Title and parts: To Regain: The Plot Thickens (1/1) Author: Jenn Chiprich Email feedback: ipomea@msn.com Overall content: 3 Distribution: Anywhere Category: SRA Rated: R Summary: When something is taken, that something has to be regained. This is a continuation into the Taking reality. A new plan has emerged; a new course has been set and everyone is seeking to have returned to them what was taken. But, as always, there are road blocks, both those we set in our own way and those others throw at us. Thanks to everyone that has kept reading and there will be more parts if y'all want them. Let me know if you like it. Timespan/Spoilers: The story itself occurs in the future. There may be mention of episodes from all five seasons. Disclaimer: Well, all these fun folks from The X-files (Mulder and Scully as well as everyone else except Jerry and Katie) definitely do not belong to me(No matter how much I wish it). They belongto Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting and are usedwithout permission. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit is being made from their use. Walter Skinner stood in the doorway of his office and laid his head against the doorframe. The coolness of the metal felt good against his heated skin. The July heat in the Midwest was not as oppressive as the heat had been in D. C., but it was still hot. Dragging his head away from the jam, he shuffled back to his seat and sat heavily. He had a lot of work to accomplish, and little or no time in which to do it. All the day before and most of that day, Walter had been trying to garnish information on the status of the housings at the CDC and what future plans for the site were. He sighed and lowered his gaze to the one memo that he had been able to find: Reference: CDC compound, Atlanta Date: May, 2000 In reference to the compound of the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, at this time there are no current plans for the use or expansion of the facilities. Until further notice, personnel will be separated and placed in various other areas. However, due to the existence of a threat at this area, a basic scientific crew will be kept on hand. That was it. A two month old memo with very little information, but what little information that was there would be of use. Suddenly the interior door opened, and the large form of the First One graced the stop. Skinner hastily picked up some other papers and placed them on the memo; an effort to hide the offending paper. "Sir?" "Good afternoon, Skinner. I have moved up our meeting of tomorrow to today. There are many things that we need to discuss; plans have changed." the being lowered himself into the chair on the other side of the desk. If Walter had known their facial features better, if he had known the muscles that controlled the expressions of happiness and sadness, he might have said that this thing was feeling estatic. "Our meeting tomorrow was to be about the status of the psychology project and the final estimates of feasibility..." Skinner adjusted the glasses on his nose and sighed. "As well as the current status of the child care facility and the estimate of the proportion of breeding couples in the population." "Yes, yes." the First One waved his hands impatiently, "Yes, all of these things I expect a report on in the next two days....especially the remarks on the amount of breeding couples in the population. It is the plans regarding them that have changed. I also need the status of the psychology project and the projected strength of the control that it will garnish." "Verbally, sir, I can tell you that the current projection, from the test subjects, is that the control... if the project is coupled with a decline in food and water, the necessities.... it would be almost total. As Fox Mulder has said, the removal of necessities will cause a protective response in the population, that will help to control them. A fear...a theory of kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. If the denial pattern is superimposed on this survival instinct, control could be achieved." Skinner was gritting his teeth again, these talks rarely endeared him to his superiors. "As for the proportion of society here on this base that are currently breeding, the numbers are in the ballpark of 65%. The remainder are still trying, or have been deemed exempt." "Ah," the templing of the hands of this being under it's chin in an imitation of human thought was an abomination, Skinner thought. Maybe it was the poor attempt of the being to appear humanoid, or maybe it was the reptilian features twisted in thought, but Skinner felt his stomach turn in disgust. He kept it from his face, though; as the black, emotionless eyes of the being settled on him. "Sixty-five percent. That is good. We will give it another month and then we will have to follow through on a different plan." "That being, sir? A deviation too drastic off of the course that has been set may interfere with the denial projection." "It is drastic, but I think that it will lend credence to the plan, not subtract from it. Can you tell me the status of the food stores at this time, Skinner?" "Fine, at the last time I checked." Walter frowned. "Although the crops will be harvested within the next four months, I think that the stores will remain sufficient for the winter...." "That is where the problem lies. The crops will not support this large of a population. So within the next month, we will weed out the population again...all those that are not breeding at that time will be liquidated....." ------ "Will be liquidated." Skinner finished telling the collection of his family around the table, the news that he had received that day. He was weary, and the strain showed in his brown eyes. Maggie reached under the table to squeeze his hand. Dana drew a sharp breath. She might be needed, but she was not necessary. In fact, she and Fox may be looked upon as an endangerment, and if they were not breeding, their elimination might actually be helpful to the guardians. They knew too much. And Mulder had served his purposefulness in the formulation of the denial plan, and she hers in the research. Fox obviously was having the same thoughts, as his face twisted in a grimace. "Apparently," Walter continued. "They had planned the correct amount of personnel to man the farms, and planned the proper amount of time, but they had not taken into account the types of people that would be manning the farms or the possibilities of natural problems. The people that they had manning the farms were not those that had the proper background. They view people as individuals that can be picked up and thrust into any niche in society and will thrive. They don't understand that our society exists because we have created a system in which certain people are in certain niches, because that is what they are trained for or have chosen to be. When they disrupted that fragile collection, and placed people that were unable to fulfill their obligations through the inability to accomplish physical labor or in agricultural know-how, the farms became inefficient entities. Top that off with the drought that we are having, and you see the problem that we are facing." "No food." Maggie replied. "Not enough food." Mulder corrected, " and the Guardians have done what they have to in order to insure at least a partial survival...odds are that next year, they'll either educate better or switch the niches around to better support the remaining society. Makes sense, although all the logic in the world isn't going to fix the situation." Scully turned her face to view Mulder's and watched his chin set in defiance. This was going to be the straw that broke his back. Skinner was also watching the play of emotions across the younger man's face with a sense of dread. "Well," Dana started. "it appears that we have a problem that we are facing." Fox grunted and squeezed her knee. "Understatement, Doctor Scully, is an art and you have perfected it." He kept his tone light. His true feelings, however, were quite the opposite. One month...that was too short of a period of time for them. Original projections that he had made for them leaving, if in fact that was the outcome that they decided upon, was to leave in September, end of the month at the latest. If they would not have left by that time, then his next projection was early next spring. One month. "We're leaving." Fox was taken aback. He had expected that line from Dana, however, it was Maggie that said it. "Mom....." Dana started. "Don't tell me to be quiet, Dana." Maggie started, her voice a little edgy. Mulder wondered it he had missed part of the conversation. Scully's hand on his knee tightened, pulling the fabric tight against his skin. "I know what is going to happen, and if I can do anything to stop it...." "Mags...." Skinner laid his hand on her arm, only to be shaken off. "That goes double for you, Walter. Dana and Fox are not miraculously going to conceive in the next month. And, a plan is already in the works to have us go to Atlanta...or at least it has been discussed....There is no question now what we are going to have to do." "You're right, Maggie." Mulder answered, his arm moving around Dana's shoulders, as much to hold her as to restrain her from turning to face him incredulously. "There is no question what we need to do. We meaning, Dana and I, not you and Walter. Scully and I are going to have to leave, but it would be nonadventageous for you to leave...." "Oh, fuck advantageous." Skinner sighed, exasperated. "Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much, Mulder? If you and Dana leave, come hell or high water, Maggie and I are going too. Besides, you can carry more of what you need spread out on four people as on two...." "Right, oh, right." Mulder scooted his chair back, "Iowa to Atlanta, that's what...five hundred miles? Sure, okay....right. This is bullshit. There is no way that I'm letting the two of you...." "Shut up, Mulder." Skinner's voice had taken on a harsh, angry tone. "No way in hell that I'm letting you two walk all that distance." Fox finished. "You two will have food and shelter here....." "Oh, and they won't do anything to us when they notice that you are gone? Get real, Mulder." Fox stood up, shoving the chair away from the table violently. "I'm not going to have this on my conscious, Skinner. I'm not going to let...." "Let, hell, when did this become you letting us do anything. Maggie and I will go with you." "Sit down, Fox." Maggie's voice cut through the air like a knife. Mulder grimaced and shook his head. "Sit down, Mulder." Dana rejoined quietly, laying a hand on his arm. "Sit down and let me say something." she tensed and trained him with a glare until he sunk back into the chair. "And this goes for everyone.... This is a decision that we have been thinking about for weeks, Mom, Walter. Mulder and I know that it is the only way....the only quick way, that is to get everything done. Atlanta is the best bet. We weren't thinking that we would leave this early, though. A month is barely enough time to get all things together." Mulder's nod next to her was a concession to her ideas. "But if a month is all that we have, then he and I will be ready. It's going to be hard, though. That much distance....." "I know, Dana, I know." Maggie sighed, shaking her head. "I'm not in the best of shape either. But if that is where you are going; then I'm going, too." "We'll make it, Mags." Walter laid a hand on her arm. "And we do have a month to get a little more in shape....not that it will improve us much, but we'll have a chance." Mulder gritted his teeth and pushed away from the table. Without another word, he left the room and climbed the stairs into the blackness of the upstairs.