Dana Scully
What is this? Excuse me. Can somebody please tell me what's going on here?
Season 8 · Episode 1
Within
Character-labelled dialogue prepared from the official DVD subtitle track.
Production code8ABX01Original airdate · November 5, 2000
228 dialogue entries
Scene 01
Opening scene
[ heart beats slowly ]
[ heart continues beating ]
[ heart beats faster ]
[ gasps ]
[ panting ]
Scene 02
Scene 02
Agent
We're collecting material.
Dana Scully
For?
Agent
For anything that might be pertinent to the manhunt.
Dana Scully
What manhunt? Manhunt for who?
Agent
You're kidding, right?
Dana Scully
Look, there's nothing. If you're looking for Mulder, you're wasting your time. Are you listening to me?
Agent
I'm not the man to talk to.
Dana Scully
Well, then whose stupid idea is this?
Walter Skinner
Yeah, well, somebody might have had the courtesy to tell me.
Dana Scully
There are agents tearing apart Mulder's office who say they're part of an FBI manhunt.
Walter Skinner
I know. I heard. Believe me, this is not my idea. I just found out about it myself.
Dana Scully
They're not going to find Mulder this way. You know that and I know that.
Walter Skinner
I told you last night, I will find him. I'm going to do that. Okay? Now, I want you just to cool out. I don't want you doing anything to upset your pregnancy.
Dana Scully
I don't understand. You are the assistant director. Who is going over your head on this?
Walter Skinner
Our brand-new deputy director.
[ phone rings ]
Alvin Kersh
A.d. Skinner, agent Scully. Thanks for getting right over. I don't want to lose any time. We have one of our own missing and the only acceptable outcome is that we find him safe and alive. I'm sure the two of you agree.
Walter Skinner
That goes without saying, sir.
Alvin Kersh
Good. This comes at a stressful time, with my new appointment. But I'm thankful for your cooperation in the hunt for Mulder.
Dana Scully
Our cooperation? With due respect, there aren't two people better qualified to be directing this action, sir.
Alvin Kersh
Right now, you and a.d. Skinner are the two primary witnesses to Mulder's disappearance. I want your statement taken asap.
Dana Scully
You make us out to be suspects, sir.
Walter Skinner
Taken by who?
Alvin Kersh
My task force leader on this special agent john Doggett. He's waiting to hear from you now. One more thing. Anything leaves this building about aliens or alien abductions or any other nonsense that might cast the bureau in a ridiculous light and you can forget about looking for agent Mulder. You'll both be looking for new jobs. That's all.
[ door closes ]
Dana Scully
I don't believe this.
Walter Skinner
This isn't about finding Mulder. This is about Kersh covering the FBI's ass.
Dana Scully
Why do I get the feeling they'd be happy if we never found him at all?
Walter Skinner
Look... I saw what I saw. I have to make a statement in there. I'm not going to tell them it didn't happen.
Dana Scully
Well, you heard Kersh. They don't want the truth. You give them the truth, and they'll hang you with it.
Walter Skinner
They can hang me with a lie, too. I'm not going to sell Mulder out.
Dana Scully
What good are you to Mulder if you give them the power to ruin your career? We will find him.
Agent Gene Crane
Assistant director, you can come on back with me. Agent Scully, I'll ask you to please wait on the wall until we call you.
Man
Water? It could be a wait.
Dana Scully
Thank you.
Man
Weren't you his partner? Mulder?
Dana Scully
Yes.
Man
I guess nobody's beyond suspicion on this thing.
Dana Scully
Why are they talking to you?
Man
Me? I knew Mulder back a bit. They're developing a working profile-- character background.
Dana Scully
I'd say they have all the character profile they need on him.
John Doggett
Certainly his reputation. I doubt we agents ever truly know each other even our partners. Not at the end of the day. Their real lives, their friends, girlfriends deeply personal things, issues.
Dana Scully
I think I know Mulder as much as anybody.
Man
Yeah, probably so. I always took the rumors with a grain of salt.
Dana Scully
What rumors are those?
Man
Well, you know. That, from the beginning he never felt a real trust with you that you were ambitious.
Dana Scully
Where'd that come from?
Man
There are women here at the bureau that he would confide in. I don't know if you knew that or not.
Dana Scully
No. When was this?
Man
It's just talk. So, what do you think happened? To Mulder? What's your theory?
Dana Scully
What's my theory? My theory is you don't know Mulder at all. You never did. "john Doggett." Kersh's task force leader. You might have just introduced yourself.
John Doggett
Well, I was getting around to it.
Dana Scully
Nice to meet you, agent Doggett.
[ door slams ]
[ retching ]
[ dialing phone ]
[ line ringing ]
Margaret Scully (answering machine)
This is margaret Scully. Please leave a message.
[ beep ]
Scene 03
Scene 03
Dana Scully
Mom, it's Dana. I, uh... I'm sorry I haven't called you in a while. I've been busy with work and with something else that I should probably tell you about in person. I mean, I don't even know if you're in town or if you're checking your messages. But, um... But I really need to see you and talk to you. There's a lot of stuff that's going on with me right now and, um... And I just really need to talk.
[ click ]
Dana Scully
Mom?
[ click ]
[ dialing phone ]
[ line ringing ]
John Doggett
John Doggett.
Dana Scully
You stay out of my business!
John Doggett
What? Who is this?
Dana Scully
You better have a court order.
John Doggett
For what? Who is this?
Dana Scully
How many phones are you tapping? How many agents are you doing surveillance on?
John Doggett
Is this agent Scully?
Dana Scully
Thank you. You just answered all my questions.
[ creaking ]
Dana Scully
Stop there! Right there! Now come on through the window nice and easy.
Mr. Coeben
Okay, I'm coming. It's me. Your landlord. I started fixing the antenna on the roof, and...
Dana Scully
I'm sorry, mr. Coeben. I'm sorry. There was a man. There was someone in the building. Did you see anyone?
Mr. Coeben
Yeah, you know him. He works with you. Tall guy-- brown hair.
Dana Scully
Who? You... You don't mean Mulder?
Mr. Coeben
Yeah, Mulder.
Dana Scully
Mulder? Are you in here?
[ high-pitched whirring ]
[ loud whirring ]
[ gasping ]
[ screaming ]
Scene 05
Scene 05
Melvin Frohike
It took some serious voodoo.
Richard Langly
Major satellite hacking.
John Fitzgerald Byers
But we got your data.
Walter Skinner
What am I looking at?
John Fitzgerald Byers
You're seeing real-time images right off the j.p.l. Topex/poseidon.
Melvin Frohike
We're wired right into the dish.
John Fitzgerald Byers
We're not able to find raw data with UFO activity on it.
Melvin Frohike
But langly was able to hack into the data storage here and pull up something just as tasty.
John Fitzgerald Byers
You're looking at UFO activity in the pacific northwest prior to Mulder's abduction.
Richard Langly
All these markers correspond with reported alien abductions. It's a regular shopping spree.
Walter Skinner
So Mulder's abduction...
Melvin Frohike
Was a UFO whistle stop on the way to the next pickup.
Walter Skinner
Where? Where's the UFO activity after Mulder's abduction?
John Fitzgerald Byers
Like we said, we can't tell. Not from the data we're pulling down.
Walter Skinner
If we can figure out where that ship was going, where it's going to be we've got a chance to find Mulder.
Scene 06
Scene 06
John Doggett
Got a minute?
Alvin Kersh
Yeah, sure. You fly, agent Doggett?
John Doggett
Flying is for birds and baseballs. U.s.m.c., sir.
Alvin Kersh
In vietnam we used to fly night sorties ten feet above the treetops. Before night vision, before fly-by-wire. 600 Miles an hour and all we had was an idiot gauge and our wits. Guys used to say they only knew their altitude by the smell of the v.c. Rice pots.
John Doggett
You've come a long way, sir.
Alvin Kersh
Using all the same instincts. What can I do for you, agent?
John Doggett
This task force-- the search for Mulder I'm running it, right?
Alvin Kersh
You're the man in charge.
John Doggett
No one else is involved? Someone out there acting under orders from another office?
Alvin Kersh
I think I'd know, agent. What prompts the question?
John Doggett
My idiot gauge. My wits.
Alvin Kersh
You got a chance to shine here, john. Stand in the spotlight. Show them all you're an ace.
Scene 07
Scene 07
Dana Scully
What are you doing here?
John Doggett
I could ask you the same.
Dana Scully
I came by to feed Mulder's fish.
John Doggett
And then you got tired and decided to take a nap.
Dana Scully
You've got a way about you, agent Doggett. That might have worked with the n.y.p.d. But you're talking to a fellow FBI agent now and I'd appreciate some respect.
John Doggett
Respect like you showed me over the phone? Give a little get a little, agent Scully.
Dana Scully
Who ambushed me with the phony chitchat about Mulder and then put a wiretap on my phone?
John Doggett
That's b.s.
Dana Scully
And now you're following me.
John Doggett
I just came by to feed the fish.
Dana Scully
What do you want to get on me, agent Doggett? What is it you hope to find?
John Doggett
I'm just trying to find Mulder.
Dana Scully
You wouldn't know where to look.
John Doggett
It's in the desk, middle drawer. I know the answer, agent Scully.
Dana Scully
I don't even know the question.
John Doggett
What happened to Mulder? I know what you're gonna say or not because you think I'm the big bad wolf. Do you really believe it?
Dana Scully
You think by talking in circles, I'm just going to get dizzy and-and blurt it out-- this so-called answer?
John Doggett
That he was abducted by aliens?
Dana Scully
You said it. I didn't.
John Doggett
I guess I just find it hard to swallow that a scientist, a serious person, could buy that. Ever see an alien, agent Scully?
Dana Scully
You want me to go on record? I will go on record to say this: that I have seen things that I cannot explain. I have observed phenomena that I cannot deny. And that as a scientist and a serious person it is a badge of honor not to dismiss these things because someone thinks they're b.s.
John Doggett
So you think he was abducted? I'm just trying to find him.
Dana Scully
Then what are you doing here?
John Doggett
Trying to figure these out. I found them in his desk there. Car rental receipts on agent Mulder's visa. Four consecutive weekends in may. Same mileage each trip-- 370 Miles 375 Miles... Where was he going?
Dana Scully
I don't know.
John Doggett
Like I said, maybe you really didn't know your partner.
[ phone ringing ]
John Doggett
John Doggett. Agent Mulder at the FBI?
Scene 08
Scene 08
Agent Gene Crane
Assistant director, follow me.
Walter Skinner
What's going on? What is this?
Agent Gene Crane
Mr. Skinner, right this way, please. You can talk with agent Scully after we're done. Have a seat. Assistant director, someone came into this office after hours and removed some material. Files. We don't know exactly what just yet.
Walter Skinner
Who?
Agent Gene Crane
The office here is secured by a pass-card lock and whoever came in last night used the pass-card belonging to agent Mulder.
Walter Skinner
You think agent Mulder took the files?
Agent Gene Crane
We're wondering about agent Mulder's state of mind. In your statement, you said prior to his disappearance agent Mulder had felt threatened by the FBI
Walter Skinner
No, no. No, that's not what I said. I said he felt the X-Files were threatened by budget-cutting.
Agent Gene Crane
Is there anything you're not telling us about agent Mulder or his attitude? Do you think he'd ever retaliate against the FBI?
Walter Skinner
Agent Mulder was only after the truth.
Alvin Kersh
As are we, assistant director.
Agent Gene Crane
Agent Scully tells us she was home last night. We see from your phone log, you were here until at least after 10:00.
Walter Skinner
You think I came in here last night using agent Mulder's pass-card?
Agent Gene Crane
You were the last person to see Mulder. You and agent Scully.
[ whispering ]
Dana Scully
Skinner is telling the truth.
John Doggett
I believe him. That still doesn't tell us who used Mulder's card to get in there.
Dana Scully
You think it was Mulder?
John Doggett
I showed you those car rental receipts. Well, now I find agent Mulder's visa was used two days ago in raleigh, north carolina.
Dana Scully
Two days ago? By who? For what?
John Doggett
Flowers. Automatic debit to a mortuary there.
Dana Scully
Mulder's mother is buried in raleigh. That's the reason he was going every weekend.
John Doggett
It's one reason.
Dana Scully
I don't know what to think.
Walter Skinner
I don't believe it, Dana. It just doesn't make any sense to me.
John Doggett
All right. I got some light on this. Maybe you can help me out here agent Scully.
Dana Scully
What is it?
John Doggett
Agent Mulder's medical records-- recent stuff, over the last year. Did you know about a medical condition? Either of you?
Walter Skinner
No.
John Doggett
A year ago, agent Mulder was hospitalized. Ring a bell? Something to do with his brain?
Dana Scully
His temporal lobe.
John Doggett
An undiagnosable condition, it says. Irregular brain activity.
Walter Skinner
All right, but he recovered. There was a full recovery.
John Doggett
Was there?
Walter Skinner
You knew Mulder; he would've told us if there was anything.
John Doggett
Would he? He tell you about this? About his headstone?
Dana Scully
Mulder was dying.
Walter Skinner
What?
Dana Scully
It's all right here. For a year, he was going to doctors. There's a clear record of his decline.
John Doggett
How well did you really know him? How far would Mulder go?
Dana Scully
How far would he go for what?
John Doggett
The truth-- his truth. Whatever it was he was trying to prove how bad did he need to prove it?
Dana Scully
It was his whole life.
Walter Skinner
What are you trying to say?
John Doggett
That agent Mulder found himself in a place none of us want to go. Life-threatened, work-threatened and all for naught. Nothing proven. The effort in vain. No mark left. Unless he rolled the dice took one big last chance to make it.
Dana Scully
You think that Mulder was here? That he broke in to steal those files?
John Doggett
Broke into your apartment; stole your computer. Took his own computer. Gathering it up.
Walter Skinner
To what? To prove it?
John Doggett
Or cover it up. Create doubt. I get Mulder, I get him. I understand obsession, believe me. But the question is: how far would he go? I mean, so far as to stage his own disappearance?
Walter Skinner
I know what I saw. I'm not going to sit here and listen to this. I watched it happen. Agent Mulder?
Dana Scully
Please don't report that.
John Doggett
Don't know what good it would do me. Doesn't help me find Mulder.
Walter Skinner
No, it's not good enough.
Scene 09
Scene 09
Walter Skinner
These are records of microburst activity. What we read is UFO activity since Mulder's abduction.
Dana Scully
I think this is a waste of time.
Walter Skinner
No, it's not. Just look at them.
Dana Scully
I'm looking, and what I'm seeing is activity all over the southwestern states.
Walter Skinner
That's right.
Dana Scully
Mulder disappeared in the pacific northwest.
Walter Skinner
And if Mulder is on that ship, this is where he is now.
Dana Scully
Here? In the arizona desert?
Walter Skinner
This is what we have.
Dana Scully
Okay. Say this is true. Then how do we even begin to start finding him?
Richard Langly
Maybe with whoever it is they're looking to abduct next.
Melvin Frohike
Hey, we're only trying to help.
John Fitzgerald Byers
We're only trying to find Mulder.
Dana Scully
That's it. It just came to me.
Walter Skinner
What?
Dana Scully
What you saw why they took Mulder why they're in arizona now-- it all makes sense. Why do people refuse to believe in aliens and ufos after all these years of sightings and eyewitness accounts? Why?
Melvin Frohike
Because there's no real proof.
Dana Scully
Because, maybe, if there are aliens they're simply going around and they're... And they're removing all of the evidence before it becomes proof. This isn't Mulder who's going around collecting this stuff. It's them.
Walter Skinner
Then why arizona?
Dana Scully
Because they are looking to find that which is not in my computer or Mulder's computer or in the files that were removed from the FBI they are looking to find the whereabouts of good, hard proof that in this case exists in a person in a boy named Gibson Praise.
Scene 10
Scene 10
John Doggett
This photograph's a few years old but take a good look because the objective in this case has been reframed. Subject's name is Gibson andrew Praise. A child prodigy, pint-size chess champion who Mulder and Scully first investigated in 1997 after a failed attempt on the boy's life. His files were the ones we now believe were stolen from this office. In his investigation agent Mulder came to believe the boy was experiencing abnormal brain activity. Unexplained activity. In his field notes here he says Gibson Praise could, and I quote "read people's thoughts." agent Mulder went so far in one report to claim that the boy may have alien physiology. Agent Mulder may be looking for the boy who was last seen in arizona. So maybe to find Mulder we first have to look for Gibson Praise.
Agent Gene Crane
Let's go, people. Let's move. How do you want this handled?
John Doggett
I want you to put that on every TV station post office and fax machine in arizona and the southwest. I want to make that face famous.
[ screaming ]
Scene 11
Scene 11
Walter Skinner
You better? I need some navigation.
Dana Scully
How to start looking for a 12-year-old kid in the middle of the arizona desert. Well, there aren't a whole lot of choices.
Walter Skinner
We got a turnoff coming up in five Miles. I take it or keep going straight?
Dana Scully
Gibson Praise was last seen here at a power plant about 60 Miles outside of phoenix. But all the satellite data shows activity here about 100 Miles to the north.
Walter Skinner
What's out there?
Dana Scully
Well, according to this map... A whole lot of nothing.
Agent Gene Crane
This is special agent crane calling for task force leader.
John Doggett
Yeah, this is john Doggett.
Agent Gene Crane
Just confirmed a location on this kid. He's at a school for the deaf in a place called flemingtown. Little dot on the map about 90 Miles from where I am now. I just talked to the school principal there.
John Doggett
Is the kid in school now?
Agent Gene Crane
Yeah, he lives at the school.
John Doggett
Have the principal take him out of class and put him someplace where he can keep an eye on him until we arrive.
Agent Gene Crane
Got it. Gonna take me an hour and 15 to get there.
John Doggett
Well, I'm going to see if I can cut some time off that.
Walter Skinner
It's a school 20 minutes from here.
Principal
Yes, sir, in his science class. Is it important enough to take him away from his studies? I'll go and get him right now.
[ helicopter approaching ]
John Doggett
Where's the boy?
Principal
You have to slow down and explain a few things to us before we let you...
John Doggett
Is he down there?
Principal
He's in my office.
Dana Scully
Hi. We're looking for a boy named Gibson Praise.
Principal
Now who are you?
John Doggett
Kid went out the window. What are you doing here?
Dana Scully
What are you doing here?
John Doggett
Trying to find Mulder.
[ tires squeal ]
John Doggett
Kid's on the move. Spread out!
Agent Gene Crane
The kid's on the loose. You have the photo. Move!
Gibson Praise
Let me go! Let me go!
John Doggett
Let the boy go! Let him go, Mulder!
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About this transcript
The dialogue comes from the official DVD subtitle track supplied by Boggsfiles. Speaker and scene attribution was cross-checked against character-labelled reference material. Subtitle wording is preserved while capitalization and spacing are standardized for easier reading.