Interference by SLynn

Chapter 4: Falling

It took a few minutes, but between the two of them, they got Wash back to the shuttle. With really no where else to put him, they’d helped him out of his gear and onto the floor. Clearly unhappy, but also unwilling to stop, Mal stayed just long enough to make sure he wasn’t seriously hurt and then left without another word.

“Are you alright?” Zoe asked as soon as they were alone again.

“It’s fine. It’s just a spasm. It’ll be over soon.”

She didn’t believe him. Truth was Wash never lied well. He’d said it all through gritted teeth.

“How long have you been having them?”

“Not long. Not often.”

She shook her head.

“Wash,” she said, “you have got to be the most hard headed man I’ve ever met.”

He would have taken offense if she hadn’t smiled slightly as she’d said it.

“Just pretend to believe me.”

”Fine,” she said no longer smiling. “Take this.”

She’d handed him two pills which he downed.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Muscle relaxers. Should help pretty quickly.”

”Thanks,” he said shutting his eyes and trying to relax.

“I’m going to help the captain with the rest of the stuff. Just don’t get up.”

She’d left without saying anymore and Wash couldn’t have felt worse. Yes, he’d been down before but this was bad. This was just plain embarrassing. But Wash didn’t have much time to mull it over. Zoe and Mal hadn’t been gone for more then fifteen to twenty minutes when he heard a low rumble.

Wash’s eyes snapped open. He couldn’t be positive if he’d imagined it or not. He’d thought he’d heard it, even thought he’d felt it, but that couldn’t be. Likely it was the drugs.

Wash shut his eyes again slowly, certain he’d dreamed it, when it happened again. Louder and stronger then before.

Before he could even try to get up, Mal and Zoe rushed through the airlock.

“We’ve got to go,” Mal said his voice full of urgency not normally heard, “Now.”

Wash managed to get into a partial sitting position, shaking his head which now felt as if it was entirely stuffed with cotton.

Zoe was already starting up the shuttle.

“What’s going on?”

No one answered him. Both Zoe and Mal were too busy preparing to leave.

“What’s going on?” Wash asked louder, trying still to get to his feet.

Mal obliged, grapping him by the arm and helping him up.

“Wash,” he said, his voice still full of urgency, “looks like I owe you an apology.”

He was confused. It was probably just the drugs, but he just couldn’t follow what was happening around him. Zoe and Mal weren’t making sense and he couldn’t figure where all that noise was coming from.

“You were right. This moon is falling apart.”

Wash stared at him blankly thinking that it had to be a dream. Okay, not a good dream, but still. This couldn’t be happening.

“Wash?” Mal questioned.

Wash absentmindedly put a hand down on the pilot chair just as the ship lurched slightly to its left.

“We’ve got to go now Wash. Time for you to do what I pay you for.” Mal said as though he was talking to a child, slowly and distinctly.

Wash turned wide-eyed to Zoe who had come up beside him, not knowing what to say.

“Can you…”

”Let’s go…” he said, cutting her off and turning quickly to sit down.

Mal was beginning to sense the uneasiness between them. Not the uneasiness he’d grown accustomed too, but a new and unnerving one.

“What’s going on here?”

Wash was already strapping himself in. Taking a deep breath and rubbing a hand roughly across his face.

“Nothing,” Wash answered as the adrenaline began to take over, “just doing my job.”

Wash didn’t have to look behind him to see it. The look Mal was giving Zoe at that very moment, silently getting her opinion on the matter. Obviously Mal didn’t know about the relaxer and it didn’t seem to be information Zoe was going to volunteer.

“You might want to grab a seat,” Wash said in nearer normal tones, “this isn’t going to be pretty.”

****

Kaylee had escaped. Tired of Jayne’s incessant demands she’d sought refuge. Navigating the stairs was impossible for him in his current state, making the bridge the perfect hideout.

Rubbing her brow in a way reminiscent of Mal, she tried to shake it off. Normally, she had patience. Plenty of it. You had to being a mechanic. Things didn’t always work the first, second or even third time, so you had to be willing to stick it out. To keep trying. But she seriously thought that if Jayne asked for one more pillow or drink or anything, she was going to turn his own gun on him.

And there was at least twelve hours to go.

Desperate, she checked the clock again.

Yep, at least twelve. They’d only been gone that long, and they figured it’d take at least a full day.

Checking the newly darken sky she looked for Perseis. She hadn’t yet caught a glimpse of the crumbling moon and was curious to do so, but without luck. Kaylee did see a few meteorites streaking across the sky, but thought nothing of it. The moon must be on the other side of the ship.

Risking another demand from Jayne, she decided to go out side and take a look. As she left the comm link crackled to life without her noticing.

Kaylee managed to go unnoticed until opening the cargo bay.

“What’s up?” Jayne asked, startling her a bit. They’d found him a pair of crutches a few hours earlier, although he’d refused at first to try them. Kaylee was happy to see an hour alone had made him rethink the idea.

“Just wanted to take a look at the sky.”

“Why?”

“Because,” she said with a slight roll of the eyes, “it’s pretty. Never seen a moon or planet falling apart. All this talk made me want to.”

“Yeah well,” he said turning to go, “don’t get lost.”

Kaylee didn’t answer, just gleefully made her way down the ramp and into the night air.

Night air was the best type of air, she’d always thought. Some how it just seemed cleaner.

Looking up she immediately saw what she’d come to see, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight.

The night sky was alive with light. Meteoroids streaked across and exploded against the surface of the now half moon. Bits of it seemed to be falling onto Circe itself.

There weren’t words enough to describe it.

She stood transfixed at the sight, unaware of time, when a voice calling her name suddenly caught her attention.

“Kaylee!” Jayne practically screamed at her from the top of the cargo hold, “Damn it girl, get inside now!”

Struggling to look a way, she came to her senses a bit and ran back up the ramp.

“What is all that?” she asked as Jayne leaned into the wall for balance and began closing the cargo doors. “What…”

”Damn fool was right,” Jayne muttered under his breath, unable to stop himself from looking once more as well.

“What? You don’t… they have to be…”

Jayne felt a knot in the pit of his stomach, something he hadn’t felt for a very long time, at the sound of Kaylee’s voice. She was so scared and he didn’t know what to say to her. At least, he didn’t know the right thing to say to her.

“Get Inara on the wave,” he said, looking down on the pretense of adjusting the crutches. “Get her on the wave and find out where she is.”

“But what about the Captain?” she asked.

“Just do this first, then we’ll worry about that.”

She nodded slowly and headed back up towards the bridge.

Her hands trembled as they opened the door and made her way to the console. The lights once only visible from the far side of the ship could now be seen from the bridge as well, making it nearly as bright as day.

Seeing that she’d missed a transmission, she paused momentarily debating whether to listen to it first. She decided against it. Getting Inara on the wave was reassuring. Inara was okay and promised to be back as soon as flying was safe. She couldn’t leave port until the all clear was given but she’d leave the very moment she could. Inara didn’t about Mal or the others, and Kaylee didn’t volunteer the information. Throughout the brief two minute communication, both women’s voices were tinged with fear.

“How is she?” Jayne hollered up to her after a few minutes more.

“Fine, I’m coming back down.”

Kaylee stood to go, but then remembered the incoming message waiting in the queue. Sitting again, she retrieved and played it back.

A voice she immediately recognized came through the speaker. The words were barely distinguishable through the static, but she knew it well. It was Wash.

“… to Serenity. Please ….”

“Shuttle … nity. Please respond.”

For a minute Kaylee thought that was all of it, then Wash’s voice came back on.

“Kaylee pick up.”

Another static filled pause. The mention of her name had brought tears to her eyes.

“Not sure if you’re getting ... taken damage. … off of Perseis and headed back .... I don’t think we’re going ....”

Wash’s voice sounded funny to her, even through the static. More distant and almost sad.

“… tanks shot. Left thruster ... coasting into atmo.”

A longer pause and then a very audible gasp.

”Life support hit. I’m trying the beacon … nothing’s working ...”

Kaylee was already doing mental calculations. Life support hit shouldn’t be too big of a problem if they make it back to Circe. The problem was that was sounding like a big if right now.

“Kaylee … I’m trying to land. I’m trying … mountain … X9.”

They were obviously loosing the signal.

“How am …”

The transmission was over.