LOST CONVERSATIONS XX 1. WHERE SIMON ENTERS THE ALLIANCE FACILITY TO RESCUE RIVER SOMETIME BEFORE “Serenity” EXT. SKY - DAY A small shuttle approaches an island in the distance. Close on shuttle to window. Focus on Simon, dressed in the uniform of an Alliance official, looking out the window. EXT. ISLAND - DAY The shuttle lands on an open landing space near a series of buildings. Several armed guards approach as the door opens and Simon steps out. He gets a worried look and then sees Dr. Mathias approaching hand out. DR. MATHIAS Welcome to Athenian Island, sir. They shake hands. SIMON Thank you, Dr. Mathias. DR. MATHIAS I’m sorry, sir, but I must see your identification. You understand. Simon reaches into a pocket and pulls out a plastic ID card. SIMON Of course. Security is of paramount importance. He hands the card to a guard who puts it in a scanner device. Simon looks a little nervous. After a second the guard nods and hands the card back to Simon. DR. MATHIAS This way, please. INT. ELEVATOR Simon and Dr. Mathias ride down an elevator and we get the feeling they are going down many floors. INT. GYM Simon and Dr. Mathias stand near a door in this large gym like room. Many young people, River’s age, are here, some exercising, others practicing martial arts, including sword play and other hand weapons. They wear similar clothes, t-shirts and shorts, light blue in color. Several older men and women are instructing them. Simon’s eyes are everywhere looking for someone but she isn’t here. DR. MATHIAS This is one of our combat training facilities where the subjects learn hand to hand combat before they are sent into the field. SIMON What other training do they receive? DR. MATHIAS When they are ready, firearms use, scouting and intelligence gathering, communications and computer systems, operation of basic land, water, air, and space craft, language training for some. We are also hoping to have some trained in seduction but that is not yet possible. SIMON And the subjects, have they taken well to the training? DR. MATHIAS Most do. We have a few failures in every group. Some minds are just not made to be manipulated. SIMON No, some people will never give up their true selves. What happens to those who cannot adjust to the program? DR. MATHIAS Unfortunately, we cannot send them back to their families with such classified information as they learn here. So... SIMON Termination. DR. MATHIAS (downbeat) Sad to say, yes. INT. CORRIDOR Simon and Dr. Mathias walk alone a corridor with many doors with names on them. DR. MATHIAS These are the subjects rooms. All have exterior security systems, locked at all times, and internal hidden cameras. SIMON Why is that necessary? DR. MATHIAS As I’ve said, some subjects do not take well to this place and have tried to escape despite the behavior modifications and narcotic inhibitors. SIMON Has anyone succeeded? DR. MATHIAS No. We are the most secure facility on all of Osiris. SIMON Indeed. Simon stops when he sees a door with River’s name on it. SIMON (CONT’D) “River Tam”? May I see this room? (beat) Just as an example. DR. MATHIAS Of course. He takes out an electronic device, holds it against the door and with a soft plop it opens. INT. RIVER’S ROOM It’s a sparse room, all white, bare walls, no windows, a metal frame bed, a small toilet and sink, soap on the sink and a towel hanging from the end of the bed. There are no other objects, no books, no clothes, no toothbrush, no pens, nothing. It almost seems like a prison cell. Simon is clearly disturbed by these spartan living quarters. SIMON Seems...empty. (beat) Where are the subject’s clothes and personal items? DR. MATHIAS Subjects are not allowed any objects that may allow them to either harm themselves or others. SIMON Including clothing? DR. MATHIAS All clothing is kept in separate locker rooms where personnel dress and shower under close supervision. And our dining facilities are also separate, and all subjects are scanned before they leave the dining area for hidden objects. You would be surprised how creative they are. After all most of them rate genius on any intelligence scale. We’ve had several subjects attempt to... well, kill themselves. SIMON Including River Tam? DR. MATHIAS No, but she...well, she had been one of our model students when she first arrived, eager to learn and accepting the treatment. We even allowed her to send letters to her family at first but that stopped. SIMON Why? DR. MATHIAS She killed one of our analysts... with a pencil. Simon is aghast and can’t hide it. SIMON Killed? With a pencil? DR. MATHIAS Stabbed him in the neck (beat) You seem...upset by this. SIMON Of course I am upset. No one reported that one of our people was dead. DR. MATHIAS (suspicious) It was reported. SIMON Not to my department. DR. MATHIAS My apologies for this oversight. After all, it is what we are training them for. SIMON Yes, quite right. (beat) I’ve seen enough here. They leave the room and Dr. Mathias locks the door. They start to walk down the corridor. SIMON (CONT’D) So this subject, Tam, where is she now? DR. MATHIAS Undergoing some narcotic inhibitor treatment and dream analysis. SIMON I would like to meet her. Just as an example. DR. MATHIAS And a fine choice she is. She is almost ready for field testing. She’s one of our best, now that she is better under control. She is almost ready to leave this place for good. SIMON Let’s hope so. Can you explain more about what exactly your team has done to manipulate the subject’s behavior? DR. MATHIAS I’m afraid that information is of the highest priority and your security clearance does not cover that. SIMON Yes, of course. My apologies for prying too much. DR. MATHIAS Not at all. A representative of the parliament is most welcome here, It’s just, not everything can be divulged. Ah, here we are. They enter a room with River sitting in a medical chair in the center.

2. WHERE JAYNE AND STITCH HESSIAN ROB THE MAGISTRATE ON HIGGINS MOON SOMETIME BEFORE “Serenity” INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY Jayne and Stitch are by an open safe, stuffing wads of cash into two metal boxes. JAYNE Must be fifty, sixty thousand here. STITCH He ain’t gonna miss it. Just cut back on food and wages for the poor Mudders. JAYNE Tough for them. A Mudders life ain’t for us. MAGISTRATE HIGGINS (O.S.) Hey! STOP! THIEF! Jayne and Stitch turn and Higgins is standing there in shock looking at them. JAYNE Time to go! They grab the cash boxes and head for a window that is open. EXT. HIGGINS HOUSE -DAY Jayne and Stitch climb down a rope and Higgins screams from above. MAGISTRATE HIGGINS I’M BEING ROBBED! Jayne and Stitch reach the bottom and climb aboard a small shuttle craft. After a second it takes off in a roar of smoke and dust. EXT. HIGGINS HOUSE -DAY Higgins and two of his men are in the courtyard. One has a shoulder fired AA missile. MAGISTRATE HIGGINS Get those sons-a-bitches! The missile FIRES and streaks away toward the shuttle, which is hit on the right rear side and starts trailing smoke. INT. SHUTTLE -DAY Jayne flies as Stitch sits in the passenger seat. JAYNE Gorramit we’re hit! STITCH Going down! JAYNE Not if I can help it. Throw out the reserve fuel. Stitch hits buttons. EXT. MUDVILLE - DAY The shuttle flies an erratic course over Mudville. A large container, the fuel reserve, falls and hits the ground with a bang. More things fall out, a case of tools, a duffel bag of something, a seat, Stitch in the open door dropping things. The Mudders are running around trying to avoid these falling objects. The shuttle is getting lower and lower. INT. SHUTTLE - DAY STITCH Ain’t working. Jayne. We’s gonna crash! JAYNE No, we ain’t. Bye! Jayne banks the shuttle hard over. Jayne shoves Stitch with all his strength and out the door Stitch goes. STITCH (falling, fading away) You son-of-bitch, Jayne Cobb! Just as Jayne goes to right the shuttle, the two cash boxes also fly out the door. Jayne is too busy flying to notice they are gone. The shuttle rises and makes it over the trees and hills and is gone. EXT. MUDVILLE - DAY Stitch lands face first in the mud pond. The magistrates men are running to him and get him up. FOREMAN Stitch Hessian! Stitch is bleeding from the head, he’s a mess of mud and injures. The Mudders are going crazy, money falling from the sky, running everywhere, picking it up. FOREMAN (CONT’D) That’s the magistrate’s money! Everyone ignores him as they run in glee with their prizes. The Foreman turns back to Stitch. FOREMAN (CONT’D) Who’s with you? Who’s flying that shuttle? STITCH Cobb, Jayne Cobb. He dropped me and the money. I’ll kill him next time I lay eyes on him. A Mudder has hear this. MUDDER Did you all hear? Jayne Cobb stole from the magistrate and dropped all this money for us! MUDDERS COBB! COBB! COBB! COBB! Magistrate Higgins comes into the scene. MAGISTRATE HIGGINS (to foremen) What the hell is going on? Why aren’t you collecting my money? The Foremen shrugs. FOREMAN They got it now. Magistrate Higgins is livid. MAGISTRATE HIGGINS (to Stitch) It was Cobb with you, wasn’t it? STITCH Yeah, you’re such an idiot. That safe was easy to crack. MAGISTRATE HIGGINS Idiot? Well, you’ll have a long time to think on that. Into the hot box with him! Stitch is truly panicking. STITCH No, no, Boss, not the box, I’m hurt. Look at my face! MAGISTRATE HIGGINS You was ugly before and now you’ll be twice as. Into the box with him! The men drag Stitch away. Money is still falling from the sky and the Mudders are grabbing as much as they can. MAGISTRATE HIGGINS (CONT’D) Think we can get it back? FOREMAN Have a riot on our hands. MAGISTRATE HIGGINS I guess we’ll just call it a bonus. EXT. FOREST CLEARING - DAY The smoking shuttle lands next to a small spaceship. Two men come running toward it, MARCO and a scruffy looking guy. Jayne gets out all grins. MARCO Been five days waiting for you! You got it? JAYNE Yup. All 60,000. MARCO Where’s Stitch? JAYNE Got left behind. We got hit so he had to get out to make the shuttle lighter. MARCO Well, too bad for him and more for us. Come on let’s load her up and get going. Jayne turns and looks in the shuttle and then an awful look comes over his face as he realizes the cash boxes are gone. JAYNE GORRAMIT ALL TO HELL!

3. WHERE SIMON LOSES RIVER BEFORE THE MAIDENHEAD BAR FIGHT IN “Serenity BDM” EXT. SHIP DOCK, BEAUDMONDE - NIGHT Simon and River are looking at the information of a ship’s destination on an electronic notice board. SIMON This one is going to Greenleaf. RIVER Too small. SIMON Greenleaf? It’s a planet. RIVER The ship. Carries only 20 passengers. Can’t hide. We’ll stick out. (beat) Like Kaylee said. Simon gets a sad look on his face as she mentions Kaylee. RIVER (CONT’D) You didn’t want to leave. SIMON No, I didn’t. (beat) Kaylee... He doesn’t say anymore but his face tells all. RIVER She feels the same. SIMON It’s no good, I can’t drag her into our problems. RIVER You love her, don’t you? SIMON (long pause) I do. RIVER Kaylee... And Simon notices her staring off at something. He turns and sees Kaylee walking back toward Serenity. His eyes follow her and then he gets a determined look on his face and starts to move toward her. He catches up at the foot of Serenity’s ramp. SIMON Kaylee. She turns, startled. KAYLEE Oh, Simon! (beat) Still here? SIMON Yes. Still looking at ships and I saw, ah, I saw you heading back here, to, to Serenity. (beat) Where are the others? KAYLEE Having a drink, taking care of business. SIMON Ah, you, ah, didn’t want to stay? KAYLEE Got in an argument with the Capt’n. He is genuinely surprised. SIMON An argument? About what? KAYLEE You and River. SIMON About us? KAYLEE Said he should have made you part of our family stead of driving you away. SIMON He’s done more than enough for us. All of you have. KAYLEE No, he, we, didn’t. Been eight months Simon, which ain’t long, but long enough for...for, us, I mean, the crew, to grow...attached to you...and River. SIMON I see. KAYLEE (gentle) Do you? Do you really see...me? SIMON Yes, Kaylee, I... Then they hear a scream. A WOMAN comes running down the street. WOMAN She’s gonna kill everyone! Kaylee and Simon exchanged startled looks. KAYLEE (worried) Simon, where’s River? SIMON She’s right behind...me. She isn’t. Simon’s eyes go wide. SIMON (CONT’D) Oh, no! Stay here! He takes off at a run leaving Kaylee behind. KAYLEE Simon! And she takes off after him.

4. WHERE THE CREW RETURNS TO SERENITY AFTER THE MAIDENHEAD FIGHT in “Serenity BDM” INT. MAIDENHEAD BAR Mal picks up River as Jayne slowly gets to his feet. People lie everywhere, groaning, moving slowly, some not at all. JAYNE (in agony) Gorramn it all to hell! MAL Let’s move it before the law gets here. Mal moves up the stairs where Simon waits. Jayne follows with a limp. MAL (CONT’D) (to Simon) Get Wash and Zoe up in the rooms. SIMON Where? Mal nods to some stairs. MAL Up that way. Simon runs up the stairs. Mal, River and Jayne move toward the exit tunnel just as Kaylee appears. Her eyes go wide as she sees Mal with River. KAYLEE Capt’n! What’s going on? MAL No time to explain. Back to the boat! KAYLEE Where’s Simon? I followed him here. SIMON Here. He comes down the stairs, Wash and Zoe follow him, adjusting their clothes. WASH First time near a bathtub in two months and this happens. Zoe has moved to the gun rack and soon has her and Jayne’s guns. ZOE Law be here soon. MAL Move! EXT. STREET, BEAUDMONDE DOCKS - NIGHT They exit the Maidenhead onto the street. Zoe in front, guns drawn, followed by a limping Jayne being helped by Wash and Simon, then Mal, River and Kaylee. ZOE Clear, sir. They move down the street, many people looking at them, but getting out of the way when they see Zoe’s guns. EXT. BEAUMONDE DOCKS, SERENITY - NIGHT They move to the ship. MAL Wash, get us in the air. He moves quickly into the ship followed by Zoe. A SPACEPORT TECH in orange jumpsuit approaches. SPACEPORT TECH Captain Reynolds, leaving so soon? MAL Not your business. SPACEPORT TECH It is since we just got orders to not let you go. Ship’s landlocked. Mal turns and hands River to Simon, then just as quickly turns and PUNCHES the Tech and down he goes. People nearby scatter away in fear, expecting trouble. MAL Kaylee, unlock us. KAYLEE Yes, Capt’n. As everyone else gets aboard, Mal pulls his gun, guarding Kaylee as she races to the port controls on the panel and starts hitting buttons and switches. The screen moves from “locked” to “unlocked”. KAYLEE (CONT’D) Says we owe 20 credits. Hell, we ain’t been here an hour! MAL Guess we’ll pay up next time we’re in town. Let’s go! Kaylee and Mal race aboard and Kaylee hits the ramp and door buttons. As the doors close, the ship takes off in a fiery rumble. INT. SERENITY, CARGO BAY Jayne is sitting down on his weight bench, in pain. Zoe and Wash are gone. Mal approaches Simon who is heading to the passenger dorms with River. MAL No, Doc. Upstairs, storage locker. Simon stops, turns to him. SIMON Why? JAYNE Why? Cause she just beat the hell out of twenty some people! Including me! That’s why! MAL (to Simon) You just seen the tail end of what happened, Doc. KAYLEE (exasperated) Will someone please tell me what happened!?! MAL Story time when we’re all together. They start to move upstairs, Jayne very slowly. Kaylee looks at him. KAYLEE River did this to you? JAYNE (embarrassed) She, well, she...surprised me. MAL Guess she surprised us all.