one of the many many reasons why the x files works so well as a genre-bending show is that every single character actually is genre-aware, but they're only aware of one of the genres they're in, and they for the most part act solely according to the rules of that genre. mulder and reyes think they're in a paranormal show, scully and doggett think they're in a procedural, skinner and byers think they're in an espionage drama, frohike and langly think they're in a buddy action comedy, etc.
there are two notable exceptions to this:
the smoking man, who is not genre-aware at all
krycek, who is the only person in the whole show who is aware of every single genre they're in, which unfortunately means he's the only one who knows they're also all in a romantic drama
Pilot · Conduit · Eve · Darkness Falls · Young at Heart · Tooms · Red Museum · The Calusari · The List · Nisei · Grotesque · Pusher · Mind's Eye · Field Trip · Biogenesis · All Things
spoilers for The Substance (2024) dir. Coralie Fargeat
CASE #: X-TS2024CF
REF: THE SUBSTANCE
DATE: [REDACTED]
AGENT OF RECORD: Special Agent Dana Scully
To: Assistant Director Walter Skinner
Case Status: OPEN
TOTAL FATALITIES IN CASE #7-TS2024CF
Elisabeth Sparkle
Sue (last name unknown)
Agent Mulder and I were alerted to this case by the Los Angeles County Sheriff, who reached out to the FBI upon the discovery of extraordinary evidence that was beyond the capabilities of the county coroner’s office. Two bodies were found in the apartment of Elisabeth Sparkle, renowned film actress and television morning show star. One body was initially unidentifiable and was discovered in the living room, while the other body, clearly Sue, was found on the bathroom floor.
The physical injuries to both bodies were extensive. Jane Doe (the older woman) had several physical and skeletal abnormalities, and her face had been badly damaged, apparently by being smashed into the bathroom mirror. Sue was missing an ear and several teeth, and had a large, deep laceration along her spine. A film of dried, green fluid with a sticky consistency coated Sue’s body and the bathroom floor. Agent Mulder and I identified several other pieces of evidence of unknown origin scattered throughout the apartment.
Contents of the Sparkle Apartment Possibly Relating to “The Substance”
Several vacuum-sealed plastic bags labeled either “Food Matrix” or “Food Other Self”, divided into 7 compartments with the word “SWITCH” at the bottom. Each bag was also attached to a plastic tube (¼” in diameter) and needle, apparently for intravenous application
Plastic tube (¼” in diameter, 1 m in length) with needles at both ends
One small (30 mL) vial containing traces of an unidentified green substance, labeling on the outside of the vial reads “ACTIVATOR; SINGLE USE; DISCARD AFTER USE”
15 mL syringe with needle
Several small (15 mL) empty plastic containers labeled 1-7
6” needle with liquid collection device and room for aforementioned plastic containers
Smaller device, fitting once container, with shorter (3”) needle
50 mL syringe labeled “TERMINATOR”, containing trace amounts of unknown black liquid
Keycard labeled “503”
White piece of paper with text “REMEMBER YOU ARE ONE”
The syringe containing black fluid and the double-ended IV tube were both found in the living room with Jane Doe. Upon further investigation of the bathroom, a secret room was discovered, littered with trash and several food bags, plastic containers, and unknown bodily fluids. The keycard labeled “503” appears to unlock a door, but there are no locks in the apartment or the building to which this key would apply.
Genetic analysis revealed that Jane Doe matched the DNA of Elisabeth Sparkle. Sparkle may have suffered a fast-acting degenerative physical illness, although there is no known ailment in medical literature that could explain the aging and deterioration that her body appears to have undergone so quickly. Medical records show that approximately five months prior to the investigation, Sparkle was healthy for her age and unharmed following a car accident.
What’s more confounding is that Sue and Sparkle appear to be a perfect genetic match. While such a close match could usually be explained by twins, it is impossible to determine whether this was the case here, as Sue’s birth and medical records have never been found and Sparkle’s records do not indicate any such family members.
There are conflicting accounts as to what happened in the last days of both women's lives. Agent Mulder and I spoke to the building manager and learned that Sparkle never officially moved out or alerted appropriate channels to the arrival of a new tenant (Sue). This account is inconsistent with the account of Sparkle’s neighbor, who claims to have met Sue and was told that Sparkle had moved. Additionally, the apartment contained a mix of clothes belonging to both Sparkle and Sue as well as a large (damaged) poster of Sparkle, indicating that Sparkle had likely not fully moved out, if at all.
The neighbor that we spoke to also recounted running into an old woman matching Sparkle’s description on New Years Eve. This is the last time Sparkle was seen outside her apartment. Physical evidence suggests a struggle between Sparkle and Sue shortly after this sighting, resulting in Sparkle’s death.
The timeline for Sue’s death is unclear, although forensic evidence suggests that Sue died three hours after Sparkle. Accounts from the television studio where Sue was meant to appear for a New Year's Eve broadcast state that she left the apartment and briefly appeared for rehearsal. CCTV footage shows her leaving in a rush an hour later. However, any account from the studio following this time period, including from Sue’s manager, Harvey, has been withheld. Agent Mulder attempted to speak to Harvey, members of the studio audience, and supporting cast and crew several times, and has been rebuked each time. It appears that anyone in the studio last night refuses to speak about their experience and all seem to be horrified by what they saw. This evening represents a major stretch of lost time in this investigation that we were unfortunately unable to fill.
The substances found on the bathroom floor, in the 30 mL vial, and in the syringe in the living room have yet to be matched to a known chemical, and analysis by the Bureau lab is ongoing. However, we discovered that the green substance found in the “ACTIVATOR” vial contains similar proteins to those produced during cellular mitosis, although there are still several unidentified molecules and chemical pathways still under investigation.
When trace amounts of the substance were injected into a eukaryotic mouse cell under microscopic supervision, the cell instantaneously split. The daughter cell appeared healthy and young, while the parent cell eventually withered and died over the course of several hours. As of the writing of this report, the daughter cell appears stable, although attempting to take it out of the liquid matrix containing the parent cell resulted in instantaneous nuclear instability that was resolved when the two cells were reunited.
From the evidence collected, it appears that both Sparkle and Sue took the substance, and this use may be related to their genetic similarities. However, the exact mechanism of this connection is still unknown. What we do know is that Sue was found dead on the bathroom floor with an IV needle in her arm and a deep laceration down her spine. The wound appeared clean and surgical, despite the location in which it presumably occurred, with little blood loss. From forensic evidence, it is clear that Sue killed Sparkle through a physical struggle and died later in the same day.
Addendum by Special Agent Fox Mulder:
The remaining unknowns in this case are perhaps the broadest and most difficult to solve. Firstly, what was the cause of Sparkle’s rapid physical deterioration? How is it possible that Sparkle and Sue were such a close genetic match? Finally, who produced this mysterious substance, and to what end? How many others walk among us with this material running through their veins, doing unknown biological damage, or perhaps taking humanity to new physiological extremes? It’s not lost on me that Elisabeth Sparkle had much to gain from reinventing herself as younger and, in some ways, more beautiful to the industry in which she worked. The message recovered with the other materials replays in my mind: REMEMBER YOU ARE ONE. Perhaps they were one, Sparkle and Sue. After all, in a world where a person’s value balances on a knife’s edge, and time is the inevitable enemy, how far would any of us go to feel the spotlight again?
turnnoffyourmind
pixelskylines
gummygunk
stormborns
dailybridgerton
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