BLUE SUN RISING - PART 11

Revolvers, Grenades, Action! WARNING! Unintentional spoiler for BDM. If you don’t know what it is I’m not telling!

Standard disclaimers apply. This story was written for fun, not profit. No copyright infringement is intended.

Rating: PG for language and adult situations

Pairings: Kaylee and Simon implied; Inara, Zoë, and Client implied (no, not slash)

INARA’S SHUTTLE INTERIOR JUST BEFORE NOON

The shuttle is parked a couple hundred yards from the fence of the Blue Sun detention and corrections facility in a lush oasis near what appears to be housing for the upper management. Inara and Zoë are serving tea to the prison warden. He is a large, older man with a florid complexion and a pleasant demeanor.

WARDEN: I am so glad we were able to attract such highly-sought after companions to our little moon. It was quite lonely out here before we were able to meet the guild’s standards.

INARA: (Sweetly seductive) You were able to attract us. We are glad to be here.

SERENITY BRIDGE

Mal, Kaylee, Jenny, River, and Simon watch though the window as Shuttle Two takes off ahead of them, Wash treats them to a little “wing wag” before the Shuttle disappears from view. Mal looks tense, Kaylee hopeful, Simon pensive, Jenny determined, and River serene.

MAL: We’ll be in vid range in a few minutes. They’ll want to see the goods before the let us land. It’s show time.

Mal looks at Jenny, who nods. He turns and backhands her across the face hard, splitting her lip. Simon and Kaylee gasp.

SIMON: (Furious) What in the hell did you do that for?

Kaylee stands with her hands over her mouth, shock in her eyes. Simon pulls Jenny to him and looks at her lip. She shakes her head and bites it a little, making it bleed more.

MAL: Had to be done.

RIVER: Make it real. Smile pretty for the camera.

SIMON: (Glaring at Mal) You could have warned us.

MAL: Thought you might object.

River rises and pulls Simon and Kaylee out of range of the video camera and snaps handcuffs on Jenny as Mal punches buttons to bring up the video screen.

MAN ON SCREEN: Blue Sun Detention Facility 43 Alpha. Please state your business.

MAL: (Sounding straight-forward, humble, and less clever than he really is.) Captain Harbatkin, Firefly class ship Hera. I waved you earlier. I found something y‘all been looking‘ for.

MAN: (Looking through digital papers) Yes, Captain Harbatkin, you say you’ve captured Dr. Jenevieve Carlisle. I’ll need to get a visual ID before I can issue docking clearance, and a full ident. scan will be required before you can claim the bounty.

Mal smiles at the camera and motions to River, who is out of range of the camera. She leads Jenny to Mal, careful to keep her face out of camera range. Jenny “resists” a bit, and they all conspire to make sure Jenny’s cuffed wrists are visible to the camera before Mal turns her and holds her head in front of the camera. Simon and Kaylee stand of to the side. He’s behind her with his arms wrapped around her possessively as they watch Mal work. Jenny does a good job of looking defiant.

MAL: Smile pretty, Ms. Carlisle. The nice man wants to see you. (Pause) Good enough?

CORRECTIONAL FACILTY COMMUNICATIONS ROOM

The man we saw on the monitor runs a facial recognition program on the image on the screen. Jenny’s image and vitals pop up on an adjacent screen.

MAN: Your prisoner matches Dr. Carlisle’s details. You are cleared for docking at Bay One on your arrival. I’m sending you coordinates and the code you’ll need for docking.

MAL: (On screen) Thank you. We’ll be there in about 30 minutes. Hera out.

SERENITY BRIDGE

Mal turns of the video screen, rises from the pilot’s chair and motions to River to take it.

MAL: (Looking a little relieved) First hurdle. River, take the helm. If you could screw up the landing a bit and make a lot of noise it would help get everyone’s attention focused on Serenity. Gotta go get ready.

He turns and leaves.

INARA’S SHUTTLE INTERIOR

Inara and the warden are sitting on the sofa laughing. He’s taken off his jacket and his tie is loose. He doesn’t look well. Zoë clears the tea things. She slips her hand into the warden’s jacket, which is slung over a chair, removes a communicator from his pocket, and tucks it into the tea pot.

INARA: Are you sure you are feeling all right Warden? You don’t look well.

WARDEN: Please, call me George. I’m fine. It’s just been a stressful week. All the more reason I’m glad you are here.

He reaches into his shirt pocket, pulls out a vial, and slips a pill under his tongue. He begins to look better immediately.

INARA: (Taking his hand and looking into his eyes.) Perhaps we should work on relaxing you.

SERENITY HALL OUTSIDE CREW QUARTERS

Mal and Simon are standing, facing one another, in the middle of the hall. Mal is wearing dark pants and a dark shirt, no suspenders, and a windbreaker instead of his brown coat. He looks more like a freighter captain than a space cowboy. He is fiddling with one of the buttons on his jacket. Simon is wearing a holster. He fiddles with it self consciously. They are both tense.

SIMON: (Pissed and incredulous) You HIT a woman.

MAL: I told you, it had to be done. Man, woman, it doesn’t matter. If they think this ain’t for real we’re all going to jail. You wanna go to jail? I don’t. You fixed her up so well she looks like she‘s been stayin‘ on a luxury liner instead of with bounty hunters.

SIMON: So you have no problem hitting women?

MAL: (Frustrated, but understanding Simon’s concern) I ain’t like that Simon, which you should know by now. I’ve never hit a woman in anger ‘cept in a fair fight, or an unfair one; (muttering) BOO hway-HUN duh PUO-foo Saffron. (Smiling) And, for the record, I didn’t hit Jenny near as hard as I’ve hit you.

Mal turns and leaves.

INARA’S SHUTTLE INTERIOR

Inara and Zoë are lying on the bed on either side of the warden. The women are still dressed, but the warden is down to nothing but his pants. He looks awful. He’s flushed and breathing hard. Inara seductively runs her hand up his thigh and over his crotch, causing him to gasp and shudder. Zoë runs her index finger over his ear. A moment later he writhes, clutches at his heart, and passes out.

INARA: (Checking his pulse) I hope we don’t kill him.

ZOE: (Looking at the ring on her index finger) Simon said the dosage was precise. Nice of the guild to give you his medical records.

INARA: It’s standard procedure. They don’t want us to kill a client any more than they want us endangered. I’m surprised he’s still in the registry. He looked like he was going to collapse during the tea ceremony.

ZOE: I thought you slipped him something.

INARA: No. He’s just in really poor health. It’s too bad. He would have been a nice client.

Zoë shoots Inara an “eeeww” face. She removes the communicator from the tea pot and both women move into the cockpit. Zoë slots the unit into a spot on the instrument panel and flips a switch. She turns on the shuttle’s com. system.

ZOE: Base to Shuttle, over.

WASH: (Over the com.) Shuttle here. Hey baby, when’s dinner?

ZOE: It’s in the oven sweetie. Won’t be ready for awhile. Oh, and I got that new unit you wanted. It’s all ready to go.

WASH: (Over the com.) You’re the greatest. I can’t wait to try it out. I just have to run and pick up a couple of things and I’ll see you at home. Shuttle out.

SERENITY CARGO HOLD

Mal, Jenny, and Kaylee stand in the hold, gripping the railings as Serenity bounces and bucks its way to an awkward landing.

SHUTTLE TWO EXTERIOR

Shuttle Two drops almost silently out of the noon-bright sky and hovers near the outside of the top floor of the cellblock, just above the level of the widows. Jayne can be seen hanging out of the door and attaching clamps to the edges of the cell’s window. He hauls himself back inside and there is a flash of light as the laser grid is disabled. SERENITY EXTERIOR OF CARGO RAMP

People from all over the facility are running toward the dock, checking the platform and surrounding area for damage. Other people are looking out windows to see what the noise and fuss is all about. It is obvious that the facility is still under construction and there are contractor-type folks all over the place.

SHUTTLE TWO INTERIOR

Jayne is dressed in one of the uniforms from the Ariel heist, but it has been modified to look like a maintenance uniform. Instead of a holster, he’s wearing a tool belt. He tosses something that looks like jumper cables into a canvas bag and grabs another tool.

JAYNE: Gotta love little Kaylee. She gets the job done.

WASH: (Joking) Better not let Simon hear you say that. Might find yourself on the wrong end of a needle.

JAYNE: (Gruff) Doc knows what I mean. Get a little closer.

Wash moves the shuttle closer and Jayne hangs out the door and places suction cups on the window.

TOM’S CELL INTERIOR

The noise has woken Tom up. He sees Jayne hanging by the window applying the suction cups. Jayne waves to get his attention. Tom waves back, an incredulous look on his face, as if he thinks he’s hallucinating. Jayne points to the door and the security camera. Tom jumps up and looks out the window in the cell door. He takes his prison issue flip flop off, reaches up with it, and just manages to move the security camera in the corner above the door slightly so it can’t see the outside window. He moves quickly toward the window and Jayne. Jayne motions him away from the glass as he runs a beam around a section of the window just large enough to extract Tom.

Jayne carefully lifts a section out of the window and maneuvers it in for Tom to take. Tom places it on the floor. Jayne hands Tom a length of rope.

JAYNE: Tie this to the bed tight, like its gotta hold your weight.

When Tom is finished he returns to the window. Jayne reaches through the hole and pulls Tom and the rope out, up, and into the shuttle. Tom lands unceremoniously on the floor and Jayne lets the rope dangle down the wall of the building. Tom rolls onto his back, looks up toward Wash, and starts laughing. Wash looks back from the console.

WASH: Nice jumpsuit. If you wanted one so badly you could have just asked instead of going to such extremes.

Jayne starts back toward the shuttle door leans out, preparing to haul himself through it the window.

JAYNE: (Looking into the cell, muttering) You sure you wanna be rescued? Cell’s bigger ’un my bunk. Cleaner too.

TOM: (Gaining control, confused) Why are you going back in?

JAYNE: Gotta get your wife.

TOM: (Deadly serious and panicked now) What? They found her? Oh, God no Jenny! Wash, we have to get her out of here. They’ll….they want…(he can’t bring himself to finish the sentence)

Jayne slithers through the window and is gone.

WASH: (His attention is split between Tom and the radio with which he’s monitoring the facility’s communications via the unit in the other shuttle) We’re working on it. She should be in processing now. Close the door and strap in.

TOM: (Sealing the door) How did you know we were here?

WASH: We turned her in.

Tom looks at Wash, horror on his face, as he drops into the other seat.

TOM: You WHAT??

Wash takes off vertically into the sun.

TOM’S CELL INTERIOR

Jayne pulls out a small tablet and punches up a schematic, then pulls out a small probe and runs it along the edge of the door until there is an electrical zap and the door opens. He exits through the door, closes it and checks that it is locked, and then moves quietly through the halls. At the guard station he stops. He gets the guard’s attention.

JAYNE: (Indicating the map on his tablet) I’m all turned about. How do I get here?

The guard leans over the schematic map and Jayne pulls a small pistol from his tool belt. He quietly darts the guard and grabs his key card. He moves past the station.

CENTRAL PROCESSING INTERIOR

Mal is standing in a waiting area that opens onto a prisoner processing and holding area. It is basically a large room with many stations. Jenny is in a small cell with transparent walls with a man who appears to be drawing samples from her. She is perfectly calm and is being treated well. The man cleans the blood from Jenny’s lip, which makes Mal wince. The official Mal is standing with notices.

OFFICIAL: (To Mal) It will just be a few minutes. I haven’t heard of you before Captain Harbatkin. How long have you been hunting?

MAL: Well, I’m kinda new to the business. Times have been rough and its getting’ hard to find honest work. Figured huntin’ down dishonest folk is better than starvin’.

OFFICIAL: I thought you might be new. A split lip is nothing.

MAL: Yeah, I guess not. Still, I don’t like hittin’ women, but she was tryin’ to bite me…. I guess I feel bad. It ain’t like she’s a murderer.

OFFICIAL: You’ll get used to it. It’s a good living, and it certainly looks like you could use the money. I noticed your shuttles are gone.

MAL: (Embarrassed) Sold ‘em to pay for repairs.

OFFICIAL: (Laughing) I hope you aren’t paying your pilot very much. He nearly took out the pad.

MAL: (Sheepish) Sorry ‘bout that. Pilot’s a she. Woman drivers. Family works cheaper, but you get what you pay for.

Jenny is walked out of the examination cell and to a guard. The man who has been testing her walks over to the official and hands him a print out. The official looks at it, nods, and motions Mal over to a desk, where he hands the woman at the computer the print out and a card. Mal surreptitiously presses a button on his coat, the one he’d been fiddling with earlier.

OFFICIAL: (To the woman at the desk) Please complete processing the payment for this bounty.

The official motions a female guard over and hands Jenny over to her. The guard takes Jenny’s arm and walks her back through the large room to a desk where she sits down to be processed.

HALL BEHIND CENTRAL PROCESSING

Jayne checks the schematics on his tablet and finds the door he’s looking for. He slips into a small maintenance closet and quickly removes his uniform and accessories, transferring the weapons in the tool belt to the holster around his waist. He dumps the uniform, tablet, and tool belt into a chute marked Disposal Incinerator and hits a button. Underneath he’s wearing camouflage pants and a shirt from a well-known, left-wing, anti-establishment freedom organization. He quickly draws a “peace” symbol (which hasn’t changed in 500 years, apparently) on his face with a stick of camouflage makeup.

CENTRAL PROCESSING

The woman at the bounty payment desk punches a few buttons, and then leans over to a locked safe and opens it. She removes an envelope and scans its bar code into the computer. She hands Mal the envelope, which he opens. It is full of credits. He does a quick count and tucks it into an inside coat pocket, casually watching the official, who is watching Jenny. He signs for the credits.

OFFICIAL: (Turning back to Mal) Thank you Captain Harbatkin. I hope we can do business again. We have a long list of bounties that need to be located. (He hands Mal a card) This is the cortex link where all the details can be accessed. I prefer to deal with civilized men such as yourself. Some of the full-time bounty hunters are really unpleasant people.

As he is finishing the sentence and shaking Mal’s hand, Jayne bursts through a door less than 20 feet from where Jenny is sitting. He tosses a flash bang grenade into the room, runs to Jenny and yanks her out of the chair. She screams and hits out at him. Guards rush forward in the smoke and confusion. Jayne fires on the guards. He holds Jenny in front of him like a shield and begins working his way out of the room, firing at anyone who comes near him.

Mal turns around at the commotion, a look of incredulity on his face. The official grabs his arm and yanks him down behind a desk.

MAL: (Confused and angry) What the gorram hell….?

OFFICIAL: (Into his communicator) Go to full lock down. Warden, warden come in. We have level one security breach. Warden….

MAL: Excuse me, I know you got problems, but I’d prefer not to be stuck in here with folks shootin’ at each other.

OFFICIAL: (Ignoring Mal) Jiminez, see if you can raise the Warden. I need his clearance codes. Make sure level four is secured. Tom Carlisle is in cell 28. They’ll be after him too.

JIMINEZ: (Over the com.) His com’s on sir, but he’s not responding. He had an appointment this afternoon. He asked not to be disturbed.

The ruckus continues. Jenny’s terrified screams can be heard.

Mal stands up and yells at Jayne.

MAL: (Loud and angry) That woman’s pregnant. You leave her the hell alone.

Jayne shoots at Mal. The bullet grazes his shoulder. Mal yells and falls back behind the desk, clutching his shoulder. The official glares at him and pulls him lower.

OFFICIAL: (To Mal) No bounty is worth your life. You okay?

Mal nods and looks at his hand, which is covered in blood. He looks pissed, and it isn’t all acting.

We hear Jayne yell in pain and Jenny scream again.

OFFICIAL: (Into the com) This is an emergency Jiminez, find him. (To Mal) I’m sorry, this facility has been a target for these so-called freedom fighters since before it was built. I hate these political prisoners and their gorram fan clubs. Independent scum. They don’t care who they kill in their crusade to save the cause-of-the-week.

The shooting and screaming subsides.

MAL: Listen, I’d love to help you, but your man asked me to leave my weapon on my ship. Can I go see to my shoulder?

OFFICIAL: I’m afraid not. They are going to want to questions everyone in the room, especially you as you just collected her bounty. She may have said something to you or your crew that could be important. Our medical team will take care of you.

MAL (Cautious) You ain’t gonna be wantin’ the money back? I earned it fair and square. Ain’t my fault if you got a security problem.

OFFICIAL: I’m sorry. It’s procedure. We’ll have you out of here as soon as possible. I imagine the Warden will let you keep the money. He’s a fair man. If only we could find him.

JIMINEZ: (Over the com) I can’t locate the warden, and Tom Carlisle is gone. It appears he went out through a window. There is a rope down to the exercise yard. No one saw a thing, and the guard on level four is out cold.

OFFICIAL: (Groans) Deal with it.

SERENITY BRIDGE

Kaylee is sitting at the controls monitoring Mal’s conversation. Simon and River are sitting on the floor behind her, out of site of the windows.

KAYLEE: Oh go se, they’re gonna wanna talk to all of us. Shoulda thought of that.

River grabs Simon’s hand and pulls him from the bridge.

RIVER: Need costumes.

CORRECTIONAL FACILTY BASEMENT

Jayne and Jenny are breathless as they arrive at a locked door in a concrete wall. Jayne is bleeding from the thigh. Jenny stops him and pulls off her long sleeved over shirt, and rips off one of the sleeves

JAYNE: I’ll be fine, we gotta move. (He doesn’t sound fine.)

Jenny kneels, wads the shirt up and secures it to his leg with the torn sleeve.

JENNY: Yeah, but you’re going to start leaving a trail.

When she’s done Jayne runs the key card he stole from the guard over the pad and it comes up access denied.

JAYNE: What the?

JENNY: He probably doesn’t live there.

She pulls a similar key card in a different color out of her bra and runs it over the pad. The light goes green and the door opens. Jayne looks at her in open admiration. The are moving quickly through an underground corridor.

JENNY: What? It fell out of the doctor’s pocket when he bent over the scanner. I though it might come in handy.

They run up a slope and arrive at another door. This one opens. Inara’s shuttle is a few feet away and blocks the view of the door from the compound. From the shadow of the tunnel door Jayne looks around for a rock to throw, seeing none he fires a small caliber silenced round at the door of the shuttle and it pings off. Zoë opens the door a moment later and motions them forward.

INARA’S SHUTTLE INTERIOR

Jayne slips into a storage closet, gritting his teeth against the pain, and Jenny rolls under the bed.

Zoë moves to the cockpit and pulls the communicator from the slot and returns it to the warden’s pocket.

Inara climbs onto the bed and begins artificial resuscitation on the warden so that it looks like a real emergency when he comes around. She puts two drops of liquid in his ear and he begins to revive as she continues to work on him. Zoë hovers over him looking slightly panicked.

INARA: George,… George!… I think he’s breathing again.

ZOE: We should call for help.

INARA: Perhaps you’re right.

WARDEN: (Weakly) No….no…I’ll be all right. Just a touch of angina. Did I pass out on you. I’m sorry?

INARA: George, thank goodness you’re okay. You didn’t just pass out, you stopped breathing for a bit. You were out for so long we thought we’d lost you. Please, let us get you to your doctor.

Both women help him sit and begin dressing him.

WARDEN: (Shaking his head emphatically) Please, pass me my pills. I’d rather my doctor didn’t know about this. Fussy old man keeps telling me I shouldn’t exert myself. Thinks the company of lovely ladies is bad for the old ticker. (Sheepish) I suppose the guild will take me off the client registry now. (Inara nods.)

He heaves himself off the bed, grabs his coat, kisses Inara and Zoë’s hands and exit’s the shuttle.

Zoë moves to the cockpit and sits in the pilot’s chair. She waits until he is through the door to the tunnel before she gently lifts off and flies toward the rendezvous spot. Looking out the shuttle window, Serenity is visible in the docking bay.

Jenny rolls out from under the bed. She and Inara get Jayne out of the closet and on the bed where they work on staunching the blood coming from his leg.

SERENITY CARGO HOLD INTERIOR

The small personnel door in the cargo ramp opens and Mal walks through it with one of the guards. The guard looks around him. He’s not impressed. Mal goes to the control panel and hits the com. button.

MAL: (Into com.) I need the crew in the cargo bay, ma shong. (To the guard, noticing the look on his face) Welcome to the Hera. She’s a real beauty, ain’t she? Ship like this will last you a life time.

The guard just looks at him.

Kaylee, River, and Simon file down the cat walks from the bridge. Kaylee is wearing her own clothes, a stained coverall over a floral shirt. River is dressed in a cleaner pair of Kaylee’s coveralls with Wash’s wings pinned to her chest. Her hair is pulled back into a severe bun, and she’s wearing Simon’s sunglasses. Simon is wearing a pair of Wash’s coveralls with a Hawaiian shirt over them. His hair is in his eyes, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that he didn’t shave that morning. They are all wearing side arms.

They all act as if they don’t know what’s going on. Simon eyes the bloody bandage on Mal’s arm, his eyebrows go up. Mal gives and almost imperceptible head shake and Simon schools his features.

MAL: Put up your weapons. There’s been some trouble and these folks wanna ask us some questions about Ms. Carlisle.

All three remove their holsters, a bit awkwardly, and place them on a cargo container.

GUARD: This is everyone?

Mal nods.

CORECTIONAL FACILITY CENTRAL PROCESSING

The place is still a mess of broken glass and overturned furniture. People are running about. The crew sits around a table in another clear cubicle. They are all somewhat wide eyed. The guard is by the door. The official Mal was with earlier walks in and sits.

OFFICIAL: I have some good news. We’ve located the Warden, and he’s going to let you keep the bounty. As you said, you did your job and this isn’t your fault.

MAL: (Looking relieved, he pats his pocket, as if the money is his only concern) This is my crew; Sam and Kaylee Frye, my first mate and mechanic, and my cousin Lucinda who caused all the fuss earlier with her creative piloting.

OFFICIAL: I apologize for the inconvenience, but did any of you converse with Dr. Carlisle? We are trying to determine who orchestrated this stunt. We are also trying to figure out how they knew where she’d be.

MAL: (Humble and sorry) I think I can answer the second question. I didn’t think it was any big deal, so I let some folks we’re transportin’ for know we had to come here and drop her off before we could do their job. Communicated over an unsecured channel in a busy port and told ’em pretty much everything. The wav. I sent here was unsecured as well. As to the other, I didn’t talk to her much ‘til today. She was locked in a bunk most of the time. What ‘bout you, Lucinda? You fed her and such. Did you talk to her at all?

RIVER: (Affecting her Cockney accent) Can’t say that I did. Jus' made sure she had ‘nough t’eat s’all. She didn’t talk much. Sullen like. Told me what we was doing was criminal. But I’m not the one who’s wanted, now am I?

OFFICIAL: Our physician noted that she is covered in healing wounds, and has received professional surgical care quite recently. Did she say anything about that? It might help us find who’s helping her.

Mal looks at Simon and mouths the word infirmary. Simon shakes his head imperceptibly.

SIMON: She was covered cuts and bruises and limping when we caught her on Harmony. We were running cargo for Sir Richard Wilson. Finding her was just dumb luck. I had to restrain her to get her into the ship and all she told me was to be careful because she’s pregnant. We cleaned her up, but that’s all. (To Kaylee) Did you talk to her honey?

KAYLEE: (Being her sweet open self) I tried just to find out what happened, what she did to get in so much trouble, but she wouldn’t say. Just said she wanted her husband back and asked me how I’d feel if he (motioning to Simon) got took from me. She seemed so sad. What’s gonna happen to her now?

OFFICIAL: That’s not for me to say. Is there anything else you remember her saying or doing? Was there anyone around when you caught her?

They all shake their heads.

OFFICIAL: Where did you find her?

KAYLEE: (Jumping in) In the woods north a town. We were (looking bashful and glancing at Simon, then sort of "glowing" at the officail) havin’ a little private time away from the ship, um, you know, enjoyin’ the scenery when we saw her hidin'. We’d just seen her warrant on the cortex when we was getting’ landing’ clearance and knew who it was. Couldn’t miss the red hair.

OFFICIAL: (A little uncomfortable) Thank you. Well, Captain, I don’t think we’ll need to detain you any further. You are free to return to your ship. We’ll need to contact Sir Richard before you can depart. You do understand I need to make sure your story checks out. If you hear of anything please let me know. You can use the link I gave you earlier to contact me.

MAL: Of course.

INARA’S SHUTTLE INTERIOR

Zoë sits at the controls.

ZOE: (Into com) Base to Shuttle. Come in Shuttle. (Under her breath) C’mon Wash, answer me. (Into com while flipping switches) Base to Shuttle. Come in Shuttle. (To Inara) He’s not answering, or he might be, but I’m getting nothing but static.

INARA: We had a clear channel earlier. What happened?

ZOE: Could be the authorities are blocking communications, probably monitoring them too. I’m not taking a chance and calling Serenity. I’m heading for the rendezvous. How’s Jayne?

INARA: (Looking back through the curtain at the bed, where Jenny is sitting by Jayne looking grim) He's worse that we thought. He’s lost a lot of blood. I doped him as much as I could so he would stop yelling and struggling. We’ve got to get him to Simon.

ZOE: All goes well and Serenity will be meeting us soon.

SERENITY BRIDGE

Mal looks out the window as River gracefully flies the ship into a canyon on the other side of the moon from the corrections facility. Terraforming here isn’t quite as complete and it is a desert.

RIVER: Lucinda?

MAL: I have a cousin named Lucinda. It was the first thing that came to mind. (Smiling) Hope Simon don’t mind that I married him off to Kaylee.

RIVER: (Matter of fact) No. It’s what he dreams about.

MAL: (Surprised) Really….

RIVER: She doesn’t know it yet. He won’t say anything for a while. Doesn’t want to rush into anything like last time.

MAL: Last time? There was a last time?

RIVER: (Watching a monitor, distracted and frowning) Uh huh. But I rescued him. Here we are.

Mal, still absorbing this information, follows her glance and sees a shuttle parked on the floor of the canyon.

A look of deep concern tinged with fear passes over Mal’s face.

MAL: (Under his breath) Inara, where are you? (Aloud) Take her in close.

INFIRMARY

Simon and Kaylee are busily pulling items out of a cargo container they have dragged into the infirmary. Ironically it is the one they had placed their holsters on earlier. They return things to the shelves and drawers. Simon reattaches the power supply to the scope and turns it on, checking to make sure it works.

KAYLEE: (Beaming with admiration) That was some quick thinkin’ there.

SIMON: (Smiling) I thought they might search the ship and wonder why the infirmary is so well equipped when there isn’t supposed to be a doctor on board. Personally, I thought your little story was pretty ingenious.

KAYLEE: It seemed kinda unlikely, so I thought it would work. He looked sorta proper, like you, so I thought it might make him uncomfortable and he wouldn’t ask for details.

SIMON: (Laughing) It worked. (Beat, looking at what he's doing and not at her) Would it be improper of me to say I’d like to “enjoy the scenery” with you at some point? That is if we ever land someplace with decent scenery, no Alliance presence, and no fugitives to ruin the moment?

KAYLEE: (Sexy smile) Are you suggesting we get back to nature Dr. Tam?

SIMON: (Wicked grin) I believe I am.

He’s just about to take her in his arms when they hear Mal over the com.

MAL: (Over com) Cargo bay, now!

CARGO BAY INTERIOR

Mal runs for the controls and the doors begin opening. The door is only part way down and we see Zoë rapidly covering the 50 or so yards between the ship and the shuttle. Mal looks surprised and relieved, then concerned again. He runs to meet her. We can hear the shuttle powering up, and we see them in the distance conversing for a moment. Mal looks back at Serenity, makes stretcher carrying motions to Simon and Kaylee, and points to the side of the cargo bay and up as he and Zoë begin running back toward the ship. The shuttle lifts off and moves toward Serenity.

INFIRMARY LOOKING IN THROUGH THE DOOR

Simon assembles a blood transfusion as Jenny cuts Jayne’s pants off. There is blood everywhere. Mal, Zoë, and Inara are in the foreground huddled. Surgical stuff happens in the background as they converse.

ZOE: We didn’t communicate after they went in for Tom.

INARA: Jayne said they were successful. The last thing he saw was the Shuttle taking off.

MAL: I checked the logs. They didn’t even try to call in to the ship. Damn. (He hits the wall.) What the hell happened? The plan went smooth. I got River and Kaylee scanning for the shuttle, but we can’t orbit this gorram moon forever, and there’s a whole lotta places they could be we can’t get near without bein’ seen.

RIVER: (Over com) Captain to the bridge, we’re being hailed.

MAL: Tamade

BRIDGE

Mal, Zoë, Inara, River, and Kaylee are there.

Mal brings up the video screen.

MAN ON SCREEN: Good day Captain Reynolds. I have not had the pleasure of speaking with you directly. I am Sir Richard Wilson.

MAL: (Looking relieved) Hello Sir Richard. Thank you for your assistance with our little problem. What can I do for you?

SIR RICHARD: You are welcome, and I’m sorry your mission did not go entirely according to plan.

Mal looks up at River, who is off camera, in confusion. She shakes her head and shrugs. Inara is wide-eyed.

MAL: (A little suspicious) And how would that be?

SIR RICHARD: You went in to retrieve one man and lost a second. I wouldn’t call that a success.

MAL: Excuse me, but just how would you know this?

SIR RICHARD: Because I have them.