Spin

Chapter 6

Cast of Players & Places: Iron Eagle or Eagle Eye- Ira Eggers GAT WWDC15-Warden Wartouski Detainment Center 15. Mal Reynolds Jayne Cobb River Tam Simon Tam Zoë Washburn Wash- Washburn Kaylee Shepherd Book Inara

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Wash, pilot of Serenity slowly lowered the Firefly transport down into one of the craters that pitted the surface of WWDC15. The ship’s sensors had indicated that the depth of the crater was about 60 meters. Wash wasn’t concerned with the depth. What he was more concerned about was, was he in the right tunnel?

River had explained that there was a hole big enough to hide Serenity in near the compound on the south side of the facility triangle, but as he’d made his approach Wash realized that there were three such craters. River was down in the cargo bay , just as Mal, Jayne, his wife, Kaylee and Book were. There was no time to bring her to the bridge to find out if this were the right one. Wash made a landing and kept his fingers crossed.

The entire crew felt the light touch-down of Serenity on the tunnel floor. There was a buzz on the bridge com, “ Wash! We good?”. It was Mal’s voice.

“ Like juggling baby geese, goslings!” The pilot spoke trying to hide the nervousness in his voice. He’d find out if he’d picked the right crater soon enough.

Down in the cargo hold Mal and the rest of the crew looked over the mule. Kaylee, being the expert mechanic that she was, had prepared the hovercraft to the best of her ability. Mal was pleased, the hovercraft looked more than ready.

“ Ok, So, Me…..Zoe and Jayne, like always, will be the ones to go in. Kaylee….” He said turning to the young mechanic, “ you keep yourself occupied in the engine room! Keep Serenity warmed up…..we may need to be getting outta here fast!”

“ Book!” He turned to the preacher, “….if you can be ready at the loading ramp. We might need to close it in a hurry!”

“Understood.” The preacher voiced calmly.

“Well, if things are good to go, then we’re ready to start this endeavor.” Mal said.

Jayne, Mal and Zoe then began to load onto the hovercraft “mule”. River…..began to climb aboard too.

“ Now hold on there a bit younguun……” Mal voiced all surprised. He chuckled a little nervously, “ ….River you can’t go! “ He looked at the girl.

“ The plan calls for me, Zoe and Jayne on the mule! Didn’t you hear the role call? It’s just the three of us sweetie. How about join your brother in the med lab.” Mal was being as sensitive as he could be.

“No! I’m going with you.”

It wasn’t a demand, or even a suggestion. It was a matter-of-fact statement that the young Tam had made, just as if it had been part of the original plan from the start, which it hadn’t been.

“ Why can’t things ever go smooth?” The thought bounced around in Mal’s brain like it was the second issue on every job they ever had.

“ River! What would Simon…….?”

“ He won’t know. He doesn’t have to know a thing until it’s all over…” She paused, “ Trust me on this captain.”

The look in the young Tam’s eyes told him everything he needed to know. Still, he had to think of her safely, and that of his crew. He was still about to refuse when she said…..

“ I’m the only one that really knows how to get there.”

Now Mal felt like he was in a bind. Had River mislead them? Had she purposely told them the wrong route to take? A decision had to be made and it needed to be made quickly.

“ Climb aboard.” He said against his better judgment. “ But you’re staying with the “mule”.

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Simon Tam looked around the med lab. Satisfied with what he saw, he wondered down to the cargo bay, and found Preacher Book down there.

“ Shepherd, everything get off without a hitch?”

Book looked at the young doctor.

“ Like clockwork.” Book studied the young surgeons expression not seeing any doubt about what he’d just been told.

“Where’s River?” Simon asked.

Book was surprised, but he was ready for the question.

“ I’m sure she’s off somewhere….” Well, he hadn’t actually lied to Simon, had he?

“ Yeah,” Simon said looking around, “ She always finds a way to keep herself out of the way when there’s something adventurous going on.” Simon concluded before heading back to the med lab.

Book took in a deep breath.

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Mal, Zoe, Jayne and River made their way down a tunnel that had been highlighted on the map to follow almost all the way to the Vault corridor. The tunnel here came to a section where it transformed into three separate passages. Mal brought the mule to a halt. He looked over at the girl.

“ The first one.” River pointed. Mal made note that the opening in this tunnel wasn’t wide enough to allow the mule inside.

“ Ok, troops! Get the gear. Looks like the next 100 meters will be on foot!”

As Zoe and Jayne made ready the equipment River ushered Mal to the side.

“ At the end of this shaft there’s an opening leading into a ventilation compartment. There will be three vent covers on the wall in front of you. The shaft to the left goes to the vault rooms.” River said, “ The shaft to the right leads to your friend.” She paused, “ …Make sure Jayne & Zoe take the warden’s hovercraft. Mule won’t run with 5, besides it’s the quickest way out.”

Mal wasn’t sure why he trusted River, he only knew that he did. Evidently she’d studied this plan better than he had. Still,…….as for her involvement, this was it.

“ You stay with the “mule”!”

There was no debating this, River knew. She nodded that she understood.

The three then proceeded go down the shaft that would take them to the corridor vault and, Mal knew separately, his friend Ira Eggers.

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Iron Eagle could feel something happening in his bones, yet, he had no idea what it was. He lay in his bunk thinking of all kinds of things, but it wasn’t until he heard the sound of the heavy latch being pulled back at the cellblock door that he knew something was really going on. He sat up from his cot.

In about six seconds the door sprung open and Ira became a witness to a face he hadn’t seen for years.

“ Malcolm Reynolds!”

The First sergeant looked at his old friend. Without saying a word he pulled a feather from his top shirt pocket. He held it up so that Ira could plainly see that it was the one given to him all those years ago.

“ Time to breath the fresh air of freedom my friend” Mal spoke.

Ira fell to his knees. He began praying to the gods of his home world and the mountain Cat god that had he felt was responsible for this miracle in particular.

“ Ira! We’ve already got one preacher to deal with, please don’t tell me I’ll have to be dealing with another?”

Iron Eagle got up onto his feet.

“ Let’s go! “ he said.

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There was a storage cabinet and a desk at the end of the cell-block…….25 meters away.

“ Grab the keys from the storage cabinet, second drawer down!” Ira told his ex-commander.

Mal did this. He went over to Iron Eagle’s cell inserted the key and turned. Nothing happened!

“His too!” His friend said pointing toward Gat’s cell. Mal was a bit confused, but did as he were bid. Same thing, nothing happened. Gat just stood at his cell bars wondering what was going on.

“ Now!” Ira said, “ Over to the desk and pull out the center drawer!”

Mal did this. There were a line on buttons arranged onto a keypad.

“334567” Ira told him. Mal pushed the buttons. Ira’s cell door popped open. The smile on his face stretched ear to ear. He exited his chamber.

“ Now, 334568”

Gat’s cell door flung open.

There was a big hug of a greeting exchanged between the two men ( Ira & Mal)

“ No time to get kissy- kissy I guess!” Mal pointed to the way out. At that moment a bright, flashy alarm light went off in the room right above the guard desk.

“ Gorramit! Ruttin alarm’s been triggers…..Jayne, gorram!” Mal cursed.

“ MAL!!” Malcolm heard a voice come over his com. It was Jayne.

“ Jayne! What happened?” He spoke into his communicator.

“ Don’t know! Weren’t us! We got the stuff though! We‘re loadin up getting ready to go!”

“ Good! Take the warden’s hovercraft and meet me at the “mule”….out!” Mal looked over to his friend. “ Gotta get movin, quickly!”

“ I’m not going anywhere!” The two ex-independent fighters looked over at Gat.

“ You people are about to get caught, and I’m not about to be part of your failed escape attempt. I’ll take my chances here!”

Ira went over to the man he’d only known for a short period of time. Still he felt obligated to tell him what was really going to happen.

“Gat! You don’t know this but your sentence here, on this rock has been changed! Instead of 57 spins, your time has been increased to 114. You’ve got to get out now my friend!”

Gat still refused.

“ Ira, leave him!” Mal said, and the two made their way back up the corridor outside to the ventilation shaft.

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Mal Reynolds and Ira Eggers pulled themselves up out of the vent hole that led back to where the “mule” was stationed.

“ This way!” Mal told his friend, “ Just a few meters more!” With Mal’s assistance Ira was able limp toward his freedom although his knee, which had been wounded in the war, had become somewhat painful.

“ Mal!” Came Jayne’s voice on his com, “ We’re good! Be there in 30 (seconds).”

“ We’ll be waitin!” Reynolds confirmed.

They rounded a turn in the tunnel and Malcolm Reynolds was then deliver a surprise he had never saw coming.

“RIVER!!?”

The young Tam was GONE! Nowhere to be seen. The mule was gone and there was no trace of what had happened or which path the mule had exited.

“ Holy Fen Fei!” Mal expressed.

The sound of a hovercraft came to the captain’s ears and Mal could tell it wasn’t the rusty, clanker from Serenity. With Ira holding his knee, Mal pulled his friend tight to him and they waited for Zoe and Jayne to show up.

End Part 6