X-Files: Case One

Pilot [2]

The drink cart passed Mulder and Star, Mulder was sleeping with headphones in his ears.

Star was doodling in a notebook.

Scully was sitting nearby, wearing glasses and flipping through newspaper clippings of the dead teenagers. She focused on the name 'Dr. Nemman'. Scully glanced back at Mulder and Star. She reached her hand over to Star. "We were never introduced. My name is Dana Scully,"

Star showed Scully the cover of her journal, which was covered in drawings of stars.

"Do you draw?" Scully wondered.

Star shook her head and pointed to the cover again.

Scully became confused until Mulder spoke up.

"Her name's Star. She doesn't talk, at least she hasn't since I found her," Mulder explained.

"Found?" Scully asked. "She's not..."

"Not biologically. Star was a victim of an abduction case. She didn't like any of the other caseworkers unless it was me. So I took her in," Mulder ruffled Star's hair, causing her to huff in annoyance and push his hand away.

The overhead loudspeaker rang, " would like to ask all passengers to fasten their seatbelts, as we're about to make our descent..."

Scully started putting her things away when the plane started shaking violently.

People screamed and things were tossed about as Scully grabbed onto her seat.

Scully looked at Mulder and Star sitting passively in their seats.

The plane was brought under control, and Scully sighed in relief.

"This must be the place," Mulder claimed.

***

Driving down a long road, they pass a sign that reads, 'Welcome to Bellefleur, Oregon.'

Scully was reading the files, Mulder was eating sunflower seeds while driving, and Star was silently watching the scenery go by. "You didn't mention yesterday, this case has already been investigated," Scully noted.

"Yeah, the FBI got involved after the first three deaths when local authorities failed to turn up any evidence. Our boys came out here, spent a week, and enjoyed the local salmon, which, with a little lemon twist, is just to die for, if you'll pardon the expression. Without explanation, they were called back in. The case was reclassified and buried in the X-Files, till I dug it up last week,"

"And you found something they didn't,"

"Mmm," Mulder hummed.

"The autopsy reports of the first three victims show no unidentified marks or tissue samples. But those reports were signed by a different medical examiner than the latest victim,"

"That's pretty good, Scully,"

"Better than you expected or better than you hoped?"

"Well...I'll let you know when we get past the easy part,"

Scully laughed. "Is the medical examiner a suspect?"

"WE won't know that until we do a little gravedigging. I've arranged to exhume one of the other victims' bodies to see if we can get a tissue sample to match the girl's. You're not squeamish about that kind of thing, are ya?"

"I don't know. I've never had the pleasure,"

Star looked up wide-eyed when the radio started flipping through channels rapidly, various sounds blaring.