“Essence” is episode twenty of season eight of The X-Files.
Mulder is talking about conception, natural or artificial, and children. And how Scully’s child came to be. Touched by the divine or the wonder of technology. Does he say the child not be born? What does he tell Scully? What does he tell himself?
Scully’s mother is trying to get her tell her mother whether it’s going to be a boy or a girl; they’re preparing for a baby shower. Scully isn’t telling. There’s a knock on the door and there’s a Lizzy Gill there. Scully’s mother asked her to come to give a hand. She tells Scully that Lizzy is highly recommended as a baby nurse.
At the baby shower, Scully still isn’t saying what she’s having. Lizzy, meanwhile, is in her bathroom cabinet. Swapping out the pills in a bottle with some she brought with her. Just who recommended her?
A doctor is working in Zeus Genetics in the room with the various alien hybrid foetuses when Billy Miles, who Scully thought was no longer human in “Deadalive”, enters. Billy asks if it’s Dr Lev. Lev says they don’t allow visitors. Billy won’t be there for long. He just came to verify it’s true. Billy can see Lev’s work has been fruitful, going by the abomination in his hands; a living hybrid baby. Lev says Billy has to leave. Billy tells him his work is done, kills him with a single blow and sets fire to the place.
Doggett is cleaning a gun and watching a race when Mulder turns up at his door. Not who Doggett would have expected. Doggett invites him in; he was watching a race. Mulder says he was too. A slightly different race. He switches over to a news report about arson at Zeus Genetics. Mulder asks if Doggett has heard of Zeus. Yes; it’s the place Scully believed was doing tests on women, implanting them with alien babies against their will. It was never completely explained. Mulder says someone is attempting to make sure it never will. Doggett thinks it’s more than an attempt. Mulder would like a ride.
At the FBI evidence analysis, they’re sifting through stuff from the fire when Doggett enters. Mulder is on the phone. Agent Crane tells Doggett he doesn’t have to answer to Mulder. There may be something here, but nothing the FBI needs to look for. Mulder calls Doggett over; only Dr Lev, a founder, is missing. Doggett wants to know the point. Dr Parenti, Scully’s former obstetrician, is the cofounder. Mulder suggests they speak to Parenti. The worst they can do is piss him off.
Mulder picks the lock and they get in to Parenti’s place. Doggett calls for Mulder and Parenti himself appears, demanding to know what they’re doing. Mulder says he’s with an FBI agent who would like to ask Parenti the same question. Parenti is in the middle of a medical procedure. Doggett asks if it’s to do with the foetuses in jars. Parenti says they’re working on cures for non-survivable birth defects. Mulder suggests maybe he covered evidence up. Doggett thinks they’ve accomplished what Mulder suggested.
Lizzy Gill leaves Scully’s and gets into a car. Driven by Duffy Haskell.
The FBI found what looks like Lev’s porcelain bridge and unidentifiable biological material fused in lab grade silica. Doggett says unidentifiable doesn’t mean alien. Mulder suggests they speak to Parenti.
Parenti is currently packing the baby jars when he hears a noise. Billy Miles. Mulder and Doggett arrive; Mulder notices the lock is broken. Doggett finds Parenti’s head in a jar. Mulder has bumped into Billy. Doggett is calling for Mulder when Billy throws Mulder through a door. Doggett threatens to shoot, then does shoot. To little effect. Billy leaves whilst Doggett is taking cover. Doggett doesn’t think Billy is an alien because he bled red, not green, and every X-file said aliens bled green.
There seem to be at least two groups interested in Scully’s baby. And some are willing to kill. Billy Miles in particular seems unstoppable. Help arrives from an unexpected source and the story continues in the next episode, “Existence”.