Title: Killer Whale Author: Kirsten Wahlquist E-Mail: dkscully@softhome.net Distribution Statement: Go ahead, just let me know where it's going and keep my name and addy on it. Spoiler Warning: None Rating: PG Classification: X Summary: A mysterious death is linked to a killer whale pod and a strange girl. Disclaimer: Arrrggghhhhh! Chris Carter, stop chasing me around with that gun! I know they're yours! You, too, 1013 and Fox! Arrggghh!! Killer Whale By Kirsten Wahlquist A young girl sat solemnly in a Zodiac, staring across the wind- blown water. Before her, a pod of killer whales slid through the water. She smiled and started up the engine. As she pulled alongside the pod, the orcas began to breach, spyhop, and in general, frolic. Clicks, whistles, and squeals echoed unheard beneath the surface. One of the orcas swam slowly to the young girl's boat. It was a male; his tall, jet black fin piercing the water's surface. He inspected the boat, seemingly wondering why humans couldn't just swim, as they did. The girl leaned over the side of the craft, placing her hand in the water and waggling it back and forth. The orca glided toward her and nudged her hand. The girl placed her hand gently on his rostrum, then rubbed it back and forth. The orca let out a joyful whistle. Suddenly, the sound of an approaching boat reached her ears. The girl straightened up, and saw a small Coast Guard boat cruising toward her. It was only a speedboat, not one of their gigantic, tanker- like patrol boats. The Coast Guard boat pulled alongside the Zodiac. She saw a tall man in it, along with another, shorter officer. The taller officer stepped over into the young girl's boat. "Good afternoon," he greeted, remaining expressionless. The girl matched his blank face. "Good afternoon." "Did that killer whale approach you, or did you approach it?" "A little of both" she answered, her voice inflecting her reluctancy to talk about it. "Let me rephrase that. How far from those animals did you stop?" "Twenty feet," she proudly replied. "That's in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Were you aware of this?" the officer inquired further. "Yes," she replied, still proud. "You look familiar." He turned to his partner. "Do you recognize her?" he asked, obviously remembering her for himself. A smile slowly crept across the shorter man's face. "Oh, yes." "This is the fifth time we've had to talk to you about this. I think we're going to have to go back to shore and have a little chat," he said accusingly. "What about my boat?" she inquired. Her face still portrayed no emotion. "We'll tow it back. Come on." He motioned toward the Coast Guard boat. The girl stepped determinedly onto the boat. She stared coldly out over the water as the officers tied her Zodiac to the back of their patrol boat. Her face finally expressed her emotions. Her brow was furrowed in anger - anger that anyone would take her away from her closest friends. "All right. Let's go," announced the tall officer. The girl still didn't take her eyes off the water. "Are you listening to me?" the man asked her. No response. After a long silence, the young girl spoke. "You're making a mistake, trust me," she warned. "I don't know what you're planning, but let me assure you-" He didn't get to finish his sentence. The boat shook violently, throwing the three passengers to the deck. A solitary, male orca spyhopped threateningly. Then he turned away from the boat swimming slowly away before submerging. The occupants of the patrol boat stared after him. "What in the world did you do to aggravate-" Once again, he wasn't able to finish his sentence. The boat was rammed hard, shattering the hull. It quickly sank, leaving the officers and the young girl treading water. But it didn't end there. The tall officer was dragged underwater, screaming until water filled his lungs. He didn't resurface alive. The other man swam as hard as possible toward the Zodiac. He clambered in, terrified. The man watched as the orca floated toward the young girl. Oddly, the whale didn't attack her. In fact, ihe did the opposite. He sank below the water, then resurfaced right beneath the girl! She patted him, then placed her hands on his back. The orca carried her gently away from the chaotic scene, leaving the stunned Coast Guard officer in the Zodiac. *** Dana Scully closed the door to her partner's basement office. Fox Mulder was already at his desk, reading over a new case. He looked up and smiled as Scully entered. "Well, what are we being sent to investigate this time?" she greeted. "Killer whales," Mulder answered, an amused look crossing his face. "Killer whales as in whales that kill, or as in orcas?" Scully asked. "Either. A teenage girl was picked up by the Coast Guard in the San Juan Islands in Washington State. She was in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act for the fifth time, apparently." Mulder paused. "She had come too close to a pod of orcas, and was even seen petting them." Scully was puzzled. "They don't normally let people do that in the wild, though." "Exactly. When the Coast Guard picked her up, the orca she was seen petting rammed the boat and sank it. It then dragged one of the two officers underwater and drowned him. The other officer swam to safety." "There’s never been a documented case of a wild orca attacking a human. Is that what's attracting you to this case?" Scully didn't know exactly what Spooky Mulder saw in it. There didn't seem to be any paranormal involvement. "That and the fact that the orca then swam right under the girl and carried her off," Mulder added. "From what the surviving officer claims, the girl was patting the orca on the back as they swam away. She hasn't been seen or heard from since." He continued. "The girl is Ashleigh Grefton, according to the surviving officer. She's an orphan, and spent most of her time in a boat following the whales." Scully raised her eyebrows. "What do you think she did that's so paranormal?" "I'm not sure. I just have the sense that it's an X-File." Mulder looked at her squarely. "We've got a flight to Seattle tomorrow morning." Scully nodded. She wondered briefly what Mulder saw in the case and was about to ask, but he quickly left the room. It would have to wait. *** The flight to Seattle was uneventful. After all her traveling, Scully was still amazed that one city could get so much rain in a day. It had poured during the landing, and all the way to the motel. During the night, it had slackened off, then kicked up again in the morningand was still raining as they got into the rental car and pulled away. Mulder and Scully were going to spend several hours traveling that day. They spent two hours in the car on the way to Anacortes. From there, they still had an hour-and-a-half ferry ride out to San Juan Island. They found a seat by the window on the ferry. Mulder glanced outside to see that the sun had finally broken through. It was cast a shimmering, picturesque reflection on the water. "So which pod did the Coast Guard say it was the officer saw that day?" Scully began. "They weren't sure exactly. Most likely it was J-pod, the one that frequents these islands. Although, there are K and L pods. They usually stay more toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca, though." He glanced out the window again. In the next seat over, two teenagers started arguing loudly about a card game they were playing. Mulder and Scully sat in silence for a moment. Then, on the deck, several kids started shouting. People rushed to the rails, and shouts erupted. The two agents stood and crossed to the deck to see what everyone was looking at. About fifty yards away, a group of orcas leapt playfully. Mulder smiled at the sight. They were constantly breaching and throwing their tails into the air. One of them suddenly surfaced next to the ferry, right in front of Mulder and Scully. A rush of screaming kids pushed them back, and Mulder grinned down at his partner. "Kids," he said good-naturedly. Scully returned the smile. After about five minutes, the orcas broke off and left the ferry's side. The clamor quieted down, and all returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened. That was how the rest of the trip was spent-in silence. *** The next morning, Mulder and Scully met with a local sherrif and one of the region's several cetacean biologists. The weather was back to a drizzle, the rarely-seen sunshine gone. "Good morning," greeted Kevin Moclabe, the cetacean biologist. "Good morning," Mulder and Scully replied. "Any orca sightings yet today?" Scully asked. "One ferry operator reported a pod early this morning," Moclabe replied. Just then, the sheriff approached. He offered his hand. "Sheriff John Watson. You're from the F.B.I.?" Mulder nodded and shook his hand, as did Scully. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to get straight to business on this case." He looked around as if he was afraid someone had followed him. "I've got a bunch of animal rights groups demanding to know just what provoked that orca to attack." "Fine with me," Mulder agreed. They climbed into the Watson's car, and drove to the marina where the boat they were to use berthed. The boat was a nice, new speedboat, usually used to patrol the calmer waters. The four people climbed into it, Watson at the wheel and Moclabe directing him toward the orcas’ general location. After two hours of searching for the whales, they stumbled upon a subgroup of J-pod. They were feeding, and ignored the onlookers. They followed this particular group for several hours before the orcas began to play. They chased each other, spyhopped, leapt, and lobtailed. It seemed like a big circus. Scully watched in awe as a mother and her calf swam at high speeds, then leapt and turned around. By the time the whales calmed down, the sky was growing dark. They drove the boat back to the marina, tied it up, and headed for the car. In the trees, something moved. For a moment, Mulder mistook it for a deer and ignored it. But upon seeing the people, it let out a muffled curse. "Hey!" Mulder charged after the shadowed form. Behind him, he heard crunching leaves as the others followed in the pursuit. It didn't take long before the fleeing person was caught. Mulder leapt and tacked the figure like a football player. The sheriff hurried over and shined the flashlight in the individual's face. He let out a satisfied grunt. "It's her," he said. "She's the one who rode that whale." *** The girl, Mulder, Scully, and Sheriff Watson sat around a small table at the nearby police station. The teenage girl stared coldly at each of them. Sheriff Watson started the questioning. "Ashleigh, what were you doing with that orca a week ago? The day the Coast Guard officer was killed." She glared at him momentarily. "Talking to them." "To the officers?" Scully queried. "No! The orcas," she replied. "Oh," replied the sheriff sarcastically. "How's their fish supply doing?" "Oh, go-" "Miss Grefton, what did you tell them?" Mulder was genuinely curious. Ashleigh was pleased that someone was possibly believing her. "I was telling them that they were special. In general, complimenting them." She paused a moment. "They said they considered me one of their own." Scully raised an eyebrow. "One of their own?" "Yeah. You know, one of their family." "Did you tell them to attack the boat?" Sheriff Watson asked. "I asked for their help, and I got it." She was became defensive again. Watson sighed, not pleased with the answer. "Ashleigh, I'm going to have to hold you until this mess is cleared up," Watson ordered. "But-" She was silenced at Watson's warning glance. She began to scrutinize the sheriff again. "Agents Mulder and Scully," he continued. "I'll be in contact with you." "All right." Scully shook his hand, then she and Mulder left the room. Scully looked at Mulder. "Do you believe her?" "I don't know. There's evidence pointing right to her story." "Mulder, how many people do you know that can communicate with animals telepathically and precisely?" Scully was remaining skeptical. "Well, possibly one after this. She seems to believe what she's saying." The two agents climbed into the car, and drove back to the motel. *** That next day was spent questioning Ashleigh again. The most commonly asked and least commonly answered question was "How?" Asheigh gave no answer to this question, simply stating that they wouldn't understand. That afternoon, Sheriff Watson, Mulder, and Scully escorted Ashleigh out to the site where the orca had attacked the boat. "Recount exactly what happened," Watson commanded. Ashleigh was somewhat less reluctant. "Over there." She pointed. "That's where I was when I was petting the orca. The Coast Guard boat came parallel to mine, and one officer started lecturing me on the Marine Mammal Protection Act." Ashleigh made a scrunched up face. "They took me onto their boat and tied mine to the back. They were going to take me back to the Coast Guard station for a 'little chat'." Sheriff Watson interrupted her. "Where does the attack fit into the picture?" "I was getting to that," she said defensively. "The officer asked me why I was staring at nothing. What he got in response was a killer whale attack." A lopsided, almost sadistic grin crossed her face. "The orca smashed the boat, and left us three swimming. Then," Ashleigh became dramatic, enjoying her narrative, "the orca grabbed one of the officer's legs in it's mouth, and dragged him underwater. He was screaming bloody murder and-" "Miss Grefton, this is not a theater. Just give us the story." Watson was not amused. Ashleigh continued, now sounding bored. "The other officer swam to safety. When I called for the orca, it came. It took me to land when I asked." "From your description, it sounds like you talk often with these whales. Do you?" Mulder questioned. "Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn't be talking so casually about it, would I?" Ashleigh asked rhetorically. "Ashleigh, if we took you out in the boat, could you call the whales?" Scully inquired. "Maybe. It depends on whether or not they're nearby," Ashleigh stated. Scully looked at the sheriff, who nodded. "Let's go get the boat," the sheriff ordered more then suggested. "It's getting rather dark," pointed out Scully. Watson shrugged. "I want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. Those animal rights activists are rather unnerving." "All right," Mulder agreed. With that, they left for the marina. *** The boat rose and fell with the waves as it sped toward the pod of orcas that had been reported. The report had noted that it was J-pod, and that there were five individuals in the group. In the dark, it was hard to tell exactly where they were, but the moon cast enough light to see. Besides, the sheriff claimed that he knew the area well enough to know where they were, even without the moon lighting up the night. The "kwoosh" of whales breathing sounded off to the left. Watson looked toward the source of the sound, saw them, and pulled parallel. The five whales surfaced in unison, then sank back under the waves. Mulder looked at Ashleigh, who was staring blankly at the killer whales. He turned to Scully, who was watching them with awe. The orcas were travelling at a low speed. Once in a while, they spyhpped or breached. For the most part, though, they seemed to be feeding. Still, Asheigh stared. "Call one," ordered the sheriff. Ashleigh's face darkened, but she didn't take her eyes off the whales for a second. Suddenly, one of the male orcas broke off from the group and swam toward the boat. Ashleigh smiled lopsidedly, and reached down to pet him. After a moment, the orca turned and swam back toward his pod. Ashleigh straightened up and watched him go. He sank beneath the surface. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see what he would do. Pleased, Ashleigh muttered, "Here we go." As if on cue, the boat swayed violently. Everyone in the boat was thrown to the deck. Scully and Mulder were slammed into the side of the boat. They remained dazed for several moments. Again, the boat was shaken hard. This time, a large hole appeared, and the boat began to take on water. Within, a matter of seconds, it had sank. There hadn't been enough time to get out life jackets, so the occupants had to rely on their swimming abilities to keep from drowning. They looked at each other. All were accounted for-except Ashleigh. Where was she? Nearby, an orca leapt high into the air, seeming to touch the moon with it's rostrum. It crashed back into the water, sending out a large wake. Soon, the other whales joined in the leaping. But there were now six whales. *** Mulder, Scully, and Sheriff Watson were picked up by a passing boat, and taken back to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. From there, the case was dropped. Ashleigh was reported as missing, but everyone knew that the chances of finding her were small. Sheriff Watson told the animal rights activists that it had merely been an orca driven crazy by harassment that had killed the Coast Guard officer, even though this was an extremely improbable event. Back in Washington, D.C., Scully was having a hard time trying to decide what to write in her field report. She wasn't about to say that Ashleigh was telepathic, and had morphed into an orca. Then again, was she going to tell them that it had been a freak occurrence? She just couldn't make up her mind, so she just started typing. As she wrote, Mulder entered. He sat down next to Scully, and read her report. "An orca was driven to kill because of being harassed? That's so unoriginal, Scully." A grin crept across Mulder's face. Scully smiled, too. "Would you rather I told them It was a girl who could communicate telepathically with them?" "It's more interesting." He paused. "I found this in the newspaper this morning." He pulled forth a clipping with a picture of an orca in the middle. The headline read "Mysterious New Orca Appears in Pod." "The orca that was found bears no resemblance to any known whales in the area," Mulder continued. "To them, it's a big mystery as to where it came from." Scully figured that they'd try to find it's origins. But, as she and Mulder knew, they wouldn't ever know.