BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL

BRIGLAD

Relics - Chapter 7
Thursday, February 19, 2009

Captain Marsh awakens on Serenity. Finds out the truth about what year it is and has a bit of a problem adjusting.


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 2416    RATING: 9    SERIES: FIREFLY

Disclaimer: Joss, Fox, Universal Own em’. (Except for Allan and the kids. they're mine) I’m just playing. No money being made.

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This story takes place nine years after Serenity (BDM) and has the established couples of Simon/Kaylee, Mal/Inara, Zoë/Allan and Jayne/River. Takes place five years post “The Bash” -

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Thanks again to Woonsocket and Chris for the Beta work

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Relics

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Chapter Seven

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“How many are left?” Admiral Shin asked again.

“Five in total. One was failing just as we gained access to the cryo compartment,” Allan replied.

The image of the admiral sadly shook his head on the cortex screen, “What a terrible waste.”

Allan nodded in agreement, “Did you look at the log files I uploaded?”

“Some of them. Some difficult decisions were made. Are you quite sure Captain Marsh was willing to commit suicide before her first officer removed her from command?”

“I am. I picked them both for the job. Captain Marsh would follow her duty no matter what. George Tashima would follow her to hell and back. He also had a very strong moral compass. Always looking out for those who needed protection. I gather he decided Captain Marsh needed protection.”

“Very well. I see no use in pursuing anything in the way of dereliction of duty charges against Captain Marsh.”

Allan's face didn't change but inwardly he seethed. How dare this man even think of bringing Sylvia up on charges. “I appreciate that, sir,” he said.

“What of the others?”

“Lt. Henderson is working on getting them moved from the Kansas to the Magellan. The chambers can tolerate vacuum for short periods. An engineering crew is transferring them as we speak to the Sutherland. She will then dock with Magellan so your medical teams can revive the survivors.”

“What of Captain Marsh?”

“She is still unconscious,” Allan replied. “Tashima hit her with a strong tranquilizer. The only reason she awoke was the revival process itself. After a few minutes, the remaining drug in her system took over. Dr. Tam estimates she will be out for another few hours at least.”

Admiral Shin steepled his fingers, “What about her... mental state?”

“We'll have to see. She hit me when she first woke up. I think that was an automatic fight or flight reaction. She will be confused, no doubt about it.”

“Very well, Dr. Bryant. Please keep me informed.”

“I will. We will be docking with the Magellan in a few minutes ourselves.”

“I'll see you then.”

Allan nodded and cut the wave. He glanced over at the young woman in the pilot's seat, “That man just pissed me off.”

“I felt your anger,” River replied as she skillfully docked Serenity with the Alliance cruiser.

Allan stood up, “I'll be in the infirmary.”

“Talk to Zoë first.”

“Hmm?”

“She is confused... and a little jealous.”

“Why?”

“Saw you scoop up a beautiful woman and run away without so much as a word. Stood by Captain Marsh while Simon examined her.”

Allan slapped his palm against his forehead, “I'm an idiot. Zoë probably thinks Sylvia might be an old girlfriend or something.”

“Or something,” River confirmed.

“Thanks, River. Know where Zoë is?”

“Three feet behind you...”

Allan whirled in place. Zoë stood behind him, hands on her hips.

“Who is that woman, Husband?”

Allan knew that tone of voice and inwardly cringed, “Sylvia Marsh, Captain of the Kansas.”

“I kinda figured that part out. What I mean, what is she to you?”

Leave it to Zoë to be direct about this. Allan looked his wife directly in the eyes, “Until I met Kaylee, Sylvia was the closest thing I had to a younger sister.”

Zoë stared at her husband. Allan could almost see the wheels turning in her mind.

“You think on her like you do Kaylee?”

“Yes.”

Zoë's eyes shot a quick glance in River's direction. Allan cleared his throat.

“No cheating. Zoë, either you trust me or you don't about this. I love you.”

Zoë's eyes fell and her shoulders slumped, “I... I'm sorry.”

Allan let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He stepped forward and pulled Zoë into a hug, “Nothing to be sorry about.”

Zoë pulled back and looked at Allan, “I was a fengle shagua.”

“Since I don’t know what that means, I'll say you weren't and we'll call it done.”

Zoë snorted, “Are you ever gonna learn Mandarin?”

“I already speak English, French and a little Russian. That’s enough.”

Zoë giggled.

“Where is our little bundle of joy?” Allan asked

“Last I saw, she was having a staring contest with the purple belly guarding the airlock,” Zoë chuckled.

“Definitely your daughter...”

XXXXXXXXXX

“She's pretty,” Sylvia heard a small voice say.

“Yep,” replied another tiny voice.

“Kinda looks like Aunt Kaylee.”

“Taller than Momma. More like Aunt Zoë.”

“Yup.”

Sylvia opened her eyes. Her head was pounding and her mouth was dry. Painfully she turned her head. Standing next to whatever she was laying on stood two little girls. One with fair skin and long brown hair done up in pigtails. The other girl had a toffee complexion and reddish brown curls.

“Hi,” said the darker skinned little girl, “I'm Sara.”

“Hel... hello,” Sylvia croaked.

“I'm Becca,” The second girl said.

Sylvia blinked, her mind racing. Where the hell was she and who were these children?

“Can I have some water?” the captain was able to croak out.

“I'll get it,” the one who called herself Becca said as she hopped off what looked to be a stool.

Becca filled a cup with water and returned to the bedside. She even was able to get a straw, “Here ya' go,” she replied, holding the cup and straw so Sylvia could reach it.

She sipped the water. As her mind cleared, she looked around. Sylvia appeared to be in some kinds of medical bay. She remembered waking up after George attacked her, hitting someone and then throwing up. It was all so very fuzzy.

“Where am I?”

“The infirmary on Serenity,” Sara said.

“What's Serenity?”

“A K-64 03 Firefly,” the little girl replied.

Sylvia just looked confused. “It's a ship,” Becca added.

“Oh,” Sylvia remarked, “How old are you?”

“I'm five and a half and Becca's almost seven,” Sara said proudly.

Sylvia was surprised, both girls seemed to be much more articulate than their ages suggested.

“You both seem very bright for your ages,” Sylvia said.

“We're both smart like our folks,” Becca replied.

Now we're getting somewhere, Sylvia thought.

“Becca's daddy is a doctor and her momma's the chief engineer,” Sara stated.

“And Sara's daddy is a pilot and helps out my momma with the engine. Oh and runs a big company.”

“And my momma's first mate,” Sara said proudly.

“Becca is it? Would you mind getting your daddy, the doctor? I'm not feeling very good.”

“Sure!” The little girl replied, her face lighting up, “Be right back.”

As Becca scampered off, Sylvia turned to Sara, “What's you momma’s and daddy's names?”

“Momma's name is Zoë. Daddy's is Allan.”

Sylvia gasped. The image of Allan Bryant's face flashed in her memory. She had hit him. But that was impossible. Sylvia had figured out that her asshole of a first officer, George Tashima, had knocked her out and put her in cryo. The problem was that meant that this was the twenty-sixth century. Allan should have died centuries ago. She was so confused.

“What's you whole name, sweetie?”

“Sara Jane Bryant.”

“Son of a...”

“Bad word,” Sara chided.

“Baby? What are doing in here? It's almost bedtime,” said a beautiful dark skinned woman as she entered the room.

“Talking to the nice lady, Momma,” Sara replied.

The woman turned and yelled, “She's awake!”

A man rushed into the small white room, Sylvia's eyes widened with shock and recognition. He was a few years older and starting to show more gray than she remembered but the man standing before her was indeed, Allan Bryant.

“Allan?”

“Hey, Sylvia,” Allan smiled, “How are you feeling?”

“Like shi... bad,” she said, remembering the little girl in the room.

“It goes away in a few hours.”

“Where am I?”

“You ain't in Kansas anymore, Dorothy,” Allan grinned.

Sylvia groaned, “You need some new material.”

“After four hundred years, it's all new again,” Allan replied.

“Four...”

“Hundred, well, four hundred, thirteen years, seven months and a few days to be precise”

Sylvia's jaw dropped, “What year...”

“It's 2527,” Allan answered. His face serious.

“My god...”

“Ahem,” Zoë said quietly.

“Oh, oops,” Allan said, “Sylvia Marsh, this is my wife, Zoë. I already think you met our little girl, Sara.”

“Hi,” Sylvia replied, her mind still reeling from this new information. She was still confused as to why the man she looked on like a big brother was standing here in front of her... married with a little girl to boot.

“Welcome on board Serenity,” Zoë said.

“We're back!” Becca cried as she dragged Simon through the door, interrupting any further conversation.

“Slow down, Rebecca,” Simon said before pulling away from his daughter’s hand, “Oh, hello, you're awake. I'm Dr. Tam.”

“Hello, doctor,” Sylvia said.

“Everyone not a doctor or patient, get out,” Simon ordered.

Zoë took Becca and Sara's hands and began to lead them through the door. Allan didn't move.

“Doctor of medicine, is what I meant,” Simon sighed, “A PhD doesn't count.”

Allan grinned, “You're in good hands Sylvia. Simon is the best.”

“Shoo!”

“I'm gone, Simon,” Allan said as he turned and closed the infirmary doors behind him as he left.

XXXXXXXXXX

Allan sat on the sofa outside the infirmary. His laptop computer sat on the coffee table. Absently he rubbed his eyes. It was nearly midnight of a very long day. After her examination, Sylvia had asked Simon a few questions. He answered them to the best of his abilities. The captain of the Kansas suddenly began screaming about the blood on her hands. She took a swing at Simon and Allan needed to rush in to help the doctor. It took some work but Simon was finally able to sedate her.

Now she was sleeping under the influence of the sedatives.

Allan felt the sofa compress next to him. Without looking he knew it was his wife.

“You okay?”

“No,” Allan said quietly, “If Sylvia had access to a gun... she would have used it.”

“Survivors guilt,” Zoë replied, “Been there myself... couple of times.”

Allan looked into Zoë's eyes. He saw a slight haunted look there, “Could... could you talk to her?”

Zoë kissed her husbands cheek, “You really care for her, don't you?”

“Like a sister,” Allan replied.

“Why don't you go to bed? I'll sit with her for a while.”

Allan smiled slightly, “Thanks, honey.”

“Go get some sleep.”

Allan stood slowly and with a last look back at his wife, began climbing the stairs to the upper deck.

Zoë stood and quietly entered the infirmary. She pulled a stool up next to the bed and sat down. Zoë looked at the woman lying on the med bed closely. She looked tall, perhaps as tall as Zoë was herself. Natural honey blond hair and a nice figure. Zoë snorted slightly. If Marion Vorrasi were on this trip, she would be drooling over this woman. Marion was very much like Jayne in that way... well the way Jayne used to be. Before River.

As Zoë's eyes moved back to Sylvia's face she found tear filled eyes looking back at her.

“Sorry,” Sylvia whispered.

“For what?”

“Loosing it.”

“You ain't the only one who's wanted to pound on the doc,” Zoë smiled, “He can be such a Jin tzahng mei yong-duh, shagua sometimes.”

“A what?”

Zoë grinned, “Sorry. You're like my husband. Can't speak Mandarin.”

“You're really married to Allan?”

“Eighth anniversary is coming up in a few months.”

“He's a good man.”

“Wouldn't a married him if he wasn't.”

Sylvia smiled slightly. Then her face grew serious, “It's really 2527?”

“July fifteenth... well sixteen now, it's after midnight.”

“Sorry if I'm keeping you up,”

“I'm fine,” Zoë replied.

Sylvia looked to be in deep thought for a moment. Her eyes became wet, “I killed them all.”

“No,” Zoë said sharply in her 'command' voice, “You gave them a humane way to die in peace.”

“You were in the military, weren't you?” Sylvia asked.

Zoë nodded, “Infantry.”

Sylvia grinned slightly for just a moment, “I was a fighter jock... pilot.”

“Now I know why you and my husband get on so well,” Zoë grinned back.

“Did... did you ever lose anyone under your command?”

“Twenty-five hundred... give or take.”

“How...”

“About eighteen years ago, we had a 'little' civil war. Independents versus the Alliance. I started out as a private in the Alliance Army. Got sickened by what I was bein’ ordered to do, so I defected to the Independents. I was a corporal at the last battle. A meat grinder of a place called Serenity Valley. Twenty eight thousand Independents against forty thousand or so Purple Bellies... Alliance troops. Long story short, only about fifteen hundred total came out of the valley on both sides.”

“Command left us there for nearly two weeks. No medics, food, water... anything while they negotiated the peace. They just left us there... both sides.”

“My god...”

“I was a corporal and the second in command of the remaining independent forces when they finally came after us... I know all about death.”

“How... how did you...” Sylvia trailed off.

“I shut down. No emotions. Turned into a hard ass bitch. Only thing that kept me going was my best friend who was also my Sergeant. Now he's Captain of the ship we're on.”

“You're not shut down now,” Sylvia observed.

“Had some help. The captain bought this ship. He hired a pilot and I gained a husband out of the deal.”

“Allan?”

Zoë shook her head, “Allan's my second husband. My first husband was killed. I shut down again. Two years later, we find this old spaceship floating in space and out of cryo pops the man who a little over year later became my husband.”

“So Allan's just a crew member on this ship?”

“Little more than that,” Zoë smiled. “Blue Sun is still around. Allan's back runnin’ his company. We only use Serenity for trips like this. Captain's got a horse ranch on Boros.”

“Boros?”

“Like I'm doin’ this all again,” Zoë grinned, “There's over eighty worlds terriformed. Boros is a border planet. We have a home there. Ship’s crew, that is. You'll meet em' in the morning.”

“This is all a bit much to take in...”

“You got people to help you. Then you'll have some others you will need to help. My husband says there's four more survivors still in cryo.”

“Only four more?”

Zoë nodded gravely, “One man and three women. The rest of the chambers failed over the years. Yours started to malfunction just as Allan found you. Barely got you out in time.”

“Maybe he shouldn't have... might have been for the best.”

“That's go-se. Listen to me, sister. I been pretty close to where you are now. Had your whole 'verse ripped out from under you. It gets better. Not right off but it will. And you got other things to consider?”

“What's that?”

Zoë smiled, “That little one you got inside.”

“How did...”

“Was in the log left by your first officer.”

“If he wasn't dead, I'd kill him myself... he is dead, right?”

Zoë nodded, “Allan found him on the bridge.”

“Where I was supposed to be. Son of a bitch always was too damn noble for his own good.”

“Been known to happen.”

“My… baby?”

“Doc didn't say any specifics but so far your little once came through cryo fine.”

Sylvia relaxed a bit at that news. Suddenly she yawned.

“You need some rest,” Zoë observed.

“I've been asleep for four hundred years...”

“Just the way it is. Allan was the same way, when we got him out o' cryo. You get some sleep and in the mornin’, you can meet everybody.”

“Thank you,” Sylvia said.

“Welcome.”

“One last thing,” Sylvia asked.

“What's that?” Zoë replied as she turned back to face her.

“Where's the bathroom. I really need to go.”

“Come on, I'll show you,” Zoë grinned.

-

TBC

COMMENTS

Thursday, February 19, 2009 5:14 PM

FREEVERSE


I'm glad Sylvia and Zoe have connected. I'm imagining survivor's guilt won't dissipate quickly--she was clearly dedicated to her crew and passengers.
~freeverse

Thursday, February 19, 2009 10:58 PM

JANE0904


I really like Sylvia - she will be a good addition to the Allanverse. And I love Zoe's thought that Marion would be drooling ... good stuff!

Friday, February 20, 2009 8:04 AM

ANGELLEMARCS


Yuppers! I agree with the crowd. Tis good stuff! I love the new OC characters as well. Sylvia is just awesome. Nicely done!!


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