From: Blair53@aol.com Date: Tue, 8 Dec 1998 19:56:45 EST Subject: The B-files-Yahweh Keywords:Mulder/Scully Rating:Pg or Pg-13 Author:Carolina E. Summary: Special Proconsular Agents Mulderius and Scullia investigate an "interesting" mystery in the desert. Spoilers: Maybe just a little one for the pilot. I rated this pg or pg-13 for its little mild sexual innuendos. Don't worry. It's safe. In fact, I can't remember if it even had any of that in it. It's late at night, folks, and I am really tired. Okay, also, I am a Rome buff and I love to learn new things about it. I know some of the dating is really off here for you other Rome obsessors, and I am truly, deeply sorry and hope for your eternal forgiveness. Any comments that anyone has can be sent to XFCancergirl@yahoo.com. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot to say that I didn't invent these names. I'm not quite sure where they came from--I just know that they're not mine. Whoever invented them, I am really sorry. Also there is this cool thing called The Sev Files, which is this really funny comic stip about our intrepid duo in ancient times. You should read it, at www.sev.com.au/toonzone/sevfiles.htm Again, any comments to said address, but please be nice and sweet and kind because this is my first fanfic and I think it really is crapola, but if you think differently then I'll smile! :) Disclaimer: Chris Carter owns them I sure wish I did Because then I'd be really rich And I wouldn't have to do my Latin homework!(to the tune of Row, Row, Row your boat). Yep. He owns the whole bit- Csm, Mulder, Scully (but not Abijah! He he! I'm going to become rich off of my one character. And of course he doesn't own Moses. Okay, I'm stalling. Onto this silly little piece of nothingnes!) This is your last chance: Run away, run away! The B-files: The Truth Is In Here Episode One: Yahweh "Agent-Scullia, is it?" Consul Gaius Aemilius inquired of the auburn haired proconsular agent sitting in front of his desk. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her rose-colored palla, and replied, "Yes, sir." "How long have you been with S.P.Q.R. national government?" "A little over two years, sir. I was recruited from my home life of being a Vestal Virgin and tending the fire to become an agent." "And you have some medical expertise?" "Yes, sir. I have the talents of a healer, and was also a meticulous bookkeeper with the wills of all Roman citizens." "Agent Scullia, are you familiar with the 'so-called' B-files?" "Why, yes sir, I am. I believe they have something to do with unexplained spiritual phenomena." "That's correct. Have you ever heard of Proconsular Agent Mulderius?" "Yes, by reputation only. He helped calm down that uprising against Emperor Augustus, and caught the barbaric Gaul who masterminded it. He also has a nickname at the Forum, um," she blushed, "Numinous. Numinous Mulderius." "Agent Scullia, we would like you to assist Agent Mulderius with these B-files, and make your own observations." There it was again. That man in the corner looking at her strangely. Oh, well, continue Scullia, don't get tongue-tied now, she thought. "Sir, do I understand that you want me to 'debunk' Agent Mulderius' work?" But he just smiled. "You'll want to meet Agent Mulderius soon. May the gods be with you." She knocked on the door of underground room in the Temple of Saturn, where the IBI, imperial bureau of investigation, had many of its offices. "Come in, if you dare," a voice drifted out. "Agent Mulderius?" she said, not expecting to see a rather young man who looked good in a toga, with dark hair and eyes. "I'm Agent Danae Scullia. I'll be working with you on your B-files. I'm glad we get the chance to work together." She glanced, amazed, around the room, her blue gaze resting on ancient pieces of parchment, drawings, and a large tablet that said "I won't believe." "I'm sure you are," he said quite sarcastically, trying not to notice how well her hair blended with her palla, and the contrast between pink lips and fair skin, "In fact, I suppose your life's ambition was to work in the B-files." She became angry, easily, perhaps because of her red hair. "Look, Agent Mulderius, I'm not any happier about this than you are, perhaps even less happy since I came here not of my own volition, and I have not received the greatest welcoming committee, but I am quite prepared to assist you in whatever areas you need assistance." Don't go there, he thought, and didn't, saying, "Oh really? I thought you were the IBI's own nice version of Brutus, spy on me and bring it back to the omnipresent superiors." "Mulderius, I'm not here to spy on you." "Mm-hm, I'm sure. Well, Scullia, see if you can make anything of this. A bush that supposedly burned on its own out in Israel." "And when did this phenomena occur?" she inquired. A sheepish look, yet a daring one answered her along with a daring one answered her, "Sometime over one thousand years ago." "What! How do you expect to solve this?" "Maybe we can hop a boat to Israel and find out." She sighed. This guy would not be easy to work with. (May 15, somewhere in the middle of Israel, 4:36 p.m.) "Mulderius, remind me once more what we are doing here," Scullia asked as she tried to brush away the grime from traveling two long days in the desert. "I'm dying here! It's so hot?and I think that the sun is burning me alive!" He laughed at her inadequate clothes. "Let me tell you something because I like you, Agent Scullia. We will spend most of our time nosing through the desert searching for clues to ancient religious mysteries. I suggest you find gear and clothing that will suffice. Some head covering besides your palla at least!" he laughed again. "Well, thanks for telling me now. But, not to deviate from my original question: Mulderius, remind me once more what we are doing here?" She said his name with a certain hostility he didn't exactly relish. "Scullia," he said her name with the exact same amount of hostility that she had so graciously bestowed upon him, "do we have to go through this again? Up in Rome they have been trying to quash resistance to the state religion, and first things first, we have to disprove the silly myth of Moses and the burning bush!" "But Mulderius, that story is over a thousand years old! How in the world do you think you can do that!?" "Oh, Scullia, Scullia, you have so much to learn. There have been no new cases in the B-files since that silly quack over in the area of the Jordan has been going off about locusts and honey and the Messiah coming. So what if he is really recent? That doesn't even count, because he's just a crazy! Now, let's get started," he said crisply, professionally, ignoring her look of surprise, "First off, let's look for evidence of extraterr-" he cut himself off as she glared at him, "I mean evidence of, um, unusual phenomena." "You believe in extraterrestrials?" A glance full of incredulity, then she continued, "But at the Forum you were always thought of as a?spiritual man." "Agent Scullia, I deal with cases of unexplained supposedly spiritual phenomena. I only do this to disprove the myths; I really believe these stories to be evidence of extraterrestrial life." "Is that what the tablet in your office means?" "Actually, yes. I won't believe the myths of God-it is all just a giant alien joke." "A joke?" she said, inflecting up on the last word. "Oh, forgive me Agent Scullia. Are you a religious person?" "Well?I am. I used to be a Vestal Virgin, though I still believe that science, with God, can explain all things." This was too good to pass up, he decided. "Used to be a Vestal Virgin?" he smirked. She glared. "Until the IBI called me in!" she retorted, then said, "Mulderius, can I confide something in you?" "Sure." He was still laughing from his own joke. Her serious look made him stop, however. "When I was a Vestal Virgin, I learned more about the Jewish God. I-I have come to believe in Him." She stuttered nervously, not knowing what might happen now that this man she barely knew held her life in his hands, and wondered why she had done something really, really, stupid. "What?" A religious virgin? What had he gotten himself into? "Please don't say anything. They might expel me from the IBI. Do you promise? Please?" Her blue eyes longed for yes, and he didn't know why he felt compelled to obey them. "I promise, Scullia. Your secret is safe with me." They had continued to walk, and they had come near the place where the bush supposedly ignited. Scullia removed her footwear and winced at the scalding sand. "What in the empire are you doing?" Mulderius asked. "This is holy ground that we approach," she replied. He looked at her. She was an innocent, maybe twenty-five at the oldest, and seemed like his younger sister Samantha, and yet she was somehow not an innocent as his sister had been at age eight. What a curious paradox this girl-woman was. Samantha would be about Scullia's age now, he mused, and did not consider himself too old to get involved with his new partner at twenty-nine. This made him flush a little, hopefully passing it off as heat, which it might as well be. Why was he thinking these things? "All right then," he tried to say nonchalantly, "this is where the bush seemingly spontaneously combusted. Wasn't there some special name for that God of yours that Moses used that maybe could invoke?something?" There was nothing around the area but sand, but these were the coordinates he was given. Maybe she would have some insight. "It is a name for only priests to use. First we should find some people who might know more about this area." "And where will we find people in the middle of the desert?" he inquired sarcastically. A voice from behind said, "May I help you two?" They turned around and saw a young man clad in shepherd's wear. She muttered, "You'd be surprised, Mulderius?" but didn't continue. "IBI, proconsular agents of Rome. Do you know anything special about this area, um?" Mulderius offered, showing his badge. "Abijah. Yes, of course I know about this area. This is where our forefather Moses encountered Him." "Him?" "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." "How do you know for sure, uh?Abijah?" he asked, stumbling over the name. "You don't. This is faith. Now come, you must be tired and weary. You may dwell with me and my family for the evening meal, and refresh yourselves?perhaps change clothes," he added, noting their rumpled appearance and the clothes that hadn't been changed for three days, dusty faces and bodies and hair. "We do have a pool of water near the dwelling. A warning however about this area before I allow you to enter my dwelling, because you must check yourselves as you bathe: It is sacred to the Most High. Sometimes we believe He punishes us for violating His ground. We find two spots on our back, right here," he pointed to an area on the right side of his lower back, "and those that get them die and also in so doing bring a curse upon the household in which they are dwelling." "Well, that's pleasant," Mulderius remarked sarcastically. "Come on," Scullia sighed, "May we please make our way to the pool of water?" (At the dwelling of Abijah, 7:58 p.m.) "This water is wonderful! A gift from the gods," enthused Mulderius, trying to spy Scullia around a turn in the small lake. She was washing her hair, and agreed, "Yes, it is very nice." She wondered what he looked like, and leaned her head out. She caught him looking her way, and he caught her spying at him and they both swept their eyes away quickly, back to the water. "The camel does have the saddlebags with the clothes, doesn't it?" he asked nervously, hoping she hadn't forgotten. "Yes. Will I really have to take care of you this much?" He nodded. "Whatever did you do without me?" "Suffered immensely," he joked, then obliged to turn his eyes away as she got out. "Ready," she called, and he turned around and saw her dressed in pale blue, her long hair already drying in the hot sun. "Your turn to offer me the same courtesy," he said. "I'll up you one-I'm going inside," she said, then stopped, and gasped. "Mulderius!" He looked up at her anxiously, what could break her cool facade? "I think I have them-the bumps!" "That can't be, Scullia. Why would that happen?" "I don't know," she said nervously, "Please come take a look." Gladly, he thought, but repressed it. This was serious. She let her stola fall to the ground, and he was crushed to discover she wore a girdle. Modestly, she pulled it down far enough to let him discover two raised bumps?too bad he wasn't in the front of her?no, Mulderius, concentrate. He felt them. "No," he finally said. "They're just water beetle bites." Scullia pulled the girdle up and fell into his arms. "I was so worried!" she exclaimed, but just as hastily regained her composure when she realized Mulderius wasn't wearing clothes. He realized it too, and sprinted back to the lake. "Did you see anything?" he had to ask. She giggled halfheartedly. "No," she said truthfully, and thankfully he didn't know that she wished it was the wrong answer. Face flushed, she headed to the dwelling. After the evening meal which Mulderius found rather bland to his exotic Roman tastes and Scullia enjoyed immensely, the two uncomfortably found themselves sleeping in the same room. Abijah apologized, "I am sorry, Miss Scullia, Agent Mulderius. Our home is just not big enough for guests." He truly looked frightened, as well he should, because as Romans they had the power to sentence him to death if he displeased him. Scullia's voice was soothing, "It's very nice, Abijah. We are perfectly fine." I know I am, thought Mulderius. Then her voice changed and was brisk and professional. "Agent Mulderius, would you prefer the bed or the couch?" she inquired, stripping down to her knee-length tunica. He gaped, but regained composure as best he could. "Oh, Agent Scullia, you take the bed. The couch is fine." "Thank you." He situated himself and got ready for bed, then blew the lamp out. "I suppose if we're working together you should know this," he began tentatively. "Mulderius, don't be scared to tell me anything. I promise, you can trust me. I am not here to spy on you." Her voice urged him to believe her. "When I was twelve, and my sister was eight, she went?missing in the middle of the night and was never found. I believe she was taken by?aliens." "Oh, Mulderius, I'm so sorry. How do you know?" "I don't. That's faith. Could anything else be classified as such?" She kept her tongue shut, but turned away and realized what an outcast her religion was. "Scullia? Are you all right?" "Yes-yes, of course. Please continue." "There is someone that has been letting me continue my investigations to disprove religion, but they won't let me go too far. It almost makes me think?the people at the top have something to hide. This case has me muddled though. There's nothing to it. We might as well go home tomorrow." "No," she said, having a sudden insight, "We'll go out once more tomorrow. Have you ever seen anything to prove your beliefs, or lack thereof?" she tried to pass it off lightly, but found it hard to keep her voice from shaking. "Once. Only once. I was in Picenum, checking out a case of some statue of Venus talking. Then suddenly, I was knocked down by a bright light and I could not move for an hour." "Oh, my. You may be surprised tomorrow then, Agent Mulderius." "And by what?" "Something that will even test your faith." (May 16, Israel desert, 9:06 a.m.) "Well, here we are again," Mulderius said mundanely. Scullia just nodded. "Let's look around; see if we find anything?" he suggested. Two hours later he had given up. "This is it-there's nothing here. Can we go now?" "Wait. You asked me for a name to invoke something. The high Name of the Living God I speak. Yahweh! Yahweh come!" she called out loudly. It happened so fast he couldn't describe it. A rushing wind, flames, rain, thunder, all mingled into one powerful force. Suddenly before him was a bush, burning with the glory only something supernatural could have. A blinding light flashed about him and her, and he lost her. "Scullia! Scullia!" he screamed, searching wildly. Thunder, loud, horrible thunder rumbled, and there she was, before the bush, in the center of the turmoil, hands outstretched to the sky and face upturned, as if she was listening. And that was all that he remembered, as he fell down screaming with sheer terror at the horrible noise. (May 17, dwelling of Abijah, 10:46 a.m.) He woke up in the dwelling of Abijah, cool water being ladled into his throat by none other than his new partner. Her eyes were full of tenderness. "Are you all right?" He sat straight up. "I lost time, Scullia! I lost time! This is supernatural, extraterrestrial, unbelievable?Scullia?" There was something so different about her face. It seemed somehow wiser, older, more beautiful and more awe-invoking. His gaze was drawn to her eyes?what mystery those eyes held today that they hadn't the day before. "What happened to me? To us?" "I-I?well, what do you think happened, Mulderius?" she said, avoiding his eyes. It came back in a flash. "You! You?called something there! You invoked one of the gods! You, you are holy! A Vestal Virgin for certain! What, what can I do for you ?" he said breathlessly, in awe of her. "No, Mulderius, no." She said it so quietly, but with such force, he stopped his blabbering. "What, Scullia?" He scarcely dared to breathe, watching her eyes intently. "Not one of your 'gods'." Spoken with contempt? "What was it? What, I mean, who was there?" She said nothing. "Tell me, Scullia!! I have to know! I have to know the truth!" "There was an encounter?" "An encounter? With what? With whom?" "I had a-a, a conversation with-" "Scullia, please," he pleaded, his hazel eyes full of questions. She couldn't look away, and he was entranced by the utter depths of her eyes. There was something that had changed her, changed her forever. Or did he know her well enough to know her changed? He didn't know! "Him. I spoke with Him. It was incredible. In fact, I'm sure that it truly was incredible, because you will not believe me." "Who is him? An extraterrestrial?" He didn't want to admit that his new partner was insane, so he avoided stating what he already suspected she was talking about. "Mulderius, are you feeling better?" she inquired, her tone changing. "But, Scullia, there's so much I have to know." "There are some things that aren't for you to understand? yet," she replied. "No," he said, refusing to accept it. "Mulderius, I think it's time that we go." "This is a B-file, Scullia, I swear it is! You leave me no choice but to record it as such!" "Do as you will. You cannot change the truth. The truth is something you can never have explained to you, never have revealed?" "I think I've heard that somewhere before," he said, feeling his anger sweep away as he was entranced by her eyes. He knew. She knew that he knew. He didn't want to admit it to himself, on the pretense that she might truly be insane, but there was something different about her. Maybe she had had a conversation with? "Case Number CIXIII," he wrote on the tablet, "Although the world is full of those claiming 'spirituality,' it has never been proven why so many want to believe in a benevolent force out there somewhere. Maybe we're all searching for something to give us a sense of belonging, a sense of security that Moses may have had. I have no conclusive proof that the story of the burning bush was true, and therefore I have to admit it as a fabrication. What happened that day to Agent Scullia I do not know?" "Addendum to Case Report: I cannot prove or disprove any of Agent Mulderius' claims of extraterrestrials involved with the myth of the burning bush. He claims that there was an encounter on the 16th of May around the area of the purported bush that had the characteristics of an alien visitation. I disagree. The idea of a bright light in the sky, a loud noise, and loss of time were seemingly experienced by him, although I did not notice any of these 'symptoms.' In fact, there was nothing out of the ordinary that day, so one has to believe that Agent Mulderius contrived this story. He did receive a head wound from falling upon a stone, and I would like to think that this somehow caused his extreme narration. In actuality, though, I find Agent Mulderius' ideas to be nothing but the work of a brilliant mind put to waste, and I wonder how long it might be before my mind does the same, in the fact that I am now working with him?" Finis! Well, at least you're still alive, which is basically more than I can say for myself at the moment, considering the lateness of the hour. Did you like it? Please? Pretty please? I think the second episode is going to be published soon--it's called "Mene Mene Tekel Parsin"