The X-FILES: "Insidious"

TEASER

INT. FBI'S QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, MORGUE LAB - NIGHT
A DIGITAL CLOCK ROLLS TO "9:00PM" beside a LARGE SPECIMEN DISH OF A SLIVER-DICED HUMAN BODY PART.

RYAN PETRANSEK'S DISCARDED, SOILED LAB COAT lands on top of DANA SCULLY's. A mid-50s, beer and blue-collar man, he leans on her shoulder in an approving uncle-like manner. With their nearly matching auburn hair he could be.

				PETRANSEK

		I know everything about everyone around here; 

		but, I didn't know that you're a friggin' genius, 

		Dana.


				SCULLY

			(feels his forehead)

		You must be ill. That sounded like a compliment.


				PETRANSEK

		That was. I even bet Hardwad'll make you an 

		offer to be a permanent inmate here. Wait 

		and see. 

				SCULLY

		Ryan, I'm already committed.


				PETRANSEK

		Being Mulder's partner can do that to yah.

			(yawns, points to data sheet)

		Hm, with these kinds of results maybe life 

		as a freewheeling "X"-er's the answer.


				SCULLY

		And not "42"?

			(RE: data sheet)

		This one set worries me. We should run it 

		again.


				PETRANSEK

		Not now. Not with total synaptic failure 

		this imminent. 

				SCULLY

		After only 30 hours straight? What kind 

		of example is that for Ryan Jr?


				PETRANSEK

		Exactly, that's why I do regular 

		office hours. You can have your field O.T. 

		and live psycho killers.

			(checks watch)

		Speaking of dangers, I'm late for a special 

		dinner I can't be late for ...again.

				SCULLY

		I'm not crying for you. Patti's a sweetheart.


				PETRANSEK

		When she has witnesses. Poppies.


				SCULLY

		What?


				PETRANSEK

		Poppies. Colorful and pretty. Various 

		medicinal uses.... Poppies for me, after 

		"sweetheart's" done with my carcass. 

				PETRANSEK (continues)

		Let's go, D.S. For once, be a slack off. 

		Enjoy your "surprise" getaway. Me, I'm 

		going home for a...thorough tongue-lashing.


				SCULLY

		I'll "slack" as soon as I print my notes 

		and leave a copy for Ja---.


				PETRANSEK

		"Jamison"! Geez, Louise, I didn't lock up 

		the R7 and R8 specimen Peck sent. He'll 

		string me up, when he finds out.


				SCULLY

		I won't tell.

				PETRANSEK

		He'd like anything you'd tell him.

				PETRANSEK (continues)

		I know everything about everyone.

				SCULLY

		I thought you were late for Patti killing 

		you?


				PETRANSEK

			(sighs)

		Yep. "Killing Me Softly". 'Night, Short 

		Stuff.

				PETRANSEK (continues)

		Harwell's still pissed at me, so, could 

		you slip her bad boy Peck a little tongue 

		for me?

He mocks injury and playfully SNAPS OFF THE LIGHTS, leaving only the GLOW OF HER MONITOR. He steps into the BRIGHT CORRIDOR. The DOOR CLOSES.

Scully EJECTS HER COMPUTER DISK, tosses it in a FOLDER, and wedges the folder between MANY OTHERS in her BRIEFCASE. It doesn't fit.

She slips the disk out and into her RAINCOAT POCKET.

She CLICKS OFF HER COMPUTER/MONITOR pitching herself into virtual gloom. She drags towards the door, and out into the corridor, now camouflaged in DARKNESS.

INT. LAB CORRIDOR, QUANTICO - SAME
Scully reacts to the absence of adequate visibility.

				SCULLY

		Ryan, if Patti doesn't kill you, I will.

More alert, her tired eyes peer into the silent shadows.

				SCULLY

		Ryan?

A GUN'S CLICK?

She pulls her REVOLVER, noiselessly sets her case down, braces against the wall, and glides along it, approaching a blindspot at the corner to the INTERSECTION OF THE CROSS CORRIDOR.

She peeks around the corner.

NOTHING.

				SCULLY (continues)

		You're too damned tired...and too damned 

		paranoid.

			(breath)

		Thank you, Mulder.

Her CASE FALLS OPEN.

She stoops and fumbles with its contents as

A BRIGHT GREEN NIGHT SIGHT'S CROSSHAIRS fix on and ADJUSTS FOCUS on her bright hair.

From behind her, a GOLDEN DARK, TRANSLUCENT HAND rips at Scully's coat, yanking her yards back,

out of sight of the CROSSHAIRS' SHARP FOCUS.

She lands on her tush, striking her head on the wall but turns immediately to see who's there.

				SCULLY (continues)

		Mulder?

A woman who is more precisely, a GOLDEN DARK, TRANSLUCENT HUSK OF A WOMAN. She hovers; her size and density wavering, as if fighting to keep her form but losing to the hall's darkness.

				SCULLY (continues)

			(mouths)

		Wha...?

				PETRANSEK

		Whoa! Sorry.

			(beat)

		Da---?

A TRICKLE OF BLOOD leaks down from behind his ear as Petransek tips over like a felled bowling pin.

Scully cautiously runs to her fallen companion.

Again, she sees no one in the cross corridor. She turns.

				SCULLY

		Mulder?

FADE OUT:
END TEASER

[END OF EXCERPT]

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