CHAPTER 7 Simon, River, Jayne, Kaylee, and Book all froze, startled at the girl’s demand. She stood her ground confidently, as if she weren’t even naked. One hand she held low, palm facing back, indicating to the boy that he should stay down. Simon was surprised at how young the boy was—he couldn’t have been more than ten or eleven. The girl, for her part seemed far more lucid than Simon would have expected for someone coming out of hibernation. She jealously guarded the third box, looking ready to spring anyone who came near. Still, the fact that no one had emerged from the third box worried Simon greatly. Coming out of hibernation could be very dangerous and he needed to help the occupant. “Stay back!” the girl warned. “It’s okay! I’m a doctor,” Simon said, ignoring her warning and approaching with both hands raised to show he meant no harm. “Jian ta de gui,” the girl muttered, grabbing Simon’s arm, whipping him about, and tossing him flat on his back. “Simon!” Kaylee yelled, dropping the clothing she was carrying and sliding to her knees behind him. Simon was too stunned to move, but accepted Kaylee’s help in trying to sit. The little boy reached for the clothing that Kaylee had dropped, but the girl grabbed his arm and held him back. “Toss those over here,” she commanded Book. Book crossed the room slowly, keeping his distance. A handful of worn sweaters, light trousers, dresses from the donations pile, Simon didn’t think it could be tossed. But Book folded the bundle carefully and the little boy caught it with ease. Quickly, the two children dressed, the girl pulling on some light brown trousers and a blue top. The boy was swimming in a green sweater so large he hardly needed pants. The girl helped him find a viable pair of trousers and she cinched it around his waist with a head scarf. “They gave us clothes,” the little boy whispered to her. The girl shook her head. “That doesn’t mean much.” “What the hell is going on in here?” Mal yelled, storming into the room. He stopped short when he saw the three open boxes, Simon laying on the floor, and Jayne holding River down. “Oh!” Mal said with raised eyebrows, understanding. “Little sister thought we should meet all her friends,” Jayne sniped as Mal surveyed the two kids. The girl had resumed her guard of the box and the boy hid behind. “Where is friend number three?” Mal asked. “He’s not out yet,” Simon said. “We need to help.” The girl started pulling at the heavy box lid, trying to replace it. “Stay away,” she told Mal. Mal looked from the girl to Simon to the others on his crew. All were maintaining their distance from the girl and the third box. She had managed to tip up the box lid and was trying to slide it on. “What’s your name?” Mal asked her. She didn’t answer. “Alegra,” River said. Mal shot a look at River who nodded to assure him that she meant to speak just then. “Alegra? Is that right?” The girl looked at him warily and nodded. “Do you mind if we help out your friend?” “He doesn’t need your help. He needs to be back to sleep.” “Even if that were possible, it isn’t wise,” Simon told her. Alegra shot him an angry look. “Why did you wake him?” she asked Mal. “Weren’t my decision really.” “He saved my life,” River spoke up. Everyone looked at River a moment, no one understanding. Finally, Alegra replied. “He may yet end it.”

*~*

Inara huddled beneath her robe, wishing she and Gavin had taken an extra moment to dress or at least find slippers. Prio had locked her in a bare cell, the walls a rough cinderblock gray without a hint of paint. The cold cement floor sucked the heat from her body, causing her to shiver. A slab of concrete extended from the wall and a flimsy plastic coated mattress spoke of its intentions to be a bed. The mattress was stained and filthy, probably coated with the decaying remnants of the cell’s previous occupant. Inara worried that she might die here. Her stomach growled, reminding her that several hours had passed since her last meal. She rubbed her feet to warm them, hoping that someone would come for her soon. This room was a solid block of concrete and as far as she could tell, all her air came through the crack under the door. For her to escape, the door would have to be open. Despair crept in as she realized no one on Serenity would even notice her missing until tomorrow evening. Was it tomorrow yet? In her timeless prison, it was impossible to tell. Gathering her strength, Inara tried the door. On this side, there was no handle, only a key hole. She pressed against the door, but the material did not yield. She threw herself against it a few times until her shoulder hurt. The door would not be knocked down. But there were no protests from the other side, either. No one was guarding the door…at least no one awake. Curiously, she started to knock at the door. At first, she chose a steady rhythm, then she started tapping out songs. After several minutes of tapping, she finally got a response. “Knock it off!” So someone was out there! “I would like something to eat,” she responded, hopefully. She started bouncing between her feet, preparing herself for a quick sprint. A few moments later, her captor yelled through the door again. “Sit down on the bed!” “Okay,” Inara said, sidling up to the door, hoping to have surprise on her side when the door opened. “I ain’t bringin’ this food in till you sit down!” Could he see her? Uncertainly, she walked to the back of the room and swallowing her disgust, she sat on the bed. Almost immediately the lock started to jiggle. Thinking quickly, Inara leaned back on the bed and slipped off her robe. A tall, thickly muscled man came through the door with a protein bar and a piece of fruit. At the sight of Inara lying naked on the bed, he dropped them both. “Thought you said you was hungry,” he drooled, coming eagerly into the room, salivating at the sight of her. He would be an easy mark. Inara played her best pucker and didn’t move from the bed. “I am hungry,” she pouted, touching her lips seductively. “My Gavin was taken before I could get my fill.” With a disgusting leer, the guard quickly closed the door and locked them both inside. She could see the swell in his pants as he cackled with delight. “I could fill you up nice.” “I’m not sure you could,” Inara teased. “I’m insatiable.” The man grinned, pulling off his belt. “As am I”

*~*

It had taken nearly twenty minutes to coax the boy out of the third box—long enough for Shepherd Book to return to the donation pile, find smaller clothes for the younger boy, Tyler, and have clothing waiting for the older boy when he emerged. Book guessed him to be in his late teens or early twenties. Simon guessed him to be a vegetable. “Wei doesn’t speak anymore,” Alegra explained. “He doesn’t listen. I know he can. He will.” She sounded hopeful, despite Simon’s disbelief. In the end, Alegra had crawled into the third box and crowded Wei out. His head was covered with dark black peach fuzz, indicating that it had been shaved when he entered hibernation. Having opted for a friendly approach, Tyler bounced around the room, introducing himself to everyone. Despite Book’s offer, Tyler insisted on keeping the large, green sweater which came to his elbows, even with the sleeves rolled all the way up. Book served the lamb he had been preparing and they ate sitting on the floor. Wei would not sit, but stood by the window, staring at a corner in the ceiling. River said she’d already eaten and stood next to Wei, considering that same corner. Jayne sat far from the others and ignoring his chopsticks, he picked out chunks of lamb with his fingers and popped them into his mouth. Tyler sat next to Kaylee and despite Kaylee’s protests, he mimicked Jayne’s eating style. Alegra sat next to Mal, maintaining her defiant posture even as she accepted the bowl of food and ate. “Do you really think your boy saved River’s life?” Mal asked Alegra. “Hard to say. I only just met him. I don’t know who he used to be.” “For having just met, you seem pretty protective.” “People want him dead,” she said simply. “You go into those boxes and you have no idea where you might wake up. This isn’t the place I expected.” “None of us expected it,” Mal assured her. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you home.” Book finished pouring drinks for everyone and took a seat next to Jayne. His half-eaten plate set aside, Jayne pulled out his Desert Eagle and turned it over in his hands. Book worried, because unlike this morning, now the gun was loaded. “Why did you have to do a day of silence?” Jayne asked, his voice low and perplexed. Book took a slow drink of water to prepare his answer. “When we’re silent, we can truly listen, and we learn what it is that needs saying,” he answered. He thought back to his earlier conversation with Jayne, thinking about what needed saying. “Elle’s death was not in vain.” Jayne slapped the gun against the palm of his hand in frustration. “I don’t know if she was who I thought she was,” he said slowly, as if still trying to work through the details. “She used to be a great story teller, but looking back, I was the one telling all the stories. And these kids … there’s no percentage in this for Stolte, they must be taking a loss. Elle wouldn’t do this.” Book considered Jayne’s dilemma and thought through any of various lectures on how people change. He thought about how much he had changed over the years and how different his life was now. “It doesn’t mean she’s not herself,” Book said finally. “It just means she’s not the person you once knew.” Jayne pondered this for a moment, his face twisting in dissatisfaction. “If she’s not the one I knew, then who did I rescue? I miss the person I once knew.” Book smiled mysteriously. “And all these weeks, you’ve been insisting you never knew her.”

*~*

As the evening wore on, Wei circled the perimeter of the room, his hand touching the wall, feeling the windows, and tracing the door frames. River followed at a distance, her eyes locked on him. Alegra had gone to the roof, insisting on keeping Zoë company and getting a lay of the land. Tyler bounced in circles, running up to Jayne every few minutes, then running away in a fit of giggles when Jayne gave a menacing glare. Next to Tyler’s frenetic bouncing, Jayne was practically a statue. Kaylee worked converting handholds on the trailer and boosting the engine power so the hover mule could handle a full compliment. “I really don’t understand kids,” Simon mused. “Of all people, he’s only interested in Jayne.” “You don’t choose kids, Simon. They choose you.” Kaylee smiled, her eyes steady on the mule. You could never be sure a hand-cranked bolt was tight enough. “I think it’s sweet.” “I think if that kid is not careful, he’s gonna get shot.” “Nah, Jayne wouldn’t shoot ‘em.” She lifted her head from the engine block and looked at the pair just to make sure. “Look how Jayne’s smilin’! He likes the attention!” “He’s smiling because he’s holding half his gun collection. I’m telling you, the kid is gonna get shot.” Kaylee shook her head with a laugh and returned to her work. “What about the other boy? Wei?” “It’s hard to say. I—at first, I thought he was in a vegetative state.” “Don’t look like a vegetable now,” Kaylee said as Wei walked past. Simon furrowed his brow, searching for a better explanation. “He doesn’t communicate. He doesn’t respond to light or smell or touch. He didn’t eat. I still can’t figure out how Alegra got him out of the box, or if he’s even aware of where he is. If he even knows he’s walking.” “How can you not know you’re walkin’?” “I’m worried,” Simon said, frustrated. “When it’s time to run from here, will we be able to convince him to get on the mule? Will he be able to run? If we tell him to stay down and be quiet… we were safer with him in the box.” Kaylee pressed her lips together, considering Wei with pity. She watched River trail him around the room, mumbling to herself. “River will convince him.” Simon looked from River to Kaylee, his mouth hanging open. Finally, he leaned close to Kaylee and whispered, “I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier.”

*~*

Within twenty minutes, Inara had worn the guard out and lulled him to sleep. As he sprawled on the bed, snoring loudly, Inara pulled on his uniform which, though filthy, was far warmer than her robe. Then she grabbed the keys, the gun, and the food and slipped out of the cell, locking the guard inside. The hall was empty, dead ending in one direction, so she dashed off in the opposite. The guard’s boots were heavy and awkward, too big for her feet. Sliding out of them easily, she continued on with just the socks, carrying the boots for when she made it outside. She walked purposefully, hoping that if security monitored these halls, they would ignore the ill-fitting uniform and take her for a guard. She rounded a corner and stopped dead. It was the last security checkpoint before exiting the prison blocks and three guards were congregated eating donuts. She couldn’t just waltz through. Hoping no one had seen her yet, she backed around a corner. There was another door across the hallway leading to a stairwell. Testing the keys on her stolen ring until she found the right one, Inara ran quickly, hoping the stairs went up and out. About two flights up, she found an openable door that spit her out into what seemed like a hospital ward. The corridor was sterile gray with exam rooms on one side and a lab on the other. Walking through it gave Inara chills. She found a diagram on the wall posting an “emergency escape plan” and studied it carefully, keeping her head down. There were too many people here, but among them she heard only one. Prio’s unmistakable smooth, nasal voice floated through the corridor from around a corner. Inara ducked into a vacant exam room. The cold exam chair, machines, and wires made her shudder. Finding a closet, she quickly changed her ill-fitting guard uniform for scrubs and a white coat. She had to get out soon! Taking a deep breath, she peaked out of the Exam room. Prio was coming toward her! Desperately, she searched the room for a hiding place. The closet was too small. Thinking quickly, she pulled open an air vent and climbed into the ceiling. Seconds later, Prio entered with two nurses and a very dazed subject.

*~* ******** Go to Chapter 8