At Serenity's top speed, the trip from Persephone to Osiris takes just over a week. Claudia and Helena spend the majority of that time working out a plan of attack and training the crew for their roles in same. It surprises Helena how easily she and Claudia have fallen back into something resembling a good working relationship; she would not have been surprised to learn that her actions at Yellowstone had permanently altered the other woman's opinions of her. And there is the memory of their less-than-happy reunion in this century. Then again, this isn't the eager teenager that used to follow Helena 'round the Warehouse, begging to help with her latest project. This woman has literally centuries of experience in dealing with people and caring for one of the greatest archives in humanity's history.
These skills frequently make an appearance over the course of the trip. While Helena has the more recent experience there, it is Claudia who provides essential information about Warehouse Fifteen, such as the location of the Archives. Helena may be the one to suggest using a decoy captain and ship, but Claudia is the one who convinces Mal and Inara that the Companion is the right person for the job. Actually, Claudia gets along well with most of the crew from the start. Kaylee, in particular, is thrilled to have another mechanically-inclined person around, and spends a happy afternoon walking both Claudia and Helena through the workings of Serenity.
Even with all of the planning going on, the crew and their passengers still have some downtime. Helena makes a point of talking with Myka at least once a day, and knows that Claudia does the same. Two days out, a small noise draws Helena's attention as she shuts down the radio; looking up, she spots River lying facedown on the catwalk above, peering down through the grating. Even at that distance, Helena can spot the wonder on the girl's face. "Shall I introduce you?" she calls up. River shakes her head, but thereafter whenever Helena talks to Myka the Reader is never far away.
In addition to talking with Myka and planning, Helena keeps up with her workout routine. River frequently spars with her; surprisingly, Jayne is also a willing partner. The day after River first observes Helena talking to Myka, the hold is carefully cleared so that the crew can play a game of their own invention called hoopball. Helena watches at first, but soon enough River and Kaylee coax her into joining them so that the teams are evenly matched. By the time the second game is over, Helena feels relaxed in a way she hasn't since Christina lived.
Four days away from Osiris, the group begins to make their final preparations. With the help of Helena and River, Kaylee spends time making cosmetic alterations to the second shuttle, including changing the registration number to match the fictional ship they'll be using. Meanwhile, Claudia goes over maps of Warehouse Fifteen with Mal and Inara. She also creates the false ID records for both Inara and her ship. Simon, having not much else to do, makes sure the infirmary is ready for any possible emergency and then joins the group working on the shuttle. Jayne spends several days preparing all of the weapons he plans to bring. Zoe studies the maps with Mal and Inara, and spends more than a few shifts at the helm so River is free to help with the shuttle.
And suddenly, the shuttle is done. Inara's fake ID is ready to go. Mal and the others know their parts of the main plan and the three contingencies. Helena contacts Jenkins to let him know that she will arrive in the morning. And the waiting begins.
Surprisingly, Helena manages a couple hours' sleep before a nightmare wakes her. Heart pounding, she sits up in her bunk. The ship's air cools her sweaty skin as she takes deep breaths, trying to purge the image of Myka engulfed in flames from her mind. It takes a few minutes, but her pulse and breathing do slowly return to normal. Her mind, however, refuses to quiet down. She knows several ways to deal with this phenomenon, and so, lying back down, she begins running through every detail of tomorrow's plan. Some time later, she realizes that she's mentally going in circles and opens her eyes. Clearly, sleep won't be returning anytime soon. Sitting up, she reaches for a warmer shirt and pulls it on. Barefoot, she pads over to the door and exits her room.
She pauses every so often as she makes her way to the cargo bay, listening for any sign that someone else might be awake. No sounds reach her other than the background hum of the ship's systems; everyone else apparently has no trouble sleeping. The bay's lights are dimmed for the night, but Helena can still see well enough to make her way to the corner where Myka and the radio stand. She barely looks as she flips the switches to start up the ancient machine and picks up the handset. "Myka?" She's careful to keep her voice low; Mal and Inara sleep in the latter's shuttle, after all, and she has no idea how far sound can carry in this large open space.
"Helena," the other replies. "What's going on? Have we landed yet?"
A smile tugs at the corner of Helena's mouth. "Not yet. It's the middle of the night."
Myka's voice immediately takes on a worried tone. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
"My mind won't turn off," Helena responds, taking a seat on the cushion Kaylee had thoughtfully set next to the radio's crate. "You know I rarely get more than a few hours' rest a night."
"Nice to know that some things haven't changed." Myka's words call forth a flood of images and related questions, reminding Helena of just how much has changed in her long life. "Helena?"
The voice yanks Helena back to the present. "I'm here, darling," she replies, shaking her head. Her gaze focuses again on the metallic features of one of the few people she ever truly cared about. One of the many questions comes swimming back to the front of her mind, and before she can overthink it she asks, "Why did they Bronze you?" For several long moments she only hears the faint hiss of static. She almost asks again when Myka finally replies.
"Because I asked them to."
Warehouse 13, South Dakota, USA 2012
The sun never shines inside the Warehouse. Nor are there ever any large crowds of people around. Yet somehow the place feels even more dark and deserted in the middle of the night. She could have picked any time for this to happen, but somehow Myka feels this time is the most appropriate. She had a lovely day with her family, and now she finally gets to rest.
"Myka?"
Well, not quite yet. Middle of the night or not, she still has one thing left to do. "Sorry Abigail. What was the question?"
Seated in an old leather chair Claudia dug up somewhere and dragged down here to the Bronze Sector, Dr. Abigail Cho calmly repeats, "I said I need you to formally state your reasons for wanting this, and your final instructions."
Myka can't stop the small sigh that escapes her. She's been seeing Abigail for almost a year and a half now, and she knows that the other woman has to abide by Warehouse regulations. Just as she does. She looks directly at the digital camera Abigail holds. "I wish to be Bronzed because I feel that I can no longer satisfactorily perform my duties as a Warehouse agent…" Unbidden, images of the past two years flash before her eyes. Her return to the Warehouse following the retrieval of Shakespeare's lost folio. Her discovery, several weeks later, of the re-Bronzed HG Wells. Weeks of sneaking visits to the Bronze Sector, spending time talking to the statue. The time Claudia discovered her there, and promised to keep the secret. The case of Joshua's trumpet, when Artie formally revealed HG's presence and allowed the use of Barry Seal's aviation radio so that Myka and Pete could question the inventor about her hand in the initial investigation. Claudia revealing her "creative inventory" so that the radio stayed in the Bronze Sector, allowing Myka to continue actually speaking with HG. Sykes' botched attempt to access the Warehouse. The many successful snag-bag-tags, and the occasional unsuccessful one. Watching the rest of her team, her family, grow and change. Artie's continued relationship with Dr. Calder, culminating in the announcement of their engagement just two weeks ago. Claudia finding her way as Caretaker-in-training and continuing to perform astounding leaps in Warehouse technology. Steve, the newest member of the team, becoming a great partner for Claudia and a help to Leena in her work. And of course, Pete, her partner, her brother. The giant man-child who appears to be finally growing up somewhat, thanks to his relationship with Deb Staley, a woman who inadvertently discovered the truth of the Warehouse and is working on joining the ranks of the Regents. Myka's family. Her wonderful, crazy family, who continue to grow, improve, move forward. And she, Myka Ophelia Bering, is stuck.
She's not sorry that she returned to the Warehouse. Far from it. She honestly doesn't know if she'd have lasted this long if she'd stayed at the bookstore. She's only told this to Abigail, but all of her life she'd felt like she'd been looking for a place like the Warehouse. A place that could challenge her physically and mentally, a place where she could make a life for herself, a cause to believe in. As a young adult, she'd thought the Secret Service was that place, that cause. It wasn't until she walked into the Warehouse that she realized how wrong she had been. The Warehouse provided that challenge, that family. Leaving for Colorado Springs had been physically painful; the bookstore, once a place of happiness, felt like a recurring dream. At least the Warehouse and her family there give her a reason to get up in the morning, to keep going. After all, the world will always need saving from artifacts. But every day she can't help but think about HG, Helena, whom she met because of the Warehouse. While Artie may have introduced her to this world of endless wonder, it was Helena who showed her just how endless that wonder could be. It was Helena who kept pushing her, needling her, breaking down the walls around her heart. It was Helena who betrayed her. And it is Helena who has helped her heal as much as she has.
But that healing, achieved via radio, can only go so far. And Myka has spent the last two years feeling more and more left behind by her family. They all have someone in their lives right now, giving them a purpose, a reason for going on. All she has is the job, and it's not enough. The constant pattern of inventory, travelling to far-flung corners of the world, snag-bag-tag, and travelling back to the Warehouse has become a chore. As the years wear on, she's realized that her reason for being part of the Warehouse is stuck in the Bronze Sector, relegated back to the history books. So Myka made a request to the Regents. A month later, they've finally agreed.
Neither of her families were happy with the decision. She told her parents and Tracy that she'd be going undercover for an unspecified length of time. Her Warehouse family, on the other hand, got the truth. She told them right after making the request, knowing that she wanted to square things with them before leaving, and there was also a chance the Regents might call on them to answer questions. Their initial reactions ranged from shock and anger (Pete) to quiet acceptance (Claudia). Now, while they may not agree, they at least support her. So today she spent a lovely day with them at the B&B, and her final memories of them are happy.
"…and so I feel that this is the best course of action," she concludes. "My final instructions are written here," she holds up an envelope, "and are entrusted to the care of Claudia Donovan." She looks up to meet Abigail's eye. "Good?"
Abigail nods and turns the camera off. "Good. Mrs. Frederic-"
"Is here," the voice of the Caretaker states from behind Myka. Myka barely jumps as she turns to face the older woman. It's nice to know that some things just don't change. "Whenever you're ready, Agent Bering," Mrs. Frederic continues, motioning to the open Bronzer.
Myka enters the small chamber. "Thank you, Irene."
"You're welcome, Myka."
The door swings shut. Taking a last look at the Warehouse, Myka clasps her hands in front of her. She inhales deeply and closes her eyes. The Bronzer hisses. Her skin gets very hot then very cold. And darkness surrounds her.