Parked

For nearly two days now Serenity sat parked nearly fifty million kilometers from the giant craft. The sheer size of the object made the mind reel. How could anyone, anything, build a ship of this size. From all the measurements they were able to make the ship was over eleven billion kilometers long! Even more stunning was the fact that its volume was about 6 x 1038 cubic kilometers and yet it registered no gravitational distortions whatsoever. Its mass was unfathomable. Simon stood on the catwalk of the cargo bay watching Jayne, Kaylee, Zoe, Wash and his sister playing their favorite game. The ring suspended from the ceiling swayed back and forth with each miss of the big inflated ball. Book walked up and leaned on the railing next to Simon Tan. “How’s she doing Simon,” Book asked, as a smile crossed his face watching Zoe knock down Jayne. Simon raised his eyebrows, “She seems…fine. Nothing has changed in her body except that her brain is producing more serotonin than she normally does. Other than that, she is no different than one of us.” “Is it dangerous for her brain to produce that chemical,” Book asked, genuinely concerned. These people were his family now. “Well,” Simon continued, seemingly confused, “since I have been able to monitor her levels, River has never produced the average amounts a young woman her age is supposed to. I don’t know why her brain has decided to do so now.” Book looked at the young woman running around the deck and laughing, “She seems very happy in spite of all that’s happened.” Simon was watching her too and his eyes welled up, “It’s like when we were kids. I haven’t seen her this happy since we were playing at home. That was before everything went out of control. It nearly seems like a lifetime ago, yet I know it was only 5 years.” Preacher Book smiled and put his hand on Simon’s shoulder, “Maybe we ought not look a gift horse in the mouth. God knows River deserves this shot at normalcy. I for one am gonna enjoy watching her play.” Simone looked at the holy man watching the game in the cargo bay. He thought about the games he and River used to play out behind their house not all that long ago, and a warm feeling filled his body. Simon Tam leaned his head on his folded arms and watched his sister being happy.

Ian was busy at his computer console. Anyone could tell by the hunches in his giant shoulders that he was tense. After eight hours of analysis, the ship they were brought to had given up no more of its secrets than it had to the deep space probe. The surface of the behemoth was absolutely smooth and featureless. No doors, windows, docking ports or instrument bays were visible. Malcolm Reynolds walked into the bridge in a more relaxed mood than even he expected. He saw Ian hunched over the console and decided to inquire. Before he could open his mouth to get the words out, Ian spoke, “No progress captain. No radiation signature of any kind, no gravimetric disturbances and no transmissions. If we didn’t see it, I would say it’s not there at all.” “Could it be we are all suffering from a mass hallucination,” Mal asked half-heartedly. Ian leaned back and looked at Mal, “Even acknowledging that would be knowing something. We nearly sitting on the hull of the greatest discovery and it is mute. I am not sure what to do from here.” “So it didn’t try to contact us like it did the probe,” Mal was almost talking to himself, “It brought us 120 light years in the blink of an eye to say nothing a’tall. That’s damned peculiar don’t you think?” Ian shook his head up and down, “Quite captain. The only scenario I can some up with to explain that is an autonomous one. Maybe there is no one left in that thing and we were brought here because we triggered an automatic response. “Could be,” Malcolm raised his eyebrows and put his arms behind his head, “Maybe we need to get closer to activate whatever auto response would open a bay door. “That is a distinct possibility, or we could trigger some auto-defensive mechanism.” Both of the men stared out of Serenity’s front viewports. The staggering implications of this find were not lost on either man. The object facing them was at the same time staggering in thought, frightening in its immensity, yet seductive in its mystery. Years hence, when people would ask Malcolm why he decided to go forward he would only say, “We had to.” Malcolm took his crossed legs off the navigation console and leaned forward in the chair with his hands clasped, “I think we are gonna get a little more up close and personal; see what happens.” Ian took a deep breath, “Aye that captain.” “I’ll call Wash in here after supper and we’ll get started. I want everyone at their stations when this goes down. No sense in takin’ too many chances.” Dinner that night was enjoyable as the crew started to sink back into some normalcy. All were gathered around the table for baked fish, fresh corn on the cob, broccoli and a sweet desert cake. Ian also brought out a bottle of white whine which was excellent as a celebration for their arrival at the ship. There was plenty for all and all partook. Gradually as the meal finished, they drifted into casual conversations of one sort or another. Finally Mal brought them all back to attention. “Everybody listen,” Mal said loud enough to get everyone’s attention, “we made it here and make no mistake it wasn’t easy. Now we got choices to make. We can be like tourists, take some pictures and tell everyone back home about the thing we found that time.” Wash looked at Zoe confused while Jayne shook his head and gave an inaudible grunt. Simon sat next to Kaylee with River to his right. Inara was opposite from Mal with book sitting her right. Ian sat between Book and Zoe. “However, that aint my style,” Mal continued, “we came here to find out what this is all about and I would like to do just that. I talked with Ian and in a few hours we are gonna start easin’ in on whatever that object is out there.” “Captain,” Wash raised his hand up then quickly lowered it, “what do you mean when you say ease up to it? How close do we get?” “We’ll land on its hull if it lets us,” Malcolm replied flatly yet everyone knew he meant it. “Too zai zi,” Jayne muttered, “I think this is crazy. That thing pulled us 120 light years in a second. If we go pokin’ it with a stick there’s no telling what it would do!” Malcolm smirked, “Well Jayne you are gonna have a front row seat. Ian and I think that the ship may be abandoned.” Kaylee could barely contain herself, “Abandoned? What makes you think she’s derelict?” Ian spoke after a look from Mal, “She’s emitting no energy signatures at all. There’s not even any gravimetric disturbances, which is shocking considering it’s larger than a solar system. When it took Serenity for a ride, I think that may have been some automated response, maybe some docking program. Sow we think that if we go closer, perhaps another automated program will let us in.” “Whaa…” Wash stammered, “go inside? When did this come about? Suppose we go inside, like you say, who says we can get out again?” Jayne stood up suddenly, “Ta ma de! Mal I want off! Gimme the other shuttle and let me take my chances out here. No ruttin way I goin inside that thing!” Kaylee looked up at Jayne and was amused by his fear, “Come on Jayne, what good would it do to take a shuttle? We are 200 times farther out that the shuttle’s range. You’d just die out in deep space.” “You people are gorram crazy,” Jayne was near hysteria, “we got paid to get our boy out here. We did that! Let him take the shuttle and poke around out there. I’m not goin in Mal! No gan ni niang way!” “Now calm down Jayne.” Mal was getting irritated by Jayne’s display, “We don’t even know what will happen, if anything.” River had her eyes closed and spoke softly in the lull, “If you want to come in, all you have to do is ask. Such wonderful things await!” Jayne was wide-eyed and looked at River then back to Mal, “She’s gorram crazy and she makes about as much sense as all of you!!” Inara was looking up at the windows above the dining room when she spoke, “Mal, what’s that?” Everyone jerked their heads up and saw the blue glow forming around the edges of the ship. It spread from the window frames across the hull. Wash watched as the stars outside began to distort and blur. He looked at his watch and noticed the second-hand was slowing down. “Wash to the bridge, hurry,” Mal called out. All sounds seemed to be amplified as the blue glow became more intense. The air inside the ship smelled sharp, like a cold arctic blast but without the cold. Wash ran down the corridor watching Mal just ahead. Things became more of a struggle. Wash saw Mal sit at the new weapons console, but Wash’s eyes were locked on the scene outside. It was as if al the stars were pushed aside and the hull of the huge ship was bulging towards them. Washed was terrified they were going to slam into the hull of the beast and, for a few seconds only stared at it. “WASH!” Mal yelled, “I need to know what’s going on!” Wash snapped his head around and plopped in the chair. The computer console was blurry for some reason and Wash rubbed his eyes, straining to make out the data. “Some kinda gravity distortion,” Wash was feeling sick to his stomach, “I think we are moving towards it.” “We gonna hit” Mal asked tensely. “Dunno Mal,I…I dunno what’s goin on!” Wash felt a warm hand on his shoulder and the nausea immediately faded. He looked up expecting to see Zoe’s steady eyes. River was smiling at him. “He said it’s going to be ok,” River said calmly, “just relax and watch.” On the surface of the giant hull there appeared a split which spread vertically, spilling blue light out. Serenity was heading directly for it. Mal looked sideways to try and get a sense of how far they’d come, but the lateral view was distorted to blurriness by the gravity deformation. Wash spoke, “Captain I have no control at all. Something is pulling us in.” “Can we break free,” Mal asked, “Will the thrusters get us out of here?” “Mal I don’t even know what’s pulling us in there. I have no idea.” Mal was starting to get irritated, “Well try!” “Hey,” Wash’s tone was sharp now, “a minute ago you were all about goin inside…well here we go! Helm is not responsive.” Mal whacked the intercom button, “Kaylee we got a problem, I need you now!” “On it capn,” Kaylee’s voice came back quickly. Zoe and Jayne walked into the cockpit with Book and Inara close behind. All eyes were out the front window. The split of light in the hull seemed to be a mile wide and ten miles high as they approached. “Ni you piao liang de lv mao zi,” Jayne exclaimed, then rushed Wash’s console and pulled him out of the pilot’s seat. “NO WAY! NOT GOIN IN!” Inara backed up. Zoe helped Wash off the deck, Jayne was frantic now, pushing buttons and flipping switches at random. Book looked shocked at Jayne’s seeming insanity. Vein’s popped out in the man’s neck while he struck the console. “What the hell are you doing Jayne,” Mal asked with alarm, “You don’t know how to fly this gorram ship!” “Wo cao ni ba bei zi zu zong,” Jayne yelled at the top of his voice, “I told you I aint goin in there and I mean not to!” Mal stood without warning and pulled his pistol. Like lightening Jayne pulled his, then Zoe whipped out her rifle. Jayne backed up to the bulkhead, looking quickly from Zoe to Mal. With eyes wide Jayne said, “You gonna have to shoot Mal. Not goin in there!” “Jayne put the iron down and back away,” Mal said with more force. “NO WAY MAL!” “Put it down Jayne,” Mal yelled now. “Jayne, just put your gun away, we’re all with you,” Book said softly. “SHUT UP PREACHER,” Jayne was screaming nearly hysterically, “QU DI YU! ALL UH YOOZ!” Inara had resigned herself to the fact that Mal was going to shoot Jayne at that moment. Jayne was completely out of his mind and endangering them all. Mal only saw movement behind Jayne and the large man hit the deck with no muscle control, the gun skidding past River’s feet. Ian looked at them all, then at Jayne. “He’ll wake up in about two hours with a bad neckache,” Ian said calmly. “It’s going to be so beautiful,” River muttered. As Inara and Book looked at River’s small form, the light became suddenly bright, and seemed to swallow all around them as if they were drowning in a sea of blue. Mal put his hand in front of his eye and squinted. As suddenly as it had flared, the blue light was gone and the crew of Serenity was left staring at something unexpected. The blinding light was replaced with a dense starfield. Wash’s mouth was agape at the density of the stars shining before him. He’d see pic on the cortex of galactic centers where the stars were this close together, but this was different. There was not a galaxy to be seen. It was as if God had taken all the stars in the universe and splashed them onto a canvas. Mal was the fist to speak, “Where in the verse are we Wash.” “That’s the wrong question captain,” River smiled, her face filled with exhilarated wonder. “Captain I don’t know,” Wash was working the navigation computer, “the computer’s going crazy here. Like it’s stuck! I may have to reboot the system.” “Where is this,” Book’s calm voice seemed soothing, “I have never seen so many stars!” “There are no galaxies,” Ian chimed in. He craned his neck to get a look upwards. “There seem to be only stars but not one galaxy. Interesting. I’m gonna get the telescope up and running.” “The computer is confused,” River was looking with Ian, “it doesn’t have navigation for this universe.” “What are you saying River,” Book asked. Mal turned to her and put his hand on her slim shoulder, “Child if you know something, better tell us now.” River turned quickly to the hallway behind the bridge. She took in a deep breath and a smile spread across her face, “He’s here!” River jumped over Jayne’s body and ran down the corridor leaving the stunned crew in her wake. Ian watched her run around the corner. Simon’s voice jumped out form the intercom, “Captain I think you had better get to medlab now!”