LEEDAVIDT'S BLOG

leedavidt

brownquotes "out of gas"
Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Out of Gas

[Flashback to Mal trying to sell Zoe on the worthiness of his new ship.]
Zoe: Sir... you paid money for this? On purpose?
...
Mal: Ship like this, be with you till the day you die.
Zoe: Because it's a death trap.
. . .
Mal: Try to see past what she is, and on to what she can be.
Zoe: What's that, sir?
Mal: Freedom, is what.
Zoe: [pointing] I meant, what's that?
Mal: Oh. Yeah, just step around that. I think something must've been living in here.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mal: I tell you, Zoe, we get a mechanic, get her runnin' again, hire a good pilot, maybe a cook - live like real people. Small crew, them as feel the need to be free, take jobs as they come, ain't never have to be under the heel of nobody ever again. No matter how long the arm of the Alliance might get... we'll just get ourselves a little further.
Zoe: Get her running again?
Mal: Yeah.
Zoe: So not running now?
Mal: Not so much.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[In near-present day, Wash comes in late to hear Book's dinner-table tales.]
Wash: Monastic humor. I miss out on all the fun.
. . .
[Simon is unable to quickly convey a funny story about being a doctor]
Jayne: [interrupting] What about Inara? Bet she's got some funny whoring stories.
Inara: Do I ever! Funny and sexy. You have no idea... and you never will.
. . .
[The crew surprises Simon with a birthday cake.]
Simon: How did… how did you know? River, did you…?
River: "Day" is a vestigial mode of time measurement, based on solar cycles. It's not applicable. [pauses] I didn't get you anything.
. . .
Kaylee: Hope you like it. Couldn't get a hold of no flour, so it's mostly protein. In fact, it's pretty much what we just had for supper. But I tried to make the frosting as chocolate-y tasting as possible.
Simon: I'm really, um, I'm very, very deeply moved. Thank you.
Jayne: Well… deeply move yourself to blow out them candles, so we can try a slice.

[After the fire is contained, Kaylee reports on the accident.]
Kaylee: Catalyzer on the port compression coil blew. It's where the trouble started.
Mal: Okay, I need that in captain dummy-talk, Kaylee.
Kaylee: We're dead in the water.
. . .
[Kaylee discusses the loss of life support, especially oxygen.]
Mal: How long?
Kaylee: A couple of hours, maybe. We'll start to feel it… and then we won't feel nothin' at all.

Simon: Suffocation's not exactly the most dignified way to go. The human body will involuntarily—
Inara: Please, I don't really require a clinical description right now.
Simon: I'm sorry. I just, uh… It was my birthday.


[River peeks in on Book, who is reading his Bible.]
River: You're afraid we're going to run out of air. That we'll die gasping. But we won't. That's not going to happen.
[Book looks up at her, hopefully.]
River: We'll freeze to death first.


Kaylee: Sometimes, something gets broke...can't be fixed.


Mal: I'm gettin' a little weary of this attitude, Wash.
Wash: [chuckling] Are you? Well, I'm so very sorry, sir. I guess the news that we're all gonna be purple and bloated and fetal in a few hours has made me a little snippy.
. . .
[The coversation continues in a shouting fashion.]
Wash: What do you expect me to do, Mal?
Mal: Whatever you have to! And if you can't do it from here, then get a suit on and go outside on the side of the boat—
Wash: And what?! Wave my arms around?
Mal: Wave your arms around, jump up and down, divert the navsats to the transmitter… whatever.
Wash: Divert the— Right! Because teenage pranks are fun when you're about to die!
Mal: It'd give the beacon a boost, wouldn't it?
Wash: Yes! It would boost the signal. But even if some passerby did happen to receive, all it would do is muck up their navigation!
Mal: Could be that's true.
Wash: Damn right it's true! They'd be forced to stop and dig out our signal before they could even go anyplace.
[Mal stares at Wash. Wash stares back, realization dawning and still shouts:]
Wash: Well, maybe I should do that then!

[Flashback to Serenity's' early days, with a mechanic named Bester, whom Mal catches in flagrante delicto.]
Mal: Get your prairie harpy off my boat, and put us back in the air.
Bester: Okay-y, but… can't.
Mal: What do you mean, "can't"?
Bester: No can do, Cap. Secondary grav boot's shot.
[Bester's local girlfriend calls out from behind the engine, where she's getting dressed again.]
Kaylee: No it ain't! Ain't nothing wrong with your grav boot. Grav boot's just fine. [waves to Mal] Hello!
Bester: She doesn't… eh, that's not what… [to Kaylee] No it ain't!
Kaylee: Sure it is! Grav boot ain't your trouble. I seen the trouble plain as day when I was down there on my back before. Your reg couple's bad.
. . .
Mal: You got much experience with a vessel like this?
Kaylee: I never even been up in one before.
Mal: Wanna?
Kaylee: You mean…
Mal: Sure.
Kaylee: For how long?
Mal: Long as you like. Long as you can keep her in the sky.
Kaylee: You offerin' me a job?
Bester: W-w-w— what?
Mal: Believe I just did.
[Kaylee grins.]
Kaylee: I just gotta ask my folks. Don't leave without me!
[She runs off.]
Bester: Mal! What do you need two mechanics for?
Mal: I really don't.
[Back in near-present day, Mal "prepares" Inara's shuttle.]
Mal: I'm not leaving Serenity.
Inara: Mal, you don't have to die alone.
Mal: Everybody dies alone.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Flashback to Inara leasing the shuttle. Mal wonders why a registered Companion would associate with smugglers.]
Mal: If it's Alliance trouble you got, you might want to consider another ship. Some on board here fought for the Independents.
Inara: The Alliance has no quarrel with me. I supported unification.
Mal: Did ya? Well, I don't suppose you're the only whore who did.
Inara: [smiling] Oh — one further addendum. That's the last time you get to call me "whore".
Mal: Absolutely! Never again.

Flashback to Mal's years-earlier encounter with three bandits, one of whom is Jayne.]
Mal: Which one do you figure tracked us?
Zoe: The ugly one, sir.
Mal: [pauses] Could you be more specific?
[Figuring out it was Jayne who tracked them, Mal offers him a better cut of the goods]
Mal: Look, forget anything I said. I'm sure you're treated very well. You get all the perks...got your own room...
[Jayne looks dejected]
Mal: No? You share a bunk?
Jayne: [indicates third bandit] With that one.
Marco: Jayne, this ain't funny!
Jayne: Yeah, and I ain't laughing.
Mal: Tell you what. You move over to this side, we'll not only show you where the stuff's at -- we'll see you get your fair share. Not no sad seven.
Jayne: [piqued] Private room?
Marco: Jayne!
Mal: Your own room. Full run of the kitchen. Whole shot.
Marco: Jayne, I ain't asking-
[Jayne shoots Marco in the leg and aims at the other bandit without looking]
Jayne: Shut up. [to Mal] How big a room?


[As Mal falls asleep, he experiences another flashback, to a used spaceship yard.]
Salesman: Yup. Real beauty, ain't she? Yes sir.
[The rocket-shaped vessel that the salesman is trying to sell Mal comes into view.]
Salesman: Tell you what. You buy this ship - treat her proper - she'll be with you for the rest of your life.
[But Mal has his attention caught by something else.]
Salesman: Son? Hey, son?
[As we follow Mal's point of view, we see a battered old Firefly, someday to become "Serenity," sitting on the other side of the lot.]

Salesman: You hear a word I been sayin'?

COMMENTS



POST YOUR COMMENTS

You must log in to post comments.

YOUR OPTIONS

THIS MONTH'S ENTRIES

ARCHIVES

2009 April

2009 February

2009 January

2008 December

OUR SPONSOR