ROLAND

   

 

                      There is a belief that psychic connections are strong between family members...strongest of all                                             between twin siblings that shared the same womb.

 

The episode opens at the Mahan Propulsion Laboratory at the Washington Institute of Technology, Colson, Washington, and a Janitor with clear learning/mental disabilities, Roland, having problems entering a security door. Inside the room there are a group of scientists who are working on a jet propulsion project - it would appear that there testing up until now has been unsuccessful and that the project they are working on is in danger of collapse. One of the Doctors (Dr Sernow) is then left with Roland, who continues with his work - however as the doctor enters the wind tunnel Roland closes the door and begins to work on the nearby PC. He starts the jet propulsion and the wind velocity increases...and as we observe Roland undertaking some complex mathematical equations we see the doctor fly pass the window - and onto a grisly death....

Mulder and Scully are sent to investigate the death and discuss the project worked on by the scientists - the Icarus Project that everyone says does not exist. The learn that Sernow is the second Doctor on the team to die in the last six months, and they are introduced to Dr Keats and Dr Nolette. Whilst in the room Mulder notices the mathematical equations on the board, and suggests that the last entry does not match the others in terms of the handwriting style. We also learn that aside from the scientists the only other person in the building at the time was \Roland Fuller, the janitor.

The agents next find themselves at the Heritage halfway house, which is where Roland resides with other residents who have disabilities and/or difficulties. Mulder chats to Roland and sees that Roland is writing what appears to be random numbers repetitively - before stealing some of his scriblings and asking for them to be analysed against the equation he had seen earlier.

Back at the lab (Room 214) we see that Dr Keats working at a computer - only for Roland to enter, drag him away from the room and shove his face in a barrel of liquid nitrogen. Later at the scene Mulder notes that someone had used the computer terminal after Keats had died, and when Scully attempts to log on to the system a  password is required. Mulder suggests she try 15626 and it works - Mulder had taken that number from the scriblings of Roland and things are not making sense....Again a further visit is paid to Roland and it transpires that a Dr Arthur Gable had got him the job at the institute - although he had died some time back. The initial suspicion is that Grable had faked his own death, specifically as the file put on the computer after the death of Keats was titles Arthur. As the agents dig further into Roland's past they realise that both Roland and Grable were both from Seattle and that they shared the same birthday - July 15th 1952.

Mulder feels he needs to investigate the death of Grable further and finds that there was no body at the county morgue - and also no funeral. He finds himself at the Avalon Foundation, where one Dr Barrington informs him that Grable's head had been preserved, with the aim of reviving the clients when we have the technology to do so. He does note that there have been fluctuations in the temperature in recent weeks, hinting at brain activity - and that if they were to revive the brain in the future there would be a need for a suitable donor body wise - and surprise surprise their is one donor - Roland Fuller - who is Grables twin  brother.

Mulder heads back to see Roland and asks to talk about his disturbing dreams he has been having - suggesting that Roland is controlled by his dreams. Mulder believes that there is some form of psychic connection between Roland and his brother, and that somehow Grable is controlling the actions of his brother. This view is overheard by Dr Nolette, and he takes action  by increasing the temperature surrounding Grables brain. It is Barrington who, the following morning, informs the agents that Grables brain had been tampered with, and the internal thermostat tampered with. Roland meanwhile is back at the laboratory - and he finally completes a successful test with the jet propulsion. However Nolette is also there and approaches Roland with a gun, suggesting that he is aware Grable is controlling Roland in successfully completing the tests. Roland/Grable have other ideas and force Nolette into the wind tunnel - only for Mulder and Scully to arrive just in time....

The file concludes with Roland to be held in a Psychiatric Hospital for further assessment.....

 

 

 

 

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Episode no. Season 1
Episode 1X22
Directed by David Nutter
Written by Chris Ruppenthal
Guest Stars Željko Ivanek,
Micole Mercurio,
Kerry Sandomirsky,
Garry Davey,
James Sloyan
Original Airdate May 6, 1994 (Fox)
Theme(s) Telepathy, Psychokenesis