Title: Kosatka Author: Kirsten Wahlquist E-Mail: dkscully@softhome.net Distribution: Anywhere's fine, just tell me Spoilers: The Red and the Black/Patient X (minor) Rating: PG Content: Mulder/Scully UST Classification: X Summary: A killer whale was seemingly abducted from a Pacific Northwest aquarium. Disclaimer: I… don't… own… Mulder… or… Scully. There. Whew. That was tough. Author's Notes: For those of you who speak Russian, you probably know what the title means. If not…it means killer whale. Kosatka By Kirsten Wahlquist FBI Headquarters March 10 9:24 AM Scully pushed the door to the basement office open slowly. Mulder looked up at her and smiled warmly. "Good morning," he greeted. "Good morning," Scully returned cheerfully. She set her purse down and approached Mulder's desk. "What do you have there? A new case?" Mulder nodded absently. "Yeah. An animal abduction case out on the west coast." He paused, waiting for a response. "Apparently, a four-ton killer whale disappeared from a marine park. It was returned two weeks later under mysterious circumstances." Scully furrowed her eyebrows. "And you think it was abducted." It was a statement, not a question. "Yeah." Mulder dug through the papers on his desk. "There was someone who actually witnessed it, one of the orca's trainers." "You mean they actually saw the abduction?" Scully queried, tilting her head slightly to the side. Mulder nodded slowly. "She doesn't remember it of course." He picked up a ticket envelope and tossed it across the desk. "We've got a flight out to Seattle tomorrow." *** Northbound I-405 March 11 1:44 OM Scully shuffled through the papers, glancing quickly at the enclosed photos. One of them was of the whale, Kosatka. He was leaping high into the air, his glossy back nose reaching for the sky. The other was of Genevieve Burr, Kosatka's head trainer. She had shoulder-length red hair, and an enormous grin plastered on her face. Looking back up at Mulder, Scully smiled. He was silent, focused on his driving. His handsome features shone like a light against the dreariness of the Seattle sky. He glanced at her, and she turned away nervously. "So," Mulder said, breaking the silence. "What do you think?" "About what?" "About the disappearance. Do you think it was an alien abduction?" He was just talking to keep away the silence, and Scully knew it. "Well," she replied, sighing, "I'm not going to make a decision until I see all the evidence." Mulder nodded understandingly. He looked at an upcoming sign. "Looks like this is it." He pulled onto the off-ramp. *** Northwest Marine Park 2:17 PM Mulder and Scully entered the small amphitheater. Kosatka hung lazily in his pool, resting. Trainers and maintenance workers bustled through, once in awhile shouting to someone else. One janitor crouched nearby, cleaning up trash. Mulder approached him slowly. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Genevieve Burr?" he asked, pulling out his ID. The man nodded. "She's probably in the holding pool, down through that gate." "Thank you." Mulder followed his directions to the back, where a tall woman was chatting with someone. They fell silent as the FBI agents approached. "I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder, this is Special Agent Dana Scully." They drew their badges. "We're with the Federal Bureau of Investigation." Genevieve nodded slowly. "I'm Genevieve Burr, this is Robin Hanson, Kosatka's veterinarian." Mulder and Scully shook their hands then got down to business. "How has he been since his return?" Scully queried. Genevieve shook sadly. "Listless, uninterested in performing. He really biffed up when we tried to start shows again. Refused to perform." Mulder nodded, deep in thought. Robin broke in. "His health is failing. He's refusing to eat, and is losing weight rapidly. If something isn't done, he's going to die." Scully could see the tears welling up in Genevieve's eyes. Robin was expressionless, trying to stay professional. Robin turned to Genevieve. "I'll be by this evening to check on him," she promised. Genevieve nodded absently, and Robin took off. "So," Mulder began slowly, "you said you witnessed the disappearance?" Genevieve hung her head. "I…I don't remember it." Mulder was understanding. "Would you consent to regression hypnosis, to maybe recall?" Hesitating, Genevieve replied, "I guess so." "What would be a good time?" She was becoming more confident, even eager. "As soon as possible." "Tomorrow morning?" Genevieve nodded vigorously. "How about 9?" "Sounds good, we'll meet you here then." He paused, glancing around. "Mind if we look around?" "No. No. Go ahead." Scully nodded thankfully, and strode to the main tank. Kosatka was hovering at the surface of the tank, near Scully. She walked slowly to the stage, unaware that the orca was following her. She stared up at the sign that hung over the tank. It read, "The Kosatka the Killer Whale Show." As Scully turned to look over the tank, she saw Kosatka a few feet away, watching her intently. She had to work to resist the urge to reach out and stroke his smooth rostrum. He seemed so peaceful, she had to smile. From the far corner of the pool, Mulder watched as Kosatka followed Scully. She paced slowly around, inspecting the props. he mused, They were, after all, both abductees. *** Dr. Clawson's Office March 12 9:28 AM Genevieve's entire body was relaxed, her eyes closed. She was in a trance, silently waiting for prompting. "Genevieve, I want you to go back to the night Kosatka disappeared." A pause. "What do you see?" Her breathing became ragged, uneven. "There's… there's a bright light. It's blinding me. Kosatka… he's crying out to me… but I can't move…" She trailed off. "What do you see now?" She was taking labored breaths and sweating, clearly upset. "Do you want to stop?" asked Dr. Clawson. "No… no." She waited for a moment. "Kosatka… he's real scared, panicking. Now… he's… he's lifting out of the water. But he's not moving." She gasped involuntarily. "What is it?" "There's someone in front of me. It's not human." "What does it look like?" "It… it's got big, black eyes. It's got a big head and a small mouth. It's grey." Mulder sat back, and looked at Scully. Her face was tense, as if it were bringing back horrible memories. He wanted to take her hand, reassure her. In the end, he remained professional and resisted the urge. "What is it doing?" "It's watching me. It's kind of wavering, swaying… Kosatka… he's gone… so is the creature…" "Genevieve, Genevieve I want you to wake up now… Genevieve." Her eyes fluttered open, and her body sagged back. "Oh, my God." Genevieve looked to be on the verge of tears. *** Scully's Motel Room 9:26 PM Scully tossed her purse onto the table and flopped onto the bed. She was exhausted, and this case was bringing too many memories back. A smile came to her lips as she thought of Kosatka. He seemed to be such an innocent animal, not the horror the staff of the marine park made him out to be. She thought he was sweet. Sighing, Scully picked up a medical journal, and leaned against the headboard. She could hear the TV playing quetly in Mulder's room next door. Quickly, she grew tired and slumped under the covers. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep. *** Northwest Marine Park March 13 2:01 PM Scully slowly came down the stands, Mulder a step ahead. A plaintive wailing echoed throughout the stadium. She shot Mulder a worried glance, and followed the noise. Arriving at the holding pool, they saw Kosatka squirming in a sling. Robin stood over him, a syringe in hand. Genevieve stood behind her, looking terrified. "What happened?" Mulder queried. Genevieve's head shot up and she moved to stand by the agents. "I got here this morning, and he was frantically swimming. He wouldn't slow down. When he finally stopped, it took us an hour to get him into the damn sling!" She let out an exasperated sigh. "Robin's going to give him a sedative, but if her loses consciousness, he may stop breathing." Scully looked back at Kosatka, who'd become enervatingly calm. Robin looked dumbfounded, still holding the full syringe. Kosatka eyed Scully, but still kept a wary eye on the large needle. Everyone remained silent, then gaped at the FBI agents. Finally, Genevieve spoke. "Did you give him the shot?" she queried. Robin shook her head, her eyes closed in thought. Scully watched as Genevieve and Robin busied themselves with untying the net. Kosatka swam free of it, then rolled over onto his back. He swam lazily like that for a moment, then arched down backward. In a giant leap, he reached for the sky and hung there for what seemed like an eternity. His skin glistened in the light. He bent backward, crashing into the water with a mighty splash. Scully winced as the water came down, drenching her. She quickly forgot she was soaking wet, and her mouth curled into a smile. Looking around, Scully saw that everyone else was grinning, too. After a moment, Genevieve picked up a couple fish and called the graceful orca. He came without hesitation, and watched his trainer. Genevieve tried to get him to open his mouth, but he refused. She looked sorrowfully at Robin, then quickly turned to Scully. "He calmed down when you showed up." She handed her the fish. Scully walked slowly to the edge of the pool where Kosatka was waiting. He eyeballed her momentarily, then slowly opened his mouth wide. Scully glanced at Genevieve, who urged her on. Taking a deep breath, Scully tossed the fish into his mouth. He hastily shut it and swallowed. Mulder, Genevieve, and Robin were all grinning. Even the maintenance workers had stopped to watch. Kosatka rolled onto his side, and lifted one pectoral fin into the air. Genevieve snorted, and gave him the signal to slap the water. He only looked at her like she was crazy, and rolled onto his back. Genevieve looked at Scully pleadingly, who imitated the signal. Kosatka rolled back onto his side and loudly slapped his fin on the water. Genevieve looked a bit hurt that he had taken to the newcomer and ignored her. Soon, though, she was smiling like everyone else as Kosatka started making silly noises and rolling his tongue. "Welcome back, Kossie," Mulder heard Genevieve whisper. She was beaming from ear to ear, and knelt by the side of the pool. Kosatka edged toward her, and she reached out and stroked his nose. After a moment, he backed off nervously and swam away. Genevieve's face melted into a worried grimace. Robin put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, not taking her eyes off Kosatka. *** Genevieve Burr's Home 9:57 PM Genevieve threw herself into a chair and put her head in her hands. she mused angrily. She was grateful that Kosatka hadn't hurt himself that morning, but the fact that he had ignored her pissed her off. Genevieve hoped. She crossed the room to the stereo and turned the radio on. The upbeat song "It's Up To You" was playing. "So if you ever change you mind I'll be waiting first in line You can hang your toothbrush next to mine It's up to you." As Genevieve sang with the radio, she realized just how appropriate the song was. It made her depressed, and she had to get up and turn it off. "It isn't your fault, you know." Genevieve jumped at the intruding voice. She whirled around to face the person. He held a cigarette to his mouth and puffed silently. "How did you get in here?" The man continued, ignoring her inquiry. "That woman has had something happen to her that gives her a special bond with Kosatka." "She was abducted, wasn't she?" guessed Genevieve, catching on. The mysterious man nodded quietly, taking another drag on his cigarette. "If that's what it takes to be friends with him again, I want to be taken." The man with the cigarette shook his head thoughtfully. "The people and animals taken are used for a reason. And the side effects can be deadly." "I don't care! I—" she was silenced by a strong glare. "Kosatka will come to accept you, in time." "In time!" Genevieve cried. "I can't even feed him as it is! How's he supposed to survive?!" "That is for you to figure out," the man said cryptically. He turned on his heel and headed for the door. "But—" Genevieve called after him, but he was gone. Genevieve was left to ponder his last statement. *** Northwest Marine Park March 14 9:59 AM Genevieve jogged amongst the tanks and shops that were preparing to open to the public. She liked to jog each morning, it relaxed her and got her ready for the day. Not much could relax her right then, though. She was angry and terrified at the same time, but tried not to let it show. When she arrived back at the tank, Kosatka was swimming happily around, once in awhile flipping his tail into the air. Genevieve grinned, and hopped down the steps. Kosatka glided to her and squealed a greeting. "Good morning, good-looking," Genevieve returned. She reached out and ran a gentle hand over his rostrum. When she pulled her hand back and began to stride around to the offices, Kosatka resumed his frolicking. Genevieve smiled to herself, glad that Kosatka was being friendly to her again. Maybe the FBI woman was what he had needed as a wake-up call. Whatever the case, she was sorry she had been a bit hostile. Picking up a bucket of fish, Genevieve approached the edge of the water. Kosatka swam to her hungrily, impatiently waiting for food. She tossed him a fish, which he swallowed quickly then begged for more. Genevieve gave him several fish as freebies, then slipped the training whistle around her neck. Starting with an easier trick, Genevieve asked Kosatka to wave. He responded immediately, and Genevive blew the whistle and tossed him a fish. "Good boy," she praised. She gave him the signal to slap the water. He slapped it as hard as he could, then rolled over and looked at her as if to say, "Now what?" Kosatka accepted the reward. Feeling bolder, Genevieve gave the signal for a leap. Kosatka disappeared underwater for awhile, and she was afraid that he was ignoring her again. Her fears were unfounded, however, when his massive form broke the surface of the water in a gigantic breach. Kosatka was his old self again. *** Northwest Marine Park March 16 12:01 PM Scully gazed around the nearly-empty amphitheater. Two men dressed in business suits waited patiently, sitting halfway down the stands. Kosatka was scheduled for an "audition" of sorts, to determine whether or not he was ready to perform for the public again. She could see Kosatka waiting in the holding pool, knowing he'd be working momentarily. A maintenance worker yanked the gate open, and Kosatka swam out energetically. Genevieve took a deep, nervous breath and called the enormous orca. Kosatka came without hesitation and waited for a command. Mulder looked over at Scully, who was leaning against the wall. She was so transfixed by Kosatka that she scarcely moved. At the signal, Kosatka ducked his head underwater, then surfaced again and let loose a spray of water. Genevieve blew the whistle and tossed him a fish. When asked to slap the water, he did so immediately and was rewarded. Taking a deep breath, Genevieve flung her right arm out, asking for a breach. Kosatka disappeared beneath the water then reappeared, his body arching through the air. He landed with a mighty crash, sending water into the air and soaking everyone nearby. Genevieve grinned, and tossed Kosatka a fish when he returned. She quickly signaled for a barrel roll, and Kosatka took off spinning. The businessmen in the stands were looking impressed, but the best was yet to come. With a swift flip of her wrist, Genevieve asked for a leap. Still swimming on his back, Kosatka leapt into the air, and arched backward into the water, He continued on in this manner until Genevieve's arms flew downward. In one graceful motion he drydocked, his entire body sliding onto the stage. His glossy skin glistened in the rare sunlight, his head and tail held high. Genevieve blew her whistle, and helped Kosatka slide back into the water. The onlookers applauded, and Genevieve could see the men discussing what to do. The FBI agents approached, smiling. "Congratulations," Scully said, extending her hand. Genevieve took it thankfully, now regretting her hostile feelings towards the woman. The businessmen came up, their faces nearly unreadable. "Go ahead," one of them simply ordered. Staying professional, Genevieve shook their hand to seal the deal. The men left, and Genevieve threw her arms around Kosatka with joy. *** Scully's Motel Room 10:13 PM Scully lay back on the lumpy mattress, staring blankly at the ceiling. She kept thinking about Kosatka, about his future. There was no doubt he was still mentally traumatized, replaying horrible images in his mind. The ringing of the phone startled Scully. She sat bolt upright, and picked it up hurriedly. "Scully." "Scully, it's me," Mulder answered. "Genevieve just called. Kosatka's freaking out again. She thinks something's coming." "I'll be there in a minute." Scully laid the phone back on the cradle, and dragged herself from the bed. She rapidly changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt; she didn't have time to put on one of her business ensembles. Grabbing her jacket, she rushed outside to meet Mulder. *** Northwest Marine Park 10:41 PM Only one light was turned on in the stadium, and it hung from the far wall. She saw the FBI agents arrive and got up slowly. "How is he?" Scully asked as she approached. Genevieve hung her head. "He's been wailing, racing around his tank, and thrashing for the last hour." Kosatka poked his head out of the water and let out a low, plaintive cry. Genevieve looked to be on the verge of tears. After a moment, Kosatka flew from the water, sending spray in every direction. Genevieve bit her lip and turned away. Mulder was staring hard at something across the tank. Scully couldn't make it out, but Mulder definitely saw something of interest. "Stay here," he ordered, jogging toward the stairs to the underwater viewing area. Scully watched him go, then turned back to Genevieve. Even though her back was turned, Scully knew she was crying. Her shoulders bobbed up and down, and sniffling sounds could be heard. Scully placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and Genevieve turned to face her. A weak smile crept across the trainer's face. *** Underwater Viewing Area Mulder trudged slowly among the stacked boxes, searching for any sign of movement. He stumbled on a protruding pipe, cussing as he hit the ground. Pulling himself to his feet, he noticed something a little ways ahead. Something was moving, and it wasn't a whale. *** Main Tank Scully gazed at the orca who was now speeding insanely around his tank. Genevieve had long since fallen silent behind her. Kosatka held his head out of the water as he swam, once in awhile emitting a squeal or moan. "Genevieve?" Scully asked quietly. No answer. "Genevieve?" she repeated, louder this time. There was no response. Scully whirled around, but there was no one there. "Damn," she muttered. Something on the opposite side of the tank moved. "Genevieve?" Scully called as she ran to the other side. Still no answer. Upon reaching the far side of the tank, Scully looked for any sign that someone had been there. Kosatka swam by, kicking up water as he went. Scully turned to the tank and leaned on the railing to watch him. He was still furiously thrashing. Scully heard a shuffling noise behind her and whirled around. Someone dressed entirely in black loomed before her, and that's all she had time to see before a hard object slammed into her head. *** Underwater Viewing Area Mulder turned the syringe over in his hands. The person had disappeared, but dropped a key piece of evidence. He turned around, about to bring the syringe back to his partner. Mulder leapt sky high in surprise. In front of him, Scully's limp body sank slowly down. Kosatka still swam crazily, and Mulder was afraid he'd ram her. "Scully!" Mulder screamed. He dropped the syringe and rushed back up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He sprinted to the edge of the pool. Where was she? Kosatka had slowed considerably, aware of the newcomer in his tank. Slowly, Mulder saw Kosatka moving something toward the surface. It was Scully. "Scully!" Mulder cried again. He was panicking, afraid she was dead. Kosatka pushed her slowly twoard the edge of the water. He was being very gentle with her. Mulder dashed to the stage, waiting impatiently for his partner. The now-quiet orca pushed Scully's unmoving body onto the cold cement. Mulder rushed to Scully's side, checking for a pulse. It was faint, but there. She wasn't breathing, so Mulder began CPR. Pinching her nose, he breathed into Scully's mouth. Mulder mused. Relief flooded through him when Scully coughed, water pouring out of her mouth. "Scully," Mulder said softly, his face still wrinkled with worry. She began to breathe easier, and Mulder brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on Mulder. He put his hand tenderly on her cheek. Scully smiled weakly up at him, then turned her head to Kosatka. He was waiting patiently, watching. She reached out a cold hand, and rubbed Kosatka's nose. "Thank you," she breathed. Scully pulled her hand back, and tried to sit up. Mulder helped her up. Reaching his hand around her back to support her, Mulder glanced at the cut on her forehead. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly. She nodded slowly, closing her eyes. "Genevieve's gone. She disappeared," Scully told him. Mulder's shoulders sagged. "I found something down there," he informed her. "A syringe, filled with something." "Go get it," Scully ordered. Mulder regarded her for a moment before getting up and jogging off. Scully sat quietly, waiting. Kosatka had settled down, and was swimming lazily. When Mulder returned, his face was contorted into a grimace. "It's gone," he told her. "And I found Genevieve." Scully knew by the look on his face that she was dead. "Her throat was slit, and she was stuffed into a corner." Scully's stomach turned, and her mouth twisted. "So what was so important about killing her?" she queried. "My guess is their plan only partially worked. I think it's like that night on the bridge. They came to destroy what had been taken. Only Genevieve stood in the way, and had to be killed, also. As Kosatka was in the water, they couldn't burn him as they do people," Mulder finished. Someone had heard all the commotion and called the police. They arrived, prepared for the worst. An ambulance had been called as a precaution, and the paramedics took a look at the wound on Scully's head. When it was all stitched up, Mulder pulled her aside. "You're going to do the autopsy on Genevieve?" Scully nodded silently. "Make sure to triple-check everything on the tox screen. Maybe whatever was in that syringe ended up in her." Scully nodded again, then left. *** Autopsy Bay March 18 1:38 PM "There is no data in the tox screen to indicate that Agent Mulder's hypothesis is correct," Scully dictated to the microcassette recorder. "Genevieve Burr died of a severed trachea, and no abnormal substances were found in the blood" was the afterthought. *** Underwater Viewing Area Time Undetermined Children swarmed through the viewing area, wanting to get a good look at the killer whale that swam before them. One young boy broke off from the rest when something caught his eye. No on else noticed; they were too transfixed by the orca. Bending over, he picked up a small, filled syringe. The yellowish liquid inside amused him. Like any young boy, he stuffed it in his pocket and went back to watch the whale… *********** That's it! What'd you think? Let me know at dkscully@softhome.net -Kirsten