Guest Starring Kenneth Tigar as Dr. Plant, Jenny Gago as Dr. Katrina Cabrera, John Towey as Kenneth Orgel, Raymond J. Barry as Sen. Matheson, Arlene Pileggi as Skinner's secretary and Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek.


A.D. Skinner is in serious shape as he lies in the Trauma Unit. His heart stops and a doctor frantically prepares to zap start it. Doctor Cabrera decides that it would be futile, and tells the doctor to let him go.

24 hours earlier: Skinner is sparring at the gym. Suddenly, his vision becomes fuzzy and he loses his balance. He takes a hard right and is down for the count. When he awakes, he's in the hospital. While waiting to see his doctor, he gets a mystery cell-phone call. The voice is computer synthesized and rather ominous: "It's in you. You have 24 hours to go. You are already dead." Doctor Plant tells Skinner that he had his bell rung, but he is fine. He points out that he has a pretty bad bruise on his side. Skinner wonders what caused it, since he was only hit on the chin.

Mulder has been goofing at headquarters when he sees Skinner plop down on the couch. He goes in to say hi and see how he is. Skinner says that his vision is a little fuzzy so he decided not to drive. Mulder is a little concerned, so he calls Scully to come and check him over. She says that he may have been poisoned. Skinner says that the doctor at the hospital says he's fine. They checked his blood and didn't find anything. Scully says that they could have overlooked it. Mulder asks him about the phone call. He says that it was just someone pulling his chain. Mulder says that they might be trying to scare him to see who he would run to. He says: "Oh. This is about you?" Mulder says: "Or about the x-files." He says: "You are so paranoid, Mulder. You aren't even on the x-files anymore." Scully says: "I know. But you are. You still supervise them." They ask him if anything out of the ordinary happened during the day. He runs over all that he did since he got up and went to work. The only thing he remembers is a man asking him the time. Then he grabbed him by the wrist. Scully says that some poisons are absorbed through the skin. They decide to check the security tapes, and Skinner sees the man. Scully says that he is Kenneth Orgel, an advisor to a Senate subcommittee on ethics and new technology. He's a very well known physicist. Skinner says that if this man poisoned him, he's going to put a gun to his head and ask him how to make him well. Mulder and Skinner go to see Orgel while Scully goes to the hospital to snoop. Orgel says that he wasn't at the FBI and slams the door on the Agents. Mulder tells Skinner to go around back. When he tries to get inside, somebody fires a gun. Mulder hits the floor as Skinner comes through the back door. A man drags Orgel away. When Skinner tries to stop them, another man knocks him on the head. Skinner is down for the count. He tells Mulder to go after them. Mulder catches one of the men, but the other guy and Orgel get away in a waiting car. Skinner is getting weak and his vision is getting fuzzy again. His vascular system is beginning to break down. They have to leave the man go, because he has diplomatic immunity. Skinner says that he is Alexander Lazreg. He is the cultural attache with the Tunisian mission here in D.C. "See what else you can find out about him." Mulder urges him to go to the hospital, but Skinner says that he is trying to stay out of one.

Scully talks to Doctor Plant about Skinner. She tells him that he might have been poisoned and would like to do some blood work on Skinner's samples. Plant says that he doesn't believe the blood has even been touched, but Scully is suspicious of how strange it looks. Meanwhile, Mulder is checking through Orgel's things, when he finds a picture in the trash can of Orgel with Senator Matheson. "Hello, Senator." Back at the hospital lab, Scully and Plant check Skinner's blood. They learn that it's full of pure carbon. Scully wonders how that would act as a poison. A high powered microscope shows that the carbon elements are rapidly multiplying. Dr. Plant asks: "What the hell are they?" Mulder goes to see the Senator. He asks him about the picture of him and Orgel holding a document of Senate Resolution 819. The Senator says that it's a funding bill, then asks what this is all about? Mulder says that a friend of his is going to die because of S.R. 819. "I don't know how. I don't know why. But I'm betting you do?" A Tunisian diplomat, Kenneth Orgel, and the bill have all lead up to kill an A.D. of the FBI. "Does that make any sense?" Matheson says that it's a health bill to aid the people in third world countries. He tells Fox not to mention his involvement with any such dark intrigue. He says his intention is to save lives, but he can't save his.

It's 5:10 AM in the Embassy Row garage. Skinner follows Lazreg into the garage. He stops to keep an eye on him, but is distracted by the disease that is taking over his vascular system. Lazreg fires a shot at him. Skinner ducks out of sight. When Lazreg checks the car, Skinner shoots back. Lazreg makes a run for it. Skinner follows, but is in a weakened condition and his vision is getting worse. He steps from between some cars, when Lazreg steps into the open and takes aim at Skinner. He's about to fire, when a car runs him down. Skinner tries to see who is driving, but all he can see is a long-haired, bearded man who quickly drives off. Lazreg is lying dead and Skinner passes out from his mysterious disease.

With 15 hours and 21 minutes remaining, Scully and Plant determine that the carbon-based infection is building damns in Skinner's vascular system. Doctor Plant says: "It's building a heart attack." They learn that Skinner has been taken to D.C. General Medical Center. They arrive just in time to talk the surgeons out of amputating his arms. Scully tells them that it's his blood that's the problem. They need to get a scope into him. Doctor Cabrera orders the operation stopped. As they move him to another room, he asks who did this to him? Scully says that Mulder is trying to find out. He tries to recall what has happened, but it's all too vague. He answers a question never asked: "I don't know. I can't remember."

In the morning, Skinner's secretary finds Mulder going through his files. She asks what he is doing? He asks if she has a key to a drawer. She says that she doesn't. When he goes to find a letter opener to pry open the drawer, he finds an envelope on her desk. He learns that Skinner was doing a security check on the players involved in the use of technology that concerned S.R. 819. Doctor Orgel had come to see Skinner to convince him that there would be gross misuse of the technology. Without Skinner's approval, the bill wouldn't pass. Later, he tells Scully this technology might be what they need to save Skinner, but they don't know what it is. Skinner's cell-phone rings, and the computer voice Says: "You might as well give up. You can't stop it." Mulder says that it's someone who knows Skinner is here. When he looks around, he sees the long-haired man writing on a palm computer. He chases the man through the parking garage, but he gets away by leaving his car and running on foot. Later, the man calls the Senator, and tells him that the bill is in danger. "Blood will be on your hands." The Senator says that he doesn't buy his hollow threats. The man says that Doctor Orgel does... he can ask him. He tells the Senator where he can find Orgel. Elsewhere, forensics has checked the man's car and found hair from a expensive wig and a heavy concentration of P.C.B.s on the tires. The only place that would have such a concentration these days would be a demo site or an old power plant. Later (2:04 pm), the Senator arrives at a deserted power plant. He finds Orgel strapped to a table. He is in the same shape as Skinner. He tells the Senator that he never told the FBI anything, but the long-haired man has planned to show Matheson how nasty the technology is by killing Orgel. He raises the level on a remote controller that causes Orgel to have a massive heart attack.

It's 5:32 pm (3 hours, 56 minutes remain): Scully tells Skinner that she wants to try a radical procedure which could cause him to go into shock. It requires the complete removal of his blood. He says that he is in her hands. Then he says that he owes her and Mulder an apology for not doing all he could to help them. "Your quest. It should have been mine. If I die now, I die in vain. I have nothing to show for myself... my life..." Scully says: "Sir, you know that's not true." He tells her that he always played it safe. He wouldn't take sides or let her and Mulder pull him in. Scully says: "You've been our ally more times than I can say." He says: "Not the kind of ally I could have been." Then, he tells her that he remembers. The long-haired man was everywhere he went. He tells her to check the security tape. Later, Fox finds the Senator at the power plant. He asks what happened to Orgel? Matheson says that they killed him. What Orgel knows died with him. Fox says: "Then tell me what you know, Senator! This is about S.R. 819 isn't it? What the hell did they put in Skinner?" Matheson says: "I'm sure you already have some idea, Fox." Fox says: "It's the same technology that S.R. 819 will export." The Senator says: "Technology that the world believes is purely theoretical." Fox says: "Nanotechnology. Microscopic, atom-sized machines? Machines can be stopped!" The Senator says: "Your friend is already dead." Fox says that he will stop it. He will expose him and his friends. The Senator says that he is a victim in this. There is no way he can stop them.

Back at the hospital, Skinner's time has run out. He flat-lines and Doctor Cabrera says: "Let him go." The time of death is called at 9:33. Nearby, the long-haired man lowers the level on the remote controller. The little nanobots are turned off and Skinner's vascular system begins to function. He gasps for air as a surprised medical staff runs to his side. Skinner sees the long-haired man disappear behind a rolling rack.

Three weeks later: Scully tells Skinner that she has spoken with his doctors. Whatever he was infected with appears to be dormant. Mulder shows Skinner pictures of the long-haired man that he pulled of the security tapes. Skinner already knows who it is, but he tells them that he doesn't know. Mulder says that S.R. 819 was withdrawn by committee last night without explanation. Skinner says: "Good." Mulder says that the man worked for the government that was to receive the technology. He drove one of their cars and he killed one of his own to save you. Skinner says: "So you still think this is about you? About the x-files?" Mulder says that it is, and he thinks he knows who is behind it, but he needs his okay to continue the investigation. After his earlier apology, Scully is surprised to hear Skinner say that they are to answer to A.D. Kersh and no one else. "This matter's closed, agents. Am I clear?" Later, Skinner gets into his car. He says to a figure in the back seat: "I've been expecting you to show up." The man closes the cover to the remote controller and says: "You know I can push the button any time." Skinner says: "What do you want from me? What's this about, Krycek?" Krycek leans forward and says: "All in good time." He gets out of the car and disappears.


Critique **** (of five) Senate Resolution 819 is a bill that would authorize a special technology to be used in third-world countries. The technology was given to us by the Borg, but a little testing is in order. And what better way to test these nanobots but on the poor, unsuspecting people of Freedonia. The bad guys have forced Senator Matheson into introducing the bill. For some reason, Alex (rat-boy) Krycek doesn't think this is a good idea. He infects Skinner with the nanobots and lets everyone know that he only has 24 hours to live. Knowing that Mulder and Scully will cause a big fuss to save their friend and old boss, Krycek is assured that the bill will be shelved till another day. He also gains the upper hand on A.D. Skinner by letting him know that he can turn the nanobots on at any time. I would say that he has Skinner in the palm of his right hand. Once again, we are given more questions: Is Krycek acting on his own? Where did the technology really come from? Is the syndicate hoping to use it against the aliens or mankind? Did the syndicate decide that testing their nanobots on one man would be less conspicuous than messing with a whole country? Was their plan to completely control Skinner all along? Now that they know it works, who is next?

It's nice to get serious and back to the conspiracy aspect of the show. Those of you that didn't hear the leaked info that Krycek was going to be in this episode, had the pleasure of watching a pretty good mystery. Even with this knowledge, we were treated to a excellent thriller with some good nail-biting moments. Scully and Mulder were dead serious as they went about the business of saving the boss. There were no shipper undertones in this story, which should calm down the anti-shipper crowd. It was actually kind of weird watching an episode without one Mulderism. Other than being vague about the Tunisian involvement (Does Strughold ring a bell?), my only gripe is that they borrowed from Star Trek again. I think they could have dreamed up something more original. Maybe there isn't anything left. After so many years of techno science fiction, the cupboard may be bare.

TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION