Phase One

A/N: This fic just kinda popped up out of nowhere, in between adding the finishing touches to Job Satisfaction. I was originally gonna post it between Job Satisfaction and it’s sequel (tentatively titled Job Security) but I don’t want to fiddle with this anymore, so I’m posting it now. Here’s the prologue, and there are four more pretty short parts which I will post in the next couple of days. Please, comment, you know you want to.

Prologue

The ship was silent. Apart from the dull humming of the engine, there was no sound. Satisfied that everyone was secure in their bunks, the agent stalked noiselessly through the dark ship, moving in the shadows, undetectable, a result of rigorous training and not a little natural skill. His biggest asset, of course, was his determination. This mission was essential to the retrieval of River Tam. And River Tam was essential to Blue Sun.

He reached River Tam’s bunk easily, and slid open the door. He observed her sleeping for a few moments. She slept peacefully, probably drugged near to unconsciousness by her doctor brother. But the agent didn’t approach her, or attempt to hurt her. That part of the plan was very clear. Before River Tam could be retrieved, certain obstacles had to be removed.

This was Phase One, and the agent felt a fleeting surge of pride about it as he slid the door shut again. He was, after all, the brains behind Phase One. Moving over to Simon Tam’s bunk, he squashed the emotion down. Agents were not encouraged to feel such emotions as pride. Pride was a selfish emotion.

Simon was sleeping too, but unlike his younger sister, he was not doing so peacefully. He murmured inaudibly, jerking fitfully as he tossed and turned. The agent presumed he was waiting for River to have an attack, or at least dreaming about it. But he didn’t ponder on it. Pity, like pride, was a pointless emotion.

He removed the syringe from his pocket, and turned it over in his blue-gloved hands. He could, of course, simply inject he young doctor with a lethal substance, and kill him instantly. But that seemed a little too good for the man who had single-handedly ruined the Agency’s plans. Besides, Phase One had another purpose besides getting rid of Simon Tam.

Simon, it had been proved, would stop at nothing to keep his sister safe, and was more than capable of doing so. This was why he had to be disposed of. But the Agency couldn’t risk another stepping up to fill Dr Tam’s shoes once he had been shuffled along. The agent was satisfied that once the crew of this run-down firefly saw how much the young doctor was suffering, they would be sufficiently scared into turning the other cheek when River Tam was finally retrieved.

Fear was a useful emotion, if correctly exploited.

Kneeling beside Simon’s bed, the agent filled the syringe, and emptied into the man’s veins. The amount had been carefully calculated, it would keep Simon feeling unwell for around a week, by which point, the agent knew, the doctor would concede to medicating himself. The symptoms, which would manifest as mild influenza, meant the agent could predict exactly which medication Simon would prescribe.

Careful to leave no trace of his presence in the tiny bunk, the agent exited and crept into the infirmary. He was pleased to find the drawers were kept impeccably well organised, which made it easy for him to find the bottled of medication Simon was likely to use. Moving as swiftly and as quietly as he could, he emptied each bottle down the tiny sink in the corner of the infirmary, and washed them so that every trace of the medication was gone.

As he opened the case he carried, he felt the first signs of adrenaline sparking in his body, and a twinge of excitement at his imminent success. He pushed the feelings to the back of his mind, closing them off expertly as he had been taught. With new found focus, he began to fill the empty medication bottles with a pale green liquid from his case.

Leaving the infirmary exactly as it had been, the agent moved quickly to the hatch, and donned the helmet of his space suit. He moved methodically and silently, and within seconds he was re-boarding his own ship, a long range shuttle that would return him to the nearest Blue Sun complex. Before activating the auto-pilot, he allowed himself, just for a small moment, a tiny smile.

Phase one completed.

Comment, please, and I’ll love you forever and ever and ever and ever and…

PHASE ONE: Part One