LOST CONVERSATIONS IV 1. WHERE WE FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED ON INARA’S SHUTTLE AFTER IT LEAVES SERENITY IN “Out of Gas” INT. INARA’S SHUTTLE Inara pilots the shuttle as Book stands nearby looking at navigation star charts. INARA Should have enough fuel for six, maybe seven more hours. BOOK There’s no place in range? INARA (quiet) Nothing. He points to the star chart. BOOK Farther we go, closer we get to this travelled corridor, route to Greenleaf. Transmission might be picked up if we get close enough. She looks at the chart, skeptical. INARA We don’t have the range. BOOK Anyway to extend out range? INARA I’ve never piloted her in deep space or very far. (beat) Kaylee might know. They get up and move to the living area of her shuttle. Kaylee is sitting on Inara’s bed, very sad. Jayne sits on the sofa before his guns laid out on the table. He picks one up and starts to clean it. Book sits down next to Kaylee. She barley bats an eyelash, staring off at nothing. BOOK Kaylee, is there a way to extend the range of the shuttle? KAYLEE (emotionless) Lean out the fuel mixture, run her slow, let our momentum carry us, switch off all unnecessary functions. Give us another hour, maybe two, more distance. INARA Show me how, Kaylee. KAYLEE It don’t matter. Ain’t nobody or no place out there. BOOK Kaylee, we need your help if we have a hope of surviving. Jayne stops what he was doing. JAYNE You say a pray for us Shepherd cause that’s the only hope we got. BOOK I believe we need a little more faith and we will survive. KAYLEE Didn’t even get a chance to say a proper goodbye to the Capt’n, or Zoe, Wash, River...to Simon. I never had a chance to tell him...anything. Now, its too late. Book takes her hand in his. BOOK You will get that chance. I don’t believe I’ve lived all these years to die out here, like this. Neither will you. KAYLEE I shoulda taken better care of her. JAYNE How many times you ask Mal to replace that part and a hundred others? If it’s anyone’s fault it’s... INARA (interrupting, sharp) Its nobody’s fault. (beat, calmer) Sometimes things just happen and can’t be stopped or prevented. Kaylee looks at her and then to Jayne and Book, gives a small nod. KAYLEE Let me take a look and see what I can do to extend our range. Book looks to Inara and she gives him a slight grin, which quickly fads from her face. Kaylee moves to the pilot’s seat, starts adjusting the throttle, flipping switches. Inara looks at all Jayne’s guns, which he is now loading. INARA Jayne, why do you need so many guns? Jayne gives her a “are you crazy or what look”. JAYNE We’re on the drift. We gets rescued, you think on what kinda ship’s gonna be out here in this empty nowhere? Reavers or some scum sucking pack of criminals a whole lot worse than our happy band. The only one protecting two women and a Shepherd is little old me and these guns. BOOK (holding Bible) I’m think I’ll trust to the Lord for my protection. He opens the Bible. Inara lights some incense. INARA You don’t mind if I ask Buddha for a little help, Shepherd? BOOK We could use all we can get about now. JAYNE What’s that smell? INARA Just incense. JAYNE Smells funny. Sure we ain’t leaking nothing. Kaylee? She comes back, hears this last. KAYLEE No, we’re OK. (beat) Managed to extend out range bit. We’ll run slower, conserve fuel, maybe get another hour, then drift for a good while. BOOK Best you three get some rest, save our oxygen. I’ll take the first watch and try to radio for help. CUT TO: INT. INARA’S SHUTTLE - LATER Jayne is curled up on the sofa, dozing. Inara and Kaylee lie on the bed asleep. Book sits in the pilot’s seat, staring out into the starry expanse, his Bible open in one hand. Suddenly a light starts blinking on the control panel. It says “NAV LINK”. Book stares at it, gets up, goes to the bed. BOOK Kaylee! (no answer) Kaylee! She stirs, sleepy eyed. KAYLEE (groggy) Shepherd? BOOK Something’s flashing on the control panel. Kaylee gets up real quick and moves to the cockpit. KAYLEE (excited) It’s the recall! Capt’n’s calling us back to Serenity! INT. INARA’S SHUTTLE - LATER All four sit up close to the pilot’s seat as Inara pilots. INARA (calling the ship) Serenity, this is Shuttle I, returning for docking. No answer. INARA (CONT’D) Serenity?.. Come in Serenity?..Mal! KAYLEE Something’s wrong. Serenity looms in the window, moving slowly left to right. INARA There she is. KAYLEE Got propulsion. BOOK Where’s the Captain? JAYNE Let’s take a look see round the other side. INARA We’re almost out of fuel. We’re docking first. Jayne goes back and gets Vera and starts loading with other weapons. KAYLEE What are you doing? JAYNE He ain’t answering. No telling who’s on board and what happened. INT. SERENITY INARA’S SHUTTLE ENTRANCE The door opens and Jayne peers out, loaded for bear, takes a deep breath. JAYNE We got atmo. (pause) The other Shuttle’s here. Kaylee and Inara push past him. JAYNE (CONT’D) Gorramn it! Wait a minute! INARA MAL! KAYLEE CAPT’N! INT. CARGO BAY Kaylee sees the blood on the cargo bay floor. Then Simon appears in the passenger area doorway. His hands and doctor’s apron are bloody. KAYLEE (relieved) Simon! (worried) What’s happened? SIMON Down here, in the infirmary. He turns without another word, hurries back to the infirmary as the others race down the stairs. INT. INFIRMARY Simon is back at Mal’s side, preparing to take out the bullet, removing bandages slowly. Wash is hooked up to a direct transfusion from his arm to Mal’s. Zoe is still on the counter, weak but awake. Inara, Kaylee, Jayne and Book rush in. KAYLEE Oh, God! INARA Oh, Simon! What happened!? She rushes to Mal’s side, her composure almost cracking. SIMON He’s still alive. She tries to control her relief. Inara looks to Zoe and Wash. ZOE Found the captain on the bridge, shot, passed out when we got here. BOOK He called you back? WASH (slightly giddy) It was my baby. My Zoe woke up and ordered us back to get the captain. Never could argue with my beautiful baby, so here we are. KAYLEE Where’s River? SIMON She couldn’t stand the blood. I think she’s in her room. Could someone check, please? BOOK I’ll go. He exits. KAYLEE Capt’n fix the engine? ZOE We haven’t had chance to check anything. Start in the engine room, then the bridge. Find out where we are and where we’re going. JAYNE Wait a gorramn minute! You all acting like Mal done shot hisself. Someone shot him and that someone could still be on board. The room goes quiet as this sinks in. ZOE Jayne, go with her. Do a sweep, take your time. Jayne pulls out a pistol, hands it to Zoe. JAYNE Case someone comes visiting. Jayne turns to leave but Kaylee doesn’t follow. KAYLEE (concerned) Simon? Capt’n OK? SIMON He’s stabilizing. I need to get out the bullet before it causes an infection. Inara, I could use an extra set of hands. Inara turns around, finds a pair of rubber gloves, starts to don them. She looks at Kaylee who hasn’t moved. INARA Don’t worry now. Simon will take care of him just like he took care of you. Kaylee nods OK and she and Jayne exit, Kaylee taking one last look through the window, before climbing the stairs to the Aft Hall behind Jayne.

2. WHERE MAL BUYS SERENITY AT THE END OF “Out of Gas” EXT. USED SPACESHIP LOT - DAY Mal stares off at the Firefly in the distance. MAL Like to take a look at that Firefly. The Salesman looks off at where he’s looking. SALESMAN What? That piece of....fine machinery is just waiting for a man like yourself, yessir! Let’s have a look see. He starts off toward the Firefly, Mal behind him. INT. FIREFLY CARGO BAY - DAY Mal and the Salesman stand center, looking around as the Salesman talks. SALESMAN Big cargo bay, hold tons of goods, even got a few nooks and crannies for those things you don’t want anyone know your carrying. MAL Plan on running an honest business. SALESMAN Course, of course. She’s got sleeping quarters for five crew, more if they doubles up, passenger rooms for twelve, full kitchen, modern plumbing each crew room, one toilet, sink, and shower in the passenger dorm, fixings for a washer/dryer or a dry cleaning machine. MAL Tell me about the engine. INT. ENGINE ROOM SALESMAN Radion accelerator core engine for interplanetary travel, got two outboard engines for VTOL and atmo flight, dual pilot controls, latest nav and comms systems. Full life support plus backup. Yessir, this baby will be with you the rest of your life. MAL Let’s fire her up. The Salesman’s puts on his best fake smile SALESMAN Ah, well, she’s not exactly operational, son. MAL Huh? But it can be fixed? SALESMAN Yessir! These old Firefly’s are the toughest ships in the ‘verse. Never seen a one that came apart without a scrapper’s help. MAL Old? How old? SALESMAN You seem like a nice fella so I’ll be honest. She’s made long before you left your momma’s knee. Had a few modifications for service in the war... MAL Which side? SALESMAN Don't rightly know but I wager it was Independents since they weren’t that well equipped with modern vessels. (pause) You ever been up in one? MAL First time off world. (pause, remembering) Let’s take a look at the rest. INT. BRIDGE - DAY Mal sits in the pilot’s seat, plays with the control column. SALESMAN You a pilot, son? MAL No, sir. I know the theory, had a bit of practice but never got licensed. I guess I’ll be needing one. Mechanic, too. SALESMAN So, we got ourselves a deal? Mal stands, looks around, touches a few things. MAL We ain’t talked on price yet. SALESMAN I couldn’t let her go for less than 200,000, final offer. MAL Guess that’s my cue for goodbye. SALESMAN Now, now don’t be hasty. Mal starts walking off the bridge without another word. The Salesman comes after him. INT. DINING AREA - DAY Mal looks at the dusty kitchen area as the Salesman talks. SALESMAN Give a man chance here, son. MAL I’m listening. SALESMAN One hundred fifty. Mal laughs. MAL She’s not running, needs lots of parts, plus a good gorramn cleaning, paint, fuel, a thousand odds and ends, an inspection, licensing fees, food and pay for a crew for a month till I get it running and get a job. Price outta my reach. SALESMAN Name your price. MAL Thirty thousand. SALESMAN (indignant) That’s robbery. No, sir! MAL Bet you get less from a scrapper. Salesman thinks a moment. SALESMAN Forty. MAL Plus I keep her parked her with no fees till I get her running. SALESMAN Deal. They shake hands on it. SALESMAN (CONT’D) Let’s go to my office and get the paperwork done. They start to head out. SALESMAN (CONT’D) You’re a good horse trader son, if you don’t mind me saying so. What’s your name? MAL Malcolm Reynolds. SALESMAN Well, Mr. Reynolds, you take care of her, this old Firefly will treat you right. You made a right smart purchase today. He starts toward the Aft Hall. Mal stands another second looking around. MAL I know just what I’m gonna call her, too. He turns and exits.

3. WHERE JAYNE AND DOBSON TALK AFTER DOBSON OFFERS JAYNE MONEY TO TURN TRAITOR IN “Serenity” INT. ROOM, PASSENGER DORM Jayne stands over Dobson with his knife in his hand. JAYNE Who’s gonna pay me this money? You? He scoffs with this last. DOBSON Alliance will pay. There’s a reward for her and her brother. Two hundred thousand. Jayne’s eyes widen at this. JAYNE Cash? DOBSON Soon as we land on a civilized port and the two are in custody. JAYNE Whitefall’s good a place as any. DOBSON There’s no law there, nothing Alliance. Your captain isn’t a very bright criminal. Medical supplies for Whitefall? Alliance never sends supplies to Whitefall. It’s run by some outlaw woman. JAYNE Seems you guys know lot about what goes on in this quadrant. DOBSON It’s our job. JAYNE I think you're lying. Why Alliance wanna pay that much for a little girl anyway? DOBSON She's special, something about her brain and what she can do. That's all they told me. They'll pay all right. (beat) We have a deal or what?

Jayne pauses and ponders, struggles.

JAYNE Gorramn it! I’m gonna hate myself in the morning, but I gotta say no. DOBSON Don’t be a fool. It’s a lot of money. JAYNE One thing I can’t get outta my head Laurence is the look on little Kaylee’s face when you shot her. Now I ain’t the most sentimental guy in the verse, and I killed my fair share of men and cheated and turned on a lot more, but that girl never hurt a flea in her life. It ain’t right her lying in there. She dies, even your momma won’t recognize you after we gets through with you. DOBSON What do you owe Reynolds? He treats you like dirt. He embarrassed you in front of everyone at dinner. JAYNE Yeah? That’s right. Didn’t like it, but maybe I deserved that. Jayne suddenly puts his knife to Dobson’s throat. The lawman goes rigid in fear. Jayne gives him a big leer. JAYNE (CONT’D) Now you just stay put, till the Captain decides what we’s gonna do with you. You be nice, Kaylee lives, maybe you will, too. Jayne puts his knife away, gives one last evil grin and exits. Dobson starts moving his hands behind his back. What looks like a box cutter blade is in a small sheath tucked in his waistband. He struggles to take it out.