I said that I would comment so I will, but I don't have much to say. Everyone is right, it is well-written, it is well-paced and it is a good characterization of early Scully and Mulder. It is true to the flavour of the show, but aside from that, it hasn't left any residue in my psyche at all. It felt like a vignette that left me with no particular insight or sense of excitement. I enjoyed reading it but I know that I will probably only remember it as a story that everyone else loved and I didn't get! I also squirmed a bit at the Mulder torture bit. I am not usually very squeamish so maybe I was just not in the right frame of mind.

It's a pity because I really, really enjoyed "Fata Morgana" and "Best Lies" and think she is a story writer of a superior class. But there we have it...