Chapter: 26
Later that night, all seemed to return to normal on the Serenity. The crew, minus River, all sat down to an semi-enjoyable meal. The meal was uncomfortable to Book as he looked at the faces of his crew. And each time his loks fell on Mal. Mal had showed him the flight data of the cruiser that took out that transport boat. The sight of an Alliance vessel destroying a civilian boat was horrible. He could not had believed that the same organization that destroyed that civilian boat, was the same organization he served during the War. Now he wondered if he did not fight on the wrong side. He wondered if the outer colonies declaring and fighting for their independence was not such a sinful act.
Zoe and Wash laid in their cabin, holding one another as they were too exhausted for anything other than holding one another. Silence blared loudly until Zoe sat up. "What's wrong?" Wash asked as he looked over to his wife that was covered in her sheet. She always liked to sleep in the nude. And that was fine for Wash. "There's something I need to tell you, Wash." "What? What's wrong?" "Tere's nothing wrong." "Then, what is it?" "Wash," Zoe began. Her pause seemed to last an eternity to Wash. And for that short eternity scenarios were going through his mind at the speed of light. "Baby, your scaring me," Wash said as he sat up and sat beside Zoe. "Wash, there's something missing," "What? Love? You divorcing me?" "Don't make me hit you," Zoe said directly. "What's missing, baby" "Exactly," Zoe said. "I'm not following you." "I want a baby, Wash." The sentence echoed in the silent room as it finally hit Wash. "You do?" He asked as he stood up from the bed and paced the deck a few times until he stopped and sat in front of Zoe. "Are you okay?" "Perfect," Wash smiled. "Let's make a baby." Zoe broke out in a wide smile as Wash leaned forward and gently laid Zoe on her back. Their love making the most intense as it had been in a few weeks.
Jayne sat in his bunk with a portable vid screen activated. His Bible sitting beside his bed as he was cleaning his inventory of weapons and watching as two girls embraced one another in ecstasy. His thoughts were not of his commitment, but of the two girls pleasing one another. His weapon in his hand. Entranced by the acts the two girls were doing to one another.
Kaylee laid in her bunk on her right said facing the side of the bed that was empty. The side of the bed that belonged to her lover. But she figured she pretty much fluxed that up. So all she did was lay, imaging Simon's still body beside her, his strong arms around her. And as she did so tears rolled down her cheek.
Simon sat in the infirmary sipping a cup of strong coffee. On the screen before him was the data of what the Masters had done to River. "Son of a bitches," Simon cursed to himself. He read that River was one of a few who survived the early experiments. "They were trying to unock it. Jump start man's evolution. Create the perfect human." "What were they trying to unlock, son?" Book said as he stood in the doorway of the infirmary. "We all have a portion of our brain that lays dormant. Scientists today call it the God factor. They were cuting into River's head, trying to find the way to unlock that Factor. Bastards!" Simon said as he threw his empty coffee mug against the wall. The mug shattering into a a dozen of pieces.
Mal sat on the bridge alone as he sat at the controls. The ship was on auto-pilot, yet Mal was not tired nor did he have anything better to do. "Want some company?" A voice said behind him. The sound of the voice told him it was Inara. "Always," Mal nodded as he looked to see Inara enter the bridge. God she was beautiful, Mal thought. She had ben beautiful to him since the first day she came onboard. "Anything interesting?" Inara asked as she stood beside Mal at the controls. "Just flying," Mal said as he checked their course on the nav terminal. "Can't sleep?" "No, I can't. It's been a rough week." "Your not lying," Mal said as he casually glanced in her eyes. And it was that casual glance that he saw soemthing was bothering Inara. "What's wrong?" "It's nothing," Inara smiled. "Why do I think your lying?" Inara did not respond immediately. It was that period that reassured Mal that there was something bothering her. "You told us about the night fall that was coming," "Yeah. Figured it was going to be inevitable before something shakes the universe to the brink of extinction again." "I don't want you to fight in the War, Mal." "I'm sorry?" "You already fought for the same War before. And you left a changed man." "There's was something the General said to me back there. He said I had the soul of a warrior, not the spirit of a privateer," Mal stood up and walked to the other side of the bridge where he checked a console. "You've seen enough dead, enough war, Mal." "Seem's I'm caught in limbo. Seem to keep going back to it." "It's your destiny, Mal. Your in charge of it. Not anyone else. What future you have is what you make of it," tears began to roll down Inara's cheek. "What else is botheirng you?" "I can't, I can't stand the thought of loosing you," she said with her head bent forward. She softly wiping the tears off her cheeks. Mal stepped towards her and knelt before her. He putting his hand on her cheeks, gently wiping away the tears. "I love you Malcom Reynolds," she said as she began to weep. "Hush, hush," Mal said as he hugged and embraced her. "I love you, Inara. Always have. Always will," he said as he looked deep into her eyes and leaned forward to kiss her. Their kiss seemed to last an eternity. An eternity Mal did not want to have taken away.
Afterwards What would happen in the years to come you ask? The events that occurred would set into motion chain of events that would change the face of the universe forever. The battle would come for the crew of the Serenity. The crew would rise to the call to arms to set right humanity's journey into destiny. But it would be costly. The New Independent Forces would call the Alliance to answer for their transgressions against humanity. And with the evidence delivered, there would be n way for the Alliance to deny their actions. The public would see that the years after the 1st War of Independence that they had a sheet covered over their heads. Their belief that the Alliance was humanity's answer for endless peace were brought to an end. The Alliance would continue on, but under different circumstances. The Alliance would be ruled for the people and by the people. The Independents would gain their long sought freedom and would form the Sovereign Systems League. Though not as costly as the five year war for their freedom, it would be costly. There would be no civil war but military encounters. Nothing in the grand scale as before. What of the crew of the Serenity? As I'm sure your asking. Inara would become an ambassador for the Sovereign Systems League. Mal would be promoted to the rank of colonel, and he would stand by her side as loyal defender, and husband. Even though the ordeal that Inara endured during her temporary capture before the Call to Arms when she was captured alongside Shepherd by a gang of thugs and held for ransom, she would be able to bear a child. A miracle as the husband and wife would call her. They never lost hope and so it came that their daughter was named Hope. They would stay on the Serenity Wash and Zoe would leave the Serenity to venture onto their own paths. Wash and Zoe would settle a planet where Wash would begin his own flight academy. Zoe would help her husband run the business and bear him the child that they said they would have. Simon would leave the Serenity also. The years studying the works of the Masters and his treatments for the wounds would lead him into developing new treatments for neurological repairs and gain him the honor of being the System's top neurological expert. Kaylee would remain on the Serenity. Serenity was her only home, not a world. If the floor did not vibrate or was stricken with technical problems, it wasn't home. Though their separation, Simon and Kaylee would still se one another. Forgiveness would be established and they have never been happier. Jayne would prove himself during the Call and would be one of the heroes of the Call. Jayne would leave the Serenity where he earned the rank of captain and joined the Sovereign System League's military forces. He would command a detachment of special op forces and maintain the peace. He did have the opportunity of settling on a far distant world, to get away from the 'verse as he always hoped. But he reconsidered as he had found his purpose. Book would be lost as he sacrificed himself for Inara when they were captured by the gang of thugs and held for ransom. A group of thugs would be molesting Inara and he would take his final stand. He would slowly die in Inara's arms as the Serenity found their lost crew. His selfless act would renew himself in Mal's eyes. And I would recover from the experiments and trauma to live a fruitful life with a wonderful husband and raise two precious twins. I would go on to write these memoirs, and miss the old girl Serenity. Every anniversary of Book's death, the crew all return to the Serenity to gather and pay respect for the past, recognize the present, and honor our futures. The five years on Serenity would find a group of outcastes, strangers, and wanders trying to find their purpose in the universe. Destiny would bring us together and in the end, we would pave the road for a brighter future for mankind. And forge a friendship that would stand the tests of time. Never the end, only new beginnings.
River Tam Anderson, Memoirs of the Journey 2523
Later that night, all seemed to return to normal on the Serenity. The crew, minus River, all sat down to an semi-enjoyable meal. The meal was uncomfortable to Book as he looked at the faces of his crew. And each time his loks fell on Mal. Mal had showed him the flight data of the cruiser that took out that transport boat. The sight of an Alliance vessel destroying a civilian boat was horrible. He could not had believed that the same organization that destroyed that civilian boat, was the same organization he served during the War. Now he wondered if he did not fight on the wrong side. He wondered if the outer colonies declaring and fighting for their independence was not such a sinful act.
Zoe and Wash laid in their cabin, holding one another as they were too exhausted for anything other than holding one another. Silence blared loudly until Zoe sat up. "What's wrong?" Wash asked as he looked over to his wife that was covered in her sheet. She always liked to sleep in the nude. And that was fine for Wash. "There's something I need to tell you, Wash." "What? What's wrong?" "Tere's nothing wrong." "Then, what is it?" "Wash," Zoe began. Her pause seemed to last an eternity to Wash. And for that short eternity scenarios were going through his mind at the speed of light. "Baby, your scaring me," Wash said as he sat up and sat beside Zoe. "Wash, there's something missing," "What? Love? You divorcing me?" "Don't make me hit you," Zoe said directly. "What's missing, baby" "Exactly," Zoe said. "I'm not following you." "I want a baby, Wash." The sentence echoed in the silent room as it finally hit Wash. "You do?" He asked as he stood up from the bed and paced the deck a few times until he stopped and sat in front of Zoe. "Are you okay?" "Perfect," Wash smiled. "Let's make a baby." Zoe broke out in a wide smile as Wash leaned forward and gently laid Zoe on her back. Their love making the most intense as it had been in a few weeks.
Jayne sat in his bunk with a portable vid screen activated. His Bible sitting beside his bed as he was cleaning his inventory of weapons and watching as two girls embraced one another in ecstasy. His thoughts were not of his commitment, but of the two girls pleasing one another. His weapon in his hand. Entranced by the acts the two girls were doing to one another.
Kaylee laid in her bunk on her right said facing the side of the bed that was empty. The side of the bed that belonged to her lover. But she figured she pretty much fluxed that up. So all she did was lay, imaging Simon's still body beside her, his strong arms around her. And as she did so tears rolled down her cheek.
Simon sat in the infirmary sipping a cup of strong coffee. On the screen before him was the data of what the Masters had done to River. "Son of a bitches," Simon cursed to himself. He read that River was one of a few who survived the early experiments. "They were trying to unock it. Jump start man's evolution. Create the perfect human." "What were they trying to unlock, son?" Book said as he stood in the doorway of the infirmary. "We all have a portion of our brain that lays dormant. Scientists today call it the God factor. They were cuting into River's head, trying to find the way to unlock that Factor. Bastards!" Simon said as he threw his empty coffee mug against the wall. The mug shattering into a a dozen of pieces.
Mal sat on the bridge alone as he sat at the controls. The ship was on auto-pilot, yet Mal was not tired nor did he have anything better to do. "Want some company?" A voice said behind him. The sound of the voice told him it was Inara. "Always," Mal nodded as he looked to see Inara enter the bridge. God she was beautiful, Mal thought. She had ben beautiful to him since the first day she came onboard. "Anything interesting?" Inara asked as she stood beside Mal at the controls. "Just flying," Mal said as he checked their course on the nav terminal. "Can't sleep?" "No, I can't. It's been a rough week." "Your not lying," Mal said as he casually glanced in her eyes. And it was that casual glance that he saw soemthing was bothering Inara. "What's wrong?" "It's nothing," Inara smiled. "Why do I think your lying?" Inara did not respond immediately. It was that period that reassured Mal that there was something bothering her. "You told us about the night fall that was coming," "Yeah. Figured it was going to be inevitable before something shakes the universe to the brink of extinction again." "I don't want you to fight in the War, Mal." "I'm sorry?" "You already fought for the same War before. And you left a changed man." "There's was something the General said to me back there. He said I had the soul of a warrior, not the spirit of a privateer," Mal stood up and walked to the other side of the bridge where he checked a console. "You've seen enough dead, enough war, Mal." "Seem's I'm caught in limbo. Seem to keep going back to it." "It's your destiny, Mal. Your in charge of it. Not anyone else. What future you have is what you make of it," tears began to roll down Inara's cheek. "What else is botheirng you?" "I can't, I can't stand the thought of loosing you," she said with her head bent forward. She softly wiping the tears off her cheeks. Mal stepped towards her and knelt before her. He putting his hand on her cheeks, gently wiping away the tears. "I love you Malcom Reynolds," she said as she began to weep. "Hush, hush," Mal said as he hugged and embraced her. "I love you, Inara. Always have. Always will," he said as he looked deep into her eyes and leaned forward to kiss her. Their kiss seemed to last an eternity. An eternity Mal did not want to have taken away.
Afterwards What would happen in the years to come you ask? The events that occurred would set into motion chain of events that would change the face of the universe forever. The battle would come for the crew of the Serenity. The crew would rise to the call to arms to set right humanity's journey into destiny. But it would be costly. The New Independent Forces would call the Alliance to answer for their transgressions against humanity. And with the evidence delivered, there would be n way for the Alliance to deny their actions. The public would see that the years after the 1st War of Independence that they had a sheet covered over their heads. Their belief that the Alliance was humanity's answer for endless peace were brought to an end. The Alliance would continue on, but under different circumstances. The Alliance would be ruled for the people and by the people. The Independents would gain their long sought freedom and would form the Sovereign Systems League. Though not as costly as the five year war for their freedom, it would be costly. There would be no civil war but military encounters. Nothing in the grand scale as before. What of the crew of the Serenity? As I'm sure your asking. Inara would become an ambassador for the Sovereign Systems League. Mal would be promoted to the rank of colonel, and he would stand by her side as loyal defender, and husband. Even though the ordeal that Inara endured during her temporary capture before the Call to Arms when she was captured alongside Shepherd by a gang of thugs and held for ransom, she would be able to bear a child. A miracle as the husband and wife would call her. They never lost hope and so it came that their daughter was named Hope. They would stay on the Serenity Wash and Zoe would leave the Serenity to venture onto their own paths. Wash and Zoe would settle a planet where Wash would begin his own flight academy. Zoe would help her husband run the business and bear him the child that they said they would have. Simon would leave the Serenity also. The years studying the works of the Masters and his treatments for the wounds would lead him into developing new treatments for neurological repairs and gain him the honor of being the System's top neurological expert. Kaylee would remain on the Serenity. Serenity was her only home, not a world. If the floor did not vibrate or was stricken with technical problems, it wasn't home. Though their separation, Simon and Kaylee would still se one another. Forgiveness would be established and they have never been happier. Jayne would prove himself during the Call and would be one of the heroes of the Call. Jayne would leave the Serenity where he earned the rank of captain and joined the Sovereign System League's military forces. He would command a detachment of special op forces and maintain the peace. He did have the opportunity of settling on a far distant world, to get away from the 'verse as he always hoped. But he reconsidered as he had found his purpose. Book would be lost as he sacrificed himself for Inara when they were captured by the gang of thugs and held for ransom. A group of thugs would be molesting Inara and he would take his final stand. He would slowly die in Inara's arms as the Serenity found their lost crew. His selfless act would renew himself in Mal's eyes. And I would recover from the experiments and trauma to live a fruitful life with a wonderful husband and raise two precious twins. I would go on to write these memoirs, and miss the old girl Serenity. Every anniversary of Book's death, the crew all return to the Serenity to gather and pay respect for the past, recognize the present, and honor our futures. The five years on Serenity would find a group of outcastes, strangers, and wanders trying to find their purpose in the universe. Destiny would bring us together and in the end, we would pave the road for a brighter future for mankind. And forge a friendship that would stand the tests of time. Never the end, only new beginnings.
River Tam Anderson, Memoirs of the Journey 2523