DARKNESS FALLS

   

 

                                        The dark...thats where they come from...the sky...they devour men alive                                                      and I saw it happen

 

We begin with a group of men who we learn are loggers working in the Olympic National Forest in the North-West Washington state - yet all is not well. They appear to be fleeing the forest in all different directions - and as darkness falls the camera focuses on two of the loggers - who are suddenly swarmed by some form of insect.....and we hear the screams.....

Back at FBI HQ Mulder is looking at a picture of the loggers - informing Scully that these thirty men have vanished. The last point of contact was approximately two weeks previous when the loggers informed there employers that two well known eco terrorists/saboteurs (Doug Spinney and Stephen Keane) were causing mischief - and one week later all radio contact was lost. Mulder continues that the Lumber Company asked the Federal Floral Service to look into this, and in response the FFR sent two officials in to the forest one week ago...and since then there has been nothing. It would appear that as a result both services are blaming the eco terrorists - and the FBI are to investigate. Mulder adds spice to the agents investigation by telling his partner that a WPA group were working in the same area in 1934 and they vanished without a trace - no one had seen or ever heard from them again!

Once in the forest the agents meet Larry Moore, who works for the federal service, and also Steve Humphries, who is head of security for the lumber company. The four drive up to the loggers camp, but have trouble on the way when their tyre is flattened by one of the eco terrorists devices. The vehicle is abandoned and they continue on foot, and once at the camp the agents observe that the party of men had all left in a hurry. They retire for the night with the lights on and the generator running - and the following morning decide to go out and investigate. Two of the party discover what appears to be some form of cocoon, and on closer investigation they find one of the loggers inside...cocooned, and almost as if his fluid had been drained from his body. Back at camp Doug Spinney turns up and is questioned by Mulder - he tells the group that darkness is the enemy and that when 'they' come they devour men alive. He adds that hiking out of the forest takes more than a day and that they have no chance of getting out, although these creatures were afraid of the light.

The following day the group, with Spinney, continue to investigate the surrounding area, and upon investigating a felled tree one concentric ring cannot be identified by the group. On closer analysis of the tree a tiny parasite is evident - which attacks living tissue - yet it is so far inside the tree no one knows how it has survived. It would appear that these mites may have been dormant for many years, and that by the felling of trees they have been released...and are very hungry. However Hunphries is not convinced and decides to head back to the abandoned vehicle - however as darkness falls the swarm appears and Humphries is attacked. As Mulder reflects on the findings of the group he suspects that the concentric ring may have indicated a volcanic eruption, which resulted in radiation being released from the earth, which in turn could have led to mutation. The group then settle for the evening with the lights on and generator running - however the generator cannot last for much longer....

The following morning Mulder observes Spinney leaving the camp, and taking the last of the gasoline. Spinney tells him that he needs to return to some friends who may still be alive, and that he would return for the group in his vehicle. Mulder lets him go and fixes the radio - although there is no signal (although he still transmits an SOS). There is then high tension as the group squabbles about Mulder letting the eco terrorist go...and the gas in the generator runs ever lower. The generator lasts just until sunrise....and the group decide they must return to the abandoned vehicle with a spare tyre. They see Humphries cocooned, but continue to attempt to escape the forest when Spinney turns up in his car- however as darkness falls it is too late and the vehicle becomes infested with the mites.

We next see choppers and vehicles enter the area and finding Mulder and the others cocooned in the vehicle, his SOS message must have been picked up. They are still alive and transferred to a high contamination facility. The party have survived and the government intends to deal with the problem through controlled burns and pesticides....

 

 

 

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Episode no. Season 1
Episode 1X19
Directed by Joe Napolitano
Written by Chris Carter
Guest Stars Jason Beghe,
Tom O'Rourke,
Titus Welliver,
David Hay,
Barry Greene
Original Airdate April 15, 1994 (Fox)
Theme(s) Volcanic eruptions, dormant mutations