The X-Files s05e19 Episode Script
Folie a Deux
hello? Hello, may I speak to Mr.
Zachary Llosa? It's Yo-Sa, not Llo-Sa.
Speaking.
Hello, Mr.
Yo-Sa.
I'm calling on behalf of the Vinylright corporation, Which would like to put a crisp $100 bill into your hand By 5:00 tomorrow evening.
Yeah, listen.
I'm not really interested at this time.
Yes, sir, $100, all for allowing us the privilege Of introducing you to Vinylright siding, The thousand-Year siding that never needs painting or maintenance.
Look, man, I'm really not interested.
Manufactured in America from space-Age polymers, It beautifies while it protects, While it adds to the resale value of your home.
Look, I said I'm not interested.
I have to go now.
I have to go.
Sorry.
Yo, Gary.
Dial and smile, Gary.
See, if you're not smiling, they can hear it.
If you're not smiling, they can hear it.
Jerk.
Yes, Mr.
Valenzuela, I'm calling on behalf of the Vinylright corporation.
We would like to put a crisp $100 bill into your hands By 5:00 tomorrow evening.
hello? M- Mrs.
Edith Loach? Yep, that's me.
Hello, Mrs.
Loach.
I'm calling on behalf of the Vinylright corporation, Which would like to put a crisp $100 bill into your hand By 5:00 tomorrow evening.
you want to give me a hundred dollars? Why? hello? Did I win something? Yes, ma'am.
One hundred dollars.
All for allowing us the privilege of introducing you to Vinylright siding, The thousand-Year siding that never needs painting or maintenance.
Manufactured in America from- Hello? Manufactured in America from space-Age polymers, It beautifies while it protects, while it- While it- Hello? Hello? Mrs.
Loach, Listen very carefully.
It's here! sir, agents Mulder and Scully are here.
Send them in.
- Sir? - Agents, have a seat.
I need you to go to Chicago as soon as possible To perform a threat assessment.
A threat assessment for whom? Vinylright.
They make siding.
Their telemarketing hub in oak brook was the focus Of an anonymous audiotaped manifesto, one which threatened violence.
Apparently, several years back, they had an incident in another office, A disgruntled employee with a gun.
They feel they can't be too careful.
Why can't the Chicago field office take care of it? Because I prefer you did.
Because the manifesto contains bizarre overtones, Claims of a paranormal nature? It speaks of a monster stalking employees.
Your insight into such claims should aid In assessing the threat, if any, posed by this person.
Monsters.
I'm your boy.
Must have done something to piss him off.
What do you mean? Get stuck with this jerk-Off assignment.
Or have I finally reached that magic point in my career Where every time somebody sees Bigfoot Or the virgin Mary on a tortilla, I get called out of my basement warren to offer my special insight on the matter.
You're saying "I" a lot.
I heard "we.
" Nor do I assume that this case is just a waste of our time.
Not yours, anyway.
There's no reason both of us should go to Chicago.
I'll take care of it.
Mulder! I'm monster boy, right? This was forwarded to us by a local radio station.
Whoever sent it wanted them to play it over and over again, 24 hours a day.
They elected not to.
attention, people of Illinois.
This is a warning of the utmost urgency.
At Vinylright, Brook, there is a monster- An evil one that preys on the people there.
But they can't see it because it hides in the light.
I see it.
I know where to look.
I can't be the only one.
We all must hunt it down and kill it.
Because if we don't, It will take us all.
you recognize the voice? We have 96 employees.
Anyway, I'm hoping it's not one of our people.
But I don't know who else it would be.
Your company had a violent incident in its recent history? We have a plant in Kansas City.
Back in '94, one of the warehouse guys came in with a gun, threatened everybody.
I think it was over a woman.
May I borrow the tape? Keep it.
So, I know our home office has to call you guys for insurance reasons.
But this is probably just a crank, right? Some guy making a joke? It's best to err on the side of caution.
Can you hire security for the building? If you think we need to.
I'm also conducting my own internal investigation- Interviewing employees, seeing if they're happy.
Use your best judgment.
I'll be in touch.
Scully.
Hi, it's me.
I need you to check on something.
What? It's a phrase- "Hiding in the light.
" It's on this tape that I'm looking into.
- The case that's a total waste of time? - Yes, And I didn't say that it wasn't.
"To hide in the light" or "hiding in the light"- Some form of that.
I think it's in an old case file somewhere that I've got hidden away.
Which one? There's hundreds.
I'm not sure, but I appreciate it.
"Hiding in the light.
" Nancy Aaronson, come to my office, please.
Uh-Oh.
Now I did it.
Nancy.
Yeah? Nancy Aaronson, come to my office, please.
What, Gary? Don't.
Don't what? Gary, I love you, buddy, But you're really, really weird.
Dial and smile, Gary.
Mark Backus, come to my office, please.
Mark Backus, come to my office, please.
See? Nothing to it.
He just wants to say hi to everybody.
He's going alphabetically.
Hey, Gary.
Gary Lambert.
Wabash terrace in oak brook, there is a monster, An evil one, that preys on the people there.
But they can't see it because it hides in the light.
I see it.
I know where to look.
I can't be the only one.
Urgency.
At Vinylright, in oak brook, There is a monster, an evil one that preys on the people there.
But they can't see it because it hides in the light.
I see it.
I know where to look.
I can't be the only one.
We all must hunt it down and kill it.
Because if we don't, It will take us all.
Mulder.
"hiding in the light.
" That was a phrase spoken by one Jerrold Resnick To a Lakeland, Florida, police investigator On august 9, 1992.
What was he describing? Well, Mr.
Resnick was a deacon of his local church.
And apparently he was concerned that There was an evil presence amongst his parishioners, And that he alone was aware of that fact.
He was trying to warn them? Not as such.
He showed up for mass one Sunday with four handguns.
He began wounding people, saying, "The afflicted ones wouldn't bleed.
" He committed suicide a week later in his cell.
Scully, at the risk of you telling me "I told you so," I think it's time for you to get down here and help me.
I told you so.
Hello? Hello? who are you? helicopter blades whirring .]
Who's the Agent in charge? Agent rice.
Tall guy in the suit.
I'm Scully, Agent Mulder's partner.
What can you tell me? Not much.
TV news got the call.
That man's voice told them they were gonna need to broadcast a stunning revelation.
Since then, we keep ringing the phones, but nobody answers.
- Who's inside? - We can't be sure of the total.
It happened over lunch hour, so it could have been worse.
The lot's only got One of them's a rental, registered to an Agent Mulder.
- We're about to try him on his cell phone.
- No.
Not until we get a clearer idea of the situation.
There's a small cafeteria in the building.
We think our guy's got everyone barricaded.
He couldn't have picked a better spot.
One door, no windows.
We're not gonna get a clearer idea of the situation unless someone in there talks to us.
If you make a phone call right now, it could compromise Agent Mulder.
Sir, we need to find another way.
move! Now get down.
Down.
Everybody stop crying.
Just shut up! Everybody needs to be afraid of him.
He's the one that's out to get you.
I'm protecting you.
Gary, what are you talking about? Shut up! I'm not addressing you.
I'm addressing the actual people over here, okay? I'm not talking to you Or you or you! Why should we be afraid of Mr.
Pincus, Gary? I'd really like to hear what you have to say.
Who are you, anyway? My name is Mulder.
You said that already.
What are you doing here? - Applying for a job.
- oh, man.
Did you come to the wrong place.
I get that.
Why should we be afraid of Mr.
Pincus, Gary? Because he's a monster.
Only you can't see that Because he's clouded all your minds.
But he means to take us all, One by one.
Harvest our souls.
Make us into his zombies.
Robots made out of meat.
God almighty.
Gary, I want to believe that you're protecting us, but, uh, I'm kind of afraid of that rifle.
It makes it hard for us actual people to concentrate on what you're saying.
Why are you talking to me like I'm a three-Year-Old? Don't act like you understand what I'm talking about, Because you don't.
But you will.
Shh! Everybody hold their breath.
Oh, you sons of bitches.
Oh, Gary! What are you doing? Gary? shots fired.
Shots fired.
Everybody, hold your fire! What's going on? he made us.
He's shooting.
Sounds like an ak.
We got to find out what the hell's going on in that building.
I'm calling your partner.
No! If it was safe to do so, he would have called us already.
Agent Scully, we don't have a lot of options here.
It's just my cell phone.
Let me get it.
Put your hands behind your head.
F.
B.
I.
? You happy now? Huh? You want to mess with me some more? hello? Hello? Is anybody on the line? We heard gunfire.
Is everyone all right? I just shot a zombie.
Everybody thinks I killed him, but I didn't.
- Who am I speaking to? - The guy that's gonna start killing actual people If you don't put me on the damn TV! I think he just shot a hostage.
Who? He's still asking for his 15 minutes of fame.
Give it to him.
Get it out of sight.
You want to know why it jumped at me like that? It's not an "it," Gary.
It's a "he.
" It's a man you just killed.
- What was his name? - Mark Backus.
Wrong! It stopped being Mark Backus when he turned it into a zombie.
And then he instructed it by means of mental telepathy to attack me.
And so I shot it.
I had no choice.
But it doesn't matter, because it was already dead.
He wants us all like that.
Insects, not people.
Mindless drones.
He wants to take away who we are.
To control us, So we'll be his eyes and ears And spy on each other and help him do his dirty work.
Gary, if I'm the monster, What do you need these people for? Why don't you just let 'em all go? You just wait till I put you on TV.
Then they'll see what you are.
Answer the phone, Gary.
Dial and smile.
okay.
We're sending you the cameraman now.
Just stay calm.
Finally.
Let's do it.
Warren, that is exactly what we're hearing.
All you people put your butts against the door.
Hurry it up.
Go! You.
Get over by the camera.
Move it! momentarily to an actual live feed- This person or people may have something important to say.
See who's getting hurt if you bust down this door? Apparently, so far there's been very little communication - Between the police and the people inside the building.
- Is he getting this? Yeah.
Closed circuit is bouncing it right back into the building.
He thinks he's gonna be a star.
All right.
Show us the room.
what are you doing? hold on.
My battery cable's twisted.
Well, untwist it! And hurry the hell up! There! Right there! The exterior wall's clear.
Entry team into position.
Lie down on the floor.
Do it! all right.
Put me on.
Okay.
We're gonna cut inside.
Yes, here it is.
Here we go.
People of America, A monster walks among you.
Go, pan over.
Get up.
- Now I'll show it to you.
- No, Gary.
- Get out of the way.
- Don't do this.
Get out of the way.
Don't do this, Gary.
- Get out of the way! - Put down the rifle.
Get out of the way now! There! Look at it! Look at it! See? line up against the wall! Now you know.
You look exhausted.
No, I'm fine.
Agent rice has the situation in hand.
Let's get you out of here.
Mulder? I can't begin to thank you.
I owe you my life.
We all do.
Do you have any idea why he fixated on you the way he did? No.
Not at all.
I feel like I barely even knew the man.
I mean, I try to be a good guy to work for.
You mentioned another incident with another employee At a plant in Kansas City in 1994? - Yes.
- Were you at that plant at that time? I wasn't there when it happened, but yeah.
Didn't I mention that? What about Lakeland, Florida? Have you ever lived there? I've been there.
I have relatives there.
Is there anything else? Uh, no, Mr.
Pincus.
Thank you very much for your patience.
What's going on? I don't know.
- Mulder, why didn't you take the day off? - Close the door.
There was a reason the phrase "hiding in the light" seemed so familiar to me.
I found it or variations of it in five other x-Files.
"Hiding in plain view," "hiding in the open," "lurking in the open"- All to describe some manifestation of evil Which goes unnoticed by everyone except the claimant in each case.
Have you slept? Seven cities in all, dating back ten years.
Vinylright has offices within Greg Pincus has worked for Vinylright for guess for how long? Ten years.
What exactly is it that you think you have here? What if Gary Lambert was right? - Mulder, you're not serious.
- Just bear with me for a moment.
I mean, what if such a creature existed that could camouflage itself By clouding the minds of its victims? There are antecedents for it in nature right in the insect world.
Mantis, for instance.
They're said to be able to hypnotize their prey.
No.
What if it could induce a visual hallucination? A sort of temporary conversion disorder? What you're describing would be more like some kind of Visual agnosia, An inability to recognize what's before one's eyes.
Only Gary Lambert could see through it somehow, as could the others.
Maybe because of some heightened adrenaline level, Or maybe just because he knew where to look somehow.
Mulder, he was disturbed.
Yeah, but did he see it because he was disturbed, Or was he disturbed because he saw it? He was mentally ill.
This monster was a- Was a sick fantasy, A product of his dementia.
I saw it too.
Does that make me disturbed? Demented? Does that make me sick too? No.
No, I mean, this kind of thing is not uncommon.
You- You went through a terrible ordeal.
And sometimes people in close associations Under tense conditions can- The delusions of one can be passed on to the other.
Folie a deux? It's not that, Scully.
It's not Helsinki syndrome either.
What I saw was real, and there may be a way to prove it.
How? Lambert pointed out certain individuals he said had been victimized by Pincus.
Turned into zombies.
The man he shot, Backus, was one of them.
If you could autopsy the body- No.
No, absolutely not.
Scully, if this is all in my mind, as you say it is, I would be very grateful if you would prove that.
Mulder, I am not going to serve the delusions of Gary Lambert, A madman, by giving credence to them.
Then I'll prove it without you.
Mulder- what are we looking for? I'll know it when I see it.
What's this about? Lambert was tracking his boss's movements over the years.
Stalking him.
Gathering evidence.
What is it? Did you see her? Did you see where she went? Who? You mind telling me what's going on here? Sir? You wanted to see me? Yes, I was hoping you could give me some insight into Agent Mulder's recent behavior.
Sir? Why is he back in Illinois? I thought that case was closed.
Agent Mulder believes that there may be a connection Between the oak brook incident and several other cases.
But you elected not to join him.
The Chicago field office has been in contact with him.
They describe his behavior as being erratic.
To the best of my knowledge, Agent Mulder is currently working On a legitimate investigation.
I will join him in Illinois immediately.
Don't you have an autopsy to do first? This body Mulder sent to Quantico.
Mark Backus, the shooting victim.
You're scheduled to do an examination.
- Or didn't you know that? - I'll get right on it, sir.
Is there something you want to tell me, Scully? No, sir.
let's start with the photos.
In fact, let's just do photos.
External exam only.
This guy came an awful long way just to have his picture taken.
Knock yourself out.
Case number 986522.
Mark Backus, 45-Year-Old Caucasian male.
There are three one-Centimeter gunshot entry wounds On the left anterior chest wall - With some burn stippling present.
- Come on, Mulder.
Judging from the corpse's resolved rigor and fixed lividity, As well as the decompositional bloating, I'd place the time of death between 48 and 72 hours.
No.
This man died late yesterday afternoon.
Are you sure? Absolutely.
It sure looks to me like he's been dead longer than that.
I want to do that too.
Suddenly I became aware of this presence.
And I could feel it creeping toward me.
It was terrifying.
The next thing I knew, this madman's inside my house.
He breaks my window, kicks in the door, And the whole time he's screaming about monsters- I mean, even worse than Gary.
Miss Starns, I apologize for this incident.
I assure you it will receive my utmost attention.
Why don't you take the rest of the week, Gretchen? Thank you, Mr.
Pincus.
That man has no business carrying a gun, if you ask me.
- You got to her, too, didn't you? - Agent Mulder- I was too late.
You changed her somehow.
You infected her.
Agent Mulder, think very carefully about the next words that come out of your mouth.
Once again, I apologize.
Oh, there's no need.
I'm well aware of the stress Agent Mulder's been under, And I'm, uh- Well, I still consider him a hero.
Which is why I want to handle this privately.
We appreciate that.
For my part, I'm happy to let this entire matter drop.
I'm sure I can persuade Miss Starns to do the same, Provided Agent Mulder is amenable.
You don't see what's going on here.
I'm afraid I do.
Lambert knew your secret.
He knew you were sucking the humanity Out of these people, feeding on them.
Agent Mulder, that's enough.
I don't want to hear another word out of you.
If you care about your career, then you'll knock this crap off.
Because I guarantee I will not stand for another second of this abuse.
Do you understand me- Get out of the way! Get out of here! No! Stop it! Look at him! Look at him! Stop it.
five years together, Scully.
You must have seen this coming.
Did you examine Backus's body? What did you find? More or less what we thought we'd find.
More or less? What is that supposed to mean? The body showed signs of decomposition beyond what we expected to find.
Which in and of itself means nothing, really.
Time of death is notoriously hard to quantify.
Or that Lambert was telling the truth, and that man was dead before he was gunned down.
No, Mulder.
Scully, when that monster, Pincus, whatever the hell you want to call it, When he attacked that woman last night, he did something to the back of her neck.
He bit her there, or he injected something in there.
There's got to be evidence of that.
You gotta check for that.
Mulder, the case is over.
There's no more evidence to be gathered.
There's only my hope that you'll be able to see past this delusion.
You have to be willing to see.
I wish it were that simple.
Scully, you have to believe me.
Nobody else on this whole damn planet does or ever will.
You're my one in five billion.
Well, you just made it.
I was about to ship him.
Full autopsy this time? No.
Let's flip him.
Flip him over? Yep.
Give me a hand.
We can do without these, huh? What do you say? Sorry.
there we go.
Sleep tight.
Don't let the bedbugs bite.
Nurse! It's here! Nurse! It's here! It's here! It's at the window! - What's here? - There is something- There is something at the window, and it's trying to get in here.
Please unstrap me so that I can stop it.
Sir- Sir, we're three floors up.
There's nothing at the window.
Just un-Undo my straps so that I can check.
I can show you- No, don't! No! Just, please- Please.
See? Nothing's gonna get you.
Okay.
Just, uh- Just untie me anyway, please.
What are you doing? You just need some fresh air.
I can't be running in here all night, okay? Help! Somebody help! Very sorry, but it is after hours, and Mr.
Mulder is resting.
I'll have to ask you to come back in the morning.
I've come a long way, and I know he wants to see me, so what do you say? I'm sorry, really.
It's hospital policy.
help! Help! Agent Scully, I have to say I'm at a bit of a loss here.
Do I infer correctly from this that you believe there's some Merit to Agent Mulder's claims? I believe that Agent Mulder is mentally sound And fit for duty.
Aside from that belief, I can only present to you The few hard facts that I've been able to gather- That, as per Agent Mulder's assertions, A toxin has been found to have been injected into the spine Of the shooting victim, Mark Backus.
As of yet, we've been unable to identify it.
Furthermore, Gregory Pincus has apparently disappeared without a trace, Along with half a dozen other key witnesses Integral to this investigation, Among them Agent Mulder's nurse at the hospital And several of Vinylright employees.
Men and women described by Mulder as zombies.
I personally can vouch for the fact that There was an intruder in Agent Mulder's hospital room.
Describe this intruder.
It was dark.
You must've gotten a glimpse.
What did you see? What did you tell him? The truth, as well as I understand it.
which is? Folie a deux- A madness shared by two.
Mr.
Jacox, let me take a few moments to tell you About the advantages of weather right replacement windows.
They keep down high heating and cooling costs.
They beautify- They beautify and add value to your home as well as- Mr.
Jacox! it's here! I made this!
Zachary Llosa? It's Yo-Sa, not Llo-Sa.
Speaking.
Hello, Mr.
Yo-Sa.
I'm calling on behalf of the Vinylright corporation, Which would like to put a crisp $100 bill into your hand By 5:00 tomorrow evening.
Yeah, listen.
I'm not really interested at this time.
Yes, sir, $100, all for allowing us the privilege Of introducing you to Vinylright siding, The thousand-Year siding that never needs painting or maintenance.
Look, man, I'm really not interested.
Manufactured in America from space-Age polymers, It beautifies while it protects, While it adds to the resale value of your home.
Look, I said I'm not interested.
I have to go now.
I have to go.
Sorry.
Yo, Gary.
Dial and smile, Gary.
See, if you're not smiling, they can hear it.
If you're not smiling, they can hear it.
Jerk.
Yes, Mr.
Valenzuela, I'm calling on behalf of the Vinylright corporation.
We would like to put a crisp $100 bill into your hands By 5:00 tomorrow evening.
hello? M- Mrs.
Edith Loach? Yep, that's me.
Hello, Mrs.
Loach.
I'm calling on behalf of the Vinylright corporation, Which would like to put a crisp $100 bill into your hand By 5:00 tomorrow evening.
you want to give me a hundred dollars? Why? hello? Did I win something? Yes, ma'am.
One hundred dollars.
All for allowing us the privilege of introducing you to Vinylright siding, The thousand-Year siding that never needs painting or maintenance.
Manufactured in America from- Hello? Manufactured in America from space-Age polymers, It beautifies while it protects, while it- While it- Hello? Hello? Mrs.
Loach, Listen very carefully.
It's here! sir, agents Mulder and Scully are here.
Send them in.
- Sir? - Agents, have a seat.
I need you to go to Chicago as soon as possible To perform a threat assessment.
A threat assessment for whom? Vinylright.
They make siding.
Their telemarketing hub in oak brook was the focus Of an anonymous audiotaped manifesto, one which threatened violence.
Apparently, several years back, they had an incident in another office, A disgruntled employee with a gun.
They feel they can't be too careful.
Why can't the Chicago field office take care of it? Because I prefer you did.
Because the manifesto contains bizarre overtones, Claims of a paranormal nature? It speaks of a monster stalking employees.
Your insight into such claims should aid In assessing the threat, if any, posed by this person.
Monsters.
I'm your boy.
Must have done something to piss him off.
What do you mean? Get stuck with this jerk-Off assignment.
Or have I finally reached that magic point in my career Where every time somebody sees Bigfoot Or the virgin Mary on a tortilla, I get called out of my basement warren to offer my special insight on the matter.
You're saying "I" a lot.
I heard "we.
" Nor do I assume that this case is just a waste of our time.
Not yours, anyway.
There's no reason both of us should go to Chicago.
I'll take care of it.
Mulder! I'm monster boy, right? This was forwarded to us by a local radio station.
Whoever sent it wanted them to play it over and over again, 24 hours a day.
They elected not to.
attention, people of Illinois.
This is a warning of the utmost urgency.
At Vinylright, Brook, there is a monster- An evil one that preys on the people there.
But they can't see it because it hides in the light.
I see it.
I know where to look.
I can't be the only one.
We all must hunt it down and kill it.
Because if we don't, It will take us all.
you recognize the voice? We have 96 employees.
Anyway, I'm hoping it's not one of our people.
But I don't know who else it would be.
Your company had a violent incident in its recent history? We have a plant in Kansas City.
Back in '94, one of the warehouse guys came in with a gun, threatened everybody.
I think it was over a woman.
May I borrow the tape? Keep it.
So, I know our home office has to call you guys for insurance reasons.
But this is probably just a crank, right? Some guy making a joke? It's best to err on the side of caution.
Can you hire security for the building? If you think we need to.
I'm also conducting my own internal investigation- Interviewing employees, seeing if they're happy.
Use your best judgment.
I'll be in touch.
Scully.
Hi, it's me.
I need you to check on something.
What? It's a phrase- "Hiding in the light.
" It's on this tape that I'm looking into.
- The case that's a total waste of time? - Yes, And I didn't say that it wasn't.
"To hide in the light" or "hiding in the light"- Some form of that.
I think it's in an old case file somewhere that I've got hidden away.
Which one? There's hundreds.
I'm not sure, but I appreciate it.
"Hiding in the light.
" Nancy Aaronson, come to my office, please.
Uh-Oh.
Now I did it.
Nancy.
Yeah? Nancy Aaronson, come to my office, please.
What, Gary? Don't.
Don't what? Gary, I love you, buddy, But you're really, really weird.
Dial and smile, Gary.
Mark Backus, come to my office, please.
Mark Backus, come to my office, please.
See? Nothing to it.
He just wants to say hi to everybody.
He's going alphabetically.
Hey, Gary.
Gary Lambert.
Wabash terrace in oak brook, there is a monster, An evil one, that preys on the people there.
But they can't see it because it hides in the light.
I see it.
I know where to look.
I can't be the only one.
Urgency.
At Vinylright, in oak brook, There is a monster, an evil one that preys on the people there.
But they can't see it because it hides in the light.
I see it.
I know where to look.
I can't be the only one.
We all must hunt it down and kill it.
Because if we don't, It will take us all.
Mulder.
"hiding in the light.
" That was a phrase spoken by one Jerrold Resnick To a Lakeland, Florida, police investigator On august 9, 1992.
What was he describing? Well, Mr.
Resnick was a deacon of his local church.
And apparently he was concerned that There was an evil presence amongst his parishioners, And that he alone was aware of that fact.
He was trying to warn them? Not as such.
He showed up for mass one Sunday with four handguns.
He began wounding people, saying, "The afflicted ones wouldn't bleed.
" He committed suicide a week later in his cell.
Scully, at the risk of you telling me "I told you so," I think it's time for you to get down here and help me.
I told you so.
Hello? Hello? who are you? helicopter blades whirring .]
Who's the Agent in charge? Agent rice.
Tall guy in the suit.
I'm Scully, Agent Mulder's partner.
What can you tell me? Not much.
TV news got the call.
That man's voice told them they were gonna need to broadcast a stunning revelation.
Since then, we keep ringing the phones, but nobody answers.
- Who's inside? - We can't be sure of the total.
It happened over lunch hour, so it could have been worse.
The lot's only got One of them's a rental, registered to an Agent Mulder.
- We're about to try him on his cell phone.
- No.
Not until we get a clearer idea of the situation.
There's a small cafeteria in the building.
We think our guy's got everyone barricaded.
He couldn't have picked a better spot.
One door, no windows.
We're not gonna get a clearer idea of the situation unless someone in there talks to us.
If you make a phone call right now, it could compromise Agent Mulder.
Sir, we need to find another way.
move! Now get down.
Down.
Everybody stop crying.
Just shut up! Everybody needs to be afraid of him.
He's the one that's out to get you.
I'm protecting you.
Gary, what are you talking about? Shut up! I'm not addressing you.
I'm addressing the actual people over here, okay? I'm not talking to you Or you or you! Why should we be afraid of Mr.
Pincus, Gary? I'd really like to hear what you have to say.
Who are you, anyway? My name is Mulder.
You said that already.
What are you doing here? - Applying for a job.
- oh, man.
Did you come to the wrong place.
I get that.
Why should we be afraid of Mr.
Pincus, Gary? Because he's a monster.
Only you can't see that Because he's clouded all your minds.
But he means to take us all, One by one.
Harvest our souls.
Make us into his zombies.
Robots made out of meat.
God almighty.
Gary, I want to believe that you're protecting us, but, uh, I'm kind of afraid of that rifle.
It makes it hard for us actual people to concentrate on what you're saying.
Why are you talking to me like I'm a three-Year-Old? Don't act like you understand what I'm talking about, Because you don't.
But you will.
Shh! Everybody hold their breath.
Oh, you sons of bitches.
Oh, Gary! What are you doing? Gary? shots fired.
Shots fired.
Everybody, hold your fire! What's going on? he made us.
He's shooting.
Sounds like an ak.
We got to find out what the hell's going on in that building.
I'm calling your partner.
No! If it was safe to do so, he would have called us already.
Agent Scully, we don't have a lot of options here.
It's just my cell phone.
Let me get it.
Put your hands behind your head.
F.
B.
I.
? You happy now? Huh? You want to mess with me some more? hello? Hello? Is anybody on the line? We heard gunfire.
Is everyone all right? I just shot a zombie.
Everybody thinks I killed him, but I didn't.
- Who am I speaking to? - The guy that's gonna start killing actual people If you don't put me on the damn TV! I think he just shot a hostage.
Who? He's still asking for his 15 minutes of fame.
Give it to him.
Get it out of sight.
You want to know why it jumped at me like that? It's not an "it," Gary.
It's a "he.
" It's a man you just killed.
- What was his name? - Mark Backus.
Wrong! It stopped being Mark Backus when he turned it into a zombie.
And then he instructed it by means of mental telepathy to attack me.
And so I shot it.
I had no choice.
But it doesn't matter, because it was already dead.
He wants us all like that.
Insects, not people.
Mindless drones.
He wants to take away who we are.
To control us, So we'll be his eyes and ears And spy on each other and help him do his dirty work.
Gary, if I'm the monster, What do you need these people for? Why don't you just let 'em all go? You just wait till I put you on TV.
Then they'll see what you are.
Answer the phone, Gary.
Dial and smile.
okay.
We're sending you the cameraman now.
Just stay calm.
Finally.
Let's do it.
Warren, that is exactly what we're hearing.
All you people put your butts against the door.
Hurry it up.
Go! You.
Get over by the camera.
Move it! momentarily to an actual live feed- This person or people may have something important to say.
See who's getting hurt if you bust down this door? Apparently, so far there's been very little communication - Between the police and the people inside the building.
- Is he getting this? Yeah.
Closed circuit is bouncing it right back into the building.
He thinks he's gonna be a star.
All right.
Show us the room.
what are you doing? hold on.
My battery cable's twisted.
Well, untwist it! And hurry the hell up! There! Right there! The exterior wall's clear.
Entry team into position.
Lie down on the floor.
Do it! all right.
Put me on.
Okay.
We're gonna cut inside.
Yes, here it is.
Here we go.
People of America, A monster walks among you.
Go, pan over.
Get up.
- Now I'll show it to you.
- No, Gary.
- Get out of the way.
- Don't do this.
Get out of the way.
Don't do this, Gary.
- Get out of the way! - Put down the rifle.
Get out of the way now! There! Look at it! Look at it! See? line up against the wall! Now you know.
You look exhausted.
No, I'm fine.
Agent rice has the situation in hand.
Let's get you out of here.
Mulder? I can't begin to thank you.
I owe you my life.
We all do.
Do you have any idea why he fixated on you the way he did? No.
Not at all.
I feel like I barely even knew the man.
I mean, I try to be a good guy to work for.
You mentioned another incident with another employee At a plant in Kansas City in 1994? - Yes.
- Were you at that plant at that time? I wasn't there when it happened, but yeah.
Didn't I mention that? What about Lakeland, Florida? Have you ever lived there? I've been there.
I have relatives there.
Is there anything else? Uh, no, Mr.
Pincus.
Thank you very much for your patience.
What's going on? I don't know.
- Mulder, why didn't you take the day off? - Close the door.
There was a reason the phrase "hiding in the light" seemed so familiar to me.
I found it or variations of it in five other x-Files.
"Hiding in plain view," "hiding in the open," "lurking in the open"- All to describe some manifestation of evil Which goes unnoticed by everyone except the claimant in each case.
Have you slept? Seven cities in all, dating back ten years.
Vinylright has offices within Greg Pincus has worked for Vinylright for guess for how long? Ten years.
What exactly is it that you think you have here? What if Gary Lambert was right? - Mulder, you're not serious.
- Just bear with me for a moment.
I mean, what if such a creature existed that could camouflage itself By clouding the minds of its victims? There are antecedents for it in nature right in the insect world.
Mantis, for instance.
They're said to be able to hypnotize their prey.
No.
What if it could induce a visual hallucination? A sort of temporary conversion disorder? What you're describing would be more like some kind of Visual agnosia, An inability to recognize what's before one's eyes.
Only Gary Lambert could see through it somehow, as could the others.
Maybe because of some heightened adrenaline level, Or maybe just because he knew where to look somehow.
Mulder, he was disturbed.
Yeah, but did he see it because he was disturbed, Or was he disturbed because he saw it? He was mentally ill.
This monster was a- Was a sick fantasy, A product of his dementia.
I saw it too.
Does that make me disturbed? Demented? Does that make me sick too? No.
No, I mean, this kind of thing is not uncommon.
You- You went through a terrible ordeal.
And sometimes people in close associations Under tense conditions can- The delusions of one can be passed on to the other.
Folie a deux? It's not that, Scully.
It's not Helsinki syndrome either.
What I saw was real, and there may be a way to prove it.
How? Lambert pointed out certain individuals he said had been victimized by Pincus.
Turned into zombies.
The man he shot, Backus, was one of them.
If you could autopsy the body- No.
No, absolutely not.
Scully, if this is all in my mind, as you say it is, I would be very grateful if you would prove that.
Mulder, I am not going to serve the delusions of Gary Lambert, A madman, by giving credence to them.
Then I'll prove it without you.
Mulder- what are we looking for? I'll know it when I see it.
What's this about? Lambert was tracking his boss's movements over the years.
Stalking him.
Gathering evidence.
What is it? Did you see her? Did you see where she went? Who? You mind telling me what's going on here? Sir? You wanted to see me? Yes, I was hoping you could give me some insight into Agent Mulder's recent behavior.
Sir? Why is he back in Illinois? I thought that case was closed.
Agent Mulder believes that there may be a connection Between the oak brook incident and several other cases.
But you elected not to join him.
The Chicago field office has been in contact with him.
They describe his behavior as being erratic.
To the best of my knowledge, Agent Mulder is currently working On a legitimate investigation.
I will join him in Illinois immediately.
Don't you have an autopsy to do first? This body Mulder sent to Quantico.
Mark Backus, the shooting victim.
You're scheduled to do an examination.
- Or didn't you know that? - I'll get right on it, sir.
Is there something you want to tell me, Scully? No, sir.
let's start with the photos.
In fact, let's just do photos.
External exam only.
This guy came an awful long way just to have his picture taken.
Knock yourself out.
Case number 986522.
Mark Backus, 45-Year-Old Caucasian male.
There are three one-Centimeter gunshot entry wounds On the left anterior chest wall - With some burn stippling present.
- Come on, Mulder.
Judging from the corpse's resolved rigor and fixed lividity, As well as the decompositional bloating, I'd place the time of death between 48 and 72 hours.
No.
This man died late yesterday afternoon.
Are you sure? Absolutely.
It sure looks to me like he's been dead longer than that.
I want to do that too.
Suddenly I became aware of this presence.
And I could feel it creeping toward me.
It was terrifying.
The next thing I knew, this madman's inside my house.
He breaks my window, kicks in the door, And the whole time he's screaming about monsters- I mean, even worse than Gary.
Miss Starns, I apologize for this incident.
I assure you it will receive my utmost attention.
Why don't you take the rest of the week, Gretchen? Thank you, Mr.
Pincus.
That man has no business carrying a gun, if you ask me.
- You got to her, too, didn't you? - Agent Mulder- I was too late.
You changed her somehow.
You infected her.
Agent Mulder, think very carefully about the next words that come out of your mouth.
Once again, I apologize.
Oh, there's no need.
I'm well aware of the stress Agent Mulder's been under, And I'm, uh- Well, I still consider him a hero.
Which is why I want to handle this privately.
We appreciate that.
For my part, I'm happy to let this entire matter drop.
I'm sure I can persuade Miss Starns to do the same, Provided Agent Mulder is amenable.
You don't see what's going on here.
I'm afraid I do.
Lambert knew your secret.
He knew you were sucking the humanity Out of these people, feeding on them.
Agent Mulder, that's enough.
I don't want to hear another word out of you.
If you care about your career, then you'll knock this crap off.
Because I guarantee I will not stand for another second of this abuse.
Do you understand me- Get out of the way! Get out of here! No! Stop it! Look at him! Look at him! Stop it.
five years together, Scully.
You must have seen this coming.
Did you examine Backus's body? What did you find? More or less what we thought we'd find.
More or less? What is that supposed to mean? The body showed signs of decomposition beyond what we expected to find.
Which in and of itself means nothing, really.
Time of death is notoriously hard to quantify.
Or that Lambert was telling the truth, and that man was dead before he was gunned down.
No, Mulder.
Scully, when that monster, Pincus, whatever the hell you want to call it, When he attacked that woman last night, he did something to the back of her neck.
He bit her there, or he injected something in there.
There's got to be evidence of that.
You gotta check for that.
Mulder, the case is over.
There's no more evidence to be gathered.
There's only my hope that you'll be able to see past this delusion.
You have to be willing to see.
I wish it were that simple.
Scully, you have to believe me.
Nobody else on this whole damn planet does or ever will.
You're my one in five billion.
Well, you just made it.
I was about to ship him.
Full autopsy this time? No.
Let's flip him.
Flip him over? Yep.
Give me a hand.
We can do without these, huh? What do you say? Sorry.
there we go.
Sleep tight.
Don't let the bedbugs bite.
Nurse! It's here! Nurse! It's here! It's here! It's at the window! - What's here? - There is something- There is something at the window, and it's trying to get in here.
Please unstrap me so that I can stop it.
Sir- Sir, we're three floors up.
There's nothing at the window.
Just un-Undo my straps so that I can check.
I can show you- No, don't! No! Just, please- Please.
See? Nothing's gonna get you.
Okay.
Just, uh- Just untie me anyway, please.
What are you doing? You just need some fresh air.
I can't be running in here all night, okay? Help! Somebody help! Very sorry, but it is after hours, and Mr.
Mulder is resting.
I'll have to ask you to come back in the morning.
I've come a long way, and I know he wants to see me, so what do you say? I'm sorry, really.
It's hospital policy.
help! Help! Agent Scully, I have to say I'm at a bit of a loss here.
Do I infer correctly from this that you believe there's some Merit to Agent Mulder's claims? I believe that Agent Mulder is mentally sound And fit for duty.
Aside from that belief, I can only present to you The few hard facts that I've been able to gather- That, as per Agent Mulder's assertions, A toxin has been found to have been injected into the spine Of the shooting victim, Mark Backus.
As of yet, we've been unable to identify it.
Furthermore, Gregory Pincus has apparently disappeared without a trace, Along with half a dozen other key witnesses Integral to this investigation, Among them Agent Mulder's nurse at the hospital And several of Vinylright employees.
Men and women described by Mulder as zombies.
I personally can vouch for the fact that There was an intruder in Agent Mulder's hospital room.
Describe this intruder.
It was dark.
You must've gotten a glimpse.
What did you see? What did you tell him? The truth, as well as I understand it.
which is? Folie a deux- A madness shared by two.
Mr.
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They keep down high heating and cooling costs.
They beautify- They beautify and add value to your home as well as- Mr.
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