From: mrkeller829@gmail.com   
      
   =====o============================o=====   
   "Chermera" by Mary Ruth Keller Part 22  of 45   
   E-mail: mrkeller@eclipse.net, mrkeller829@gmail.com   
   PG-13   X-File: Myth-arc   Disclaimed in Part I   
   Already sent to Gossamer   
   =====o============================o=====   
      
   Fourth Floor Computer Laboratory   
   Whisperhill Research   
   Beltsville, MD   
   Monday, June 15, 1998   
   7:41 pm   
      
   As the elevator shuddered to a halt, Luther let loose a deep sigh. Their   
   adversaries had gone too far, learned too much. It was time to for drastic   
   measures, but he needed to know whether he would be acting alone. His Smoking   
   superior would react harshly    
   to any perceived disloyalty, so he would have to proceed carefully.   
      
   'Ace' checked the silhouette of the occupant of the elevator as the doors   
   rolled open. {Good, not him. I have too much to do.} "Hey, what's up?"   
      
   The balding man stepped to her side. "We need to talk."   
      
   "Oh?" Her tone was guardedly neutral as she toggled the power lever on a small   
   metal chassis hooked to five speakers. Four were pointed at the walls, with   
   the last at the ceiling. A whoosh emanated from all. "It's my own design. It's   
   a randomly variable    
   broadband noise spectrum that will cover any conversation I don't want the old   
   man to hear."   
      
   Luther rolled over a castered chair, then leaned close to her. {She really is   
   quite attractive, in an underfed way.} "They need to be stopped."   
      
   She offered a single nod. "I know. I've been working on a plan." Turning to   
   the computer on her left, she struck a few keys, popping on the monitor behind   
   it. "I've been thinking about how we should go about doing that." She rolled   
   the chair over until    
   their thighs were almost in contact. "We need to be able to control and   
   predict their actions."   
      
   Still cautious of surveillance, he bent close to her ear. "Mulder and Scully?"   
      
   "Exactly. The old man won't let me touch Sandra Miller, but she can be the   
   bait. He'll shield Mulder forever, too, so that leaves Scully. Take out   
   Scully, and he'll fall apart. Hunh." She shook her head.   
      
   He studied her frown. "What?"   
      
   "I'm starting to think like him. Oh, well." She brought up a map of San Diego.   
   "Very soon, Mulder will go out there to see her, and Scully will go with him.   
   We have two problems of our own we can solve along the way, that will set the   
   timing of his visit.   
   "   
      
   The bald man gasped at the names on the screen. "I didn't think she would be a   
   problem. She's been a reliable operative for decades now. How do you know she   
   had turned?"   
      
   'Ace' ran a small surveillance video for him. There was no sound, but he   
   rubbed his eyes when it finished. "You see?" She rapped the frozen final image   
   with her knuckle. "I tapped into the surveillance system the Marshals have set   
   up, then disabled one    
   of their cameras. They're sending a man out to fix it. I want you to take him   
   out. That will unsettle the Bureau and get Mulder and Scully in the air."   
      
   "But, how do you know?" He crossed his arms. "They've never worked with the   
   Marshals before."   
      
   She shrugged. "Skinner met with him at Matheson's suggestion. They think   
   they're being careful, but, the latest hardware I've installed won't be   
   noticed for several weeks, if then." She opened another X-Window to run a   
   program. "I've developed this    
   Bayesian predictor to calculate outcomes, given the personalities involved."   
   She brought up a map of San Diego, then zoomed in to University City. "This is   
   what I'm expecting we will need to do..."     
      
   --o-0-o--   
      
   Apartment 42   
   Arlington, VA   
   Tuesday, June 16, 1998   
   7:49 am   
      
   Fox Mulder pulled the door aside. "Hey, Mrs. Scully." He tucked her into a   
   quick embrace. "Don't worry, you're dressed just right." Stepping aside, he   
   ushered her in. "Let me get my jacket and we can go. We'll need to only take   
   one car. Parking can be    
   tight." He would not subject his partner's mother to a rush-hour Metro trip at   
   the height of DC tourist season.   
      
   She glanced around the room. "Where's Dana? Will she be meeting us there?"   
      
   He was rubbing his long fingers along the black linen collar carefully. "No,   
   Scully's getting the full Bureau Princess treatment. They've sent a Limo to   
   her place. She'll have breakfast with Senator Matheson and Attorney General   
   Reno before ending up at    
   the Hoover Building. We're just the little people today." He tried on an   
   uncertain grin.      
      
   He reached for the knot of his tie, but her fingers were there sooner. A quick   
   tuck, then she smiled as she ran her palm down the red and gold silk. "Shush.   
   I've helped enough sailors with their dress whites, Fox, I know how to do   
   this." She stretched up    
   to turn a cowlick in his hair back into place. "Caroline would be so happy to   
   be here. This is as much for you as for her, Fox."   
      
   He blinked. "Not really, Mrs. Scully. This is all her show. We were..." He   
   shook his head.   
      
   She cupped his cheeks with both palms. "Now, Fox, I know where we were. Don't   
   be so hard on yourself, hum?"   
      
   That uncertain twitch flashed again. "We should go. We groundlings will at   
   least be able to snag a few oranges this early." He held the door for her,   
   then extinguished the lights as he stepped through.   
      
   --o-0-o--   
      
   Courtyard   
   J. Edgar Hoover Building   
   Washington, DC   
   Tuesday, 8:39 am   
      
   Dafydd ap Morgan ap Gwinn held out his diplomatic credentials to the waiting   
   agent. "I'm here on behalf of Her Majesty's Government." The petite woman   
   handed him a printed temporary ID, then led him down to the risers behind the   
   presenter's lectern. He    
   noted the lone C-SPAN camera set up at the far end of the trapezoidal space.   
   Apparently, the diplomatic corps was to be as much on display as the agents in   
   question. He leaned over to nod to Henri Bernard of the France Diplomatie,   
   with whom he had shared    
   many of these lower-level assignments. At least here he could study the   
   audience for the son of the Atrebates. His reactions would tell him as much   
   about this potential Riata as their eventual direct meeting; further, since he   
   was one row up on the    
   risers, his view of the yard would not be blocked by an intervening head.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)