Simon: "So … you're a bounty hunter?" Neriah: "No, that ain't it at all." Simon: "Then, what are you?" Neriah/Simon (simultaneous): "I'm a bounty hunter." Simon: "Guess sarcasm runs in the family too?" Neriah: "There's a lot runs in our family." Simon: "Crime?" Neriah: "What do you mean, crime?" Simon: "Kidnapping, menacing, assault …" Neriah: "All for the greater good." Simon: "You couldn't have found a better way to help Jubal?" Neriah: "Well, I guess I could have paid an underground movement to sneak him out of a government facility, illegally smuggled him onto a ship full of space pirates and joined in on their capers, one of which being theft from an Alliance hospital." Silence. "Surely you're aware that theft of and tampering with Alliance property, namely your sister, is not the only crime you're on the books for." Silence. "Of course, it's the only one that will matter in the end, but I'm not interested in that. Not now, at least." Simon: "Why didn't you threaten me with that before?" Neriah: "I may be a bounty hunter and a criminal, Dr. Tam, but I try my hardest not to be a liar." Simon: "I wonder if your son would agree." Silence. "Oh right. Greater good. Almost forgot about that. Isn't that a little cliché?" Neriah, having piloted the ship into the cave and successfully landed it, rises from her seat and points a gun at Simon as the bottom hatch opens. Neriah: "Out." Simon exits the ship first, carrying with him the medical reports on Jubal that Neriah gave to him earlier. "Take a right." Simon turns and walks toward pitch black, his path lit by a bright beam of light leading him a few feet in front of his steps - a flashlight attached to Neriah's firearm. After walking for a moment … Neriah: "Stop." She turns off her light and walks away. After a few seconds, his eyes are attacked by a bright light filling the space around him. His eyes adjust, and he scans the area. It's a round room in the cave almost big enough to fit all of Serenity inside. Three openings - the one Simon is still standing in and two more an equal distance away, one to the left and one to the right. In the middle of the room, an exam table with a tray of instruments beside it, and the centerpiece - a neural imager. Simon: "Where did you get this?" Neriah: "Does it matter?" Simon approaches the machine. "Same model as the one you used on Ariel." Simon: "Power source?" Neriah: "Let's just say I've been in possession of this cave for quite a while." Simon: "Possession?" Neriah: "There's security measures. Do what I brought you here to do and you won't have to see them." Silence as Simon investigates the imager. Simon: "So now …" Neriah: "We wait." Simon: "You're taking a lot on faith here." Neriah: "Faith that Malcolm Reynolds will follow us here, faith that he'll hand over Jubal without a fight, faith that you'll do your best to fix him. I'm aware." Silence. Simon: "So we wait."

***

Inara: "Whatever this signature is, it ends right (pointing to a blip on the control panel) here. We'll be there in about two minutes." River (to herself, but loudly enough to be heard): "One fifty-nine, one fifty-eight, one fifty-seven …" Mal: "Better get this plan goin' then. (on intercom) Zoe, Jayne, you know what to do. Get to work." Zoe (over intercom): "Detaching in three, two …" Jayne (over intercom): "I'm right behind her, Cap'n." Mal: "Good. (on intercom) Kaylee?" Kaylee: "She's runnin' hot. We don't slow down, she'll blow in about two minutes." Mal: "*Jesu ta ma de,* what're the odds?" River: "I can coast for the last 30 seconds. We'll be fine. One forty-eight, one forty-seven …" Mal: "Just don't blow up my boat, little girl."

***

Wash (piloting Inara's … Shuttle One): "Anything?" Zoe (checking a control panel): "I'm picking it up now, an opening at the northwest portion of the cave." Wash: "Time?" Zoe: "About a minute." Wash: "You strapped?" Zoe: "I am." Zoe expertly weaves her hands around Wash's waist. "Now you are, too." Wash: "Have we forgotten anything?" Zoe plants a rather hot and sloppy kiss on her man's lips, a kiss that is returned with equal heat and … sloppiness. Zoe: "Nope." Wash: "You sure? I mean, I am the man who tortured Early into giving us more info, right after you insinuated that he'd offered everything he knew. Feels like someone owes me an apology." Zoe: "You just tapped at him a bit. He didn’t give up the goods 'til I got there." Wash (a sarcastic stammer): "I … I got him started, though." Zoe pecks his cheek. Zoe: "Yes you did, dear." After a moment of silence. Wash: "Seriously, though. Was that not at least a little impressive?" Zoe (thinking, "He wanted to talk. You didn’t really do much): "It was plenty impressive. Between that, enduring torture and becoming a bit of a firearms expert, you're turning into quite the well-rounded criminal." Wash: "I'm a good pilot, too, y'know." Zoe: "Yes you are, dear." Wash smiles, Zoe grins a bit and starts checking the ammo in the available weapons on the shuttle.

***

Book (standing behind the pilot's chair on Shuttle Two): "We have no idea what to expect when we enter that cave, do we?" Jayne (piloting): "Makes it more fun." Book: "Ah, fun. Seems to ever be your M.O." Jayne: "Man that don't have fun ain't livin' his life right." Book: "Saint Jayne, the wordsmith." Jayne: "Don't make fun. I could come with a sayin' for just about anything." Book: "So recklessly flying a shuttle over an ice and snow-covered planet, heading for a mysterious cave which could have any manner of dangerous beings inside, beings we'll have to get past to save one of our crew, who just happens to have been kidnapped by the mother of a demented bounty hunter - that's fun?" Jayne (after a beat of silence): "… Yeah." Book: "And Saint Jayne's Proverb for a happy life is, 'Man that don't have fun ain't livin' his life right'?" Jayne: "Yep." Book: "Just wanted to be clear." Jayne: "C'mon, preacher. You know you're itchin' for some action." Book: "Well …" Silence. Jayne: "You mean to tell me you ain't even the littlest bit excited?" Book: "Excited, terrified, nervous … but just the littlest bit." Jayne and Book share a laugh as they reach their cave opening at the northeast portion of the cave. Jayne (intercom): "Wash, we're landing. Where you at?" Wash (intercom): "Just landed. You and Book armed?" Book (cocks Vera): "Locked and loaded." Jayne (playful mad): "Give me that." (intercom) "We're ready." Zoe (intercom): "Wait outside your shuttle. Captain'll fire a flare over the cave when it's time."

***

River is hustling down the steps to the cargo bay, Inara following close behind. Inara: "River, you have to wait! Mal hasn't landed the ship yet." River (already at the cargo bay door, pushing the button to open it, setting off a warning alarm): "No time to lose." Inara (reaching River and trying to hold her hand): "River, you can't do this alone. You need to wait …" River snatches her hand away. River: "No more waiting! Simon …" Kaylee (running down the stairs): "Simon's gonna be fine, River. Just hold on 'til Cap'n gets here." As this exchange continues, Mal finishes landing the ship and heads for Early's holding room. Early is still recovering from his night-fright wakeup. The violence of his nightmare loosened the bonds around his waist enough for them to fall to the floor.. He used his leg strength to break the chains at his feet and was still working on the chains around his wrists as Mal entered the room. Early stops, Mal stares. Mal: "Goin' somewhere?" Early: "Self-preservation. Guess that's my nastiest habit." Mal: "Understandable. 'Course, turns out you're just helpin' out a bit since I was about to untie you, anyway." Early: "Guess I am goin' somewhere, then." Mal: "Now, I don’t expect you to tell me anything that will lend some light to our predicament - specifically, why your mom took Simon." Early (not about to reveal anything to Mal): "It wouldn't interest you." Mal: "You don't know me, son. I find interest in all kinds of …" As Mal speaks, Early's face crinkles in a bit of fear and astonishment. He drops his head. Early (a little hectic): "Captain Reynolds, this situation is about to get a little more hairy." Mal: "You're mom took my doctor and left you here to rot, doc's crazy sister commandeered my ship, and you apparently got beat up by my Hawaiian shirt-wearin' pilot. Things are plenty hairy right now." Early (quickly raising his head, eyes watering): "You gotta get me out of here. No time to lose." Early's voice is starting to tremble. This conversation is starting to resemble the one in the cargo bay. River: "Everyone's gonna die …" Early: "… if we don't hurry." Mal's confused look at Early matches Inara and Kaylee's at River. River: "They want what's inside …" Early: " … but they don't have the key." River: "They won't stop. They'll pry and poke and pull … Early: "… and scratch and tear until they get it … or kill us." River: "Pins, needles …" Early: "… shock, fire …" River: "… blood …" Early: "… screams …" A slight moment of silence fills Serenity. River: "Two by two …" Early: "… hands of blue …"

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