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TITLE: So Many Things AUTHOR: Aqualegia EMAIL ADDRESS: Aqualegia@aol.com DATE: 31 July 2004 PAIRING: Krycek/Mulder/Skinner implied ARCHIVE: http://nick-lea.com/fiction/viewuser.php?uid=3D2 SERIES/SEQUEL: No RATING: PG-13 SPOILERS: Mytharc CLASSIFICATION: V R DISCLAIMER: They don't belong to me, I'm just playing with them for a while. NOTES: Thanks to Flutesong for the Lyrics and Ursula for the fine beta. SUMMARY: Written for the "War for the World" Lyric Wheel.
So Many Things
by AqualegiaAlex Krycek sat in the deserted control room, until recently such a hive of activity, staring moodily out of the window... unshuttered for the first time in more years than he cared to remember. He felt a deep feeling of anti-climax, mixed up with foreboding.
His adult life, to this moment in time, had been devoted to the twin goals of defeating the alien invasion and survival... and he didn't know how to deal with the sudden loss of purpose.
There were jobs he had to do; obligations to be met; responsibilities to shoulder; and one last task before he left this room.
Reluctantly he picked up the microphone from where he had tossed it earlier when he'd had a sudden desire to open the shutters, and switched it on. He hesitated for a moment longer, then started speaking. "This is the last report I shall make from this location. Tomorrow we will close this base down and move on. Those who worked here will be transferred to the offices we are refurbishing in Geneva. They have all been cautioned not to speak of this base, or any other they may have served at, just in case we should ever need them again. It is my hope that we never will.
It has been agreed that our interim government will reside in traditionally neutral Switzerland... and it appears we were right to suggest it, for there were no dissenters. If we want to take our place amongst the stars, then we must be united..."
He paused to watch a bird preening itself, then went on, "...become a united planet ...we have lost billions from the world's population; we cannot afford to lose more to petty squabbles over race, colour or creed. We have only got one chance at this, we have to make it work, otherwise all those sacrifices will have been in vain.
"We have gained a lot of advanced technology from our opponents, and from those who came to our aid, deeming us worthy to join the space-going coalition which had fought the predatory Greys for so long. Our unexpected resistance was the genesis of the final victory. Now is the time to look to the future, not back to the past. I think; believe; that we are mature enough to do that." He pushed the button that would end the recording and gave a deep sigh, there were still things he wanted to say, but not on an official record; those thoughts would be for his personal log.
The two men let themselves into the base, and starting by the entrance, walked down either side of the corridor methodically opening every door, checking every room, searching for signs of occupation. The younger, leaner man, pushed open a door to some living quarters, and interrupted a cat in its ablutions. Hissing with displeasure, the cat slid out of the room and stalked away along the corridor. The two men looked at one another, then followed in the cat's wake.
"Computer, open my personal log, and add today's date."
"Personal log open," the female voice replied.
He grinned slightly, with this new, voice activated computer he felt rather like a Star Trek captain. Then he sobered and continued with his thoughts....
"When I joined the resistance, there were still too many kingdoms, too many flags on the field for us to succeed. After we managed to bring down the elders of the Consortium with the files that were my inheritance from 'The Brit', Marita and I sifted through the records to find the research I was sure had been carried out on vaccines and antidotes to infestation by the black oil: it paid off handsomely in other ways too. We were able to take Mulder back to Skinner and Scully, and with our information were finally able to forge an alliance. I remember we told them 'This is our moment; we are, here, at the crossroads of time.' I think I also must have mentioned my thoughts on the flags too, because I heard Mulder use my lines in the speeches he made... or perhaps he just likes the same music I do." He paused as a white cat jumped on to the desk. He rubbed behind her ears, and she stepped daintily into his lap.
"Hello, Duchess. Be a good girl and sit still while I finish up here. Now where was I?"
"Do I have regrets? Yes, I regret a lot of things. I regret that I was too na=EFve to realize what the real goals of the Smoker and his colleagues really were. I regret helping them at all, yet if I hadn't been recruited, and placed alongside Mulder, would anyone else have been motivated enough to become the Brit's heir - maybe, maybe not. Maybe I would still be sitting in the same place I am today.
"Close personal log."
"Log closed," the computer acknowledged.
Lifting the cat gently, so that it rested against his shoulder, he pulled the lever to close the shutters and gave the commands that would start the close-down of the base; soon only the terminal inside the secret entrance, known only to a few people, would still be active and it would be from there that he would give the final commands.
Going out into the corridor he found himself confronted by the two people he least wanted, and least expected, to see; Fox Mulder and Walter Skinner.
His gut clenched. "What are you two doing here? You're supposed to be in Geneva. Is something wrong?"
"Relax, Alex. The next session doesn't start until Monday," Walter told him. "As to why we are here; well, you gave us a lot of information which we've now had time to read... and we now understand most of the choices that you made... not necessarily agree with them, but we understand."
Mulder grinned, then said, "And, Walter and I have been talking, and we decided that we didn't want you disappearing again, so we're taking you back to Geneva with us."
Alex's head swivelled back to Walter as he began to speak again. "Yes, we discovered that we had something in common other than being resistance fighters and ex-agents of the FBI; we had both had a young lover called Alex."
"And we want him back in our lives-"
"But, you hate me."
"I did for a while," Mulder replied, "but it didn't last, especially after I had read the files on my... my father... and then John Doggett told us the story of you risking your life for the sake of a baby and a kitten. That's when I stopped hating."
"As I said, I now understand the choices you had to make," Walter assured him.
Unable to resist their resolution, Alex allowed them to escort him back to his quarters, where much to Duchess's disgust she was thrust into a cat carrier. Mulder carried the cat, Walter carried his duffel bag, so that Alex's hands were free to close up the base.
As they strapped Duchess's carrier into the car that would take them to catch their plane to Geneva, Mulder asked the question that had been bugging him ever since he'd learned that Krycek had a cat. "Alex, why did you call her Duchess?"
Alex looked embarrassed, "It was after the cat in the Aristocats," he mumbled.
Mulder's eyes took on an arrested look, then asked, "And you were Thomas O'Malley rescuing the damsel in distress?"
"I saw myself more as Roquefort the Mouse, actually."
There was a moment of silence then Walter started to laugh, then Mulder and finally Alex joined in, their laughter echoing along the valley as they left the base, and their past, on the first morning of the rest of their lives together.
END
Two Thousand Years Music and Lyrics - Billy Joel In the beginning There was the cold and the night Prophets and angels gave us the fire and the light Man was triumphant Armed with the faith and the will That even the darkest ages couldn't kill Too many kingdoms Too many flags on the field So many battles, so many wounds to be healed Time is relentless Only true love perseveres It's been a long time and now I'm with you After two thousand years This is our moment Here at the crossroads of time We hope our children carry our dreams down the line They are the vintage What kind of life will they live? Is this a curse or a blessing that we give? Sometimes I wonder Why are we so blind to fate? Without compassion, there can be no end to hate No end to sorrow Caused by the same endless fears Why can't we learn from all we've been through After two thousand years? There will be miracles After the last war is won Science and poetry rule in the new world to come Prophets and angels Gave us the power to see What an amazing future there will be And in the evening After the fire and the light One thing is certain: Nothing can hold back the light Time is relentless And as the past disappears We're on the verge of all things new We are two thousand years
Take care
Lynda
Focussed on Nick Lea: http://www.nick-lea.com/
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