Dangerous Undercurrents Chapter 1

Title: Dangerous Undercurrents
Author: Chad Moore
E-mail: Chad_Skywalker@webtv.net
Feedback: Please.
Status: WIP
Archive: Yes, please tell me where.
Pairing: M/O
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None, this is pre-XF
Beta Thanks: Bertie
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Fox Mulder does not belong to me. He's only being
borrowed for an exciting adventure. Certain key scenes were inspired by the
imagery of the BBC science-fiction serial, Doctor Who.
Summary: During a chance encounter, Mulder meets his new roommate at Oxford
University.

Author's Note: A very special thank you to Jo for providing excellent
background information on Mulder's education.

DANGEROUS UNDERCURRENTS
Chapter One: A Trick of the Light

Fox Mulder sat back against the cool brick of the ivy-covered building.
Closing his eyes, he inhaled the autumn breeze as its soothing touch washed
over his body. His senses calm, the relaxing atmosphere miraculously drowned
out the cacophony of noise. Around him students, dons and staff members milled
about the lush Oxford campus.

In the short time he'd been here, the quiet shade of All Souls College had
become his favorite spot. Four months since he'd boarded the airplane for
England to start his full term at university. It almost seemed like a lifetime
ago, but that's how most young people felt really. A weight had metaphorically
lifted the day he left home, and there was no turning back as far as he was
concerned.

His eyes snapped open at the sound of a nearby skirmish. Down the sloping
hill, several well-built guys were engaged in a quick game of rugby between
classes. Mulder couldn't help but laugh to himself. Give him a good old-
fashioned basketball any day.

The horseplay reminded him that there had not been one dull moment since his
arrival. The moment he cleared Heathrow Airport, he'd taken the first ride to
Oxford Town. Luckily, everything had been arranged in advance stateside. All
that was required was getting a feel for the historic town, grabbing a map to
find his way around, and settling into the Private Halls. Despite his best
efforts, the flat still smelled like old books. He quickly learned that he
would be sharing the room with a student sometime during the fall. However,
said person had yet to appear and the lonely, dark walls and ceiling were
beginning to get to him.

The second day, he'd dove straight into psychology and found Jules Barrett to
be a stimulating professor. However, studying had become a bit tricky. Every
night he found himself invited to some party or other. Admittedly, he enjoyed
cutting loose at the nightclubs and hanging out with his new friends. Plus,
life at university had been a veritable sex-fest.

Despite the temptations, he constantly reminded himself where he was --
studying where the likes of Bacon, Raleigh, Halley and Hawking had graduated.

Fox Mulder had a mission to accomplish, and no one or nothing would stop him.

Absently glancing up into the cloudy, azure above him, Mulder blinked. Just
beyond a cumulous shaped like a whale, something sparkled. Scrambling to his
feet, he shielded his eyes as the sun decided to peek out at that very moment.
He bit his bottom lip and squinted. Yes, there was definitely something there!

In a nanosecond, the strange object moved clear across the sky. Keeping his
eyes firmly trained upon it; Mulder tore across the campus, heedless of the
protests as his long legs trampled through a study group reading on the lawn.

What he wouldn't give for his Polaroid right about now! Passing through a
stone archway, several people stopped to see what had caught his attention.
Mulder watched in fascination as the small, silver object moved with lightning
speed only to remain stationary directly over one of the smaller buildings.

So enraptured was he in the startling image, that he failed to see a young man
heading straight toward him; a young man who's own eyes were concentrating on a
piece of paper.

"Oh!" Mulder exclaimed as the two collided.

Falling smack on their backs, they were greeted by the sound of laughter from
all around. Shaking his head, Mulder sat up like a shot to find himself
surrounded by two large suitcases. The person he'd barreled into mimicked his
actions.

Jamie Grayson couldn't believe it. 'Why didn't I hear him coming?' He stared
dazedly across at Mulder, who appeared to be about his own age, with fair brown
hair, a gray sweatshirt and tight blue jeans.

"It's a sign," he exclaimed in a distinct Southern drawl.

Kneeling on the ground, Mulder stared back up to find the object disappearing
into the heavens. "Amazing," he whispered.

"What?"

Snapping back to reality, Mulder leaned forward to help the hapless youth back
on his feet. At his touch, Jamie's heartbeat sped up and he couldn't help
smiling. His face was inches from Mulder's and, for a moment, they stood frozen.

What struck Mulder immediately were his eyes. He'd never seen such a striking
shade a green, as deep as the sea. He could imagine someone getting lost in
them forever.

"Is that your real accent?" he asked, swiftly changing the subject.

"I hope so." He blushed and laughed nervously.

Sweeping the fallen suitcases up before he could, Mulder hefted them. "You're
from the States?"

He nodded, flicking a strand of blonde hair from his eyes.

"Cool, by the way the train that just ran you down is called Fox Mulder. Just
Mulder."

"Well, 'Just Mulder' I'm James Grayson. Jamie, to my friends."

Mulder gave a sudden, boyish grin. "It's Jamie then."

Looking up at the handsome Mulder, Jamie suddenly felt very nervous. He
swallowed hard and stared down at his shuffling feet. Mulder sensed his
uneasiness. 'Poor guy comes to a new country and I run right over him!' He
decided to try a new tact.

"Why did you think my running into you was a bad sign?"

"Oh, first day jitters I guess. I don't know, I sometimes get feelings about
things."

That was the understatement of the year. He was always getting premonitions
about things -- from large disasters to small things like when a friend would
call. He avoided these "feelings" like a plague, even though they were always
right. Jamie pursed his full, ruby lips and tried to think of something else.
He watched as Mulder's eyes darted back toward the sky. 'What could be so
important?'

"Now, what's so interesting up there?" he wondered aloud.

Mulder shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. His classmates had already come up
with a series of goofy nicknames for him, and he really didn't want to give
Jamie the same idea.

Looking up into the overcast sky, Jamie spotted a tiny object hovering far in
the distance. "Did you lose a balloon?"

Mulder followed his line of sight and was disappointed to find that his
supposed UFO had turned out to be a silver helium balloon reflecting off the
low clouds.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Jamie told him, noticing his statement. "You
never know what could be up there."

He gaped at Jamie, openmouthed. "So ... ah, where were you headed?"

Jamie showed him the now crumpled sheet of paper. "To the Halls of Residence,
Number 34-B to be precise."

Mulder stopped his jaw from hitting the ground for a second time. Talk about
coincidence. "You're kidding, right?"

Jamie shook his head and pointed at the paper. "Nope. That's what it says here."

"Well, Jamie. Today's you're lucky day after all. That happens to be my flat."

With a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin, Mulder set off in the opposite direction.
Jamie stood still for several moments, watching him swagger off carrying his
suitcases. 'He certainly is attractive,' he found himself thinking. It was hard
not to stare at the way Mulder's jeans clung to his legs, firmly cupping his
buttocks each time he moved. Jamie caught his breath.

'I just happen to crash into my roommate, who chases UFOs and is the most
gorgeous man on the face of this earth?'

"Oh, hold on Mulder!"

By the time Jamie caught up with Mulder he had made his way across one campus
and making a beeline for another. He noted that the commotion all around him
was certainly a drastic change from his small town.

"What classes are you taking?" asked Mulder.

Startled out of reverie, Jamie tried not to stare at him for too long. That
could get you killed in Redneck, USA and Mulder was the type of guy who
probably had twenty girls hanging on his arm. Plus, swooning over your new
flatmate did not count as higher education.

"I won a scholarship to study archaeology and theatre."

"Wow, that's quite a chasm between those two fields."

"Yeah, but they're my two passions. There are so many things to be discovered.
Especially here in England."

Mulder neatly sidestepped a passing cyclist as he led his new charge into a
pillared archway. "You know, I've only been here a few months and I still
haven't seen half of what I'd like to."

"My ancestors are Scottish and I'm hoping to check out my roots at some point.
Who knows? Maybe I'll spot the Loch Ness Monster while I'm there."

Mulder found himself speechless once more.

"I really wish you'd let me carry those," Jamie ventured.

"No problem. Hey, have you found all of your classes?"

"That's next on my list," Jamie replied as they rounded a corner and entered a
large brick building.

"You have a list?" teased Mulder.

Taking a flight of stairs, Mulder lead him up to the third floor. On the way,
they found many students congregating along the halls. Jamie felt a faint
tingle run up his spine.

"This is like stepping into a whole new world. Scary and exciting all at the
same time."

"I know what you mean, Jamie."

Nearby, a couple of guys lay sprawled out before a portable radio. Passing by,
the DJ announced the latest single by ABBA. At that moment, Mulder stopped in
his tracks before a door.

"Here we are. Home sweet home."

Setting down the cases, he opened it with a flourish. Jamie stepped inside and
immediately caught a whiff of musty air. Following him inside, Mulder shut the
door. "I know, the smell's terrible. I've tried airing it out."

"That's okay."

Jamie ventured further inside and found a large desk cluttered with papers and
books in one corner, shelves filled to the brim, a bed that looked like it had
never been slept in, and a sofa with a blanket strewn over it.

"Only one bed?" he observed.

"That's for you," Mulder said, laying the cases on the wooden floor. "Believe
me, I prefer the couch."

Jamie walked over and pulled back the curtains of the dusty window. Peering
out, he could see the roof of a college and the spires of the university.
Turning round, something on the desk caught his eye. He smiled and picked up
one of the small, alien figurines. Mulder took it from Jamie's hand. His warm
touch caused Jamie's heart to skip again.

"Oh, I just use those as paper weights," Mulder failed to sound convincing.

Jamie lifted another of the grey figures. "They're fantastic! Um... So, what
classes are you taking?"

"The three P's keep my hands tied."

"The three P's?" he inquired, receiving a hearty laugh from Mulder, the sound
of which made his legs weak.

"Psychology, Philosophy, Physiology," Mulder counted out on three long fingers.

Good-looking and a brain! Oh boy, Mulder would have a field day analyzing his
"feelings!"

"Wow, you must really have your hands full."

"As a matter of fact I do." His eyes widened at the LCD display from his desk
clock. "I've got a class in a few minutes." Moving toward a nearby table, he
collected a couple of folders. Turning back to his new roommate, Mulder asked,
"Will you be all right?"

"Sure," Jamie nodded. "I could do with a nap. Jet lag and all."

"This class could take an hour as so, but I'll be free for the rest of the
evening. I can show you around campus. Deal?"

"Deal!" Jamie smiled. As Mulder headed out of the room, Jamie crashed
backwards onto the surprisingly fluffy bed. His heart still racing from meeting
his stunning roommate, his tired eyes focused on the little plastic aliens.
Half awake, Jamie knew that his life was about to change forever.

~oo0oo~

Out in the hallway, Mulder paused for a moment. He couldn't shake the odd
disappointment he felt leaving Jamie. They'd only met less than twenty minutes
ago, but there was something ...mystical about him. Those eyes that seemed to
draw him in stirred emotions Mulder had only fantasized about. He was probably
just excited to finally have a roommate; he rationally worked out while
hurrying down the hall.

~oo0oo~

An hour and a half later, Mulder unlocked his room to find Jamie fast asleep.
All through class, he had not been able to stop thinking about him or their
strange encounter. He moved toward the bed he'd never slept in and looked down
at Jamie. He had an athletic build, though his skin was strangely pale ...
unearthly pale. His blonde hair had fallen back from his heart-shaped face.
Mulder hated to wake him, but they had things to do. He tapped Jamie's foot
gently.

"Hey, sleepy head."

"Mulder?" Jamie's eyes gleamed as he sat up.

"C'mon, you've got a tour and we're going to meet some friends in town later."

Taking all of this in, Jamie eased off the bed and orientated himself. He half
expected to find himself back home in his large bedroom.

Mulder went over to his closet and took off his sweatshirt. "So, are you ready?"

Jamie almost couldn't concentrate to answer Mulder's question from the sight
of his strong, toned back. "Well, I, um, yeah, sure," he replied, trying to
tear his eyes away.

Not realizing the effect he was having, Mulder slid into a jet- black sweater.
"You'll love it. I'll get to show you all around Oxford Town." He turned to
find Jamie unpacking his suitcases on the bed.

"Sounds great," he enthused.

~oo0oo~

Thirty minutes later, dusk had fallen over Oxford University. Mulder and Jamie
were making their way along the lighted sidewalks, finding the quickest routes
to the archaeology and theatre departments. They'd gotten a late start because
Jamie had insisted on unpacking his things before getting dressed for the
evening. He'd emerged from the tiny bathroom wearing a white dress shirt, a
fitted maroon jacket and black slacks. On their way out, Mulder had grabbed a
baseball cap and jammed it on his head, explaining that it was his lucky one.

Stopping to refer to a campus map, Jamie felt his teeth chattering. The
weather was a remarkable contrast from what he was used to, although it did
give him an excuse to walk closer to Mulder.

"So if you take a shortcut across High Street, you should make your first
class in plenty of time," Mulder was explaining. He looked at Jamie, who was
taking in the twinkling stars above them. "Jamie, are you okay?"

"What?" He blinked several times. "I'm sorry. I was off in another world."

Mulder stared up into the clear night sky. Above them were a billion sparkling
lights. "Wow," he breathed. "It looks like you could reach right up and touch
them."

"It makes me a little homesick really," said Jamie sadly.

Mulder looked down at him with genuine concern. "Why?"

"When I used to walk home I'd stare up at the stars through the gaps in the
clouds," he explained as they continued to walk along. "I'd dream that one day
something exciting would happen to me." He sighed. "Then it happened. I won a
scholarship to study in Oxford and I left that little town behind."

A million things flowed through Jamie's mind: his friends back home, his mom
and beloved grandmother, how easy it was to talk to Mulder. He looked at him,
and saw that he was smiling dreamily. "What is it?"

"Jamie, I feel exactly the same way sometimes. Staring up at the stars,
looking for answers." His thoughts immediately turned to his missing sister,
Samantha.

Beside him, Jamie looked at him with trusting eyes. There was so much that he
wanted to tell Mulder about himself, but the time wasn't right. When he'd
received the call about Oxford, an overwhelming premonition of trouble flooded
his senses. However, his new friend helped the anxiety slip away.

Mulder noticed that Jamie had gone quiet, obviously deep in thought too. He
put on a big, dazzling smile. "Come on. It's time we had some fun!"

~oo0oo~

The flickering torches made dancing shadows against the ancient stones. As if
they had always been a part of the impenetrable darkness, thirteen chanting,
hooded figures emerged to form a circle. Each face remained hidden bowed low
within the folds of their hoods, all except one. The tallest of the coven wore
a gleaming gold mask, depicting a distorted version of humanity. Within his
hands, he held a small brown box inscribed with the symbol of a snake eating
its own tail. With reverential care, the box was placed on an oblong stone.

"The time of prophecy has come," his deep voice rumbled beneath the mask. From
within the folds of his cloak, he produced a long ceremonial dagger. "As it was
foretold through the ages," he began, pointing the knife at the box while the
other members joined in the litany.

"The time of awakening shall be known in a dream. One will come bearing the
sign of the naga. This one shall be the Deliverer. Through him the spirit shall
be whole once more as the sun swallows the moon."

With one swift movement, the dagger flashed down to strike near the box. The
masked figure raised his arms and the coven began to kneel.

"Brothers," he intoned. "At the stroke of midnight, the veil of darkness shall
part and our familiar will search out the Chosen One."

A chant rose before the assembled group. The ancient tongue filled their
beings and an inhuman whispering escaped from the box...

[Next Episode: The Leviathan awakens...]