The Return – Part 6

Serenity was far from home, a wormhole sucking it clear across the galaxy to Earth, a wormhole Mal and Jayne had just learned had been created on purpose by Gregori Kovalev to make a bridge with the quadrant of space where the “travelers”, as he had called them, had gone five centuries earlier. Mal had been wary of these people, but had been willing to listen to them and offer some information as he could without telling too much before he knew their true intentions. Their true intentions were now very clear, as Commander Samuel Jackson had just tipped his hand and in Mal’s opinion he had tipped it a might too soon. Mal might have been willing to help them if they were friendly about it, especially if they could help Serenity get back home, but things had gone beyond that now.

They were underground in a base on the Earth’s single moon, which appeared to be the last outpost of any kind of civilization in this corner of the verse. Earth was devastated by a nuclear war that humanity had brought on itself, the few survivors clinging to a precarious existence in the southern hemisphere. The moon base was all that was left of the proud society that had sent Mal’s forefathers to the stars. And they didn’t even have so much as a spaceship anymore. So they decided to steal his.

“Commandeer my ship?” Mal said with a slight smirk. ‘Good luck with that.”

“Yeah,” Jayne said with venom. “You’re in for a world of hurt.”

“Even if you could get inside, how you gonna start it and how you gonna fly it?” Mal began. “Cause we sure as hell ain’t gonna help you and you all ain’t got a good track record with space craft from the looks of things above.’

Jackson didn’t even bat an eye. “Gentlemen, we are not fools. We have some of the brightest engineers and scientists in all humanity on this base. I’m sure entering and learning all about your ship will be a simply matter. As for the other spacecraft, that was,” and he paused for a brief moment and looked sideways at his head scientist as he spoke, “an unfortunate accident. Unforeseeable.”

Mal got the sense that all was not well between the commander and Gregori Kovalev. The scientist had been silent for the past few moments and looked like he wasn’t too sure what his commander was doing was the right thing.

“Unforeseeable,” Gregori repeated and then he looked at Mal and his face was almost apologetic. “But now you are here, with your ship, and we can take the next step.”

“What step is that?” Mal couldn’t help asking, hoping they’d reveal more of their plans. Most people didn’t know when it was best to be silent and Mal hoped one of these two would be like that.

Jackson didn’t disappoint Mal. He was all cold and sternness now, but still talking. “You’re ship will be used to return to Earth and re-supply this base and search for survivors.”

“And then reach across the stars to your home worlds,” Gregori added.

Jackson nodded slowly, and again Mal got a feeling things weren’t well between the two men. “Of course. After we re-supply. Take them away.”

“We ain’t done yet,” Mal said grimly, as the armed men prepared to take him and Jayne out of the room. “I got a feeling me and you is gonna have more than words before this is over.”

“You can bet on it,” Jayne added.

“Captain Reynolds, you must be quite the man in your quadrant of space, judging by your attitude. If I wanted you dead you’d be dead already,” Jackson said in a stern tone. “But every life is precious amidst so much loss. Besides, you and your crewmates have a great deal of information we need.”

“Like he said,” Jayne snarled. “We ain’t talking.”

“You have already told us so much,” Jackson began. ”It is apparent that you are not in any way a scientific expedition or a representative of the peoples of your quadrant. Gregori’s wormhole has accidentally brought you to us, that much is clear now. Fortunately, your ship survived the journey and is of great value to us here. It is also apparent that you have a desire to return home and an independent streak that allows me to believe you would be unwilling to enter into any kind of agreement regarding the use of your vessel.”

“Bit too late for that,” Mal said in anger.

Jackson just nodded. “Quite so.” He looked to the armed men. ‘Take them.”

The armed men pushed and prodded the two men out of the room and down the wide corridor. There were no folk about now, the corridor empty and Mal knew things had changed. The stunned reactions at seeing Mal, Jayne and Simon had changed to out right hostility. Mal knew not everyone felt that way and Jackson was pulling the strings here. Their appearance had been a shock maybe cause they were expecting aliens or maybe someone speaking a different language or whatever. But the shock had worn off mighty quickly and now Mal and Jayne were in a heap of trouble. Course, that’s what made life all the more interesting.

Mal had a thousand questions, all and any of which would provide the solution to their predicament. How had Gregori created the wormhole? Could he really do it again? Where was his lab or equipment or whatever he had to make it and could Mal get him to recreate it and send them home? How in the hell did they have atmo and more gravity under the surface of the moon? How old is this base? How was it built? Was there another way to the surface? How could Jayne and he get away from these guards? Where in the hell was Simon and was he also under guard? Above all, what were Serenity and her crew doing now?

**************************************************

“Russia? What’re they doing fighting the Alliance? Thought all Earth was the Alliance?” Kaylee’s voice came through the comms to the bridge as she looked once more at the dead men in the abandoned building on the moon’s surface.

“Apparently not,” said Zoe from the bridge of Serenity.

“Well, looks like the Russia guys lost the fight here,” Kaylee answered. She was getting more control of her nerves and knew she had to concentrate on what she had to do to find their missing men.

“Roger that, Kaylee.” Zoe was getting more and more concerned also as time passed, worried on Kaylee being out there all alone and worried about the other three missing crew members. The she remembered the spacesuits. “Kaylee, are any of the spacesuits in good shape? Not the ones on the dead men, but those in the other room.”

“No,” came the disappointing answer. “They all got holes in them or smashed helmets. I thought of that, too. Sorry.”

Zoe just sighed. “It’s okay, Kaylee. Time to check that other way under the surface.”

“Roger that,” she replied. “Moving through the passageway.”

Zoe looked to River who was still at the sensor boards in the co-pilot’s station. “River, can you keep her on thermal imaging?”

River hit some keys. “There she is.”

They could now see a thermal image of Kaylee inside the corridor leading to the second building which was still one away from what they thought was a way to get underground. Serenity was still over a hundred meters from where Kaylee was but Zoe didn’t want to move any closer till they knew what in the gorramn verse was going on.

Inara let out a yawn which she quickly stifled. “Sorry. Just, it’s getting late.”

“It is,” said Book as he checked the ship’s clock on the control panel. “I’ll go make some coffee.”

“Make it strong, Shepherd,” Zoe said. “We ain’t sleeping till all is well.”

“I’ll help you,’ Inara offered as she followed Book to the kitchen.

Zoe sat in the third chair and just stared at the screens in front of River. The kid was holding up well, under the circumstances, with her brother disappearing, but Zoe knew that River could sense he was well so she wasn’t ready to panic yet. But what would happen later, if Simon didn’t get back in time, if his air ran out, if he…Zoe didn’t want to think that far ahead yet. She knew River needed medicine to even keep her demons in check for a little while and help her function but only Simon knew what it was and how much to give her. That would change if they ever got out of this fix.

She looked to her husband and he was like a rock, sitting in that chair for hours now. It was a comfortable chair and she felt a little better remembering the times they had made love in it. Zoe almost smiled but then she saw River looking at her with half a grin on.

“Try to keep out of my head, will you?” Zoe said but not harshly.

“What?” said Wash as he looked from his wife to River. “I miss something?”

“Time for a break, Wash,” she told him and gave him a little smile.

“But, I don’t think I should leave my station.”

“Stretch, run to the bathroom, and then get back here on the double. I got the bridge.”

Wash needed no more encouragement, jumped up, gave her a quick kiss and dashed to their bunk as Zoe sat in the pilot’s chair. She glanced at River.

“Sorry, just can’t help my thoughts.”

“I know,” the teen replied. “I’m used to it. Simon’s especially. He loves her, you know?”

“Kaylee? Yeah, I thought so. Think she feels the same. So, something did happen between them?”

“Yes. A beginning.”

“Let’s hope there’s a chance for more than that.”

“There will be.”

“You’re awful certain. Anything I should know?”

“Just a feeling I have. Sometimes it very fuzzy, but I know some things.”

“How come you didn’t see this coming? I mean them getting taken under the surface.”

“The drugs make it difficult at times. And truthfully, I didn’t sense any ill will from this base or its occupants.”

“But now?”

“Something has changed.”

They were silent for a moment, both thinking on the men out there, somewhere, out of contact and running out of time, or so they thought. Zoe gazed at River, one more thing on her mind now that the two had a brief chance to talk.

“When Jubal Early came, and you were in his ship, the thing you said about us being better off without you…”

“It’s true.”

“No, River, it ain’t.” Zoe wanted to say more but then Kaylee’s voice came through the comms and Zoe had to focus on the problems at hand.

“Serenity?” came Kaylee’s voice. “Still there, I hope.”

“No where else to go,” Zoe replied. “Status?” “At the second building. Same as first. Lots of damage. Looks like some kind of living quarters. Lots of bunks, desks, tables and chairs, computer stations, some kind of kitchen area. It’s on two levels, ladders going up through a small central opening to the second level. Looks like no one lived here for a long time.”

“Roger,” Zoe answered. “Move on to the third building.”

“On the way,” came the answer just as Wash returned.

“Oh, I needed that. Man’s bladder can only stand so much coffee and sitting,” Wash remarked, trying to make a joke to ease the tensions. Zoe and River both smiled and Wash felt glad he made them relax even for just a second. His job was to fly the boat and when there was no piloting to be done he felt a little useless at times. Sitting and waiting he got used to over the years, waiting for Zoe and Mal and Jayne and others to call him to get them out of one scrape or another. The waiting he thought was harder than what they did but he’d never say that cause they’d just remind him of how safe and secure he was in his pilot’s seat.

“How’s Kaylee doing?” Wash asked as he sat back at his station.

“Almost at the third building,” River answered.

********************************************************************* Kaylee had to open one more air lock door and then she was in the third building. She flashed her light around, hoping there’d be no more surprises like the first building. This one was different from the others, with more open space and a large square opening in the center of the floor. The building was some kind of equipment storage, with lots of digging tools, air pressure jack hammers, some small earth movers and the like. The hole was big enough for any piece of equipment and Kaylee quickly found what look like a lift control system. As she shone the light around their were cables hanging down and a structure to support what was clearly some kind of freight elevator. Only problem was it was at the bottom of the shaft. Kaylee peered down and could see it about fifty or sixty feet down.

“Got equipment storage and a big elevator here,” she said into her helmet mic.

“Stay out of it,” Zoe answered quickly. She didn’t need anymore crew disappearing, especially not Kaylee who had the skills to do a lot of things the others couldn’t. If Zoe thought on it, Kaylee was the one truly indispensable person on Serenity. Book, Inara and River didn’t have any real function on the ship. Both she and Mal had leadership abilities, as did Book for that matter, and could cover for each other like now. Jayne was just muscle and muscle was one thing the verse had in quantity. Simon was a doctor, yes, and sort of indispensable but they did get along without him for many years. But Zoe was sure glad he’d been with them the past eight months. She probably wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t been on abroad. Wash flew the boat, but so could Mal and Zoe in a pinch and Inara could too, but not as well as her man and they certainly didn’t have any piloting training except what they got first hand on Serenity and her shuttles. No, if Kaylee went missing and something went wrong on the ship, they would be in a world of hurt.

“It’s at the bottom,” said Kaylee. “Looking at the control panel now. Hey, it’s got power.”

“Just a minute, Kaylee. Don’t touch anything.” Zoe commanded as Book and Inara came back with the coffee which everyone except River took a cup of. Zoe filled Book and Inara in on what Kaylee had found.

“She shouldn’t go down there,” Inara said. “There are people there who have taken our men. Or at least won’t let them contact us.”

“Have her come back to Serenity,” Book answered. “She’s done the job she was sent to do. We have a way to get below now.”

“Sounds like the right thing to do,” Wash offered.

Zoe thought as she listened to them. Only River was silent and now Zoe knew why. She was concentrating on the sensors.

“Someone is in that shaft,” she said, a worried cast to her comment. ‘Getting a thermal image.”

“Hey, elevator’s moving,” Kaylee said. She looked over the side and could see someone in ….a green spacesuit! It was the Capt’n or Simon!

“It’s one of our guys! It’s a green spacesuit!’ she yelled with glee into the mic.

“Kaylee, step back from that elevator,” Zoe warned.

“It’s Mal!’ said Inara with hope.

“Or Simon,” Book offered, also with a touch of hope

But River turned to them wide eyed. “It’s neither. Kaylee!” she screamed into the comm mic. ”Run!”

Kaylee would have if she could have. Running wouldn’t have helped anyway, cause no one ran well in the low gravity of the moon, least no one not trained for such an environment. Her heart had been in her throat hoping with all her might it was Simon or the Capt’n. But it wasn’t. The elevator was an open platform and the occupant rose into view just as River screamed. It was a strange man in Simon’s suit. And he was pointing what could only be a laser at her.

“Serenity, I think I just met the man in the moon,” Kaylee said in a small, terrified voice as she raised her arms.

*************************************************

Simon was led to a small room where the elderly lady helped him out of his spacesuit. Her name was Doris and she was the head nurse for the base. She was a fountain of information as she babbled on as Simon washed and dressed for surgery. There were three nurses, four including her, plus two medical residents but no fully qualified doctor. In fact, the dead doctor’s body, along with the chief engineer and the other dead from the spacecraft accident were lying in a nearby room awaiting a proper examination and funeral.

They had spotted Serenity almost as soon as their sensors had a clear view of the section of space the ship arrived in. Being on the moon meant sensors could only see the section the moon was facing as it rotated around the Earth. The news of the appearance of the ship spread like wildfire through the base and all had hoped that they were human and were the travelers from so long ago. Doris told him about Gregori and his wormhole experiments. He and others had been trying for many decades to perfect it and his success seemed to justify his life’s work. Not from Simon’s point of view but he couldn’t help think the man a genius of some sort for creating a wormhole.

“But why were your people trying to contact us?” he asked as they moved to put on his surgical garments.

“Earth was used up and many sensed the war that was to come,” she sadly said as she helped Simon dress. “I came here five years ago from Canada and I haven’t been back since. Now I never will.”

“Five years? How old is the base?”

“Let’s see. The surface base is over one hundred years old but hasn’t been used in, oh, almost thirty years except for the landing platform and hanger. Used to have an electronic shield to protect if from meteors but they shut it off when they finished the underground complex. Need to save power.”

“And where does your power come from, your oxygen, your water?”

“We got a whole cavern full of hydrogen cells to make electrical power, which also produces water as a by product, enough for our needs. What evaporates from our bodies and cooking and so on is collected by…well, don’t know exactly, not my field you see. And we recycle a lot of water so nothing is wasted. We got three big caverns growing plants and trees, our fresh fruit and vegetables. That’s what we been surviving on for the most part last few months. A lot of our power goes there for the artificial sunlight that’s needed. Of course, the plants produce oxygen and clean carbon dioxide and we also have carbon dioxide scrubbers. It’s enough since we’re so few in number.”

“How few?”

“At times we had more than six hundred people here. Mostly researchers, support people like myself. And the military. A lot left before the war as tensions rose. Now, after the accident, I think about ninety-six are left.”

“There are survivors on Earth,” Simon said as he sensed her sadness.

“We know. We can see the fires with our long range viewing sensors. I don’t know much about that though. Just trying to take care of the sick and injured. And the depressed. We’ve had people… harm themselves. With so few left, it’s just…unthinkable.”

“There are whole worlds of humans in our quadrant of space. Almost three billion people,” Simon offered as a ray of hope for this lady whom he was liking more every minute.

Her face brightened a bit. “I’m glad the traveler’s made it and I’m glad they flourished. Some people on Earth, in my generation, didn’t believe the stories, said it was a myth to give people hope. It was so long ago. Those few years when the ships of every race and country went to the stars on their decades-long voyage. And no word until now. Some people have said it’s like a miracle, an answer from God in our time of need. I’m sorry there are so few of us to see this miracle.”

Simon could sense her profound faith in something higher than man and knew Shepherd Book would have work to do here once the captain felt satisfied everything was safe. They exited the room when Simon was dressed and walked alone a corridor until they reached a computer terminal just outside a door marked “Surgery”.

“Let’s look at these scans of the first patient, Doctor Tam. Joseph Papusha, male age 33, Caucasian, Russian ethnicity. Compound fracture of the left tibia, three fracture ribs, upper left quadrant, a punctured left lung, second degree burns on ten percent of his body, mostly the chest area. Signs of blood in the lung.”

“What happened to him?”

“He was attempting to rescue people after he landed the ship when a secondary explosion threw him against a bulkhead. You know, the survivors were all in spacesuits that didn’t get damaged. The ship was venting into space and the fire died quickly, no oxygen in space. We had to put on spacesuits and EVA to get them. Then we carried them through the old base to the freight elevator.”

“It must have been hard.”

“Every life is precious now. We are so few. Sorry.”

Simon didn’t know what to say so concentrated on the scans of the patient on the computer screen.

“The leg appears to have been set well. It might need to be fused. I think we’ll need to check on the lung first. Any infection?”

“No, we have wonderful antibiotics. You know doctor, I was worried that your medicine and ours would be different, but then I remembered that a human is a human no matter where he is in the universe.”

“Yes, a human is a human, no matter where in the verse. Unfortunately, the good and the bad go with that human. Let’s take a look at Mr. Papusha.”

“Captain Papusha. He’s military,” she said this with a touch of distaste.

“No matter our feelings for soldiers, we must do our job.”

“Of course, doctor, just…he’s Russian also and…they started the war. Not him or his wife or her father. There not exactly Russian citizens, Gregori moved to America long ago to work on his project and Tanya was born there and Joseph and his family are citizens of the Alliance too, but still many people have strong feelings about them.”

“I think they should be thanking Gregori and Tanya. From what you told me they may be the very salvation of these people.”

**************************************************

Jayne and Mal didn’t think so, the Russian genius now looking at them and holding a very large needle. They were in a small room, handcuffed to two chairs that were bolted to the floor, facing each other across a small table. A small window was to one side and Mal had a feeling people were on the other side watching them. The very fact that they had a room like this means they’ve had some trouble here in the past. The two men had be forced in here, striped of their spacesuits, and then cuffed to these chairs. No spacesuits meant no shoes, cause you didn’t wear shoes in a space suit. You wore clothes of course and luckily both Mal and Jayne had worn pants instead of just underwear as some folks did. Mal had on his mauve shirt and Jayne wore one of his yellow t-shirts.

Getting them out of their suits had not been all that fun for the Alliance boys. Jayne had gotten an arm free and sucker punched one of the guards and Jayne now had a bruise and a spot of blood on his forehead for his trouble after a guard smashed his weapon on his noggin. Jayne was staggered for a moment and then just grinned at the guard and told him he’d be the first one he killed. The guard turned a little bit paler and Jayne felt satisfied these boys knew Jayne Cobb was no pussy cat.

At the moment Gregori was sticking Mal’s arm with the needle which was full of something and if Mal had an arm free Gregori would have gotten sucker punched, too, Mal not giving a hoot if he was a genius who could send Serenity and its crew home.

“Doctors and scientists, always sticking people full of needles,” he said as he glared at Gregori.

Gregori said nothing but his face belied that he didn’t enjoy this. He went to give an injection to Jayne from the same needle. “Hey, shouldn’t you change needles or least clean that one,” Jayne said, showing a trace of fear. Jayne absolutely hated needles of any kind.

“I don’t have anything you don’t, Jayne,” Mal said. “And I bet you got a lot more bugs in you than me.”

“It’s perfectly safe,” Gregori said as he jabbed Jayne and the big man grimaced. Just then Commander Jackson entered the room.

“Your hospitality keeps getting better all the time,” Mal said in an even tone.

“Yeah, I’m sure gonna recommend this place to the folks back home,” Jayne added.

Jackson ignored their comments and replied evenly. “Gentlemen you have information about your ship and its remaining occupants and your quadrant of the universe that we need and need in a hurry. Gregori has injected you with sodium penatol, a truth serum. So in a few minutes we will begin the questioning.”

With that he and Gregori turned to leave. “Hey I got some truth for you right now!” Jayne yelled. “My foot’s gonna be up your ass when I get out of this chair!”

“Wasting your time, Jayne,” Mal began and then stopped, his head feeling fuzzy and the walls of the room seeming to expanded and contract. “Whoa.”

“The drugs are already taking affect. We will be talking to you shortly,” said Jackson and then they were gone, followed by two armed soldiers. Jayne and Mal were alone now but Mal knew they were being watched and listened to, this Earth version of the Alliance stooges hoping they’d give away something.

“Don’t say a word,” he whispered to Jayne. But Jayne’s face was hazing out the way Mal felt and he knew this was gonna be bad, the truth from Jayne Cobb. Mal only had to wait a few seconds while Jayne blinked his eyes a few times and then turned and glared at Mal.

“I’ll talk if I wanna talk. You’re always bossing me and the others around. Captain, sir, yes, Captain, sir! You got Zoe calling you “sir” and Kaylee don’t even know your first name I bet always calling you “Capt’n”. Even got River saying “aye, aye” now like were in the military.”

“Shut your yap Jayne or so help me by the Shepherd’s God I’ll shut it for you!”

“You ain’t so tough. Been wanting to smack you myself since I came on board.”

“Then how come you ain’t done it yet. Had lots of chances.”

“Cause Zoe would have killed me the second after I killed you.”

“Kill me is it now? I knew you wanted to take over my ship the moment you set foot on her. You turned on your last captain, what was his name?”

“Marco. That guy was a real scum bag, not like you, Mal. Least I respect you.”

“You don’t know if you’re coming or going. Want to kill me and respect me, Jayne?”

“Sure. Would have killed you by now if I didn’t respect you. And Zoe. You got a right mad streak that means you’re dangerous to have as an enemy. Plus you got balls. Marco had none. We pulled that Ariel job. That took balls, walking right into an Alliance hospital and robbing them blind.”

“That was almost the end of you, Jayne.”

“You never would have spaced me, would you, Mal?”

“I came within a second of doing so.”

“What stopped you, knowing I’d been looking for some payback somewhere down the road?”

“Cause of what you said about making something up to tell the crew. Then I knew you had a small dose of humanity in you, enough to matter.”

“I ain’t this sweaty animal everyone on Serenity thinks I am. You all got the wrong notion of me.”

“Turning in Doc and River doesn’t put you much higher than a snake in my book, Jayne.”

“Come on, Mal, you know it’s the right play. We can get 200,000 credits, maybe more if the reward has gone up. Fix up the ship, have a nice vacation, pure gravy.”

“Simon saved my life, Kaylee’s and Zoe’s too, patched you up many a time. And this is how we repay him?”

“Yeah, I got a real bad feeling about that for just a few seconds when I called the feds on Ariel. There were almost tears.”

“Sometimes you’re just a mean son-of-a-bitch, Jayne Cobb. I ain’t gonna tell them but you best not let Simon ever know what happened. He’ll find a way to kill you no one will ever suspect.”

“Ah, ain’t no worries there, Mal. He already knows and I’m still breathing. Moon brain figured it out. We had a chat about it, came to a peaceful accord.”

“Well, I’ll be. Guess that don’t surprise me that much, Doc being the man he is. But don’t ever let Kaylee find out. She’d turn off the heat, air, and water in your bunk in a sec. We’d find a bloated, frozen crewman for sure one morning.”

“She’s really that sweet on the Doc, ain’t she?”

“You blind as him? Course she is.”

“That’s too bad. Always liked Kaylee. Too bad she never recognized my mannish charm. Hey, don’t give me that look. Save it for Simon, he’s one your mei mei is after, big brother. I ain’t laid a hand on her or no other on the boat and you know that’s the truth.”

“I know cause none of them would have you.”

“Yeah, not even your whore if I had a million credits.”

Mal turned red and struggled with his bonds. “Jayne, them’s fighting words! Inara ain’t a whore!”

“What? You’re always calling her it to her face and technically, she is a whore! Just one who won’t take my business.”

“She ain’t a whore, she’s a lady, a lovely, beautiful, refined, gorgeous, stunning, lady. She smells so nice, her eyes make me mad, just want to…just want to.”

“You got it bad for her. Whole crew knows it, she knows it, you know it. Women right in front of you and you don’t even see them. Don’t know who’s stupider, you or the Doc.”

“That’d be me and you for babbling on like this.”

“Indeed, Captain Reynolds,” came Jackson’ voice from some hidden speaker. “And now we can begin the real questioning.”

***********************************************************************

“Kaylee!” Zoe yelled in the mic, fear gripping the hearts of the whole crew on the bridge of Serenity. “What’s happening?”

“He’s got a laser pointing at me,” she replied in almost a whisper. And then they heard another voice, a man’s, with a slight Chinese accent, coming through the comms

“Get on the elevator and stop talking to your friends,” the man said, this strange voice startling all on the bridge.

“You bastard!” Zoe yelled after she recovered from the shock, adding a few choice Chinese curse phrases for this man’s ears. “What have you done with our people?”

“Please control your temper. They are fine,” came the reply. “That is all that I am authorized to tell you. Kaylee is it? Please drop your equipment and get on the elevator. Now.”

“Don’t do it, Kaylee!” Zoe shouted.

“I ain’t got much choice here. He got a laser you know,” Kaylee replied, her fears communicated clearly by her tone of voice.

“Kaylee, it’s Inara,” the Companion began, mustering all her skills at telling people what they wanted to hear even though she was scared to death for her friend and the others. “Be calm. Keep strong. We’ll get out of this. Don’t do anything to anger them. Stay safe.”

“That is very good advice,” the man said. “Let’s go.”

“Thanks, Inara. I will.” And then on the imaging screen they could see the thermal image of Kaylee joining the man and then the two going down the shaft as the elevator obviously descended.

Zoe moved to River’s station. “Mark Kaylee and keep her on scope as long as your can and then switch to x-ray.”

“Already on it,” River replied.

Zoe was now silent as the others looked to her. What to do now? No more spacesuits and if these people had lasers then Serenity’s crew had no way to defend themselves in space anyway. They still had the Lassiter on board but it was ancient and a piece of junk and useless as far as being a weapon. The shuttles didn’t have airlocks and there didn’t appear to be any place to dock them if they did. That left the landing pad where Simon, Mal, and Jayne had disappeared. But it was closed tight and now that Kaylee was gone they’d never figure out how to open it. She looked at Book and he could see the dilemma she was struggling with.

“I guess about now they will be contacting us,” Book said and all turned to the Shepherd, Zoe grateful more than ever that he was with them. “It seems logical that this ship is their goal. They have shown hostile intent and now have four of our people and will most likely use them as bargaining chip for our cooperation.”

“Why do they need Serenity?” Inara asked.

“Cause their spaceship is banged up all to hell,” replied Wash and they could just see the burned out ship from the edge of the right side of Wash’s cockpit window.

“They need food, water, other things from Earth,” Zoe said. “Look for survivors. Maybe return and start over.”

“No, I don’t think a return to Earth is on their minds,” Book said.

“Where else would they go?” Wash asked. “Ain’t a lot of livable places round about.”

Zoe finally got what the Shepherd was driving at. “They want to come to our place in the verse cause theirs is a pile of rubble now.”

“Exactly,” Book said. “Remember I said God had something to do with us arriving at Earth? Now I think it has more to do with man, or men, whoever is on this base and whoever made the wormhole.”

“Made the wormhole?” Wash said in mock surprise. “I think I’ll stick with God on the whole wormhole thing.”

No one laughed as they were looking at River who was very pensive. “Is it possible?” Inara finally asked her.

“Possible, yes,” the teen answered, not taking her eyes off the scopes as she tried to track Kaylee. “Most definitely. We are here after all. How? I’m not sure. But possible. Yes.”

“If they made it, then we can go home!” said Wash trying to sound up beat.

“If they made it,” Zoe replied. “They’ll want to take Serenity and go themselves. And maybe leave us behind on this rock.”

“But they need Wash and Kaylee and….” Inara started and stopped when she realized that they only needed Wash and Kaylee.

“And that’s all,’ said Zoe.

“Maybe not even us,’ said Wash more forlornly, the pessimism of his companions even influencing his normal good cheer. “After all, they sent our ancestors to the stars. Built this base here. I’m sure they have at least one pilot and a bunch of engineers.”

“They try to take the ship, there’ll be blood spilt for sure,” Zoe said evenly. Book gave her one his serious looks.

“And our people? Kaylee, Simon, Mal, and Jayne? What of them? We start killing these people and they will harm our friends. We can’t risk any hostile action.”

“Don’t count Mal out yet,” Zoe answered. “I bet he’s planning his escape right now.”

*************************************************

“Ain’t no way out of this mess, Jayne,” Mal said across the table to his fellow captive crewmate. “And that’s the truth since this stuff is making me say what I’d keep to myself in a regular situation.”

“I was planning on snapping these cuffs and beating the gorramn hell outta the next guy through the door, but they’re just too darn strong.” As he said this he once again tried to use brute strength to break the handcuffs but it was no go.

“There are ten armed guards in the vicinity. Let’s not have any unnecessary bloodshed. Okay? Let us begin with the questions,” came Jackson’s voice from the speaker. “We already know your other companion is Doctor Simon Tam, your ship is called Serenity and we have heard the names Zoe, Kaylee, River, Shepherd, and Inara. Is there anyone else?”

“We forgot Wash,” said Jayne before Mal could tell him to shut up again and then before he knew it Mal felt the urge to expand on Jayne’s answer.

“He’s the pilot,” Mal said and then wished he had a hand free to shove down his own throat to keep himself from talking.

“And the others? What are their positions?” Jackson asked.

“Let’s see,’ Mal began. “Zoe’s second in command and Wash’s wife. Zoe and I were in the war together.”

“She still calls him ‘sir’,” Jayne added. “And he wasn’t even an officer, just a sergeant.”

“I got a temporary battlefield commission at Serenity Valley, you knucklehead. Was a sergeant first day, a lieutenant three days later, and a captain by the end of the battle. And that’s why she calls me ‘sir’. Zoe’s a hell of a lady, great in a fight. Kill you without batting an eyelash,” Mal said and then thought on who was next most important and it had to be his mechanic. “Kaylee’s mechanic and she keeps the boat in the air. Best I ever met, knows everything about Serenity. Be lost without her sometimes.”

“And she’s real cute, too,” Jayne said and Mal gave him that look again.

“Apparently she is smitten with Doctor Tam?” asked Jackson.

“Yeah, she’s got it bad for Simon,” Mal answered. “He’s a bit uptight. You know the type.”

“Sure he does. Sees one every time he looks in the mirror,” Jayne said and then started laughing and Mal looked at him like he was crazy.

“Think you gave Jayne bit too much,” Mal said and then continued describing the crew. “Now Shepherd Book, he’s a preacher, don’t know what denomination since I ain’t got much use for religion. He doesn’t have any official function on the ship, just a passenger but he’s been with us a while and he’s mighty handy in a fight, too. We think he’s ex-military or police.”

“Is that so?” came the voice of the base commander. “A preacher with a secret past? That will bear further inquiry. What about River, the doctor’s sister I believe?”

“She’s our resident brain,” Mal said. “My science advisor. Knows everything about the verse. She got a big powerful brain.”

“Yeah. She knows it all, more than is healthy far as I’m concerned,’ said Jayne, his fit of giggles gone now.

“A transport ship with a science advisor? Very odd, Captain. And why did Mr. Cobb try to turn her and her brother into the Alliance for a reward?”

“Cause it’s a lot of money,” Jayne answered. “Folks like us gotta take a payday wherever we can find one.”

“Why does the Alliance want them?”

“We don’t know,” Mal started. “Doc broke her outta some high tech facility for smart people and we gave them passage. First they were just passengers but now they’re crew. Simon said they were experimenting on her brain, trying to make her something she ain’t. Simon don’t even know what they did to her and River sure as hell can’t remember.”

“This bares further examination. Perhaps Doctor Tam could tell us more. Now, the last person. Inara. You called her a whore, Mr. Cobb.”

“Cause she is one,” Jayne said with a smirk.

“Jayne, I warned you about that. I think that fistfight you been putting off is gonna happen mighty soon. The correct term is Companion and she’s a high class lady of the stars.”

“Ah, a woman who trades sex for money in a traveling spaceship. This is one more of your illegal activities I take it.”

“Nope, perfectly legal, about only thing on Serenity that is” Jayne said. “Why? Ain’t you all got legal whores?”

“On Earth in some nations, but the Alliance forbids the sex trade. A losing battle I’m afraid. Well, not too much of a concern anymore.”

“You got any here? Whores I mean?” Jayne asked and Mal just shook his head.

Jackson actually seemed embarrassed. “Er, ah, no, Mr. Cobb. Not to my knowledge.”

“Gee, that’s too bad. I was just starting to think this might be a nice place to settle down,” Jayne said. “But no whores? Not for me.”

“Captain Reynolds has affection for this lady, unrequited affection. Quite the crew you have, captain. And finally, Mr. Cobb. You aren’t a payload specialist, are you?”

“Hell, no. I’m a gun for hire. Mal tells me who to shoot and I shoot ‘em. I bet your name is gonna be at the top of the list real soon.”

“Count on it,’ Mal stated. “And Jayne? Make it hurt.”

“With pleasure.”

“Yes, yes, your threats to my life are most terrifying. Do you think I am a stranger to death? Now you have a common enemy now so you are united but it is obvious there is no love lost between you two. Why are you still on this ship, Mr. Cobb?”

“Cause its more comfortable than others I been on, got my own bunk, Mal pays well, when a job comes through, and there are some awful beautiful ladies on board. Sides, we all almost like, guess you could say family now.”

“A family? But you want to turn two of them in for a reward, call one of the ladies a whore, want to bed another, think about killing the captain and taking over his ship, and were almost killed by the captain himself. This is a family?”

“Every family got its bad apples and black sheep,” Mal answered. “Jayne’s ours.”

“How very interesting. Now, Gregori has some questions about your quadrant of space and the history of your people.”

“We don’t know much. Just keep flying, get a job, keep my crew safe,” Mal said, his head still groggy from the drugs that were forcing him and Jayne to tell the truth. “River and Simon know all that stuff. Maybe Shepherd and Inara too cause they all got some education.”

“Let’s start with something you do know,” Gregori asked. “Tell me about the war that you were in. Which side were you on?”

“Losing side,” Mal answered trying not to but failing once again. “Hell, ain’t much to say. I killed some of them and then we lost.”

“Why did your side lose and the Alliance win?”

“Serenity Valley,” Mal replied.

“Tell me about Serenity Valley.”

*************************************************

Kaylee had dropped her equipment including the tool belt and was taken by the strange man in Simon’s spacesuit onto the elevator and down the shaft. At the bottom was a huge airlock, one of the biggest Kaylee had ever seen, and it was clear that they had used this place for excavation of the underground complex. The man hit buttons and Kaylee made sure she saw what he did for possible future reference. Keep calm. Stay strong. Be safe. She kept repeating Inara’s words in her head and that helped her acute case of anxiety.

After they passed through the airlock Kaylee began to notice the increasing gravity. Two others without spacesuits were waiting for them and they help the Chinese man remove his helmet. They motioned Kaylee to do the same and reluctantly she did so.

“Welcome to Moon Base Armstrong,” one of the men said in a friendly manner.

“Sorry, if I don’t feel like this is much of a welcome,” Kaylee replied in a hurt tone. “Folks where I’m from don’t point guns at people they welcome to their home.”

“Never mind with the pleasantries,” the Chinese man said. “Follow them.”

And then he was gone down a corridor and Kaylee was led by the two others to a small room nearby. There was a bed and a chair and a bottle of what looked like water and some raw vegetables on a small plate. A pair of white slippers were next to the bed.

“Please remove your spacesuit and relax. We will return when the commander is ready to question you.”

“Question me?”

“That is all we can tell you,” the other said. Then he hesitated for a moment. “Are you really from the other side of the galaxy?” And as he asked this his companion gave him a stern look but said nothing.

“Yeah, guess so. Earth and this moon certainly ain’t home.”

The man just smiled and they were about to leave but Kaylee wanted to know some things too. “Where are the other three…my crewmates? Are they safe?”

“Yes. The captain is meeting with our commander and the doctor is taking care of the injured from the spaceship accident.”

Kaylee suddenly felt much better hearing this. “The doctor? If you see him, tell him Kaylee says… says hi.”

“If I see him. Kaylee,” the man said and then the other was giving him that look again and then they were gone.

After they left she noticed another door the open door had been blocking. She opened it and there was a small bathroom with just a toilet and sink. Guess the toilet will be with us for all eternity Kaylee thought. No one on Earth or in her section of the verse had come up with a better way. Kaylee took off her suit and then put on the slippers. She tried the main door but it was locked as she expected. She was a bit thirsty and drank the water and nibbled on some carrots and a cucumber and sat on the bed and an hour passed and then two. She lay down and tried to sleep but her mind was going in a million directions. After three hours she was ready to cry and was forgetting Inara’s words and then the door opened and was closed and locked again in a few seconds.

“Kaylee?”

“Oh, God!” she gasped and ran into Simon’s arms. She did cry then and he held her tight and kissed her. He moved her to the bed and sat down and Kaylee began to calm a bit.

“Tell me everything that’s happened,” he said and Kaylee began to talk.

****************************************************************** Jayne and Mal were now in a different room and the drugs were wearing off. They had told Jackson and Gregori everything they could think of about their corner of the verse and the guilt of what they had done was now overwhelming them. They sat on opposite beds, a small table with water bottles and plates of vegetables between them, and were both exhausted from their ordeal. Jayne was staring at Mal, still reeling from the stories Mal told about Serenity Valley. Mal knew what he was thinking.

“Don’t you ever tell the others what I did, Jayne. They wouldn’t understand. Zoe does cause she was there. You do cause you know what death looks like, and what a man has to do to survive, for his people to survive. Maybe the Shepherd does, too. But the others, they’d never understand. Especially not Kaylee or Inara. Don’t want them to know what kind of a man I once was.”

“You did what had to be done. They panicked and the rest would have run too and you all would have been dead. You had to do it.”

“Don’t make it right,” was all Mal said and he just lay down and let his demons come, thankful for being exhausted so sleep came easier than it did on many a night.

**************************************************

River had tracked Kaylee to the room and then nothing happened for a long time. Nobody wanted to go to bed but Zoe finally convinced Inara and Book to get some rest and Wash was dozing in his chair. River refused to leave but she was red eyed and Zoe knew the drugs were wearing off, River making more and more cryptic comments and feeling the emotions of the crew that much stronger. Zoe was just about to ask her what Simon usually gave her before bed when the comms channel came to life and in a second Wash, River, and Zoe were wide awake.

“Serenity, this is Commander Samuel Jackson of Moon Base Armstrong. I would like to speak to Zoe Washburne, please. It’s time we had a chat.”