Writers Notes:- based on the line of thought that the BDM is in an alternate universe – this is proved by the fact that in the movie Simon busts river out of the academy himself instead of as stated in the TV series as the underground movement contacted by Simon breaks river out (probably in the cryo box) in return for funding. A 2nd season of episodes starting with this episode The Wreck ***

Teaser- a large alliance ship (size of a cruiser – looks like a cross between a space station and a ship) travelling through space

- 4 years ago –

Alliance scientists are walking through white, clean, shiny corridors and pass a flustered scientist and an Alliance officer – they nod to the Head scientist and continue, leaving the scientist to try to keep up with the officers pace.

“He’s like nothing we’ve ever accomplished – you can forget the cyber research with those animals…”

(Indicates a side corridor)

“…this subject is perfect”

‘is that so? I was told there have been difficulties – he rejected the chip!’

The alliance officer is not as optimistic as the scientist

“I admit there have been … problems – the subject is insane because of the treatments – he’s a danger to everyone it can reach”

‘there has been success at controlling insanity in other projects’

“this is different the techniques used have been different to neurological surgery despite having the same basis”

The officer stops abruptly and turns to look at the scientist

Realising mistake “the treatments involved bring the subject to the brink of death and back again and is completely different to creating a psychic in fact we made certain he wasn’t a psychic”

They start walking again

‘The other test subjects’

“didn’t survive”

‘and the problem?’

“its like we’ve induced schizophrenia, the insane section of his psyche is separate and usually dominant over the remaining part of his original personality”

Pauses

“the sane part will be easy to manipulate but the insane part is a tougher entity…”

Fearfully

“…its sentient, aware and can communicate rational”

Shakes head

“my scientists are afraid to talk to it they think he’s possessed”

‘they are the cores finest minds and they believe in that Feh Feh Pi Guhn’

“he mainly declares his desire to kill and he delights in describing the less sophisticated methods of execution he will use on each of us”

‘it isn’t a rea…’

“NO! no it abhors them and there .. habits, but it calls them revellers – a pronunciation defect we haven’t been able to eliminate”

They have reached the main lab and have stopped outside

‘very well continue your work and I’ll send my recommendations to the parliament – depending on there reply you will have the go-ahead to terminate project SW-SS in favour of further research into this project’

“and the test subjects?”

‘Da Kai Sa Jeh’

The officer walks away from the lab leaving the scientist to enter and look at the Titanium cage in admiration.

--- Title Sequence ---

Take my love, take my land Take me where I cannot stand I don't care, I'm still free You can't take the sky from me Take me out to the black Tell them I ain't comin' back Burn the land and boil the sea You can't take the sky from me There's no place I can be Since Are found Serenity you can't take the sky from me...

(Please play the theme tune music or the opening titles of a firefly DVD episode when you read this – thank you for reading this now get on with the story)

(Act 1)

space the final frontier (no that’s star treck) – Serenity fly’s serenity past revolving slowly

(Cue low and meaningful music)

Serenity interior – Dining room

Jayne been Jayne is cleaning his Knifes and guns at the table, Kaylee and Inara are chatting, Zoe and Wash are having a marital discussion, Sheppard Book is simply eating (at peace with the world), river is glancing between Simon and Kaylee (in between sticking her tongue out at Jayne when he isn’t looking), Simon is trying to look as if he isn’t staring at Kaylee (causing Inara some amusement but she doesn’t bring attention to this), Mal is simply Mal – eating, listening to the crew – basking in the warm and friendly atmosphere.

Inara “and then he said – so I win the prise”

Kaylee and Inara burst out laughing – distracting the others momentarily

Zoe smiles and whispers to wash ‘wait and see husband wait and see’

Washes eye bulge as he asks “can I bring Rex or Stegs” looks adoringly “please”

‘he…he…he…. Pfttt Ha Ha Ha Ha!’ Kaylee fails to stop laughing

thinks it over – but seeing her husband’s torn expression relents “don’t see why not but only 1 or I’m taking a full arsenal

Chuckling ‘yes and I explained it to him but he was still proud’

“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA”

Nodding earnestly ‘sure’ notices Kaylee and Inara ‘what’s the joke?’

Kaylee and Inara look at wash then back at each other and start laughing again, Kaylee almost falling of her chair

Wash looks bemused at his wife

River stares at Kaylee with rapid attention and then Sniggers as she gets the joke

Jayne shoots a glance at river, then glares at Inara and Kaylee he is about to say something but catches Mal’s glare, muttering obscenities under his breath ( Ai Chr Jze Se Duh FohnDiang Gho) he spits on his knife and continues polishing

River sniggers again and whispers to Zoe “watch out for Raptor he’s hiding in the laundry bag” To wash “Emergency kit – shuttle 2 – a hidden Magnum P.1 with extra ammo, but don’t tell anyone (giggles) it’s a secret silly”

Wash and Zoe glance confusedly at each other before blushing – in union ‘no Dinos no guns’

River continues to Glance between Kaylee and Simon

Sheppard Book “so captain where exactly are we heading now?”

Mal looks up ‘plan’s to reach Paquin ‘fore end of the week’

“yeah it’ll take us over 5 days at moderate speed to reach Paquin”

Inara ‘isn’t there anyway to arrive sooner wash?’

“Can’t afford to waste fuel – not since that wasted Triumph job – why? You in a hurry Ambassador?”

Controlling herself ‘Not particularly Mal’

Finally tearing his attention from Kaylee “um what’s on Paquin, its known as the Gypsy planet right?”

Smiling ‘that’s right and its deserving of its name – its home to more carnivals, sideshows, galleries and theatres than any of the core worlds – it attracts all classes of visitors, even Mal should be allowed in some of the lower class theatres’

Low chuckle around the table – mal puts on his best offended pride expression

Excitedly “it’s supposed to have the best sunrises and sets in the whole dam verse Simon, it’s supposed to be dead romantic an’ inspirational’

She smiles shinely at him the way only she can smile

Simon is uncomfortable but smiles back

Jayne leers at them but before he can say something crude and stupid – Simon asks a very good question

‘If it’s so perfect then why are we going there?’

“What do you mean Doc – sounds like a great place?”

‘exactly we never go to places like that its almost core world style – come to think of it, it sounds exactly like a core world – in all the time I’ve been on this ship we’ve only been to the core once and that was for Inara – that tends to say that you don’t like the core much’

“Well I guess you could put it like that then yeah”

‘So I can’t see the attraction of this world for you’

“Bit of a dilemma for you to solve then Doc”

‘Come on Captain – he’s right first and last time in the core an you only let me out to root through trash – I ain’t doing that again an I ain’t staying cooped up on the ship either’

“Don’t worry little Kaylee you can visit the new and shiny world when we get there - I promise”

‘So why ain’t you got a problem with this rock’ asks Jayne

‘I think I can answer that (pause) the Dark side’

“some how I knew that you knew that I know that you know ‘bout the dark side of Paquin if you know what I mean – there are darker carnivals where the owners fleece the crowd and slavers get new labour for terraforming crews”

‘Most of the attractions are genuine and lawful but the darker shows can be deadly – the alliance has been unable to eliminate them – otherwise it’s a perfect planet’

“It sounds alright but will there be a job for us on such a planet?”

‘According to Ericson there’s a theatre group who need transport to Santo in 7 days time’ states Zoe

“Sides Doc if this job goes south you might get the chance to be a criminal mastermind again”

‘We’ll get there in time to have a day off and relax – or that was what I was told – that’s the plan right Mal?’

“We get there on time all you have to worry about is finding a nudist beach”

Pause

‘Well I wouldn’t have put it like that but… Who cares? Sun, Sea, Sand, Theatre performance maybe and…’

The proximity alert sounds

‘A Collision, check out some art –maybe a nice hotel or a nicish B an’ B…. Did I say collision?’

Nods and mutters of affirmative

‘I’ll be right back’ jumps up and runs to the bridge with Mal and Zoe following him

“If it’s another Reaver victim were not stopping!” Jayne yells after them before sitting back down “gorram Reavers” carries on preparing his guns “better get Betsy Ready” looks up “an I should get Vera too” leaves

On bridge – wash jumps into his chair and pulls up a display – Zoe and Mal arrive ‘Whats the problem?’ asks Mal

“Who is it?” asks Zoe

‘Where are we?’ asks Mal

“Gen Ho Tze Be Dio Se I Don’t know, Not sure and Urm SPACE!”

‘Wash’ warns Mal

“It’s big and and” (gulps) “and you will have to see this yourselves”

Pushes 3 action buttons on the top of his flight console

The ship swings to the right – Zoe and Mal look up at the bridge windows

A giant space station like ship the size of an Alliance Cruiser is in front of the ship

‘…is that……what is that?’ asks Mal

“Alliance” Zoe looks at Mal “it’s Alliances sir” ‘I’ve never heard of Boat like that before I mean just look at it!’

“Is Zoe right Wash? Is it Alliance?”

‘Never heard, never seen such a a a’

“Da Shiong La Se La Ch’wohn Tian of a ship”

‘Very succinctly put, and yes it conforms to the usually shiny high tech Alliance standards aannnd…its dead in the water or should that be lifeless in the void?’

Looking interested “wonder what happened?”

‘Don’t know, Don’t very much care to sir’

“Now Zo I hate the Alliance more than the next man or woman if were not been sexist but one thing ya can’t argue about is thay do have the best salvage”

‘Illegal salvage sir?’

“You need to ask?”

‘Remember the last time sir’

“there’s a difference hon that boats been drifting a while – and the nearest alliance patrol is ten days away – and we could always use a little extra funding for are island getaway”

Zoe doesn’t look convinced ‘Smells of trouble sir’

“hey what could go wrong? Bring us around Wash, let’s go tell the crew”

Smiles disarmingly

‘um captain’

“pilot”

‘were already around’

Pause while Mal thinks

“Then take us closer” walks of bridge “do I havta spell out everything”

Yells “Jayne we got areselves some crime to be done

(End of act 1)

*** Translations *** Feh Feh Pi Guhn = Baboons ass crack Ai Chr Jze Se Duh FohnDiang Gho = Crazy dog in love with his own feces Gen Ho Tze Be Dio Se = Engage a monkey in feces-hurling contest Da Shiong La Se La Ch’wohn Tian = Explosive diarrhea of an elephant Da Kai Sa Jeh = Terminate with extreme prejudice *** Link to Chapter 2.