The X-Files (1993–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Deep Throat - full transcript
Mulder and Scully investigate the mental breakdown and disappearance of a U.S. Air Force officer, Col. Robert Budahas, once a well regarded test pilot. Mulder's research reveals that there is a pattern of breakdowns at Ellens Air Force base but Scully thinks there are any number legitimate medical reasons for what has happened. Mulder is soon in touch with local UFO enthusiasts and learns where in the area is best to view UFOs. He comes across two young people who regularly sneak onto the base through a hole in the fence to sit back and watch. Mulder believes the aircraft the locals are seeing were built using alien technology and it becomes apparent that the U.S. government is hiding something and will go to great lengths to keep it that way. Throughout, Mulder receives advice and a friendly warning from an unknown man, Deep Throat, who warns him to be careful and confirms Mulder's suspicions about aliens.
As soon as we're in position,
we'll be on a count of five.
Excuse me.
That's my house.
Okay, let her through.
What's going on?
- Stand by. Mrs. Budahas?
- Yeah.
Your husband has violated
base security procedure.
He's commandeered
a military vehicle,
is believed to be armed.
- Team one moving in.
- Oh, my God.
You've got to let me
talk to him.
What the hell?
We got him, but he's
going to need a doctor.
Or something.
Hi. I got your message.
Sorry for the runaround.
Can I buy you a drink?
It's 2:00 in the afternoon,
Agent Mulder.
That's not stopping
the rest of these people.
I got something to show you.
Something you couldn't
show me at work?
Let's get a table.
Okay.
That's Colonel Robert Budahas.
That photo was taken last year
when he was a test pilot
for the military
stationed at Ellens Air Base
in southwest Idaho.
Four months ago, Colonel Budahas
experienced a psychotic episode
and barricaded himself
in his home.
The military police
were called in.
Budahas was removed
and apparently hospitalized
for the treatment
of his condition.
Which was what exactly?
The military will not comment
on the cause, nature or status.
In fact, the military
will not comment
- on Colonel Budahas at all.
- What do you mean?
Mrs. Budahas has neither
seen nor heard from her husband
in over four months.
Her inquiries to the military
have gone unanswered.
Last month,
she contacted the FBI
and reported it as a kidnapping.
What reason would
the military have to kidnap
one of their own pilots?
That's the $64,000 question,
Scully.
Since 1963, six pilots
have been listed
missing in action
from Ellens Air Base.
The military will say
only that these pilots
accepted the risks
of flying experimental aircraft.
Yeah, there are rumors
those pilots were
shot down at high altitudes
while they were routinely
penetrating Russian airspace.
There were other rumors, too.
I've been tracking this case
since it came through the Boise
regional office last month.
Last week,
for reasons I can't figure out,
it was deprioritized.
They shelved this case without
an investigation, Scully.
So...
So you and I are
going to the Spud State
to investigate
a little kidnapping.
I don't get it, Mulder.
Does this have something
to do with an X File?
I thought you only liked
those paranormal-type cases.
Am I missing something here?
Let's just say this case
has a... distinct smell to it.
A certain
paranormal bouquet.
Excuse me.
Leave this case alone,
Agent Mulder.
What?
The military will not tolerate
an FBI investigation.
Who are you?
I, uh... can be of help to you.
I've had a certain interest
in your work.
Sorry.
How do you know about my work?
Let's just say
that I'm a position to know
quite a lot of things...
things about our government.
Who are you?
Who do you work for?
It's unimportant.
I came here to give you
some valuable advice.
You are exposing yourself
and Agent Scully
to unnecessary risk.
I advise you to drop the case.
I can't do that.
You have much work to do,
Agent Mulder.
Don't jeopardize the future
of your own efforts.
You okay, Mulder?
Yeah. I'm fine.
Hello.
- Mulder...
- Yeah.
I checked on that file
you gave me.
Uh-huh.
You failed to tell me
a few things.
This isn't some UFO goose chase
you're leading me on, is it?
Are you there, Mulder?
Yeah.
Did you hear what I said?
Because the Bureau has it
out for us already
and it would make us appear
pretty stupid
if my field report
read like some tabloid story.
Uh, listen, I don't want
to talk about it on this line.
I'll talk to you about it
on the flight out, okay?
Hello?
Mrs. Budahas?
Yes.
We're from the FBI.
Oh, yes.
Please, come in.
I started noticing it
about two years ago.
Bob developed this rash
under his arms.
We'd been doing
some renovations on the house
so we thought it was a reaction
to the paint stripper,
but then everything
just went crazy.
How do you mean?
Bob's whole personality...
it was so unpredictable.
He started doing things...
What kinds of things?
It was kind of
embarrassing at first.
We were having
this dinner party once and, um,
he sprinkled
Tetra Meal D all over his food.
Hm...?
That's fish food flakes.
You ever talk to him about this?
I tried.
It was extremely difficult.
Bob would get so angry, he'd...
yell at the kids for no reason.
And then,
and then he would shake
like he was having a seizure.
Did he ever talk about his work?
It was never discussed,
even before the problems.
I knew that he worked
on top secret projects...
word gets around...
but Bob was always
a patriot first.
He took loyalty to his country
as an oath,
and now they treat us like
strange...
I just want my husband back.
You know the government
is not above the law.
They cannot
withhold information.
And-and then I think...
well, what if he's...?
How would I support the family?
You said word gets around.
I'm sorry, um...
Have you ever heard of this
happening to anyone else?
Um... yeah.
Verla McLennen's husband...
he went kind of crazy.
But it's not like
he didn't get to come home.
How long has he been...?
Almost two years.
The fly-fishing idea
was his brother Hank's.
I was upset, at first,
but when you're the wife
of a test pilot,
you thank God
just to have him home alive.
Mrs. McLennen?
Has anyone ever offered
to explain what caused this?
Stress, I guess.
You have to understand...
the military deals with things
in a certain way.
They've given him plenty
of therapy and treatment
and I'm thankful for that.
They've taken good care of us.
And, you know, they do
volunteer for their jobs.
Really, Anita...
bringing the FBI to my house.
Here... I've, um, I've
called all the numbers
about a thousand times.
Please, let me know
what you find out.
We'll be staying at
the Beach Grove Motel,
if you need anything, okay?
Thanks.
Come on, kids.
So what did you make of
Uncle Fester, down the block?
Oh... It's called stereotypy.
It's a syndrome produced
by extreme stress.
P.O.W.'s have been known
to suffer from it.
They've studied it
in zoo animals.
Yeah, but these guys
aren't zoo animals,
they're test pilots.
They're not supposed
to fold under pressure,
they're supposed
to thrive on it.
Ever hear of something
called the Aurora Project?
Yeah, that's the unacknowledged
code name for some new kind of
Defense Department
surveillance project.
The Pentagon
has all but admitted
they've been testing
a secret class
of suborbital spycraft
over the western U.S.
Maybe these guys
are flying those planes.
Maybe these guys
are the washouts.
You saw the photos on
the wall in there.
This guy Budahas received
a presidential commendation.
He's never washed out of
anything in his life.
Been on hold with the base
director of communications
for 45 minutes.
How about you?
Yeah, somebody
named Colonel Kissell
will meet with us...
a week from Friday.
Yeah, right.
Did you say Kissell?
Colonel Kissell?
Yes?
Can I talk with you?
Special Agent Mulder, FBI.
I've got nothing to say.
Please! This is an invasion
of my privacy.
Why don't you talk to us
about Colonel Budahas?
Why don't you get the hell
out of my yard?
Good thing we still kept
that appointment.
Hi.
Are you the FBI agents?
I'm Paul Mossinger.
I, uh, work for the local paper.
We live a few houses down
from Verla McLennen.
She said you guys are out here
looking into this Budahas thing.
We're just looking around.
I got you. Right.
A lot of people out here
just looking around.
UFO nuts mostly,
but it's not every day
we get FBI.
By the time you hear them,
they're already gone.
So this Budahas thing...
are you getting anywhere?
We're not at liberty to comment.
Well...
Paul... right?
You've lived in this area
a while.
You ever seen a UFO?
Never.
Bunch of hooey, if you ask me.
People see what
they want to see.
But if I wanted to talk
to one of those UFO nuts
that you referred to earlier,
where would I go?
F-15 Eagle,
pulling about four g's.
Those boys think
they are such hotshots.
Get a few drinks in them,
you'd think it was them up there
flapping their wings.
Who's the photographer?
Various and sundry.
I took the one on the end there.
You're kidding.
Where?
Out on the back porch.
Taking out the garbage.
And there it was...
just hovering.
Quiet like a hummingbird.
For a minute there, I thought
it was going to land
in the parking lot
and I was going
to serve 'em lunch.
I'm selling limited
edition prints, $20.
Down to my last five,
if you're interested.
Put it on my tab.
Sucker.
What would be the chances
of someone like me seeing a UFO?
Catch you outside.
You want to see
something weird, Mulder?
Ellens Air Base isn't even
on my USGS quadrant map.
I know.
Let's go.
You know?
Where are we going?
We got our own map, sucker.
What do you honestly
hope to see?
I don't know.
Maybe nothing.
Is this why we came out here,
Mulder?
To look for UFOs?
Yeah, this is going to look
real good on my field report.
Scully, wake up.
You gotta see this.
What are they?
I don't know.
Just keep watching.
It's unbelievable.
That's unreal.
I've never seen
anything like it.
They've been going at it like
that for almost half an hour.
So it can't be aircraft.
Aircraft can't maneuver
like that.
What else could they be?
I don't know, lasers, maybe...
being shot from the ground,
reflecting up off the clouds.
Oh, my God.
Here comes another one.
That's not a plane,
that's a helicopter.
...come on!...
- Hey!
- Let's get out of here!
Okay, don't shoot.
Stay right there.
We didn't do anything.
Come on!
That was extreme.
Let's go.
You're coming with us.
What?
So, what exactly were you guys
doing in there?
We were, um...
we were just...
We kind of have this spot.
You know, we go
and we kind of kick back
and listen to some tunes
and, uh, watch the air show.
Were you ever chased out before?
No... first time, right?
Our friend showed us
the hole in the fence
about a year ago.
Oh! One time
they dropped these bombs... whoa.
Yeah, it was kind of heavy.
Oh, uh, there's this place
uh, called
the Yellow Base, right?
Where they're supposed
to store all this stuff.
And my friend said
that there's land mines
all around it
and junk like that.
I've got a 20. Over.
Roger, Redbird.
Assume fallback position.
We're opening the cage.
Redbird out.
Sometimes they come in real low
and just put on
the skidders, right?
It's like...
and then they just
hang there and hover
without making a sound,
and you just think,
you know, who turned down
the volume, right?
What do you think they are?
Okay, everybody thinks
that they're, like, UFOs
but I think it's some kind of
Star Wars cybertech newfangled
hardware, right?
I don't know,
they'll probably roll it out
for Desert Storm II
or something like that.
Cruise right over
Saddam's house, you know?
He'd be, like, what?
Do they look anything like this?
No.
They look exactly like that.
Thanks.
Later, dude.
What's that?
Evidence.
Kids today, huh?
You believe it all, don't you?
Why wouldn't I?
Mulder, did you see their eyes?
If I were that stoned...
Ooh! If you were
that stoned, what?
Mulder, you could've shown
that kid a picture of
a flying hamburger,
and he would have told you
that's exactly what he saw.
All right, I want
to show you something.
This is a photo of a UFO
that reportedly crashed
in Roswell, New Mexico,
in 1947.
Now, I know you don't
believe that story
but just hear me out.
Now, Ellens Air Base,
the same base that
we're at right now...
the same base that,
for some strange reason,
doesn't appear on your
U.S. Government map...
is supposedly
one of the six sites
where parts from the
wreckage were shipped.
Mulder, are you suggesting
that the military
is flying UFOs?
No.
Planes built
using UFO technology.
Mulder, come on!
You've got two blurry photos
one of them taken
almost 50 years ago
and another one you purchased
today, in a roadside diner.
You're going out
on a pretty big limb.
Tell me there isn't
a remarkable resemblance.
Tell me one good reason
why either of these photos
is authentic.
You saw exactly what I saw
in the sky tonight.
What do you think they were?
Just because I can't explain it
doesn't mean I'm going
to believe they were UFOs.
Unidentified Flying Objects.
I think that fits
the description pretty well.
Tell me I'm crazy.
Mulder, you're crazy.
And it still
doesn't explain to me
what happened
to Colonel Budahas.
Thanks.
You're welcome.
You didn't come to raid
my mini-bar, did you?
You ready for this?
What?
We got a message
from Mrs. Budahas.
Her husband
came home last night.
We got your message.
Mrs. Budahas,
are you okay?
Come inside.
What is it?
What?
What's wrong?
That...
is not my husband.
Honey...
who are these people?
That is not him.
That is not my husband.
They've done something to him.
What are you talking about?
It's okay, it's okay.
Just relax.
I'm Special Agent Mulder
from the FBI.
We're out here investigating
your disappearance,
Colonel Budahas.
I'm wondering if you have
any explanation
of your whereabouts
over the past four months.
I was in the hospital.
Here? On base?
I think so.
Colonel Budahas, do you mind
if I ask you your birth date?
November 21, 1948.
And the names of your kids.
Josh and Leslie.
They're right there.
Yeah.
Green Bay fan.
Yes, sir.
Bet you remember
the Super Bowl of '68, huh?
Don Chandler.
Kicked four field goals.
Lombardi's last game.
Why do I have to answer
these questions?
It's not him.
Colonel... Colonel Budahas,
you're a pilot,
isn't that right?
Yes, sir.
Bet you've flown
just about everything
with two wings.
I got this hotshot pilot friend
who said he could do an Immelman
at a sustained eight g's.
Is that possible?
I... I don't...
I can't...
Anita...
I can't remember.
No...
Mulder, would you explain to me
what's going on?
I think they rewired
that man's brain...
some kind of selective
memory drain.
The brain doesn't work
like that, Mulder.
You can't just go in there
and erase certain files.
Then you explain it to me.
There are types of amnesia
that...
This is not amnesia...
I think it's something
far more deliberate
and insidious.
All I'm saying is that the
science or medical technology
to do what you are suggesting
does not exist.
And neither does the technology
to fly the aircraft
we saw last night.
Listen to me, Scully,
they can do this.
That man, he should have known
the answer to the question.
It just wasn't
in his head anymore.
Even if they could,
why would they do such a thing?
To control information.
I think that after
his psychotic episode,
Colonel Budahas
became a security risk.
It couldn't just be that
he had a nervous breakdown
with a concomitant memory lapse?
No, I think that men
like Colonel Budahas
are physiologically incapable
of dealing with the stress of
flying the aircraft we saw.
Of doing those maneuvers
at those speeds.
I mean, we're talking
about a technology
that is so sensitive
and advanced
that it's taken almost 50 years
to make it work.
UFO technology, Scully.
- What the hell is this?!
- Hold on!
Please, step out of the car.
You think
if maybe we ignore him,
he'll go away?
Please, step out of the car.
Guess not.
Special Agent Mulder, FBI.
Federal agents.
You want to tell me
what this is about?
National security.
Now get in your car.
You'll be escorted
back to your motel.
You'll pack and
leave town immediately
or assume the consequences
of intense indiscretion.
Nothing under
Idaho plate CC1356?
No plate registered
under that number?
Thanks, Gail.
No, no, no.
I'm sure
the other one's bogus too.
Bye.
So who were those guys?
I don't think it was those kids
they were chasing away
from the base last night.
I think it was us.
They knew we were coming
before we ever arrived
and they returned
Colonel Budahas as a decoy.
There's something
I didn't tell you, Scully.
Something else?
I was approached by a man in DC
who warned me to
stay away from this case.
He didn't give me his name
and my phone was being tapped.
What?!
Why would they go
to all this trouble?
Out of a need for security?
Security of what?
I think there's a huge
conspiracy here, Scully.
They've got a UFO here,
I'm sure of it,
and they'll do anything
to keep it a secret
including sacrificing lives
and minds of those pilots
because what if that secret
got out?
If... if...
that were true...
it would be a national scandal.
No, no, you're not thinking
big enough.
If it were true,
it would be confirmation
of the existence
of extraterrestrial life.
Did you ever stop to think
that what we saw was simply
an experimental plane
like the Stealth bomber
or this Aurora Project?
Doesn't the government
have a right
and a responsibility
to protect its secrets?
Yes, but at what cost?
When does the human cost
become too high
for the building
of a better machine?
These are questions
we have no business asking.
Our kidnap victim
is no longer outstanding.
Let's get out of here, Mulder,
while you still have a job.
Aren't you even curious?
Um...
I'm going to shower, I'll pack,
and then we'll get out of here.
Mulder!
Where are you going?
Right here.
Hey, aren't you guys coming?
No, we've...
you know, we've
only gone in at night.
Okay.
This spot you told me about
where you watched the air show,
how far is it?
45 minutes?
Will I be able to find it?
Just stay on the path.
And what about this
other place you told me about...
Yellow Base,
- where they hangar them...?
- Don't. Don't even.
It's like... ten miles.
Nobody's ever... nobody's ever
been that far!
Hey, don't go past the edge
of the tall weeds.
Oh, man.
Did we tell him about
the land mines and junk?
Hey!
You got him! Go! Go!
No!
Come on, hold him.
Oxygen.
Yeah, I'm-I'm trying to make
a call to Washington, DC,
and I can't seem to get
a long-distance line.
Hello? Hello?
Excuse me.
Um, my phone's not working.
Can I use yours to make
a credit card call, please?
Sure thing.
Thank you.
This one's not working either.
Phones are pretty
undependable around here.
People say
it's the military interference,
but they say that
about everything.
Thanks.
Hi.
I was just looking for you.
I knocked but I saw the door
was open.
I was in the lobby,
trying to make a call.
Phones down again?
Yeah.
Base to Redbird.
Can you give us
your position? Over.
Redbird, do you copy?
What are you doing?
Excuse me.
There's nothing in there.
Against the car!
Hands on the car!
Do it!
Put the gun down,
and we'll talk about it.
I said hands against the car!
Who are you?
You're a long way from home,
Dr. Scully.
Nobody wants this
to come to violence now.
Where's Mulder?
We took him to the base.
We waited for him.
I want you to get on
that walkie-talkie
and find out where Mulder is.
I don't think I can do that.
I think you can
or I'm going to have every
newspaper in America out here
writing about
your experimental aircraft!
Vitals...
Respiration is normal.
Blood pressure... 120/50.
There are other ways
to go about this.
Yeah, I've already seen
where you get
with tears and a sad story.
Package is arriving...
Roger.
What are we doing?
Waiting.
I want the car running.
I said start the car!
And put your hands on the wheel
where I can see them.
You do anything stupid
and this situation could get big
in a hurry.
Yeah, you just keep
telling yourself that.
Intruder arriving.
Copy.
I want you to keep
the car running
and step out of the car.
Get in the car, Mulder.
Get in the car!
I just want to say,
everything you've seen here
is equal to the
protection we give it.
It's you who have acted
inappropriately.
You okay, Mulder?
I think so.
Scully, I...
What?
How did I get here?
Hi.
Hello.
We came by to see
how your husband was doing.
Oh, he's fine.
He's getting much better now.
Do you think maybe
we could see him?
Um, well, he's resting now.
Who is it now?
Thank you for your concern.
They got to her, Scully.
They were here.
They must've threatened
her and Budahas...
That's enough, Mulder!
We don't know anything...
anything more
than when we got here...
and that's what I'm going
to write in my field report.
Let's get out of here, Mulder...
as fast as we can.
Lieutenant Colonel
Robert Budahas
was returned to his home,
though his own knowledge of his
disappearance and whereabouts
is vague and inconclusive.
Special Agent Mulder's
insistence
that Budahas may have been
a test pilot
on a top secret project
involving aircraft using
"recovered UFO" technology
and may have suffered severe
stress-related trauma
by flying these aircraft
is also inconclusive.
Though this agent
can corroborate
Agent Mulder's
eyewitness account
of two
unidentified flying objects
in the northern sky
over Ellens Air Base,
their exact nature or design
could not be determined.
Barring further authorized
inquiry, this case...
Your lives may be in danger.
Why?
Mm, you've seen things
that weren't to be seen.
Care and discretion
are now imperative.
I saw something I...
As I said,
I can provide you
with information
but only so long as it's in
my best interest to do so.
What is your interest?
The truth.
I did see something...
but it's gone.
They took it from me.
They erased it.
You have to tell me what it was.
A military UFO.
Mr. Mulder,
why are those like yourself
who believe in the existence
of extraterrestrial life
on this earth not dissuaded
by all the evidence
to the contrary?
Because... all the evidence
to the contrary
is not entirely dissuasive.
Precisely.
They're here, aren't they?
Mr. Mulder, they've been here
for a long, long time.
we'll be on a count of five.
Excuse me.
That's my house.
Okay, let her through.
What's going on?
- Stand by. Mrs. Budahas?
- Yeah.
Your husband has violated
base security procedure.
He's commandeered
a military vehicle,
is believed to be armed.
- Team one moving in.
- Oh, my God.
You've got to let me
talk to him.
What the hell?
We got him, but he's
going to need a doctor.
Or something.
Hi. I got your message.
Sorry for the runaround.
Can I buy you a drink?
It's 2:00 in the afternoon,
Agent Mulder.
That's not stopping
the rest of these people.
I got something to show you.
Something you couldn't
show me at work?
Let's get a table.
Okay.
That's Colonel Robert Budahas.
That photo was taken last year
when he was a test pilot
for the military
stationed at Ellens Air Base
in southwest Idaho.
Four months ago, Colonel Budahas
experienced a psychotic episode
and barricaded himself
in his home.
The military police
were called in.
Budahas was removed
and apparently hospitalized
for the treatment
of his condition.
Which was what exactly?
The military will not comment
on the cause, nature or status.
In fact, the military
will not comment
- on Colonel Budahas at all.
- What do you mean?
Mrs. Budahas has neither
seen nor heard from her husband
in over four months.
Her inquiries to the military
have gone unanswered.
Last month,
she contacted the FBI
and reported it as a kidnapping.
What reason would
the military have to kidnap
one of their own pilots?
That's the $64,000 question,
Scully.
Since 1963, six pilots
have been listed
missing in action
from Ellens Air Base.
The military will say
only that these pilots
accepted the risks
of flying experimental aircraft.
Yeah, there are rumors
those pilots were
shot down at high altitudes
while they were routinely
penetrating Russian airspace.
There were other rumors, too.
I've been tracking this case
since it came through the Boise
regional office last month.
Last week,
for reasons I can't figure out,
it was deprioritized.
They shelved this case without
an investigation, Scully.
So...
So you and I are
going to the Spud State
to investigate
a little kidnapping.
I don't get it, Mulder.
Does this have something
to do with an X File?
I thought you only liked
those paranormal-type cases.
Am I missing something here?
Let's just say this case
has a... distinct smell to it.
A certain
paranormal bouquet.
Excuse me.
Leave this case alone,
Agent Mulder.
What?
The military will not tolerate
an FBI investigation.
Who are you?
I, uh... can be of help to you.
I've had a certain interest
in your work.
Sorry.
How do you know about my work?
Let's just say
that I'm a position to know
quite a lot of things...
things about our government.
Who are you?
Who do you work for?
It's unimportant.
I came here to give you
some valuable advice.
You are exposing yourself
and Agent Scully
to unnecessary risk.
I advise you to drop the case.
I can't do that.
You have much work to do,
Agent Mulder.
Don't jeopardize the future
of your own efforts.
You okay, Mulder?
Yeah. I'm fine.
Hello.
- Mulder...
- Yeah.
I checked on that file
you gave me.
Uh-huh.
You failed to tell me
a few things.
This isn't some UFO goose chase
you're leading me on, is it?
Are you there, Mulder?
Yeah.
Did you hear what I said?
Because the Bureau has it
out for us already
and it would make us appear
pretty stupid
if my field report
read like some tabloid story.
Uh, listen, I don't want
to talk about it on this line.
I'll talk to you about it
on the flight out, okay?
Hello?
Mrs. Budahas?
Yes.
We're from the FBI.
Oh, yes.
Please, come in.
I started noticing it
about two years ago.
Bob developed this rash
under his arms.
We'd been doing
some renovations on the house
so we thought it was a reaction
to the paint stripper,
but then everything
just went crazy.
How do you mean?
Bob's whole personality...
it was so unpredictable.
He started doing things...
What kinds of things?
It was kind of
embarrassing at first.
We were having
this dinner party once and, um,
he sprinkled
Tetra Meal D all over his food.
Hm...?
That's fish food flakes.
You ever talk to him about this?
I tried.
It was extremely difficult.
Bob would get so angry, he'd...
yell at the kids for no reason.
And then,
and then he would shake
like he was having a seizure.
Did he ever talk about his work?
It was never discussed,
even before the problems.
I knew that he worked
on top secret projects...
word gets around...
but Bob was always
a patriot first.
He took loyalty to his country
as an oath,
and now they treat us like
strange...
I just want my husband back.
You know the government
is not above the law.
They cannot
withhold information.
And-and then I think...
well, what if he's...?
How would I support the family?
You said word gets around.
I'm sorry, um...
Have you ever heard of this
happening to anyone else?
Um... yeah.
Verla McLennen's husband...
he went kind of crazy.
But it's not like
he didn't get to come home.
How long has he been...?
Almost two years.
The fly-fishing idea
was his brother Hank's.
I was upset, at first,
but when you're the wife
of a test pilot,
you thank God
just to have him home alive.
Mrs. McLennen?
Has anyone ever offered
to explain what caused this?
Stress, I guess.
You have to understand...
the military deals with things
in a certain way.
They've given him plenty
of therapy and treatment
and I'm thankful for that.
They've taken good care of us.
And, you know, they do
volunteer for their jobs.
Really, Anita...
bringing the FBI to my house.
Here... I've, um, I've
called all the numbers
about a thousand times.
Please, let me know
what you find out.
We'll be staying at
the Beach Grove Motel,
if you need anything, okay?
Thanks.
Come on, kids.
So what did you make of
Uncle Fester, down the block?
Oh... It's called stereotypy.
It's a syndrome produced
by extreme stress.
P.O.W.'s have been known
to suffer from it.
They've studied it
in zoo animals.
Yeah, but these guys
aren't zoo animals,
they're test pilots.
They're not supposed
to fold under pressure,
they're supposed
to thrive on it.
Ever hear of something
called the Aurora Project?
Yeah, that's the unacknowledged
code name for some new kind of
Defense Department
surveillance project.
The Pentagon
has all but admitted
they've been testing
a secret class
of suborbital spycraft
over the western U.S.
Maybe these guys
are flying those planes.
Maybe these guys
are the washouts.
You saw the photos on
the wall in there.
This guy Budahas received
a presidential commendation.
He's never washed out of
anything in his life.
Been on hold with the base
director of communications
for 45 minutes.
How about you?
Yeah, somebody
named Colonel Kissell
will meet with us...
a week from Friday.
Yeah, right.
Did you say Kissell?
Colonel Kissell?
Yes?
Can I talk with you?
Special Agent Mulder, FBI.
I've got nothing to say.
Please! This is an invasion
of my privacy.
Why don't you talk to us
about Colonel Budahas?
Why don't you get the hell
out of my yard?
Good thing we still kept
that appointment.
Hi.
Are you the FBI agents?
I'm Paul Mossinger.
I, uh, work for the local paper.
We live a few houses down
from Verla McLennen.
She said you guys are out here
looking into this Budahas thing.
We're just looking around.
I got you. Right.
A lot of people out here
just looking around.
UFO nuts mostly,
but it's not every day
we get FBI.
By the time you hear them,
they're already gone.
So this Budahas thing...
are you getting anywhere?
We're not at liberty to comment.
Well...
Paul... right?
You've lived in this area
a while.
You ever seen a UFO?
Never.
Bunch of hooey, if you ask me.
People see what
they want to see.
But if I wanted to talk
to one of those UFO nuts
that you referred to earlier,
where would I go?
F-15 Eagle,
pulling about four g's.
Those boys think
they are such hotshots.
Get a few drinks in them,
you'd think it was them up there
flapping their wings.
Who's the photographer?
Various and sundry.
I took the one on the end there.
You're kidding.
Where?
Out on the back porch.
Taking out the garbage.
And there it was...
just hovering.
Quiet like a hummingbird.
For a minute there, I thought
it was going to land
in the parking lot
and I was going
to serve 'em lunch.
I'm selling limited
edition prints, $20.
Down to my last five,
if you're interested.
Put it on my tab.
Sucker.
What would be the chances
of someone like me seeing a UFO?
Catch you outside.
You want to see
something weird, Mulder?
Ellens Air Base isn't even
on my USGS quadrant map.
I know.
Let's go.
You know?
Where are we going?
We got our own map, sucker.
What do you honestly
hope to see?
I don't know.
Maybe nothing.
Is this why we came out here,
Mulder?
To look for UFOs?
Yeah, this is going to look
real good on my field report.
Scully, wake up.
You gotta see this.
What are they?
I don't know.
Just keep watching.
It's unbelievable.
That's unreal.
I've never seen
anything like it.
They've been going at it like
that for almost half an hour.
So it can't be aircraft.
Aircraft can't maneuver
like that.
What else could they be?
I don't know, lasers, maybe...
being shot from the ground,
reflecting up off the clouds.
Oh, my God.
Here comes another one.
That's not a plane,
that's a helicopter.
...come on!...
- Hey!
- Let's get out of here!
Okay, don't shoot.
Stay right there.
We didn't do anything.
Come on!
That was extreme.
Let's go.
You're coming with us.
What?
So, what exactly were you guys
doing in there?
We were, um...
we were just...
We kind of have this spot.
You know, we go
and we kind of kick back
and listen to some tunes
and, uh, watch the air show.
Were you ever chased out before?
No... first time, right?
Our friend showed us
the hole in the fence
about a year ago.
Oh! One time
they dropped these bombs... whoa.
Yeah, it was kind of heavy.
Oh, uh, there's this place
uh, called
the Yellow Base, right?
Where they're supposed
to store all this stuff.
And my friend said
that there's land mines
all around it
and junk like that.
I've got a 20. Over.
Roger, Redbird.
Assume fallback position.
We're opening the cage.
Redbird out.
Sometimes they come in real low
and just put on
the skidders, right?
It's like...
and then they just
hang there and hover
without making a sound,
and you just think,
you know, who turned down
the volume, right?
What do you think they are?
Okay, everybody thinks
that they're, like, UFOs
but I think it's some kind of
Star Wars cybertech newfangled
hardware, right?
I don't know,
they'll probably roll it out
for Desert Storm II
or something like that.
Cruise right over
Saddam's house, you know?
He'd be, like, what?
Do they look anything like this?
No.
They look exactly like that.
Thanks.
Later, dude.
What's that?
Evidence.
Kids today, huh?
You believe it all, don't you?
Why wouldn't I?
Mulder, did you see their eyes?
If I were that stoned...
Ooh! If you were
that stoned, what?
Mulder, you could've shown
that kid a picture of
a flying hamburger,
and he would have told you
that's exactly what he saw.
All right, I want
to show you something.
This is a photo of a UFO
that reportedly crashed
in Roswell, New Mexico,
in 1947.
Now, I know you don't
believe that story
but just hear me out.
Now, Ellens Air Base,
the same base that
we're at right now...
the same base that,
for some strange reason,
doesn't appear on your
U.S. Government map...
is supposedly
one of the six sites
where parts from the
wreckage were shipped.
Mulder, are you suggesting
that the military
is flying UFOs?
No.
Planes built
using UFO technology.
Mulder, come on!
You've got two blurry photos
one of them taken
almost 50 years ago
and another one you purchased
today, in a roadside diner.
You're going out
on a pretty big limb.
Tell me there isn't
a remarkable resemblance.
Tell me one good reason
why either of these photos
is authentic.
You saw exactly what I saw
in the sky tonight.
What do you think they were?
Just because I can't explain it
doesn't mean I'm going
to believe they were UFOs.
Unidentified Flying Objects.
I think that fits
the description pretty well.
Tell me I'm crazy.
Mulder, you're crazy.
And it still
doesn't explain to me
what happened
to Colonel Budahas.
Thanks.
You're welcome.
You didn't come to raid
my mini-bar, did you?
You ready for this?
What?
We got a message
from Mrs. Budahas.
Her husband
came home last night.
We got your message.
Mrs. Budahas,
are you okay?
Come inside.
What is it?
What?
What's wrong?
That...
is not my husband.
Honey...
who are these people?
That is not him.
That is not my husband.
They've done something to him.
What are you talking about?
It's okay, it's okay.
Just relax.
I'm Special Agent Mulder
from the FBI.
We're out here investigating
your disappearance,
Colonel Budahas.
I'm wondering if you have
any explanation
of your whereabouts
over the past four months.
I was in the hospital.
Here? On base?
I think so.
Colonel Budahas, do you mind
if I ask you your birth date?
November 21, 1948.
And the names of your kids.
Josh and Leslie.
They're right there.
Yeah.
Green Bay fan.
Yes, sir.
Bet you remember
the Super Bowl of '68, huh?
Don Chandler.
Kicked four field goals.
Lombardi's last game.
Why do I have to answer
these questions?
It's not him.
Colonel... Colonel Budahas,
you're a pilot,
isn't that right?
Yes, sir.
Bet you've flown
just about everything
with two wings.
I got this hotshot pilot friend
who said he could do an Immelman
at a sustained eight g's.
Is that possible?
I... I don't...
I can't...
Anita...
I can't remember.
No...
Mulder, would you explain to me
what's going on?
I think they rewired
that man's brain...
some kind of selective
memory drain.
The brain doesn't work
like that, Mulder.
You can't just go in there
and erase certain files.
Then you explain it to me.
There are types of amnesia
that...
This is not amnesia...
I think it's something
far more deliberate
and insidious.
All I'm saying is that the
science or medical technology
to do what you are suggesting
does not exist.
And neither does the technology
to fly the aircraft
we saw last night.
Listen to me, Scully,
they can do this.
That man, he should have known
the answer to the question.
It just wasn't
in his head anymore.
Even if they could,
why would they do such a thing?
To control information.
I think that after
his psychotic episode,
Colonel Budahas
became a security risk.
It couldn't just be that
he had a nervous breakdown
with a concomitant memory lapse?
No, I think that men
like Colonel Budahas
are physiologically incapable
of dealing with the stress of
flying the aircraft we saw.
Of doing those maneuvers
at those speeds.
I mean, we're talking
about a technology
that is so sensitive
and advanced
that it's taken almost 50 years
to make it work.
UFO technology, Scully.
- What the hell is this?!
- Hold on!
Please, step out of the car.
You think
if maybe we ignore him,
he'll go away?
Please, step out of the car.
Guess not.
Special Agent Mulder, FBI.
Federal agents.
You want to tell me
what this is about?
National security.
Now get in your car.
You'll be escorted
back to your motel.
You'll pack and
leave town immediately
or assume the consequences
of intense indiscretion.
Nothing under
Idaho plate CC1356?
No plate registered
under that number?
Thanks, Gail.
No, no, no.
I'm sure
the other one's bogus too.
Bye.
So who were those guys?
I don't think it was those kids
they were chasing away
from the base last night.
I think it was us.
They knew we were coming
before we ever arrived
and they returned
Colonel Budahas as a decoy.
There's something
I didn't tell you, Scully.
Something else?
I was approached by a man in DC
who warned me to
stay away from this case.
He didn't give me his name
and my phone was being tapped.
What?!
Why would they go
to all this trouble?
Out of a need for security?
Security of what?
I think there's a huge
conspiracy here, Scully.
They've got a UFO here,
I'm sure of it,
and they'll do anything
to keep it a secret
including sacrificing lives
and minds of those pilots
because what if that secret
got out?
If... if...
that were true...
it would be a national scandal.
No, no, you're not thinking
big enough.
If it were true,
it would be confirmation
of the existence
of extraterrestrial life.
Did you ever stop to think
that what we saw was simply
an experimental plane
like the Stealth bomber
or this Aurora Project?
Doesn't the government
have a right
and a responsibility
to protect its secrets?
Yes, but at what cost?
When does the human cost
become too high
for the building
of a better machine?
These are questions
we have no business asking.
Our kidnap victim
is no longer outstanding.
Let's get out of here, Mulder,
while you still have a job.
Aren't you even curious?
Um...
I'm going to shower, I'll pack,
and then we'll get out of here.
Mulder!
Where are you going?
Right here.
Hey, aren't you guys coming?
No, we've...
you know, we've
only gone in at night.
Okay.
This spot you told me about
where you watched the air show,
how far is it?
45 minutes?
Will I be able to find it?
Just stay on the path.
And what about this
other place you told me about...
Yellow Base,
- where they hangar them...?
- Don't. Don't even.
It's like... ten miles.
Nobody's ever... nobody's ever
been that far!
Hey, don't go past the edge
of the tall weeds.
Oh, man.
Did we tell him about
the land mines and junk?
Hey!
You got him! Go! Go!
No!
Come on, hold him.
Oxygen.
Yeah, I'm-I'm trying to make
a call to Washington, DC,
and I can't seem to get
a long-distance line.
Hello? Hello?
Excuse me.
Um, my phone's not working.
Can I use yours to make
a credit card call, please?
Sure thing.
Thank you.
This one's not working either.
Phones are pretty
undependable around here.
People say
it's the military interference,
but they say that
about everything.
Thanks.
Hi.
I was just looking for you.
I knocked but I saw the door
was open.
I was in the lobby,
trying to make a call.
Phones down again?
Yeah.
Base to Redbird.
Can you give us
your position? Over.
Redbird, do you copy?
What are you doing?
Excuse me.
There's nothing in there.
Against the car!
Hands on the car!
Do it!
Put the gun down,
and we'll talk about it.
I said hands against the car!
Who are you?
You're a long way from home,
Dr. Scully.
Nobody wants this
to come to violence now.
Where's Mulder?
We took him to the base.
We waited for him.
I want you to get on
that walkie-talkie
and find out where Mulder is.
I don't think I can do that.
I think you can
or I'm going to have every
newspaper in America out here
writing about
your experimental aircraft!
Vitals...
Respiration is normal.
Blood pressure... 120/50.
There are other ways
to go about this.
Yeah, I've already seen
where you get
with tears and a sad story.
Package is arriving...
Roger.
What are we doing?
Waiting.
I want the car running.
I said start the car!
And put your hands on the wheel
where I can see them.
You do anything stupid
and this situation could get big
in a hurry.
Yeah, you just keep
telling yourself that.
Intruder arriving.
Copy.
I want you to keep
the car running
and step out of the car.
Get in the car, Mulder.
Get in the car!
I just want to say,
everything you've seen here
is equal to the
protection we give it.
It's you who have acted
inappropriately.
You okay, Mulder?
I think so.
Scully, I...
What?
How did I get here?
Hi.
Hello.
We came by to see
how your husband was doing.
Oh, he's fine.
He's getting much better now.
Do you think maybe
we could see him?
Um, well, he's resting now.
Who is it now?
Thank you for your concern.
They got to her, Scully.
They were here.
They must've threatened
her and Budahas...
That's enough, Mulder!
We don't know anything...
anything more
than when we got here...
and that's what I'm going
to write in my field report.
Let's get out of here, Mulder...
as fast as we can.
Lieutenant Colonel
Robert Budahas
was returned to his home,
though his own knowledge of his
disappearance and whereabouts
is vague and inconclusive.
Special Agent Mulder's
insistence
that Budahas may have been
a test pilot
on a top secret project
involving aircraft using
"recovered UFO" technology
and may have suffered severe
stress-related trauma
by flying these aircraft
is also inconclusive.
Though this agent
can corroborate
Agent Mulder's
eyewitness account
of two
unidentified flying objects
in the northern sky
over Ellens Air Base,
their exact nature or design
could not be determined.
Barring further authorized
inquiry, this case...
Your lives may be in danger.
Why?
Mm, you've seen things
that weren't to be seen.
Care and discretion
are now imperative.
I saw something I...
As I said,
I can provide you
with information
but only so long as it's in
my best interest to do so.
What is your interest?
The truth.
I did see something...
but it's gone.
They took it from me.
They erased it.
You have to tell me what it was.
A military UFO.
Mr. Mulder,
why are those like yourself
who believe in the existence
of extraterrestrial life
on this earth not dissuaded
by all the evidence
to the contrary?
Because... all the evidence
to the contrary
is not entirely dissuasive.
Precisely.
They're here, aren't they?
Mr. Mulder, they've been here
for a long, long time.