Scully shows Mulder an MRI x-ray indicating a cancerous mass has been detected on the
wall between her sinus and cerebrum. The tumor is inoperable and if it grows, the chance
for survival is slim. Instead of requesting a leave of absence, Scully opts to follow another
avenue of investigation: contacting a group of purported female abductees who experienced
similar symptoms after having implants removed from the base of their necks.
The agents travel to the home of Betsy Hagopian in Allentown, Pennsylvania where
Scully had met these women before. A realtor informs them that Hagopian (one of the female
abductees) passed away two weeks earlier. While searching through Hagopian’s house, the
agents realize someone is downloading computer files via phone modem. The call is traced,
and the agents apprehend Kurt Crawford, the man who downloaded the files. Crawford
explains that he and Hagopian were both members of the same UFO network and
downloaded Hagopian’s files because the government is out to destroy them. Crawford also
reveals that all of the women who claimed they were abducted by aliens died of similar
tumors, with the exception of Penny Northern, who is now hospitalized and near death from
cancer.
Scully visits Northern at the hospital, who reveals that Dr. Scanlon, who has been
treating her cancer, may have isolated the cause. Seeing her future self in Penny’s
condition, Scully checks herself in and Dr. Scanlon begins treating her cancer. Meanwhile,
Mulder and Crawford search through hard files in Hagopian’s basement. They discover that
all of the woman abductees, including Northern, were treated at the same fertility clinic in
Pennsylvania. When Scully asks Mulder to bring her overnight bag to the hospital, Mulder
leaves Crawford in the basement to attend to Scully. Later that evening, the Gray-Haired Man
(the same man who killed X) shows up and kills Crawford, whose body melts into a pool of
green liquid.
Meanwhile, Mulder breaks into a federally-subsidized fertility clinic where all the female
UFO network members were patients. Inside, he discovers Kurt Crawford (Mulder is unaware
of the other Crawford’s death). They access a computer terminal and download a directory
containing Scully’s name. Near the breaking point, Mulder demands that Skinner arrange a
meeting with The Cigarette-Smoking Man. But Skinner refuses, insisting The
Cigarette-Smoking Man deals only in lies. Nonetheless, Skinner secretly enlists The
Cigarette-Smoking Man’s help.
Mulder turns to the Lone Gunmen, who tell him that the fertility clinic’s mainframe is
housed in a high-security federal research facility. The foursome infiltrate the research
facility, and once inside, Mulder realizes Dr. Scanlon is on staff. He instructs Byers to find
Scully and stop her treatment immediately. As he continues through the building’s corridors,
Mulder encounters additional Crawfords and realizes Kurt is a clone. He finds several of
them dressed as doctors inside an incubator room housing tanks containing human forms,
including those of Samantha. One of the Kurts shows Mulder a cold storage room containing
vials of human ova–including a vial with Scully’s name on it. The eggs were harvested from
women during their abduction, which were later used for reproduction. Mulder realizes the
women are the Kurts’ birth mothers and the clones are actually working to save their
mothers’ lives.
The Gray-Haired Man arrives at the clinic and traps Mulder between two security doors in
a quarantine wing. The Gray-Haired Man opens fire, slowly cracking the bullet proof glass
that stands between himself and his prey. Working feverishly, Frohike breaks a computer
code from a remote location, allowing Mulder to open the outside door and run to safety.
When Mulder returns to the hospital, he finds Scully at Penny’s bedside. Byers arrived in
time to stop Scully’s treatment, but Penny Northern had died and Dr. Scanlon was gone.
Scully tells her partner she has decided to fight the disease and continue her work.
THE X-FILES “MEMENTO MORI” #4X14
Original Air Date: 2/09/97
CAST:
DAVID DUCHOVNY as Special Agent Fox Mulder
GILLIAN ANDERSON as Special Agent Dana Scully
GUEST CAST:
DAVID LOVGREN as Kurt Crawford
GILLIAN BARBER as Penny Northern
SHIELA LARKEN as Mrs. Scully
TOM BRAIDWOOD as Frohike
DEAN HAGLUND as Langly
BRUCE HARWOOD as Byers
WILLIAM B. DAVIS as The Cigarette-Smoking Man
MITCH PILEGGI as A.D. Skinner
JULIE BOND as The Woman
MORRIS PANYCH as The Grey-Haired Man
SEAN ALLEN as Dr. Kevin Scanlon
WRITTEN BY:
CHRIS CARTER
FRANK SPOTNITZ
JOHN SHIBAN
VINCE GILLIGAN
DIRECTED BY:
ROB BOWMAN
