FIREFLY

“Karin”

TEASER

Ext. Serenity is coasting into the far reaches of space.

1 Int. The Doctor’s medical bay. The Doctor is treating Kaylee for a minor scrape.

KAYLEE: I’m tellin’ ya Doc, it’s nothing serious. DOC: We’re talking about six tons of spinning metal. KAYLEE: Well, Serenity’s just not a mornin’ gal, that’s all. I woke her up too early. DOC: Here.

DOC zaps KAYLEE with a medical instrument that heals her.

KAYLEE: Ooh. So future-like. DOC: The miracle of science. KAYLEE: It’s all so amazin’ sometimes. Biology and technology all workin’ together. DOC: Yeah but then you break it down into formulas and equations and it all seems so…banal after that. KAYLEE: I dunno. I know Serenity from front to aft and there ain’t a day that goes by I don’t find her the most fascinatin’ lady in the verse. DOC: I guess once a relationship is formed, it all stops being so mundane. There’s a word for that… KAYLEE: Chemistry. DOC: Madness.

2 Off that. Onto the bridge. MAL, ZOE, and WASH are talking into a screen. MARCUS, a smuggler, is talking to them.

MARCUS: It isn’t far off your course. And I’d make it worth your while. MAL: Aww, well ain’t you just the most carin’ gent in town. ZOE: How do you plan to do that? MARCUS: There’s money in it. WASH: Here that sweetie, there’s money in it! MAL: There’s money in a lotta things, Marcus. MARCUS: But here there’s something extra. A little device I picked up on Sentrus VII. It maps out all of the nearest Alliance ships within a lightyear. You’ll never have a run-in with the Alliance again. At least not one you didn’t know about before hand. ZOE: We could use that, Captain. MAL: And how do we know this thing works? MARCUS: Stop over. I’ll show you how it works. If you’re in the least bit unsatisfied, then you can get out of the deal. MAL: Gonna take more than that. MARCUS: All right. And you can take 25,000. Just for your troubles. WASH: Free money! MARCUS: But if you do go through with the plan, there’s more where that came from. 500,000 more. ZOE: And what is this plan again? MARCUS: Just a little house cleaning. MAL: Aww, I forgot to pack my good duster. MARCUS: Don’t worry, Mal. It’s even simpler than that. All you need to do. Is kill Chazz Parker.

ACT I

3 Ext. INARA’s shuttle docked on Serenity. INARA is talking to a well-groomed, wealthy man on her screen.

INARA: I’ll see you in a little while Mr. Parker. PARKER: I can’t wait.

The screen clicks off. MAL enters.

MAL: Strap yourself in. It’s gonna be a bumpy landing.

Ext. Serenity is landing on another dusty planet.

4 DOC and RIVER in the Medical Bay.

DOC: Captain wants everyone off the boat. RIVER: Where will we go? DOC: We are going out. You are staying here. RIVER: Why? DOC: A new treatment. You’ll be asleep through the whole trip. If this works, when you wake up, you’ll have a new sense of your past. You’ll be able to control your emotions better. Maybe I can learn how to treat you better. RIVER: You treat me fine, Simon. DOC: I mean treat you medically. RIVER: I don’t want to go to sleep. I feel dead. DOC: Then I commend you for knowing how that feels.

DOC puts RIVER under.

5 Int. Cargo bay. JAYNE is waiting by the door as it slides open. MAL and ZOE stand center. MARCUS enters. JAYNE surprises him by making him face a weapon larger than some small aircraft.

JAYNE: Howdy. Welcome aboard there. MARCUS: Now, now, Mal, I wasn’t expecting such a…warm…greeting. MAL: Oh, yeah, that’s just the way Jayne does things. You should see him throw a party, yeesh. Cleanin’ the carnage off the bulkheads for weeks. ZOE: Word is you have something for us. MARCUS: Right here.

He takes out the piece.

MAL: The money, Marcus. MARCUS: Right…

He throws MAL the money.

MAL: Now let’s see the toy. JAYNE: Ain’t no toy if it don’t go boom. ZOE: This’ll make sure we don’t. JAYNE: Oh. Cool. MARCUS activates the piece. It maps out all surrounding Alliance ships and galaxies.

MAL: Wuh de ma. ZOE: I think we’re interested. MAL: We’re not bounty hunters, Zoe. Let’s just take the money and go. JAYNE: We are too bounty hunters! MARCUS: I’m not asking anything too horrible, here, Mal. To call Chazz Parker a parasite would be to offend the already vast parasite community. He has killed at least a dozen himself. And not just men. Women he was bored with. Children he didn’t want. He’s killed them. JAYNE: Let’s go get ‘im. MAL: How’s he gettin’ away with it? MARCUS: He keeps it all unofficial. He pays off other people to arrange “accidents” for his victims. But I’ve got proof. ZOE: How? Whose proof? MARCUS: One of his many mistresses got out a distress message. I intercepted it. MAL: Out of the goodness of your own heart, eh Marcus? MARCUS: There was also promise of a certain…compensation. MAL: That’s more like it. MARCUS: This man represents the very center of evil. He uses his wealth to kill and amass more money. I doubt he’s got a shred of manhood left in him. MAL: What I seen out there he’s doin’ okay. JAYNE: So we’ve got money comin’ to us if we off this guy? Like I said before: Let’s get ‘im. MAL: No. I’m not putting myself on the limb based on the word of some prank caller. Sorry. ZOE: Do you know anything about this mistress? MARCUS: She didn’t say much, but she pointed you out by name, Mal. MAL: Come again? MARCUS: She said you’d help her. She said she was in grave danger. And that her name was Karin. MAL: Karin? Oh my… ZOE: What? MAL: Nothin’. JAYNE: So do we take the job or don’t we. MAL: Let’s get ‘im. MARCUS: These are his plans for the next few days. The rich always like to plan out everything. MAL: Guess they’ve got the time. MARCUS: And since I can see weaponry isn’t a problem, I’ll leave you to your devices. ZOE: We’ll be in touch. MARCUS: See that you are. Only when you are, be sure Parker’s dead.

MARCUS leaves. INARA walks out.

INARA: Did someone say Parker? MAL: Why? INARA: Nothing. MAL: I hate that answer. ZOE: I can’t imagine why, sir.

6 On the sandy streets of their temporary home, SHEPARD, the DOC, and KAYLEE are walking.

KAYLEE: Wonder what the Captain’s up to. SHEPARD: It isn’t like him to be so secretive. DOC: And to the point where he doesn’t even want us on the ship. KAYLEE: Well at least we get some sun. SHEPARD: I was just thinking about getting a tan. DOC: I’m gonna go find the clinic. See if they need any help. KAYLEE: What’re you gonna do, Shepard? SHEPARD: I don’t know yet, my child. KAYLEE: Well…I think we should all stick together. Is that all right with you, Doc? DOC: Uh, sure… SHEPARD: I think I’m gonna scope out the place on my own. See what’s going on here. I’ll meet you back here in a few hours. KAYLEE: No problem, Shepard!

7 Int. INARA’s shuttle. MAL and INARA are talking.

INARA: I’m not! MAL: But if you are… INARA: There’s nothing to tell. MAL: Okay…well…if the name Chazz Parker rings any bells whatsoever, maybe you could, I dunno, wink or something. INARA: My client list is confidential. That includes winks. Besides, why do you care so much? MAL: Well maybe that’s on my captain’s list. Confidential. INARA: Fine. MAL: Inara! INARA: What? MAL: All right. What if we did it this way. I’ll give you a little bit of information, then you tell me a little. Okay? INARA: No chance. MAL: Okay. So…Wait! Come on! INARA: You’ve never had such an interest in my clients before. Why now, Mal? MAL: Because I don’t want to see you get hurt! INARA: I’ve made it this far. MAL: Yeah but if you make it with Parker, I reckon you won’t be makin’ it much farther. INARA: That’s ridiculous. MAL: Not according to his mistresses it ain’t. INARA: What? MAL: His mistresses. They’re all well and good until he gets bored and uses them for target practice. INARA: That’s impossible. I would never be with anyone who has mistresses, let alone anyone less than respectable. MAL: You’d be with anyone who’s got the money. And Chazz Parker’s got the money. If little else. INARA: Don’t you start. Get out of here. I’m expecting someone soon. MAL: Is…is that what’s happening? Did you invite Parker here? INARA: Get out, Mal. MAL: Look, this is not a respectable man. Whatever good nature he’s got is forged. I’ve got that on good word. Now you’ve never known me to lie to you, have you? INARA: You’re saying he’s killed? MAL: A lot. INARA: Okay…Yes…He’s coming. MAL: Wei ge sha… INARA: But I can’t do anything now. It’s too late. He’ll be here any minute. MAL: Just watch yourself. INARA: I will.

MAL leaves…with a plan.

8 Meanwhile, at the clinic…

DOC: You’ve been beat up pretty badly. WOMAN: I…uh…fell. DOC: There you go…

DOC applies some water and bandages, as well as a healing device to her cut and bruised skin.

KAYLEE (whispering to DOC): That don’t look like a fall… DOC: You’re telling me… WOMAN: I’m so tired. DOC: Are you sleeping well? WOMAN: Yeah…I guess. DOC: What’s that scar on the back of your neck? WOMAN: Oh, I, well, I was dropped as a little kid and I cut myself on a shard of glass. KAYLEE: Sounds like a rough life. What’s your name? WOMAN: Kiran.

ACT II

9 SHEPARD is talking to a STRANGER in a bar.

STRANGER: Don’t I know you? SHEPARD: No, I’m afraid not. STRANGER: Yeah, you look so familiar. SHEPARD: Well, I’ve got one of those faces… STRANGER: Naw, weren’t you at…Vera Dunn? SHEPARD: I’ve read about it. Horrible what happened. STRANGER: I thought I seen you there. I was there. SHEPARD: I’m sorry to say I was not. STRANGER: What’re you doin’ here. SHEPARD: Helping a friend. STRANGER: Not many friends to be had on this world. SHEPARD: Everyone can be a friend. Just gotta be friendly. STRANGER: Sounds like Shepard talk. SHEPARD: Unfortunately. STRANGER: There’s another Shepard down the street. The one Chazz Parker sees. SHEPARD: Who is this man? STRANGER: Richest man on the planet. Owns a chunk o’ everything. Dirty piece of… SHEPARD: So how does he hold onto it? STRANGER: Got his ways. I heard these rumors. SHEPARD: Like what? STRANGER: Like he’s got countless mistresses. And just to keep ‘em on the planet, he rigs ‘em with small electropulse emitters in their necks, so if they go too far, or if he dies before a certain time, they die too. SHEPARD: Oh my… STRANGER: Heard one of ‘em escaped, too. Got beat up real bad, though. SHEPARD: My friend, he’s working in a clinic. STRANGER: Maybe he’s seen her…

STRANGER shows SHEPARD a wanted poster with the woman’s picture on it. SHEPARD runs out.

10 Int. bridge of Serenity. WASH, ZOE, and JAYNE are installing the device.

WASH: And presto! It works! ZOE: Glad to hear it, baby. JAYNE: This is a load of joo shee wa. We’re stuck in here while Shepard and Doc and Kaylee get to run ‘round outside.

MAL enters.

MAL: How’s it goin’? WASH: We’ll never be hungry again! MAL: Does that mean it works? ZOE: Yes, sir. MAL: Good. Jayne. I’m gonna need a gun. JAYNE: Use yours! MAL: Gonna need a bigger one. JAYNE: They always come runnin’ to me when they need somethin’ bigger. MAL: Just give me a weapon. Preferably something with a scope. JAYNE: Take your pick…

JAYNE and MAL exit.

WASH: …and the couple suddenly find themselves alone on the bridge of a derelict ship… ZOE: Not now, baby. WASH: Why? I didn’t even eat onions today. ZOE: Just feels…awkward. On a mission like this. WASH: But there’s always killin’. ZOE: I know. I know it shouldn’t affect me like this. But there’s something about the closeness of it all. Something just doesn’t feel…right. WASH: Yeah, I thought so too, then I realized it was just Jayne’s cooking.

Back at the clinic. KARIN is asleep.

DOC: Darn. KAYLEE: What? DOC: There’s something there. Something in her neck. KAYLEE: What is it? DOC: I can’t be sure. I left my scanner back on Serenity.

SHEPARD enters.

SHEPARD: Have either of you run into a…is this who I think it is? KAYLEE: Who do you think it is, Shepard? SHEPARD: Is her name Karin? DOC: How’d you know? SHEPARD: Because she’s a wanted criminal. Evidently she ran away from the man who seems to control most of the money on this world. DOC: Well, she’s not going anywhere now. She’s been out like a light for the past hour. I’ve been thinking about running back to Serenity for a minute. Could you watch her? SHEPARD: Sure. What’s on Serenity? DOC: I left my scanner. She says she was dropped as a kid and that’s why she has this scar on the back of her neck, but I don’t buy it. It feels like there’s… SHEPARD: The electropulse emitter. DOC: What? SHEPARD: Someone was just telling me a rumor that all of this fellow’s mistresses have emitters in their necks so that if they stray too far or their master dies too soon, they die as well. KAYLEE: That’s awful! DOC: I’m going back to Serenity. I’ll need the scanner to learn if there’s any truth to that rumor. If there is, I can do surgery right away. SHEPARD: Go. I’ll stay here.

11 Meanwhile, on Serenity, PARKER has just left INARA’s shuttle and is heading out the cargo bay doors when…

MAL: Hold it right there! PARKER: What is this? MAL: You can’t see me, but I sure as Wei can see you. Move and you’ll have a very pretty crater in the top of your torso. PARKER: What’s going on? MAL: Turns out some people pay a hefty sum to see you dead. I guess if you play with fire long enough, you get burned. PARKER: Hah, you’re really going to lend credence to such nonsense? MAL: Well, when there’s money involved… PARKER: Why the talk? Why didn’t you just shoot me? MAL: Ain’t honorable to do that. Shoot a man in the back. I’d be scorched if anyone did that to me.

INARA runs out.

INARA: What is going on out here? MAL: Go back inside, Inara. Captain’s business. Strictly confidential. PARKER: I’m leaving. MAL: Aww hell.

MAL fires and kills PARKER. DOC runs in.

DOC: MAL! MAL: Get outta here, Doc! INARA: You just killed the richest man on the planet! MAL: Far as I know, he’s standing right here. DOC: That’s him!? MAL: What’s it to you, Doc? DOC: We got a woman out in the clinic. Says her name is Karin. Word is if her master dies, she dies too.

The gun drops, MAL runs down.

MAL: You get me there as fast as you know how.

They run out.

12 At the clinic, DOC checks her pulse. Nothing. MAL becomes visibly saddened.

KAYLEE: Cap’n, you okay? MAL: Yeah…yeah… DOC: You didn’t know, sir. SHEPARD: He was a demon of a man. MAL: Yeah…Book, Kaylee. Get back to the ship. Doc. You give her a decent burial, you hear? DOC: Sure…

SHEPARD and KAYLEE leave.

DOC: Why does she mean so much to you? MAL: Just old memories. DOC: What? MAL: Before the war. Karin and I. We…knew each other to say the least. DOC: Separated by the war? MAL: Separated before that. Her daddy didn’t much like her being with me. Sold her off to some Woo chi ma from the other side of the verse for what I heard was a large sum of money. DOC: Were you two close? MAL: Closest I ever been to anything that didn’t take bullets. DOC: I’m sorry… MAL: Me too. DOC: A hell of a way to arrange a marriage. MAL: Just wonder what her daddy would say. See her now. Guess I…wasn’t so good for her after all. DOC: This wasn’t your fault. You were trying to save lives. MAL: Sometimes I try to take out the money from the equation. Ask myself, “would I still do what I do if it didn’t pay?” DOC: And? MAL: And I honestly don’t know. And that scares me just a mite sometimes. DOC: I think the fact that you find it frightening answers the question for you. MAL: Give her a good burial, Doc.

Ext. Serenity blasting off.

Int. On the Bridge. MAL, WASH, and ZOE.

WASH: That tracker works wonders! We won’t be having any trouble for a very long time. ZOE: I’ll say, given the cargo bay’s full of payout. WASH: And we saved yet another world from complete peril. ZOE: That’s my baby. WASH: But surely you know, my sweet. I would never lead you into peril. MAL: Wish we could all say the same…

13 DOC and RIVER in the medical bay. RIVER wakes up.

DOC: Well? How was it? RIVER: I… DOC: Can you remember anything? RIVER: I was a bug. A praying mantis. I fell in love with another. I remember feeling so happy. Free and yet attached. So rare and hard to believe, but there it was. We flew everywhere. DOC: River, praying mantises can’t fly. RIVER: But we did. DOC: How did it end? RIVER: I ate him.