The Locket Investigation
FBI Headquarters, Washington D.C.
Office of Assuistant Director Skinner
Monday, 8:06 a.m.
Assistant Director Skinner nodded as they entered, his
glasses gleaming as he sat behind his desk, a few
beads of sweat on his bald head. "Good morning
agents," he said a bit tiredly, "glad you could make
it."
Fox Mulder sat down with a tired sigh, running a hand
through his dark brown hair. "I wish you hadn't had to
pull us away from Roswell, sir," he said respectfully,
"I think we were close to finding the alien
teenagers."
"Supposed alien teenages," Dana Scully corrected, her
redish brown hair falling into her eyes. "Except for a
few unverified eyewitness accounts we found no hard
evidence," she said simply.
"The eyewitness reports were pretty convincing,"
Mulder argued, "and I'm certain that police chief
wasn't telling us all he knew..."
Skinner cleared his throat loudly, bringing their
attention back to him. "Be that as it may, I have a
new case I need you to look into," he said to them
severely, "one that may be a matter of national
security."
Mulder leaned forward in his chair, his expression
much like a hunter sighting his prey. "Is it an
X-File?" he asked intently.
"For now it's a missing person's case but it could
very well become one," Skinner said, taking a file and
passing it over.
As Mulder flipped the folder open they saw a atractive
young woman, blonde hair falling over her shoulders,
staring out with pure blue eyes. A attached sheet
identified her as Madeline Sinclair, a National
Security Agency operative who lived in Washington and
worked out of her home analyzing transmission data and
documents.
Scully kept silent,. waiting for more information
while Mulder ventured, "Is she the missing person, a
concerned relative, or the kidnapper?"
"Madeline Sinclair didn't report into work two weeks
ago," Skinner verified, "the next day agents were
dispatched to her home where her on-file passwords
revealed that all of the sensitive data was there
intact and apparently untampered with. She didn't take
an airplane, her vehicle is still parked at the NSA
and her credit cards haven't been used."
"Cash withdrawl?" Scully asked thoughtfully.
"A small one on the day of her disappearance, other
than that all her accounts remain untouched," Skinner
revealed.
"You wouldn't have called us in based on just this,"
Mulder said, studying their superior.
Skinner nodded, reaching over to reveal another photo
in the file, an image of Madeline in front of a
nightclub. "The only thing that has changed
significantly in her behavior the past few months
appears to be this," he said, "and this club seems to
be quite unusual."
"Oh?" Scully asked.
"It moves," Skinner shrugged.
There was a moment's pause. "You mean it's a floating
club, like the rave parties that teenages attend,"
Scully suggested tentatively.
"No," Skinner shook his head, "investigative officers
have reported the club at different locations in the
city, and there are less reliable reports saying it's
appeared in different parts of the country and the
world."
"That's impossible," Scully said flatly.
"Not necessarily," Mulder pointed out, "there have
been stories of Brigadoons over the years, as well as
shops that seem to appear and disappear." A smile,
"This is the first time I've heard of a nightclub
doing that, though."
"Either way I want you to investigate the club and
Agent Sinclair's disappearance," Skinner said simply.
He paused, "Oh, I believe Agent Scully will need to
take the lead on this investigation."
"Eh?" Mulder looked up from reading more of the
report.
"It seems that only women can find or enter the club,"
Skinner said calmly before returning to his paperwork.
"What's the name of the nightclub?" Scully asked
doubtfully as she and Mulder headed towards their
offices in the basement.
"Arisugawa's Locket," Mulder read.
Washington D.C.
Tuesday, 9:06 p.m.
"This is rediculous," Scully said as she looked into
the car's mirror, checking her hair. She was dressed
casually, wearing a dark skirt and jacket along with a
white blouse, heels on her feet.
"The investigators who found the club reported that
they went out to look and literally stumbled over it,"
Mulder said from behind the wheel, "and our attempt to
find a address or location in the phone book or online
failed."
"Unless you count the address in Tokyo," Scully added
sourly.
Ignoring that Mulder continued, "So it seems
reasonable that there must be some unusual phenomenon
involved with the club."
"But the idea of looking for the club causing it to
appear..." Scully shook her head.
"Well. quantum theory says that observing an event can
effect the event," Mulder offered, "who's to say that
this club might not be similar?" He hesitated as
Scully got out of the car, "Are you sure you don't
want to wear a wire?"
Standing by the car Scully straightened out her skirt,
trying to get into the mindset of a women who was
casually going out to a club. "We don't even know if I
can find the club," she sighed, "much less if there's
anything hazardous about it."
"A woman did disappear," Mulder said disapprovingly.
"But we don't know if it was unwillingly," Scully
countered. In investigating Madeline it soon became
apparent that she was a closeted lesbian, and from
discussions with co-workers she had been increasigly
balking at the restrictions her job placed on her
life.
"All right," Mulder sighed, "just be careful."
The night air was cool on Scully's skin as she walked
away from Mulder's car, feeling a slow prickling of
excitement within her. While she was quite comfortable
with her work as a dispassionate scientist there was
also a certain degree of pleasure in actively
investigating a case out in the field, trying to find
the answers in a hands on way. She strode by neon
lights, bars and other businesses, feeling eyes on her
as she looked around where one of the investigators
had found the club last. Of course, it wasn't there.
'I wonder where it is?' Scully wondered as she went
around a corner... then stopped in surprise. A lineup
of women waited to get inside the club, a band of
women who came from a variety of backgrounds and ages,
all quite attractive and finely dressed. Up above them
a neon light colored the darkness reading,
'Arisugawa's Locket.'
Washington D.C.
Arisugawa's Locket
Tuesday, 10:03 p.m.
"Madeline Sinclair?" Ryouko asked, the blue haired
woman pouring a glass of ginger ale for Scully. "Yeah,
she's a regular."
Scully leaned against the bar, feeling gazes resting
on her body as she took the glass and drank a bit.
After talking to several people in line and the door
woman Hitomi she had been sent up to see the
bartender. "You mean she's still coming in?" she
asked.
"Yeah, she was in last night," Ryouko said then
excused herself, heading up the bar to serve another
customer.
Scully turned around to sweep the place with her eyes,
wondering at the odd customers and unique staff. Most
of them seemed to be dressed in outlandish costumes
like maid's clothes or uniforms and even the customers
wore everything from party clothes to costumes out of
science fiction or fantasy.
"I understand you've been asking about me," the amused
voice said from behind her. Turning around Scully saw
Madeline Sinclair looking at her with a frown, a
lovely looking young woman standing close to her side
with brown hair and glasses.
"Miss Sinclair," Scully made sure no one was looking
at them as she flashed her identification, "there's
been some concern over your disappearance."
Madeline sighed softly, the vibrant looking blonde
woman looking faintly pained. "I guess I should have
taken the time to close up my old life," she quietly
admitted, "but it all seemed so irrelivant to me,
somehow."
"Oh?" Scully asked.
Madeline smiled as she squeezed her companion's hand,
"I met Yukino here a few months ago, and we started
dating whenever I could get away from work." She
frowned, "But more and more I began to resent how
little time we could spend together...."
"I didn't want her to give up her old job," Yukino
confessed shyly, "I know that moving away is going to
be hard for her." She looked at Madeline with love in
her eyes, "But I'm sure we'll be all right together."
A faint blush colored Scully's cheeks as she watched
the two womenn. "And the money and things you left
behind?" she asked as businesslike as possible.
Madeline actualy blushed faintly. "We've been a bit
busy honeymooning," she admitted, "I plan to take care
of all of it later."
'I so didn't need to know that,' Scully thought to
herself wryly.
Washington D.C.
A room in Arisugawa's Locket
Wednesday, 12:03 a.m.
The sound of a computer was quiet as Scully typed
away. "....and apparently Madeline Sinclair was
intending to resign in the near future. She has
promised to clean up her affairs, as well as signing
all the appropriate nondisclosure agreements with the
NSA."
"The unusual nature of the club itself can be easily
explained if one looks at it logically. Arisugawa
Juri, the owner of the Locket, is known to be somewhat
eccentric and has encouraged the mythology of the
moving club, possibly even shipping around the neon
sign that adorns the building. The similar staff that
witnesses have reported can also be easily explained
if one takes into acount the unique costumes the staff
wears, which could easily be duplicated amoung several
clubs."
"In conclusion Madeline Sinclair is safe, alive and
well and there appears to be nothing paranormal about
Arisugawa's Locket," Scully finished typing her
report, sitting back with a sigh.
"Are you finished yet?" the young woman asked from
where she sat on the edge of the bed, looking at
Scully with a seductive intensity. She was in her
early twenties, some brown hair falling into her eyes
and a length on one side secured back with a ribbon.
"Yes, thank you for lending me your computer, Lain,"
Scully said, blushing as she felt a very different
tinge of anticipation.
Lain gave a slow smile, "I can think of a few ways you
can pay off the loan...."
End
Notes: Yes, I used to be an X-files nut back in the
first couple of seasons and before they moved the
production to Hollywood. The idea of the agents
looking into the Locket amused me, and it was
surprisingly easy to write. Of course I had to have
Scully come up with a "rational" reason why the bar
moved, but I hope it wasn't too far fetched.
Arisugawa's Locket Characters: Ryouko is from Tenchi
Muyo, Yukino is from Mai-Hime, and Lain is from Serial
Experiments Lain.
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