Author's Note: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. Sorry this chapter has taken a bit to accomplish, but I am in the process of becoming a real live published author. That, with the rest of real life is keeping me busy. Rest assured, I finally have insight into where this story is taking us, and the road starts here…
Chapter Four: Vision
The derelict ship floated just off Serenity's starboard bow. Mal had called all the adults to the bridge to update them. From the copilot's seat, Zoe was running sensory sweeps of the craft.
"Life support is minimal, anyone left alive is prob'ly unconscious." She summarized. "No external damage, but there's no power in the engine."
"We should check for survivors." Simon suggested. While Mal was partially inclined to agree, he still felt uneasy about a ship adrift.
"River, what do you feel?" The captain asked. She stood forward of the group, staring at the vessel through the windows.
"It's quiet there. I can't hear anyone." She answered. Mal turned to Zoe for more information, but River interrupted. "The voices have left, it's too quiet, but he can't sleep yet." The captain frowned, wishing that for once the girl would give him a straight answer.
"Mal, I agree, we should check for survivors." Inara offered. It was the last opinion he wanted to hear, so Mal decided to ignore it, and the glare she gave him at his response.
"Anything seem unusual on that ship?" He posed to Zoe. Without looking up, she responded.
"Define unusual, sir. Other than it bein' dead in the water for no apparent reason, no sign of life on board despite the lifeboat bein' intact, and River talkin' about sleepin' and dyin', it seems perfectly normal." Mal frowned again. No one was going to make this easy today.
"Kaylee, can Serenity support their atmo long enough for us to check it out?"
"Sure, cap'n, long as the hull's intact. Serenity's feelin' fine." She answered, smiling widely. Mal sighed deeply.
"Okay, if the atmo holds, we check it out. Jayne, you, the doc and I go over and see what's to see." Looking squarely at Kaylee, he continued, "When we've cleared it, Kaylee'll give the engine the once over." Broadening his view to encompass the chaperones and Inara, "We'll try to make this quick as possible, and get y'all on your way soonest."
Mal lead with his gun through the hatch. Kaylee had done well, the air on board the drifting ship barely seemed stale. Glancing around the corner, he took in the cargo hold. The space was barely a quarter full, but the symbols for grains and seed bins obvious. With a cautious step, Mal crossed the threshold, waving Jayne to proceed down the right side. He continued down the left, glancing in every nook he passed for danger, or something interesting to salvage. Checking on their progress, Mal noted Simon hanging back near the doorway, armed only with his med kit, in case there actually was someone to save, and Jayne nearing the far end of the hold. He waved to Simon to step up and follow them.
The stairs up out of the cargo bay were closed in. Emergency lights were functioning along the main areas, but this staircase was evidently not considered a critical area. Thankful for the lantern he held, Mal flashed it up the ladder. A jumble of children's toys lay along one side, but otherwise, the way was clear. He flashed Jayne and Simon a 'follow me', and ascended the stairs.
With a sharp turn at the top, Mal paused to take a quick glance around the corner. A central corridor was lined with cabins, the doors to which were open on both sides, typical of a passenger ship remodeled from an obsolete military vessel. There were emergency lights in the passage, but all of the rooms were dark. Confirming both men were still behind him, the captain stepped up and through the open pressure door, the mercenary trailing smoothly.
Jayne stopped at the first pair of cabin doors, and waved the captain up to him. Simon came along behind.
"Looks like they went out in their sleep." Jayne whispered, pointing out the couple lying on the bed. Mal gestured that Simon should check them out. The doctor stepped into the room, but in moments, he shook his head.
"They're dead, looks like asphyxiation. There must have been less air than we guessed in here." He stated softly.
"Sure it wasn't poison?" Jayne asked.
"Pretty. Their skin is still slightly cyanotic, and since they are in bed, I imagine they tried to prolong their time by sleeping." The doctor answered seriously.
"Can't help them now, let's move on." Mal commanded.
They continued up the corridor, noting the many rooms that held equally deceased people. Mal's mind raced, trying to come up with harmless reasons for their demise. There was no damage in the areas of the ship they'd seen, the pressure seemed steady with Serenity's support, and Simon had ruled out poisoning. Mal was confounded to understand why the people had just up and died, pondering what they may find about the engine when they checked it.
At the head of the corridor, they finally came across the first closed door.
"That's like to be the pressure door to the bridge." Mal observed.
"Good, maybe we can get some gorram answers. This place is creepin' me out." Jayne replied. Simon looked lost behind the pair.
"With the pressure up, it should open easy." Mal reached over to the panel, and pressed the open key. With a slight hiss, the catch released, and the door cracked an inch. "Power must be out. Help me with this." Mal said as he inserted his fingers along one edge. Jayne took the opposite edge, and they pulled the doors far enough apart for them to shine a light in. Playing the beam around the room, Mal noted the lack of damage here as well. Then the beam came to rest on a face. He nearly dropped the lantern when the person moaned.
Everyone gathered in the common room on Serenity, a sea of youthful faces watching the doctor work on the stranger in the infirmary. At Mal's insistence, the infirmary door was shut, memories of another stranger from a derelict ship in mind.
"How is he, Doc?" Mal asked from his vantage point near the door. Simon hadn't needed any assistance so far, so the captain was keeping out of the way.
"His lungs are badly damaged, and filling up with fluid. I don't think I can stop it. He's alive, but not for much longer." Simon explained.
"Can you wake him up? We could stand to know what happened on that ship." Mal stated.
"I can give him a stimulant, but I'm not sure how coherent he'll be, and it won't last long."
"Do it." The captain commanded.
Simon retrieved the medicine from the drawer, and injected it into the IV. In moments, the man began to stir.
"No, don't." The man started with a cry, and opened his eyes. As he became alert, a coughing spell grabbed him, and for long seconds Simon supported him while he struggled to catch his breath. When he was calm, Simon wiped the smear of blood from the corner of the patient's mouth.
"Who are you?" Wheezed the man.
"Malcolm Reynolds, captain of the ship respondin' to your distress call. And you?"
"Pieter Fisher." He answered.
"Well, Mr. Fisher, we're all a bit curious as to what happened on your ship." Mal hinted.
"Not my ship. Captain, crew, all dead. Killed by the Officers." Pieter paused to catch his breath again, and Simon placed an oxygen line on his face.
"A mutiny?" Mal pushed when the man didn't start to explain.
"No, Alliance officers. A cruiser stopped the ship 'bout a couple days back. I was part of a group of families relocating to a border planet, anywhere away from the core." Mal's jaw tensed as Simon caught his eye. They'd seen no children among the dead. "They took out the crew, mucked up the engine, and made us wave good-bye to the children." Tears began streaming down his face, "We tried to be strong, so the kids wouldn't be afraid, thought it may help. The kids don't know we are dying." He collapsed as the sobs turned into another coughing fit, sapping his scarce energy. Simon injected another medicine, and Pieter fell into an uneasy sleep.
Simon looked over to the captain, his face grim, and found it mirrored in the set of Mal's jaw. Abruptly, the captain thrust the door to the infirmary open and strode out. He ignored all of the questions asked by the watchers, continuing with purpose out of the common room. Behind him, he could hear Simon start to answer their questions.
Inara had encouraged all of the children to take some lunch, trusting in her fellow companions to see to the meal. She returned to the infirmary to visit the patient.
Simon was finishing an injection when she tapped softly on the door, the captain having insisted that it remain shut at all times. He looked up, and waved her to enter.
"What can I do for you, Inara?" Simon asked as she partially closed the door behind her.
"How is Mr. Fisher?" She asked.
"Not well. All I can do is keep him comfortable." Simon responded, walking to the counter to pack up some supplies.
"I know you couldn't tell us all earlier, but what did he say to the captain?" Inara inquired gently.
"The Alliance came after the children. We hadn't realized it when we swept the ship, but the corridor was full of toys, and not one dead child lay with the adults in the cabins." Simon sighed. "It's like River all over again. Only now they want the minds of all the children."
"The Alliance has time on its side." She stated, not hiding the venom in her voice.
"I thought you supported the Alliance." Simon observed.
"During the Unification War, yes. Once they started to meddle in the education of children, no." She answered.
"They want the next generation to follow them." A voice from the doorway inserted.
"River, don't sneak in here like that." Simon chastised, stepping over to shut the door.
"It's true, though." Inara added. "They are still trying to make things better. When you fail with the adults…"
"You fight for the minds of the children." Pieter finished. "And we let them take our children without so much as an outcry." He wheezed. Inara and Simon stared at him, but River went to his side and held his hand.
"They can't make them better, they can only make them nothing." She said, a tear escaping down her face.
Mal stood on the derelict's bridge. With Kaylee's help, he'd restored power to the main computer, and what he saw turned his stomach. The sensor logs clearly identified the cruiser Gunter as the aggressor. The sensors had even lasted long enough to record what direction it had gone. On another screen, the passenger manifest listed the names of 11 children, none of whom yet knew they were orphans. In the ship's folio, official documents indicated that all of the children were scheduled to attend an Academy on Paquin. Even without a nav chart handy, Mal knew that was on the other side of the 'Verse from here, and in the opposite direction from the ship's course.
"Captain?" Kaylee's voice caused him to jump.
"Yeah?" He answered once his heart left his throat.
"Engine's like Mr. Fisher said, mucked up real bad, but nothing I couldn't fix. Plenty of spare parts for Serenity to be had." She informed.
"Shiny." He replied dully, still not turning to face her, his focus trapped by the names of the youths. A crackle from the radio at his side broke his reverie.
"Cap'n, Simon says Mr. Fisher wants to see you." Zoe's voice stated.
"On my way." Mal responded, leading Kaylee off of the bridge.
"What's goin' on, Doc?" Mal demanded as he entered the infirmary. Simon had his hands on Pieter's shoulders, restraining him from moving, while Inara held his hands to help calm him.
"My patient is insisting on speaking to you." He stated through clenched teeth. Mal moved closer, and Pieter calmed down. The doctor and Inara eased their grips.
"Captain Reynolds." He started, his words harsh, and broken by frequent coughs. "Please, you must save the children. You must get them back." He grabbed onto Mal's arm with a strength that surprised the captain.
"Mr. Fisher, you need to stay calm." Simon persisted, but the man remained agitated.
"Please!" He begged, shaking Mal's arm.
"I can't help your kids." He stated, even though the saying of it tore his heart out. He tried to pry the man's fingers from his arm.
"You don't realize, it's just a matter of time before they get all the children." Pieter continued. "They will get them all, and none of them will ever know what freedom is." The wheezes increased, and his grip on Mal's arm weakened. "They will hunt them down even to the edges of the Universe." He broke into a cough before finishing. "The children will all belong to the Alliance, body, mind and spirit, good little Alliance soldiers." With a gasp, he collapsed on the bed, his energy spent. "Please, captain, save them."
Pieter's eyes drifted closed, and Simon reached to check his pulse. Raising his gaze to Mal's, he shook his head sadly. Mal sighed. A gasp from the infirmary doorway drew his attention. Turning, he took in the crowd of young people, children, standing there, watching, fear in their eyes. Radin nestled his face in the shoulder of one of the Companion-trainees, Jettina had wrapped her arms around another. Looking from face to face, he found Kaylee and River holding on to each other, staring through one of the windows, tears trailing down their faces. Inara stood quietly to one side of the infirmary, her eyes full of moisture. Jayne had an arm draped around the shoulders of one of the chaperones as she wept into his chest, his own gaze focused painfully on the captain. Mal's eyes finally came to rest on Zoe as she sat on the steps beside the infirmary, her hands cradled across her belly.
In that moment, his mind was set.