Link to Chapter 2.

(Act 3)

Meanwhile at the ship – in his cell Jimmy is brooding on his lot in life – comparing the pro’s and con’s

Upside – I’m free of that blasted energy cage Downside – I’m in a storeroom handcuffed to the wall (at least in the energy cage I could pace about)

Upside – The Revellers have been blown to pieces Downside – getting my guts ripped out, bloody well hurt

Upside – River that’s what they call her – she’s an angel and is like me Downside – she fears me and his crew will object strongly to our friendship – sighs – not to mention the fact that despite my healing abilities I doubt I’ll survive been chucked out of an airlock

Smiles

Upside – since they bothered to save my life they have to feed me and it’s better than the slops the auto food system spat out

Sighs – all in all there will have to be some changes to this situation in order for it to suit my purposes

Jayne is in his bunk (do you really want to go there? If you do – tough! I ain’t willing to waste years of my life in therapy to recover from this part of the chapter)

Zoe is standing guard in the cargo bay

Book arrives with River in toe carrying fresh supplies – Zoe admits them into the ship, helping them with their shopping

‘Thank you’ Book says while River mentions something about a Bronzed Maltese Falcon and skips across the cargo bay

Now back to the action – where we left the crew of – they were been lead by an old fossil of a caretaker through the theatre and into the main hall where the Gerreld Family are rehearsing their performance On stage are

A man in fancy clothes and a top hat doing something with a pack of cards with a scantly dressed woman in black, Identical twin sisters and a boy are doing acrobatics all over the stage, Identical twin brothers, an older man and woman and a young woman are wearing costumes and apparently acting,

They stop their act as they notice the audience

“Lenny – who are all these people” asks the oldest man – an actor

‘This ere’s Captain Reynolds ee’s ere for the job Mr Gerreld’

‘The job? The job! You mean you’ll transport my family and me?” he brightens “wonderful simply wonderful, we can leave in an hour”

‘urh so soon’ Mal falters ‘but you haven’t seen the ship yet – we haven’t discussed payment and I haven’t said we’ll accept the job’

“Oh is that the problem – is your ship space worthy?”

‘Yes’

“Can it fit all my family?”

‘Well it’d be a push – but we can set up camp beds in the cargo hold if that’s alright’

“Hardly first class but it’ll do – now payment, let me see 255 credits per head, 1o heads so that’s 2550 credits, with food expenses at around 1000 credits plus of course a 500 credit tip”

2550 + 1000 + 500 = 4050

“Coming to a grand total of 4050 credits for ten days work – will that do for payment?”

Quickly ‘Yes! I mean I guess its standard’

Smiling “finally – do you take the job?”

‘I guess so haven’t really got much else planned not to mention the money – you prepare and we’ll be at docking bay 7 in the down town space docks – you know it?’

“I will be able to find it quite adequately – thank you for your time”

Mal has been left dumfounded and is uncomfortably aware of Kaylee sniggering and wash biting back his laughter – even the Doc who manages to keep a straight face at the best and worst of times has a smile playing on his face

Mal stops himself from sighing it’s a bad sign when the Doc is snickering behind your back or even in front of you, (he decides its time to leave when suddenly) the main doors to the hall burst open and a short fat man with a cigar and the doorman burst in

‘Gerreld!! You old bastard what do you think you’re doing!’

“Don’t talk to me like that Hardgrieves”

‘I’ll talk to you anyway I like – we have a contract – you work in our theatre exclusive to the AUE’

“Wrong since you have been taken over – all previous contracts are null and void – my family will not be degraded into slavery by the likes of you”

‘You will obey my commands!’

“Last I heard you’re in charge of a theatre not a Gorram platoon”

‘In my theatre I! Am! God!’

“Good I’ve always wanted to have a talk with god” Decks him “That’s for Serenity Valley” pulls him up and hits him again “that’s for all the good souls lost during the war” hauls him up and smashes him in the face once more “an that well that was just cos I felt like it”

This time the manager stays down – the doorman grabs him and try’s to pull him up calling to Lenny for help

‘You can bog off I’ve got lumbago you know’

Mal turns to the Gerrelds “well see you at the ship”

He leaves the hall Kaylee, Simon and Wash trailing after him

The Gerrelds are shocked ‘Maybe we should try to find another ship’ worries Mrs Gerreld “no” Mr Gerreld smiles “this ones perfect”

Out on the street Mal looks around and turns to Kaylee

‘How’s the ship?’

“We can take off whenever you want Captain”

Mal looks at Simon and sighs inwardly

‘How’d ya like a half-hour off?’

“Oh can I Captain?”

‘Sure but only half an hour’

“Shiney”

She kisses him on the cheek and grabs Simons hand

‘C’mon Simon lets see the sights’

She leads him off

“That was a very nice thing you just did mal”

‘Yeah but if you tell anyone – I will deny it and kill you’

‘Understood’ mock solute

They head off in the direction of the spaceport

Interlude:- Kaylee and Simon’s day out

Kaylee and Simon are walking down the street – Kaylee is hyperactive and talking non-stop, Simon is relaxed and smiling and is actually good company, they are pointing at the various side shows

“What’s that one?” points at a booth

‘Punch and Judy’

Sees Kaylees confused look and grins

‘From Pre space age Earth that was – it’s a show performed with puppets – it’s popular among children’

“Tell me more” Kaylee stares dreamily at him

‘Punch is the main character and a sort of villain, Judy is another character an is his wife, there’s also a butcher, a policeman and a crocodile – oh not to forget some stolen sausages are involved, I’d go into detail but I don’t want to bore you’

“You never bore me”

‘I bore everyone – I can’t help it’ he sighs

Kaylee links her arm with his and rests her head on his shoulder

‘You’re not that bad”

“Remember our conversation with the alien cow in the background?”

‘OK you’re not perfect’ pulls her head up and grins mischievously

‘your better than Jayne, not married like Wash – not a cranky Captain Tight pants and you haven’t taken holy vows either’

“You do remember it then…one question?”

Dreamily again ‘anything’

“Captain Tight pants?”

Frowns ‘he was wearing a suit it was that fancy party on Persephone’

“So your still single right?” half jokingly half series

‘I am’

They kiss passionately for an eternity forgetting where they are their lips merging together

(bleeeuurugh – don’t worry the romantics are over for now)

Back at the ship the extra supplies have been bought and the hour is almost up – Mal is fuming

“where the gorram hell is that girl” storms Mal

‘I’m sure she’ll be along soon sir’

“if that Doc’s got her into trouble I’ll I’ll I’ll…”

‘Not if I get to him first sir’ declares Zoe ‘but I don’t think that’s nesercery here they come’

“where the ruttin hell have you been Kaylee?’

Kaylee is grinning

‘I had a wonderful time Captain’

Hugs him and bounds up the ramp, across the cargo bay and up the stairs

“what did you do to make her that happy?”

‘are you sure you want to know that?’ asks Zoe

“I…I was just myself”

‘and she’s still happy?’

Simon ignores Mal and heads to the infirmary

Zoe and Mal share a look distracted by Jayne’s uncouth comments

“think Kaylee finally got herself sexed by the pretty boy”

But before mal can give Jayne an earful he spots the Gerrelds – out of costume with Mr Gerreld leading the way heading towards Serenity

‘the passengers are here’ declares Zoe

Jayne rushes out to see them

“remember don’t speak unless I tell you too”

‘awww Mal’

“I mean it were getting a 500 credit tip for this trip”

‘Really?’

“Quiet”

‘Mr Gerreld nice to meet you again – this here’s Zoe my first mate an this is Jayne are public relations officer’ quietly to Mr Gerreld ‘he’s a mute’

“GERRELD!” the manager with a group of men in black business suits wearing Alliance standard handguns wade through the crowd towards the ship

“get inside we’ll handle this” declares Mal

The crew finger their guns nervously as they await the inevitable standoff

Link to Chapter 4.