31st December 1999
7.10am
He was brushing his teeth when his mobile phone rang. He answered it without a second thought.
"Box Bulder."
There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, then a male voice. "Sorry, I seem to have called the wrong number."
By this time he had rinsed and spat. "No, Byers, don't hang up, it's me. I was cleaning my teeth."
"Well, at least I didn't get you out of bed, Fox," Byers replied. "Do you have your computer on?"
"Not yet," Mulder told him. He reached out and pushed a button. "It's booting up now. What can I do for you while it is?"
"Last night, a friend of mine who works in a hospital in San Francisco, acquired an 'interesting' x-ray. He e-mailed it to me half an hour ago and now I've forwarded it to you. I thought it might be right up your street."
"It's downloading now," Mulder replied. "What's so special about it?"
"It's from a John Doe, taken in last evening with gunshot wounds. One in the shoulder and two in the leg. None fatal injuries. While examining him, they discovered his heart seemed very erratic. They called in one of their senior heart surgeons but the patient died."
Mulder was still waiting for his e-mail to fully download. "So, like I said, what's so special?"
"The man had two hearts."
Mulder gazed at the final image on the screen in front of him. It was a chest x-ray and did indeed appear to show two hearts.
"Faulty equipment," Mulder commented, reaching over to print out the picture anyway.
"That's what I said, but my source assures me that they took numerous plates, using two different machines. Same result every time."
Mulder nodded to himself. He knew Byers wouldn't pass the information along unless he had checked it all out first. His friend was methodical at least.
"I'll get out there with Scully right away. Anything else you can tell me?"
"Not much really. I have a photo of the dead man. I'm mailing that to you now."
"Thanks. Is it just you in the office this morning?"
"At the moment. Langley went out for milk and cookies and Frohike hasn't surfaced yet."
"Give the guys my best wishes for the new Millennium. And yourself. And thanks again for this."
"No problem, Mulder. Happy New Millennium. And I'm sure I can speak for Frohike when I say give Dana his love."
Mulder grinned. "I'll do that. She'll be thrilled. Bye."
***
"Hi, Dana Scully."
"Hi, Scully, it's me. I'm at the airport with two tickets to 'Frisco. Flight leaves in forty minutes. See you then."
For a moment Scully was lost for words. "Mulder, it's New Years Eve. Millennium Eve even. Why would I want to go to San Francisco with you?"
"Meet me at the airport and I'll fill you in." The line went dead.
She pushed the speed dial button but got only a busy tone. "Damn! He's switched off!"
Cursing her partner under her breath, Scully turned left at the intersection and drove towards the airport. Why not spend the Millennium in San Francisco? she thought. Who needs family re-unions when you could be chasing who knows what halfway across the country?
Flight 1013 to San Francisco
31st December 1999
"So we're going all that why because of a faulty x-ray machine?" Scully exclaimed.
"It isn't faulty. They tried again with another machine," Mulder told her, settling back into his seat. He closed his eyes. "Wake me when the cartoons come on."
Scully was shaking her head. "I must be mad. Letting you drag me across the country on a wild goose chase when I could be having dinner with my family."
Mulder opened one eye. "By the way, Frohike sends his love."
Scully frowned. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
Mulder smiled his infuriating smile. "It was worth a try."
Sighing, Scully picked up the in-flight magazine. "This had better be worth it, Mulder, or you'll owe me. Big time."
Mulder closed his eyes again. "It'll be worth it, Scully. Trust me."
"I thought your motto was trust no one," she muttered, flicking past an article on Bulgarian wines.
Walker General Hospital.
31st December 1999
8.09pm
"F.B.I. I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder, this is agent Dana Scully. We'd like to ask you a couple of questions."
The short, plump woman, who was called Curtis according to her name badge, looked up at Mulder. "What can I do for you?"
"You had a John Doe in last night with gunshot wounds," Scully said. "He died in surgery. We would like to see the body."
What was it with this particular stiff, Curtis wondered? First Bruce, now these two. She smiled sweetly at the male Agent. What was his name? Mulder?
"The body was stolen in the night," she said, leaning forward as if sharing a confidence.
Scully looked shocked. "Bodysnatchers? I thought this was the end of the 20th Century, not the 19th!"
Curtis shrugged. "I just tell it like it is," she replied. "I told Bruce and I'm telling you. The body has been stolen."
"Bruce? Who's Bruce?" Mulder wanted to know.
Curtis shivered slightly at the thought of her encounter with the man earlier that day. "Bruce Geller. Paramedic. He said he had orders to move the body, but I checked. There were no such instructions."
"Can you give me his address?" Mulder asked. As Curtis was looking it up, Scully had spotted something on the floor.
She bent down, picking up the small object. It was a Human fingernail, the inside covered with dried blood. She showed it to Mulder, who raised an eyebrow. She shrugged and dropped it into an evidence bag.
Curtis returned with the address of Bruce Geller. Mulder thanked her and the two of them left the hospital.
***
"Bodysnatching, Mulder?" Scully said when they were back in the car. "In modern day America?"
Mulder shrugged. "Maybe we should stick to salads while we're here," he suggested.
"That isn't funny, Mulder," she told him. He smiled slightly.
A short time later they reached Bruce's apartment. Mulder knocked loudly on the door. It swung open under the pressure of his knuckles.
"Hello? Anyone home?" he called, leading Scully into the hallway. Ever aware of the strange ways people could react, even to innocent intruders, both drew their guns.
Slowly and carefully, they made their way through the apartment. Eventually they reached the bedroom, which Mulder pushed open with his foot.
Scully was beside the body in seconds, but Miranda Geller was long dead, her neck snapped with clinical efficiency. Mulder covered her, in case of attack. Scully stood, shaking her head. Mulder relaxed slightly.
"We should inform the local police," Scully said.
Mulder nodded. "Go ahead," he said, indicating the bedside phone.
After Scully had made the call, she and Mulder waited in the lounge.
"You think Geller killed his wife?" Mulder asked his partner.
"Well, he has to be the number one suspect," she replied. "I got back in touch with the hospital. He should have reported for his shift three hours ago, but he and his Ambulance are both missing."
"So, nothing here apart from a possible spousal murder then?" Scully nodded in reply. "Then we can hand this one straight over to the authorities," he concluded.
"What's wrong, Mulder? Do you have to be somewhere?"
"Yeah. Chasing the man with two hearts."
Scully sighed. "I thought the woman at the hospital said the body had been stolen?"
"She did. But like the truth, it's out there. We just need to find it."
Bruce Geller's apartment, San Francisco
31st December 1999
10.39pm
Mulder and Scully had told the police all they knew, which wasn't much. Now they were heading back for the car they had rented at the airport.
"All units, all units, there is a fire at the Institute of Technological Advancement and Research. Any unit free to deal?"
Mulder glanced across at Scully. "Did you hear that?"
"What about it?" she inquired.
Mulder looked away. "I don't know, but I get the feeling that is where the action is."
Scully raised an eyebrow. "Well, it would make a change today, seeing some action. It's all been chasing dead bodies so far."
"Then I think we should head for the Institute."
"Do you know how to get there?" Scully asked as they got back into the car.
"Follow him," Mulder said, pointing to a patrol car that was leaving the area outside the apartments.
"How do you know he's going there?" she wanted to know.
Mulder grinned wolfishly. "Because it was his radio we heard the call over."
His partner nodded. "Logical, I guess. Careful, Mulder, you're starting to think like me."
"I'm not sure if I should take that as an insult," he commented wryly as they pulled out into traffic after the patrol car.
***
Driving through a strange city at night didn't usually bother Mulder. In fact, he found it quite relaxing, just watching out for the other road users, the locals and the other visitors like himself. But then, he didn't usually get involved in near accidents with Police motorcycles.
He managed to swerve the car aside as the motorbike roared past, it's driver seemingly oblivious to the F.B.I. Agents and their car.
"Road hog!" Mulder shouted after the bike, which was already nearly out of sight.
"That's odd," Scully commented.
"What, almost being involved in a serious accident so close to the new Millennium?"
"No. Neither of those two on the bike were wearing police uniform or helmets. They looked like civilians."
"Maybe you were right," Mulder told her, pointing as another bike roared past, this time with a properly dressed and helmeted member of the S.F.P.D. aboard. He seemed to be chasing the other bike.
"Let's see what's happening," Mulder suggested, pulling out to follow the two bikes.
"I thought it was all happening at the Institute," Scully reminded him.
"Humour me, Scully, I've got a hunch." Scully looked worried but didn't reply.
About five minutes later they saw a motorcycle cop, pulled up at the side of the road, shaking his head as if in disbelief.
"Isn't that the guy who was chasing the first bike?" Mulder asked.
"Looks very much like him," Scully confirmed. "He looks scared."
Mulder pulled up alongside the man. He jumped as Scully lowered her window.
"What happened to the bike you were chasing?" she asked him.
He shook his head. "Don't go down Rose Alley," he said, not quite meeting her eyes.
"Why not?" she inquired reasonably
He frowned, put his helmet back on and kick-started his bike. "Just don't," he said, then roared away.
Mulder looked at the bemused Scully. "Let's go find Rose Alley," he suggested.
Downtown San Francisco
31st December 1999
11.55pm
The rented car was parked beside a Cantonese restaurant. Mulder and Scully were walking towards the alley that ran down the side of the premises.
"This must be the place," Mulder said. "I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. That either means I'm on to something, or it's going to rain."
"I think the rain is more likely," Scully told him, her hand hovering close to her gun, just in case. They had reached the mouth of the alley.
Suddenly, a tremendous noise erupted from the alley. It was like the tortured trumpeting of numerous elephants in pain. A great wind started blowing out of the alley.
"What's that noise?" Scully asked.
"Let's find out," Mulder suggested, leading her into the alley.
As quickly as the noise began, it died again. The wind seemed to subside too. As they walked cautiously into the alley, all there was to see was a whirlwind of litter slowly spiralling to the ground and a faded poster on the back wall of the alley suggesting they 'visit London'. To one side was parked a police motorcycle.
As they looked around for anything unusual, Mulder's watch beeped. He looked at it, then turned to Scully.
"Happy New Millennium!"
She smiled, despite everything. "Thanks Muldddeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr."
The world seemed to stretch, like an elastic band. Then, suddenly, it snapped out of existence.
***
In the time that exists between one second and another, the world ceased to be. However, before anybody could notice that the planet, along with themselves and every other living creature, had been destroyed, reality coughed and the world existed again, just as it had before.
As they looked around for anything unusual, Mulder's watch beeped. He looked at it, then turned to Scully.
"Happy New Millennium!"
She smiled, despite everything. "Thanks Mulder." She shivered slightly. "Did you feel that?"
He nodded. "Like someone walking over your grave," he commented.
"Or an extreme case of déjà vu," Scully said.
They gazed about themselves, looking for anything unusual. But nothing presented itself.
"Come on, Mulder, there's nothing here."
He shook his head. "I could have sworn."
"If I don't get somewhere warm, soon, I'll be swearing. At you."
Mulder grinned. "Come on, Scully, where's your sense of adventure?"
"Curled up peacefully at home with a warm drink and a good book, like I should be."
Together, they headed for the rented car.
***
A few blocks away from Rose Alley, Mulder suddenly jumped on the brakes.
"What now?" Scully demanded. She knew her partner well enough to know it wouldn't be something as simple as a dog running out in the road.
Mulder was looking through his rear view mirror, back towards the entrance to the park they had just passed.
"Do you remember our trip to McAllen a couple of years ago?" he asked her.
"Like I could ever forget," she muttered.
Now Mulder had put the car into reverse. "Did you wonder how the Doctor and his friend Harry vanished so quickly?"
"I assumed they had hopped on a Greyhound bus," Scully replied.
"There were a number of reports from the town that day, saying people had seen a Police Box."
"I know I'm going to regret asking," Scully commented as they drove backwards. "What's a Police Box?"
"It's like a telephone kiosk, but they had them in England in the 1950's. I saw one, still in use, when I was studying over there."
"How is that relevant?"
Mulder had now stopped at the entrance to the park. "Because as we drove past I saw one right over there." He pointed across the park.
"There's nothing there, Mulder. Just a woman, walking by herself. And a fountain. And fireworks."
Mulder looked mystified. "I'm sure I saw a Police Box."
"Maybe it just vanished into thin air," Scully quipped.
Mulder nodded thoughtfully, considering the possibility. "You know, Scully, you could be right."
Scully sighed as Mulder put the car into gear.
