Pillar of Salt

Fanfiction
Title:	Pillar of Salt
Author(s):	Nascent
Date(s):	1998
Length:
Genre(s):	MSR, x-file
Fandom(s):	The X-Files
Relationship(s):
External Links:	online here earlier link (unarchived)
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Pillar of Salt is an X-Files MSR casefic story by Nascent.

Author's Notes:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

I am one lucky little Nascent; I have an editing team who are not only dedicated and thorough readers, but writers as well. This story would not be what you're reading were it not for them. Please take a second to read these paragraphs if you're going to read the story.

Dahlak and Flywoman both came back on board despite having worked with me on T&P; they knew exactly what they were getting into and for that I thank them deeply. Dahlak lent her sharp eye and unflinching criticism to every chapter, making me think very carefully about the motivations of every character and the realism behind their voices, as well as the tempo of the plot. In particular, she helped me iron out the ending, which was very rough the first time around. She has an unfailing instinct for pacing and populating a story, and I thank her for sharing it with me.

Flywoman has had a busy few months but that didn't stop her from reminding me of the difference between natural and synthetic ligand in naming ion channels, and thus she became my official science editor for this piece, keeping it close enough to reality that a scientist can smile and yet simple enough that a layman can too. I hope. =) Without Fly, the climax would've been completely different as well--I was stuck in a narrative that just wasn't working no matter how I tried to get around it, but she snapped her fingers and said, "change the tense!" and the solution was clear.

Jordan and Marguerite not only beta-read large portions of this fic, telling me frankly what worked and what didn't, what surprised and what was expected, but also provided ubiquitous cheerleading throughout its creation, without which I might never have finished it, especially given the half-finished X-File I trashed a couple of months ago, upheaval in real life, and all the barnyard antics. Thank you, ladies.

Finally, it's to Justin Glasser that I owe any polish in the themes or text of this piece. He didn't know what he was doing when he sent me back that first chapter with a comment on every paragraph: I snatched him up and reeled him in right away, before he could figure out how extensively I was going to use him. He was unafraid to be honest, never coddling, and he taught me volumes about the power of suggestion over the explicit--a tough lesson for a science geek like me to learn. Now I feel compelled to go back and rewrite every pre-Justin piece I've written using his guidelines. Further, the Scully first-person voice as well as the M/S angsty interactions would NEVER have worked without his help. Never. Justin, you have a mastery of understated intimacy between these two that shines in all your work; thanks for helping it glow a little brighter in mine. Your facility with language and precise knowledge of what should NOT be said is superbly, vastly, wonderfully

appreciated. Did I mention Justin hates adverbs? <g>

Reactions and Reviews

[cofax]
[...] stories I've read repeatedly [...] "Pillar of Salt" by Nascent, which has the *best* explication of the paradoxical relationship between M & S that I think I've ever seen.

Nascent entwines a study of the Mulder and Scully relationship with a classic case file in Pillar of Salt.

[from a list of Christmas recs]: It isn't a Christmas story, but it does have a ski lodge in it. Does that work? No. Well, okay, how about this: I consider every thing Nascent writes to be a gift, and this is a lovely one. I just could not wait to recommend it until next newsletter. Our Sister has done it again, my friends. A compelling case file, written in first person Scully, in which Mulder tries to do something incredibly stupid (imagine that). If you want to give yourself a little something special for Christmas check out "Pillar of Salt".

Years ago, when I first began reading XF fanfic, I had heard of Nascent via this site, actually, and this story, which was recced by Punk back in 2004. But the links were broken. Eventually, I found a copy of "Pillar of Salt" archived--somewhere else--and got to read it. I loved it. Her Scully sounded just like the one on screen, and her Mulder did, too. Their relationship as portrayed by Nascent was just as codependent as the canon version. She wasn't trying to rewrite canon, she was enlarging it and adding to it! I had to have more. Because she'd taken down her website, it was a tough search.

But in 2011, Nascent archived some of her fanfic at Gossamer. This is particularly significant for "Pillar of Salt" because she rewrote an important section.

In this story, Mulder invites Scully away for a weekend under false pretenses. What can I say--it's Mulder being Mulder. I don't want to give anything away but let's just say the vacation does not go as expected--for either of them. Nascent is particularly good at integrating the relationship story into a well-plotted X-File.

Pillar of Salt is a masterpiece, beautifully taking advantage of XF premises, exploring the M&S relationship and speculating about the nature of the mind, using similar premises as Connie Willis in Passage.

When I first began reading XF fanfic, crack_van was my, uh, crack supplier. I started at the top of the Memories and just kept on reading. "Pillar of Salt" was recced there by runpunkrun back in 2003. Unfortunately, by the time I found the site in 2007 or so, the links to this fic were broken. Eventually, I found a copy of "Pillar of Salt" archived—somewhere else—and was able to read it. I loved it. SO MUCH. Her Scully sounded just like the one on screen, and her Mulder did, too. Their relationship was just as codependent as the canon version. She wasn't trying to rewrite canon, she was enlarging it and adding to it! I had to have more Nascent fic. Because she'd taken down her website, it was a long, tough search.

But in 2011, Nascent archived some of her fanfic at Gossamer. This is particularly significant for "Pillar of Salt" because she rewrote an important section.

"Pillar of Salt" is set Winter 1998, post-"Fight the Future." It's told in first person, Scully's POV, which works wonderfully in Nascent's hands. As the story begins, Mulder has invited Scully away for a weekend, but under false pretenses. What can I say--it's Mulder being Mulder. I don't want to give anything away but let's just say the vacation does not go as expected--for either of them. Nascent is particularly good at integrating the relationship story into a well-plotted X-File.

This is one of my favourites (I put it in my top ten in the last post!). It was the first work of Nascent I read and I remember not being able to put it down, devouring it in one sitting, only to wish I had allowed myself to drag it out more. Here's why:

Nascent does a great job with the science. Obviously NDE's aren't hard science, but I really appreciated the discussion on how to create cardiac death, and how to revive the patient. It is much more concerned with expressing science than the show ever is. Scully's disgust with the process is very in character, and she of course is right to be disgusted, it does go against her beliefs, as a scientist for the risk posed to the patient, and as a spiritual person in it's attempt to, as Dr Von Deer says, "trick" the soul. I love the line to Mulder "How dare you put me in this position, where to refuse you is to somehow betray you and to agree to play along is to betray myself?"

The X file is well thought out and interesting. What starts as a test for M &S's relationship and Scully's ruminations on her own faith and beliefs turns into a very interesting case. I'm actually curious to find out what is going on in that hospital and who is responsible. It also culminates in the perfect explanation for who is responsible, one that manages to be a surprise when you find out, but so clear upon re-reading. The story works as a whole, the x-file and Mulder's original intention for coming there isn't simply a vehicle for M&S to address their feelings for one another. There is a lot going on in this story, and I tend to like anything that isn't straightforward.

I'm not sorry the story doesn't culminate in a traditional relationship. Like Wendelah said, Nascent is adding to canon rather than diverting from it. She places the whole story into canon, but she scratches my relationshipper itch by finally having these two frankly and honestly discuss their relationship and their feelings for each other. I happen to think this story is very romantic, even if there's no actual romance (unless you count the dream sequence- or NDE that Scully experiences). I think this slots itself nicely into a season sixish spot, and it won't be long before they do succumb to their feelings.

The rewritten dream sequence. I read the new one, and re-read the old one at keyofx. Not sure what I think of it. I didn't dislike the old one and the new one is also fine. The sex in the first draft might have been a bit obvious, I can see why she might have wanted to scratch that. But at the same time, I find the original a bit more dreamlike and nightmarish, something that I liked. Scully sees all kinds of unsetting and disjointed images, and discussions with the important people in her life and I also liked the recurring snake in each scene and the culmination of Scully finally realizing what that means. The rewritten portion is a little more… straightforward. I liked the pregnancy though, it is definitely an expression of something Scully is preoccupied with at the time and it makes sense that it's expressed. I'm interested to know what other motivations others think Nascent had for the re-write. Like I said, it's much more tidy, so I could see the desire to edit, but the disjointed chaos of the first one actually appeals to me.

This story is a classic example of how this show has resulted in very rich fiction, that so often (and sadly in a way) surpasses the quality of the show itself. I think if a premise like this had been the episode "Demons," This one just seems so much richer in both character and plot.

Apart from her writing, which is excellent as always, "Pillar of Salt" stands out because of how well the X-File/casefile demonstrates the depth of Scully's feelings for Mulder and the strength of commitment to him, while tying the story into the central motif of the series: Mulder's obsession with what happened to Samantha. I hadn't thought of the comparison to "Demons" but now that you mention it, I can see the parallels. There are also significant differences. Nascent's writing is full of interesting visuals, especially in the original dream sequence, and I would have loved to have seen this story or "Theory and Practice" made into an episode. Having said that, I'm pretty fond of "Demons" myself. I think "Demons," with its focus on back story, i.e. the complicated relationships between the Mulders and the CSM, enlarged the canon universe in a way that "Pillar of Salt" doesn't try to do. "Demons" also showcased Scully's investigative abilities, whereas Mulder and Scully act as a team once they're focused on investigating the deaths in the hospital. Mulder in "Demons" is much crazier than Nascent's Mulder. Maybe it's more subtext than text, but as I see it, in "Demons," Mulder is displacing his fear of losing Scully to cancer, a situation over which he thinks he has no control, onto his search for answers about what happened to Samantha. The one flaw in "Pillar of Salt" is that it provides no good motive for Mulder's bizarre behavior.

...this one is also a favourite. Mulder takes Scully somewhere to assist him in having a medical procedure to provide closure regarding Samantha… without explaining exactly what it is he wants to do. It so well captures their dynamic, I have to say it reads like Canon.