TITLE: Let Me Hear You Whisper RATING: PG SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully investigate possible government involvement in the disappearance of two dolphins that can speak through computer generated tones. DISCLAIMER: The X-files and associated characters included within this work of fiction belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions, and the Fox Network. No infringement is intended. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Cetus- Dolphin Research Facility, Florida Keys May 20, 1998 11:21 PM The wind blew in with the refreshing warmth of the Gulf of Mexico, bringing with it thunderheads that darkened the land. Inside the bay, two dolphins swam peacefully in slow circles as the multiple enclosures behind them echoed the voices of other marine mammals. The boat emerged from the darkness, a man rowing as three others clad in snorkel gear prepared to enter the water. The dolphins peered above the surface, as the boat was anchored outside the bay. Two men entered the water, while one coaxed the animals over with a bucket of fish. The dolphins were then restrained and once secure, were floated into slings before being lifted out of the sea pen. Before leaving the men cut open the net that enclosed the bay, then disappeared into the night with their cargo. FBI Building, Washington DC June 22, 1998 9:25 AM It was a usual morning in the X-files division, Special Agent Fox Mulder sat at his desk amid the clutter of various assignments and interesting side notes. He was leafing through one of the folders when Scully made her entrance. "Morning Scully, how was the movie last night," he asked, glancing up from his file. She gave him an exasperated sigh that was somewhat amusing. "You mean before or after the fist fight in the lobby?" He grinned. "Guess I shouldn't have asked." "So what's on the menu today," she inquired. He passed the file over to her, holding back a grin. "Fish actually.... er...more appropriately dolphins." The usual look of skepticism passed over her face before she answered. "Dolphins?" Mulder nodded and began to summarize the events of the file. "A month ago two Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins, Ahab and Rocky, were reported missing from their sea pen at Cetus, a research facility in the Florida Keys. All evidence seems to support the theory that animal activists released the dolphins and the local PD has since labeled the case as 'solved'. However, while reading through records provided by the facility, I discovered that the government originally owned these dolphins. They were retired from the Navy in 1995 and had been donated to Cetus." He paused and looked at Scully. "So how is this connected" she asked. "I was getting to that. The researcher in charge of Rocky and Ahab, Margaret Harmon, had taught the dolphins a tonal language. I have a theory that the dolphins may have been using this language to recall events of their training while under governmental control." Scully flipped through the file as she talked, "are you telling me that the government kidnapped dolphins because they thought the animals were leaking information?" He smiled. "I know how incredible it sounds." Scully gave him a lop-sided smile. "Mulder, it's more than incredible. Who exactly is this woman, Dr. Doolittle?" He laughed. "Scully, the idea of inter-species communication isn't that farfetched." He reached under the stacks of paper on his desk and pulled out some photos. He flipped through them as he talked, pointing out points, "in the 1960's a neurologist named John Lilly did several experiments involving human-dolphin communication. One dolphin learned several words and numbers after living for two months with one of Lilly's assistants. There have also been several accounts of dolphins communicating through a non-verbal mechanism. As far as the recounting of information, some primates who have been taught American Sign Language have retold the stories of their captures to their human caretakers." She sighed, paging through the file once again, "So when do we leave?" "Our flight leaves in an hour, better pack your sunscreen." Cetus - Dolphin Research Facility, Florida Keys 4:00 PM Mulder brought the silver rental car to a stop under the statue of a leaping dolphin. "This must be the place." A short woman in a bathing suit, shorts, and sandals greeted the two agents at the entrance to the facility. "Hi there, I'm Margaret Harmon. So pleased you could make it down here, though I never expected the FBI to be interested in a pair of missing dolphins." Mulder smiled and surveyed the scene, "could you show us around the facility?" She nodded and they followed her down a platform, which separated two enclosures. On the left side of the pier swam four dolphins, the other side was empty and opened up into the sea. Margaret bent down next to a net piled on the shore. "This was used as a barrier between our facility and the ocean, we discovered it cut open the morning the dolphins were gone." Mulder bent down to examine the mesh, "so the local PD thinks it was activist activity?" "Yes, there's a local group called Dolphin Defense. Its headed by a guy named Richard Feldman. He has given the facility some trouble on occasion, demanding that we release the dolphins from captivity." "And you disagree with him?" "Yes, these dolphins have been in captive environments for over 10 years. They are dependent upon and associate humans with food. Returning them now would most likely result in injury, or starvation. Not to mention it is unknown if they would be accepted and integrated back into wild dolphin social units. There are a number of risks involved when returning a captive animal to the wild. I could understand his argument if we were unable to provide the animals with adequate care but we are fully capable of handling twice the number of dolphins here." Mulder stood up and looked across the bay. "You think the perpetrators came in by boat?" Margaret nodded again. "Have there been any sightings of the two dolphins since their release?" She frowned, "No, we haven't seen any sign of the animals." "Do you think that someone else could be responsible for the disappearance of your dolphins?" "Well, I must admit that I was surprised when you called earlier, but given the circumstance that we haven't seen or heard reports on the missing animals concerns me. These dolphins have been around people for most of their lives, the fact that they haven't been spotted begging for food from fishing boats, or hanging around someone's dock is unusual." She paused and collected her thoughts, "the local paper recently published a story on my work, which could have exposed me to adverse audiences, perhaps someone else is involved. The local law enforcement doesn't like to get in too deep, especially in cases that seem to be pretty cut and dried." She paused again and Mulder took the moment to interject, "I read about your research, were Ahab and Rocky subject to your studies?" She nodded, "Yes, they were the first of the four started on the tones. They were also the farthest along. I could show you the lab if you would like, and some of our research." "That would be great." "Follow me." Mulder glanced back at Scully, who looked miserably hot under her black suit, and gave her one of his 'trust me' grins. "I know what you're thinking Scully," he said as he walked down the pier. "And what is that Mulder," she said, sighing and wiping the sweat from her forehead. "That were on a wild 'fish' chase right now, but before you get too skeptical I just want you to know I have a feeling this goes deeper than we think." She smiled and he recognized the look of resignation on her face. They walked in silence the rest of the way, following Margaret to the shoreline and the buildings that stood there. As they neared the lab Margaret questioned their knowledge of her work. "Are you familiar with the structure of the language Cetus has been using." Mulder shrugged, "I only know that you have implemented a language using tones." Margaret nodded, "It's a modified language really. A system of tones designated to certain objects and symbols in the place of words. The dolphins have been taught series of these tones and the syntax of this language. We also designed a program to handle the data the dolphins transmitted. Using hydro-phones in the bay we record the tones, then the computer processes these sounds, pairing them with their designated symbols and meaning, arranging them into words. This is purely for our benefit. It makes the collection of data a lot easier and more efficient than decoding it all by hand. Put simply, the computer is merely a translator for the language. Our success with the program had been better than anticipated, in fact, Ahab and Rocky were coming along at an incredible rate. After two years of exposure to the language they had a vocabulary of over 1000 tones." She stopped, pulling the key ring off her belt loop and opening the door to the lab. Mulder noted the mass of recording equipment and computer monitors as his eyes adjusted to the dim interior. The lab itself was sunken a few feet into the earth, and they had to take a set of steps down to get to the main research floor. On the far side was a pane of glass that gave an underwater view into the lagoon. The sunlight filtering in through this window cast a green gray glow about the room. Mulder walked over to the glass, squinting as he peered into the murky depths. Overall visibility was good, and he estimated it to be at about 40-50 feet. He was so engaged at observing the lagoon that he jumped when the gray form abruptly appeared in front of him. Margaret laughed as he recovered, looking over his shoulder to discover that Scully was also concealing a grin behind her hand. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged. The dolphin simply hovered in front of the glass, opening and closing its mouth, occasionally sticking its tongue out as if mocking him. "Yeah yeah, real funny Flipper," Mulder teased. Margaret joined him at the window. "Actually,' she said, " this is Neptune. He also knows the language, though in comparison to Ahab and Rocky his speech is just baby talk. Mulder nodded and put his hand on the glass. The dolphin pressed his head against the other side in return. Smiling, Mulder continued his investigation. "In working with the dolphins have you ever asked them about their pasts?" "Not in depth, most of our language studies were dedicated to learning how much the dolphins grasped the new language. We really haven't had time to delve into the interpersonal aspects of it yet. It seemed that the validity of such early observations would be questionable without the assertion that the animals understood what they were saying." Scully pressed forward, examining the dolphin beyond the glass, then redirecting the conversation. "You said there were hydrophones in the lagoon?" Margaret nodded. "And they didn't pick up any unusual or identifiable noises on the night the dolphins disappeared?" "Sadly, no. We have the cassette if you would like to review it, but it's pretty clean." Mulder turned to face her. "Have you questioned the other dolphins about Rocky and Ahab's disappearance?" Margaret looked stunned. "No," she laughed, "it never occurred to me to interrogate the other animals. Like I said, the language is relatively new and Neptune us the only other dolphin we have that can manipulate it. I suppose it is worth a try though. Let me set up the equipment." Mulder nodded and walked over to Scully. Together they toured the lab as the machines booted up. They stopped at the end opposite the viewing window and Scully asked, "So do you still think these animals were leaking information?" "You heard Margaret, they hadn't gotten that far into the research yet." He sighed, "I still think the government is involved though I am unsure of the actual intent. It's possible that since the dolphins didn't appear to struggle or make any other distress signals that they knew the people that took them. It's also obvious my first assumptions about this case are wrong. But, call me crazy......" Scully smirked and jested, "Mulder, you're crazy." He pushed out his lower lip pretending to pout, then continued "I just have a feeling about this. Maybe this dolphin Neptune can clue us in further." "I don't know how much faith I would put into the testimony given by a fish." "Mammal," Mulder interjected. "Regardless, I don't think this is something that would hold up in a court of law," she said, half-joking. Margaret, who called them back to the window, interrupted her argument. Now there was another dolphin accompanying Neptune. This is Winnie," she explained. "She has been subjected to the tonal sequences but hasn't been able to integrate it yet into her natural language. I am including her in this simply to give her more exposure to the tones. Also, if you are correct about the dolphins recalling past events it is quite possible that they could collaborate together." Both Mulder and Scully looked at the dolphins, then at each other. "All right, let's do it," Mulder said. "Does it matter who asks the questions?" "No, the computer has a standard voice synthesizer that will translate regardless of the speaker." Mulder started, "Neptune, do you remember the night when Ahab and Rocky were taken?" The computer buzzed and hummed emitting a few sequences of clicks that were projected out of the hydrophone speaker above their heads. The dolphin paused for a second then uttered a small trill. The computer made a similar fuss and the word appeared on the screen in front of Mulder. Mulder looked at Scully and then continued. "Do you know how many people took them?" Neptune clicked again and <3> appeared on the monitor. "Could you see anything about these people?" At this question Neptune hesitated, clicking in his native dolphin and looking at Winnie. She clicked back and the two seems to 'discuss' the matter. Finally, Neptune returned his attention to Mulder, clicking. the computer translated. Mulder looked at Margaret. "Does this mean anything to you?" She shook her head. "I have no idea where he came up with that." Mulder looked at the dolphin, "Fog, what kind of fog. Can you explain?" Neptune opened at closed his jaws as if tense, then trilled. The computer hummed and wrote . As if in afterthought Neptune clicked again and the word appeared. Scully whispered, "smoking man," under her breath. Mulder looked at Margaret. "I think that's all we need to know." "Well, it doesn't really make a lot of sense to me, but if it helps you guys find my dolphins I won't question it." Mulder looked at his watch. 7:00 it read. He was about to suggest to Scully that they retire to their hotel to think things out when a young man burst into the lab. He was wide eyed and out of breath. Margaret was immediately alarmed. "Jeff, what's wrong?" The boy took a minute to collect himself then said, "the body of a male dolphin washed ashore about 5 miles down. Marine Patrol wants you to come down and see if its Ahab." Margaret was visibly shaken. "All right, let's get down there before the gulls destroy the body. Do you two want to come along?" Scully, you go with her. If it is Ahab maybe you could tell us what killed him. I am going to do some research of my own and see if I can dig up some connections." Scully nodded. "Let me get some gear from the car, and I will be right with you." 7:30 PM They could smell the dolphin long before the body was actually in sight. The gray form moved as small waves lapped against it and Margaret shooed the gulls away as they neared. From the signs of decay the dolphin had been dead about a week, and a preliminary examine indicated that it wasn't Ahab. Scully could see the relief swimming in the woman's eyes. Mulder was having a different sort of luck. He had discovered the public library and had settled himself down with microfilm of The Citizen, the local paper,targeting dates from a month before and up to the disappearance of the dolphins. He was into his second week of film and already his head was swimming. It wasn't until he examined the reel for May 10 - 25 that he found what might be a connection. On the tenth of the month he read an article featuring Margaret Harmon and her work with the dolphins. It was a front-page story, complete with a picture of Ahab and Rocky. This kind of exposure to the public could have drawn the wrong kind of attention. Mulder plugged a couple coins into the machine and made several copies for both his and Scully's benefit. Pressing on he found an interestingclip about a UFO sighting five days later on the 15th. He read with interest. The UFO was reported in Gulf Breeze, a name that instantly raised flags in his head due to its status as one of the southeast's UFO hot spots. The article was vague, simply stating that an unidentified object was seen maneuvering over the Gulf of Mexico, mentioning that some witnesses claimed to see the object explode and then plummet into the sea. The siting was then reported as phenomenon related to a summer meteor shower. Mulder smiled. he thought as he made more copies, pulling them hot off the paper tray at the machine's side. 9:00 PM Scully had just gotten out of the shower when Mulder knocked on the door of her room. It had taken her three bouts of scrubbing to get the smell of fish off her skin. She opened the door swathed in a towel and then made her way back to the bathroom to get some clothes on. Mulder sat on the bed and listened to the sounds of her preparation, scratching his chin with the corner of the file he was carrying. She emerged minutes later, clothed and drying her hair with the towel. "So, the dolphin..." Mulder began. "It wasn't Ahab. After an on-site examination it was determined to be a wild dolphin. Judging by the size of the wounds on his lower body, he was attacked by a shark." Mulder nodded, "well, I have something of interest for you. He opened the file, producing the copies made earlier. "These appeared five days within each other, ten days before the dolphins went missing. I think there may be a connection here but I just can't see it right now." "Well, you are right about this article exposing Margaret's work to the world. Or at least the entire Florida Keys. It is possible that someone else is involved, but I would bet it is more like scientific espionage than government interference." "You think someone stole Ahab and Rocky to benefit their own research?" "Logically, that's the only conclusion I can draw right now." "Well, I am going to make a few calls tomorrow. See if I can find out who worked with these dolphins before. I need to find out if anyone working with the dolphins before were in the area. But until then, I am going for a run. Care to join me?" Scully refused. "I just got the stench of fish out of my skin. I don't want to have to hit the shower again." "All right then. See you in the morning." "Good night, Mulder," she said as he got up and let himself out. June 23, 1998 9:00 am Mulder slammed his cell phone against the nightstand. "Dammit." He hated these bureaucratic run-arounds. He had just spent the better part of the hour being shuffled from person to person trying to get some information about the military personnel involved with the dolphins. The whole affair had him about to pull his hair out. He sighed. he t hought, and smirked. Picking up the phone again, his fingers found the key pad and he punched out a familiar number. It rang almost six times before a weary voice answered. "Lone Gunmen." "What have I told you about staying up past your bed time," Mulder jested. "Mulder, that you? Where are you?" "Yeah, Langly, its me. I am in Florida on a case. I need you guys to look someone up for me." "Sure, no problem. Government, CIA, what?" "They're military. Are you familiar with the Navy's use of dolphin's." "Yeah, they trained dolphins to plant mines on boats among other things. Six were sent to the Persian Gulf during that little skirmish." "Well, I need you to find out who trained these animals. Two dolphins more specifically, named Rocky and Ahab." "Shouldn't be a problem. We could have the information to you before lunch." "That would be great, you have my number." Mulder paused, and heard Frohike in the background, "if that's Agent Scully, send her my love," he said. Mulder laughed. "Talk to you later...and thanks guys." Mulder killed the cel phone and straightened his tie. He squinted as he walked out the door, and made his way to Scully's room. She answered him in mid-knock, dressed in a more breathable attire than the day before. Mulder raised his eyebrows. "Nice threads," he grinned, "shall we do breakfast?" Scully smiled, "yeah sure. Let's go." "Oh, by the way, Frohike sends you his undying affection." Scully laughed then gave him a mock death glare as an after thought. Mulder was still chuckling as he got in the car, pulling out onto US 1, the main thoroughfare through the Keys. Breakfast was uneventful and passed quickly. Shortly afterwards, as promised, Langly called him back saying he was going to fax the information and gave them directions on where to pick it up. "So what did you find?" Mulder asked as he drove to pick up the fax. "Well, as we figured, National Marine Fisheries keeps an inventory of all captive marine mammals in the US and Canada. This inventory listed Ahab and Rocky to be in the care of NOSC in San Diego. Doing some hacking of our own we came across the man you should be looking for. His name is James Fitzgerald. He was in charge of the marine mammal program, that is, until a recent transfer. However we have yet to locate where exactly he was transferred to. We are sending a photo along with all the other pertinent information." "Thanks guys, if it wasn't for you I would still be on the phone with the Navy." Langly laughed and joked, "yeah these military types can be real prudes eh?" "Just slightly," Mulder agreed. "All right then, I'll be in touch." Mulder paused, then added, "and tell Frohike that if he's good I'll bring him a picture of Agent Scully in a bikini." With that he hung up, smiling and glancing over at the stunned Scully. She punched his arm. "Sure, go ahead, encourage him," she said. "All right, all right. I give up." He sighed, "but this means I'll just have to keep the doubles for myself," he quipped and dodged another punch in the process. Scully was still laughing as they pulled into the parking lot. Mulder went in and while Scully waited, snagged the fax hot off the press. He made a copy of the picture and then handed it to Scully once he was back outside. "Well, here he is. I got you a copy made of the picture." "We should probably start at the facility, and work our way out from there," Scully suggested. Mulder nodded, "sounds like a plan to me. Let's go." 4:00 PM Hours later, and a little worse for wear the two agents had not uncovered any other leads. Mulder sighed, and drummed his hands on the steering wheel as they sat in the parking lot of the local police station. The local cops didn't have anyone on file matching their man, in fact, no one had seen or heard of him. Scully was frustrated too. She sat with her head lolled back against the seat, eyes closed though not asleep. Suddnely she rose. "Mulder, how do you think they would transport a pair of dolphins out of the area?" Mulder shrugged, "well, we know initially they were transported by boat, but seeing how the hydrophone didn't pick up any engine noise it had to be a small, manually powered craft - that wouldn't get them too far. Aircraft would be out of the question too, someone would have definitely noticed a strange plane or helicopter. I could check with the airport in Key West to be certain." "So that leaves us with some kind of cargo van or something, right?" Mulder nodded, "Scully, are you onto something." "Maybe," she paused, "I remember seeing a weigh station on our drive into the Keys. A truck carrying those dolphins would quite possible be large enough to require a stop there. Maybe we should talk to someone on that end." "Scully, you are genius," he said, gunning the engine and heading the car north to the upper keys. They reached the station in less than 30 minutes and were greeted almost immediately by a robust man with a cigar firmly clenched between his teeth. "Hello there. How can I help you two?" Flashing their badges they introduced themselves and asked about the picture of their suspect. "Well, let me ask one of the guys up at the station. I wasn't working that night. If anything we can check records for that evening, see if anything rings a bell." Mulder and Scully nodded their agreement, following the foreman up to the weigh station tower that served as an office and control hub. Again they showed the picture of Fitzgerald. No one there remembered him. Mulder sighed, and raised his eyebrows. Scully broke in, "Could we see those records you mentioned?" "Yeah sure, what night was it again?" "The 20th of May." The foreman flipped through a stack of manila files in the cabinet, wading through several before selecting one. "Here we go. What time you think he would have come through?" "We think it would have been between 10 and 12 in the evening." The foreman bit his bottom lip as he searched the records. "Hmmm. Looks like a military convoy was the only thing that came through that night, right around midnight." "Military convoy?" Mulder asked. "Yeah, they're here on and off. Pretty common in this area. Would your guy have been with them?" "Yes, quite possibly. Do you list their destination in your records?" "Yeah, we do. Says here they were headed for north Florida. Eglin's Air Force Base." Mulder's eyes widened slightly. "Thank you, you have been most helpful." "You're welcome. Hope it helps." They both nodded. "Thanks again", said Scully. Then they headed outside once again. When they had reached the shelter of the car, and the air conditioned roared full blast Scully asked, "so what do you make of it?" Mulder squinted against the sun glaring off the truck tarmac. "That military convoy had to be transporting the animals. They came through right after midnight, which would fit in to our time frame." "But Eglin's Air Force Base?" "I'm not sure about that yet. Maybe it has something to do with that UFO after all. Maybe this is another Roswell." Scully gave him a flustered look. "I know, I know," he said. But it's the only lead we've got right now and my instinct says go for it." "I'm not questioning you Mulder. I just want to make sure we've covered every option." Mulder smiled, and reached for his shades. "Let's go talk to Margaret and fill her in on the latest. We promised to keep her informed." Cetus - Dolphin Research Center 6:00 PM They had phoned Margaret on the drive back and she was waiting as they pulled into the facility. She looked into their headlights with anticipation. "So, any closer to finding my dolphins?" She smiled grimly. Scully straightened, "Well, we definitely have some good leads. We don't want to mislead you, but do have any reason to believe the government would want the dolphins back?" "No, I was under the impression that they had their hands full. I have no idea why they would take them back." She paused. "Why? What have you found?" "We think that the dolphins were transported out of the Keys by a military convoy and we suspect that the man who originally trained them in the Navy is at least partly responsible." "Do you know where they have taken them?" "We think they have been taken to an Air Force base in north Florida." Margaret looked bewildered. "I am not sure I understand." "We aren't really sure either. We wanted to keep you abreast of the situation though. We are leaving tomorrow morning to check it out." She paused, face creased with urgency. "I want to come with you." Mulder looked up, "Margaret, I don't know if we can authorize that," he began. "I don't care what you can authorize. Those are my animals up there. I need to see them and make sure they're all right." "Mulder, it may be better if we bring Margaret," Scully interrupted. "The dolphins know her, and she also knows how to operate the language system. It would help us out to be able to communicate with them." Mulder sighed. She knew he didn't like being tied down with a third wheel. They had been together so long they both knew how to anticipate the other's actions and another person in the picture was unpredictable. Though she was aware of this, Scully felt that regardless of the danger, Margaret would come in handy when dealing with the dolphins. That is, if they found them. Her eyes pleaded with him as he stood there mulling over the idea. Finally he looked up. "All right. Our flight leaves tomorrow morning at 10 from Key West." "I'll meet you at the hotel around 7:30 then." Mulder nodded as Scully opened the car. "See you then." Gulf Breeze, Florida June, 24 12:00 PM A warm breeze caressed their faces as they walked. It was similar to being in the Keys though the humidity was not quite as harsh. Mulder had suggested they come here first, since the UFO activity was centered to the area. Scully thought that some of the residents might know of suspicious happenings at Eglin's, seeing how the UFO's attracted all kinds of buffs. Now they were headed to a local tavern that doubled as a bed and breakfast. Appropriately it was called "Flying Saucers". Mulder grinned when he saw it, an alien billboard pointing the way inside. "Think this is the place?" He smiled and opened the door for both Scully and Margaret. There was the usual lunch time bustle - the noise of a dozen conversations, the sound of greasy foods being prepared and fried beyond recognition. The group found a table by the window and was promptly tended to. After the food arrived Mulder asked the waitress where they could see some UFO's, or at least talk to someone who knew a lot about them. She directed them to a house on the edge of town, and an old gentleman named Billy Imers who had been watching the ships since their earlier sightings in 1987. 2:00 PM They had gone to see him directly afterwards, leaving Margaret in town at her own request fearing that her presence would only deter their questioning. His house was at the edge of the town, on stilts and facing the water. He seemed reluctant to open the door, until they flashed their badges, which he studied rather intently. "Forgive my hesitance. I don't like to be bothered by too many UFO kooks." Scully gave Mulder a whimsical glance and he looked back at her innocently, "are you trying to imply something, Scully?" She managed to contain a grin and he smiled, looking around the house as they were ushered inside. The living room was lined with shelves, books upon books about Gulf Breeze and UFO phenomenon in general. Mulder instantly knew they had come to the right place, that this man definitely knew his stuff and was careful in weeding out hoaxes from actual events. "We thank you for your time," Mulder said as he moved to sit. Imers reclined into his sofa, "not a problem at all. I enjoy talking to someone who knows their stuff." Mulder looked back in surprise and Imers smiled. "I read your article in Omni about the sitings here. You are M.F. Luder are you not, Mr. Mulder?" Mulder grinned and Scully followed suit. "Well, it seems a lot of people are catching on to my anagram." Mulder sighed and moved ahead with business, " so what can you tell us about the UFO activity here, or more specifically, Eglin's Air Force base." Imers nodded, "Eglin's Air Force base keeps track of the activity here though they deny it. Among other things they are responsible for space surveillance. They monitor everything that comes into our orbit, satellites, spacecraft, the works. They would have to be oblivious to ignore the UFO phenomenon here." "Do you know anything about a UFO siting that occurred on May 15th?" Scully asked. Imers nodded. "Yes, I was one of the people who reported it. I saw it go down over the Gulf in fact, though that little detail was curiously omitted from my final report in the newspapers and to the local MUFON group." Mulder leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Do you think Eglin could have recovered that UFO?" "They did more than that Mr. Mulder. They are the reason it crashed in the first place, they shot it down." Both Mulder and Scully sat in stunned silence, the realization of the malicious act sinking in. Finally, Scully broke the tension. "Do you know where they would store the downed craft?" "I've heard rumors of a warehouse, on the north end of the compound. It's supposed to be a storage unit for all their recovered space objects, meteors and the like. I wouldn't be surprised if they took it there." "How would we get there?" Mulder asked. Imers sighed and sat settled deeper into his chair. "I think there is an access road about ten miles out of town to the east. It runs directly behind the warehouse though you can't see the building from where you would be driving. It's about a half a mile off the beaten path so to speak. This road is no more than a dirt cow path but it should get you to where you need to go. There's a water tower next to the compound, once you see that you should be in the area." Mulder nodded, "do you know how we could get into the area without being detected?" "Well, that's the hard part. I know that they haven't beefed up s ecurity too much since the crash," he smiled sheepishly, "my curiosity got the better of me and I did some observation of my own." Mulder nodded in acknowledgment as he continued, "I would try it later in the evening or early morning. The patrols are wider then with fewer people on the base. The fences aren't electrified or monitored so that's just a matter of climbing. After that though, you're on your own, I've never been beyond the fence line." Scully exchanged glances with Mulder who now stood. "Well, I guess the rest is up to us. Thank you so much for your time Mr. Imers." "Not a problem at all. Let me know how it all works out. I would like to know for sure what's going on over there." Mulder nodded and shook his hand. "I'll keep you in the loop, definitely." Imers then showed them out and watched them drive off from the door, their taillights growing fainter in the distance. When they returned to the inn they found Margaret waiting and she was anxious to hear all the latest. After briefing her on the situation Mulder suggested they all retire and catch some sleep before venturing out later. Scully agreed that it wuold help to be fresh and on their toes. Eglin's Air Force Base 12:00 AM When Imers had told them this access road was little more than a cow path, he had been over stating it a bit. Mulder was fighting the car as it pitched and bumped over the uneven ground, protesting every mile through its shocks. Scully had spotted the water tower after covering about 5 miles and it had taken him another ten minutes just to find an area wide enough to pull off the path. The dense brush beyond the fence was thick and moved slightly with the breeze. The chain link also rattled on its frame as Scully and Margaret took to climbing while Mulder kept watch. When they stood firmly on the other side he vaulted the structure, minding the barbed wire strung along the top though it was dull and barely nicked his skin. Jumping down to join them he learned that they had already found a path of sorts no doubt trampled there by other intrepid souls before they. It was a relief not to have to wade through Florida backwater swamps and the path offered more silence then traipsing through dense scrub. The mosquitoes soon found them however, forcing the trio to keep moving until at last they came upon the warehouse looming in front of them. They stopped and crouched behind a small palm, silently brushing mosquitoes away as they watched. There was little illumination from inside the building, and outside there seemed to be only one guard. So far it didn't seem to be a problem gaining access. Scully suggested they approach from the rear of the warehouse, surprising the man from behind. Mulder nodded, and pushed back into the scrub again. It took them longer to circumvent the warehouse than getting there, the path this time being more haphazard than the last. When they emerged from the undergrowth they were directly behind the warehouse and from their hiding space they could see the guard pacing in front of them. Mulder motioned for Margaret to remain hidden as Scully moved along the opposite side of the warehouse. Mulder took the other end, nodding at Scully and together they made their way towards the front. He paused at the corner, waiting to hear the crunch of footsteps signaling his target's approach. Emerging from the shadows he startled the man who went for his sidearm. Mulder quickly wrestled him to the ground as Scully came from behind and pistol-whipped him. Mulder rolled him over, and found a key card on his belt. "Here we go, 'unrestricted access'," he said, then tossed it to Scully. She helped him drag the guard out of sight then they both returned to Margaret. Scully blew the hair from her eyes and whispered, " I would only do this for you Mulder. If we're caught out here it could mean our jobs." Mulder smiled, "I'll make it up to you." With the guard out of the way they all gathered at the doorway with Mulder at Scully's back while she slipped the key card into the slot. The door hissed open and air rushed out of the building. Mulder raised his arm to block the dust and followed the women inside. Their eyes adjusted slowly, the only light coming from a stack of computer equipment on the far side of the warehouse. The sounds of water were heard, and Scully saw Margaret stiffen. As they became more accustomed to the dark setting they could see a circular pool and next to that a sort of concrete room. Mulder scanned the warehouse for other patrols while Scully covered him. Once he was certain they were safe he motioned them over to the tank. The dolphins came up instantly, apparently anxious to have some company in the night. "Are those your dolphins?" Scully asked. Margaret nodded and reached into the water, rubbing the sides of the animals that were obviously happy to see her. Mulder couldn't resist and put his hand out to pat them, smiling at the cool smoothness of their skin. Looking up he realized there was a viewing window in front of the room adjoining the dolphin tank. When he peered into the dim light he found a pair of large black eyes peering right back at him. "Oh my god," he said as he jumped back. Scully was instantly at his side. "Mulder, what is it?" she asked, then paused, grasping what she was looking at. The alien stood a little over five feet tall, with a large bulbous forehead and similar sinuses. There was no visible mouth. When it blinked a semi-clear membrane slide over its eyes apparently moistening and cleaning them in one sweep. Mulder was awe struck. "I can't believe it Scully. God, what are they doing with it?" He jumped when the voice came from behind him, turning to find that Margaret had joined them in their stupor. "I think they are using the dolphins to communicate with it. Look at this." She pointed to a light box on the wall, switching it on. "These look like x-rays of the alien's head. I don't know how familiar you are with dolphin anatomy, but the large forehead region and sinuses shown here are quite similar to a marine mammal's." "So they're using Ahab and Rocky as translators?" Margaret nodded, "I think so. They have all the computer equipment set up to translate the tones. They must have stolen the technology too." Mulder looked into the room again,band saw that there was an underwater viewing window that looked into the dolphin tank. The alien was calmly staring into the depths of the tank with only the occasional blink or twitch of its forehead indicating that it was in fact alive. Scully gently pulled him away from his observation, pointing to the corner. Again, Mulder gasped. In the shadow, covered with a thin film of plastic was a large, metallic disc. It hovered effortlessly and with barely a sound. Further examination revealed that it was slightly damaged with evidence of recent repairs. The scoring on the side seemed to support the claim that it was shot out of the sky. Mulder ran his hand along the edge of the craft then turned as he heard the computers booting up behind him. Emerging from the plastic he walked over to the dolphin tank. "What are you doing?" he asked Margaret. She didn't look up from the screen. "Maybe we should ask the dolphins what is going on here." "It's definitely worth a try," Mulder agreed. "Let's do it." Margaret licked her lips, her fingers finding the keys effortlessly as she loaded the program. Finally the entry to the language program pulled up. "Here we go." she typed. The dolphins were at immediate attention when the tones sounded. Mulder noticed the alien looked up as well. The dolphins clicked excitedly. they paused, and clicked again. . At this point the alien stood up, and made a low series of tones, his forehead moving slightly as each noise was transmitted. Margaret asked the dolphins. The dolphins clicked and chattered while the word appeared on the screen. The alien spoke again and the dolphins translated . Mulder broke in, "ask him why." The dolphins clicked their question, and the alien answered. . "But the ship, can it fly?" Mulder asked. The alien answered the dolphins "Looks like they were using the alien to unlock the technology. It must have made fixing it a lot easier, not to mention understanding the technology," Scully added. Mulder looked at the alien beyond the glass, and sighed as its forehead twitched pensively. "We should let him go," he finally said. Scully seemed alarmed. "Mulder, what are you talking about?" "They will just kill him when they're done. Scully, please...," he pleaded. Margaret agreed. "It's true. They are just using him and the dolphins." Scully shook her head and then nodded, "well, its not like we could get in any deeper I suppose." She gave Mulder the key card. Mulder walked over to the door, the cursed. "There's a key pad too. You think the dolphins wuold know the sequence?" Margaret asked to which the dolphins trilled <6356>. Sliding the key card into the slot, Mulder punched in the numbers. The lights on the panel changed to green and the door slid open. The alien stepped in front of him, and Mulder gaped then moved back, looking over his shoulder at the sound of a vehicle arriving outside. The alien moved with haste over to the ship, letting the plastic slide off the sides and disappearing through a hatch that became part of the ship once he was inside. The low humming steadily increased in frequency as the ship warmed up. A field of energy pulsed around the frame emitting a dim light that grew until it was blinding. Mulder and the others squinted, then raised their hands to the glare. A wind swept outward from the ship, blowing the plastic and debris away from its epicenter. As the hum began to whine there was a blinding flash, the dolphins clicked then the ship rose silently, tearing through the ceiling and disappearing into the night sky. And all was silent. Turning back to the tank they discovered the dolphins had vanished too and the computer equipment lay in shambles. One monitor remained lit, and on it the words flashed briefly before it also died. Margaret collapsed next to the tank wall sobbing, and Mulder went to her side while Scully surveyed the scene in amazement. They had little time to recover, MP's stormed the building with the laser sights on their rifles trained on the group. Mulder grimaced as the flashlight beams found their faces, and the handcuffs slapped against their wrists. Several of the guards examined the hole in the roof, cursing the empty containment room and missing ship. Scully winced as they were pulled up and ordered outside while Mulder reached over and squeezed her handcuffed hand with his own. He looked up at the stars and smiled a final time as they were led out into the night.