BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

SHINYTRINKET

NOTHIN' IN THE 'VERSE - PART II: Chapter 4
Tuesday, October 3, 2006

Takes place after the events of the series and before the BDM, and a few months after "Nothin' In The 'Verse Part I". The return of a former passenger to Serenity causes conflict among the crew - and creates a problem for Mal that he is unprepared to deal with.-------CHAPTER 4: Alex takes the only way out she can find - and it's not pretty.


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2133    RATING: 9    SERIES: FIREFLY

Disclaimers: Everything belongs to Joss, except for one character of my creation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alex scaled the high fence as fast as she could with one good leg. When she got to the roll of wire at the top, she didn’t even hesitate. She grabbed it with both hands, feeling it go through her thick winter gloves like they weren’t even there. She gritted her teeth, and pulled herself up and onto it, intending to swing around and descend the other side. What she hadn’t counted on was her right leg not cooperating with her plan. She got to the top, balanced on the razor wire, feeling it sinking into the flesh of her hands, arms, and her left leg, which was braced against it as she tried to swing her right leg up and over. Only her right leg wouldn’t swing. She couldn’t move it at all. Certain the wire must be hitting bone by that time, Alex had only one choice. She hurled herself forward, over the fence and toward the ground on the other side. The fence was very high, and the ground on the other side sloped away into a deep ravine leading to the woods. Alex hit the ground hard, and tumbled down the hill through the snow, over and over, until she came to rest face down where the ground finally flattened out. It took her a moment to catch her breath, and then she lifted her head. As soon as she tried to rise, searing pain shot through her hip, and the vomit reflex kicked in again. She pressed the back of a bloody hand to her mouth, retching, but she was empty. She realized the snow around her was red, and she knew she must be bleeding badly. She looked down at herself. Her gloves, jacket and pant legs were in ribbons from the razor wire, as was the flesh underneath—but there was strangely little pain. Maybe the cold snow was numbing her so she didn’t feel as much. Her hip, however, was another story. Whereas it had been numb when she first stood on her leg, now it felt like a white-hot poker was stabbing her instead of her prison-issue knife. She immediately saw why. The hilt of the knife was gone, and all that was visible was about a half inch of the blade. She must have landed on it and broken it in the fall. That thought set her head to spinning again, but then she heard voices and knew she had to start moving before anyone else discovered her there and perhaps added more misery to what she was already experiencing. Using a tree for support, she managed to pull herself to a standing position. With her right leg almost useless, she hobbled off into the trees, traveling in some footprints that were already there. She wasn’t sure that was the smartest thing to do, but she had no real choice—she could not have made it through the deeper snow in the condition she was in. The voices behind her were growing nearer, and Alex instinctively reached into her coat for something to protect herself with. Her shock rod was gone, taken by the gang that attacked her. She knew where her knife was, that was for sure, but it wasn’t going to help her. Miraculously, her gun was still strapped to her side. Why the mob hadn’t taken it she didn’t know, but she thanked God and the power of the ‘verse for that oversight. She pulled it out and checked the chamber. Six shots; that was it. She would have to use discretion. Moving as fast as was possible, she headed deeper into the woods. There were several sets of prints that had beaten the snow ahead of her into a path of sorts. Using her left leg to propel herself forward and dragging her uncooperative right leg along for the ride, she grabbed trees and branches along the way and used her arms as well as her good leg for momentum. She had almost gotten into a rhythm when she saw something lying across the trail ahead of her. When she neared she saw it was a body. Gun at the ready, she approached cautiously. The figure, a man, was lying face down, a pool of blood melting the snow around his head. She fell to her knees beside him and, grabbing his coat, rolled him over. It was Thomas, one of the guards she knew who was due to leave the prison on the same transport ship she had been awaiting. He was one she actually liked. Apparently he had been locked out of the bunker, too. Now he stared up at her sightlessly. The bullet had gone in the back of his head and exited right between his eyes. So much for his bulletproof vest. Poor guy probably never knew what hit him. I may not be far behind you, Thomas, she thought grimly. She tore open his uniform jacket, hoping he would still have his weapons intact. She found his gun, still fully loaded. She found his shock rod and then his knife. She took the weapons and strapped them on. Then she willed herself to stand up again and keep moving. The voices behind her had faded away. She could still hear the faraway shouts and noise from the prison, and she could smell the smoke, but around her, blessedly, it was quiet. Snow had begun to fall, carpeting the tracks ahead of her with a new dusting. Ahead of her, across the makeshift trail, was a large deadfall, a huge tree with a gigantic mass of roots rising into high into the air. Alex hobbled to it, then sat down gingerly on the trunk to take a rest. Once she stopped, she realized how exhausted and weak she really was. Her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth, parched from her open-mouth breathing. She grabbed a handful of snow and ate it. She realized she was shaking, but didn’t know if it was from cold or from fatigue, or if blood loss was finally catching up to her. After a short break, she rose unsteadily and made her way around the root structure of the downed tree. As she stepped around and over the entangled roots and clods of earth, she noticed that the tree, which must have been down for quite some time, was rotted to the point of being hollowed out at the base of the trunk. She bent over and looked between the roots into the opening beyond. Then she had a thought. Shedding her backpack, she got down on her knees, and began backing into the hole. It was big enough, although just, to accommodate her. She backed up as far as she could before her feet ran up against something solid. Only the top of her head and her arms protruded from the trunk, and the roots formed a sort of roof over her to shelter her from the worst of the elements. She pulled her pack up, resting her head on it like a pillow. It would be as good a place as any to lay low and listen for rescue ships to arrive. She kept her gun in hand, at the ready. The weapons she took off the guard she placed within easy reach. Now there was nothing to do but wait. Wait and try to keep herself alive. She had to live, because now, more than ever, she had family depending on her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go to Chapter 5.

Back to Chapter 3.

COMMENTS

Tuesday, October 3, 2006 8:05 AM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER


Damn...Alex is like a machine! I would be laying in a puddle of my own effluvia after all that;)

BEB

Tuesday, October 3, 2006 12:14 PM

AMDOBELL


Wow, I am sitting on the edge of my seat and praying that Alex hasn't hidden herself too well for Mal to find when the Big Damn Rescuers come. Just hope she can hold on. This is an excellent story, lots of drama. Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me

Tuesday, October 3, 2006 12:49 PM

HEWHOKICKSALOT


I like the fact that you've created such a strong, self-reliant woman. Wouldn't mind seein' some retribution toward the animals from chapter one...


"Not as deceiving as a low down dirty... deceiver."

Rob O.

Tuesday, October 3, 2006 3:05 PM

VAUGHN28


Excellent chapter! I am so happy to see this story continueing!

Most Excellent descriptive writing in this chapter! The details are fantastic, right down to the retching and the razor wire ripping and the buried blade. Great job!

I can't wait to read more!

vaughn


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Takes place after the events of the series and before the BDM, and a few months after "Nothin' In The 'Verse Part I".
The return of a former passenger to Serenity causes conflict among the crew - and creates a problem for Mal that he is unprepared to deal with.-------CHAPTER 33: Alex remembers, Simon puts his foot in his mouth, and Mal has a heart.


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Takes place after the events of the series and before the BDM, and a few months after "Nothin' In The 'Verse Part I".
The return of a former passenger to Serenity causes conflict among the crew - and creates a problem for Mal that he is unprepared to deal with.-------CHAPTER 32: River sings a song, Alex goes to work, and the job - what else? - doesn't go smooth!


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Takes place after the events of the series and before the BDM, and a few months after "Nothin' In The 'Verse Part I".
The return of a former passenger to Serenity causes conflict among the crew - and creates a problem for Mal that he is unprepared to deal with.-------CHAPTER 31: The crew stops on Persephone to refuel, and trouble comes calling.


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Takes place after the events of the series and before the BDM, and a few months after "Nothin' In The 'Verse Part I".
The return of a former passenger to Serenity causes conflict among the crew - and creates a problem for Mal that he is unprepared to deal with.-------CHAPTER 30: Book comes to the rescue, Alex tells a story, and the definition of "family" is explored.


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Takes place after the events of the series and before the BDM, and a few months after "Nothin' In The 'Verse Part I".
The return of a former passenger to Serenity causes conflict among the crew - and creates a problem for Mal that he is unprepared to deal with.-------CHAPTER 29: Mal and Alex have a talk...and hilarity does NOT ensue.


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Takes place after the events of the series and before the BDM, and a few months after "Nothin' In The 'Verse Part I".
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