Disclaimer: I do not own the show Firefly. This story is gaining me no profit and is only for fun.
"2517 A.D."
Here's how it is:
The Earth got used up, so we moved out and terraformed a whole new galaxy of earths. Some, rich and flush with the new technologies. Some... not so much. The Central Planets, them as formed the Alliance, waged war to bring everyone under their rule. Few idiots tried to fight it, among them -- myself.
I'm Malcolm Reynolds, Captain of Serenity. She's a transport ship, Firefly class.
Got a good crew: fighters, pilot, mechanic. We even picked up a preacher, for some reason, and a bona fide Companion. There's a dancer, too. Pretty famous one. Took her genius brother out of some Alliance camp, so they're keeping a low profile. You understand.
You got a job, we can do it. Don't much care what it is.
River Tam walked briskly along the Eavesdown bazaar docks on Persephone. She'd been jumping planets for a couple of weeks, trying to put her mind and money to good use. She scanned the ships first, picking out which ones she should and shouldn't go on. She'd come to the conclusion early on that it would be a bad idea to go on any of the upper class ships. They usually catered to the Alliance, and being an upper class woman herself, that was where they would be looking. No, even if she stood out on a lower ship, it was safer, and they were usually run down because they didn't favor the alliance.
Then she caught sight of what she was looking for, a small, beat up ship that was leaving in an hour. Its destination was Boros. She considered moving on for a second, Boros was heavily pro-Alliance. But, Boros was also where Sally lived, and Sally was a very close friend who might put her up for a while if she didn't know about River's new status as a Felon. She was also pretty sure Sally wouldn't ask about the chamber, and Sally wouldn't know what it was. That was as good a place as any, and though she knew it probably wouldn't be wise to consort with known relations, River needed someplace to get her feet under her.
"Hello!" A young girl, maybe twenty, calls out to her from her spot on the ship.
"Hello!" River calls back, smiling, because this girl reminds her of herself when she was younger. "Do you still have room?"
"Sure do, 'specially for someone like you. Ain't had no one fancy pick Serenity in a good while." River smiles again.
"Well, I can pay your fair price. All I need is a pair of arms to help me with my luggage."
"Well sure! I'll get Wash, he can do it."
"Thank you." And for some reason, River feels like she just made a good decision.
So? What's the verdict?
TS