Link to Chapter 1.

(Act 2)

Mal “now come on – no need for violence, we just want to go about are business”

Stranger ‘Tough – after you hand over the goods – you can consider your self lucky if we allow you to leave this rock in anything other than a coffin’

Mal hollers to Zoe “Zoe – do we have anything that belongs to this fine upstanding gentlemen with the large, clean, shiny shotgun aimed at my head”

From inside the cargo bay looking out ‘Don’t think so sir’

Mal “now as you can see we haven’t…” just remembers “one minute – Jayne is there anything you want to tell me?”

‘I’m innocent Mal I swear all I did last night was get drunk and meet the tastiest piece ‘o’…’

Simon “that’s enough details – I think we all get the picture”

Wash ‘Amen to that Doc’

Mal “as I was saying – we don’t seem to have your property mister…”

‘Names Zeke as you were told Davidson – now I’ll give you twenty seconds to remember where you put the goods then I’ll shoot you in the leg, ‘nother twenty seconds after I’ll start on your crew’

Mal is worried but then realizes what Zeke said and is relieved “um Davidson is that my name?”

Suspicious ‘what are you trying to pull’

“Names Malcolm Reynold – Captain Reynold to you but my crew call me Mal or Sir, you’ve got the wrong man”

‘Don’t give me that you’re Jonathon Davidson and this is your ship the Dragonfire’

“She’s called Serenity right captain?” pipes up Kaylee

‘Sure is Kaylee’

“that does it you Huen Dahn I’m gonna end you’re…”

‘Boss! Boss!’ A smarter looking thug runs up to them (he is probably the 2nd in command)

“What is it!” snarls Zeke

‘You know lefty said that Git Davidson was docked here’ the man is out of breath

“of course”

‘well he was wrong – Dragonfire has just took of from the portlands docking station’

“Why that F’n Zse – Pi Gu – Wuming Shao Jwu ‘pollogise for the mix up Captain Reynolds wasn’t it – I wont give you no trouble”

To the thugs “now you load of Luh Suh – we gots us a druken loser to catch”

They leave – the crew are relieved

‘Potentially a nice guy I thought’ declares Mal

The crew stare at him – he looks around

‘What?’

“Sir I have a problem with you taking my husband”

‘Shoot’

“Anymore Drunk Jayne jokes and I might just do that” scowls Jayne

‘Your insane…sir”

“Overruled Zoe – now do we have a job or do we have a job” he starts walking

Simon ‘actually we haven’t been hired yet – so we don’t have a job’

Wash “I agree with Simon”

Mal sighs ‘just come on already ‘afore I have to drag you’

They leave – Kaylee chatting non-stop about carnivals

Zoe watches them fade into the distance – she is worried

The crew arrives at the theater – it is a reasonably large theater and according to the sign the Playwright Theater is owned by the Allied Union of entertainment

(I stop this fan fic to bring you a special announcement - - - AUE is a massive firm dealing in all forms of entertainment – theaters, cinemas, cortex channels, films, Leisure Data Discs, Etc…Etc…Etc – AUE is a subsidy of the Blue sun corporation and according to rumors the AUE is a much Darker shady company – something to do with Brain control, illusions and the term MATRIX – What Is The MATRIX? - - - I thank you for your time and now we continue with the fan fic)

“So this is where are employers work?” asks Kaylee “I can’t wait to see inside”

‘Doesn’t look that perfect to be honest’ offered Wash

“I’m no expert but I think it used to be an Independent company that’s been bought out by AUE”

‘Really?’

“The name Playwright – it’s a small business – that’s been taken over – recently too, the AUE will remove the name – refurbish the theater and it will become a much higher class of theater which will cater to the affluent classes”

‘Not bad Doc can you give us the Intel you know about this AUE group’

“There isn’t really much more I can tell – it’s a subsidy of the Blue sun Corporation”

‘Blue sun sells goods not owns fancy places like this’ mal is in an argumentative mood

“AUE is the biggest entertainment producer, distributor and suppler – practically all the entertainment in the core and half the entertainment on the border planets is copyrighted by AUE”

‘So – big corporation buys out smaller businesses? Typical of the Alliance government’

“The owners of the theater were probably pressured into selling to the company”

Wash nods in agreement ‘Same everywhere and for everyone either become an employee of our Firm/Organization/Tong/ Gang or we’ll break your legs and burn your house down’

“They probably just threatened to drive them out of business but essentially yes”

‘another sign of oppression’ sighs Mal ‘soon enough there’ll be no smaller businesses left – then you end up with one single corporation dominating the market’

“Blue sun” guesses Kaylee

‘The Alliance’ Guesses Simon

“Both of you are correct – still a jobs a job and it ain’t Alliance work”

Mal jumps up the stairs to the theater entrance and tryst the door – it’s locked – he knocks on the door but no one answers – he hammers on the door for all he’s worth, a man in a red uniform with gold lapels and buttons and a cap answers the door

‘Yes’ looks at Mal and adds a forced ‘Sir’

“Um” thrown of “we were told there’s a job for us at your fine establishment – name of Reynolds”

‘There’s no one here of that name’ adding again ‘Sir’ this time as insulting as possible

“No I mean my names Reynolds – Malcolm Reynolds – I’m here for the job”

The doorman looks Mal up and down before returning his gaze

‘Tradesman’s entrance is round the back’

Closes the door and locks it

Mal turns on Simon

“Couldn’t you do something?”

‘Like what?’ asks a surprised Simon

“How should I know – deal with him or something – surely been a part of the affluent core bred society entitled you to the knowledge of brown beating snooty lackeys”

Uncomfortable ‘I thought you could handle it’

Mal glares at him

Wash clears his throat

“Um I think round the back is round the back” indicates

Mal glares at Wash but leads them round to the back door

After knocking an old caretaker answers

‘Yes mate?’

At least he’s friendly

“Names captain Reynolds – heard there was a job here for me”

‘Doubt that’

“Um are you sure” asks Wash anxiously

‘Yeah we came a long way to get here’ Kaylee gives the man a pleading glance

“Well” Kaylee’s charm does its work “I can ask the manager but I think we have all the acts we need”

‘No you misunderstand us – I was told a guy by the name of Gerreld wanted to hire us’ states Mal hopefully

At the name Gerreld the Caretaker changes “oh – oh – I see – well – there probably is a job here for you then – but you’ll have to speak to Gerreld about it’

Starts of through the theater muttering “this time he’ll kill him”

The crew exchange glances but follow

‘Were is Gerreld’ asks Mal

“On stage wiv his family – there uum – you know he’s…”

‘Rehearsing his act?’ asks Simon

“Yes”

The caretaker leads them through a door and into the main hall

“Here they are”

Indicates the stage where several people are doing various acts

“The Gerreld’s – their family’s been in entertainment for centuries”

(End of act 2)

*** Translation ***

Huen Dahn = Bastard F’n Zse – Pi Gu – Wuming Shao Jwu = pool of excrement – posterior – small fry Luh Suh = Garbage

Link to Chapter 3.