THE SERENITY SAGA: RIVER CROSSING

CHAPTER ONE: THE ETHERVERSE

“Look, alls I’m sayin’ is that if our contact didn’t supply us with accurate information, we’re humped,” Mal said in a tense voice. Mal, Zoe and River stood in Serenity’s cargo bay, gathered loosely in a circle. Both nodded in agreement and Zoe responded first by saying, “I got a good feeling ‘bout this one, sir. Even though I’m not one who usually bases her decisions solely on feelings, I say we go for it.” River nodded in agreement, asking “Ready?” Both nodded in unison. Smiling, River said, “Hold on!” As she raised her head and closed her eyes, everything around the three began to slow down, eventually coming to a stop. Leveling her head, River opened her eyes to reveal only the whites. Opening her palms and raising her arms slightly, everything around them began to shimmer and change shape. They were entering the etherverse. Everything around them, even the deck plates they stood on, morphed into a grey haze. The haze quickly changed into a fuzzy, dimly lit room. After a brief moment of adjustment, the details of their surroundings began to form. River focused her eyes and lowered her hands to her side and everything came into instant focus. They stood in a small, secluded alcove that exited into a large warehouse. River, taking the lead with Mal in the rear, headed straight down a long, dim hallway between massive shipping containers. The hall led them to a brightly lit door with no markings.

Looking back and nodding at the others, River reached down, turned the handle and pushed open the door. They stepped out into a bustling throng of people, traveling in either direction down a large thoroughfare. They moved to the right and set out at a brisk pace through the people packing the hallway. Zoe and Mal never saw the two forms standing silently in the shadows on either side of the door. They remained unmoving, continuing their silent vigil.

The group walked about three hundred yards and reached a booth, also bearing no markings. Standing sentry were 6 armed guards, very wary of the crowd passing by them. Clad in black silk pants and tunics, they were armed only with menacing swords of some ancient descent. As River approached the two nearest guards, they simply bowed their heads, stepping silently aside. The remaining four guards followed suit and the group passed through another unmarked door. Entering an empty hallway lit by a yellowed flourescent light, they followed River to a secluded alcove at the end. Stepping inside the little nook, the other two stood still as River began to raise her palms and head upward. After a moment of silence she leveled her head, again opening her eyes to reveal only the whites. As she opened her palms and raised her arms slightly, everything around them began to shimmer and morph into a grey haze. As shapes began to form and come into focus around them, River focused her eyes and lowered her hands to her side. They stood on the deck of another cargo bay, much smaller than Serenity’s, about the size of a short range recon shuttle. “Exactly where we should be,” Zoe said with a smile.

Turning to face one another, Zoe and Mal now stood tall in the dark brown uniforms befitting decorated officers of the Independent military forces. Having re-entered this verse in the same place and in the same garb in which they had left it, made things a little easier. Suited up in their official Independent’s dress uniforms, they turned their attention to River. Having stood by quietly watching, she smiled coyly, as if enjoying some inner joke and then calmly addressed the two. “I must return to the etherverse. I am seeking someone and I must leave now to track him. I promise to return at the appointed time...soon,” she soothed. Both nodded in response, having expected as much. River closed her eyes, raising her palms and head up... then simply faded away!

CHAPTER TWO: ZOE WASHBURN & THA WINNIN’ INNAPENNANTS

“Ready?” Zoe asked Mal, who replied, “Affirmative.” Opening the shuttle door and stepping out, they exited into another bay. This one, however was so vast that they could not see the ends of it. Surrounded by ships of various sizes and shapes, the hangar was large enough to house a thousand FireFlys. Stepping forward to a door near the end of their landing pad, they entered a lift. Once inside, they began to mentally prepare for the tasks ahead. The lift finally began to slow as it neared its destination. It come to a stop, the door opened and Zoe led the way into a large, well lit bridge. As she headed toward a chair in the center of the room, an officer on her side announced, as he stood up to full height, “Captain on deck! Attention!” The whole bridge crew turned, snapping to rigid formation, hands at their heads in salute.

“As you were,” Zoe responded to the crew. Mal immediately headed to a station to the captain’s right, relieving the current weapons officer by announcing, “Tactical chief reporting for duty.” After a few moments, a bridge officer approached the captain with a small hand-held view screen. “These are the latest war reports sir. Gains, losses, operations currently being carried out and operations on the deck,” he announced, turned and strode back to his station. After briefly examining the reports, Zoe stood up and stated loudly, “Set course for the Du- Khang engagements. Give me maximum burn until just before we reach atmo. I wanna pop in on those bastards like a summer shower, givin’ em’ no time to prep.” Turning her attention towards the helm, the pilot turned around to reveal a smiling Wash, or at least this verse’s version of him Wash responded “Yes sir, just awaiting the coordinates.” Zoe marveled at how this was the same person, yet not the man who was her husband. She really missed him. These alternate realities were more than a little tricky sometimes, she thought.

Taking her seat again in the Captain’s chair, Zoe began to enter the coordinates into a console at her arm. Mal, nearby, was hard at work at his station. After a few moments he looked up smiling and said, “Captain, we have the codes uploaded and the fleet will be ready to launch upon arrival. The three Alliance encampments will be fully engaged about 85 seconds after launch. I have three of the monitors trained on each site so that you can see it as it happens.” She nodded her approval and said, “Thank you Sargent.”

After nearly a 2 hour journey, they were about to drop out of a hard burn smack dab in the middle of three major enemy fortifications. “Stand ready,” Captain Zoe ordered. After a few tense moments of silence, Wash announced, “Atmo in 3...2...1. Bay doors are open and the launch has commenced. All ships are dispatched and en route.” Mal was furiously shouting orders into a microphone attached to his headset. He stopped, called to the captain and announced with a wide grin, “Team Alpha hits Du-Khang 1 targets in 30 seconds, Team Beta hits Du-Khang 2 targets in 34 seconds and Team Charlie hits Du-Khang 3 targets in 36 seconds. Action is on vid.”

Zoe tapped the com on her arm console and began giving orders to the various teams, sending them to the most potentially troublesome areas. Staring at the monitors, everyone watched as Team Alpha dropped over the lip of a valley right on top of a small airfield. This was Du-Khang 1, their first line of defense. On the Captain’s orders, the communications tower went up in a huge ball of bright orange flame as the first strike ship opened fire. That was quickly followed by a successive series of explosions, as row upon row of Alliance space craft and barracks, housing pilots and crew, were bombarded by concussive rockets from the attacking Independent ships. The outer phalanx of Independents pulverized the few surface-to-air fortifications there were. As this base was supposed to be a secret, there were fewer protective weapons in order to minimize detection. However, this base was no longer concealed, giving the Alliance troops little to defend themselves with in this full on assault. Du-Khang 1 was completely leveled within two minutes.

Turning her attention to the other monitors she watched as Team Beta was about to engage Du-Khang 2, a small weapons manufacturing facility. This target was a little more fortified than the first, but stood no chance all the same. Zoe called for 47 ships to drop straight down, raining the righteous justice of the Independent cause on everything in their paths. The enemy stood little chance. With long range missiles destroying the gun placements, attack fighters systematically leveled all 28 structures until nothing was left but a cloud of smoke and dust. As the fighters retreated, mission accomplished, Alliance munitions still popped and spattered like a small fireworks display. Zoe let her attention linger on the vid image, smiling with satisfaction at the utter devastation left behind.

Looking at the last vid feed, she ordered the opening shots fired on Du-Khang 3 by Team Charlie. Speaking calmly into her com unit she said “Level the DAMN anti-aircraft guns and mobile S.A.M. units, then scram before the big ones hit.”. Du-Khang 3 was a well guarded repository with warehouses and a train full of munitions that would have been delivered to the nearby airfield (that was just destroyed). The arms and ammo would then have been sent out on various Alliance vessels, to go to waiting troops in the few persisting military engagements. Instead, 50 low flying Independent attack ships slammed into the defenses with the ferocity of a tidal wave. Pulverizing the half mile perimeter of anti- aircraft weaponry and ground units, the depot and train were waiting targets as the attack ships retreated. An additional 40 ships, long range bombers, had already released their volleys. Life in that valley ceased altogether when those charges struck the ordinance awaiting shipment.

With the Independent fleet returning to the waiting carrier ship and a guaranteed celebration, Captain Zoe watched the monitor with a solemn happiness. The explosion was probably big enough to see from space, she thought. She knew the cost that had been paid to gain their vital edge. The information they had carried over from the last verse had not only proven accurate, their timing had proven to be damn near perfect. The Alliance munitions plant had manufactured long range, space capable, nuclear warheads. These arms were about to go out to their troops, who were desperately in need of big victory. With so many losses under their belts, she knew the Alliance was desperate enough to violate the Weapons Covenants and use nuclear arms now. She knew what her objectives were and she knew what she had to do in order to assure the continued success of the Independent military campaign against the rag- tag Alliance forces.

There was the distinct possibility of Jayne crossing over to this verse as well. Assuming he didn’t jump over into one of the Du-Khang engagements, he still posed a sincere threat to the Independent military forces. If it was as she feared and he did cross, the intelligence he possessed would definitely be passed to the Alliance forces. His knowledge would give him access to the Browncoat’s computer mainframe, providing him access to almost anything he wanted! The problem with the Alliance in this verse boiled down to a lack of honor. They had become terrorists here, taking civilian lives in most of their cowardly acts of defiance. The two governments had gotten along well for many years, co-existing peacefully with plenty of room for both to expand. Had the Allied governments not chosen to provoke a war between themselves and the Independents, things would be much different here. Reinforced by a false sense of superiority and a nasty dose of self righteousness, they didn’t want to co-exist with their Browncoat neighbors. When the war started, Alliance forces were quickly crushed and scattered, leaving behind enemy cells to wreak what havoc they could. This was their current situation and Jayne was 100% Alliance here. He became a different person in this verse and any tactical knowledge he brought with him would cause some trouble. If he could gain access to the net, he would cause some big trouble.

As Zoe sat contemplating the possible scenarios Jayne might bring to the playing field, Wash broke her out of her thoughts by stating “Carrier Vessel I.F. Shadow requests the destination to be entered once the fleet is back on board, Sir.”. She calmly replied “Tell them to set course for base 498. Establish orbit then release and deploy ships according to protocol.” Persephone was a major hot spot for Alliance terrorists and she knew that the Jayne in this verse had contacts there. Any information he could use against the bases there would be exploited to it’s fullest potential. Persephone was Independent territory, full of heavily fortified complexes and key military installations. It was also a large contributor to the Browncoat military forces, with many of the companies serving military contracts. To top it all off, it was home to Zoe and her troops, Mal and Wash among them. Zoe knew she had to get her forces back home and make things as secure as possible.

CHAPTER THREE: JAYNE COBB & THE LOSING ALLIANCE

Alone in his cabin onboard Serenity, with the door to his bunk securely locked from the inside, Jayne sat quietly sharpening some of his favorite knives. Not hearing the momentary glide of metal on metal, the sword drawn was masked by his knife on a wet stone. Jayne had no chance to reach for his gun in front of him. With less than a foot between his hand and his piece, he felt the sharp press of cold steel on his adam’s apple. Surprised, but smart enough not to move, he waited. After a few seconds of stillness, he felt the pressure of the blade ease up on his throat. As he began to contemplate what his next move was going to be, the hilt of the sword shot forward to clip him in the back of the head. Jayne’s massive frame sagged forward onto the bed, breathing, but motionless. With the door still locked, the stranger closed his eyes, rolled back his head and the whole room began to shimmer.

Waking slowly, with no sense of time and a massive ache in what felt to be the back of his brain, Jayne still knew exactly where he was. He was in a safe house, at the Eavesdown Docks on Persephone. He could smell the dampness and hear the sounds of the wharf. This was one of the few places he came into this verse through, and it was the last place he had left it. He didn’t always understand the time and spatial mechanics of verse jumpin’, but that didn’t dampen his appreciation for it one iota! You arrived at the same place you left and that made sense enough for him. With his vision adjusting and his surroundings coming into focus, Jayne could make out the shape of a man sitting across from him. They were inside a large storage container, the only light provided by a few small holes rusted along the roof line. “So what took you so long to get me?” Jayne asked the man, a hint of humor in his voice. The problem here was that the Jayne in the other verse didn’t like to come to this place of his own accord. It always took a “retriever”, as they were called, to bring him over. Jayne didn’t posses the powers to make such a transition possible, but his friend and benefactors here in this verse, did have such abilities. Jayne’s retriever was his friend in this verse, and they were bitter enemies in the last, making their reunions a little strange. The man stood, nodded and replied “It took me some time to track and retrieve you, Sir.”. With a big smile Jayne asked sarcastically “Didn’t make it to hard on ya’, did we?”. The man nodded again, replying evenly “No more than usual.”

Standing to join his comrade, they turned around to face a large set of double doors, barred from the inside. Standing still, with their ears pressed to the doors, they listened and waited. After a few minutes of silence, Jayne quietly lifted the bar locking the doors and pushed one open. It was twilight, giving them the coming cover of darkness under which to move. With their overcoats wrapped tightly around their bodies and their hoods pulled down over their heads, they set out on their trek. Not wanting to look as if they were in a hurry, which of course they were, they moved at a steady and measured pace. They had been picking their way through the docks for about two hours, when they heard a familiar voice come from the shadows to their left. “Container six, Dock 219.” was all that was whispered. Neither man gave any sign that they had heard the message and kept on walking without a word. Jayne was aware that they were under surveillance and had been for most of their time on the docks this evening. If he had not been feeling watched, he would have felt a bit funny. After passing through a few unseen checkpoints, which were well concealed metabolic scanners hidden along various paths, their identities were confirmed. It was a lengthy procedure, but quite necessary in these times of war. Jayne was proud of his men for all they had accomplished under the thumb of the Independent regime. He was also happy to see that safety protocol was being followed so rigidly.

The two men kept walking for about 30 more minutes, their course casually veering away from the wharf region towards the interior of the massive port. Reaching a long row of blue shipping containers, covered with white Chinese writing, they headed towards the middle of the column. Stepping between two of the containers they walked to a door in the side of one. Lifting the latch and opening it, Jayne was greeted with multiple gun barrels, cocking into readiness. Seeing who it was, the weapons withdrew as the two men stepped into the murky darkness of yet another oversized shipping vessel. Following two men to the back of the container, Jayne and his companion watched as what appeared to be a large stack of old boxes began to raise up, revealing a staircase concealed underneath. The two men who opened the hidden door took the lead and began walking down the stairs, with Jayne and his companion right behind them.

Jayne had been recalled to this place for a reason, for a mission. He was an Alliance Special Operations Commander and he was fighting a losing war. Some agents of his enemies had crossed over to this verse to complete a mission of their own. Through means not limited to borrowing, begging or stealing, those agents had learned of the whereabouts of three key military installations belonging to Alliance forces in this verse. These strongholds were some of the last productive bases and now the enemy knew exactly where they were positioned. Jayne was aware that they would be unable to stop the superior forces of the Independents and that their secret bases were sure to be demolished. As it turns out though, the enemy wasn’t the only faction to garner classified information. Although Jayne’s alter ego, of the last verse, wasn’t the most stand-up of fellows, he did possess strong loyalties to his shipmates and a distinct dislike for the Alliance. That is precisely why it required a retriever to help him cross to this verse. Once over though, he became the type of bad guy the other Jayne only dreamed about.

As the four men walked along an underground corridor, walls wet with water dripping down from the overhead bays and estuaries, Jayne contemplated his place in the scheme of life. Lives, actually, as he had managed to tap into something so incredibly vast. He had no moral hang-up’s about the vermin he called Independent’s while he occupied this verse. He knew that they were scum to be wiped from the face of his pond and that he was charged with just that mission. Now he just had to figure the best possible way to do that.

CHAPTER FOUR: SIMON TAM-THE LORD BRAHMA

He was a young man in appearance, maybe in his early thirties. He was in incredible shape, his muscular form seemingly chiseled from marble. He emanated a maturity that belied his age, which he used to his advantage whenever possible. He had many names, but the one he used in this ‘verse was Lord Brahma, The Creator. Here he was a powerful Hindu deity in a reality where the remnants of the nation of India ruled all. There was no AngloSino Alliance to rise to power here, as all were under the rule of his unholy empire. This is not to say that he was only worshiped as an idol, although he was, but that he was literally a God in this place. A Dark God, he was very unlike his counterparts from other realms. Here he relished in pain and suffering, treating them as if they were a path toward enlightenment. “Through concentrated suffering comes a clarity unlike any other”, he taught to his throngs of eager followers. “In anguish you will see the light”, was also one of his favorite teachings. The temples were soaked in the blood of those sacrificed in his name, helping assure his place as the strongest of all the Gods in this ‘verse.

Stretching out on a bed of pillows, which was actually part of an enormous gilded throne, he casually began to get up. Running the fingers of one hand through his tightly cropped black hair, he rested in a leaning position on his other three hands, his legs crossed in the lotus position. Head slightly tilted back and eyes closed, he listened to the morning as intently as if it were his first. Teetering there halfway between sleep and waking, he slowly opened his eyes to reveal two deep dark pools, akin to black pearls. Dressed in only black silk pants, he slid his feet over the edge of his royal perch to land noiselessly in a pair of woolly slippers. Pulling himself into an upright pose, he caught a glance of his reflection in a mirror on a wall nearby and marveled at his own beauty. It was a wonder, he thought to himself, that he was not worshiped in more worlds.

Rising from his pillowed resting place, he stood and embraced the day with all four arms outstretched. Reaching over to a chair back at his bedside, he retrieved a long robe of matching black silk and donned the flowing garment. Down the front of his robe was the image of a swan, bleach white against the pooling black of his silk. This beautiful creature embodied him in so many ways, he thought vainly as he dressed. Divine even amidst such dark elements, graceful at all times, the swan was his character. Walking down the dais from his throne, he strode noiselessly toward a large set of double doors directly in front of him. Moving through the twenty by twenty foot room, with cathedral ceilings so high you could scarcely see them, he marveled at his power and opulence. As he walked, Lord Brahma trailed a shadow behind him revealing four heads (three of which were only visible when he wanted them to be). Attaining the double doors, he reached forward with all four arms and flung open the entrance to his royal chamber.

Stepping out of his bedchamber he entered another large room, lit by vertical slits in the wall which allowed the morning light to pass through. In the center of this chamber was an altar, fitted with iron cuffs at each corner. Making his way toward the sacrificial table he could smell the sweat of those who served him and the blood of those who had died for him. The floor around it was stained with the obvious success of his reign of pain, which he relished as he passed it by. These aromas filled his senses, making him giddy with purpose and drive, causing him to step up his pace.

It was a God’s right and duty to make his people stronger, to weed out the weak and inferior. Those who did not fit into his world order eventually found their way to one of his ceremonies. Unfortunate as that may be for them, their sacrifices were necessary to further the lives of the devout. Brahma had even had a hand in helping to create suffering and pain in other realities as well, to his immense satisfaction. He found that many people from other worlds were very drawn to his teachings, even inspired by them. He had won many converts to his dark practices under some guise or another and enjoyed returning periodically to watch the handiwork of some of his former star pupils. They tended to be artists in some sadistic campaign. He knew he inspired greatness in his subjects and that made him proud. One of his favorite converts was a warrior poet with some barbaric tastes, named Shan Yu. He came from a very violent world, with warring factions competing for control of everything. Before he had reached manhood he was already familiar with not only the concepts, but also the realities of death, devastation, war and power. As Lord Brahma often could, he sensed the suffering in that kindred soul. Luring the young Shan Yu to the etherverse was easy, as his life barely had an anchor in his ‘verse. There he learned from the Dark Lord, gaining insight beyond his years, as well as a taste for the cruel and unusual. Shan Yu was returned to his ‘verse when Brahma felt satisfied with his students abilities, becoming a dictator that ruthlessly controlled his countrymen and women. The name of Shan Yu still elicits fear in that backward little world, he thought to himself with a grin.

That was the same ‘verse, he suspected, that she had emanated from. That thought made his smile fade instantly. Oh, the girl who had escaped his grasp. He had tried to make her one of his disciples, but his followers had failed for reasons unknown to him. He had spent rivers of blood and years of meditation in an effort to understand the elusive girl who had resisted so strongly. His people felt his pain, he made sure of that. He knew she also possessed great might, but he had not anticipated just how powerful she really was. She had even managed to expose his plans of mass subjugation in her ‘verse. He had it all worked out, with key members of Parliament acting directly on his behalf. He had a drug created, administered to a test planet and the results were smashing! Then she came along. She exposed the origin of his minions, the aptly named Reavers, dealing him and his followers a crippling blow and weakening his presence in that ‘verse. He was not directly linked to the incident, so the key players would remain a mystery for now. How the girl had managed to do all that, however, was still an enigma to him. Now that he had her scent, though, he intended to find her and have some of his questions answered. When next they met, he thought with a passion bordering on lust, she would pay dearly for her open defiance of those more powerful than she. If done properly, she would not anticipate it. He had recently learned that he had a perfect resemblance to someone very close to her. So close, in fact, as to be the only family she had left. And that she would never expect. The other Gods were truly smiling on his plans, he thought to himself. As if they had a choice!

CHAPTER FIVE: KAYLEE FRYE & THE MIRACLE BABY

Kaylee was completely absorbed in her maintenance of Serenity’s compression coil, one of the most temperamental interstellar drive components ever created by mankind, when she heard a soft noise coming from the hallway leading to the engine room. She had been in a similar situation a year or so before and those memories made her blood turn to ice in her veins. Images of cruel, sadistic bounty hunters, and worse, tore through her mind like a tornado. Before she could react, however, a lithe figure steeped out of the shadows at the end of the engine. Recognizing River, Kaylee began to relax a little. As she could feel the blood begin to flow and her heart begin to beat again, she asked “Where the heck did you come from?”. “I’ve been looking for you.” She replied quietly. That small statement once more sent chills up Kaylee’s spine. She loved River, but never knew quite what to expect from her friend.

Looking at Kaylee, River said simply “Walk with me.” Without waiting for a response, she turned around and headed up and out of the engine room. Kaylee stepped forward, coming up behind her and began to walk along side of her. “I want to tell you how happy I am that you and Simon have each other.” River began. Kaylee smiled, thinking about what a difficult courtship theirs had been. They had so many close encounters that ended in so many missed chances. To her, that made what they had all the more special. “Thank you River, that means a lot coming you, being the only family he’s got left.” She replied with a flush in her cheeks.

They walked on through Serenity’s familiar hallways in comfortable silence. As they neared the dining area, River looked over at Kaylee and said “ I know you are with Simon’s child.”. Kaylee stopped dead in her tracks, awash in a flood of emotions. River slowed and turned in response. Kaylee just stood there, mouth agape, and stared in disbelief. It was still unconfirmed and she and Simon had taken such great pains to hide her possible pregnancy. They had even decided not to tell River, even though it pained them both, due to her unpredictable behavior. Yet she knew! She was obviously far more powerful than they thought. It seemed as if her abilities were not only constantly evolving and expanding, but that she was still developing new ones. Her knowledge of this shouldn’t have been a surprise to Kaylee, but it was nonetheless.

Her mind reeling at the possibilities and implications, she asked “How did you know? Can you read the thought of an unborn child, too?”. River replied evenly “Not read as much as feel, sense.” One of her usual cryptic answers, Kaylee thought to herself. “Am I really that cryptic?” River asked with a big smile and laugh. Excited, she continued “He is such a happy soul and can’t wait to meet his mother and father.”. With that bombshell dropped, Kaylee’s jaw fell even further. The pregnancy was not even far enough along for Simon to medically determine, yet Kaylee had no doubt about River’s diagnosis. She knew her friend well enough to trust her about this! That meant they were having a boy, Kaylee thought. She could hardly wait to tell him the great news. River continued, adding “He is destined for the kind of greatness we may never fully understand. It is our duty to guide him through the good and bad that awaits his coming. Even though his strength will surpass our combined might, he will need our help to reach that point and still remain true to his destiny.”

With that said, River turned back around and continued her slow stroll through the corridor, toward the galley. After only a moments hesitation, Kaylee began to follow again. Without looking at her companion, River said “Those who track Me and Simon will eventually learn of you and your child. I must tell you that this puts you, and those you love, in harms way.”. Glancing over to gauge her friend’s reaction to such news, she could see the concern on her face. “It will be some time before these things come to pass, so put your mind at ease. We will be prepared when the time comes.” She added for Kaylee’s sake. Still walking slowly, River proceeded “The operative they sent has served as a wake up call to us. His appearance brought to light the fact that some important people still fear me, and now us, for one reason or another. We made that unnamed operative aware of what purpose he was really serving, and his resolve crumbled. It turned out their cause was not his own after all! The next one sent, however, we may not be able to sway. The shadowy members of Parliament have so many secrets they want kept buried and so many they feel are worth killing for. As the tragedy of Miranda revealed to us, the scope of their sins is broader than ever imagined. The veins of evil run deep and numerous throughout the Allied Governments, making our tasks that much more difficult.”

They had arrived in the dining area, which Kaylee usually found to be a warm and comforting part of the ship. This night, though, she felt no such warmth or comfort. River led them to the dining nook, off to the side of the table. She took a seat and Kaylee followed suit, settling down across from her. After only a moment, Kaylee asked “What are we gonna do? What’s supposed to happen now?”. River replied “You must tell no one about your secret right now. So few can be trusted, it’s for your own good that it be that way for now.”. Kaylee nodded affirmative in response. River smiled and continued “We will keep it quiet, at least ‘till it becomes obvious. When we reach that stage, we will have to adjust our tactics.”. “But until then, word of this cannot reach those would bring you harm. We will care for and protect you.” She concluded with a smile.

Still stunned, her mind reeling from all she had just absorbed, Kaylee let out a long, deep sigh. She imagined her and Simon as parents and she knew that they would be wonderful at it! Bringing such a defenseless creature into the ‘verse, especially one who would automatically be hunted because of his lineage, would require them to take extra special care of this child. So many different concepts whirled through Kaylee’s mind at once, a cyclone of emotions, hopes and vivid imagery that nearly made her dizzy from the intensity. There in the center of her mind, though, one thought held steady and shone bright. She loved Simon Tam with a love stronger than any she had ever known in her life and she was excited beyond words at the prospect of raising a family with such a wonderful man. Her passion grew hotter each day they spent together and all she knew was, no one was going to stop them from being a family. No one!

CHAPTER SIX: MALCOLM REYNOLDS-THE MISCHIEF KID

At Northern Indiana Technological College, the day after their Division B football team actually won it’s first game all year, almost everyone was out celebrating. Malcolm Reynolds sat alone in his dorm room playing on his computer, which in itself wasn’t unusual. He would still be doing the same thing, on what to him was just yet another Saturday night. It was a pretty common occurrence for him, even something he enjoyed. It gave him time to delve into his favorite game. He had spent hundreds of hours, if not more, creating the lore and background of some science fiction game on his personal computer. He had his characters, plot lines and lush backgrounds all set up to aid in his adventures. Like many young people his age, he tended to get lost in his personal entertainment. This by no means was a character flaw, because he was also genuinely proud of what he had created. He was a senior at a big tech college in the great mid-west, majoring in computer programming. He was good at what he did, but it bored him to tears some days. This was what tested his character. He had written several complex computer programs to shop around to major technology based companies, but was unable to receive an audience with any of them. If no one would help him get to the top, he decided, then he would get there himself! That’s what made this Saturday night anything but normal.

Knowing what tonight was to his schoolmates, he knew he would be mostly alone in his dorm. Almost everyone would be out partying and celebrating. He knew this was his time to shine. Putting his game on hold, he began to punch new commands into the computer. Four additional monitors, two on his left and two on his right, flickered to life at his command. The hidden cameras he installed showed all four sides of his dormitory, allowing him to clearly see all entrances and exits. Mal got up and made sure his door was locked and dead bolted, closed the blinds over his only window, went to the bathroom and took a leak and finally returned to his computer and it’s row of screens. Everything still looked good.

He had been planning this for months, the most daring heist he had ever attempted. Actually, he thought to himself, it was the only heist he had ever attempted. He had been hacking into the Michigan Financial Credit Union computer mainframe, by remote location, to determine their response times. He had been in and out, without being caught, four times so far. In his searches he had found a section of their database with incredible amounts of protection, buried deep in the bowels of some anonymous drive. This, he discovered, was where the bank hid their high fund accounts. Now his real genius came into play, he thought to himself with a smile. He had written a computer program designed to act as a worm, enabling him to tunnel through their database. Running on his preprogrammed directives, it was designed to fill itself up with account assets, to gobble up the goods! The key to Malcolm’s plan, though, was to keep the worms mouth closed until it hit that special section. Once there, the worm would open it’s mouth and digest the contents of as many lucrative accounts as it could hold. When it’s preassigned time came, it would tunnel out of their mainframe. Then came his favorite part of all. The worm would explode once it hit the world wide web and all it’s contents would disperse as their most basic form, binary code. Simple numbers! As the worm gobbled up account information, it would break it all down to basic numbers and excrete any traceable information. The remaining numbers left floating in the belly of the worm would then be flooded with birtual nanites. These virtual nanites were programmed to attach themselves to the number strings and take them on preassigned, circuitous routes to various accounts waiting to be filled! They were perfect for the job because they were untraceable, attaching themselves to passing information and, in essence, hitching a ride. This nifty camouflage made them the most important part of his programming. This was his specialty, and he had confidence in his plan. He just knew it would work!

Picking up a cell phone on his desk, an unregistered phone set up for this single purpose, he hit send. With that button pushed, an impulse was sent out to a computer all the way across town. Receiving it’s commands, the laptop he had hidden in a public library released the worm with it’s devious agenda. It’s begun, he thought to himself, and there was no going back now! Next he would have to play the waiting game. All the nanites should reach their destinations within 24 hours. The accounts he had set up to handle the transactions were done under assumed identities and he even had ATM cards ready to make the withdrawals come Sunday evening. With spring break coming up, he would be able to take his money and disappear for a little while without it looking suspicious too quickly. He had no family to answer to. He had never met his father, his mother had passed away when he was just 12 years old and he was an only child. His friends he knew couldn’t betray him, because they didn’t even know about his plans.

To help pass the time, Mal began loading up his game. His bag was packed with enough clothes for 2 weeks, the video cameras were operating perfectly and the worm had been released. Now he just had to relax and wait, he told himself, then all of his dreams would come true. A succession of beeps and blips, followed by some low pitched sinister music, broke him from his reverie. His game was now loaded up and ready to play! This was just the distraction he needed, he thought to himself. He began to play, becoming more engrossed with each passing minute. He played on for hours, occasionally checking his row of surveillance monitors. Four hours after the worm’s release, he knew it was close to completing it’s mission and exiting the Michigan Financial Credit Union computer mainframe. Still with nothing to do but wait, he continued to play his game.

Mal awoke with a start. He didn’t even remember falling asleep. He was still sitting at his desk, monitors in front of him. He thought he heard a noise. Whatever it was, it had been enough to wake him up. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he saw movement on one of his camera feeds. Upon closer inspection, he saw movement in all of his monitors. It looked like the cops were movin’ in on him. “Shit” he muttered under his breath. Sweat instantly gathered on his forehead and he felt the overwhelming urge to panic. Suppressing his fight or flight instincts, he forced that nervous energy into useful channels and sprang into action. He reached down, removed a disk from his computer hard drive and then entered a few keystrokes onto his keyboard. In response, all of his screens went black and his computer drive sizzled, popped and emitted a noxious, light smoke. With that done, he put the disk into his waiting backpack, turned off the lights in his little dorm room and walked across to the closet in the dark. Grasping the handle and letting himself into the small space, he shut the door quietly behind him. Slipping through the clothes to the back, he felt along the bottom of the wall. Finding what he was looking for, he slid a panel open to reveal a crawlspace. Moving into the confined area as quickly as he could, he grasped a ladder built into the framework of the building. Holding onto the ladder with one hand, he carefully concealed his escape route with his free hand. As he pushed the hidden door back into place, he found himself in complete and utter blackness. Carefully reaching around to find a small pocket in his backpack, he pulled out a little flashlight and turned it on. The feeble light it provided would have to do, he thought to himself. After all, this escape plan was just a back up. He was never really supposed to need to use it!

Descending the ladder, he made his way from the fourth floor to the basement and stopped to listen. He was inside a wall behind the washing machines, straddling the plumbing and trying not to breathe too loud. He could hear their footsteps going up the stairwell, the silence punctuated periodically by the muffled squawk of a radio. That would be the S.W.A.T. team, or maybe some special task force designed to handle cyber criminals. As quietly as he could, Mal turned around and removed a small section of wall. Squatting down to enter another hidden tunnel, this one dug out of the earth to lead him away from the building, he pulled himself in and closed it tight behind him. Now he only had to crawl about 1 and ½ miles to reach the end, which would deposit him in the wooded section on the eastern edge of the campus. How the hell do I get myself into these situations, he thought to himself again!

With his escape plan solidly in motion, Mal knew he just needed to lay low until he could collect the funds from his accounts. They probably tracked him down so quickly because of his little forays into their database. Evidently their security was way tighter than he realized. Too late to correct that mistake, he thought ruefully. He had been sloppy, but the worm was unstoppable and untraceable. As long as he could avoid getting nabbed until then, he would just have to leave the country after he collected his loot. At least they couldn’t trace him to the accounts he had set up. These thoughts, as well as a healthy fear of prison, kept him going for what seemed like an eternity. Even when his flashlight dimmed out to nothing, he pushed himself forward towards freedom and towards a new life, he thought with a little smile.

Emerging from his tunnel looking like a coal miner, Mal began his walk through the woods. Crouching down slightly, to avoid being spotted by any possible sentries, he felt awash in a sense of relief. It sure felt great to be in the open air, especially after such a stifling escape. He was not fond of tight spaces, and that experience had helped to heighten his appreciation of being free. As he walked along the path, he didn’t see her watching. She had been waiting at the tunnels exit for him, and had followed him on his escape. After playing leapfrog with him for nearly an hour, she decided it was time to act. Stepping out in front of him on the tight little path, he nearly had a heart attack. Stopping dead in his tracks, he didn’t know what the hell to make of this girl who had just appeared out of thin air, in the middle of the night, in the middle of a forest! Before he could react any further, she said “Malcolm Reynolds, you must come with me if you want to escape.”

CHAPTER SEVEN: DERRIA BOOK & THE ETHERCOUNCIL

He strode down the crowded hallway, unphased by the bustling throng of people traveling in either direction. Shrouded in a deep hood and long flowing robe of black, he glided along his own path. Seeing his destination ahead on the right, he effortlessly veered himself toward waiting sentries guarding a large set of double doors. Upon his approach, a dozen armed guards snapped to full attention, bringing closed right fists over their hearts in salute. He nodded and passed wordlessly through the waiting men, with the last two opening the doors for the mysterious figure. He passed through the opening and the doors closed behind him, shutting out the noise of the crowd he had just left. Moving noiselessly down a short hallway to an imposing steel door, it split down the middle with his approach, providing him access beyond. Entering a large room, softly lit from illumination at the base of the walls, he was immediately greeted by his staff. Pulling back his hood to reveal braided rows of black and grey hair and a big smile, he removed the robe and handed it to a waiting servant.

“Hello all.” he began. “And how is everyone fairing?” he asked with genuine interest. “We have eagerly anticipated your return, Sir.” began one. Another figure, a bald man with a youthful face, stepped forward and picked up where the last ended. “There is news of the girl circulating here in the zone. It is said that she has been busy of late. Her movements through the etherverse are being reviewed by the council, who has also summoned you so that they may convene in an official manner.” He soaked in this information, as well as a weary traveler could, and found himself quite curious as to what exactly was afoot. Smiling warmly he replied in a soft tone “Send word back to the council that I will be available in four hours time. The rest of you prepare to meet with me in one hour, so that I may also review this recent intelligence about our friends movements. We wouldn’t want my esteemed colleagues to have any tactical advantages over me, as that would compromise our goals. In the meantime, I will be seeing to my personal needs. You have your tasks and understand your responsibilities, so therefore your obligations are clear. I will meet with you all in the war room at the appointed time.” With that informal dismissal, everyone scattered to tend to their respective duties.

Standing alone in his great waiting room, he let out a quiet sigh. It had begun and there was no turning back now, he thought to himself. Gathering his senses, he turned to the right and headed towards his bed chambers. Entering silently, he felt a warm sense of relief to be in his room again. When he was appointed a member of the EtherCouncil, they had also granted him this safe place. It was his refuge between the verse’s. He had been stopping here for hundreds of mortal years now and found he never tired of the natural stone walls. Their rough hewn, solid appearance was his link to a strength as old as time itself. That timeless strength was also a constant reminder of his connection to the Earth that was. Removing his clothes, he stepped into a large shower and was soon engulfed in a comforting cloud of steam. As he washed his aching body, he began to contemplate the situation regarding his old friends.

He was no longer alive in their primary verse, having sacrificed himself to help ensure their survival. When he had been shuffled loose that mortal coil, with the help of an Alliance gun ship, he awoke in the etherverse and had been unable to return to that reality since. That was a fate he was willing to accept, as he had already lived many full lives in other realms. He was metaphysically linked to these folks, however, and it pained him to be unable to stand with them as he once had. Being Shepherd Book had been wonderful for him and he knew he was richer because of those experiences. Derria finished his shower, dried and redressed himself, eager to review the information that the other council members had already seen. He was, after all, always happy to catch a small glimpse of his old friends.

Stepping out of his chambers, he walked straight across the great room to another steel door that parted upon his approach. Entering the war room, as he had dubbed it, he was surrounded by dozens of large screen monitors and computing stations. His aides were all busy at their given posts, but each stopped what they had been doing to stand and salute him, closed fists held tightly over their hearts. When he returned the gesture, they all resumed their work. Striding through the center of the room to a large chair at the opposite end, he turned and sat to face all of the stations and monitors. Having already contemplated where the best point to begin would be, he did not hesitate as he commanded, “Let’s start at the beginning, with the first of her recently documented movements.” “Yes sir.” Was the immediate response from the man seated at the station nearest to his left. The screen above the man lit up and began to display three figures, moving steadily through a large crowd of people. He watched as the little group headed straight towards an unmarked booth, guarded by half a dozen armed men. As the company approached, the guards actually parted and allowed them to pass. “Well, looks as if someone has made a friend on the Ethercouncil.” Book murmured in surprise. Speaking up for his staff to hear, he said “Replay the loop in half time, with double magnification on the lead figure.” The video replayed and he was certain, it was indeed River Tam. He knew she was a powerful creature and that it would only be a matter of time until she brought them all together again, but he was impressed with her abilities none the less. He noticed that she had brought along Mal and Zoe as well, which more than doubled his curiosity. This also meant that the council members had identified the travelers as well, which necessitated Book being prepared to be defensive of his connection to these people. What was their agenda? Who had opened that door for the group and where did it lead? It was only a temporary portal, as the tape showed further along. Wherever she led them, they would need another avenue to leave that verse. He was sure she had one lined up, though. These were the things he needed answered, and these were the things least likely to be found in the archives, he surmised. Being prepared required him to keep on in his vigilant review of the material and that was what he was going to do.

“Station two, what is your status?” He continued. The bald man typed in a few commands to his station and a view screen above him began to play. Book watched on as two men walked casually through a slum alley and straight through one of their own metabolic scanners. It was Jayne Cobb and a retriever, affiliation unknown. The information it confirmed was at some point fed to the ethercouncil, which suggested that someone from that verse was a council member or someone indebted to a council member. The plot thickens, he thought to himself as he watched the loop replay. He sat for nearly three hours observing all the etherverse crossings, by the various individuals and groups, until he felt he could glean no further information from the strange collection of glimpses. He could connect no further dots than when he had begun, yet he felt somewhat reassured that he at least knew what and whom he was looking for. It was no wonder the council wanted to see him, he thought. If he had a hard time understanding what was happening with his friends, he knew they would be completely lost. He smiled as he gathered himself up, preparing to meet with his fellow council members. Thanking his staff and dismissing himself, he walked down a hallway in the back of his suite to another large steel door. Opening to reveal a small alcove with a waiting hovercraft, he climbed in the back door being held open by a waiting servant. Once securely in, the craft exited into an underground tunnel system. Sitting back as the cruiser gained speed, Derria Book contemplated what was to come next.

CHAPTER EIGHT: HOBAN WASHBURN-PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

Being a private dick in1952 could, on occasion, be a messy job. It wasn’t exactly the most rewarding of occupations and it had the reputation for making people compromise their morals to get the job done. Mr. Hoban Washburn, however, made the best of his job. He had always been an optimist, one of those rare good souls, making him quite unlike most of his colleagues. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty when the situation called for it, but he generally took the moral high road.

Hoban had been a Chicago Police Officer for six years and he was good at what he did. He finally made it off the beat, after four years, with a promotion to detective! Leaving the street patrol to the flat foot, he was assigned to the bank robbery division and excelled at his duties. This he would learn, was temporary.

His whole life changed about two years after that promotion, on one fateful day. A sting intended to bring down a group of successful bank robbers went terribly wrong. Due to poor intel, his agents were caught unprepared. It was supposed to be a clean pick up, just simply nab these fellas when they exited the bank. They would already have the driver, there would be no place to go and it would be over! Attempting to apprehend the bad guys on their way out of the heist, the unforseen happened. Three gunmen emerged from the bank, wielding two hostages. Storming out of the building to find a 25 agent task force waiting for them, all hell broke loose. Not expecting the complications hostages presented, the cops hesitated.

Taking full advantage of the cop’s momentary indecision, the robbers acted. Using the two sobbing and terrified women as human shields, the gunmen open fire on the unprepared police. Three cops fell immediately, two unmoving. Some of the officers returned fire, even as they sought refuge, taking down the one gunman without cover. The other two bandits never stopped firing, also taking down four passers-by. Taking quick aim, Hoban returned fire with deadly consequences. The bullet passed through the woman’s chest to lodge squarely in that of her abductor’s! Both fell to the ground in a twisted, bloody heap.

The last gunman standing saw his partners in crime go down and he knew he would be next if he didn’t do something! Tearing a hole through his hostage’s back with his hand cannon, the crazed man fired wildly at the cops as he turned to run back the way he had come. As he planted his foot and turned to spring, he felt a searing, hot pain in his left calf. As he fell, realizing he had been shot, more and more bullets hit him, until he stopped remembering. He collapsed in a bloody, twitching mess, dead before he hit the ground. The officers quickly circled in, weapons still trained on his lifeless form. So ended Hoban Washburn’s law enforcement career, with a bang followed by a whimper!

All in all, 5 officers died and 4 more were wounded in the action. To make matters worse, there were 6 dead civilians with 3 more critically wounded. Hoban was one of those injured in the line of duty, but he grew to wish he had died that fateful day. He was the officer in charge of the task force, making the whole tragedy his responsibility. Resigning from the force in disgrace, Hoban got busy losing himself in the bottle. He wore his pain and anguish daily, almost like a badge on his chest, eventually driving his wife to run off their children, leaving him completely alone.

Trying to pick up the pieces, Hoban became a private investigator. Lurking on the fringes of a world in which he was once a star, he now scraped by making a meager living! Most of his cases were divorce related, trailing a cheating husband or photographing an unfaithful wife. It paid the bills, but was a far cry from the life he had led. Longing to perform deeds that really made a difference again, he felt only dirty and tainted by being involved in such sordid affairs. But God, a man had to eat!

He had a feeling this job was going to be different, though. A young girl had gone missing and her family had procured his services to help find her and bring her home. They were a wealthy, aristocratic family and didn’t exactly trust the law enforcement system to get the job done. He couldn’t exactly blame them, as he had lost his faith in the system a while ago! This was where Hoban Washburn, or Wash as his friends called him, could be of the kind of assistance that the cops couldn’t. He had just the right contacts for a job like this. He had only a few friends left on the force, but they were important people, which was crucial for his needs. Aside from his friends on that side of the law, he had also developed a string of well informed contacts. Although some of his contacts were a bit on the shady side, they were necessary all the same. Information could always be bought, from the good guys and the bad guys, for the proper price!

Now he was working for Mr. Jamison Rivers, an incredibly wealthy man, whose primary business was dealing in high end art and antiques. It was Jamison’s daughter, 17 year old Tamara Rivers, who had come up missing. An even more accurate description of the situation would be that she seemed to have disappeared. The family awoke one Sunday morning to find her gone. Thinking that they were getting up to go to church services, just like every other Sunday, they awoke instead to find nothing. There was no note of any kind and it didn’t appear as if she had packed a travel bag. To make it just a little more strange, it appeared as if she might not have even worn any shoes! That was all anyone, including the local police, knew for certain. At least that’s all who’s talkin’ right now, Hoban thought to himself.

The cops had found no point of entry or exit that wasn’t completely locked down. The Rivers estate was a virtual fortress, with their own dedicated security force. They security detail had all been cleared through police questioning, making them just one more piece of the puzzle. The biggest part of the whole mystery was that young Tamara seemed to have disappeared from inside the River’s mansion. Her key chain was still dangling from the hook in the kitchen, which did not help narrow down the possible scenarios. She could have been forcefully taken from her home, in the night, by someone who had a key. That would certainly change the whole nature of the case, possibly turning suspicions directly onto the family. She could also have left her keys intentionally, not planning to return, for reasons she chose not to share. Maybe it was one of the security detail after all, knowing all of the family’s weaknesses. They still raised red flags with all the cops, even though they all checked out so far! Then there was that unknown element, or the X factor as he liked to call it. He didn’t know enough about her personal life, or the lives of her family member for that matter, to rule anything out just yet! Did her father owe money? Was the girl into drugs? Did she have a crazy boyfriend no one knew about? These rich kids often led double lives, he reminded himself. These thoughts and more swirled through his mind as he raced along the highway towards the city.

He hoped to find these answers and more in Chicago, but knew better than to expect things to go easy. The Windy City was a dangerous place, even for people on the right side of the law. The area of town he was headed to was anything but safe. In fact, it tended to veer a bit to the left of the law! Swallow hard against the rising knot in your stomach and keep on driving , buddy, ‘cause this girl’s life may depend on you, he thought to himself with a grimace!

In the heart of Chicago, downtown in the historic district, she calmly waited. Sitting on the balcony of a 19th floor room, she could see the city stretch out for miles. Sprawling from horizon to horizon, light twinkled the width and breadth of the teeming metropolis. She sat quietly, knowing he would be near soon. She felt no anxiety or fear, but rather a comfort in the knowledge that it had all been set into motion. The pieces would soon begin falling into place, signifying the coming of the Alignment. That thought alone brought a silent smile to her lips, as she waited patiently.

CHAPTER NINE: RIVER OF CHANGE

She awoke feeling full of purpose. The sun was going down outside her room, and she would soon be a busy young lady. River was in this verse, because this was where it would all begin. Things had already been set into motion, really, she thought to herself. This, however, would be the catalyst! A new alpha would arise from this. She let those thoughts float away on the cool evening breeze and soaked in her surroundings. She didn’t know she was even searching for this gateway when she found it in the Etherverse, but her instincts told her it was very important. She knew of few other portals that led to Earth-that-was and she had only experienced it herself a handful of times, making each visit very special to her. All of the new Alliance worlds had a similar smell, an acrid presence that permeated everything, a by-product of the terra forming. The real Earth-that-was had a smell all it’s own, however. It wasn’t a world created by humans and therefore lacked that synthetic feeling she knew so well. If only the worlds in her verse could smell like this, she thought with a smile!

Since she had discovered her ability to verse jump, all River’s visits to Earth-that-was had been with an agenda. Now that she had only to wait, she missed no detail of her surroundings. From the rough texture, cracked yet soft, of the brick all around her, to the smell of car exhaust from the streets, it thrilled all of her senses. She could feel the car horns blaring below her, sensing the motorists frustration. The city was alive with purpose. People were trying to get home to see loved ones. Some were still working away, toiling down in the factories across town! She could feel the strain of their muscles and taste the salt of their sweat. When the whistle rang, she could feel the collective sigh after another days work The anxieties of a simpler time, she thought to herself. With so many sensation flooding her body she couldn’t help but feel responsible for helping out these worlds that were all so connected! They didn’t know what dangers really lurked in the shadows. She, however, did know!

She also knew that Wash wasn’t far away now. He would, in fact, be downtown in a very short while. That was good, as an operative would surely be sent here soon. Her instincts told her it would be a close call and that they may end up fighting their way free at some point. This didn’t overly concern her, as she knew she would do what needed to be done! Rising from her perch on the balcony, River made her way into the bedroom. Donning a large coat with a deep hood, she reached down and strapped a short sword on each hip. Pulling her cloak tight at the waist, she made her way to the door. Since she had taken over the corporeal form of Tamara Rivers, her duplicate in this verse, people were looking for her. Keeping that in mind, she pulled the hood down and opened the door. Quietly leaving the room, she began her descent to the street down a back stairwell. The less she was seen, the better, she reminded herself one last time.

Exiting the hotel through a back entrance, River began her walk into the night. Sensing that Wash was within a few miles, she knew he would start by checking the homeless shelters. Coming out from between two buildings, the wind caught her in a gust, knocking her back a step! She noticed that in addition the stronger wind, it was distinctly colder down on the streets, between the buildings, than it had been on her balcony. This made her sink into her large coat, grateful for it’s warm protection! Walking down a cold street just minutes later, she saw the sign for the mission. It said something about Sister somebody, but she wasn’t much interested in that. She could hear him inside of the shelter, looking, searching, for her young face, framed by it’s wavy black hair. She casually walked past the entrance casting a quick glance inside the open door. There he was, turning his head even as she slid silently by. Darting around the corner, she headed to where he had parked his car, ducking low to avoid detection.

Busting through the entrance to the shelter, Wash could have sworn he saw her. Sure the figure was wrapped up in a big coat or blanket, or something, but he could have sworn he saw her tender young eyes. He had grown to know those eyes since he took the job, studying every aspect of this young lady. Looking to the left and right, he saw nothing. Hanging his head down momentarily, he let out a low sigh. This was the third place he had checked since he arrived in town that night and no one had seen her. Accepting what seemed to be the end of his last lead of the day, he started thinking about where he would spend the night. Someplace downtown, so he could begin his search early, would be ideal, he thought to himself. Turning to walk back to his car, he reached into his pocket to grab the car keys. Feeling the gun holstered on his hip gave him a grim reassurance in this part of town. At least he could take care of himself if he had to, he thought gravely. Seeing his car only four spaces away, he became intent on getting the hell out of that parking lot. He was beginning to feel as if he were being watched, which disturbed him out all the more! He used to have an instinct for these kinds of things, he chided himself silently.

“You don’t need to worry about that Wash. You still have the instincts!” A soft voice said, breaking him out of his reverie and freezing him dead in his tracks. Turning around, his hand caught in his overcoat as he fumbled for his gun, there she stood! She had addressed him like she knew him, which he found to be more than a little disturbing, yet he almost felt as if he knew her too. In his overwhelming confusion, he froze. Trying to recover some semblance of control over the situation, he finally stopped pulling on his gun holster. The boys at the precinct would have had a field day laughing at this! Standing back up straight, he asked “How do you know my name?” Smiling in a disquieting way, she replied “I’ve been waiting for you, Hoban.” Feeling very unsure of what exactly he had walked into, he spurted out “Did you get in contact with your father or something? Did he tell you I would be looking for you?” Giggling in that same manner, she replied simply “No.” Then, quite suddenly and without warning, she darted past him to jump up onto the hood of the car behind him. With her back to him, Wash couldn’t exactly see what she was looking at. Suddenly two figures burst forth from the shadows. Clad all in black, he could see the silver glint of swords as they approached. To his surprise, the young girl shrugged off her cape, drawing a short sword from each side in a fluid motion that belied her age.

Diving off the car hood, tucking tightly into a ball, she flipped forward and rolled into the midst of the two attackers. In one motion she brought the sword in her right hand up, blocking the blow of that assailant and sliding past him noiselessly. With her left hand she thrust straight forward, quickly withdrawing the blade, and then swept it under his feet, biting deeply in the man’s right ankle. He fell, unable to maintain his own weight on that leg any longer. Feeling the blade of the first man closing in on her, she dropped down, sweeping her left leg in a circle and knocking the man flat on his back. As he attempted to rise, she sprung forward and pinned the man to the ground with both swords. As he lay gasping for his last breath, River pulled out one of the swords with her right hand and swung it directly back. Without even looking in his direction, she decapitated the first injured man in one clean swoop!

Wash stood there dumbstruck! With his mouth still hanging open, he realized that he hadn’t even raised his gun. He had been so mesmerized by the ruthless efficiency of this young girl, he had not even moved a muscle. Staring at the two dead men, he wondered how it could have all happened as fast as it did. He had seen the whole thing go down and he almost couldn’t believe it! The corpses, however, were all the proof he needed that it was indeed real. Slowly turning to look at him, the girl wiped off her swords, one by one, again showing a maturity beyond her age. As she sheathed the weapons and retrieved her cloak, she wrapped it around her small frame and started walking directly back to him. “You are in danger if you stay here, Wash.” She began. “More like these men will come and next time they won’t be so discrete. Are you ready to leave?” The question caught him off guard. “Go where?” He responded.

Again she smiled that same smile, the one she had flashed right before she killed those two strangers without breaking a sweat. It made his heart beat faster than he liked and made his palms clammy, but he waited. “ It’s hard to explain, but it is a safe place.” She replied. “Take my hand and you will understand, where words are lacking.” She said. Holding out her hand, he slowly accepted her tiny little fingers into his palm. After a moment of silence, she raised her head and closed her eyes, and everything around the two began to slow down, eventually coming to a stop. Leveling her head, River opened her eyes to reveal only the whites. Opening her palms and raising her arms slightly, everything around them began to shimmer and change shape. They were entering the etherverse. The parking lot they stood in began to morph into a grey haze.

CHAPTER TEN: MISS INARA SERRA

Her world is not industrial. Her people are not a space faring race. Her planet inhabits a verse where the laws of physics, as we know them, don’t always apply. She resides in a galaxy where metaphysical power is the strongest thing around. She was a seer, quite possibly the strongest among all her people. There were others of her kind, but their powers were far less than hers. The people of lesser potencies were only vessels for their visions, unable to control or even interact with what they channeled. She, however, had full control over what she saw. She possessed a mastery over her abilities, unrivaled to her knowledge. She could actually seek out her visions, making her truly unique. She was a very powerful figure on her world, respected and feared for her rare and special gifts, political power and potential. What no one else on her world knew, though, was of her greatest discovery to date. She had found that shadowy realm, that magical place...the Etherverse!

Pulling her consciousness slowly back, she was retreating to her world of substance and tangibility form someplace else. Drawing herself back in from her trance, she awakened languidly, opening her eyes to find herself kneeling in front of a large prayer altar. Covered in incense and fragrant candles, the small area was thick with pungent smoke. Hot wax ran from the candles, off and down the various shelves, creating layer upon layer of wax. Staring at the depth of the wax mural in front of her, she watched as the candle light flickered down deeper into the light colored wax. The darker colors seemed to absorb the tiny light offered. The contrast kept her momentarily mesmerized, almost seeming to breath with life as it glistened in the shadows. She could picture the rough hewn stone underneath, the substance of the altar itself. She could even sense the cracks and crevices filled with the hot wax as years of meditation was performed at it’s feet. She could almost hear their prayers, whispered in dozens of different languages, some long since dead. All of these things permeated her senses as she regained her composure, her mind still reeling from all that she had seen and felt.

She made an effort to clear some of the images that still danced across the front of her brain, breathing slowly and steadily. It took time to process and translate such large and complex visions, but already she was beginning to understand more of the situation. The trances were demanding, both physically and mentally, on her small frame. Being a seer, especially one as powerful as her, was a blessing and a curse. She took to her powers with a passion, though! Those who didn’t posses these gifts could never understand, thinking it was something that came effortlessly. For those with even a lower level of power, the practices could still be deadly. She, however, was very powerful. Capable of achieving things unparalleled in her verse, she knew there had to be more out there and she was right. Adjusting the way she viewed life as a whole, she harnessed her metaphysical powers, which eventually gave her access to the Etherverse.

Thinking back to her first few encounters, when she initially found the portal to the Etherverse, she had thought it to be some sort of energy barrier. The first time she passed through the gateway, she found herself standing in a small room with no windows and only one door. After working up her courage, she had pushed through the door to find a waiting area of some kind. Stopping to soak in her surroundings, a nondescript man clad all in black, approached her slowly. “Miss Serra,” He began, bowing deeply. “The council has been awaiting your arrival.” Standing straight, a slight rustle of silky fabric quietly announcing his movement, he gestured the way from which he had come, announcing “This way, please.” He gave the courtesy of phrasing it like a question, but she was certain it was not a request. As she began walking in the direction he gestured, her silent guide fell into step along side of her. Maybe a half a pace ahead of her, Inara noticed that he kept her in his field of vision at all times. Definitely a warrior, she thought to herself.

Looking around her as they walked, there appeared to be no end to either side of the large room. Instead, the room seemed to curve slowly, occluding her view as she moved forward. Ahead of her were two large wooden doors. They looked weathered and scarred, yet sturdy enough to take a battering ram! Gilded in brass that shined even in the half light, the whole thing seemed an anomaly to her senses. Following the texture of the wall around the frame of the door, her eyes followed the wall up. To her astonishment, she could see no end! It was as if there was no top or roof, but instead a seem where the building met the black emptiness beyond her sight. It looked much like a night sky, your glimpse caught between two tall buildings, except that this building was sky high, merging into a sky with no stars. To make things even more unnatural feeling, she was sure that she was inside something, out of the elements. With no wind on her face, or natural light to speak of, she felt as if she were deep at the center of her planet!

Without realizing it, Inara had stopped still in her tracks as she stared up in astonishment. What was this place, she had wondered. Gently touching her arm, the man in black motioned to the doors once again. Moving forward, she wondered again just what she had stumbled into. Upon reaching the doors, her guide leaned forward and opened the one on their left. Hesitating only momentarily, she stepped through to see what was next!

Inside the great hall, where her escort silently led her, Inara couldn’t believe her eyes. The place was enormous, with rows of seating that seemed to lead down for miles. After looking down for several minutes, she started to feel the effects of vertigo and leveled her view. Again to her astonishment, she couldn’t see across the great arena. How in the heavens could something be so massive, she thought to herself. Looking up, she knew what she would see even before her eyes made it there! Sure enough, the black night like sky hung above them, as starless on the inside as it was outside of the immense structure. As she entered, she noticed other people were filing in to pack seats for as far as she could see. As her guide motioned her towards a small seating area with a booth and two seats tiered below that, she realized that it was meant for her. Moving to the designated place, she took a seat on the bench, so as not to have her back unguarded. That was when she became an official member of the Ethercouncil. Being the first of her people to cross over the threshold into the Etherverse automatically gave her the ruling seat on a cabinet that could hold up to four. Over many hours, broken up over many visits to follow, Inara came to understand the laws that governed this shaded world. She learned, very quickly, that everyone had an agenda. That most other council members grappled for the few controlling council seats, making it a viper’s nest of politicians. Not all agendas, she also learned, were evil. She had also grown to make some good friends and allies, who helped her to understand even more about this mysterious realm. Above all else, though, she learned that politics were fluid by nature and that she had to be careful about those she let get close. Someone on the council, a friend, had given her a piece of advice that she found to be very useful. He had said to keep her friends close and her enemies closer still. He told her it was from a proverb he had learned in his home verse. She had not fully understood what he meant in the beginning, but soon came to appreciate it for the sage advice it was!

But oh, the adventures she had experienced! She saw parallel worlds, alien verses, and so many other new things it would make an ordinary girl go mad, she thought with a smile. The Etherverse was like a focal point, a rest stop between different realities, bending and reshaping all the known laws! When she jumped to a different verse, it was like being in a fable, playing out a part. Some parts were of no consequence, making no impact on the time lines she cared about. Some trips, however, were made for very specific purposes in an effort to directly effect the worlds she was involved in. She had played many roles, in many different worlds, over the years. They were all temporary escapes, vacations, as compared to her position on the Ethercouncil. Her life had never been the same after that fateful discovery and she had never been happier!

Inara’s mind came back from the fond memories of her first few visits to the Etherverse and filled her with a warmth. Something she had seen in her last vision, still intangible at this point, called out to her. She felt as if it were there in front of her, written on a scroll for her to read. She was frustrated at her inability to sort this out, but reminded herself to be patient. Then the answers would unfold and reveal themselves. Rising and lighting a few new sticks of incense, she stretched out her lithe frame. After working out a mild stiffness in her back, she kissed her fingers and placed them on the wax covered stone of the altar. Kneeling down on her small bed of pillows, hands folded in her lap, she closed her eyes again and opened her mind to contemplation. Through this meditation, she reminded herself, would come comprehension.