Introducing Dana Scully

By: Sara B.

Pentagon: Basement conference room

9:20 am March 7

He walked into the overly crowded conference room.  People were lining the walls and every seat at the table was occupied, save one.  That chair was at the end of the table and it was undisputedly his.  He'd kept them waiting twenty minutes for no other reason than he could.  No one would dare leave, one of the perks of his position.  One of the few, but that was the choice he'd made, it was too late for regrets though he had them.

The man at the head of the table gave him a questioning look and he nodded, giving his consent to start the meeting.  While the moderator opened the meeting with the usual pleasantries, he scanned the room acknowledging a favored few.  His gaze stopped on the man sitting in the corner.  The man looked as if he was trying to meld into the woodwork, he clearly didn't want to be here.  His eyes were slightly blurred, 'so early Bill?'  Bill Mulder was the reason they were all here at this farce of a meeting.  One of the reasons.

His attention returned to the issue at hand, find a replacement for Diana Fowley. He would listen to all the suggestions but he had already chosen, but it paid to play the diplomat on occasion.  Let these underlings think they have a say, that's what they think is actually important.  Besides he wanted Bill Mulder to see how much he was on his side.  How he would never do anything to hurt Fox.  After today how could Bill ever question his loyalty.  It would be unthinkable.  He would have Bill exactly where he needed him. 

He took out a Morley and lit it in defiance of the 'No Smoking' signs.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw a very young man motion as if to speak, the man next to him halted him with a hand to his arm and a shake of the head.  Silently the mousey looking woman near the door carried over an ash tray.  Another perk.  No one else would dare flout the laws and no one here would stop him, this was only the first of many he would smoke during the meeting.  

He was finished with his little power games, he'd 'peed in the corners' to prove his Alpha dominance.  Now he needed to tune into the meeting. A smile played at his lips as he fingered the file he'd brought with him, his secret weapon.

The moderator was speaking.  "Ladies and gentlemen we are here to decide who to place in Diana Fowley's position.  I'll recap the situation to ensure that everyone is aware of the urgency on this issue.  Agent Fox Mulder has undergone hypnosis and certain memories have been awakened.  Unfortunate memories."

The moderator looked to Bill Mulder but got nothing from him so he continued.  "Agent Fowley was supposed to introduce Mulder to the X-Files and to ensnare him with the ridiculous so he would miss the true wealth of information the files hold.  She failed.  She was unable to stop his work with Dr. Werber and now his appetite has been whetted.  Mulder's memories have steered him towards the Project."   It was apparent that several of the attendees were confused, that they didn't know what the Project was but they were smart enough to recognize the disquiet looks on their superior’s faces.  Whatever it was the Project was big. "Lead him to us."

The moderator indicated that the lights be dimmed and a slide projector started.  The first picture came up.  "This is FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder."  He proceeded to give the background information on the young agent.  His education and his many accomplishments in the FBI.  The attendees were obviously impressed.  No one mentioned that Fox Mulder was the son of a Consortium founder and a Project Department Leader.  The pictures continued, showing the various women in his life.  They all seemed to be variations on the same theme, tall, well endowed, smart, believers in the paranormal and mostly dark haired.  They were almost all Consortium operatives, from Phoebe Green, or as she was not so secretly known as Super Tramp,  sweet Ella Bainbridge, Beth Richards and Jennifer Grant.

The man scanned the room and saw that Mulder's obvious preferences were not lost on the masses.  He could almost hear their thoughts as they mentally cataloged the operative profiles in the package they'd all been given.  He nearly chuckled to himself, they were all automatons.  He could name off the five profiles that they would almost assuredly offer up for consideration.

The last picture was of Diana Fowley herself, she was the quintessential 'Mulder babe.'  Diana Fowley was not only the most successful of the group, despite this glaring failure, she was his creation.  Only a select few knew how they had taken a gangly, overly shy librarian and transformed her.  She was Donna Franks, a 5'9" intelligent brunette who wore thick glasses and held few social graces.  They recruited her, gave her classes on etiquette, proper wines, the social registry and everything else that a proper New England debutante would know.  They altered files to give her the correct history and familial connections.  They also gave her enough plastic surgery to rival  three faded aging starlets, combined.  Breast implants, tummy tuck, cheek implants, hairline restructured, butt lift, dental implants, liposuction and so on.  She'd been given speech lessons and she mastered the aristocratic accent but she was never able to shed that nasal whine in her voice.

No one who ever knew Donna Franks would take her for Diana Fowley. Donna Franks was killed the day Diana Fowley was born.  Donna Franks was six years older than Diana Fowley.  Donna came from a small town in Michigan, Diana came from the upper west side of Manhattan.  Donna studied Library Science at MSU, Diana graduated from Purdue with a degree in Abnormal Psychology.  That was a gamble and only some techniques gained from their 'friends' allowed them to 'plant' enough knowledge to fool Mulder.        

It had worked for several years but then Mulder met Dr. Werber and Diana couldn't sway him from perusing the regressions.  It was decided that drastic measures were needed before he was immune to all her persuasions.  She could be useful at a later date.

It was Diana herself who introduced the plan to have her reassigned to Europe.  He knew that she secretly expected   Mulder to follow her.  She had miscalculated and  over played her hand.  Not only did Mulder not follow her he broke off all communications with her and filed for divorce.  Just what he suspected would happen.

Fowley's departure re-energized Mulder and his interest was stronger than ever.  Hence this meeting, a new tactic was needed.

The projector was turned off and the lights restored.  Time for the discussion.  He listened carefully as each profile was presented.  He heard the arguments and asked all the right questions.  He smiled and frowned appropriately.  In short, he followed the script.  It has all been predictable.  The group had played into his hand.  They dismissed the profiles that didn't follow Mulder's preferences and they pushed the ones he'd predicted they would. 

Outwardly he was benevolent but inwardly his thoughts were murderous.  'Not an individual thinker in the group.'  That was why he need fear not a one of these so called 'up and comers' they would always follow the path where he created the path.

He stood and made slow and deliberate movement towards the front of the room.  He extracted a single slide and put it in the projector's carriage.  While the lights were dimmed he started to speak. "Your recommendations are well founded.  They are made on sound evidence of what Agent Mulder appears to prefer."  He turned on the projector remaining in front of the screen so the image was garbled.

"I ask you now to dismiss all that you have seen and heard."  He moved to the left and the clear image of Dana Scully appeared.  "Allow me to introduce you to Dr. Dana Katherine Scully specializing Pathology.  A Physics major and a Special Agent of the FBI whose current assignment is Teaching Pathology and performing  Autopsies at Quantico."

He heard the rustle of papers as the many tried to find her profile. "Her profile is not in your package.  She was a late addition."

"Sir?"  It was a young man in the back who was holding a block of papers.

"Yes, what is it?"  He held himself in check not to lash out at this pup impudence.

"Sir I have a listing of the operatives appropriate for this duty and I cannot locate Dana Scully on the list."

Aha!  Someone with initiative, he would have to keep an eye on this young Alex Krycek, he bore watching.  "Excellent work Mr. Krycek is it?"  Another mind game but he didn't want the young buck to get a swelled head.  "She isn't one of ours, Dr. Scully is legitimate."

This brought a flurry of arguments 'we have to recruit', 'months of training' and so on.  He heard everything and nothing.  It was the response he'd expected.  His attention went to Bill Mulder who, for the first time since the meeting began, took notice.

He raised his hands to quiet the group.  This was where the battle would be won.  He needed to speak to the masses but convince the one.  "We will not recruit Dr. Scully.  She is a creature of facts, evidence, proof and, above all, science.  Dr. Scully's beliefs are built in a solid foundation of duty, respect, hard work and faith.  Her family has a history of service on both her mother and father's sides.  She is the daughter of a Navy Captain and her two brothers are Commissioned Officers.  Her maternal Grandfather was a consultant to FDR and her Grandmother worked in intelligence before anyone admitted that women were utilized in that capacity."  He continued to list the accomplishments of her family.  He moved on to her personal accomplishments.  He could see that his audience was impressed.  He looked again to Bill and saw him sitting forward in his chair.  He was hooked, now to just reel him in.

Young Krycek raised his hand and he nodded to him, "sir I think I speak for everyone here when I say that Dana Scully is impressive but in light of Mulder's obvious preferences I fail to see how she can produce the results we are looking for."  Many in the audience seemed to agree but those who knew him wisely held their comments. 

"That is because you are mistaking want and need.  It's a common mistake and many of us never achieve what we should because we settle for what we want.  If we were to just place another operative who meets Mulder's wants why bother removing Fowley in the first place?  Dana Scully may not reflect what Mulder 'wants' but her mind will stimulate him and push him to achieve.  To reach goals he doesn't even realize he has.  He needs legitimacy.  Mulder needs to be able to prove his ideas and positions.  Dana Scully brings the tools that can do that for him.  Also her background is one that would steer him away from the elements of the Project."  This last statement had the more superior members of the group nodding.  "Fox Mulder needs Dana Scully." 

Bill Mulder stood and their eyes met.  Bill gave a single nod and left the room, the decision was made..

When the door closed he added with a crooked grin, "and when you give a man what he needs you can always take it away."

End

Sara B.