04x05 - The Field Where I d*ed

[bunniefuu]

"At times I almost dream

I too have spent a life the sages' way, And tread once more familiar paths.

Perchance I perished in an arrogant self-reliance an age ago;

And in that act, a prayer for one more chance went up so earnest, So instinct with better light let in by death, That life was blotted out, not so completely

But scattered wrecks enough of it to remain dim memories,

As now, When seems once more

The goal in sight again."

Federal agents! We are armed!

Let's go! Move, move, move!

Keep down on the ground!

We have warrants to search for illegal firearms!

We have warrants for the arrest of Vernon Warren,...

..also known as Vernon Ephesian.

Move it, move it! Come on, come on, let's go!

Move, move, move!

Someone tipped Ephesian off.

He's somewhere on the compound.

Ephesian? No. We've covered 90% of the compound.

We have to find him. No sign of weapons.

They've hid them somewhere. Where haven't we covered?

We could check the machine shop again. Maybe they've got trap doors.

Mulder. Mulder!

Tear it apart.

Mulder? Mulder, where are you going?

Intelligence reported no hiding places beyond the yard.

Did you see someone?

"I am he that Iiveth, and was dead."

"And, behold,...

..I am alive for evermore."

FBI!

No!

It's OK. It's OK.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms transmission received 0230 hours,...

..5 November ’96, Apison, Tennessee.

Confirmed telephone trace from within Seven Stars compound.

BATF. This is Agent Kiley.

OK, I'm not gonna talk long. I can’t even believe I'm doing this.

OK, Vernon - he's got a lot of good ideas.

He's right about a lot of things,...

..but he's doin’ stuff to kids now that...

It ain’t good.

I'm telling you, it is not why I signed on.

OK, OK, easy.

Can you tell me your name, sir? Call me Sidney.

Vernon - he's hurtin' little kids around here bad. It ain’t right.

And the g*ns, my God, you could b*at the whole Korean army here.

Oh, God, I can’t talk no more. I got...

This call capped off a BATF investigation...

..of the Temple of the Seven Stars led by Vernon Ephesian.

That call convinced the Attorney General to give the OK for our raid.

A*F intelligence reports were weak.

Our man, Spooky, found Ephesian in a bunker A*F didn't even know was there.

How did you know that?

Knock it off!

The reports are valid. Illegal activities were going on at that compound.

They were alerted in time to hide the evidence.

Ephesian and his wives are held on charges of possession of dangerous chemicals.

Their attorneys will be pushing for a quick arraignment.

They'll be out of here in less than 24 hours if we cannot charge them.

Agents on site will continue to search for evidence of illegal firearms.

And even more critical, find the informant "Sidney".

If they found out that he tipped us, it's likely we're looking for a m*rder*r.

All right, go.

Agent Mulder, Agent Scully,...

..you were assigned to this operation to investigate Ephesian's paranormal abilities:

..channeling, astral projection.

He's a paranoid charismatic sociopath, obsessed with the Book of Revelation.

He will use his Biblical knowledge to get anything he wants from his followers.

Ephesian had six women on the verge of su1c1de. You witnessed it.

If the temple members are released,...

..any Federal investigation will ignite Ephesian's paranoia...

..to such a degree that we won't have another Waco on our hands.

We'll have Jonestown.

I knew you were coming.

I've known for nine centuries.

It was written in the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

"Behold,...

..the devil shall cast some of thee into prison that you may be tried."

"You'll have tribulation ten days."

"Be thou faithful unto death, and I'll give thee a crown of life."

But that message was to the church at Smyrna.

Your temple is the reincarnation of the church at Ephesia.

Mine is the Temple of the Seven Stars.

All seven churches receiving the Revelation.

And the members are not a reincarnation of the church.

Are you?

Oh, yes. I was present to hear Apostle John Mark deliver his message of the Apocalypse.

Vernon, if Sidney was unfaithful, did he receive a crown of life?

There are no members of the Temple named Sidney.

But I know you don't believe.

I don't care if you think that I'm Jim Jones or David Koresh.

I don't need you to believe or even like me.

But just for a moment, I'd like you to put aside your investigation,...

..for your own souls.

It is vital that you understand that very, very soon...

..all unfaithfuls, all disbelievers, all beasts -

..if that means me or...

..this "Sidney"... or...

..you -

..all will be destroyed by God's mighty men.

It is what has been told by God will happen.

It is what has been told by God we must do.

Do this, and the Lord shall preserve you from all evil.

He will preserve your soul.

The Lord will preserve your going out...

..and your coming in.

Skinner said no one else has come up with anything.

They've started to release members of the Temple.

The compound remains under Federal control, though.

Time is flying. We've got six wives to question.

My estimate is 12 more hours of fire and brimstone, and not a second about Sidney.

Let's start with her.

My name is Melissa Riedel Ephesian. I'm 25.

Melissa, do you understand your right to have an attorney present at this questioning?

It's OK.

Where are you from?

I don't know.

What about your family? Where do they live?

My real family's here.

How long have you lived there?

A year.

How long have you been married to Ephesian?

A year.

Does it bother you he has other wives?

"And on that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying,...

..we shall eat our own bread, we shall wear our own apparel,...

..only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach."

That's quite a faith you have in Vernon.

I'd have a tough time if my husband had so many children with other women.

Do you have a child by Vernon?

Someday.

Vernon has to wait until God tells him when the right soul is ready to be reincarnated.

That's why Vernon's children are the most sacred members of the Temple.

We were told that Vernon's been hurting the children.

Have you ever witnessed any child abuse at the temple, Melissa?

I don't know where you're gettin' that from.

I saw a couple things. It could have been anything, right?

Melissa?

Melissa? No. I don't know nobody called that.

Sidney? What is this? The McCarthy hearings?

No, no... Don't...

Don't know anybody by that name. No.

I saw a couple things. It could have been anything, right?

Sidney, who is the President of the United States right now?

Who's the President of the United States?

What kind of dumb question is that? That is a stupid question. Harry Truman.

Sidney is a past life just because she mentioned Joe McCarthy?

It's not just that.

Somehow I just knew.

Ephesian and his wives get arraigned tomorrow.

That's 15 hours to come up with something.

"Come up with something"? We found Sidney.

Melissa Riedel's vocal pattern matches the A*F Sidney call.

Melissa Riedel is not co-operating.

But there is a personality within her that wants to.

We need a catalyst. I suggest we take her back to the compound.

Maybe without Ephesian there, it will enable Melissa to talk, or a personality inside her.

Agent Scully, could this be a staged diversion?

I thought multiple personalities were rare. They're extremely rare.

In fact, many in the psychiatric community do not believe they exist.

What we witnessed meets the criteria established in the DSM-IV.

Two or more distinct personality states that recurrently take control over behaviour,...

..including the protector identity, Sidney.

The inability to recall personal information. She couldn't recall her home town.

Transitions are usually a matter of seconds and are often caused by psychosocial stress.

Sidney appeared when we mentioned that children had been abused.

But you remain unconvinced? I believe the disorder exists,...

..but I would have to know more.

If Melissa has multiple personalities, would her... his testimony even be admissible?

Precedents have established that dissociative personalities are responsible.

But we are responsible for Melissa Riedel.

We are responsible for the potential loss of 50 lives.

Do it.

You didn't tell Skinner what you really believe.

That Melissa Riedel is being invaded by her past-life incarnations.

He wouldn't believe me. You don't feel responsible for the 50 lives...

..or Melissa Riedel.

You are only responsible to yourself, Mulder.

You're safe with us, Melissa.

The m*rder*r's not here.

We know that events occurred here that may be painful.

You may not wanna talk about them, you may be afraid to remember.

But to help the others, to help the children and to help yourself...

..we're here with you to listen... to Melissa, to Sidney,...

..to whoever may need to talk.

Melissa?

Melissa?

Why you calling me that?

What should I call you? Lily.

Lily... were any of your friends hurt in this room?

What?

Can you do this?

Melissa... Lily...

It's OK to tell me.

Look, leave the kid alone. Hear me?

She doesn't wanna talk. Right? No way.

I'm sending her home.

Sidney, you can all go home. You can all be safe...

..if you tell us where they hid the g*ns.

What's wrong?

The weapons were placed in the bunker they'd built the night before.

That's why they weren't on the A*F reports.

The Federals would arrive in the morning, just before the sun.

Realizing the government's might and number,...

..most believed they, indeed, would never again...

..see the light of day...

..just as they had watched their brothers die days before on Missionary Ridge.

We had received word of General Cleburne's retreat from the Union army.

As a nurse, I had been ordered from Hamilton County to meet the troops, but...

..in actuality, I was searching for him,...

..knowing that he would attempt to remain in Tennessee...

..rather than retreat to Dalton.

I found him here,...

..amongst the others who had been lost...

..as General Thomas pushed through the Confederate line.

The Federal troops would appear from that direction.

Rather than retreat any further, they fought them,...

..hidin' us in the bunker.

Inside, I could...

..smell the smoke,...

..hear the r*fles,...

..feel the bodies as they dropped onto the ground above.

Every last one.

26th November...

..1863.

I was here,...

..as were you.

This is the field where I watched you die.

Who are you calling?

I want a therapist trained in hypnosis to be at the command center.

Because hypnosis is used to treat dissociative identities...

..to bring forth a patient's various personalities?

She wants to talk, Scully. It's a matter of getting it out of her.

No, it's about regressing her to a past life.

Don't do this to her, Mulder. This poor woman's mind, her life is in shreds.

Just being married to Ephesian indicates she is susceptible to suggestion.

You were there, Scully!

You saw it. You heard it. Why can't you feel it?

How could I know about a bunker in a field I've never been in?

And why is it that Vernon Ephesian is reported by you a paranoid sociopath...

..because he believes he lived 100 years ago,...

..and you're not, even though you believe you d*ed in that field?

I'm talking to Melissa.

In the last year, at the Temple of the Seven Stars,...

..is there anything that happened that you thought was wrong, that hurt you?

Yes.

There was a...

..woman who came to the temple.

She and her son had been living on the streets.

What was her name?

Elizabeth.

Her son was Scott.

Vernon took a liking to the boy.

He said that he was a prophet returning.

He took the boy away from his mother.

Took him away? How?

Vernon's children are the grandchildren of God, kept separate from the others.

The mother's heart was broken.

She was afraid.

The Mighty Men...

Late... night...

..Liz sneaks in to see Scott.

Oh, he was happy.

She brings him a butterfinger she stole from the kitchen.

Vernon... Vernon...

..Vernon catches them.

The Mighty Men,...

..they pull her away, and b*at her...

..in front of her son.

The boy... "No, no, Mom!"

Vernon... Vernon...

..Vernon pulls him by...

..Vernon pulls him by his hair,...

..pulls down his pyjamas, and hit him.

"You're not a child of God."

"Garbage", he calls him.

He told him to sleep in the trash...

..with the rats.

The mother... the mother cries,...

..but Vernon beats him...

..in front of her.

Oh! Oh! No, no, no!

Look it! Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant move!

What d'you wanna know? Just... just...

Leave Melissa alone. She doesn't need to go through that any more.

Where are the g*ns? The b-bunkers. Yeah.

The Civil w*r bunkers. Vernon... Vernon... Vernon and his g*ons know, but I don't.

Maybe there's a map of the b*ttlefield in the records.

You know how to find the other bunkers.

Mulder...

Melissa.

It's me, Melissa.

I want you to go back,...

..back to the field.

Oh!

Your eyes may have changed shade...

..but it cannot colour the soul behind them.

We have come together in this life, this time,...

..only to meet in passing.

It is so heartbreaking to wait.

I miss you.

Mulder, this is a product of her illness.

She couldn't answer the question on the b*ttlefield. She gave us no specific names,...

..no information to prove her validity.

There is nothing we can use to prove this is the truth.

There's one way.

Ephesian's arraignment is in two hours. There is no time to be doing this.

Wouldn't you, Scully?

Wouldn't anybody?

I want you to go into your past, beyond your life as Fox Mulder.

What do you see?

Ghetto streets.

Shattered glass.

Bodies of the dead.

I'm a woman,...

..a Jewish woman.

Poland.

My son is with me.

He is Samantha. Samantha?

I thought Samantha was your sister.

In this life...

..she is my son.

I see my father.

He's dead in the street.

He is Scully.

But now... He's gone on now.

They're waiting for us.

Souls...

..come back together.

Different,...

..but always together,...

..again and again,...

..to learn.

I can't go to my father.

Gestapo is standing next to him.

An officer.

He is Cancer Man.

Evil returns as evil.

But love...

..love...

..souls mate... eternal.

My... husband...

..is taken away from me...

..to the camps.

He is Melissa.

We're always taken away.

I'm rising.

I'm rising now.

I'm rising now,...

..high above...

..my body,...

..above the field.

My face is bloody.

Near the bunker.

The Federals are gone.

My sergeant is also dead.

He is Scully.

Sarah holds me.

She is sad.

She is Melissa.

She lives...

..near the battle.

Hamilton County.

Her name is Kavanaugh...

Sarah Kavanaugh.

And my name...

..is Sullivan Biddle.

She doesn't know.

She doesn't know...

..that I'm waiting for her,...

..that we will live again.

We will live again.

Oh, my soul is tired.

Mulder, it's Scully.

Do you see any bunkers in the field?

My soul is tired.

I wanna rest.

Ephesian's being taken down to his arraignment.

He and Melissa are going to be released soon.

Dana... if, um,...

..early in the four years we've been working together...

..an event occurred that suggested or somebody told you that...

..we'd been friends together...

..in other lifetimes... always,...

..would it have changed some of the ways we looked at one another?

Even if! knew for certain,...

..I wouldn't change a day.

Well, maybe that "Flukeman" thing.

I could have lived without that just fine.

We have come together in this life, this time,...

..only to meet in passing.

It is so heartbreaking to wait.

I miss you.

I don't believe in it. Why?

Those tapes are saying we chose the lives we live before we're born,...

..and who we live with.

It's a nice idea.

It's a beautiful idea.

I wanna believe.

And if I knew it were true, I'd want to start over.

I'd want to end this pointless life.

Sarah,...

..if it were true,...

..no life would be pointless.

Melissa,...

..it's time to leave.

I've reported to investigators the possible existence of other bunkers.

The field is not the property of the Seven Stars, so the BATF is continuing to search.

Mommy! They're home!

The Attorney General is furious as is.

We won't get a go-ahead for a second move on the compound.

Ephesian's followers believe that the FBI and the A*F are the devil's army,...

..prophesied in Revelations 12:17 to make w*r on the seed...

..keeping God's commandments and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelations says Christian faith defeats that army.

You're saying he'll att*ck the A*F agents, believing, as prophesied, he'll win?

I would be saying that if I thought he believed in Revelations in its entirety.

But he hid the weapons. He knew he couldn't defeat us.

If he doesn't believe he can defeat that army,...

..he may think by denying himself and his followers to the devil... You understand?...

..he will achieve for them the reward of life forevermore.

Our worst fears will be realized.

All members to worship.

The Lord shall preserve you from all your evils. He shall preserve your soul.

All members to worship. The Lord shall preserve you from all your evil.

He shall preserve your soul.

"Marvel not, my brethren, that the world hates you."

"We know we've passed from death into life because we love the brethren."

I will not remove our people. We're close to finding the weapons.

All I want is a cooling-off period.

Ephesian's gathered all members in the worship hall.

A parabolic mike we have aimed at the compound just picked this up.

"Marvel not, my brethren, that the world hates you."

"We know we've passed from death into life because we love the brethren."

"Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us."

The temple began running an interference frequency.

First Epistle of John:

"He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

OK, Mulder.

"Blessed are they that do his commandments,...

..that they may have the right to the tree of life."

My little children,...

..let us not love in word, neither in tongue,...

..but in deed and truth.

And hereby, we know that we are the truth.

We shall endure.

Man down! Man down!

Get him out of there! Cease fire!

Hold your fire! Hold your fire!

Is there contact with the temple? If you call that "contact".

He should be transported right away.

"And enter in through the gates into the city!"

"For without are dogs...

..and sorcerers...

..and whore-mongers...

..and murderers, idolaters."

"Whomsoever. ..

..loveth and maketh a lie."

Mulder, no!

You're dead!

"Behold,...

..I am alive for evermore."

"At times I almost dream

I too have spent a life the sages' way, And tread once more familiar paths.

Perchance I perished in an arrogant self-reliance an age ago;

And in that act, a prayer for one more chance went up so earnest, So instinct with better light let in by death, That life was blotted out not so completely But scattered wrecks, enough of it to remain dim memories, As now, When seems once more The goal in sight again."

I made this!