Recommended reading: Chapter 1

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ACT ONE

INT. SERENITY - CONTINUOUS

The crew continues to surround River, who looks like a cornered animal. She still has her fist clenched, which is covered in Jayne and Simon’s blood.

MAL (aside to Zoe) "Okay, what do we do?"

ZOE "I was going to ask you--"

Jayne recovers and roars over to River, his intentions apparent. Like a robot, River delivers a series of punches, elbows, and kicks sending Jayne to the floor.

ZOE "Plan B?"

MAL "Talk to her!"

ZOE (reaction from Zoe, then) "River. Honey. We’re not going to hurt you."

CUT BACK TO:

INT. FIELD - CONTINUOUS

The Zoe-creature puts her hands up. We see her black nails writhe in and out like ten snakes on her blue hands. A horrible hissing noise is coming from her mouth.

River backs away, doing her best to contain a scream as the Mal-creature closes in slowly with his hands up. Other than his white eyes and blue hands he looks normal until--He opens his mouth and an acidic venom shoots out hitting River in the face.

With a scream she uppercuts Mal and he lands several feet away on his back. The thunderstorm has begun now, and we see several spikes of lightning tear through the sky, getting closer and closer. Out of sheer desperation, River grabs one.

CUT BACK TO:

INT. SERENITY CARGO BAY - CONTINUOUS

Mal is just sitting up as we hear a metal scraping sound. The whole crew turns to see... River with a long blade from Jayne’s weapons. She holds it in her hands for a second, looks to Mal, then rushes in like a banshee. She’s moving so fast Mal barely has time to put his hands up as River’s blade comes down in a deadly arc--

CUT BACK TO:

INT. FIELD - CONTINUOUS

--and is stopped by another blade. Turning, River sees a creature holding a similar blade to River’s. It is the Inara-creature and it is by far the most grotesque. Dressed in slimy black garb, she is covered in warts, and her face is contorted beyond human.

River’s fear is overwhelming as we

CUT BACK TO:

INT. SERENITY CARGO BAY - CONTINUOUS

Inara holds River’s blade with her own.

INARA "River, don’t do this."

They lock eyes for a second. For the first time, we see one clear emotion from River. And it’s hate.

Her focus completely taken off Mal, River turns her blade towards Inara. It’s all Inara can do to defend herself from River’s merciless assault.

MAL (stands and draws gun) "Take her down!"

KAYLEE "Captain, you can’t--"

MAL "She’ll kill us all! Take her down!"

Mal and Zoe point guns at River, but can’t get a clear shot as she and Inara continue their sword fight.

ZOE "There’s a better way..."

Zoe moves in and grabs River around the waist. It only takes a second for her to--

Elbow Zoe in the face and follow up with the hilt of her blade.

Inara takes the opening, moves in, and is stopped by a flash of metal. As we look down, we see blood coming from Inara’s side.

KAYLEE "River, you have to stop--"

CUT BACK TO:

INT. FIELD - CONTINUOUS

Lightning and thunder crashes as the creatures continue to attack a frantic River. The Kaylee-creature screams in fury as she hurdles toward River. Out of sheer desperation, River whips her foot around, connecting with the creature’s jaw. Her head snaps back, and River swings her blade to the exposed flesh as we

SLOW MOTION:

A BANG of thunder is heard as a bolt of lightning slices down River’s arm. A spurt of black blood shoots forward. She stares at it for a beat.

BANG! Another bolt of lightning hits River square in her back. The entire field is consumed in light as we

CUT BACK TO:

INT. SERENITY CARGO BAY - CONTINUOUS

River sways for a second before falling face down to the floor. A few feet behind her are Mal and Zoe holding smoking guns. Blood begins to well on River’s back and arm.

As we look around, everyone has blood drawn to some degree. Mal spares Inara, who is grabbing her side in pain, a look before he moves to River. With a sigh, he cocks his gun and aims at her.

SIMON (rushes over) "No!"

He lies over his sister, blocking Mal’s shot.

MAL "Now Doc, why do you think that will work?"

SIMON "I’m not going to let you kill her."

MAL "Well, then we’ve got a problem. Because if you’re not blind, deaf, and dumb your sister just tried to kill us all."

SIMON "I didn’t risk my career, my family, or my life to get her away from those psychos just so she could die here."

MAL (excitable) "Well, I didn’t reduce myself to errand boy status, put my crew in danger for a convenient doctor, and fight in a war against thousands of Alliance just to see me and my crew finished off by...by...well whatever it is she is."

ZOE "Captain--"

MAL (more excitable) "What?!?"

ZOE "Port is just two days away. We can sedate her, stow her, and leave her there."

MAL (sarcasm) "Oh. Wow. Really?" (seriously) "Get him the hell off her!"

Zoe slings her gun over her shoulder, moves to Simon, and stands over him.

ZOE "You’d never forgive yourself."

MAL "I’ll risk it."

Kaylee stands next to Zoe and is joined by Inara.

JAYNE "I’m pretty sure I can get rid of all of ‘em, Cap."

MAL (to the crew in front of him) "She’ll kill us all."

INARA (holding her side) "Mal, for the love of--"

MAL "Inara, get to the infirmary."

INARA "And who, pray tell, is going to tend to me?"

The crew turns to look at Simon, who has not budged from his sister. They turn back to Mal. He sighs. And raises his gun.

MAL "Two days. If I see her outside some kind of restraining situation I’ll finish what she started here."

As Mal backs away, Simon picks River up and exits.

MAL "Zoe, get down there." (before she can protest) "I know they won’t last long alone, but if you wanted a quick and painless death you would have let me kill her now." (to all) "And I don’t want to hear a word from anyone else. This is what you wanted and now you have it."

The crew, with the exception of Jayne, is a mix of horror and grief.

CUT TO:

INT. SERENITY INFIRMARY - LATER

River is lying on the table while Simon prepares for surgery. Inara is bandaged and on her way out.

INARA (re: River) "She’s not hurt too bad, is she?"

SIMON "Is that what you think? That bastard shot her in the spine."

INARA "Will she be--"

SIMON "He didn’t sever anything. I should be able to fix it. Apparently, he doesn’t think she’s messed up enough."

INARA "Simon, I’m truly sorry about all of this."

SIMON "I really need to work right now."

Inara exits leaving Simon to work obsessively.

CUT TO:

INT. INFIRMARY - LATER

We see Simon, looking exhausted, but still working fervently on River. Pull out to see Zoe standing guard with a gun.

MOVE TO:

INT. ENGINE ROOM

Kaylee is cleaning an engine part in her lap, but looking far, far away.

MOVE TO:

INT. SHUTTLE

Although wounded, Inara is deep in thought as she lights a candle and kneels in prayer.

MOVE TO: INT. BRIDGE

We see Mal driving Serenity and staring into space. Soft music is coming from a panel. He switches it off.

MOVE TO:

INT. DINING AREA

We see Jayne stuffing his face full of food. On closer inspection we see the shelf he’s pulling food from is marked “River.”

MOVE BACK TO:

INT. INFIRMARY

We see Simon asleep on the bench in the infirmary. Pull back to see Zoe cover him with a blanket. She spares a look to River, who is still asleep. Zoe stands with her gun ready.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

INT. INFIRMARY - SIMON’S P.O.V.

Zoe is nearby, but is staring at something else.

ZOE "River?"

We see Simon wake immediately and join Zoe at River’s bed. River is sitting up and staring at Zoe’s gun.

SIMON "River?" (nothing) "How is she?"

ZOE See for yourself. Look, Simon, you’d better strap her down before the captain sees she’s awake.

SIMON "That was fast..."

He moves in and straps a now complacent River to the bed.

ZOE "Look, Simon, we’ll think of someway to keep you on."

She exits leaving Simon to put his face in his hands.

RIVER "Simon?"

In his despair, he ignores her.

With a deft bending of her limbs, River slides free of the straps and sits up.

RIVER (to herself) "If you’re going to strap me down at least do it right." (looks under blanket) "And I’m still naked. Great."

Simon turns in a mix of disbelief and horror.

RIVER (to herself) "I’m freezing. Would it have killed you to get me a pair of socks?"

SIMON "River?"

RIVER (still to herself) "I guess I could live with nine toes."

SIMON "River!"

River looks at her brother with disbelief/horror.

END OF ACT ONE

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Comments, feedback, and props are always welcome, but make sure to go to Chapter 3 after you do.