The X-Files Page #26

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MULDER:

What happened to Kurtzweil?

WELL-MANICURED MAN

As your father knew, things need to be

sacrificed to the future.

MULDER:

Where is he?

WELL-MANICURED MAN

Dr. Kurtzweil is in the trunk.

Mulder stares at the W.M.M., at his cold-blooded

expression.

MULDER:

Let me out. Stop the car.

WELL-MANICURED MAN

(motioning)

Driver.

Mulder reaching to this as the limo pulls to a stop.

Trying the door, but the door is locked. When he turns

back to the W.M.M. he has produced a handgun, which is

now pointing at Mulder. Laid casually across a folded

arm. Mulder reacts on seeing it.

WELL-MANICURED MAN

The men I work with will stop at

nothing to clear the way for what they

believe is their stake in the

inevitable future. I was ordered to

kill Kurtzweil. A necessary action to

protect my grandchildren's lives.

(beat)

I might just as easily kill you.

Mulder is recoiling as he says this. Then, without

hesitation in one quick move, he SHOOTS the Driver in

the head.

The blood spattering on the front windshield -- and on

Mulder who has barely had a chance to react.

WELL-MANICURED MAN

Trust no one, Mr. Mulder.

Mulder looks at The Well-Manicured Man, expecting to be

next. And for a moment, we do too. But the W.M.M. simply

opens the door and steps out of the car. Holding the

door open for Mulder who is still frozen by the actions

that went just before.

EXT. DESOLATE D.C. STREET - NIGHT

Mulder steps out of the car, holding the felt envelope.

The Well-Manicured Man stands with a sober, intense

look.

WELL-MANICURED MAN

(with quiet force)

You have precious little time. What

I've given you the alien colonists

have no idea exists. You hold in your

hand the power to end the project.

MULDER:

How?

WELL-MANICURED MAN

The vaccine you hold is the only

defense against the virus. Its

introduction into an alien environment

may have the power to destroy the

delicate plans we've so assiduously

protected for the last fifty years.

(beat)

Or it may not.

MULDER:

What alien environment?

WELL-MANICURED MAN

Find Agent Scully. Save her. Only her

science can save the future.

MULDER:

What about you?

WELL-MANICURED MAN

My life is over.

(beat)

Go.

Mulder stands speechless for a moment. Until the W.M.M.

points the weapon he's still holding at him.

WELL-MANICURED MAN

Go now!

And Mulder does. Moving away from the car, looking back

over his shoulder. As the Well-Manicured Man gets back

into the limousine, closes the door. A moment later...

THE CAR EXPLODES INTO FLAMES, knocking Mulder to the

ground.

ANGLE ON MULDER:

The felt envelope has been jarred from his grasp. Its

contents loosed from inside: a piece of paper with

COORDINATES on it and an AMPULE and SYRINGE.

Mulder gets up, looks back. Then he picks up the

envelope and its contents -- and begins to run. Running

as fast as he can go. Until, far down the block, he

disappears.

As the SCREEN DISSOLVES TO WHITENESS -- under which we

hear an ominous low end Dolby THX Big Screen rumble. The

same sound that opened our story.

Then there is movement, as the curvilinear line of a

horizon becomes visible, bi-secting the screen between

the white of the earth and the white of the sky. We

are:

EXT. POLE OF INACCESSIBILITY - ANTARCTICA

Across the expanse of whiteness, a DARK IMAGE appears on

the long flat horizon. Moving toward us. As a LEGEND

appears, to establish.

CLOSER ON A SNOW TRACTOR

Crawling across the harsh frozen land like a domed

insect.

INT. SNOW TRACTOR

Agent Mulder sits behind the controls of the enclosed

cabin, several days growth on his face. Dressed in

thick, bundled outerwear. He maneuvers the vehicle to a

stop. Reaching for a handheld GPS monitor to check his

position. Catching his breath for a moment -- all

movement is exertion in this climate. Mulder stares hard

out the front window, the wipers beating time, but there

is nothing out there but whiteness. He wipes the fog

from a side window with his gloved hand, seeing nothing

but more whiteness. Checking the GPS device again, then

reaching for the door latch.

RESUME WIDE EXTERIOR

Agent Mulder exits the vehicle, hopping down onto the

snowscape crust. Setting out on foot with the GPS device

held before him. In this forbidding environment he might

as well be taking a space walk -- without the security

of a lifeline. Which is the impression we get as his

tiny figure trudges across the ice, increasing the

distance between himself and the snow tractor.

MOVING WITH MULDER

Up a gentle grade, the snow tractor now behind him.

Moving into tight f.g. where he stops, seeing something

now which allows him to pocket the GPS device. Dropping

instinctively to his knees, so as to avoid being seen

by:

MULDER'S POV

In the distance is an ICE STATION. A row of

interconnecting WHITE DOME TENTS, whose design is now

familiar to us. There are what look like snow tractors

and other snow vehicles parked alongside the

structures.

RESUME MULDER:

Pulling a compact pair of binoculars from one of his

deep jacket pockets. Training them on:

THE ICE STATION - BINO MATTE

PANNING across the domes and vehicles, where there is no

sign of personnel -- until MULDER PANS off the building,

finding in his field glasses AN APPROACHING SNOW

TRACTOR. Moving across the landscape toward the ice

station. When it pulls to a stop, A MAN exits out of one

of the domes:
THE CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN. Moving to the

vehicle and getting in.

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