Virtual Firefly www.stillflying.net Season 2 Episode 12: Pull the Trigger Written and Directed by Matt Engstorm

Teaser from 2x12: Pull the Trigger ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXT. SPACE Serenity sails through the black. INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY SIMON packs up medical supplies as KAYLEE follows him about the room. KAYLEE: But the Captain is a moron! I know this from years of knowing this. He’s a total backbirth – plus, he’s still shook up from the job on Lilac. SIMON: Getting chased by Reavers… I imagine that would be a little exciting. KAYLEE: (not really listening): And everybody knows he’s been extra crabby since Inara left the ship—again!—which letting her go this time— again!—just proves his moron-hood! SIMON: I think things between the Captain and Inara are very… complicated. KAYLEE: There’s no call for you to leave, too! SIMON: It’s time, Kaylee. It’s long past time. KAYLEE: But where y’all gonna go? You’re wanted fugitives! The Alliance— SIMON: The Alliance thinks River is dead. They probably stopped looking for us months ago. Anyway, there must be some out of the way place that needs a doctor. Zoe mentioned they needed help with a lung disease on Haven… KAYLEE: But we need your help! (beat) We’re all the time getting shot, or cut up, ears flying this way and that… SIMON: You can find a competent medic, I’m sure. KAYLEE: Yeah, but he wouldn’t be you. He stops to look at her. She looks away, not meeting his gaze. KAYLEE (cont’d): ‘Sides, now that Inara’s gone, River’s been about my only good girl friend. She don’t always make sense of any kind, but she’s a dear heart to me. SIMON: And you to her. Your kindness, of all the things here, is what I… They move closer, but Simon thinks better of it and pulls back. SIMON (cont’d): But we knew this was coming. Serenity isn’t our home. River and I have to find our place. That’s just the way of it. (beat) I should pack. Kaylee looks down, defeated. INT. SERENITY – COMMON AREA – SAME TIME We drop back outside to see RIVER watching the whole exchange unseen. After a few beats, she goes to the: INT. SERENITY – CARGO BAY – CONTINUOUS Which is empty but for the banged-up HOVER-MULE hanging above her. She drifts beneath it - touching the ship with both her eyes and fingertips, looking about her with every step. Every touch conveys some memory or energy to her: a gamut of emotions plays over her face. RIVER: It’s peaceful here. It can be. At times. (beat) One man’s coincidence is another man’s evidence. She whispers as she goes; her eyes are a little unfocused. She touches the airlock DOOR. RIVER (cont’d): Oh but you did. You turn on any of my crew, you turn on me. But since that’s a concept you can’t seem to wrap your head around— She then makes her way along the edge of a wall, touching it lightly as she goes. RIVER (cont’d): —then you’ve got no place here. She glances up, somewhat fondly, at the suspended hover-mule. RIVER (cont’d): I swear to you I will get very choked up… Honestly, there could be tears. She starts up the stairs to the upper catwalk. Each step meticulous and slow. Halfway, she stops again, closes her eyes. RIVER (cont’d): I'll be in my bunk. She races up the rest of the stairs two at a time and arrives at the door to Shuttle One. She stops. Enters. INT. SERENITY – SHUTTLE ONE – CONTINUOUS The shuttle is filled with beautiful decorations that mark the walls, the ornate bed and furniture, the dressings of a Companion. They shimmer so bright, too real it seems, but soon the images begin to dim. River walks into the room and— The memories fade and reality returns. The metallic walls gleam dull behind where curtains hung, a couple of incense sticks remain on the floor, and an ornate trunk stays in place in the corner. River wanders about, muttering various phrases as she stops in places, soaking up the energy of the place. RIVER: What did I say to you about coming into my shuttle uninvited? (wanders) Last time you get to call me whore. (wanders) This doesn’t make you a man. She lies on the floor, where the bed used to be. Touches the air above her, supplicant. RIVER (cont’d): Oh god… that feels so good, just there… just there, yes, oh, OH— MAL (OS): Hey! She looks over to see MAL in the doorway, looking not at all comfortable. MAL (cont’d): Um, I don’t see any cause for you to be here… doin’ that… RIVER (complete lack of emotion): Oh, god, you fill me up, don’t stop, it’s so good— MAL: I’m sure it’s all kinds a’ nice, but you really should stop. Now. RIVER: This is where she feigned. MAL: Where she fainted? RIVER: She lied. Sweet lies, like spun sugar. A web around her eyes. A veil. Can’t see in, can’t see out. MAL: Right. Well, it was Inara’s job to lie with men, if that’s even remotely what you’re talking about… He stops, but says nothing. MAL (cont’d): You know, little one, you were great on Lilac. Fine little criminal. Saved our shiny pi gu, more than like. I’d as soon have you stay as not. Your brother and I just don’t— RIVER (standing): Everybody leaves you. She’s up and past him with crisp efficiency. RIVER (cont’d): I have things to alphabetize. She leaves. He lets her go, looks back at the shuttle. After a moment, he steps in, looking around. He walks over to the ORNATE CHEST and opens it. The sense of routine to his actions is clear. He pushes the clothes to the side and pulls out a small, expensive looking GLASS BOTTLE. He picks up the bottle, opens it, and sprays a little on the wall that would’ve been near her bed. He closes his eyes, brings his face close and smells her scent on the wall— WASH (OS): So. WASH is in the doorway. Mal starts back, tries to think of something to pretend to be doing. WASH (cont’d): We’re closing in on Beaumonde, should hit atmo in ten. Thought you might wanna Wave Mingo, set up the meet. If you’re, um, done, ah, smelling the shuttle. Mal stands there. INT. SERENITY – BRIDGE – MINUTES LATER Wash pilots the ship. Mal sits in the co-pilot’s chair. Two of the Wave monitors are lit, MINGO and FANTY each on one of them. MAL (to Wave): Coin was there, just like you said it would be. Other’n a few… minor complications… WASH (under his breath): Yeah, the way leprosy is a minor skin irritation. MAL (under his breath, to Wash): Bi jweh {Shut up}. (to Wave) Job went off just as planned. MINGO (via Wave): Attract any attention? FANTY (via Wave): Unwanted attention? MAL (to Wave): No. Dusted the CorVue monitor. Security contractors won’t talk none. MINGO (via Wave): You aren’t lying to my brother now, are you? MAL (to Wave): I don’t lie to my business partners. (beat) We’ll be dirtside in a few. What say we meet at the usual place? We bring your share, you bring us a new job? INT. MINGO AND FANTY’S OFFICE – EVENING Mingo and Fanty sit in two chairs in the middle of a large room and look at Mal on their own monitors, two of many on the wall. FANTY (to Wave): You bring us our share, and we’ll CONSIDER giving you another job… ‘partner’. MAL (via Wave): You’re so good with people. It makes me all weepy inside. See you soon boys. Mingo shuts off both monitors. Above the Wave monitors is a large CorVue screen, on which plays a news report. NEWSPERSON (VO): …only survivors of the massacre apparently locked themselves in the Trade Station vault until help arrived. ON THE SCREEN we see an image of the GUARD from the Lilac heist. GUARD: It just seemed like the smart thing to do. OFFSCREEN REPORTER: And the money? GUARD: Wasn’t room for it, we threw it out. Reavers musta took it. Mingo looks at his brother. MINGO: It’s unfortunate that the Reavers didn’t do the job for us. FANTY (nods): Forces us to get messy. Mingo hits a few more buttons, and the face of a man wearing a simple privateclass MILITARY HAT fills one of the wave monitor screens. The man’s name is REX. REX: Ni hao. MINGO: Rex. The Reynolds job is on.

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