In flashback, government agents (among them a young William Mulder and The
Cigarette-Smoking Man) visit the deathbed of a radiation-scarred crewman who served
aboard the submarine Zeus Faber (see episode 3X15). The man insists the Navy tricked the
submarine’s crew into believing that their mission was to recover an atomic bomb from a
sunken aircraft. But he believes the real purpose of the mission was to guard an alien entity
living on the ocean floor-a life-form that invaded the sub and killed crewmen with deadly
radiation. The Cigarette-Smoking Man assures the crewman that the government will make
the truth public.
In present day Washington, Scully visits Skinner at a hospital. Skinner, semi-conscious,
reveals that he recognized his assailant. Fearing further attacks, Scully assigns guards
posted outside his hospital room.
Meanwhile, Mulder orders Krycek to drive him to the location where the digital tape is
stored. During the journey, another vehicle deliberately slams into Mulder’s car, forcing it off
the road. Mulder is injured in the crash and loses consciousness. Armed men confront
Krycek and demand the tape. Moments later, a blinding white light emanates from Krycek’s
body and strobes the armed men.
Scully visits Mulder at the hospital where he’s recuperating from injuries suffered in the
car crash. Scully produces lab tests that prove Skinner’s assailant and her sister’s killer are
one and the same. Later, the agents examine the diver’s suit Gauthier wore during the
salvage mission. Mulder points out a layer of diesel oil covering the suit. He believes the oil
is a medium used by an extraterrestrial to jump from host to host. Krycek, Mulder
postulates, is the alien’s latest host.
With the aid of the Lone Gunmen, Mulder recovers a package believed to contain the
digital tape. The tape case inside the package is empty, but faint pen strokes on the outside
of the paper package reveal the Well-Manicured Man’s phone number. Mulder arranges a
face-to-face meeting in hopes of learning Krycek’s location. Krycek, meanwhile, gives the
tape to the Cigarette-Smoking Man.
During their meeting, the Well-Manicured Man tells Mulder a UFO was downed by
American pilots over the Pacific Ocean during the second World War. Missions to salvage
the craft failed because of intense radiation. Mulder realizes that the Well-Manicured Man
doesn’t know where Krycek is.
Meanwhile, Scully guards Skinner as he is transported to another hospital. The Hispanic
Man, Luis Cardinal, attempts to gain access to the ambulance. But Scully surprises him and
a chase ensues. Cardinal is struck by an automobile and falls into an alleyway. Terrified
Scully will shoot him, he reveals that Krycek is headed for an abandoned missile site
outside Bismarck, North Dakota.
The agents gain access to the site, but the Cigarette-Smoking Man has them taken into
custody before they can search all the silos. Later, we see Krycek inside a silo where an
alien spacecraft is hidden. The entity exits Krycek’s body, leaving him entombed within the
silo.
Later, Mulder tells Scully that Luis Cardinal was found dead inside his jail cell-a death
made to look like a suicide.
THE X-FILES “APOCRYPHA” #3X16
Original Air Date: 2/16/96
CAST:
DAVID DUCHOVNY as Special Agent Fox Mulder
GILLIAN ANDERSON as Special Agent Dana Scully
GUEST CAST:
MITCH PILEGGI as Assistant Director Walter Skinner
NIC LEA as Alex Krycek
LENNO BRITOS as Hispanic Man
PETER SCOULAR as the sick crewman
CRAIG WARKENTOIN as Young Cigarette Smoking Man
HARRISON R. COE as 3rd Government Man
RICHARD HERSLEY as Capt. Kyle Sanford
KEVIN MCNULTY as Agent Fuller
SUE MATHEW as Agent Caleca
DAVID KAYE as the Doctor
BRENDAN BEISER as Agent Pendrell
FRANCIS FLANAGAN as the nurse
WILLIAM B. DAVIS as the Cigarette-Smoking Man
BRUCE HARWOOD as Byers
TOM BRAIDWOOD as Frohike
DEAN HAGLUND as Langly
BRIAN LEVY as the Navy Doctor
JOHN NEVILLE as Well-Manicured Man
DON WILLIAMS as the 1st Elder
STANLEY WALSH as the 2nd Elder
MARTIN EVANS as Major Domo
ERIC BREKER as the ambulance driver
JEFF CHIVERS as armed man #1
WRITTEN BY:
FRANK SPOTNITZ
CHRIS CARTER
DIRECTED BY:
KIM MANNERS
