SHADOWS PUPPETS – ACT V By Shayz

FADE IN:

EXT. SERENITY VALLEY – NIGHT – ESTABLISHING

6 Years ago. War rages on.

EXT. ALLIANCE SHIP – HIGH ALTITUDE IN WORLD – NIGHT – ESTABLISHING

Hovers over battle.

INT. ALLIANCE SHIP – CORRIDOR – CONTINUING

FOLLOWING a masked lab technician dressed in all white, including non-static booties. Technician inserts an ID card into a slot and a heavy door opens. Technician walks into…

INT. ALLIANCE SHIP – SCIENCE/TATICAL LAB – CONTINUING

A circular white room with several displays, large screens along walls and computer access points. Other similarly dressed technicians monitor stations.

In the center of the room is a rotating table (vertical & horizontal) with JESS strapped in, face up, head shaved. Electrode wires attached to her scalp, through the skin to the brain trail through the back of the table. Her face is slack but eyes sharp, focused—seeing everything inside and out.

When she speaks, her voice comes OVER LOUD SPEAKERS with an odd ECHO (computerized) sound, not from her mouth…her thoughts are being projected as words.

JESS (VO): Squad V11 re-route to Seascape hillside. Squad R2 pull back… (sudden shift of eyes; table lurches upright) Skiff ZX272 change vector to NW 8.45 degrees on my mark - 3, 2, mark!

INT. SKIFF ZX272 – CONTINUING

As seen through PILOT’S EYES (JESS’ POV) a thermal screen, showing images of live targets by infrared heat signatures. Screen zooms in on a specific ID…a man (MAL) behind a double barreled standing machine gun, readying to fire.

As skiff moves in, the double barrel gun fires, rocking the skiff and blowing the engines.

INT. ALLIANCE SHIP – SCIENCE/TATICAL LAB – CONTINUING

Jess’ POV is seen on a large screen that the tech’s are witnessing.

JESS (VO): Target acquired. Skiff ZX272 set collision course.

INT. SKIFF ZX272 - CONTINUING The skiff is falling, dead on, aiming for the gun and Mal. Though only a heat signature, Mal’s face gets bigger and bigger—

INT. SERENITY – CATWALK – CONTINUING – JESS POV

MAL comes through the flashback, dispersing the previous image—making Jess cower against the railing. Mal reaches for her, but she pushes him away and scuttles backward crab-like.

Zoe’s coming over from the opposite direction, gun ready. With a shake of his head, Mal orders her to stand down. Zoe hangs back.

MAL: Ease up now.

Simon comes up behind Mal, hypo-syringe in hand. Mal glances at Simon and grimaces.

MAL (cont.): That your solution to everything?

JESS (backing away): No choice. Not me.

Jess gets to her feet, grabs on to a railing, but it sways under her weight and she nearly falls.

JESS (cont.): Didn’t know!

Mal grabs her from behind and keeps her on the catwalk. He has his arms wrapped around hers and holds tight, trying to calm her at the same time.

JESS (cont.): Release!

Jess jerks, curses and hisses, ready to take both of them over the edge. She snaps her head back and hits Mal hard in the face, he lets go and she spins on him, using some of that judo she showed against Jayne.

Mal’s stunned, but not out of the fight. He blocks some of her hits and kicks, only to get nailed in the ribs and going down to one knee.

Jess doesn’t go for the kill; instead she looks at him with disbelief and jumps over him, heading for the empty shuttle.

Mal grabs her ankle and trips her. Jess lands face first on the platform. Mal tosses himself on top of her, full weight, pulls her arms behind her back and lays on her. She struggles, but can’t move him.

MAL: Well, doc, get over here already!

Simon straddles both of them, pulls Jess’ hair aside and dopes her in the neck. Jess goes out.

INT. SERENITY – COMMON AREA – CONTINUING

River is waiting as Simon and Mal bring Jess back to the infirmary. Zoe follows close behind but stays out of the infirmary.

RIVER: Shattered.

INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY – CONTINUING

Mal lays Jess on the exam table. River leans against the door.

RIVER (cont.): Pieces don’t fit.

MAL: And when she wakes?

SIMON: I’ll keep a watch on her. Be ready.

MAL: Can’t keep her doped. That’s not right.

SIMON: No…something mild.

Book appears in the common area behind Mal.

BOOK: Captain.

Mal turns.

BOOK (cont.): Inara has some information you and the doctor should hear.

Mal and Simon step into…

INT. SERENITY – COMMON AREA – CONTINUING

River’s sitting on the sofa, staring at Jess. Inara’s off to the side. Zoe’s next to the door.

MAL: Well?

Inara steps up, not thrilled with the information she’s about to spill.

INARA: I received a wave from a friend.

MAL: Client?

INARA: Companion.

MAL: And?

INARA: There’s a ship. The Amgine-

RIVER: Backwards-

INARA: A science research vessel out of Olympus. Seems the ship has been out of contact for some time and the Alliance believes it to be…lost.

SIMON: What kind of research?

INARA: She didn’t say…but I… Biological. Level 5.

Simon’s eyes widen.

MAL (off Simon’s look): I take it that’s a bad thing.

SIMON: Dangerous. But being out of contact is, well, very bad.

MAL: And this has to do with us because?

INARA: According to Kaylee, the Amgine’s last coordinates match that of the shuttle.

Everyone looks toward the unconscious Jess.

MAL: Cào.

ZOE: What would the Alliance be doing in Reaver space?

SIMON: It’s outside travel lanes, away from populated areas. Research on that level must be quarantined.

ZOE: And the Alliance wouldn’t care if they gave something to the Reavers.

MAL: Reavers’ wouldn’t care.

SIMON: It is odd being that far out without support. The ship would have to be hidden in an outpost to keep from being attacked. Possibly a cored moon-

RIVER: Down at the core. Intertwined.

ZOE: What if they were attacked? Boarded. Is it possible something got-

SIMON: Level 5’s are the deadliest of all biologics…even if containment was breached…(looks at Jess) There’s no way she could have made it-

BOOK: She was in stasis.

SIMON: But not cryo. If she’d been contaminated…

Mal hits the comm.

MAL: Wash. Shut us down.

WASH (OS; on comm.): Say again?

MAL: Cut engine, stop us cold. Whatever happens, keep us away from Vēgress or any other populated area.

WASH (OS; on comm.): What’s—

Mal cuts off the comm and looks at Simon.

MAL: Say it’s not a fast acting bio-whatsit. What should we look for?

SIMON: Depends on the entity. Could be any number of symptoms. Fever, incoherency-

MAL: Sudden mood swings.

RIVER: Flight…(to Mal) you made her fight.

Everyone looks at Mal.

MAL: I did not. She hit me! (points at face; slight bruise)

BOOK: I don’t believe River is saying—

MAL: What’s your notion about what happened upstairs. Suppose it’s possible Jess developed a dislike for social graces-

RIVER (looking at Jess): She knows.

Mal’s confused gaze bounces around and lands on River.

MAL: Knows what?

RIVER: What can’t be said.

River looks from Mal to Inara and waits. Mal’s gaze darts to Inara as hers does to him; uncomfortable, guilty (of having feelings for each other).

RIVER (cont.): We see. We hear. Pieces don’t fit like before. Broken…(to Inara) You did what could not be done.

Inara’s breath catches, she’s unnerved and doesn’t know what to say. Mal closes his eyes and shakes his head.

ZOE: Sir?

BOOK: Perhaps we should consider the Alliance is not telling the public everything.

INARA: This wasn’t public knowledge.

MAL: The quandary remains, if the truth is better or worse than what I’m conjuring.

Simon steps up.

SIMON: I’ll run some tests…see if I can find something.

INARA: Could she be a carrier? Something dormant?

SIMON: Possibly.

RIVER: She’s a weapon.

Again everyone turns to River.

RIVER (cont.): Not all survive. Not all become. Still searching…manipulating…adjusting for the next. They open it up and add to the mix. Sugar and spice.

MAL: That explains it all. (to Simon) Run your tests doctor. In the mean time, we’re staying put.

Mal heads out.

MAL (cont.): And when she wakes up, I want to know.

Simon nods.

MONTAGE W/MUSIC:

EXT. SERENITY – ESTABLISHING Stopped in the black – no worlds around

INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY – CONTINUING Simon drawing Jess’ blood.

INT. SERENITY – COMMON AREA – CONTINUING Book reading his bible.

INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY – CONTINUING Simon studying blood slide on vid screen.

INT. SERENITY – COMMON AREA – CONTINUING Zoe standing guard near infirmary

INT. SERENITY – KITCHEN – CONTINUING River drawing pictures: room from Jess’ flashback.

INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY – CONTINUING Simon zooms in on cells.

INT. SERENITY – BRIDGE – CONTINUING Mal standing opposite Wash, looking into black.

INT. SHUTTLE – CONTINUING Kaylee working; systems start up on own power.

INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY – CONTINUING Jess’ eyes open.

INT. SHUTTLE – CONTINUING

Jess’ VOICE heard over shuttle speakers (computerized as before) spooking Kaylee.

JESS (VO): Status. Searching. Magnify. Conclusion: environment hostile.

KAYLEE: Hello?

JESS (VO): Identify.

KAYLEE: Um…who’s asking?

JESS (VO): Identify.

KAYLEE: Kaylee.

JESS (VO): Identity unknown. You have fifteen seconds to leave the ship.

KAYLEE: Or what?

JESS (VO): You have ten seconds to leave the ship. 7, 6, 5—

Kaylee darts out the door.

INT. SERENITY – CARGO BAY – CONTINUING

Kaylee gets out of the shuttle. Then she hears:

JESS (VO): Countdown aborted. Update in process. Update complete. Welcome Kaylee. Please continue your maintenance of my systems.

KAYLEE: Qù tamade!

Kaylee scrambles up the stairs.

INT. SERENITY – INFIRMARY

Simon’s busy looking over the blood panel and doesn’t see Jess looking around. She keeps her body still, only moving her eyes. She sees what Simon is studying.

Jess’ eyes roll back (showing whites) and Simon’s slide ZOOMS in exponentially.

A single CELL comes into focus.

Jess takes a deep breath and squeezes her eyes shut tight.

ZOOMING closer on the cell...INTO THE NUCLEUS. INSIDE the nucleus swim the chromosomes.

SIMON: Label chromosomes.

The computer gives each a number (23). NUMBER 3 is BLUE.

SIMON (cont.): How…Why’d you show me this?

JESS: Comparison.

SIMON: Compare to what?

Jess opens her eyes as she sits up. Simon moves to her side.

JESS: To whom, doctor, not what.

INT. SERENITY – COMMON AREA – CONTINUING

Book passes by infirmary, sees Jess awake and talking to Simon.

INT. SERENITY – KITCHEN – CONTINUING

Mal, Wash and Zoe are in conference.

WASH: So we could all be dying, right now?

MAL: There is the possibility, but—

ZOE: Alliance always causes trouble.

MAL: Subtle “I told you so”.

ZOE: You’re welcome sir.

Kaylee rushes in, out of breath.

KAYLEE: She said…I didn’t…know—

MAL: Deep breath. Now say it simple, little Kaylee. What’s got you riled?

KAYLEE: The shuttle. It talks.

WASH: Wow, those Alliance boys really keep their old ships up to spec.

KAYLEE: No…to me.

MAL: What do you mean?

KAYLEE: It spoke to me…it sounded like her.

ZOE: Who her?

MAL: Jess her?

KAYLEE: Exactly like.

WASH: That’s nothing. I once flew a dual engine dune skipper, talked like that really old actor guy…you know hun…with the gravelly voice.

Zoe gives him her “look”.

WASH (cont.): But this isn’t about me.

KAYLEE: It wasn’t programming…at least I don’t think. It ordered me out…then it welcomed me aboard. Like it suddenly knew me.

Book comes into the kitchen from the opposite route and waves to the captain. Mal gets up to leave and Zoe follows.

WASH: Why don’t we all go.

MAL: Why not.

KAYLEE: Captain?

MAL: C’mon. Talk to the real thing.

INT. – INFIRMARY – CONTINUING

Simon’s confusion is apparent.

JESS (cont.): Do you really think your parents didn’t know they’d never see their daughter again?

SIMON: What are you saying?

JESS: They made a choice…to become parents…to have children who were healthy, well mannered, socially acceptable, highly intelligent. One boy…one girl. Shall I go on?

SIMON: That’s not…they didn’t…my mother carried us.

JESS: Of course she did. As my mother carried me. The only difference is…your parents paid the price. Mine refused.

SIMON: This is insane. You don’t know me…or my sister.

Jess laughs coldly. She points at the screen.

JESS: That is a genetic marker. A commercial tag, doctor Tam. You’ve seen them before.

SIMON (thinking): When one or more genes has been manipulated in an experiment the tag is implemented so there would not be a repeated failure.

JESS: Number 3 is special, isn’t it?

SIMON: The brain chrome.

JESS: Ah yes, that pesky brain thing. Wonder what could be manipulated inside that one.

SIMON: I don’t believe you.

JESS: You shouldn’t. Believe the science, doc. Run a comparison test. Try it on yourself…for fun.

Jess slides off the exam table, still a bit woozy. She leans against it.

SIMON: Captain Reynolds wishes you to stay here.

JESS: That’s nice.

She pats Simon on the arm.

JESS (cont.): Good drugs, bye the way.

Simon nods and turns to the computer screen.

SIMON: Yes. We do have those.

Simon pulls a small syringe from a drawer. He stares at it.

MAL (OS): Doctor?

Simon turns around, facing Mal, seeing Kaylee, Book, Zoe and Wash just outside the infirmary. Jess is nowhere to be seen.

MAL: Where’s the patient?

SIMON (confused; dazed): She was just here.

Everyone looks uncomfortable.

BLACK OUT

END ACT V