his life, for
the knowledge that he had incongruously stumbled upon."

Mulder waited with baited breath for her to continue.  "What did he
find?" Mulder asked gently, his caring side exhibiting itself when she
hesitated in continuing.

"Whilst working at the observatory, Paul was on shift work with the
other three members of his team alternating between day and night
shifts.  The team was to keep a track of the transmissions coming
through as well as ensuring that all the equipment was working."  

Marissa had been slowly pacing the room her hands alternating between
clenching at her side and being tightly crossed over her chest as if
trying to hold herself together.  

"They had been at Parkes for about twelve months when they received a
transmission which was like no other they had ever received."

"Was it like the WOW signal?" Mulder asked barely containing his
excitement his hazel eyes bright with anticipation.

"Paul told me that it was nothing like he had every seen before.  It was
nothing like WOW signal at all.  It came through on a frequency that
could only represent signs of extraterrestrial intelligence but yet the
transmission contained sensitive data about tests being conducted under
a joint venture between the Australian and American Government."

Mulder and Scully looked at each other confusion but yet also an
understanding of what Marissa Jordan's husband had received.  

"What type of tests?" Mulder injected.

"It was not very clear but involved injections being given to the
populous in remote townships within Australia.  It also referred to
similar situations occurring in America, Germany, Japan and Italy.  Paul
only gave mean overview of what he himself was still trying to
comprehend.  Apparently, it is littered with a lot of scientific jargon but
he also commented that these tests were not possible with our current
technology yet appeared to  have been conducted over the last fifteen
years." 

She took a deep breath, looking from one Agent to the other before
continuing.  It was obvious that this was distressing her.  "As he was
downloading the transmissions onto computer disks, the trnamission
suddenly changed and it was no longer legible.  The transmission had
been encrypted and within minutes ceased."

"Where is your husband?  Why have you come with the disks for Dr.
Subanzki?  Why him?"  Mulder shot the questions fast and with
consternation as the implication of the information contained in the data
was revealed.

Marissa reclaimed her seat, head bowed with her eyes watching her
hands now clenched tightly in her lap.  She slowly drew in a short
breath, struggling to control her emotions,  her words barely a whisper
"Because Paul is dead."  


Scully moved surreptitiously beside Marissa crouching down before her,
placing a reassuring hand over the two tightly clasped in Marissa's lap.

"I'm sorry.  When did this happen?" Scully asked gently.

"Only three days ago.  He was the victim of a hit and run.  *A hit and
run* in a small country town.  Not likely.  He was *murdered* for what he
knew."  Marissa looked up, her eyes now clear and her jaw set
determinately.  "At first when you contacted me, I did not want to get
involved with the FBI  but when you said that Dr. Subanzki had
disappeared *I* knew I could not do this alone."

"Mrs. Jordan, why did your husband contact Dr. Subanzki?" Mulder
asked.

"Because he had been connected with the SETI project at Aricebo and
this was a continuation of it.  Dr. Subanzki had also begun receiving
transmissions with his own BETA project which was an improved system
on the simpler SETI projects which are operating in various states of the
US and  at Parkes and capable of receiving the transmission that he
received.  My husband also know he had connections with higher powers
who may be able to halt these tests or at least bring them to public
knowledge without the fear of being silenced."

"Had he received any transmissions?" Mulder asked

"Dr. Subanzki told me yesterday that they had received an encrypted 
transmission but not on any of the wavelengths which would have
indicated extraterrestrial intelligence."

Mulder and Scully glanced at each other, realisation dawning that the
document they had taken down from Kevin's computer was one of the
transmissions Marissa was referring to.  Scully moved back in front of
the computer checking her e-mail as Mulder continued the interview with
Marissa.  

"Were Dr. Subanzki and your husband the only people aware of the
transmissions?"

"No.  David Clucas, one of the other scientists at Parkes Observatory,
was with Paul when the transmission came through and I would not know
who Dr. Subanzki may have talked to.  But Project Phoenix was
abandoned the day after the transmission came through and David has
also died -  of an insulin overdose."

"What about the other two scientists?"

"I don't know.  We never had any further contact with them."

Mulder thought about the probability of nature being responsible for the
events which Marissa had described or human intervention and came up
with a very high logistical result. "Is the other disk that you mentioned
identical to our one?"  

"Yes"

A gentle knock came at the door.  Mulder got up to answer it allowing
room service in to deliver the sandwiches and drinks ordered.  Mulder
signed the order slip and the girl left.

"Marissa, I think that we can conclude the interview for today but how
long will you be staying in New York?"  Mulder asked.

"For another five or six days.  I have some friends whom I will be
visiting.  You've got my mobile number if you need to contact me." 
Marissa picked up her bag and keys preparing to leave.

Scully interrupted her movements "Why don't you stay and have
something to eat with us."

"No.  I really must be going.  I've got a two o'clock appointment and I
would like to go back to my motel and freshen up beforehand."  Marissa
stood brushing gently at the creases in her suit.

Mulder and Scully stood also both shaking her hand and thanking her
profusely for her time and extending their sympathy for her loss as they
walked her to her car.  

Mulder handed Marissa his card with instructions to call if she had any
further information for them.  Marissa slipped in to the small two door
red Honda Accord coupe efficiently starting the small car waving
goodbye as she drove out of the parking bay.

"Well, what do you think Scully?" Mulder asked as they watched the car
disappear around the corner.  

"I would like to see what Danny has decoded and also go through some of
the other files on that disk of Dr. Subanzki before I jump to any
conclusions Mulder and while we are waiting, I think *we* should have
lunch." she replied as they companionably walked back to her motel
room.

As they sat in the room companionably side by side eating their lunch in
front of Scully's laptop as she brought up on screen the other files
contained on the disk they had found in Dr. Subanzki's desk both of
them slowly taking in the contents.

"Scully, look at this.  There's references to DNA testing over a period of
ten to fifteen years within the populous of townships all over the
continent."

Scully looked directly at him as she began her age-old argument
"Mulder, this sort of investigation *has* been going on and is well
documented as the Human Genome Project as well as the controversy
associated with it.  I am sure with your connections that you would be
aware of the project.  It is a world-wide Government project involved in
the investigation of genetic mapping and sequencing of the human
genome as well as creating a genetic database for the availability of the
world.  Actually, the purposes go on for pages and already it has had a
substantial effect on the current understanding of genetic inheritance. 
There is no way that the Governments could be using it as a testing zone
not with the magnitude of people involved."  

Mulder's eyes betrayed his body language and the depth of emotion he
was feeling "Scully, after all we have been through, how can you
possibly believe that our Government would not use something like the
Human Genome Project as a cover for their own devious experiments.  It
does not mean that the whole project is invalid but that certain areas are
a cover for more incidious tests.  As Deep Throat once told me, what
better way to hide a lie than between two truths."

Mulder and Scully looked deeply into each other's eyes, their gazes
beseeching the other to understand their position but also seeking each
other's support and strength.  Mulder finally broke the impasse between
them.

"I'll try to get Danny on the phone to chase the decoded document." 
Mulder retrieved his cellular from his suit pocket speed-dialling the
regularly used number.  As he waited to be put through to Danny,
Mulder eyed Scully's fingers succinctly tapping at the keys on the
computer belying the torment that she was experiencing as a result of
his theory.  Mulder could have kicked himself.  They had been through
so much together but *yet* she had also given up so much - her memory
of three months of her life and her sister - all in their joint venture in
discovering the truth of the X-Files. A voice came on the other end of the
phone "Danny, we're still waiting for the decoded document to come
through."  

"Hold on a moment, Mulder.  I e-mailed that through about an hour ago." 
Mulder could hear the clicking of keys as Danny checked his mail server. 
"That's strange.  There's nothing showing up as going through even
though I keyed in the e-mail myself.  Wait a moment, I'll just screen the
document."  Another delay as keys were unceremoniously jangled with a
flurry of keystrokes.  "Mulder....you're not going to believe this.  The
document has gone!  Someone has deleted *my* file as well as the e-mail." 

Mulder's face was impassive as he listened to the muttering on the end of
the phone as Danny tried to find a record of *who* had accessed his
computer.  Mulder *KNEW* exactly *WHO* was involved here and had
such access to the information though he would not usually be so blatant
as to access a computer from within the FBI headquarters.

"Mulder, I can't trace the access code or find any trace that anybody has
been accessed it  other than the missing documents and e-mail."

"You won't find any trace at all, they're good at covering their tracks."
Mulder stated blandly.  Mulder was still watching Scully as he talked
noting that her hands were now still.  Even though she was hearing only
one side of the conversation, she *knew* what had occurred.

"You know who they are?"

"I have a good idea at any rate.  Thanks for your help, Danny.  The
tickets are for next Saturday."  Mulder hit the end button with force and
withheld his compulsion to throw the phone across the room.  He realised
that they still held the original disk which still gave them a chance at
finding the truth.

"Danny's computer was accessed by an *unknown* source and the
decoded document has disappeared together with the original you e-
mailed him." Mulder said flatly.  

Scully knew that Mulder was keeping his frustration in check this time. 
"How would they have known that we had sent it to Danny?"

Mulder's mind raced as it dawned on him what they had not done upon
returning to the motel rooms.  "I don't know.  Scully, I think it is time for
us to take a break from this matter."  Mulder wrote down a note for
Scully simply stating They've bugged our rooms.

Mulder and Scully went through the painstaking process of quietly
locating the devices.  After locating two devices in Scully's room, they
proceeded to Mulder's finding another one.  


OUTSIDE BLUE LAKE MOTEL


The men in the dark sedan watched surreptitiously as the two agents
walked the tall lady to her car.  As she pulled out into the street, the
engine turned over quietly and cautiously they followed not attracting
the attention to the Federal Agents.


EASTSIDE VETERINARY CLINIC
2.00 P.M.


The clanking of an old brass bell over the entrance of the door as Mulder
and Scully entered announced their presence.  The waiting room floor
was covered in linoleum and decorated with small potted plants and
slatted garden seats with the usual menagerie of pictures from proud
'parents' and the assortments of veterinary products available displayed
on shelves adorning the walls of the room.  A young woman in her early
twenties attended to them.  

Scully flipped out her Id for inspection "I'm Agent Scully and this is
Agent Mulder.  We have a two o'clock appointment with Dr. Morris
Gunter."

The young woman was intimidated by the presence of the Federal Agents
in the clinic having had no previous experience with this type of
authority. She scurried off to find Dr. Gunter totally forgetting her
manners in asking them to take a seat or any such customary response.

Mulder went over to peruse the photo gallery commenting "Scully, you
should feel right at home here."

Scully looked at him puzzled.

"The disinfectant."  Mulder said with a whimsical grin on his face. 
"Maybe you can discuss your tastes in fragrances."

Scully rolled her eyes not even deeming his comments worthy of any sort
of response.  

The young woman flittered back nervously shuffling papers on the desk. 
She indicated to them that Dr. Gunter would be with them in a moment,
that he was just finishing an operation.  Scully acknowledged the
response with a small nod of her head and sat down on the slatted seat.   


Clearly paced steps sounded down a hall adjoining the waiting room and
a tall imposing figure entered wearing green scrubs still wiping his
hands to remove the  powdery residue contained in the latex gloves he
had been wearing.  As he introduced himself as Dr. Morris Gunter, he put
out his hand to complete the formal  introductions, a shock of black hair
escaping from its neatly combed position.

"Sorry about the delay but the time of your appointment coincides with
our operating room hours."  Dr. Gunter led them down the passage from
which he came to the end opening the heavy door at the end.  A cool blast
of air greeted them as he opened the door.  

"I did all I could for Blue but there was not much chance for him.  He died
about half an hour ago and in the circumstances, I felt in appropriate to
put him in the cool room until had time to do the autopsy which has been
authorised by Mrs. Subanzki and met with you both."

They all entered the room with fixtures completed in stainless steel for
easy sterilisation.  It was filled with an array of cupboards and shelves
housing various specimens in jars and tools of the veterinary trade.

"I am a forensic pathologist but other than an autopsy of an elephant, I
do not have any specialty in the area of animals.  I would appreciate it if
I would be able to assist you in the autopsy."

Dr. Gunter turned around at Scully, his eyebrows raised showing his
surprise at her qualifications "And you're an F.B.I. agent?"  It was a
question more than a statement.  Scully nodded in confirmation.   "Sure,
you can assist on the autopsy if you wish and I can assist you with any
unfamiliar areas.  *You* autopsied an elephant?" he asked incredulously. 


Scully again nodded "Don't even ask about it.  I am not sure I really want
to remember."  Her mouth grimacing as she recalled the insidious smell
which had been associated with the autopsy.

She removed the bandage from her left hand neatly rolling it up.  "First,
I would just like to go over his body for trace evidence.  Has he been
cleaned been done since his admittance?"  Scully voice had her officious
professional tone snapping on a pair of latex gloves as she approached
the silver table where the black and white collie lay on his side stiff in
the rigour of death.

Dr. Gunter shook his head "It was more important to try to save him
although I have never seen this kind of decimation of a dog's internal
system before."

Scully went over the dog from head to foot taking samples from the coat
and paws of the dog absorbing the opacities of the lens of the eyes and
dictating into her personal recorder as she went along.  Even though it
was not necessary for there to be a formal report lodged, Scully decided
it would be beneficial for her own records.

Mulder watched and listened, leaning with his back against the sink, as
Scully made her concise recitations into the small recorder sitting, where
she had placed it, on the top corner of the autopsy table.

Scully straightened her back with both hands firmly placed on the metal
table before her.  "Well Mulder, apart from the opacities of the lens of the
eye which could have been pre-existent, there is no other external sign
of irradiation of this dog.  The common external signs would be a
reddening of the erythema of the skin and a necrosis of the epidermis
which would eventually result in epilation and pigmentation.  However, I
find no evidence of this.  Mulder, the opacity of the lens of the eye would
have to be caused by another source."

"You may be interested in having a look at the toxilogical reports I
obtained before beginning the autopsy."  He moved to an immaculately
kept desk housed in the far corner of the room and picked up a
clipboard.

Scully looked over the records scanning previous history as well as the
current.  "You will have to familiarise me with some of the terminology
used but I take it that the dog was in good health even through eleven
years of age with only mild hip dysplasia and arthritis.  No degenerative
diseases of the eyes prior to admission."

"No.  The dog was under cortisone treatment to ease some of the effects
of the arthritis but otherwise, he was a very well bred dog yielding very
little veterinary problems for Charles and Mary."

"Mulder, have a look at this.  The toxicology report shows cytological
changes in the haempoietic cells resulting in a massive depletion in the
leucocytes and platelets."  Scully's brow furrowed in consternation at
the report she was reading.  "This is weird, this dog showed all the
toxilogical signs of intestinal, haemopoietic and cerebral radiation
sickness including opacities of the lens of the eye yet I have just
examined the dog and find no external traces of irradiation."

Mulder looked at Scully taking in what she was saying  "But we did find
nominal radiation readings at the scene.  Maybe it dissipated at an
accelerated pace due to some unusual occurrence......" 

Mulder trailed off at the look in Scully's eye warning him that she did
not wish to have to explain to a veterinary surgeon the exact nature of
their investigations of the X files.

"At least we know what we are looking for Dr. Gunter.  Are you ready to
begin?"

Dr. Gunter nodded as he passed a white lab coat to her of an appropriate
size.  Since she would not actually be performing the main part of the
autopsy, it would not be necessary for her to change into scrub greens. 
They both approached the table, Dr. Gunter bringing a cart up beside
him with the finely honed tools needed for the autopsy.  Mulder stayed
where he was not wanting to get a closer view and upon the opening of
the dog remembered why he usually avoided being around when Scully
was doing an autopsy.  Both Dr. Gunter and Scully pulled back at the
incisive odour emanating from the now-open body of the dog.   

"Do dogs usually have this sort of smell?" Scully asked her eyes blinking
and nose twitching.  

"No.  I would assume that animals are much like humans.  As long as the
body has been cooled immediately after death, there is only the
superficial odour of the dead body but not this putrification we are
getting."

Mulder winced at the terminology confirming that his nose was indeed
being assaulted by the smell of decomposing flesh although the reason
for it had yet to be established and decided that it was time for him to
leave the two doctors with their patient.


2.56 P.M.


Scully returned to the waiting room rubbing cream into her hands, her
suit once again impeccable.  "Mulder, I have several specimens which
need to go to the FBI lab in Ithaca.   Dr. Gunter is just making copies of
the notes from his treatment this morning and I will furnish him with a
full autopsy report for his records."  Scully pulled the bandage for her
hand out of her suit pocket.

"So what was the cause of death?"  Mulder asked flexing the muscles in
his legs before standing, his hands deeply entrenched in his pants
pockets.  He approached Scully taking the bandage roll from her hand
and gently picking up her left hand deftly re-bandaged the stiches
whilst she continued.

"It is very deceptive.  There are three possibilities at this stage and
until I obtain results from the labs, I will not know for sure what actually
killed the dog."  Scully realised that Mulder was not going to let the
matter rest until she divulged the three options.  With a sigh, she
responded  "Mulder, I will tell you all what we found in the car.  I just
want to get these specimens and notes."  Scully quickly walked back
down the corridor leaving Mulder with no clue as to what was going on.


End Part 3/8