The Trial of Jayne

Jayne turned on the light in the inky blackness of the hidden compartment. He could hear River Tam’s slow, rhythmic breathing beside him. The light seemed inordinately bright after the long darkness and Jayne squinted. In the very back of the compartment was the large crate with the money and next to it lie River. So far the crews searching the ship had not discovered their hiding place. Never in his life did Jayne expect to hide himself here. Strewn around the floor was a pillow, some blankets, some water containers and various canned and packaged goods Jayne planned to take with him on his big getaway. Though he’d contacted the people who hired Serenity and told them what happened, Jayne’s natural mistrust of people made him back out of making contact with them. So, like the cautious man he was, Jayne Cobb decided to hide and make a break for it later. Everything was going as planned when River passed out. Jayne knew then that something was going wrong. He heard the search teams board the ship and carry off the crew. That was about 12 hours ago near as he could tell. At the moment he was beginning to worry about River and wondering if he weren’t sharing a tight space with a dead body. Presently the hull shuddered and metallic sounds could be heard filling the ship. They were the sounds of a ship being towed. Jayne set his jaw and strained to listen. There were no sounds in the cargo bay. This was all going south fast.

Malcolm sat in the conference room again only this time there was no relaxed air about him. Tension could be tasted like old canned rations. Malcolm starred at Okeida, then at the two men at the ready. Okeida was reading some papers showing no emotion. Malcolm could take it no longer, “I appreciate the heap of hospitality you’ve shown us all, but I need to know what you figurin’ on doing with us. You gonna turn us over to the Alliance?” The small man smiled, “Captain Reynolds, I could have turned you over to the Alliance at any point. Threatening you with authority is something we both know will not work and in any case, my associates are still out over two million platinum.” The little man’s smile made Mal even more angry though he tried to contain his fury, “Well I can see we both would like to avoid any Alliance, umm, entanglements. You know as well as I that me and mine don’t have anywhere close to two meg.” “Yes Mr. Reynolds,” Okeida said with self assurance, “that is the only thing I am sure of about his entire mission. However, someone you know is somewhere with one million platinum. Perhaps we can work out a deal.” “Please tell me what’s on your mind.” Okeida closed a leather folder in front of him and placed both hands on top of it, “Your ship now belongs to us. It will be taken back to Acre Station and dismantled. You may go where you will.” Malcolm’s jaw clenched, “There aint no way you are takin my ship mister.” “There is nothing you can do to stop me Mr. Raynolds,” Okeida said as he stood, “I am afraid you are, as of now, without transportation.” Malcolm pushed off the carpet with his feet and launched himself down the length of the polished table. From the corner of his eyes he saw the two men at the door moving swiftly towards him. His hands were inches from Okeida’s lapels when the little man seemed to disappear. Malcolm felt something hot touch his neck and immediately his vision blurred. He went skidding across the floor and blacked out.

The spark of consciousness Mal felt was the ringing pain in his head. The flagging captain then was acutely aware of cool air going into his lungs. Along with that air was a strong familiar smell. Opening his eyes brought Malcolm Reynolds only glaring white light. He shut them again quickly. There were noises that sounded far off but familiar. Voices? Yes voices. “I think he’s coming to,” Kaylee said to the assembled crew. Simon checked his pulse, “Yes he seems to be regaining consciousness. Captain, how do you feel?” Mal rolled his head to one side, “Like I came off a four-day drunk on some shine. Where the hell are we? Are we on Serenity?” Inara was sitting beside him when Malcolm slowly blinked his eyes open, “No Mal, we are still aboard the ship that intercepted us.” “Take it easy Captain,” Preacher Book’s soft voice gave as the man helped Mal to a sitting position, “you’ve been out for quite a while.” “Owww,” Mal exclaimed as his hand passed over a spot on his neck, “Everybody here?” Kaylee looked concerned, “ I don’t think none of us have seen Jayne and River.” Simon’s voice was tense, “Captain, do you know who these people are? Have they said anything about River? Anything at all?” Malcolm’s back cracked as she stood shakily, “I aint heard a word spoken about her. Were you all interrogated?” “Yes,” Preacher stood up also, “We were all asked about what happened on this trip. I don’t think they believed us. I mean our story was pretty incredible. Funny, I have been trying to convince people there is a God out there and now that I saw physical proof, no one will believe me.” “I know the feelin Preacher,” Mal looked down at Inara who seemed to be light years away, “but we got much bigger problems than God at the moment. Our nice Mr. Okeida informed me they are taking Serenity in lieu of the million platinum they gave us. Apparently they didn’t find…” Inara stood and put her fingers on Mal ‘s lips. She pointed to the ceiling and mouthed ‘they are listening’. She then put her finger in the air in a sign for him to wait. She reached under the folds of her dress and took out a small metallic ball. Small legs came down from the sides and an audible hum emanated from it when Inara pressed on the top. “We can talk now until they realize we are blocking them,” Inara said. “Shiny thing you have there,” Malcolm looked confused, then regained his line of thought. “Obviously they didn’t find the lockbox with the million in it. That means that it was hid before they came on board.” Preacher put his hands to his lips, “You think Jayne could have hidden along with the money?” “That’s possible,” Malcolm’s forehead was creased in a v-shape, “Jayne knows how to take care of himself. Don’t know about River. What I can glean from talking with these people is they are none too sweet on the Alliance. Doc I don’t think you have to worry about them turning her over. Now that’s iffen they don’t want her lovely brainpan for themselves.” Kaylee grabbed Simon’s hand, “I’m sure she’s hiding with Jayne.” “We don’t know that for sure,” Mal was thinking out loud, “but what I do know is that they are not takin my ship.” “Capn,” Kaylee said softly as Simon put his head down. She nodded her head towards Simon, wide-eyed to tell her captain to watch what she was saying. Mal sighed heavily, “Preacher, any ideas as to who these folk are?” Book sat down again, “I have an idea but I am not sure. There were rumors of a breakaway religious sect who worshiped technology and the human mind as the central part of their faith. You see Captain, they didn’t believe in a God as we do, they believed in the human capacity to be holy in and of itself. They believed that our destiny was in our own hands and only there. Of course the Church didn’t hold with these beliefs and the sect was banned. I suppose it remained alive and found followers. But again, I am not really sure.” “What makes you think these people are those banned folk,” Kaylee asked as she squeezed Simon’s hand. “When I first awoke, I noticed the book in my room,” Book said thoughtfully, “It was an old Gnostic bible. This sect was said to have followed Gnostic teachings in their beginnings, hundreds of years ago.” Wash’s voice was ripe with desperation as he held on to Zoe’s hand, “That’s all interesting, but what are they gonna DO with us after we get towed in?” “Not sure,” Mal’s voice was tense. Wash stood, “Oh, oh that’s reassuring. So they space us along the way? Do they turn us over to the Alliance? We have to find some answers here!” “I don’t have any answers Wash,” Mal said, almost to himself. “Well am I the only one here who thinks we should maybe try and figure something out,” Wash’s voice rose while Zoe’s eyes followed him. “Who knows who these people are! I mean, they have us in deep space, we have no contact with anyone! We’re out in the wind here!!” “Wa Cao,” Mal snapped causing Kaylee to start, “I don’t have any answers yet. I just know they aint takin my ship…not without a fight.” Inara was calm and collected, “We may not have to fight.”

Serenity had been deathly quiet for hours now and Jayne’s legs were going to sleep on him. His hearing strained at the hidden panel and he heard nothing. Carefully he pressed the latches on the smuggling panel and felt it release. He cracked it and peered out into Serenity’s cargo bay, now dark and lifeless. Slowly pushing the section aside he looked first at the airlock door then scanned the interior of the bay more closely. Nothing. Silence. Jayne stealthily stepped out into the open air. The cargo bay seemed cavernous after nearly a day in the cramped smuggling compartment. The first thing Jayne noticed was the absence of all cargo crates. Someone had taken everything! Scanning to and fro, Jayne hugged the wall and went into the passenger compartment. Checking each room with all the cunning he could muster, Jayne found each one of them empty in turn. He bounded up the ladder to the medical bay. Empty. Moving down the hallway of the crew quarters he had an overriding feeling to get to his first. It was dark. Jayne descended the ladder without turning the main lights on. He felt around his bunk and found the portable light just where he’d left it. With some sense of comfort Jayne let a smile lose when he saw that all the porn on his wall was still in place. He panned the small light upwards and right. “Well chi wo de shi,” Jayne muttered through clenched teeth. All of his weapons were gone. “Gan ni niang,” the profanity flowed with ease climbing the ladder, “Some asshole’s gonna get his nuts clipped for this!” The bridge was not far ahead and there appeared to be a light emanating through the porthole of the closed bulkhead. Jayne pulled his knife and eased to the side of the small window. He peered in, keeping his head low and looking with one eye. All of the computers and ship’s systems were dark. He quickly looked out the windows and his eyes widened at the massive dry dock of Acre Station. Immediately his mind went to work. Jayne went back to his bunk and found a large, battered knapsack. Escape was first on his mind. Acre was a huge facility with about 10,000 employees and owned by one of the few companies not gobbled up by the Blue Sun Corporation. Johnnson Space Industries was mainly a defense contractor but managed to operate outside normal channels. No one in the Alliance ever figured out how this was done, especially when Blue Sun’s arm began to reach into deep levels of the government. Yet, Acre Station, Talon Shipyards and Janice Navigation Systems were still private companies owned by one of the last remaining free corporations in the Alliance. His mind raced as Jayne made his way back to the cargo bay. With that many employees surely he could pass enough bribe money around to jump a transport back to a planet. From there, the two million credits would go far. With eyes constantly on the airlock door Jayne tip-toed back to the compartment. When he ducked down he saw River staring back at him. “Ta ma de girl,” Jayne spat as he jumped backwards, “you nearly scared the hair offen ma head! Don’t you know any other way than sneaking?” River looked at him with confusion, then stood outside and brushed her hair back, “She’s not ours anymore!” Jayne leaned in the compartment and stretched for the lockbox, “I see your makin your usual sense.” River walked into Serenity’s cargo bay looking at the walls and ceiling with growing anxiety. “We have to help them Jayne! They are going to take her and we’ll be homeless!” “Would you just not be gettin all hysterical right now,” Jayne was crossing and uncrossing his arms stiffly. “Iffen you wanna get yourself caught then be my guest but right this moment I’d prefer something different if you don’t ruttin mind!” River slowly turned to face Jayne, “This is your doing isn’t it? You signaled them, you brought them here.” “I aint did no such thing,” Jayne was stuffing the currency in the backpack, “This goat roping was doomed when we took this job! Now they all got themselves in with some black organization. Well ole Jayne aint gonna find out what they’re all about I can tell you!” With stiff strides, Jayne strode quickly to the airlock door. He could see a short gangway to another door but nothing beyond that. Fluidly he punched in the door code and grinned when he heard the hiss. The outer door opened with as little effort. He looked back and saw River staring back at him. He turned and put his hand on the door. His mind raced, ‘Leave her gorramit! Get your ass outta there and leave the wacko and her trouble!’ Heartburn rose in Jayne Cobb’s stomach. He turned back to face River again. She was completely helpless. ‘Dammit Cobb, just leave!’ River took a step towards him and he broke, “Well you commin’ or no? We can’t stay here you chun zi!” “Are we going to find them? Find Simon and the captain?” Jayne flicked his fingers at her, “Yeah, yeah unless we stay here gorram jabbering all day and get caught! Come on!” River trotted and hopped though the airlock. Jayne closed the inner door and resealed it, then opened the outer door and motioned for River to go through. Quietly he closed the outer door and engaged the lock. The gangway was short and windowless ending in another door. Jayne took the lead and pushed River to the wall as he looked through the square window in the door. There was a brightly lit hallway with no one moving outside. To their left was a spacesuit locker with four new suits and four green coveralls. Jayne checked the sizes and handed one to River. The third one was his size. He stepped in an turned to see River standing naked unzipping the uniform. He rolled his eyes. “Are you gorram retarded,” Jayne snapped, “keep your other clothes on. Now hurry and quit being stupid before I have a mind to leave ya.” Jayne swallowed hard as he watched her young breasts and supple body. It had been a long time. Quickly he wheeled and looked out the door again. Everything seemed quiet. River was fully dressed and in the uniform when he turned back. “Now listen girl,” Jayne set his jaw and lowered his voice to a growl, “You don’t say a word unless I tell you to. Got that?” River nodded. “And none of your crazy talk neither, you’ll make us stand out and somebody’ll start asking the wrong questions!” River nodded, “Where are we going?” “To the only place on a scientific station where I know more about something than anybody else…the bar.” “How do you know they have a bar,” River asked flatly. Jayne cocked his head, indignant, “Every station this size has a barroom. I don’t care what the purpose of the station is. People need to unwind. You should try it.” With that Jayne straightened himself and pressed the button to open the station door. To his surprise it opened without alarm. When he stepped into the hallway a flashing screen caught his attention. “IMPOUNDED: NO ADMITTANCE WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION!” the message read. Jayne’s senses went to high alert knowing there would probably be a guard on duty to keep people out. He grabbed River and jerked her into the bright hallway shutting the door quickly. Muffled voices could be heard around the curve of the hallway. Jayne signed for River to stay put. He tried to walk casually but cautiously. Just around the curve there was an anteroom to his left. Carefully Jayne peered in and saw a man in a security uniform with his pants around his ankles. A woman was kneeling at his feet with her head bobbing up and down. Jayne smiled. He trotted back to River and motioned her to come. Holding her sleeve cuff tightly he lead her past the two in the room. The hallway curved for some distance and they came across a huge viewing window. Outside could be seen the gigantic drydock of Acre Station. A few yards ahead was an elevator. The door slid silently open as soon as Jayne depressed the button. He pulled River inside. Jayne let out a long breath, “Well that was the hard part.” “Is this a bar,” River asked pointing. There was a screen on the wall with a layout of the station. Her slim finger was pointing to a room labeled “Cantina”. Jayne smiled, “Well hell I do believe it is.” Jayne’s knarled finger tapped the room on the console and hit GO. They were on their way to the barroom.