The X-Files: The Truth Revealed

Chapter 30

Underground Facility 

Almost immediately, Scully noticed the extreme change in temperature. Whereas the transport area had been hot and muggy, it was now ice cold, so much so, they could see their breath in the air as they exhaled. She hesitated turning around. 

"Where are we?" Grant's eyes strained to observe the dark metal walls. 

"Inside the ship," Scully shivered, pulling the light weight BDU shirt closer around her. "If we don't freeze to death, we'll probably get torn apart by aliens." 

"Maybe we can go back out the same way we came in," he searched for a panel on the inside, but there was none. "Maybe not. How did you get out of here before?" he asked. 

"Through some type of ventilation shaft that led to the surface of the ship." 

"Let's hope for something a little easier than that," Grant took the lead and started forward. 

Not twenty feet from where they had entered, he stepped onto a metal walk way. He was about to ask Scully which way but as he glanced in both directions, he was overwhelmed by what he saw - incubation pods as far as he could see, each emanating a green glow from within. 

Scully shivered, not from the cold, but from the sight and how quickly it brought back the memory of Mulder's explanation about how she'd been submerged in one of these pods with an alien growing inside of her. She didn't want to be here again and if she had to be, she wanted Mulder at her side. Misery loves company, and there was no better company than the man she loved. 

Grant turned to his left and started along cautiously in that direction. Scully hesitated, unsure why until it dawned on her - Mulder would go right. 

"Grant... this way," she called to him. 

Trusting her decision, he followed. 

"You said the other ship was in the Antarctic right?" 

"Yeah," Scully answered over her shoulder. 

"You think this is the same ship?" 

"It could be, but then again, there could be dozens of these ships located all over the globe, gearing up for re-colonization." 

"Do you believe what Mulder said about it flying off?" 

"I've no reason to doubt him," she stated, remembering how many times that's exactly what she did. "Why?" 

"Well, it stands to reason, there must be aliens on board that aren't in the embryonic stage but are fully functioning, mature beings - educated in flight, in communications and God knows what else." 

"I can't argue with that." 

"So don't you think it also stands to reason that they know we're on board or that they know someone's on board because we accessed the door?" 

"It's probable. But it wasn't breached. It was an authorized entry as far as the code goes." 

"Which might not cause alarm." 

"True." 

"So tell me something." 

"What?" 

"Why do I get the distinct feeling we're being watched?" 

*** 

After an hour of steady walking, a distant change in lighting held promise of the end of the walkway, but as they neared it and cautiously stepped to the edge, their hearts fell. No stairway led downward at all. The rough wall might be traversed if it weren't covered in ice, but it was, and one wrong move would ultimately lead to a painful death. 

They looked out over the expanse of the central hub of the ship. Clearly, all walkways led to this central location with each passage emanating the same eerie glow. 

"Strange, but it reminds me of that movie, Polar Express... you know, when the kids look out over Santa's entire operation," Grant said. 

"With one slight difference." 

"What?" 

"Santa wasn't out to eat them." 

"I can't argue that point." 

Looking around, Scully wondered how many lives were wasting away within the walls of this ship. How many lives were unaccounted for by loved ones? How many times had she heard on the news or read in the paper about another missing person? How many had come across the wire during her tenure with the FBI? Surely, not all of them ended up here, but thousands certainly had, and it sickened her to think about it. 

A sudden noise turned them around in unison. Fifteen feet away, two aliens moved steadily towards them, their evil intent more than obvious. They looked at one another knowing there was nowhere to run. Below was certain death - in front of them, the same. 

"Good a place as any to make our stand," Grant said, preparing himself mentally as he removed a large knife from a sheath secured beneath his pant leg. 

Scully shook uncontrollably. She knew there was no way they could defend themselves. In seconds, they would be ripped apart. It would be over and done with quickly. Thoughts of Mulder and what her death would do to him frightened her. She wanted to crumble. Tears filled her eyes, knowing she would never see him again. Had he found William? Was he safe? The horror she felt wasn't because of her impending death. It was in knowing that Mulder would never stop searching for her. 

And within a few minutes, she was afraid there wouldn't be anything left for him to find.