 The show centers on Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) special agents Fox Mulder ( David Duchovny ) and Dana Scully ( Gillian Anderson ) who work on cases linked to the paranormal , called X @-@ Files . Mulder is a believer in the paranormal , while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to <unk> his work . In the episode , Mulder and Scully have 24 hours to save Assistant Director Skinner ( Mitch Pileggi ) from a biologically engineered disease . In order to combat the disease , Scully looks for a medical answer , while Mulder searches for the culprits behind the attack on Skinner 's life . To aid him in this task , Mulder reaches out to Senator Matheson , whom he hopes can help him find who is responsible before time runs out . 
