Finished writing that ep by SYRYN

SYRYN'S BLOG

SYRYN

Finished writing that ep
Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Not great, but I'll post as a holiday present for bored folk to read. Maybe a better writer can flesh it out in comments :) It started good and then fizzled since there was almost a decade gap in writing it. Happy Holidays everyone!

Title: Gifts

Location: Inara's shuttle aboard Serenity; space, heading for outer rings.
The shuttle is lit by lanterns, a candle on a writing table. There is a musky floral aroma that permiates the room.
Inara sips some tea while reading a post:

Innie,
Miss you so much.
Have made some quilts from the saris you sent. Enclosing the first one to you.
Have enjoyed the letters of your adventures and would love to meet the friends you speak of.
It's been quite a while, I think it would do us both some good to share company again.
Affectionate Regards,
Syr

"Inara?" Kaylee mumbles while balancing a tray of food and drink in hand and mail about to fall from her mouth.
"Yes, come in, Kaylee!" Inara quickly replies while putting the letter in a large velvet-lined box she keeps under the bed and setting the quilt on the bed.
Kaylee: "So, ya get any love letters from handsome fellas?"
Inara: "Not this time, but I did receive a letter from a dear friend who I haven't seen in ages."
Kaylee: "Since the academy? Is it another companion? I never hear you gettin mail from..."
Inara: "No, just a heart of a girl who lives on..."
"Not interrupting anything am I, ladies?" Mal asks as he walks in with an enthusiastic smile on his face.
"Not really..." Kaylee trails off as Inara informs differently.
"Yes, when aren't you, when you come in without asking, again?" Inara matter-of-factly replies.
"Well, thought it'd be ok, seemings I got us a stop over at Three Hills in 36 hours. Hadn't been there, all of us as a crew. It's quaint, quiet, not habitated with alliance, and we got ourselves a job! Of the honest type, at that."
Kaylee jumps back in "Oh they're farmers, we gunna get some fresh stock for the ship?"
Mal interrupts "Yeah, I'm sure that'll be fine, we'll make a stop and get all sorts of delicacies..."
Excited, Kaylee questions "delicacies?!"
Mal "Yup. Now lemme get back to workin out the job, just wanted to give y'all a know, so you could make plans and such."
Kaylee bounds toward the door "I gotta go get dressed!"
Inara pulls out a communication device, types a short message with lilting smile on her lips, presses send and slides the machine back in it's cubby.

Location: med room.
Jayne getting an inoculation from the Doc, something they all do before landing on a planet. Vaccinations from terraforming side effects.
River is watching from just outside the room talking to herself "Unexpected guests are a surprise."
"So, doc, I figure to be discovering a new shirt in my room before we go back off planet" Jayne boasts.
"Yes, well, I'm sure I can coax one off some ape at a local pub" replies Simon.
Jayne looks disappointed, "Aw, I was thinkin ya could spring me a fanciful one to help me get some respect from the women."
"You want time with them, not respect" laughs river as she passes on toward the upper deck.

Location: Zoe and Washs' quarters, door open.
"...I'd sure like some new clothes, and to go out to eat and take a water-side stroll..." Wash joyously confides to Zoe.
"A stroll would be nice. Depending on how well the job goes, hope I have enough energy for all that" answers Zoe.
Wash questions "What about you take a break this time, let Jayne go with the cap'n, or even Shepherd if it's up in up?"
"Jayne...Jayne talks when he don't need to, Cap'n might get aggravated and leave him at the nearest drinkin spot" Zoe says.
Wash smiles "And, the problem with that?"
Giggling in the hallway, river responds as she heads toward the cockpit "He doesn't deserve a vacation yet."

Location: Cockpit, Mal and Shepherd hovering over a dossier.
"Something for everyone" River smiles.
Shepherd looks up and smiles "I see you gather what we're up to."
Mal continues "Yup, little one, tryi'n to make everyone happy and fulfilled-like this trip."
River gazes and says "Always a loose screw rattling around, it'll have to be fixed first."
"Talk to Kaylee about that while we finish this" Mal blurts while looking at a map.
"You might not have broke it, but you'll have to fix it..." trailing off as she heads toward the galley.
"She does confound one when you don't know what she's talking about" Shepherd ponders aloud.
"Huh?, Oh Kaylee'll take care of it, never-you-mind, How 'bout this?" Mal says, pulling Book back into the situation at hand.

Location: Inaras shuttle.
"...ok, see you then!" Inara smiles at a telescreen.
River quietly walks in "tea?"
Surprised, Inara turns around "Why yes, thank you River! Oh and I have something for you..."
Inara reaches into a bag under the screen.
"Beautiful for your skin tone...", holding up a dress to Rivers' side.
"Bad memories?" River raises her eyebrows.
"What, No, just thought you'd like to have something else to wander about in...This tea is very refreshing, what... "
"Added pepper and peach juice" River says while admiring the fluidity and silky laces of the new garment.
Inara swallows another sip "You are one for surprises..."
"You too, see you at dinner!" River scampers out, holding the dress close as she makes it to her room.

Location: Dinner table, a few hours later.
Simon continuing an already in progress sentence: "...Thank you Inara."
Inara: "Yes, she looks like a flower in it."
Kaylee also continuing: "...Fresh food again!"
Book: "I'll get to show you some more recipes..."
Zoe with eyes raised: "We'll be gettin real healthy, 'round here, you mean?"
Wash, Smiling: "Oh I wouldn't mind any extra curves, Sweety."
Mal and Jayne arrive and sit down.
Mall: "Well, this IS addling"

"No poisoning, Jayne!" River says loudly then continues to eat the seasoned protein soup and bread everyone is eating.
Inara mentions visiting a friend and asks if Kaylee and River would like to accompany her. Kaylee looks about to burst at the prospect of meeting a companion's friend while River slowly smiles as she is pulled in by Kaylee's enthusiasm.

Location: Muir. A desert planet with mild mountains, flat lands, and speckled with many experimental orchards and farms.
On a house in the the flat lands, there is a woman placing a decorated rock in the shadow of a tall slender tree. There are several other rocks in the vicinity around the tree.
Inara, River and Kaylee make landfall. The woman wears a wide-brimmed, pale hat, long skirt, loose shirt. She meets, greets and hugs the women from Serenity. Steps back, pulls off her hat revealing hair in a bun with a shock of silver on one side, she wipes her brow.
She motions for all to come inside. Kaylee and river go about looking at all the artifacts displayed from Earth that was. Inara helps her prepare some refreshing drinks, the two women sit down and begin a conversation.
Stranger (Syr): "...working on a sundial. So much work to be done, loose track of your day here!"
---
Inara: "You've gotten so much accomplished since you moved out here! Your waves transport me to a little paradise, glad the girls and I were able to make it out here. They will be busy talking about this for months!"
Syr: "It's hard work, but pretty satisfying knowing I have what I need, not depending on anything but the weather. The stuff you send me is lovely and exotic; you'll find it in the coverin's, linens...everywhere you see color, that most likely came from you! Hope you had need for the blanket I sent you, figure it must get pretty cold up there."
Inara: "Yes, thank you, it's nice to have something personal to melt into when there's free time..."

View moves to an adjacent room where Kaylee and River are mesmerizing each other with stories inspired by the artifacts.
River: "...and that's why it's blue."
Kaylee: "You're joshing me, where did you hear that?"
River: "A book my parents gave me when I was three."
Kaylee: "...and you remember that? I can't remember anything before about five. Oh, how about this?"
River smiles softly and shakes her head no, hanging on Kaylee's words to learn more.
Kaylee: "Earth that was had a lot of creatures that didn't make it to all the other planets. This was a bee smoker."
River raises her eyebrows in questoning concern.
Kaylee, smiling brightly, reassures River: No, they didn't cook 'em! They'd blow smoke on them to keep 'em calm while they checked on 'em."
River flashes disbelief as Kaylee continues, "...worker bees go 'round sippin all the nectar out of flowers. The pollen would stick to their legs, matin' fruit and vegetables as they went along. Come back to the hive, throw up honey, seal it for later!"
Syr passes through the room, heading to the kitchen "Be careful with that, I still use it."
Kaylee and River's eyes grow big and they look from Syr to each other smiling broadly.

The view follows a ray of light from a boulder to the opening door of the shuttle, pans up as Book and Mal walk through it on their way out of the ship.
Book steps out with a broad grin, breathing in deep the fresh air. Mal strides past Book as they both head toward a merchantile on the opposite end of town.

View drops down from the top of a tree, flashes past a town entry sign, down the dirt main street. We notice the mule (transport) and walk in to a wooden storefront with a customer.
The bell on the door rings and we hear Jayne: "It's gotta be the three s's, smart, silk, stunnin'"
Simon to Jayne: "So you're going for an intellectual look?"
Jayne: "I'm not going for it, I got it, just wanna drive it home!"
Wash aloofly, almost frowning, watching his crew mates peruse the store: "Yup, when I think vacation, this is exactly where I wanna be."
Zoe smiles while handling a sleek black and white ankle-length gown: "Mmm picture wine and dinner at sunset in this." She quickly lets the dress fall out of her hands and notices a manikin wearing geta shoes and a silk asian outfit (long frog clasp button down shirt and pants to match). "Kaylee needs this and would never buy it for herself!"

Next scene is in Syr's kitchen, finger foods and tea being enjoyed by the four women. They are in the middle of a conversation:
Syr: "...People traveling to other planets to settle were alotted precedence for free biological items corresponding to their know-how."
Kaylee: "And you were keen on natural growin', livin' off the land?"
Syr: "Sure was! Brought my seeds, government gave me bees; the climate is good, although since the ground isn't very fertile, I managed to convince them I could make use of chicks, goats, and sheep to work through improving the area..." Trails off talking about chicken manure, sheep shoring, and goats having a similar appetite as pigs.
Inara: "Sounds better than some of our long runs with re-sequenced protein."
River: "and tears"
Everyone looks at River as we fade back to Book and Mal

Book and Mal at Main Merchantile
They have asked about their contact, and the shop owner points to a man at a table.
Mal introduces them as the middle men called on to move items around for pay.
The man explains he has some seeds going to a couple places, the second parties will be giving him produce, and he'll give Mal the cash.
They head out to the first farm, give the farmer seeds, farmer gives them bales of hay. They head off to the next farm.

Town
Simon, Jayne, Zoe, Wash all walk out of yet another store, each holding a few bags each.
(The whole crew have extra credits to spend on luxuries, not everyone knows what the other has purchased and in their bags.
Simon has bought Jayne an entire outfit; Wash bought the dress for Zoe, for their anniversary;
Zoe buys Kaylee and Wash something; Jayne buys something for Simon (weapon).

Back at Syr's Farm

Shuttle lands, Book and Mal exit, greeted by Syr walking toward them. Inara, Kaylee, and River are on the porch of the house, Inara looking concerned.
Book smiles as he comes closer "Well, this is a pleasant surprise! Hope you all are having a nice visit."
Inara: "Is everything all right?"
Mal: "Yeah, nothing to worry on. Just seems this leg of the thing lands us here with your friend."
Syr politely takes the seed packet inside while explaining "I'll go check 'em out while y'all chat."

Conversation fades after Mal says "The rest of the ship is in town perusing."
View follows Syr to her microscope and then back outside, with a non-amused look on her face.

Abruptly River mumbles: "Missing the secondary nucleotide."
Syr: "but why would someone do that?"
Kaylee: "Huh?"
Inara: "Is that a problem?"
Syr: "Yep, missing sugars; they'll taste bitter and won't ripen."
Book: "Sounds like experimenting gone wrong."
Mal: "What does this mean to the deal?"
Syr: "I can't do the trade, it'll kill my bees. I'll pay you to make sure these are not given to anyone. My bees get into this mess, that'll be the end of produce in this region."
Mal says to Book: "Well I guess that means we're back-trackin"
Books nods firmly and they head back off in the shuttle.

Arriving at the first farmer, and explaining the situation, the farmer says he doesn't care, they are about to go in the ground.
They head back to merchantile and explain the situation to the seed man. Man takes the bales and pays them for that portion and just says he washes his hands of the second sale, "her business, not mine" he trails off.
Book replies "It's everyone's business if the seeds muck up the whole pollenating cycle."
Man smiles as he walks away "doesn't seem to bother anyone else, we're done here, thanks fellas!"
Mal: "Well, this IS addling."
Book: "I have seeds on the ship I can give him, but something will have to be done with his."
Mal: "Yeah just not keen on the idea of getting shot while rummaging around for his.
Book: "I'll go and have a talk, distract him, give him the seeds, while you slip in and grab the others."
Mal is shown looking around for the seeds when a girl lets out a blood-curdling scream, a young man is seen sliding down a barn ladder and running out.
Farmer comes in with a shotgun and Book in tow. Farmer assumes Mal is having fun with the daughter, but she loudly explains she screamed because there was a stranger in the barn. As the farmer and daughter argue, Mal and Book quickly leave in the shuttle, dock with Serenity.

Serenity leaves the planet and we see everyone exchanging stories and gifts. Simon is tickled by the very small gun Jayne gives him. Jayne quite impressed with the outfit Simon picked for him. Zoe strokes the dress Wash got her while she wasn't looking, wearing a broad grin. Wash pats on new aftershave cologne Zoe picked out for him. Kaylee grins and dances around with a new dress Zoe, Jayne, Simon, and Wash all chipped in for, as she places an item in Mal's spot at the dining table. Inara admires an irridescent light catcher that River made her at Syr's. Book replaces his hair binder with a new one Inara gave him. River cautiously eats some dried fruit Mal brought back for her from the merchantile. Mal finally sits down, notices the item from Kaylee and opens it up to reveal a hand-tooled holster for his gun.

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