Woo boy, been a long damn time since I've been around to writing I know, and I'm sorry. Lot of things been going on an most of those that kept me from writing weren't good. But I'm back, very surprised to find my account still active, and I'm putting up a post.
This'll be my first try at a Firefly fic, hope you all like it. Those who know me by my X-men stuff I may get around to putting in a few more of those but these folks have the loudest head voices now so I'm writing their piece.
Explanation of the story itself. This is planned to be a series of fics with this one being part one. Cross you're fingers for postings on a semi-regular basis but to help with that I've done written ahead of myself to make sure there's something in the wings waiting.
Basically our happy crew are lost and they'll be bouncing around from one verse to the next for a spell. This means crazy crossovers yay! I'm sure its been done, and if not I'm kinda surprised really, but this is my weird take on it.
It's told from the Serenity crews pov, mostly Mal's so if the observation of folks are screwy it's because that's how he's seeing.
This take's place after the last episode and before Serenity on Firefly's side and sometime during the first five year mission, or original series, of Star Trek.
Only one technical note to put here and that's just what the Firefly flans already know, folks onboard Serenity like everyone in their verse speak both English and Chinese. I've put some of the stuff in there and it'll be in italics. If it's written in Chinese assume it's a curse or insult, anything that the reader needs to know will be in English in italics.
And I guess that's about it. Comments and constructive criticism always appreciated and I hope ya'll enjoy. Thanks.
Firefly the Lost in Space Saga
Part I: To Boldly Go…
"Well, we are officially lost." Wash pronounced removing his hands from the yoke and throwing them up in the air. "Captain, permission to throw myself out of the airlock for having failed you all so miserably."
He covered his head with his hands dramatically and sighed. Mal, however, wasn't in the mood. Standing off to the side of Wash he shook his head and leaned over to tap a finger on the navigation screen.
"No Wash, you steered us here and you are going to find out where the hell here is and how we're gonna get back to there, so we can get to Where we're goin."
"Mal I've tried. None of this is on the map…"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that we are officially in uncharted space."
"No, no, no. That ain't it at all. You said you plotted our course for Beaumonde yesterday and since ain't no one but you been flyin us since then we outta be still on course."
"But I'm telling you we're not. Something must have happened…autopilot malfunction or something…" He looked over the controls and tried to run through information hoping for the source of the problem and to find a solution.
"So autopilot went wonky and sent us out into the unknown black. No, that ain't gonna cut it Wash. Even if we fell off course we ain't been goin near long enough to have fallen off the map yet. Not unless you've got us at full burn eatin up all our fuel." At that thought Mal moved in closer to check.
"We're still at the same speed an got plenty of fuel left we just…ran out of road or something." It didn't make sense to Wash either and the more he checked over the instruments the more it puzzled him.
"Wash you got five seconds to tell me where I am 'fore I…" Mal threatened but was interrupted by Zoe who'd taken that moment to enter the bridge.
"You're standing right there sir." She said calmly walking up to stand behind Wash. "Problems?"
"You're husband's got us lost." Mal replied in irritation throwing his hand up and backing off towards the door.
"Lost?" Zoe turned a look on Wash who ducked and smiled.
"I wouldn't say lost…" Wash chuckled weakly.
"Yes, yes you did say lost." Mal corrected, turning around and coming back.
"Well yeah, I may have said lost." Wash conceded with a half shrug and stammer, "But…what I meant was, was…hopelessly off course without a clue?"
"That really ain't much better dear." Zoe said blandly and leaned over to check the console herself. "Maybe the equipments malfunctioning, not reading space correctly…"
She glanced up at Mal, "Wouldn't be the first time."
"Wash said he's checked that." Mal shook his head, "But, wouldn't hurt to have a second opinion. Let's get Kaylee up here, maybe she can sort it out."
Zoe nodded and made the call. It wasn't long before Kaylee came smiling onto the bridge. "Someone make a call for a cheery mechanic?"
"Call for fixin, might hold the cheery." Mal clipped and nodded to the console, "Wash's got somethin he broke needs fixin."
Kaylee's face fell a little and she turned to Wash and Zoe. Zoe gave Mal a look regarding his manner and Wash offered up a smile, "Seems the computers having trouble recognizing where we're at. I had a look at it but I'm no you so maybe you'll take a peek?"
Kaylee was smiling again and moved forward. "Course you ain't Wash, if you was where would that leave Zoe?"
Wash laughed and stood up giving Kaylee access to the controls. She looked them over, tweaking a few things here and there, frowning when no response came and then sliding down underneath the console and looked up into it after removing a panel.
"Well I can't see nothing wrong…" Came her voice up from beneath the console, "everything looks good. Guidance, scanner, proximity…" As she spoke the last that very alert suddenly blared up. Everyone jumped a little and Kaylee scurried out from beneath as Wash jumped back into his chair.
"What've we got?" Mal asked looking up through the windshield as Wash looked down at his screen.
"Looks like a ship on approach, an boy is it a big one…" He trailed off and everyone exchanged a glance.
Zoe spoke up on their shared worry, "Is it Alliance?"
"Can't really tell just yet it's…" Wash's brow furrowed as he tacked a few switches and then looked up out through the window, "It's nothing I've ever seen before…"
Kaylee and Zoe were each looking over Wash's shoulders so Mal moved over to the co-pilots seat to have a look himself. "What the hell is that?"
"I have no idea." Wash admitted, "Look at the energy readings."
Mal turned and frowned deeper, "Don't make no kind of sense…"
He looked up again and this time the craft was in view to the eye. It was massive, clean and sleek but of a design Mal had never seen, Alliance or otherwise. It resembled Serenity in that it had a main body and then kind of neck where a head was sticking out only this one's was saucer shaped. The body was sleeker then Serenity's and what he figured were the thrusters stuck out further and higher.
Not the best design Mal ever did see but she seemed to move through space nicely. In fact the strange craft was coming up pretty quickly and Mal couldn't help but worry his own boat would get caught in the wake.
Wash was already on it however, and took up the wheel again to clear Serenity of the monstrous ships path. "Should I hail them?"
Mal shook his head quickly, "No. We ain't nowhere we know of and I'm more than a little sure we don't wanna be drawin attention from folks in a tub like that. We just keep on our way and hope they let us slide on past."
Wash nodded and they all stared out watching as the craft cruised closer.
"Captain, scanners just picked up a small craft on approach within our vector. Design and origin unknown to the computer."
The Captain raised his brow curiously at the announcement. "On screen and hail."
The craft appeared on the massive screen before him and he looked at it with his head slightly tilted.
"No response to the hail captain. I don't believe it's getting through, trying now on all frequencies."
"Alright. Slow us down, match their speed and keep on course."
"Uh, Mal." Wash spoke up worriedly, "They're slowing down."
Mal frowned and stood up again, coming in behind Wash. "Maintain our own speed and course less it's gonna put us in that things way."
"We're pretty clear right now, long as they hold course too."
"No markings to indicate it's an Alliance craft, sir." Zoe spoke up and Mal nodded to her.
"She's a pretty keen craft," Kaylee spoke up looking over the strange vessel appreciatively, "bit too fancy you ask me but, she's got a nice look to her."
"Yeah well," Mal started on a thought of his own but didn't get to finish as Wash spoke up.
"They're hailing us."
"Māde." Mal cursed and shook his head. "Okay people just smile an look innocent, bring it up Wash."
Mal put on a smile he felt looked genuine enough and stared down into the camera. "This is Captain Malcolm Reynolds of Serenity, what can I do you for?" The image that returned on their little screen was staticy and jumpy at best, the response from the man on the other line cutting in and out.
"This is Capt….ames…irk…of the….en...t…rise…plea…entify yourself."
Mal glanced at his crew and then turned back to the camera, "Thought I just did that. Name's Malcolm Reynolds, this here's Serenity and we're all just passin on by. If, that's alright with you." He added a smile to the end and hoped it was sincere looking enough to get them a pass.
On the other end of the line the communication was breaking up just as badly. The man on the screen wavered in and out and it was impossible to tell what he was saying.
"Isn't there someway to clear this up?"
"I'm trying sir, the frequency they're using is…funny."
"Captain, sensors are picking up on unusual energy readings from the craft as well. The output is very odd."
"Trouble with their ship?"
"Perhaps, I am uncertain just yet."
"I've lost the communication sir."
Frowning deeply the Captain stroked his chin then nodded, "Bring us about, could be there's something wrong with their craft. Bring them in and we'll check it out."
The wave blanked out and Mal looked to Kaylee who shrugged, wasn't on this end.
"Huh, you think a tub that nice would be able to keep a decent line goin." Mal watched as the larger ship ghosted by, holding his breath until they were well past. "Looks like they didn't want to bother with us after all."
Everyone else seemed to ease up as well until another alert went up and the ship suddenly jolted. Wash sat up straight and quickly grabbed hold of the yoke and started to play with switches. "Maybe not Captain…she's got us."
"Tàikōng suŏyŏu de xīngqiú sāijìn wŏ de pìgu what do you mean she's got us?" Mal exclaimed gripping onto the side of the console as the ship lurched again.
"I mean got us as in tractor beam. We're being pulled in." Wash's hand was gripped tight but still the ship bucked again. "Can't fight her, pulls too strong."
"What's going on?" A voice piped up from the door way. It was Simon and he was braced looking at the others with worry.
"We got some trouble. Let her go Wash, they're takin us."
Wash let up on the stick and played with some switches surrendering Serenity over.
"Got us? Who, whose got us?" Simon was filled with alarm. "The Alliance?"
"Don't know." Mal answered and turned calling the others to follow. "Everyone down to the cargo bay. Simon run fetch your sister." He pulled down the com unit and spoke out to the rest of Serenity, "All personel get down to the cargo bay now, Jayne bring something scary." Then he was out and the others were following him, Simon moving ahead to go find his sister.
As he moved down the stairs he checked his gun and could hear Zoe behind him doing the same. Ship that big, there was no way this was ending well if it turned into a fire fight but if this turned bad he wasn't going to not put up a fight.
They reached the cargo bay where Shepard Book and Inara were already at.
"Mal, what's going on?" Inara asked as he walked by. He turned to answer then heard the heavy foot falls of Jayne coming down the stairs.
"Na-uh Jayne, stay up there." He looked up at the man who was sporting a large rifle over his shoulder. "On the catwalk above the door. Somewhere you can see but stay hid till I call."
Jayne nodded and moved off, the clip in Mal's tone and serious expression the others wore told him not to question or argue.
"Mal…" Inara started to ask again as Simon came up bringing River.
"Okay, can't do nothin fancy this time. You an your sister come on." He moved off towards the grating that removed to give access to the small hold where they're less honest cargo was often stored. It was empty now and he gestured for the two to get inside.
Simon made to protest but then the ship bucked again and there was a hiss as the airlock outside the ramp was secured. Pulling along River who was grinning oddly, then again she was always odd, he crawled inside and Mal replaced the grate.
He left that and moved forward to stand with the others. "Alright, Zoe, Wash you stand by me. Inara, back by the stairs, stand near those crates case you gotta get back for cover. Shepard, you stand there with Inara, Kaylee too."
The others moved as instructed and he nodded, laying a hand on the gun on his hip and unfastening the loop that secured it. "No one shoot less it looks like were gonna get shot at, understand? Jayne?"
"Yeah." Came the gruff response from somewhere above. Mal looked and was satisfied when he couldn't pick the man out.
There was a tap on the outside of the door and Mal took in a deep breath. "Alright Wash, open her up."
Wash moved forward and pulled on the heavy door. He hesitated a moment then moved back to stand beside Mal and Zoe again. The silence stretched a ways and then was finally interrupted by footfalls.
