"Wait now just a minute. Back it up to where you want to hire us to kill your brother who, you just now discovered, isn't dead and in fact wasn't killed by Reavers. I just want to be sure we are all on the same page." Mal sputtered confused.
"Actually Captain Reynolds, there is a bit of a misunderstanding. I am not hiring you and your crew to kill him, I will. All I need is you to take me aboard your ship, fly out towards Miranda and once there I can track his signal and then after we find him I will kill him myself. I just need your crew's special experiences regarding Miranda and the surrounding space to…
"Whoa, whoa. Still back it up some more again. Why is it that you need to kill your brother who according to you yourself, the two of you both got along well with each other? Plus, what makes you so sure he'll be out Miranda-ways if you hadn't actually received any message from your brother's transmission? Third, there ain't no goramm way I'm putting my crew in danger again to fly back to Miranda. You said you chose my ship in part because of the Miranda transmission, then you should well be aware of what we had to endure to get to and back from that planet, we lost some mighty important things and I don't plan to risk anymore of my crew on a suicide run just for some petty little Alliance brat feud between you and your brother so you may as well just take your fancy Alliance ass and…"
"He's a Reaver. My brother Adrian, he's a Reaver." With those words Doctor Wyman collapsed, sinking down the back of his chair as all of his spirit just drained from his body. "My brother didn't escape, he was captured and…and…made into a Reaver. I figure he'll be somewhere around Miranda, most likely flying with the other ships in Reaver space." The room was dead quiet.
"I started digging deeper into the signal transmitting on that wavelength from the research facility's ship trying to get a fix on it's location, or to contact my brother and to talk to him. I couldn't get any response, so I started working backwards through old transmissions that had been recorded in the system before my unit had been turned on and I had been alerted to the signal in the first place. What I found was horrendous. Apparently the town was hit first and razed to the ground. The facility had little warning to prepare before a Reaver raiding party was on them as well. My brother tried to gather the team into the only ship which was space worthy to fly them out of there but ultimately failed. Adrian started to send a transmission to me warning me not to come back to the settlement and relayed what was happening just as the Reavers overtook the ship. The transmission was still on when the Reavers boarded them and started the slaughter. It captured everything."
Dr Wyman stopped abruptly, his throat constricting with emotion and chocking himself up. After a moment as he struggled to regain composure he continued. "It first started with the screams and then the laughter and sounds of which no human should be able to make, all of which continued on and on for what seemed like forever. When the screaming stopped it was a blessing because I thought at least one person was beyond the realm of caring what was happening to their bodies. But it always began again. Then I heard my brother's voice. I don't know what the Reavers were doing but it sounded as though they had been looking for him in particular out of all of the entire team. Then once they found him the Reavers really started in on their victims. I heard then beating him, goading him, forcing him to do things to his fellow teammates and to watch as they did things to them as well. I heard his pleas and cries mingling with the heart wrenching shrieks and moans of the victims. And the laughter and hoots of delight which pierced the cries of agony, those were the worst. They didn't do everything within range of the transmitter and for that I can only pray for thanks because I don't know how I could stand to listen to the torture and death of my entire team as they forced my brother to do God knows what to each and every one of them. The little bit I did hear was more than I could stomach and ever wish to hear in my life. This continued for I have no idea how long, time seemed to have no power in that realm, but eventually it did become quiet and there was no activity on the ship for the transmitter to pick up.
Only after I was nearly convinced that the transmission had been interrupted did someone finally show up on the sensors. And I say someone loosely. What had once been my fun-loving and kindhearted brother reappeared on the sensors, but no longer as the person I had known my entire life. Instead the brainwaves which the biosensors registered were completely incongruous with ones ever exhibited by Adrian, even under the most stressful events. Serotonin levels and other neurotransmitters were all off the charts and completely unchecked. That person is no longer my brother anymore and I don't need the feedback from my machines to tell me his brain is different. I heard people with whom he worked with and who were friends his friends howling in pain at his hands and I heard his laughter slice through their cries of agony…I need no more proof than that." Pausing, the Doctor looked up from the table to Mal, his eyes glittering with tears.
"That is why I need you to help me find him and kill him. He's not my brother anymore. He's a monster and I cannot allow whatever broken shard of humanity which may yet be trapped within that body to have to endure residing in that living hell. I cannot allow the parasite which has overtaken my brother's body to continue out of respect for who my brother once was. I hope you can understand that and are willing to help a desperate man such as myself."
Looking into his eyes, Mal felt like he was falling into the deepest pit of despair of which a man could sub-come to before going completely insane. Chances are that Wyman had already passed that level but Mal understood that sort of insanity and comprehended what the Doctor had to do so that he could be at peace with his brother.
"Money is not a problem either Captain, you do this one job and I assure you that money would not be an issue for you and your crew for some time to come. Rations, supplies, weapons, parts, hell even a new ship, I can fund it all. I just need you and your crew to get me there and I can do the rest. I can pay for it all; money is just an object to me, not like I would be needing it afterwards…"
"No that's all right. I'm quite content with Serenity, wouldn't trade her in for any ship or amount of cash in the 'verse…"
"Please Captain I implore you, just consider my offer, I have to…"
"Now I didn't say no, I just was saying I didn't need a new ship. Then again I wasn't saying yes either." Mal wasn't sure why he was offering what he was but somehow he just felt it was what he needed to do, even for someone ex-Alliance. "Now you follow me back to my ship. We talk it over with my whole crew. We all hafta be in accordance about this fool's errand and they all get a say in this and they all know every detail about what you are proposing we undertake. Any of my crew have any objection whatsoever and the job's off. You leave, no fuss, no arguing and we wish you the best of luck for both you and your brother but you go no farther with us. Find some other Captain, some other ship, just promise that once we're done with you that you leave me and mine alone. Dong ma?"
"Of course Captain Reynolds." Doctor Wyman said with a hint of hope in his voice. "I do not wish to burden your crew with my misfortune as well, especially if anyone has any objections as to my presence or proposal. I am very well aware of the events surrounding your crew and the previous incident involving Miranda and I extend my condolences to your crew. Especially to you Mrs. Washburne, this must have been hardest on you most of all. I am sorry that my offer must cause you to revisit and confront your painful memories yet once again. " Wyman said inclining his head in Zoe's direction.
Zoe didn't move an inch or even bat an eyelash. Not a twitch, yet to Mal Zoe appeared as though she had just been split clean through by cannon fire. With her face devoid of any emotion and her arms taunt and stiff at her sides she offered a curt nod in acknowledgement of his words. And that's all they were. Words. Nothing which meant anything of value to Zoe now. As if she didn't have to confront those demons each and every waking moment, in each and every breath just to keep on living without the one man she loved till death and beyond. Oh why Wash? Why you? You should be the one still sitting here playing with dinosaurs and your damn shadow puppets. Of all people, why you?
"Jayne, send a call ahead to Serenity." Mal commanded, "Tell everyone we're coming back. A party of four. I want them all to meet in the kitchen. Time for a crew meeting, there are a few things needing to be discussed. Just try to keep the details to a minimum; I think it would be best for everyone hear it all at the same time." A terse grunt from the ever loquacious Merc, details to the minimum, not a problem there.
"Zoe?" Mal questioned, pulling her aside, "You up for this? Just say it and this job goes no farther."
"No Captain, not a problem at all" she replied, her face still devoid of any emotion. "To the job, like always."