Start at the Prologue Then read Chapter 1

------------ CHAPTER 2

Serenity had changed so much in sight, scent, and sound. Zoë tried not to feel lost in the changes, reminding herself that she was walking into her future, not her past. As soon as they set foot onboard, Jackson made a mad dash for the trampoline set up in the cargo bay. The steel grating on the floors had been replaced with smooth sheeting, the stair railings lined with chicken wire so that nothing larger than a marble could fall through. “He’ll be alright,” Mal assured, picking up Jackson’s gear and leading the way up stairs toward her old bunk. The dining room had a fresh coat of flowers coloring the wall, as well as a painted record of Emma’s handprints through the years. One of the old dining chairs had a booster seat strapped to it, and a dusty high-chair had recently come out of storage. Cappy reclined in the lounge area strumming a guitar and River gazed at him, transfixed by the movement of his fingers on the strings. “Sure as you’ve noticed the road to Santo is bound to get rocky,” Mal mentioned. “Sure as,” Zoë agreed, dropping her gear down the ladder and turning to face her Captain. “You cut us a path right on the border of hell and damnation.” Since the weakening of the Alliance, the ‘verse had divided. Despite the imminent recovery of the Parliament, independent factions still fought for power. The path to Santo was blocked in all directions by violent independent territories, each trying to expand their borders to the next moon. “There’s really no neutral path?” “Not short of a ten year circuit, and I ain’t waitin’ that long for a payoff.” “You could just not take the job, sir.” It surprised her how easily she called him ‘sir’ after so many years. “Come on, Zo. What’s the fun in that?”

*~*

River watched as Cappy’s fingers danced over the strings, a soft melody falling from his lips. Her heart sang along, but the dance did not make it to her feet today. Cappy was short, stealthy, and stronger than he looked. If she’d encountered him on the street, she’d have pegged him for a lawyer, not a mercenary. Since Jayne’s death, Mal had been hiring gun-hands on a per-job basis. He’d found Cappy three takes ago and kept him around because the man had a talent for opening doors without burning bridges. Cappy had waltzed them through Whitefall like honored guests. River knew he was bound to have his own ship one day, and when he did, she wanted to pilot it. What intrigued her most was how dark Cappy kept his mind. As a reader, she was accustomed to catching stray thoughts from the crew and when she wanted, she could press her way in. But Cappy was so closed off he felt invisible to her. She was forced to see him as others did, come to know him as others do. That mystery alone made her feel more like a normal woman that she’d ever felt before and she could not help but crave his attention. “Li’l albatross,” Mal called, leaning in the doorway to summon her. “Come on, let’s chart a course and leave this world behind.”

*~*

They were a full three days out before Zoë had the nerve to enter the bridge. River sat at the console, her fingers a whiz as she surfed the cortex for news and kept herself apprised of activity in the area. The dinosaurs and palm trees that had once decorated the console were replaced with fractal patterns and music boxes. Just like her old bunk, the bridge felt barren – pressure-washed of any remnant of her or Wash’s presence. “Too heavy,” River told her, turning her sad brown eyes to face Zoë. “What is that?” “Your memory. Too heavy.” Zoë nodded, staring into the black. It was not as empty as she expected. Points of light lingered threateningly close to their course and River zig-zagged the ship, making it clear that they were passing through a corridor. It reminded Zoë of the war: running the neutral zone between two trenches hot with crossfire. “They’re a mite close,” Zoë commented, tensing slightly. “No,” River replied ominously. “They’re here.” River yanked Serenity into a roll, but not before they felt the hard clank and screech of two hulls colliding. A large ship appeared beneath them, tipping Serenity upwards, then swallowing them like a shark. As the enemy ship clamped down on Serenity’s hull, Zoë worried it would breach and they’d all be sucked into the black. “Zoë, get to the cargo hold!” Mal’s voice cut in over the comm. Instinct taking over, Zoë grabbed her pistol, her shot gun, and as many other weapons as were in arms reach before making a mad dash across the ship. She passed Cappy on the catwalk as she clamored down the stairs, then took up a cover position behind the nearest bulkhead. Someone was knocking mighty unfriendly on their back door and Captain had a mind to open up before they chewed it off. The image of her son floated into view and she prayed he had the good sense to hide until this was over. Just before Mal opened the door, Inara strode in, rifle in hand, and took stance on the opposite side of the bay. Everything had changed…except for Mal’s talent for finding trouble.

*~*

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