LOST CONVERSATIONS PART XVII 1. WHERE JUBAL EARLY GETS A JOB SOMETIME AFTER “Ariel” INT. POLICE STATION - DAY Overscene - Police Station - Ariel An Alliance police station, lots of people moving in an out, police officers in uniform, desks, Cortex screens, etc. Jubal Early ENTERS, dressed in his red leather outfit, pushing a handcuffed MIDGET ahead of him. MIDGET (shouting) I got rights! And my right to smoke is one of them! EARLY Keep talking little man, that’s a right you do have, but there’s no way I or anyone else is giving you a cigarette. MIDGET (pleading) Then just a match, one match, I won’t burn nothin’, I promise. I just want to see the flame, the pretty little flame of a match. They arrive at a reception desk. A police woman looks at the Midget with sympathy and looks at Early with obvious distaste. POLICE WOMAN Can I help you? EARLY Name’s Early, I have a wanted fugitive named Cletius Orsen. POLICE WOMAN What’s the charge? EARLY Arson, 23 counts on three different worlds. MIDGET That ain’t true! I ain’t never burned nothin’! (shouting) I got rights! People look over but then quickly look away. EARLY Check your system. She quickly punches keys at a Cortex screen, waits a beat. POLICE WOMAN Yes, here it is. Bounty is 20,000 credits. MIDGET (indignant) That’s all? Thought it’d be at least 50,000 by now. EARLY In your and my dreams little man. Two heavily armed men approached and take the Midget from Early. As he takes his cuffs off the Midget he warns the policemen. EARLY (CONT’D) (to Policemen) Under no circumstances are you to give this man any source of flame. They look at each other, then at the Midget. EARLY (CONT’D) Under no circumstances. POLICE MAN Understood. MIDGET See ya Early. Say hi to Mom and your dog for me. Early ignores him as he is led away. POLICE WOMAN You can pick up your “bounty” from accounting, second... EARLY I know where it is. POLICE WOMAN Oh, and Mr. Early, there is message for you to see Captain O’Brien. EARLY Thank you for the message. INT. CAPTAIN O’BRIEN’S OFFICE - DAY Early ENTERS, pocking a thick wad of bills. CAPTAIN O’BRIEN is behind his desk, heavyset, reddish face, look of an alcoholic. He is sipping a glass of something that is most likely whiskey. O’BRIEN Heard you got Orsen the Arsonist. Good work. Early sits. EARLY Thank you. Anything new for me? O’BRIEN Could be. This is the big one you’ve been looking for. But might have some trouble. He slides across the arrest warrant for Simon and River. EARLY River and Simon Tam...siblings? O’BRIEN Yeah, from Osiris. He’s a doctor, she’s just a teen. EARLY Says the boy’s wanted for breaking into a federal facility, assaulting federal employees, and aiding a fugitive to escape. O’BRIEN His sister is the fugitive. EARLY And what was she in this federal facility for? O’BRIEN No idea. There’s no information about her, where she was held, what she did, nothing, other than she’s wanted alive. EARLY (re: notice) I’ve seen this posted on the Cortex. Said it was for Federal troops only, no bounty hunters. O’BRIEN That’s the dangerous part, crossing the Alliance. But its 200,000 credits. Early thinks, sits back. EARLY Tell me more about the Tams. O’BRIEN Been on the run many months now. Their wanted posters have gone throughout the galaxy, but there were only four bites so far...one on Persephone about four months ago, soon after she escaped. EARLY They went to Persephone from... Osiris? O’BRIEN Don’t know where from. One of ours named Dobson had a bead on them on a Firefly called Serenity but he disappeared and so did that ship. It showed up few weeks later, stopped doing an illegal salvage on a derelict. But the cruiser captain and his men did a clean sweep of that ship and found no fugitives. He let Serenity go, citing “unusual circumstances’. He’s been reprimanded for dereliction of duty. About a month after that Serenity requested medical aid for one of their crew from our cruiser stationed near Jiangyin. Again the cruiser helped them and let them go. EARLY Seems your captains on the rim having trouble remembering their duty. O’BRIEN Well, this time the wounded man was also one of ours, fellow named Book. Well, he used to be one of ours. Now he’s a Shepherd, according to what the captain told me. EARLY You have friends in many places. O’BRIEN Pays to have good sources of information. Anyway, no one’s heard word of Serenity since, let’s see, almost two months now...until yesterday. EARLY Where? O’BRIEN Here, on Ariel. EARLY That’s very interesting. O’BRIEN Got a source that told me River and Simon Tam were seen at St. Lucie’s Hospital. Guess you haven’t heard this but we had us more than a little trouble there yesterday. The Tams were arrested but escaped. Two top Fed Agents were here and they took out ten of our men who may have spoken to the girl. They tried to clean it up but I know Agent McInnis, drank few times with him. He’s one of the dead. His wife called me last night, hysterical, said they told her he died in a training exercise, an explosion. I checked into it. One man survived. He had gone for a piss break and heard all this God awful screaming. He looked in and all of them were dead, bled out. Made himself scarce before the Fed clean up team arrived. We got him isolated, they don't know that he saw it. EARLY Sonic disrupters bleed a man out, specialty of top Fed Agents. And the Tams escaped? O’BRIEN Yup...Don't know how, but got away on Serenity we figure. She was docked at Platform 97. A Companion ships out with them, was here for a medical checkup, different hospital. No one at the port authority bothered to inform us that a wanted ship was docked under our very noses. And something else...St. Lucie’s was robbed at the same time, shelves full of drugs taken right out the front door. Think it was a fake medevac team. Found a doctor out cold on the drug storeroom floor. Said he stopped two suspicious looking medevac personnel. Last thing he remembers. EARLY Damn. Drugs worth a fortune out in the black. Serenity involved? O’BRIEN Hard to say, but what we know of that ship and its crew, I’d say yes. (beat) So, what do you say? EARLY I’ll take it. Can’t say no to 200,000. Ten percent to you of course. O’BRIEN Of course. EARLY I’ll stay out of the Feds way if they’re around. Serenity will be looking to profit from the drugs if they were the thieves. Should be easy to track. Early stands, picks up the arrest warrant. O’BRIEN Should be no trouble for you. She’s just a little girl, after all. EARLY No trouble at all. 2. WHERE BURGESS TAKES THE BABY FROM SIMON IN “Heart of Gold” INT. HEART OF GOLD WHOREHOUSE, BEDROOM - DAY Simon is holding the baby, Inara and River are by the window and Petaline is in the bed as Burgess covers them with his laser. BURGESS How’s my boy? They are stunned for a moment. PETALINE Ain’t yours, he’s mine. BURGESS We’ll see about that, now won’t we. (to Simon) Hand him over. Simon hesitates. SIMON He’s just born, he needs care, he needs his mother. BURGESS You a doctor? SIMON Yes. BURGESS Well, don’t fret none, cause I already got me a wet nurse in town. He puts the laser to Simon’s head. River and Inara gasp in surprise. BURGESS (CONT’D) Now, doctor, give me my boy. RIVER Simon! Simon still hesitates. BURGESS (getting angrier) Now hand over my baby or I’ll shoot you down like a dog. SIMON I’m not afraid to die, not defending a helpless baby. Burgess grunts and turns the laser toward the three women. BURGESS Well, how about I kill one these ladies? Simon gulps, looks at the women, and then starts to hand over the baby. SIMON Take him. Burgess takes the baby from Simon. INARA Was it worth it? All this killing? BURGESS Man’s rights to raise his own child is worth any price. SIMON And what about Petaline’s rights? BURGESS She’s just a whore. Burgess backs out toward the door, watching them, then turns. As he does so Inara face goes grim as she grabs a knife from Simon’s medical bag and heads to the door. 3. WHERE SERENITY MAKES ITS FIRST FLIGHT SOMETIME BEFORE “Serenity” EXT. USED SPACESHIP LOT - DAY Mal and the spaceship SALESMAN stand at the bottom of Serenity’s landing ramp. SALESMAN Now Mr. Reynolds I gave you one month to get this ship off my lot, free of charge. Now that month has been extended one week and you all still here. Going to be needing to charge you parking fees soon. MAL Appreciate all you’ve done but we should be ready to test fly today. Got the inspector aboard now and we’re gonna take off soon as my pilot gets here. SALESMAN Just make sure she don’t blow up or fall on my lot if something goes wrong. MAL Not to worry. Got me a first rate mechanic and he said she’s good to go. SALESMAN Well then, once you’re gone don’t expect to see much of you. Been a pleasure. They shake hands just as Wash comes at a run carrying a big yellow suitcase. WASH Sorry I’m late! The Salesman walks away as Wash stops in front of Mal. MAL Where you been? Inspector is here asking for you. WASH Well, the hotel said that a certain someone who promised to pay my bill, namely you, forgot to pay for the last week. Now I either had to come up with 30 credits or spend the night in jail. MAL Oh, right. The hotel. Well, it was either pay your bill or buy some conduit wiring for the engine. (beat) So, how’d you get the money? WASH Well, I didn’t actually. When the clerk went to answer a wave I hightailed it out of there. Mal laughs. MAL Guess we’d better get the boat in the air before the Feds show up. Wash nods and then runs up the ramp and on board. Mal looks around, at all the used spaceships, some nicer than Serenity, some a lot worse. He then turns and looks at his ship. MAL (CONT’D) Moment of truth. Don’t let me down. He walks up the ramp and hits the close button and the ramp comes up. INT. FOREHALL - DAY Wash lugs his yellow suitcase down the hall. Zoe comes down off the bridge. WASH Hi...Zoe right? ZOE (stern) What are you doing here? WASH (taken aback) Ah, Mal didn’t tell you? I signed on as pilot. ZOE No, he didn’t tell me. Said you were with someone else. WASH Well, someone else fell through, actually they got arrested and I decided that working for someone who is smuggling isn’t exactly the direction I envisioned my career heading. ZOE Right. (beat) Inspector is on the bridge. Bester made those modifications you suggested, inspector wants someone to explain it to him. You’re the pilot. Explain it. She starts to walk past him. WASH Zoe, where can I put my bag? She stops, turns and opens the down hatch to what eventually becomes Jayne’s room. ZOE This is your bunk. WASH (looking down) Nice. (beat) Where’s yours? He grins at her and she gives him one of her steely looks but he doesn’t stop grinning. She points to what eventually will become “their” bunk. ZOE I’m next door. Bester is across from you and Mal is across from me. Anything else? WASH What time is dinner? ZOE (ignoring question) Inspector is on the bridge. She turns and walks away. WASH (to himself) Oh, I like her. INT. BRIDGE - DAY Mal, Zoe, Wash and the INSPECTOR, an older gentleman, in an Alliance type uniform, are here on the bridge. The Inspector has a electronic clipboard which has a long list of items, some already ticked off. INSPECTOR Start main engine. Mal takes the intercom mic. MAL Bester, fire her up. BESTER (O.S.) Roger that. After a few moments several lights on Wash’s panel light up. WASH Pos on engine start. INSPECTOR VTOL start. Wash flips switches and the VTOL’s come to life. WASH Pos on VTOL start. INSPECTOR Take her out to the black. EXT. SERENITY - DAY Serenity slow lifts from the ground, getting higher, then the VTOL’s turn sideways and Serenity takes off for the black. INT. SERENITY, BRIDGE - SPACE Tension on all faces as they rumble through the atmo, and then they are in space. The Inspector ticks off several items on his clipboard. INSPECTOR Pressure positive, no noticeable external venting, carbon dioxide levels norm. OK, Mr. Reynolds, lets take a walk about the ship and check all systems. Then we’ll take the shuttles for a little ride. MAL Yes, sir. Zoe, stay here. ZOE Yes, sir. They get up and leave the bridge. Wash looks over at Zoe. WASH Sir? Why do you call him sir? ZOE Served in the war together. He was my commander. WASH Oh, the war. (beat) Alliance or Independents? ZOE If you notice the color we’re wearing... WASH Right, right. Browncoats. (beat, big grin) Yaaa! She gives him a strange look. ZOE What did you do during the war? WASH Mind my own business. She gives him a dirty look. ZOE Alliance supporter? WASH (quickly) No, no. Was in pilot school actually. The military came once, picked some of us, wanted me, well, hate to brag, cause I was near the top of the class. Anyway, I failed...the medical test. Zoe almost laughs but controls herself. ZOE What happened? WASH Well, it wasn’t the medical test so much as the psychological profile. Doctor’s said I had a negative reaction to authority and a flippant attitude. Zoe does laugh this time. ZOE A flippant attitude. Ain’t that a polite way to say you’re a smartass? He turns and grins at her. WASH Yeah, seems to be common to all of us Washburnes. ZOE Your name is Wash Washburne? WASH No, my name is Hoban Washburne. But everyone calls me Wash Zoe again has a fit of giggles. ZOE “Hoban”? WASH Wash will do, thank you very much. ZOE OK, Wash. And she looks at him and grins as he pilots the ship, not noticing her grinning at him. EXT. LANDING DOCK, SERENITY - DAY Serenity sits on an official looking Alliance landing dock. INT. DINING AREA - DAY The Inspector sits at the table with a bunch of papers and some rubber stamps. Mal, Zoe, Wash, and Bester are sitting around. INSPECTOR And the name of the ship? MAL Serenity. The Inspector write it down on three different papers. INSPECTOR Owner, Malcolm Reynolds, pilot...? MAL Ah, Wash? WASH Hoban Washburne, sir. MAL Hoban? INSPECTOR (writing) Hoban Washburne...may I see your license? Wash pulls out a wallet and takes out a small card, hands it to the Inspector. The Inspector looks at it and starts to write down some information. Then he hands it back, and starts rubber stamping all the papers. The crew is silent as he does this, a lot riding on this one government official. Finally, he gathers all the papers together, hands them to Mal. INSPECTOR (CONT’D) Well, Mr. Reynolds, congratulations to you and your crew. You have passed your space worthiness inspection. I guess we can call you Captain Reynolds now. Mal grins, shakes hands with the Inspector. MAL Much obliged. Bester show the Inspector off the ship. BESTER Sure Mal...ah, Captain. Follow me, sir. The Inspector and Bester EXIT toward the aft hall. ZOE Now all we need is a job. MAL Job waiting for us on Persephone. WASH Persephone? Nice world. ZOE What’s the job, sir? MAL Don’t know yet. Had a wave from Monty. Said a guy named Badger at the Eavesdown docks was looking for a new ship to run cargo. WASH Let’s hope it’s something legal.