Still Jayne

Jayne followed Kaylee and Hunter as they turned a corner, they headed down another corridor and down a few steps. Jayne could see the outline of another bank of elevators ahead. He realized he had no idea where they were or how to get out, and the back of his neck started feeling a little itchy with the claustrophobia of being trapped underground in an Alliance facility. He had almost completely tuned out Hunter and Kaylee when the greyback suddenly stopped in the middle of the corridor and put a hand to her earpiece. She spoke quietly and listened, then turned to Jayne. She regarded him absently for a moment, and then spoke into the earpiece.

“How soon?” she asked, turning away again.

Jayne’s heart stopped as he stared at her back, trying to look only marginally interested as thoughts rushed through his head. Gorram it. Caught. They know. They know. We have to get out. Should have paid her then, never come closer, never come in, never took the gorram tour of their stupid gorram building with their stupid gorram hub and shafts and - He watched Hunter nod, wondering absently if the panels on his back would be enough to knock her out for as much time as it would take them to get away. Though he doubted it, he began surreptitiously moving the strap off his shoulder and was getting ready to swing when the greyback turned to face them again.

“Change of plans,” she said. Going a few steps farther down the hall, she reached small keypad. As she activated it, a section of the wall dissolved, revealing what seemed to be a comm system. Tapping a few keys, Hunter spoke into her earpiece. Jayne could hear her voice echoing through the corridors, and he knew that others could hear it, too. “Attention,” she said calmly. “This is a Code Seven. Repeat, a Code Seven. Implement Protocol 11 Alpha. Get to your safe zones and lock up. This is not a drill.” She repeated the command twice more, then hit a button. A loud metallic boom sounded from further down the corridor. She turned to Kaylee. “How long does it take for a Morningstar to go from hot to cold?”

Kaylee stared at her for a moment, not understanding. “I’m not… I don’t…” she stammered. “What’s going on?” Hunter tossed her a comlink.

“If you don’t know, get on the line to the pilot and find out. And start walking. That way. Quickly.” She gestured back the way they had come. “Move. Both of you.”

Caught off guard, Kaylee almost dropped the comlink as she stumbled a few steps, suddenly frightened at the change. “It’d be a couple of minutes from a cold start. Not too long. I don’t understand…”

Hunter took the comlink from her nerveless fingers, smiling almost kindly. “We have… we need to get you off this planet. Quickly. We’re going back the way we came.”

Jayne stood his ground. “We ain’t going any way until you tell me what the hell’s going on.”

The Alliance Lieutenant turned to him. “There’s a storm coming. Big one, by the looks of it. We need to get you back in the skies as fast as we can. Hurry, please.”

“Storm? One o’ them eat your ship and look around for more storms you was talkin’ about? Why are you sendin’ us out in that? What the hell are you playin’ at?” He folded his arms, wondering idly if now was the time to see how good a weapon a Hagen panel made. “Our ship’s in a shaft. We’re inside. I want a reason why we shouldn’t be. Sounds like suicide to me. Or murder.”

Hunter looked at him, and Jayne was shocked by what he saw in her eyes. He didn’t know that anyone else could even come close to that steel-angry look Mal got sometimes, or that cold rage that he had seen once – only once – in Zoë’s eyes. He stepped back a pace, trying to meet her eyes. She took hold of one of his arms, and he found himself surprised at the strength in that delicate-looking hand. “Because I said so, Mr. Cobb,” she said in a low voice. “That’s your reason. Now move.” She steered him firmly in front of her, then gave him a gentle shove toward Kaylee. “Both of you.” Her words were punctuated by another boom. Hunter began walking, and Jayne found himself following, more out of fear than anything else. He had a sudden feeling of being in way over his head, and a glance at Kaylee said she was thinking the same thing. He touched her elbow, trying to give her some comfort he didn’t much feel, as they walked quickly next to the officer. Hunter had pulled up the comlink, and an image of Wash appeared, looking cheerful as ever.

“Lieutenant Hunter!” he said. “Done so soon? I was just about to order myself some tea and dumplings. Marvelous facilities you have here. Did I hear an announcement not too long ago?”

“Your mechanic says you can start from cold in two minutes. Is that correct?”

Wash’s smile faltered a bit. “Bit more’n two,” he said, “but not by much. What’s going on?”

Kaylee spoke from Hunter’s right. “She says a storm is comin’. We need to be ready to go-” she stopped as the greyback waved her to silence.

“Did she say storm? Like the eat you alive storms?” he craned his neck as though trying to see around the edge of the capture.

“In a manner of speaking,” Hunter replied. “I don’t want you to start yet, but I’ll need you to be ready to start cold on my signal. We should have enough time to beat the storm, but it’ll take us a bit to get to you. Be prepped and ready to go. I’ll be in contact.”

“Wait, wait…” Wash held up his hands. “Trying to outrun a storm – how bad can I be? I’ve flown in storms before. There’s really nothing to be worried about.” There was a pause, and then a worried “is there?”

As if on cue, there was a loud clank, and the corridor was thrown into utter darkness. The only glow for long moment came from the comlink in Hunter’s hands. Silence descended in the corridor until small banks of blue emergency lights came on. Wash cleared his throat. “Y’all just hurry up. I’ll be here. Waiting. Alone,” he added significantly. “By myself.” Hunter nodded.

“We’ll keep an open channel, but stay dark and wait for my signal.” She clicked off the comlink and started back down the corridor to the elevators. Jayne found his voice.

“What’s going on?” he managed again, feeling like a parrot who only knew one sentence. “What happened to the lights?”

Hunter went to the furthest elevator and opened a panel, pulling the manual override to open the doors. “Shutdown,” she said, her voice strained as she yanked the handle out and down. “The bangs you’re hearing are the blast doors closing behind us. All the power goes automatically to the auxiliary generators. I’ve keyed the complex to lock itself down. It’s standard procedure. Don’t worry about it. Just keep moving.” She pulled open the elevator doors, stepping into the car and pulling a panel out of the roof. The shaft above seemed to stretch on forever. “Two levels up. Let’s go.” Taking the panels from Jayne, she stood back as he boosted Kaylee onto the roof of the elevator and climbed through himself. Passing the panels through, she nimbly climbed through the hole herself, closing the panel behind her. Jayne saw ladders on either side of the elevator car; heading toward the one Hunter indicated, he let Kaylee climb before him and then followed her up. He heard Hunter’s voice from below him, near his feet. “You’ll be looking for the level marked 4A. Big green letters right next to a door. Can’t miss it. It’s not far.” He heard Kaylee’s ragged breathing ahead of him as he climbed, feeling the bag with the panels pressing against his back.

A young man’s voice broke through the silence; Jayne recognized it as the idealistic officer who had first answered Wash’s wave. For a moment, he thought the voice was coming directly from Hunter until she realized that she was talking into her earpiece. He realized that her external speaker was still on from her earlier announcement.

“…eastern horizon now,” he was saying. “With all due respect, Lieutenant, what the in nine circles do you think you’re doing?”

“Following procedure, Corporal. I have civilians here that need to get out. This really isn’t the time, Jack.”

“The hell it isn’t, Ma’am,” he said. “Box in. You’re too exposed.”

Jayne had to admit that he was impressed – Hunter’s breath wasn’t even catching. “I have no choice, Corporal. They’ve got a pilot in the bay and a stranded ship. Who knows how far it’ll go this time? We can’t risk it. I have to get them off planet. Where’s the locker on 4A?” There was silence. Hunter cleared her throat. “I’ll find it anyway, Jack. Save me the time. And what are you doing still at your post? I gave the order.”

“Midway, sector three. Two doors from the end. And I had to make sure, Lieutenant.” His voice sounded oddly defeated.

“They’ve only hit the pad once, Jack. I have time. Get to your box and stay there. Hunter out.”

There was a small noise. “Clearing eastern horizon, Lieutenant. God go with you.”