In Kazakhstan, former Soviet Union, two teenage boys watch as a UFO disappears behind
a mountain top. The boys run off to tell their families, but as they sprint through the woods,
they come upon an area filled with burning automobiles. A screaming man, his body ablaze,
appears out of the dense smoke, causing the boys to run. One of them, Dmitri, takes refuge
in the woods. The next morning, he is discovered by Krycek, who is in the company of a unit
of Russian soldiers. With the boy in custody, Krycek and his men approach Maria
Covarrubias, who, along with U.N. troops, is sifting through the burned out wreckage. Krycek
tells Maria he knows who she works for–and to tell her superiors he has a witness (Dmitri).
Back in the United States, Mulder takes part in a visiting lecturers forum. He disagrees
with the opinions voiced by his fellow panelists regarding a woman referred to as “Patient
X,” an apparent abductee who seeks answers as to why aliens are on Earth. Mulder
maintains that there is no complicity between the military and alien abductions. Instead, he
believes the government is developing biological warfare and hiding the fact by concocting
stories about “little green men.” When the discussion ends, Mulder is approached by Dr.
Werber, the man who performed regression hypnosis on him five years earlier (leading
Mulder to believe his sister was abducted). Werber reveals that he is Patient X’s doctor. He
arranges a meeting between Mulder and the woman, Cassandra, believing that she will
change his mind regarding his new theory. Cassandra believes the aliens are on Earth to
deliver a message. But something, she fears, has gone wrong.
Krycek extracts information from Dmitri by subjecting him to a beating. He then orders a
Russian doctor to expose the teenager to the alien black oil. The liquid enters Dmitri’s body
through his mouth and nose. Dmitri, his eyes and mouth sewn shut, is then transported back
to the US on a Russian freighter. Meanwhile, Covarrubias briefs Syndicate members on the
mysterious burn site in Kazakhstan. Covarrubias believes the act was aimed at the
Syndicate, and reveals that Krycek captured a witness at the site. Krycek phones the group
and offers to trade Dmitri for all research information pertaining to a vaccine against the
black oil.
At the FBI building, Scully is approached by Agent Spender, who identifies himself as
Cassandra’s son. Spender tells Scully that his mother is a very disturbed woman. Later,
Scully tells Mulder about the conversation. She then peruses Cassandra’s medical file,
growing intrigued when she realizes Cassandra claims to have been abducted at Skyland
Mountain, the same site where Scully was taken by Duane Barry. The file also reveals that
Cassandra has an implant in the base of her neck. Mulder brushes off the findings, agreeing
with Spender’s conclusion. But so intrigued is Scully by the developments that she pays
Cassandra a visit at the psychiatric hospital. There, she grows unnerved when Cassandra
tells her that some nights she awakens feeling as though she must be somewhere, but not
knowing where to go.
Meanwhile, a group of abductees gather at Skyland Mountain. As an Unknown Man drives
down the mountain road, he encounters faceless men chasing another man. One of the
faceless men drives a metallic wand into the Running Man’s back, setting him ablaze. Later,
Mulder and Scully inspect the site. The situation forces Scully in the opposite position she
would normally take, for despite a lack of evidence, she believes the event is linked to her
abduction. The agents are contacted by Cassandra, who warns “they” must be stopped. The
agents are then approached by Spender, who explains that his mother was part of a UFO
cult.
Back at the Syndicate office, group members conclude that the latest burning is aimed at
sabotaging their work. Quiet Willy is dispatched to deal with the situation. Meanwhile,
Covarrubias rendezvous with Krycek at the freighter, which is docked in New York Harbor.
The two share a hungry kiss, then exit so they can be alone. When Krycek returns, Dmitri
has vanished. The Well-Manicured Man appears, demanding to know where the boy has
gone.
After examining the evidence, Mulder concludes the victims of the mass burning were led
to Skyland Mountain by the government when it triggered the implant devices. But he is at a
loss to explain why they were killed. Their conversation is interrupted by a call from
Covarrubias, who informs Mulder of the similar incident in former Soviet Union, and of the
witness, Dmitri. Suddenly, the black oil oozes from Dmitri, and Covarrubias drops the phone.
Scully suffers an attack–not unlike the one Cassandra described earlier. She travels to
Ruskin Dam, where a throng of people have gathered, including Cassandra, in the company
of Quiet Willy, and Dmitri, the stitches having been torn from his eyes and mouth. A glowing
ship passes overhead and disappears over adjacent treetops. Suddenly, screams are heard
from the far edge of the congregation, where faceless men wielding alien weapons set
people ablaze.
To Be Continued…
THE X-FILES “PATIENT X” #5X13
Original Air Date: 03/01/98
CAST:
DAVID DUCHOVNY as Special Agent Fox Mulder
GILLIAN ANDERSON as Special Agent Dana Scully
GUEST CAST:
NICHOLAS LEA as Alex Krycek
VERONICA CARTWRIGHT as Cassandra
LAURIE HOLDEN as Maria Covarrubias
CHRIS OWENS as Special Agent Jeffery Spender
JIM JANSEN as Dr. Heitz Werber
JOHN NEVILLE as the Well-Manicured Man
BRIAN THOMPSON as The Bounty Hunter
ALEX SHOSTAK, JR. as Dmitri
DON S. WILLIAMS as Elder
RON HALDER as Dr. Floyd Fazio
KURT MAX RUNTE as Ranger
JOHN MOORE as 2nd Elder
RAOUL GANEEN as Guard
ANATOL REZMERITSA as Commandant
MAX WYMAN as Dr. Per Lagerqvist
BARBARA DYKE as Dr. Dominique
Alepin
WILLY ROSS as Quiet Willy
WRITTEN BY:
CHRIS CARTER FRANK SPOTNITZ
DIRECTED BY:
KIM MANNERS
