The X-Files s05e17 Episode Script

- Good evening, Father.
- Is she ready? Yes.
Baptism is the rite of initiation.
This holy water takes away original sin.
The sacrament confers the grace of God, Bringing the soul into God's family.
Dara, I baptize you in the name of the Father And of the Son And of the Holy Spirit.
Bless you, my child.
Dara? Oh, my God.
Dara! Dara! Dara! Dara! Dara? Oh, my God.
Dara! No! Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
It has been several months since my last confession.
You have a sin to confess? Father, I'm an F.
B.
I.
Agent.
I've taken it as my code and purpose to uphold the law.
To save lives.
And now your work has come in conflict with your faith.
In a way.
I was here for Easter services last week, And Father McCue approached me for my help.
Why did he come to you? Because there was a family that he felt needed my help.
But it was more than that.
Father, I had a daughter who died A strange and sudden death several months ago.
Father McCue thought that by helping these people You might in some way help yourself To come to terms with your grief.
- Yes.
- But you haven't.
Father, I told you that I had a sin to confess.
But the sin of which I'm guilty, I'm not sure if you can offer forgiveness.
What is the sin? An innocent girl is dead because of me.
I could've saved her life, but I let her die.
thank you so much.
Nice to see you.
Happy Easter, Father.
Yes, Father.
Happy Easter to you.
Good to see you.
Wonderful sermon.
Dana, do you have a moment? I'd like to speak with you in private.
I must say, Dana, it's been nice seeing you at mass again.
I've almost started getting used to it.
I've been trying to make an effort to come more often.
I don't mean to take advantage of your attendance, But I've become involved in a difficult situation With a couple that are also members here.
- Do you know the Kernofs? - No, I'm afraid I don't.
Recently, they lost their daughter, Dara.
You may have heard about the situation.
No, I didn't.
The circumstances of the girl's death were sudden, And I'm afraid the police haven't been able to tell them much.
Are you asking for my help? The Kernofs are devout, but their faith is giving them little comfort.
I thought with your background, Your words might carry a certain weight.
Can I tell them you'll be visiting? that's Dara on her 16th birthday.
We couldn't have children of our own.
I persuaded lance six years ago to adopt.
At first he was reluctant to accept a special - Needs child, But he became so attached to her.
Then, this happens.
You make the choice never imagining something like this Or how vulnerable you are.
Dara had just been baptized.
I know in my heart she's gone to a better place, but lance is angry.
Angry at God.
They say time heals.
Um, Father McCue said that you've been having trouble Getting much information about what might have happened to her.
They say now she may have been struck by lightning, But no one seems to know for sure.
How she even got out of the house onto the street is a mystery.
- What do you mean? - Dara suffered from congenital spinal deformities.
She's been wheelchair-Bound her whole life.
- Could somebody have taken her out of her room? - Lance saw her walking, And when he found her, she was on her knees praying.
I think that's the hardest part for my husband.
He'll never understand how God could Forsake the life of an innocent girl; How God, in his mercy could let this happen to our Dara.
Mrs.
Kernof was talking about her husband, But she might as well have been talking about me.
You, too, were angry at God? I felt drawn to these people, Father, In a very personal way.
I was determined to help them understand why their daughter had been taken.
And did you? As much as I have my faith, Father, I am a scientist Trained to weigh evidence.
But science only teaches us how.
Not why.
If you want me to stand by my report, I will, But I have to say it's not exactly open and shut on the cause of death.
- You think it was lightning? - I'm guessing it was lightning.
The way her eyes were burned Suggests the bolt may have gone to ground, right through the top of her head.
Funny thing is, there was no other sign of arcing, except for the face.
Her mother said that she was found in a kneeling position.
Genuflecting.
Are you a religious person? Why do you ask? I haven't been to church since I was a kid, But I went last Sunday.
I'm gonna show you something.
Her body was rigored such that I had to do my examination In the position she was found.
I've never seen anything like it.
Looks like there was surgery done on her hands.
She was polydactyl.
Same with her feet.
I haven't asked her parents yet, haven't had the heart to, But I assume they had the extra fingers removed.
What's the connection? I found no other evidence of any other tissue damage Or electrical burns or any other serious trauma.
It's as if God himself struck her down.
Dara Kernof was adopted.
I don't suppose that you've requested any information about the birth mother.
- I can do that if you like.
- No, that's okay.
I, uh- I have someone I can ask.
Somebody I'd like to confer with, actually.
Koklos.
Paula Koklos.
Room 213.
We'll get her things packed up and get you on your way.
hold it! Just hold it.
Are you Father Gregory? Yes.
I'm Aaron Starkey with the department of social services.
I am very sorry, but we've had a mix-Up.
- What are you talking about? - Your adoption petition for Paula Koklos.
It's missing an approval.
I've got the court order.
That's the mix-Up.
See, it never should have gone to family court Without getting an approval from the social worker assigned to the case, And that's me.
Give it to me here then and we'll be on our way.
I can't, at least not yet.
I've just been assigned to Paula, So I'll need time to familiarize myself with her case.
Look, I've already been through all this.
I'm here to take the girl home.
I'm sorry, Father, but you'll have to wait Until I can get the paperwork in order.
Hello.
Hey, Scully.
I'm returning your call.
Hi.
Uh, something's come up.
I was hoping that you could do me a favor.
What's going on? This isn't official F.
B.
I.
Business, So I was hoping that we could keep it outside of work.
Hey, look, I'm kind of tailing a possible suspect right now, so I'm kind of rushed, so, uh- I need some birth and adoptive records on a Dara Kernof.
- Who? - Dara Kernof.
I can't tell you much more than that, Mulder.
I'm sorry.
You want to give me a hint? Anything? Not until you get me those records.
All right.
I'll talk to you later.
Scully? Aren't you the secret squirrel.
What do you mean? Got a look at that body they wheeled out of here.
You've been holding out.
Mulder, it's not what you think.
I didn't want to involve you.
I got asked to look into this as a favor for a family.
Dara Kernof's family? You found Dara's records? No.
Those are her birth records.
The adoption records have been sealed.
I think one of my questions has already been answered.
Dara was a twin.
No.
Actually, she was a quadruplet, one of four girls.
Was this cross found like this? Yes, as far as I know.
Why? It's inverted.
Upside-Down.
That's a protest, a sacrilege against the church.
Put there by whom? It's your case, remember, Scully? Do you have any suspects? Not as of this time.
Could the victim have placed it? Uh, it's doubtful.
Paula Koklos was severely impaired Physically and mentally, as was Dara Kernof.
They both died the same way? It appears that their eyes were burnt out.
Their bodies frozen in a position of prayer.
Their physical deformities could account for that.
They might.
Look, Scully, I know you don't really want my help on this, But can I offer you my professional opinion? You got a bona fide, super-Crazy religious wacko on your hands.
What makes you so sure? The mote in the eye, the eyes as the window to the soul, eye for an eye.
He's working from ancient scripture, Ancient text, maybe even the Bible.
He may even think he's doing God's work.
Did you find anything? My name is Aaron Starkey.
I'm the social worker assigned to Paula Koklos.
This is so tragic.
I just hope you catch whoever did this.
Mr.
Starkey, do you know if that cross over there belonged to Paula? I don't remember seeing it before.
I'm sure it didn't.
Did she have any visitors or anybody who might have left it behind? Well, she had no family.
No friends, really.
I don't know if you knew this, but Paula was about to be adopted.
By who? Scully, look at this.
The Gnostic gospels, book of Enoch, book of "j," apocrypha.
I'm surprised there's nothing here from Jesus Christ Superstar.
What kind of church is this? There's no telling.
- Can I help you? - Father Gregory? Yes.
I'm Dana Scully.
We're here about the death of Paula Koklos.
Oh, God, no.
Are you all right, Father? I was trying to adopt Paula.
I'm sure you knew that.
We hear you were very anxious to do so.
I- I hope to God you're not suggesting I had something to do with it.
- Why adopt her? - You think I was interested in harming her? Why adopt her? I- I was trying to protect her.
I knew her mother.
- Do you know where she is? - Yes.
We were looking for her name.
It's not listed on the girls' birth records.
- Why would you want it? - The other two girls may be in danger.
We're hoping that she might be able to help us find them.
Their mother died in childbirth.
Can you give us a name? When I was a priest in the Roman Church, Before I founded my own, I was her confessor.
Divulging her name would violate the code of my faith.
And yours, I see.
You said you wanted to protect Paula.
From what? Whatever your intentions, Your secular prejudices blind you from seeing what's really happening here.
Two girls are dead, not by the hand of man.
Unless you accept the truth of God's teachings That there is a struggle between good and evil for all souls And that we are losing that struggle, you're but fools rushing in.
You put your own lives in danger, As well as the lives of the messengers.
I have nothing more to say.
I brought Agent Mulder on the case to help temper my feelings; To keep them from clouding my judgment.
I wouldn't admit it to him, but As we stood there, I felt as if Father Gregory were speaking directly to me In a language only I could understand.
the messengers.
Yes.
I know people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Blah, blah, blah, but that guy is paranoid.
I think you're a little extreme in your judgment, don't you, Mulder? All that crap about the fight for all souls, the literature we saw, The performance we just witnessed, it all fits.
He thinks he's doing God's laundry.
Well, he said this wasn't done by the hand of man.
You think he believes that too? If he does, he's even more dangerous than he appears.
Even if he's not your killer, he is hiding something.
- What? - He says he knew the mother, but he won't give up her name.
Maybe she's still alive.
I think you have enough to bring him in for questioning, if not make an arrest.
But, basically, you're ruling out any element of the supernatural.
What do you mean? Well, Dara Kernof was baptized on the day of her death.
She was sanctified by the ritual sacrament, submerged in the spirit.
And why would God allow this to happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? Religion has masqueraded as the paranormal since the dawn of time To justify some of the most horrible acts in history.
I was raised to believe that God has his reasons, however mysterious.
He may have his reasons, but seems to use psychotics to carry out his job orders.
You wanna find who did this? I suggest you autopsy the body before it's interred; Before the man who killed her has a chance to find her sisters.
the victim is Paula Koklos, Age 16, cause of death unknown.
I'll begin with the external examination.
Victim has signs of congenital physical defects, Including four supernumerary digits.
The only indications of external trauma are the burning, By means unknown, of both globes of the eyes.
I'm noting something on the shoulder, A bony process of some kind, possibly a tumorous mass.
No indication of surgical procedure.
The mass appears on both the right and left clavicle.
Oh, God.
Mommy? Mommy, please.
I told myself that it was all in my head, A hallucination brought on by my emotional connection to the case.
That would seem to be a reasonable explanation.
But that's not what it was, Father.
I was meant to see Emily For a purpose.
Which was? To save these girls.
hey, Scully, it's me.
I did a little more digging on those adoption records.
What do you mean? I think I got a lead on that third sister.
Where? She was under county care ten years ago.
Apparently, she wandered into a teen crisis center here in D.
C.
Last week homeless.
That guy over at social services, Starkey, He's helping me canvass the area.
If she shares anything with her sisters, she wouldn't be walking anywhere far.
What did you find? There's evidence of a degenerative bone disease.
And I know you're gonna think that I'm crazy, But I swear I found evidence of something winglike.
Well, then maybe she flew here, Scully.
Mulder, there's something else.
Hold that thought and tell it to me and Father Gregory when you see us.
Stop right there! Move into the light! Move into the light! Hands where I can see 'em! We're too late.
- Where's the girl? - She's dead.
- Where is she? - In there.
what are you asking for, Father? Mercy or forgiveness? You know, they say when you talk to God, it's prayer, But when God talks to you, it's schizophrenia.
What is your God telling you, Father? I pray for the girls' souls.
You pray for their souls now.
That's convenient.
I'm immune to your mockery.
You're not interested in the truth.
I am only interested in the truth.
I would like to know why you did what you did To three defenseless, helpless young girls.
What in your sick mind would possess you to burn their eyes out? Did they see you for who you are, like I do? What does this mean, Father? Tell him what it is.
St.
Peter.
You know the story.
St.
Peter on the cross.
St.
Peter would only be crucified upside down Out of humility towards Christ.
I've risked my life to protect their precious souls, Which the devil has sought to claim for his own.
He took two before I could reach them, and I was too late to save the third.
Agents Mulder and Scully? you know.
You've already guessed what they are.
The last one is still out there.
The devil is here, And if he finds her, his victory will be complete.
Scully, they think they found the fourth girl.
As long as I'm in here, there's no one to protect her.
Let me go or she will die.
- You believed him.
- Yes.
But you didn't tell your colleague.
He believed that he could find the last girl.
But I already knew that I was meant to save her.
From what? I wasn't sure.
Father Gregory said that the devil claimed the lives of the first three girls.
You don't believe that.
I know now that Father Gregory was mistaken.
The devil didn't take their souls, But the threat to those girls was real And Father Gregory gave his life to protect them.
the fourth girl is Roberta Dyer.
Transferred to Maryland adoption services in 1995 When her foster Father got a job in Gaithersburg.
Adoption services were called to investigate allegations of child abuse In September of that year.
Three more times in '96, then two more times in '97.
- What's wrong? - Father Gregory called them "messengers.
" Scully? Scully, don't let this guy get in your head.
That's the last thing you want.
Sometimes the most twisted ones are the most persuasive.
He knows where she is.
That's okay.
As long as he's locked up, it doesn't matter.
You're not gonna find her.
I think you're being misled.
By who? Scully, I think you're the one who's being misled.
Not just willingly, but willfully.
I've never seen you more vulnerable or susceptible or more easily manipulated, And it scares me because I don't know why.
I saw Emily.
She came to me in a vision.
I think you should step away.
Personal issues are making you lose your objectivity, Clouding your judgment.
You go.
Go find the girl.
I'm going to finish up with Father Gregory.
Okay.
Father Gregory.
Where is she, Father? How did you get in here? I will not be denied this time, Father.
But you took the others.
The others were taken from me.
I will not allow that to happen again.
Where is the fourth girl? Tell me, Father.
Save yourself.
I'd like to get back in here.
It should be open.
Father Gregory? Father Gregory! Yeah? We have a warrant to search the premises for your daughter.
She's not here, I tell you.
She's out.
She's at school.
We checked the school.
She hasn't been there in a week.
We have reason to believe her life may be in danger.
If you know something- - What's behind this door? - It's the basement.
- Well, can you unlock it? - I don't have the key.
Is this her room? Where is she, Mr.
Dyer? Where is she? They're gonna cut off the checks, aren't they? - Where is she? - He said he'd take her off my hands, But I could keep the disability.
- Who? - The priest.
- Who? - Father Gregory.
Hello? Yeah, hi, Scully.
It's me.
He's dead, Mulder.
Who? Father Gregory.
They found him alone in the interrogation room.
No one can figure it out.
There was a guard sitting right outside the room.
we didn't find her.
The fourth girl, she was here.
Hey, Scully.
Scully, are you there? Answer me.
Scully? Scully! Scully? - Father.
- Come in, Dana.
I understand you found the man responsible for the deaths of those girls.
I'm sure the Kernofs will be relieved.
I'm not sure if they should be, Father.
- Why not? - I've seen things.
Things that have made me question if there aren't Larger forces at work here.
What have you seen? Visions of my daughter Emily, for one.
I think that's understandable.
I'm sure you identified with the loss.
I considered that, um- But then I saw something last night, which I- Which I can't explain.
I saw a man in dark clothes, But he had four faces.
They weren't human.
Is this what you saw? It's a seraphim.
An angel with four faces.
Those of a man, a lion, an eagle and a bull.
In the story, the angel descends from heaven And fathers four children with a mortal woman.
Their offspring are the nephilim- The fallen ones.
They have the souls of angels, but they weren't meant to be.
They're deformed, tormented.
So the lord sends the seraphim to earth To bring back the souls of the nephilim To keep the devil from claiming them as his own.
How did he bring back their souls? They were smote with the brightness of his countenance.
To look upon the seraphim in all his glory Is to give up one's soul to heaven.
You think that's what I saw? No.
I think what you saw is a figment of your imagination.
A half-Remembered story from your childhood that surfaced because of this case.
But I saw it, Father.
Dana, the nephilim is a story.
The text in which it appears isn't even recognized by the church.
Father, do you believe that God has his reasons? Yes, I'm certain of it.
It's how he rewards our faith.
Agent Scully? I can't believe I found you.
What is it? Agent Mulder's been trying to reach you.
He's been down at the station house.
Trying to reach me for what? The fourth girl.
She's at Father Gregory's church.
Come on.
I'll drive you.
- There's no one here.
- They must be on their way.
You don't see her in there? She's here.
I know it.
Agent Scully? Did you find her? Agent Scully! My name is Dana.
I'm going to get you out of there, okay? I'm not gonna hurt you.
I'm gonna take you someplace safe.
Where are you going? Where are you taking her? Everything's going to be fine.
Bring her here! Bring me the girl! It's okay, it's all right.
Stay here.
It's okay.
Stay here.
Just stay here.
It's gonna be okay.
Bring her out to me.
Mommy, let me go.
- Mommy, please let me go.
- Emily.
Agent Scully, get her out of there! mommy, please.
Emily! Emily! Oh, God.
Ohh.
you believed you were releasing her soul to heaven.
I felt sure of it.
But you still can't reconcile this belief with the physical fact of her death? No.
I thought I could, Father, but I can't.
Do you believe there is a life after this one? Yes.
Are you sure? Has it occurred to you that maybe this, too, Is part of what you were meant to understand? You mean accepting my loss? Can you accept it? Maybe that's what faith is.
I made this!