I hear giggles, as I start to wake, but make no movement. I feel someone dragging something wet across my skin. Ugh. What is that? Startled, I get up, move behind the person, and put them in a choke hold. I hear a gun cock and tighten my hold around the victim. I look up and see Zoe.

"Serenity," I whisper, more to myself than to them. I loosen my hold on Kaylee, as I see the wet rag she was using to clean me up, and slump back down on the bed. I put my hand to my forehead. So many thoughts. 'Nastusia, we have made it to Lunar Plant, and the other team has already arrived at Titan. Be careful.' 'You too, Aaron.' I massage my temples as I hear the thoughts of the others that I escaped with. Tune them out. I hear giggling again. I open my eyes from underneath my hand and see two girls looking through the glass. As they meet my eyes, they hide. As if I didn't see them. I roll my eyes and set back to massaging my temple. "Either shoot, or lower the gun." I say to Zoe, not opening my eyes.

"I ought'a shoot." Zoe replies, still itching to fire.

"No one's stopping you." I say flatly and rather tiredly.

"Woe-hoe. What's going on here?" Mal asks as he enters the infirmary.

"It's my fault." I reply, not moving.

"That I know. Everyone, okay?" He asks Zoe and Kaylee. Kaylee nods and Zoe reluctantly holsters her gun, never looking away from me. Mal turns to me and leans over the bed. I can feel his breath on my face as he says, "Look, once we get to Beaumonde, you're off my ship, dong-ma?"

I don't do anything, just sit still, not looking at anything in particular. Simon walks in…

"Oh, I see you're still alive." Funny. He walks over to check my vitals, but I pull away.

"If you don't want to, you don't have to." He's questioning what he should do, I know what he decides before he does. He leans back on the counter and puts his arm across his chest and shrugs. "River used to talk about you." I say calmly as he just looks at me, but I saw that spark in his eye when he heard my words. I keep my eyes rested upon his. "She told me a lot about you, how you would play with her and strategize attacks when there was a mutiny in one of your games, or resort to cannibalism." I smirk as I see Simon remembering these games he used to play and marveling that I know of this memory. Then I feel his pain on what has become of his sister. I break my gaze from him and look out the glass where the girls are, but not at them, rather past them. Past the wall, down the corridor to where River lays, coloring a picture. I block all thoughts from her as she rises.

"What else did she say?" Simon asked, softly.

"That you would come for us." He looked up when I said this but I didn't look at him, I kept my eyes glued on River as she moved fluidly around her room to the tune we use to dance to at the Academy. "I never told her, but I didn't think you would come. However, hope is not something to be played with. River, was hopeful knowing you, and only you, would make out the coded letters. Then you came and took her away." I look away from River and see Simon, who looks almost somber. Kaylee puts his arm around his and that seems to give him comfort.

"How many hybrids are there?" Mal asks, leaning against the other counter to my right.

"One other fully equipped hybrid." I state, looking at the ceiling. Damien. My eyes narrow at the thought. I know Mal sees this as he clears his throat, waking me from my reverie.

"That's all. Well, that's pretty good, right?" Kaylee asks smiling. I can't believe it, she actually thinks that's it. I wish I had her ignorance.

"I said that's the only other hybrid, I didn't say that's all of them." I sit up in the bed and look at them. Zoe by the door, Mal still to my right leaning on the counter, Simon and Kaylee on my left leaning on the other counter. The two girls had gotten bored and are now in their room. Jayne's on the bridge, scary thought I muse to myself. "The Academy has classified us differently. Meaning that they did certain experiments on some and different experiments on others. For instance, in the group that I escaped with there were: 4 fighters, 2 readers, 1 locator, and 1 shield. They each do what they are classified as. The fighters are extreme fighters. The Academy modified them to react faster to different types of fighting scenarios. Meaning that they can fight in any way, whether hand-to-hand combat or with weapons. They can do it all. The readers, which is what River is, are able to read the minds of a certain amount of people and react according to what they see in their thoughts. That is how River knew when and where to point the gun when you were rescuing Mal from Niska." They all looked both pale and astonished at the memory and the fact that it sounded like I was there with them when it happened. I roll my eyes and point to my head, tapping it as I press on. "Readers are excellent with martial arts, but not so much in other areas. What River did, was combine her reading abilities with math and pinpoint the precision of each shot in a matter of seconds. You are very lucky she's smart Kaylee, otherwise….Quueeeckkk" I say as I run my finger across my throat, emphasizing she would have died. Kaylee shrinks back and Mal is now glowering at me. "Locators…"

"Locate?" Mal asked, with sarcastic humor.

"Yes, but they are used in the main office, unless they need to train. They have been modified to pinpoint someone's location within a 700 mile radius. However, there are not many locators, due to the fact that the modifications that are done can be too strenuous for the brain. Most often then not, they go crazy and end up killing themselves."

"Brain overload," Simon says quietly, shocked. "The brain can only take up a certain amount of information."

"Right, however, with the modifications, the areas in the brain that most humans don't use, is what enables them to locate. In a sense, through the experiments, they turn on the on switch in a section of the brain, allowing them to use the L.I.N.K.S. channel to pinpoint a person's locations. As you very well know, Simon, every brain is different and functions at different rates and capacities. Sometimes the on switch is not meant to be turned on." I shrug as I see Simon with his mouth opened at what I'm saying. At least he didn't know them and have to see them go crazy. "Locators only excel in hand-to-hand combat. Shields are the weakest fighters, they only master in swordplay. They can block out locators and readers from a person's mind."

"Then why create locators and readers?" Zoe asks. The rest all listen with confused looks on their faces.

"It would depend on who buys what weapon. Shields can be used to protect important information from getting into the wrong hands." I say, casually.

"So, how many in total?" Mal asks

"A lot of fighters, not too many locators, a few shields, mmmm, not too many readers, since they were the prototypes for the locators and shields, and two hybrids." I say as I lean back against the bed. "We're new." I say pointing to myself.

"Can they all use the L.I.N.K.S. channel thing?" Mal asks

"After River, that was a must have, however, some are able to use it easier than others. For example, fighters can't use it as easily as the locators, unless they have mate."

"A mate?" Kaylee asks

"When they are connected to someone on a personal level they are able to establish a stronger connection in L.I.N.K.S."

"Oh my God! You're River's mate?" Simon says shocked. I can't believe this. As I see different images of me and River popping into his brain. I want to smile, like actually want to smile. Before I know it, I start laughing. When was the last time I laughed? It was so long ago. That day we were dancing in the park. We were practicing and she fell, then I fell and we started laughing. So simple back then.

"That's freaky," Mal says unsettled as he raises his eyebrow at me.

"Down right unsettling, if you ask me, sir." Zoe commented

"Ah, I think it's sweet." Kaylee says, "I just wish I knew what was so funny."

"I'm not her mate, Simon. Why would you ever think that? We are attached, but not in terms of physically intimate partners." Everyone looks to Simon as he starts blushing profusely. "I told you before, River befriended me after coming to the Academy. I had been there for 7 years and never had a friend. I had a childhood friend growing up before the Academy, but he was a boy. The other girls were always afraid of me, remember?"

"So, why are you here?" Mal asks. I turn serious, contemplating his question.

"I don't know; to find something, I guess."

"What's that?" Kaylee asks curiously.

"When I find it, I'll let you know."