River snapped awake. The only thing she was aware of was this time it was not due to a nightmare. She sat up and instantly regretted it. The room pitched violently, and her insides with it. The freshly painted flowers on her walls became a kaleidoscope. Her gorge rose. She stumbled from her bed and half-crawled to the latrine. She yanked it open just in time for her stomach to violently purge itself of its contents. There was not much. She had not eaten anything before going with the captain, but that did not stop her stomach from trying. She rested her head on the stainless steel edge, in part because it was cool and in part because the retching left her too weak to stand. Her brain hammered in her skull with a force she could not imagine it possessed, lacking any sort of appendages with which to beat upon its prison. She rose, wobbly, shutting the latrine and pulling out her little sink. She cupped her hands, eagerly lapping up the water to slake her parched throat and wash away the paste in her mouth. When she was done, the room was not tipping quite so violently. It still was not completely stable, though she was able to walk more or less directly back to her bed. She dropped onto it, not even bothering to get under the covers. She could not fathom it possible for her head to hurt more than just a few moments ago, but it did. She groaned and closed her eyes. Fortunately, she was unconscious again in a matter of seconds. Simon was having breakfast when River blundered into the mess. She was a wreck. He knew he could have given her something last night to avoid this situation, but he was not at all pleased with what happened. He was still furious with Mal, but he also knew the captain was right. She was an adult now, with enough function and sense, if not actual experience, to know better. He thought letting her suffer a bit would be a better cure for overindulgence than any reaming he could give her. “Good morning,” he greeted with mock cheeriness. She threw him a look that at any other time would have been a prelude to his death. Instead, she collapsed into a chair and laid her head on the table. Her dark hair spread around her in disarray. A moment later, Jayne strode in, looking no worse for the wear from last night. Simon had a glare for him, too. “Mornin’ Doc,” Jayne said, nonplussed. He spotted River and grinned. “Looks like someone’s got suzui ,” he addressed her. She flashed him an obscene gesture without raising her head. Jayne laughed. “This really isn’t that funny,” said Simon. “She’s got to learn this is what happens when you go too far.” “Oh, right, like you ain’t been in her place ‘fore?” Jayne scoffed. Simon scowled. Certainly he had, but that was beside the point. “Look, ol’ Dr. Jayne’s gotta cure for ya,” Jayne went on. River sluggishly raised her head, closing her eyes and wincing in pain. “What you need is a little hair o’ the dog,” he prescribed. Reaching into a cubby, he pulled out a cup and filled it with a draught of his own whiskey. He slammed the shot, then refilled the cup and placed it in front of River. She stared at it for a second, face greening. She made a gulping noise in her throat, clutched a hand over her mouth, and tore out of the mess. Jayne relished a chuckle. Coming down from the bridge, Mal sidestepped River, giving her a backward glance as she disappeared into her bunk. “She okay?” he asked as he entered the mess. “Just a hangover,” Simon pronounced with a chilly look for Mal. “Don’t look at me like that,” Mal retorted. “I said I’d take care of her. Brought her back safe and sound.” “You have an odd interpretation of what ‘taking care of’ means.” “I ain’t gonna hold her hand at every turn. I’m her captain, not her daddy.” “That you’re not,” Simon growled with controlled anger. He stormed out. Mal shook his head and smiled. “Jayne,” he turned to the big man. “Ving sent a wave a little while ago. Meet’s set up with our client in three hours.” “Shiny. Who is it?” “Don’t know. Only name I have is ‘gangster of boats’.” “That supposed to be intimidatin’?” “Who knows. But you know the drill. Discretion the better part of valor and all that.” “What you want?” “Small arms. Somethin’ concealable. Don’t wanna invite trouble, but don’t wanna get caught with our trousers in the sand.” Jayne nodded. “Meet me in shuttle two. We got a long flight ahead of us. Best get goin’ soon as possible.” It took every bit of the three hours to reach the floating casino, even with Mal pushing the shuttle to the limit in terms of fuel. They landed on the rooftop pad and were met by two well-dressed, well-developed guards who escorted them inside after a pat-down. Mal was less than comforted by his holster hanging empty at his side, but he was in someone else’s house, so best to play by their rules. Their path through the boat’s halls did not take them through the gambling floor, much to Jayne’s dismay, but the rich carpet, finely crafted lighting fixtures, and the occasional piece of artwork was evidence enough that this was a proper establishment, not a backwoods bordello masquerading as such. The ‘gangster of boats’ certainly had done well, if Ving’s tale was true. The security thugs thrust open a set of double doors before them and ushered Mal and Jayne into a well lit office. Three walls were solid panels of glass, providing an unobstructed view of the ocean surrounding them. Jayne whistled low. “Nice digs,” he whispered to Mal. Mal had his eyes on the high-backed chair behind the desk, facing away from them. He could not see who was in it, but had not doubt it was the gangster himself. The chair swiveled slowly round. “Welcome, gentlemen,” the occupant spoke, and Mal’s eyes went wide. The ‘gangster of boats’ was a woman. She was diminutive, coming up short even compared to Kaylee, with long, straight blond hair and a cute button of a nose. She wore a simple white blouse and black slacks. Her smile told of some inside joke she was taking in at their expense. “You’d be Captain Malcolm Reynolds,” she stated, looking right at Mal. Mal’s calm was shaken. He wondered how in blazes she had knowledge of his real identity, but he did not let it show. “And you must be the gangster of boats,” he replied smoothly. A charming laugh bubbled out of her slender throat. “That is how most people know me. Makes things easier to run when they don’t know your identity. Wouldn’t you say so, Captain?” she gave him a knowing look. “I’m of a mind to agree.” “Shiny. And since it’s clear I know who you are, I’ll return the favor by letting you know who I am. You can call me Chrysabel,” she stood from her chair and extended a hand. “Pleased to meet you,” Mal shook it firmly. “This here’s Jayne,” Mal thumbed. Jayne offered a slightly leering grin with his hand, but she only nodded at him. He frowned at the spurn. “Now, have a seat, if you don’t mind, and we’ll talk,” she completely ignored Jayne’s displeasure and indicated to the two chairs arranged in front of her desk as she retook her seat. “I venture that you know some of my problem by either rumor or reputation.” Mal nodded. “Good, then I won’t bore you with more details that you don’t need to know.” Her convivial manner upon their introduction was gone, replaced by a brusque, business-like demeanor. She was a woman who did not take any gou shi . Mal liked her already. “I run four casinos. That means I need food, flowers, linens, and all manner of goods to arrive on my boats, on time, every day. Right now, that is not happening. If I contract with you, you understand that those are my expectations, whatever you are carrying for me, be it legitimate or otherwise. Excuses did not help me to build up the most profitable gambling franchise on the planet. I don’t accept them from myself, and I don’t accept them from those who work for me.” Her eyes bored into each of them. “If you can accept that, I’ll pay you a flat rate of fifty platinum per run plus expenses, and hazard pay if the shipment warrants it.” Mal heard Jayne’s sharp intake of breath. He blinked at the number himself. A slow smile spread across Chrysabel’s face. “I take it that’s a bit more generous than what you’re used to.” “Well, it’s ah… not bad,” Mal scratched his head. Chrysabel smiled wider. “If your performance is satisfactory after six months, the rate will go up to sixty.” Jayne leaned back, nodding and smiling. “And if our performance ain’t ‘satisfactory’, as you say?” “You won’t find work in this quadrant again.” It was not a threat, just a statement of fact. “Uh-huh.” Something did not fit right. He decided to press her motives. He leaned on the desk slightly. “You wanna tell me what exactly you’re playin’ at here? Ain’t no businessman, or woman, in the ‘verse gonna pay top money for what she can get for a rock bottom price unless she’s a fool.” That easy, disarming smile reappeared. “You may be the bottom of the barrel, Captain, but you have a reputation. And that reputation tells me that Malcolm Reynolds does a job, and he gets paid. He doesn’t like complications. We’re of a like mind here. While I could hire any bottom-feeder for a fraction of what I just offered you, I’m willing to pay a small premium to avoid the… complications those types necessarily bring along. Consider yourself a diamond in the rough.” Mal linked eyes with her for a long time. She was ruthless, she was calculating, and she was shooting straight as far as he could tell. She wanted Mal to be her runner, and she had obviously done her homework. He was not completely at ease with it, but he could hardly pass up the opportunity of fifty platinum flat. His face broke into a grin. “Miss Chrysabel, I believe we have a deal.” Chrysabel grinned back, openly pleased. “Excellent. I’ve got your first job ready for you. Here’s an advance on the expenses.” She reached into a drawer of her desk and tossed Mal a pouch of coins. He opened it. It contained twenty platinum. “Well, I must say you’re a right generous and trusting woman,” he opined. “I’m a practical woman. I know you need that to get your ship ready for the run. Call it insurance, if you’d rather. But, I will collect on my claim if you don’t hold your end of the bargain,” she warned. Mal did not doubt her words. “So, what’s the job?” “Expanding clientele means expanding the luxuries I offer aboard my boats. I’ve been importing caviar from New Melbourne for some time now, but obviously my shipments of late have been impounded or ‘lost’ in customs. I aim to resolve this problem by becoming my own supplier. Of course, it is illegal to import species between worlds,” her lips twisted in a smile. “Of course,” Mal said in understanding. “I’ve purchased my own school of sturgeon, complete with a 54,000 liter aquarium in which to transport them. Can your ship handle that?” “That’s within our capacity.” “Good. Then I will tell my supplier to expect you when?” “With a day to get prepped, call it ten days.” Chrysabel frowned. “I was expecting perhaps a little more in terms of speed.” “Might be able to shave a little off with some creative navigatin’. Got a whiz of a pilot, good at that sort of thing. We’ll get your fish here.” “Very well, Captain. This is my wave code,” she handed Mal a slip of paper. “I best let you go prep for you trip.” Mal rose and tucked the paper in his pocket. “It’s been a pleasure.” She nodded in dismissal. Mal turned and followed Jayne out. Once the two men were safely beyond her office doors, Chrysabel brought up her com station and pressed the page button. “Yes, ma’am?” a youngish man with a sharp fringe of brown hair hanging over his forehead appeared on her screen. “Update me, Sellers.” “Yes, ma’am. So far our reconnaissance says they’re right outside the town of Hawthorne. Arrived there yesterday.” “Are you sure it’s them?” “Yes, ma’am. Pretty sure.” “You have to be positive, Sellers. If you’re not, you’re wasting my time.” “I understand, ma’am. I’m positive.” “Good. Stay on top of them. Let me know immediately if anything changes.” “Yes, ma’am.” She turned off the screen. Then she logged into the Cortex and brought up the latest Alliance security bulletins. At the top of the list was the one she wanted. She typed in the wave code listed and waited for a response. “Ni hao , Fugitive Task Force Central.” “I’d like to report the whereabouts of a known fugitive.” “Location?” “Paquin.” “One moment while I connect you with the regional commander.” Chrysabel’s eyes glittered with greed as they roved over the reward amount, emblazoned in large numbers. One million credits. This would be the biggest payoff of her gambling career. “Woo hoo! Fifty platinum flat! Gorram it, Mal!” Mal did not join in Jayne’s whooping celebration, but he smiled nonetheless. It seemed they had finally found some steady, well-paying work. He was still struggling to believe the good fortune of it. Call it cynicism, but good fortune always left him distrustful. Chrysabel seemed a level player, though, and if she made good, they might just be able to live normally instead of bouncing from one end of the ‘verse to the other, barely scraping by. Paquin was as good a place as any to set down some roots if they wanted to. He reached for the com to wave Zoe. “Sir?” “Zoe, start gettin’ her prepped. We lift off tomorrow at 0730 for New Melbourne.” “We got a job, then?” “More ‘n that. We got a contract,” Mal grinned. “I’ll give you the details when we’re back on the ship. Meantime, I want everything gotten ready to go. I got a little spendin’ money for supplies,” he jingled the pouch in his pocket, “so we’ll get that taken care of, too.” “You got an advance on the job?” “That’s right.” “Sir, this don’t smell right.” “That’s what I thought at first. But this ‘gangster’, she understands our value. Doesn’t like complications. She even called me a diamond in the rough,” he boasted. “She?” “Yes, she.” “Called you a diamond in the rough?” “That’s what she said.” “Remind me never to buy jewelry from her.” “Just get her prepped.” “Yes, sir.” “See you in a few hours.” Zoe switched off the wave and marched off the bridge. She found everyone, except River, in the common area, playing cards and looking excruciatingly bored. “Let’s look alive,” she called, hopping down the stairs. “Cap’n’s got us a job. Need to be ready for liftoff at 0730 tomorrow.” “Finally, somethin’ to do besides lose to Inara,” Kaylee grumbled. Inara smiled sweetly. “I love you, too, Kaylee.” “Captain’s got money for supplies, so let’s get together what we’re gonna need for a trip to New Melbourne.” “New Melbourne?” Inara asked. “That’s what he said,” confirmed Zoe. Conflict spread across Inara's face, but no one else took notice of it. “Kaylee, what’d you need?” “Well, the fuel cells is pretty low from our trip here. Other n’ that, she’s fit to fly.” “Simon?” “The infirmary could use some restocking. I scavenged what I could, but there wasn’t much.” “Well, Captain’ll want a list. Get it ready.” “Inara?” “I… uh, I don’t think I need anything.” “Where’s River?” “Probably sleeping off last night’s xu jiu ,” Simon uttered. “Well, as long as she’s over it by morning.” A banging from within the cargo hold interrupted them. “What’s that?” asked Inara. “Someone outside?” Kaylee offered. “I’ll see to it. You all get about what you got to do.” Zoe hustled into the cargo bay towards the airlock. She peeked through the small, cloudy window and saw a young woman standing outside. She appeared to be a local. Zoe scanned all around her as much as the window’s restricted view allowed, but she saw no one else. She heaved open the door. “Afternoon, ma’am,” the woman greeted. “I was wondering if I might speak to the captain?” Zoe put her hand on her hip and regarded the woman coolly. “The captain’s not in right now, miss.” “My name is Anna,” the woman introduced herself. “Well, I’m the first mate. There somethin’ I can do for you?” “I spoke with your mechanic last night. She said you might be heading out in a day or two.” Zoe held her silence, waiting for the woman to go on. “Well, I was wondering if you might be interested in taking on passengers?” “Yourself?” “And my husband,” Anna added. “I would have to speak with the captain on it. He’d have final say. Where you headed?” “Georgia system, if we can make it.” “Well, we’re liftin’ off for New Melbourne tomorrow morning. Georgia system’s on the other side of the ‘verse, well outta our way.” “We’re not particular how we get their, ma’am. You take us as far as you can and we’ll make our way from there.” “New Melbourne is a layover point. Wouldn’t be hard to find you somethin’ goin’ Georgia’s way. I’ll ask the captain.” “Much appreciated, ma’am. I’ll stop by later, if that’s not a problem.” Zoe nodded. “Thank you.” The woman headed towards the gypsy encampment. Zoe watched her depart for a while before closing up the door. Then she went find Kaylee. “Kaylee, you speak with any of them gypsies last night?” she leaned into the engine room. “Um, yeah. A woman. Real pretty. She was asking about Serenity and where we was goin’.” “Well, she just stopped by lookin’ to buy passage offworld for her and her husband.” “Oh. What’d you say?” “I told her I’d ask the captain when he got back.” “I hope he says yes. She was real sweet. Be nice to have new faces on board.” “Yeah, she seemed nice enough. But we got a job now. Might not be a good idea to have passengers.” “Zoe. Don’t worry so much.” “Maybe you don’t remember what happened the last time we took on passengers while we had cargo?” Zoe raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, but it turned out okay, sort of.” Zoe frowned, bitterness seeping through, and left the engine room. Kaylee winced, guilty. She did not think Zoe blamed all their troubles on Simon and River, but she could not deny that the point of view held some merit. She busied herself with Serenity’s workings, trying to keep from thinking about it more than she had to. Anna clambered up the steps of the wagon and slipped into the dark interior. It took a while for her eyes to adjust from the brightness outside. Ducking beneath the low beams, she made her way to the lanky man folded on a short stool with a guitar in his lap. His unruly golden curls covered his face, but he looked up as she entered, nudging his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. He smiled and she settled a kiss on his forehead. “You didn’t get passage,” he said, smile fading a little. Anna shook her head. “No. The captain wasn’t there. But I spoke to the first mate. She said she would ask him and to come back later. They’re leaving tomorrow for New Melbourne” “Hmm… New Melbourne is a good place to jump off and find our way from there. I’ll go into town and see if I can find out anything more about the ship.” “They seem like good folk. The mechanic I met last night was honest and sweet. The first mate…” Anna shuddered a little. “She’s hurt, mistrustful, but a good soul.” The man nodded. He smiled again and gave her another kiss, longer and more intimate. He rose and headed for the exit, throwing on a long duster that was hanging on the wall. “Wray,” Anna called after him, pointing at his face. “Oh,” he took off the glasses and handed them to her. “Dang xin .” “I will.” He slipped out the door. As evening deepened on Paquin again, Mal and Zoe finished unloading their supplies from the mule. Against his better judgment, Mal was riding high. The combination of a job and the ability to buy supplies without going bankrupt did wonders for his mood. He did not hear the woman approach from the dusk until she rapped gently on the side of the loading ramp. He glanced round, surprised. “Evenin’ sir. Might you be the captain?” she inquired. “That’s me,” Mal confirmed, leaving his crates and coming out to meet her. Zoe continued unloading, keeping an ever watchful eye on the woman. “My name is Anna, sir, and I spoke with your first mate earlier today.” “That’s right, she told me. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Anna,” Mal offered a jovial handshake, which she accepted with some hesitance. Mal found her quite a blossom. Especially alluring were her pale green eyes. She shifted them away from him for an instant, as if embarrassed. “She said I should speak to you about buying passage for my husband and me.” “Yes. She told me you’re headin’ for Georgia. New Melbourne’s a good place to stop over. I don’t suppose there’s any reason why we can’t take you along. Got plenty of room.” Zoe paused in her work, eyeing them both. Anna glanced at her for a split second before replying. “Thank you, sir. We appreciate it.” “Now, as for the price… I think we can take you for, say, five platinum each.” “That’s not a problem, Captain.” “All right, Miss Anna. You’ve got yourself a ride to New Melbourne. You and your husband be at this ramp at seven in the mornin’. We lift off at seven-thirty, not a second after. If you’re late, you’ll have to find yourselves another boat.” “I understand.” “How much luggage you bringin’?” “Not much. Maybe a duffel for each of us, my fiddle, and his guitar.” “Musicians, eh? Perhaps you’d entertain us some time while you’re aboard.” “Certainly,” Anna offered a small smile. “All right. Seven tomorrow morning.” “Yes, Captain. Thank you very much.” Anna turned and disappeared into the night. Mal’s gaze lingered after her. “Who was that?” Kaylee came down the stairs just in time to see Anna leave the cargo hold. “One of our new passengers,” Zoe responded, her tone indicating her displeasure. “You said yes?” Kaylee asked Mal, excited. “Sure, why not? They’re just travelin’ musicians.” “Sir, don’t you remember how much trouble it is takin’ on passengers while we got a job to do?” “Look, we don’t even pick up the cargo until we get to New Melbourne. In the meantime, we make a little extra cash just for takin’ ‘em where we’s goin’ anyways. They’ll be off before we even get the stuff loaded.” “Oh, it’s so exciting!” Kaylee bubbled. “Cap’n you should hear ‘em play. That one’s got a lovely voice. Maybe they’ll do a little concert for us, right here on Serenity.” Kaylee’s mind was a-whirl with all sorts of ideas, Mal could tell. He smiled and tousled her hair. “I’m sure you’ll have one of your crew activity nights all planned out ‘fore this is over.” Kaylee beamed. “Now, get on with you. Make sure everything’s ready for tomorrow, then off to bed. We got an early day.” He closed up the loading ramp, sealing out the Paquin night.

suzui- hangover gou shi- dog crap ni hao- hello xu jiu- binge drinking Dang xin- "Take care"