Jobs came and went with Serenity following them. Talk around the breakfast table and supper would drift onto that shiny signal. With Wash telling stories about what he had heard from that small community. Stories of the saloon were particular favourites with Jayne getting "the look" from Mal every time "Nekkid Jayne" got mentioned.

Jayne just kept saying, "I ain't done nuthin'."

A couple of months later they were in the same area of space and Wash had his receiver turned up out of habit. He was still hoping to pick up that shiny signal.

Suddenly he heard a voice saying, "Shiny folk."

Wash recognized it instantly, jumped up out of his pilot's chair and ran for the galley. He arrived in the galley in a flurry of motion.

"What in tarnation is chasing you, Wash?" asked Kaylee from the counter.

"I'm with Kaylee," Mal said. "You looked like the hounds of hell were after you." He had come into the galley after Wash.

"Nothing's chasing me..."Wash started.

"What's up then?" asked Jayne from the breakfast table. He was cleaning his knives.

"The signal's back," Wash said.

"Truly?" Kaylee asked.

"Yes. It's weaker but there," Wash said.

"Can I hear it?" Kaylee asked.

"Sure," Wash said heading back for the bridge.

He was followed by Kaylee, Mal, Jayne, Book, Zoe, River and Simon.

Wash turned the receiver up more but there was nothing coming through.

"Thought you said it was back?" asked Mal standing at the back of the bridge.

"It was. I don't know what happened," said Wash puzzled. He turned another dial a couple of degrees to the left.

"Everything shiny," came through the receiver loud and clear.

"Yay!" Kaylee said clapping and jumping up and down then it was gone.

"Oh," Book said sadly.

Wash turned the dial again and they heard, "Okay. What's happening folks?"

Then it died again and Simon said, "The signal is dispersed."

"Still shiny," River said.

"Can't stop it," Mal said.