The ship pulsated under her feet as River dipped and swayed down the corridor, her dress spinning about her, a wave of fabric which whipped to and fro against her body in step with the rhythm of her dance. On passing the Infirmary River smoothed her hands against the walls, she took in Serenity’s scent and listened to her pulse. She danced a circuit around the table before coming to a sudden stop. The walls were breathing. River shook and spun around, all about her the walls were dragging themselves closer to her, crushing her. They whispered and screamed, bellowing at her nonsensical words. She cried out in shock, stumbling over the corner of a chair, tumbling ungracefully onto the floor. All around the ship was closing in on her, screaming for her to get out, to leave, to run, and as the air tightened around her neck, River screamed for Serenity to stop. Then all at once the ship retreated back into itself; and Simon was there. “Help, why won’t she stop, she wants to cut me out of her belly…remove the infected part…” River cried, gripping his arms as she tried to bury herself in him. Without a word he wrapped her up, pulled her against his chest and began to rock her back and forth. “Listen mei mei, listen to my heart, you hear it?” She did, and its soft, rhythmic beat comforted her. He was constant, tangible. He brought her back. “Come, you should lay down, I would like to see how you are today.” River moaned, pushing him away. She curled up into a foetal position. “We need not hurry at all, let’s just sit.” Simon settled himself next to River, stroking her hair whilst she rocked herself back and forth. “She’s imaginary Simon.” River’s voice emanated from between her knees. “Who is, River?” “Something that comes when you don’t expect it to, you listened to the Sirens too closely and now you are being pulled towards the rocks.” River uncurled herself and stood up, heading towards the infirmary. “We all have to wake up, but you have to start with me first.”

***

Hidden amongst tins of polish Jayne sat gently scrubbing at the nape of Vera’s barrel, his favourite gun was getting the full works today and he was going to enjoy every moment of it. “Jayne!” Zoë’s voice reverberated along the corridor. He barely looked up, as interesting as planning out the newest heist was, Vera came second to nobody. “Jayne?” He glanced up, instead of seeing Zoë or Mal dangling from his ladder Darcie was standing quietly at the bottom of it. “Jayne, I need your help, can you help me with something?” Darcie’s expression was unusually sad, she looked lost and alone and it tugged on Jayne’s heartstrings. He motioned for her to come closer, placing Vera aside. “I ain’t normally get visitors, people say there’s a funny smell in here” he paused, sniffing the air a couple of times, “but I say that it’s the rest of the ship that smell funny, ya hear?” Darcie glided over to him; her deep blue eyes conveyed to him that she wasn’t here on some inconsequential matter. She perched herself lightly on the edge of his bed, and as Jayne stared Darcie's form seemed to become more real, like a picture coming into focus. Her hair was a golden brown and the low lighting in his quarters caused it to glint and glean, almost creating a halo of light about her head. He shook his head as he realised that he was staring. “Yeah? What? You gonna say somethin’ or we gonna be here all day?” Darcie smiled and smoothed her hands over the fabric of her skirt. The room was spinning faster now that she could barely focus on Jayne, she would have to speak her piece quickly before she fainted. “They’re planning the whole job without you, you know that right?” “Ha, they couldn’t plan themselves outta a paper bag without Jayne, don’t you worry. Pretty soon they’ll surely be bangin’ down my door.” He replied gruffly, staring at Vera, but doubt flittered across his mind. “Why, didya hear sommat?” The girl shrugged. “I just heard something that sounded different is all. Mal is being secretive, I know that much.” The mercenary bared his teeth; the leather straps in his fists squeaked as his gripped them tighter. “I heard the wave about the job too, you know. Badger said he didn’t want you involved in the job, he said it plain as day. I don’t know but I don’t think you’re in on the cut.” Darcie pressed her hands against her mouth immediately after she had said it. “But I could be wrong!” She added hastily. Jayne stood to his full height and stomped over to his ladder. “Wait! Jayne, please!” He felt Darcie’s hand softly grip his arm. “Don’t tell them you know, please? I’d get in so much trouble for eavesdroppin’” Doubt reared its ugly head and Jayne swallowed his pride, something unfamiliar and it disturbed him. He grumbled inaudibly in Chinese and went back up his ladder. “What y’all doin’ without me then?” Darcie heard, the sound of his footsteps receded down the corridor. Nausea rose to her throat almost immediately and she slid to the floor. Shivers began to wrack her body, she felt so cold yet as she pressed her hand to her forehead she felt that sweat was dripping from her brow. The lights in Jayne’s room began to flicker, the hum of the electricity rose to a loud squeal and the rhythmic beat of Serenity’s heart became a deafening thump, shaking the room. The ship was getting further away and she was being stretched too far. She knew that just if she lost concentration for an instant, unattached herself from the people aboard Serenity, she’d be lost in the noise of the ship, or left drifting outside its walls in the blackness of space. She was holding on by her fingertips. Then, just for a moment, Darcie felt River. Her stomach tightened, she could hear River even though she were over the other side of Serenity. She was getting desperate, so without a second thought she immersed herself in River’s consciousness. It was so turbulent and confused, a sea of thoughts, images, emotion and pure horror, that she was immediately forced to withdraw. But as her focus returned, the room stopped spinning and her body felt again at rest. River had provided a hook, a lifeline, something that kept her attached to this ship, this space. Darcie shuddered and convulsed briefly, and she curled herself up into a ball at the base of Jayne’s ladder. She hoped that nothing of what had just transpired had alerted River, that her brief intrusion had remained below the surface of the confused sea that was River’s mind. She was so damaged, she was broken. Fear crept into Darcie’s mind; she knew that soon she would be too.