Episode Summary

An ex-student of Scully's asks Mulder and Scully to help her with her first investigation concerning a number of disappearances with very few clues. Mulder ponders the idea of spontaneous human combustion but rethinks it when they find a man who is afraid of his own shadow.

Episode Details

Cast

Guest Cast

Quotes

Scully: This is Agent Mulder.

Detective Ryan: Hi. Thank you for coming. Heard a lot about you.

Mulder: [to Scully] We'll talk later.


Detective Ryan: Agent Scully, what are you looking at?

Scully: Uh, the heat register.

Detective Ryan: You don't think anyone could have squeezed in there?

Mulder: You never know.


Detective Ryan: Can I ask what you think may have happened?

Mulder: At first blush, spontaneous human combustion.

Scully: [to Ryan] You're doing just fine. [Follows Mulder] Having a little fun?

Mulder: What are you talking about?

Scully: Spontaneous human combustion?

Mulder: I have over a dozen case files of human bodies reduced to ash without any attendant burning or melting. Rapid oxidation without heat.

Scully: Let's just forget for the moment that there's no scientific theory to support it.

Mulder: Okay.


Mulder: Hey Scully, can you spare a prophylactic? [Uses latex glove to screw light bulb back into place] What are the odds of that, huh?

Scully: Darkness covers a multitude of sins.

Mulder: Check this out. My newest tool in the fight against crime. $49.95 at your local hardware store. [Shines a laser pointer through bulb to reveal fingerprints]

Scully: Neat trick. For your birthday I'll buy you a utility belt.


Mulder: Yeah but half of Richmond earns their pay cheque making cancer sticks.


Scully: And what ever happened to spontaneous human combustion?

Mulder: Maybe it's not so spontaneous. Get on the phone to your young detective and tell her to get a detail down to the train station.


Mulder: He's got to be on at least one of these tapes!

Scully: Chances are he's not walking around carrying a sign with an arrow on it.


Mulder: See this guy, he's always here. What's he doing?

Scully: Looking at the floor.

Mulder: Why's he doing that?

Scully: Probably the same reason he spends his whole afternoon in the train station.


Mulder: Powered by what?

Dr Davey: Couple billion megawatts. Virginia Power loved us.


Scully: What are you looking at?

Mulder: In the video tape Dr Banton kept staring at the floor. I've been trying to figure out what he might have been looking at.

Scully: Well, maybe the exposure affected his mind. Nonsensical repetitive behaviour is a common trait of mental illness.

Mulder: You trying to tell me something?


Detective Barron: Yeah, I was just wondering what your involvement is here.

Mulder: We caught the guy.


Scully: Look, the fact is we have no jurisdiction here, we were called in as a favour.

Mulder: And as a favour we just handed over the A-bomb to the boy-scouts.


Mulder: That man is scared. And not just of his own shadow.


Mulder: He believes the government is out to get him.

Mr X: It's tax season. So do most Americans.


Mr X: Dead men can't keep promises. The next time the blood and regret could be yours.


Mulder: Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you, Scully.

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