The X-Files

Damn, Jim, you fell asleep?!

We're on a stakeout, man.

- I guess. I don't know. - What happened over there?

- What are you talkin' about? - That house, man.

The front door was wide open.

How long you been out?

We'd better check it.

Lights out. Door's open.

I don't like this.

Looks like they all left.

I'm not so sure.

This can't be.

Oh, God.

Stedman.

They're all dead.

Yeah?

It's Agent Scully. I'm sorry to wake you.

- What's up? - I got a call from Assistant Director Skinner.

- He has a situation. - What is it?

An agent is dead. Skinner had him surveilling a religious cult in Pittsburgh.

All the followers are dead as well.

- What happened? - He's having difficulty determining that.

- I'll pick you up. - I'm sorry, Agent Doggett. I can't go.

Agent Scully?

Um... something unexpected has come up.

- You all right? - Yeah, I'm fine.

- Will I see you later? - As soon as I can.

Ms Scully? The doctor wants to see you right away.

- Where's Agent Scully? - Running late.

What do we have?

Our man doing routine surveillance on a cult, the lbogan Temple.

We had a tip they were trafficking narcotics.

Nobody suspected anything like this.

Agent James Leeds. Six-year veteran of the Bureau, father of two.

A patrol cop found him. Car was locked from the inside.

- Nobody saw or heard anything? - No.

This couldn't have happened here.

Blood splatter on the seat says it did.

It's too narrow. There's no room to swing the weapon.

- No. - Besides, it doesn't make any sense.

The gun's still holstered, and the key's in the ignition.

Even if he fell asleep...

This is damn weird.

It gets weirder.

These people were all killed the same way as our guy.

All 20 cult members dead from a single deep wound to the forehead.

- Is this every member? - Except one.

Their leader, Anthony Tipet, is missing.

Tipet was a convicted murderer who claimed to have found God.

We didn't think we were dealing with an apocalyptic cult.

We've seen this kind of thing before.

Jonestown. Heaven's Gate.

However devoted they were, they wouldn't just let their leader bash their brains in.

At least one of 'em would've had a problem with it.

I've considered that. I'm running tox tests for drugs.

Does that include our man in the car?

AD Skinner? We're still unable to locate Agent Stedman.

- (Doggett) Angus Stedman? - (Skinner) Leeds' partner. Do you know him?

- Where'd you look? - He wasn't at Leeds' motel.

He's not answering his cell or his pager.

- Did you check his condo? - His condo?

Stedman's from Pittsburgh. He keeps a condo here that belonged to his folks.

Angus Stedman, it's John Doggett.

Doggett.

The body is but clay.

A shell made by God to hold the twin aspects of the Holy Spirit:

light and dark.

If we have the courage to see into darkness,

we see into God...

free of the clay which confines us.

Tipet served 12 years for the bludgeoning death of his wife. He then became a minister,

preaching a hybrid of evangelical and Eastern religions.

He said a higher plane could be reached by the via negativa -

the path of darkness - the plane closer to God.

Once reached it would let the spirit travel unhindered.

Tipet believed hallucinogens would lead him to this plane.

Specifically, compounds of the bark of an African tree. The iboga.

All these people were so stoned on this bark, they just let their leader kill them?

We found no trace of the drug in the blood of any victim.

I don't understand. How in the hell did Tipet manage to slaughter all these people?

He was paranoid, but nothing says he wanted to take the lives of his people or our men.

This is our one and only suspect.

Are you telling me he didn't do it?

Whoever did this left not even a trace how.

No prints, no forensic evidence whatsoever.

Agent Leeds' sedan, the cult house, Agent Stedman's condo...

were all locked from the inside.

That's impossible.

Unless Tipet took the drug and succeeded.

Unless his consciousness was there but his body was somewhere else.

The X-File explanation.

I take it this theory comes from Agent Scully?

Agent Scully has yet to reach any conclusions, sir.

That's the problem. I'm not hearing conclusions from either one of you.

If this man has "reached a higher plane",

then explain to me why 22 people are dead, including two FBI agents.

Now, I wanna hear what you're gonna do about it.

If I'm working this case, give me a heads-up

before you tell him more science-fiction stories.

I don't have another explanation.

Those guys in there are right. This whole story doesn't make a damn bit of sense.

I'm supposed to give those guys answers. You're supposed to help me do that.

Tipet's on the run.

Find him, and we just might.

- Spare change? - I don't have anything. Sorry.

Come on, man. I know you got somethin', cos I hearjinglin' in your pocket.

You don't wanna know me.

Pick up the phone, damn you.

Pick up the damn phone!

You did this.

You did this.

God help you, Andre.

- I can't. - (hangs up)

Agh!

Agent Doggett. Coroner's report.

"Victims all killed by a single blow from an axe blade, six to eight inches long."

The photos of wound patterns don't match up to any known make or manufacturer.

This fit the description?

It's a ceremonial axe used a thousand years ago to cleave the skulls of unbelievers.

- It was required reading for Tipet's followers. - Is this our weapon?

No, sir. It's on permanent display in a Calcutta museum.

Another dead end.

Like everything else in this case.

I'm a good investigator, but I'm not the agent that should be investigatin' this case.

Agent Scully can't be here.

- You spoke to her? - Tonight.

She told me to tell you she's fine. She's taking some personal time.

I've got 22 people dead, and she's takin' personal time?

You're not listening to what I'm telling you.

Do your best without her.

Spare change? I'll take whatever you got.

N... No!

No!

- Sir? - I think we caught a break.

A homeless man was found dead in Pittsburgh two hours ago.

- I had them e-mail me some digital photos. - Any witnesses?

A man fitting Tipet's description used the payphone.

- So we got somethin'? - There's no evidence.

- There's no fingerprints, no fibres... - You got him at the scene.

There's nothing to link him to the murder.

I'm supposed to believe this guy doped his way into another plane of reality?

That his spirit is goin' around killin' people?

All right, just suppose that this drug finally did what Tipet said it would.

That his spirit could be in one place while his body was in another.

Then tell me why he's doin' it.

If he's lookin' for God, why is he killin' people?

Just cos I'm on the X-Files, you want me to think like Scully and Mulder.

You got the wrong guy. I need facts, not wild ideas.

All right. Then consider this one.

I had Pittsburgh PD check the log on that payphone.

10.12pm, a call was placed to one Andre Bormanis.

He's a convicted drug dealer that sewed time with Tipet.

That number's a DC area code.

FBI. open up!

Mr Bormanis? Andre Bormanis?

Doctor Bormanis.

Agent Doggett. Agent Skinner.

Can we have a word with you?

You always up at this hour, Dr Bormanis?

It's when I dissect my rats.

Neighbours can't hear 'em screaming.

That's a joke.

You spoke to Anthony Tipet earlier this evening.

- My machine picked up. I missed the call. - What did he want?

We need to find him, Dr Bormanis.

This man may have murdered 23 people.

23? The news said 22.

Another man died tonight.

I'm not doing anything illegal here.

I just... I just made him stuff.

You mean drugs.

You supplied Anthony Tipet with drugs, right?

Hallucinogens were Tipet's way into the depths of the soul,

the heights of consciousness,

planes of being that our feeble brain chemistry cannot begin to imagine.

Was that why you cut yourself?

Or was that the, uh... mark of the initiated?

It's protection.

At least I hope it is.

Nobody took the trips but Tipet.

See, only his mind was strong enough.

You know, I can't tell, Doctor, whether you admire Tipet or you're afraid of him.

Those people he killed last night, did they admire him too?

- What are you doing? - Taking you in.

On what charges? I just explained it to you.

Agh! Don't! Look...

I need that!

Don't... don't leave me! Please!

Don't leave me!