Virtual Firefly www.stillflying.net Season 2 Episode 13: The Breathing Written by DC Washington and Katie Fiorino Directed by DC Washington Selected scenes & text from the R. Tam Sessions, Shooting Script, and Extended Draft of the “Serenity” Motion Picture by Joss Whedon

Teaser from 2x13: The Breathing ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previously on Firefly 2x11 (Lilac) – INT. BENA – TRAINING HOUSE Inara and the stranger share the moment, then it passes, and they go back to their preparations. MAN: You didn’t mention your name. INARA: It’s Inara. Inara Serra. And yours? MAN: I’m Jude. Pleased to meet you, Inara. 2x11/12 (Lilac/Pull the Trigger) - INT. BENA – TRAINING HOUSE SHEYDRA: He told me that you met in the kitchen. I think he has his eye on you. INARA: I’m not taking clients now. I’m teaching. You know that. SHEYDRA: Inara, you are a strong woman. Stronger than me. You are ready to move on. 2x11 (Lilac) – INT. BENA – TRAINING HOUSE JUDE: One must acquire many stories, travelling on such a ship. INARA: I’ve got my share. JUDE: You should tell me sometime. Perhaps over dinner. INARA: Are you looking to contract my services, because Sheydra— JUDE: No. (beat) I was asking you to dinner. 1x02 (Serenity pt II) – INT. SERENITY – CARGO HOLD The top of the futuristic box flies off, clattering to the floor as the smoke clears from over what’s inside. River. SIMON (VO): Everything she did, music, math, theoretical physics - even dance - there was nothing that didn't come as naturally to her as breathing does to us. 1x03 (The Train Job) – INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY Flashbacks of River getting needles stuck into her head. SIMON (VO): There was a school... a, uh, government-sponsored academy… She was fourteen. 1x10 (Ariel) – INT. ST LUCY’S HOSPITAL - IMAGING ROOM Simon manipulates the holographic scan of River’s brain. SIMON (VO): I was contacted by some men, some underground movement. They said she was in danger, that the government was playing with her brain. I don't know what they did to her, or why. 1x06 (Safe) – INT. SERENITY – COMMON AREA RIVER: You can’t just dig into me, shove point needles in my eyes and ask me what I see! 1x11 (War Stories) – INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY SIMON: The more I see, the more I think their purpose was very specific. Whatever they were doing, they were close to succeeding. 2x03 (Salvage) - INT. SHUTTLE ONE RIVER: Everything sleeps. It sleeps and sleeps and sleeps until we wake it up. 2x12 (Pull the Trigger) – INT. THE MAIDENHEAD River is hypnotised by the Oaty Bar commercial on the CorVue. All noise but the jingle fades out, finally that as well, just the hum in River’s ears. RIVER: Miranda. CUT TO: River, taking out the patrons of the Maidenhead. PULL BACK to see Mr. Universe watching the security feed on-screen and talking to Mal via Wave. MAL (via Wave): Subliminal. It’s a subliminal message broadwaved to trigger her. MR. UNIVERSE: It’s Alliance and it’s high military. Someone has gone to enormous trouble to find your little friend... Do you all know what it is you’re carrying?

And Now… INT. SERENITY – BRIDGE - NIGHT MAL, WASH, and ZOE huddle together, staring at the CorVue feed from the Maidenhead. We get the feeling this is the near-hundredth time. RIVER (on the monitor): Miranda. MAL: Miranda. Never even met the miss and I’m already sick of her. How can one girl be this much headache? WASH: Uh, have you met River Tam? MAL: Point taken. ZOE: Don’t know who or what she is, but she’s on River’s mind. Must be important. Conjure it might be the reason they’re after her. MAL: You mean 'after us’. ZOE: After us. WASH: Okay. Great… So what do we do about it? MAL (points at the forward viewport): See that patch of nothing way out there next to that big piece of black, Wash? Keep on flying straight at it. WASH: We can’t keep this up, Mal! Even coasting like we've been the last few days, we're gonna run out of fuel before long. MAL: She’s too much a danger… We just can’t walk a loaded gun into a friend’s house. ZOE: Can’t keep circling the same sky ‘til old age solves the problem for us, either, sir. MAL (reluctant, sighs): Make for Haven. Bern'll fuel us up while we figure out our next step… She don't leave Serenity. Bernabe don't need to know who... what she is. ZOE: Just like Simon figured you didn’t need to know? Zoe’s persistent stare is thankfully interrupted by the MONITOR – flashing “INCOMING.” WASH: You got a Wave, Mal. INT. SERENITY – STORAGE LOCKER - NIGHT CLOSE-UP: RIVER lies on the grated floor, one hand cuffed to it. Sweating and shivering both at once, she holds herself close in the dark space. She stares at us, impassive, as the CAMERA PULLS AWAY from her to reveal SIMON, wearing a BRIGHT HAWAIIAN SHIRT, who holds up some food on a spoon. RIVER: They're afraid of me. SIMON: I'm sorry... RIVER: They should be. What I will show them... Oh God... She starts tearing up, breathing faster... Simon runs his hands through her hair. SIMON: It's okay, it's okay... RIVER (somewhere else): Show me off like a dog, old men covered in blood, it never touched them but they're drowning in it... so much loss... (beat, more tears) I don't know what I'm saying. I never know what I'm saying! SIMON: In the Maidenhead, you said something. When you were triggered, do you remember? The captain saw you say something on the feed... INT. SERENITY – BRIDGE – SAME TIME Mal sits in the co-pilot’s chair, staring at the monitor. It’s River, once more. Wash and Zoe stand behind. RIVER (on the monitor): Miranda. The monitor fast-forwards through the fighting in the bar, and pauses as Mal lifts an unconscious River into his arms. The view on the monitor then pulls back, showing FANTY, who was holding a smaller CorVue to the Wave-screen. FANTY (via Wave): Your little princess did quite a number to our home, Malcolm. MAL: Now is not the best time, Fanty. What is it you want? FANTY (via Wave): Don’t think you heard me. (gets closer) Our. Home. One of your own drags dirt over our doorstep and you leave without so much as a ‘so long’. MAL: I am truly sorry. How thoughtless… So long. He cuts off the Wave, sits back in the chair, and breathes deep. The screen flashes again – “INCOMING.” ZOE: Jian chi chna chu. Mal punches a button and Fanty is back. FANTY (via Wave): And then there’s your arrogance – thinking you can just pick up your heels and leave us to clean up your mess. MAL: I had to run. If— FANTY (via Wave): Feds were crawlin’ through this place like they lost the Parliament under a bottlecap. Caused a hell of mess. A mess which you are going to pay for. MAL: Ain’t got much to give you, Fanty. FANTY (via Wave): You’re in luck we’ve such… forgiving natures. WASH: I don’t remember apologizing. MAL: Thanks all the same. FANTY (via Wave): (sigh) I’ll make this simple for you. We take the liberty on sixty percent of your next job, which is going to happen right this very now. It can’t wait. Am I being crystal here? Mal says nothing. Grinds his teeth. FANTY (via Wave, cont’d): You will meet with our contact on Dyton, he’ll be— Mal nods to Wash, who begins shifting dials at the pilot’s console. The screen fills with static and begins cutting out. MAL: Sorry Fanty ol’ boy. Seem to be picking up some interf— Mal cuts the Wave off once again. INT. BEAUMONDE – MINGO & FANTY’S OFFICE – SAME TIME CLOSE-UP: Fanty, as he throws the Wave-board down in frustration, and turns around. FANTY: Told you he wouldn’t go for it. PULL BACK: He’s talking to MINGO. A SWORD is held to Mingo’s neck by a MAN IN SILHOUETTE. We cannot see his face, but we can see the man is wearing GLASSES that reflect the faint light. Despite this, Mingo has a sly grin on his face. MINGO: We did what you asked. Now you can do us a favor. Pony up the cash you promised, then get the hell out. GLASSES MAN (OS): Do you know what your sin is, Mister Holden? MINGO (the grin suddenly fades): My-? Hey, t’ain’t our fault his gorram troubles landed on our doorstep! The sword edges with just enough pressure to draw the first sign of blood. FANTY: Please… GLASSES MAN (OS): It’s greed. The sword flickers in the light as it makes one sudden, careful motion. INT. SERENITY – STORAGE LOCKER – SAME TIME Simon edges closer to River. SIMON: Miranda? RIVER: (laughs bitterly) Ask her. She'll show you all. SIMON: Show us what? Who is Miranda? River points up. SIMON (cont'd) (hesitant, this sounds stupid): Am I... talking to Miranda now? She shoots him a look. SIMON: No. Right. But I think somehow when they triggered you it brought this up, this memory. RIVER: It isn't mine. The memory. I didn't bring it and I shouldn't have to carry it, it isn't mine. (urgently) Don't make me sleep again! SIMON: I won't. FLASHCUT: River suddenly puts a gun to her head. RIVER (VO): Put a bullet to me. Bullet in the brain-pan, squish. FLASHCUT: Back to reality. SIMON: Don't say that. Not ever. We'll get through this. She reaches out and touches his face affectionately. RIVER: Things are going to get much much worse. SIMON: Well, the captain hasn't tossed us in the airlock so I'd say we're- RIVER: He has to see. More than anyone... he has to see what he doesn't want to. SIMON: River. What will Miranda show us? INT. BEAUMONDE – MINGO & FANTY’S OFFICE – SAME TIME Two heads and their respective torsos lie in pools of dark blood. The entire office in flames. RIVER (VO): Death. SIMON (VO): Whose death? INT. SERENITY - STORAGE LOCKER – SAME TIME An eerily silent beat between River and Simon, then FAST FLASHCUTS: Dead and decaying BODIES in overexposed light, with SOUNDS of flies buzzing. More bodies. Then – a Reaver! River starts laughing. Quietly at first, then louder, then almost uncontrollably, screaming in his face: RIVER: EVERYBODY'S!!! SMASH CUT TO: Black silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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