"I understand you take passengers on your Firefly Captain Reynolds?" The man enquired.
Mal looked him up and down, he was tall, well dressed and had a look about him that reminded Mal of an alliance general, but still beggars couldn't be choosers and now Serenity was in the air again they had to find work.
"I do sir". Malcolm responded.
"Do you have a ships medic?" The man questioned him.
This question made Mal suspicious, Mal had thought that the Alliance had given up looking for River and Simon but maybe this man was a spy, or bounty hunter and Mal wasn't prepared to put his crew in danger, he wasn't prepared to risk loosing anyone else.
"Why do you ask?" Mal responded warily.
"I ask because the passenger I wish you to transport needs medical care". The man responded, without waiting for Malcolm to reply he carried on. "My daughter was badly injured a couple of months back, this town is too volatile for someone like her, my brother and his wife have agreed to take her in".
"Your daughter, what does she want?" Mal asked, the only type of passenger Mal was going to agree to was the willing kind, the not so willing kind tended to be a whole load of trouble.
"She will not cause you any trouble if that is what you are suggesting Captain Reynolds, she is far from dangerous, she has no memory of anything before the accident, of this planet, her home, of me. She has no ties here; this is her chance to build a new life, far away from here". The man replied sadly.
"I am prepared to offer you four times the going rate if you agree to transport my daughter safely to Olaris, providing she gets the medical care she requires".
The money was too good to refuse, the ship needed repairs and fuel, the crew needed food and work, something to take their minds off of all that had happened over the past couple of months.
"Our medic is highly qualified and very dedicated, sir". Malcolm replied.
"Then I'm sure my daughters needs will not present a problem". The man commented. "When will you be ready to leave?" He asked.
"First thing tomorrow morning". Malcolm replied.
"I will pay you half the money once my daughter is on board your ship, my brother will have the other half waiting for you upon her safe arrival on Olaris". The man informed him as he turned to leave.
Mal headed back inside. He found his crew sitting, playing poker around the table.
"We have a job; we leave for Olaris tomorrow morning". Mal told them.
"But cap, Serenity, she ain't ready for such a long flight". Kaylee responded.
"Then you must make sure she is ready". Mal replied, Kaylee pushed back her chair and hurried to the engine room.
"What's the cargo Mal?" Simon asked.
"It's just as well you asked". Mal replied. "A child, she needs medical care, the father says, we are to take her to some relatives in Olaris".
"Gorram kids, I ain't being no babysitter to no kid". Jayne muttered.
"I don't remember asking you to". Mal responded as he turned his back on Jayne.
"But you're asking me?" Simon asked.
"Yes, yes I am". Mal replied.
"Ok". Simon shrugged his shoulders. "So what does she have wrong with her then, this child?" He asked.
"I didn't ask, she had some kind of accident, that's all the father told me". Mal told him, Simon raised his eyebrows in amazement at the Captains stupidity before he stalked out of the room.
River giggled. "What did I do?" Mal asked her. She didn't respond she just sat smiling quietly to herself.