As the bay door shut I felt an odd sense of relief. This was it.

I stayed crouched behind the cargo as the bay fell silent. There were a few faint voices from another room. I deemed it safe and slowly rose to a standing position.

The bay was larger than Dobson's. There was room at the far end for stairs that reached up to a balcony that circled the room and then descended into stairs on either side of the bay door. The roof was easily the tallest in the ship. Again, the colours were darker and more welcoming than the white ones back at the lab.

My mind wandered from the different minds in the ship. They were all gathered in one room, save for two. One was through a door on my upper left balcony, and the other on the ground floor with me.

It was odd, the last mind was very quiet, as if they were sleeping. There were no beds in the cargo bay.

Before I could investigate further, the gathered minds dispersed and a few made their way to the bay.

I rushed to the stairs and climbed them quickly and silently with my bare feet. I made it to the balcony and onto the railing. I didn't think as I jumped and grabbed a few metal bars on the ceiling, pulling myself up.

As I tucked my feet up and away I peeked my head out and watched as several bodies walked into the room.

A very posh looking man made his way over to the different luggage spread out and eyed the large crate that must have been his. He was alliance. His mind was organized an- he was a doctor. My respect for him rose. He really cared under that hard exterior.

Dobson made his way past him and stumbled into him. I mentally face palmed.

Wait.

This was who he was looking for?

What a coincidence.

An elegantly dressed lady exited the door to the left of the cargo bay, floating down the few steps onto the balcony. She met miss hair-bun lady and one-bunned man. He had darker skin with white hair pulled back into a bun. He seemed really nice, but he has a moustache. Are those kinds of people trustworthy?

Mr. Browncoat was there as well, leaning cockily on the posterior railing. There was an altercation between the four individuals, but I paid no mind until-

"She's a whore, Shepherd."

Oh.

That's awkward.

Moving on.

Everyone eventually finished collecting their things and were escorted to their respective housings.

Funny.

Some consider this their house.

I made a mental note - ha mental - of the direction to Dobson's room. Once everyone settled, I'd check in with him.

I woke in a panic. The ground was getting larger, that didn't make sense. There was a chain swaying and I grabbed it without thinking.

My hands slid down a few rings as I slowed to a stop, almost popping out my shoulders. Great, now my hands hurt.

I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep. How professional is that?

Wait.

Why would I need to be professional?

I paused and waited to see if any minds decided to investigate my intrusion of silence.

Nothing.

I slowly lead myself down the chain links and rested my feet gently on the cold grated floor.

I exited the bay into a hallway and made my way to Dobson's room. I cautiously opened his door, peaking my head into the room.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed perpendicular to the door. He was hunched over his knees with a tablet type thing in his hands. After I slipped through the door and shut it behind me, his eyes snapped to mine. He was surprised.

"H-how did you get here?" he made sure to speak in a hushed tone.

I shrugged and made a walking motion with my two fingers. He pushed off of the bed and set down with tablet.

"I was just deciding if I should call the Alliance yet." he paused. "Simon is here, but I don't know if his sister is or not."

I raised a finger, catching his wandering attention, my mind racing. I made the motion of shaping a large box.

"...She's in his cargo?" he sounded very skeptical.

I didn't need to listen to his words to know. His mind was swirling. Well, if he doesn't believe me that's his problem.

I shrugged.

"W-" he was cut off by a simple beeping alarm. "It's meal time."

A growl sounded from my abdomen. It never did that before. I was always hooked up to an IV, very convenient.

He made his way to the door, brushing past me.

"I'll try and bring you something to eat." and then he was gone.

I huffed and flopped onto his bed. It's actually comfy. Old, but comfy.

I felt everyone make their way to the dining room, where they were congregated before, sans two minds.

It wasn't long until he returned.

I was sprawled on his bed with my feet resting on his pillow. It's not like he's going to use it, we weren't going to be here very long. He's planning to call the Alliance any minute now.

He set down a plate of food in front of me and promptly sat down with his tablet.

Soon the Tams will be gone, then we leave with the Alliance, then I-

Panic set in as I flipped off the bed while simultaneously snatching the tablet from his hands and hiding it behind my back.

Clearly shocked, he sat for a beat before standing up and taking a few steps my way.

"What are you doing?" This was different, he wasn't nervous at all. "I need to make the call."

I stabbed myself in the chest with my finger.

"What about you?" My eyes widened.

I desperately pointed to myself again and shook the tablet. There was an awkward silence.

Then…

"What's gonna happen to you when the Alliance comes?"

I nodded. Why was I helping this man in the first place? They're probably going to take back River, back to that... place.

"I-" he sighed. "I'll figure something out. Maybe send you on a shuttle in the opposite direction."

Pause.

I was thinking. The Alliance could come and board the ship and immediately start searching, if I didn't leave before they were near, or even left. Would they notice a shuttle was missing? If I didn't, they would either not bother with the rogue shuttle leaving the ship, but then they may think I'm a Tam trying to escape. They may arrive just as I'm leaving therefore causing them to send out their own shuttle after me while simultaneously boarding the ship.

But, would they even know who I am? I was meant to be executed, I didn't escape, there was no warrant for me, was there?

Something was wrenched from my hand and I almost fell over. I was totally lost in my own mind.

I came to myself to see Dobson tapping the screen.

Wait, what was happening? I didn't agree to this. This is stopping right now.

He was already speaking to someone on the other end of the wave. I was about to snatch the tablet back before he could give any information, but something beat me to it.

He dropped the tablet as the screen fritzed, a slight buzzing could be heard.

Everything was chaos, well not everything. Captain browncoat was rushing from the bridge and Simon was in the cargo bay.

Dobson immediately grabbed his gun from his bag and stormed out of the room. I immediately followed.

He was making his way to the cargo bay. Why did he think to go there? It's not like he knew Simon was there.

As we entered the room I flanked to the side and hid behind the stairs in the dark. They really needed to lighten up this place.

Captain browncoat had his gun expertly trained on the male fugitive.

"I have exactly no time for games. What do they know?" Captain browncoat was not happy.

"You're a lunatic." Simon was cradling his cheek. Must have been slugged.

"And you're a gorram fed." Oh, how wrong he was.

"Hate to say it, Captain, but you've got the wrong man." That was the Shepherd. He was at the opposite end of the bay with his hands raised and pointedly looking past them.

Dobson had his gun on the two men centered in the bay.

The Captain cursed to himself.

"Drop that firearm, Captain Reynolds."

Pause.

The Captain dropped his gun, raising his hands.

"This is not my best day ever." It really wasn't, I could agree with that.

"Simon Tam, you are bound by law to stand down."

"What - the doctor? Oh." The Captain paused, taking a beat to process. I smiled to myself, this was really throwing him for a loop.

"Hey!" He turned to Dobson. "Is there-is there a reward?" Dobson ignored him, too tightly wound to be distracted.

"Get on the ground. Get on the ground!" Well, he doesn't have to yell, that doesn't solve anything. Simon especially didn't like it.

"Lawman, you're making a mistake."

"I think you best get on the ground, son. This man seems a mite twitchy." Well that certainly wasn't an underestimation. Was that a word?

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the bible man inch his way forward.

"The boy's not going anywhere, lawman. As I understand it, it's pretty cold outside." Clever.

"Not to worry." Captain was reaching for his gun, and Dobson's mind couldn't get any more wound, he was so coiled up. "Put Lord Fauntleroy here in a passenger cell - won't make a peep 'til you hand him over to-"

Dobson snapped, pointing the gun at the Captain again. The force of his burst flew through his mind and knocked me back. My head bounced on the wall as it became overwhelmed.

Stop, stop, stop!

I couldn't handle it, it was too much. Too much panic, desperation.

And then it was done. Dobson was out for the count and there was another kind of chaos. Bun-girl had her hair down and she was bleeding. Oh no. Dobson really was an idiot.

I quickly gathered the line of events from the Shepherd. He was protecting Dobson from the big man. Honourable, not sure it's right though.

A tense argument sprouted from my right where the girl was bleeding.

"Change course. Run." This was the doctor.

"Hell with you. You brought this down on us, I'm dumping you with the law."

"Mal..." This was new. It was the same mind from the shuttle.

"She's dying." Back to doctor-man-Simon.

"No, you can't." Captain replied.

"No way the Feds'll let us walk." Miss tall dark and pretty pointed out and the Captain turned to her.

"Then we dump him in the shuttle and leave him for them."

"Everybody's so mad..." Bun-girl was in so much pain. She was coming out of the shock.

Her mind was rolling in waves of pain that only grew bigger and bigger. This wasn't good. Stomach wounds could get bad really quick.

Did the bullet exit? Did it make it through? It would be a lot better if it did. I think.

Everything was becoming blurry. I was lost, I couldn't see. I grabbed the sides of my head as it pounded.

"Help me get her up." So, the good doctor was finally doing his job.

They scooped her up and carried her to their infirmary. Another wave of pain rolled and I fell to my side. I was surprised no one noticed me, the fetus under the stairs.

I stayed where I was and waited as the drugs were slowly introduced into the girl's system. She was going under. I relaxed when she was gone and shifted to the good doctor.

He was good. He was just running, but not for his sake.

He was in the zone. Working for the bullet. His mind was oddly relaxing, everything was a routine. I took a stroll down his mind. Everything was white and clean, but it wasn't the same as the lab. It had an odd sense comfort that I didn't usually relate to the colour.

He was actually more organized that the other scientists. He really did know what he was doing, and he loved it. It was his calling.

I took a turn and there were a set of steel doors with little windows on each. I peeked through and saw that it was an operating room. It was empty spare a man, a large overhead light hanging over a table, and a body on the table.

This was new.

I decided to explore this new find and gently pushed the door slowly as to not disturb the man, and slowly closed it behind me. The man was focused, if a brick was dropped he wouldn't notice. I made my way around the table and stood opposite the man.

It was Simon.

He was so focused.

My gaze shifted to the body. It had no face, almost dummy-like. He wasn't focusing on the person, only the task. He was digging with his utensils into the right side of the stomach. Kinda gory, I'd seen worse.

I waved my hand in front of his face, trying to cut his gaze.

He didn't falter.

Then he was done, and I was sucked out of the room with the doors slamming shut behind me. My breath decided it wanted to leave me as I turned. The doors were no longer there. It was just a wall.

I could hear him breathing. It was muffled. I could feel the movement of him turning around, not enough to knock me off my feet, but just enough to know he was moving. He took another breath as his eyes met with the Captain's.

They exchanged a few words, and then panic set in. Everything shifted so I left his mind.

I jumped to the Captain's. He wasn't happy.

Thank you for reviewing CorrieLikesStory and Thescarredman!

This one ended up waay longer than I expected. Enjoy!

I had a few issues uploading this yesterday, so I almost have the next chapter done as well. I may be able to upload that as well when I get home tonight!