A/N: This roughly follows "Serenity" Part one (the initial pilot episode for the TV show, not the BDM). Um… Should I start offering Bananas?
Basia Orci, Shocking, wasn't it? But sadly necessary.
OtherMeWriter, Watch now as Mal and our favorite Time Lord tussle over who belongs to who here… because both of them are quite protective. Wow, just watch those sparks fly.
Summary: The Doctor, reeling from the effects of the TimeWar as the last surviving TimeLord, stumbled into a situation he could not ignore when the TARDIS landed him inside a ship that was clearly in trouble. After the rescue, he's left with eight survivors that he must somehow get to safety. But the situation is not as cut and dry as he might like. His people may be gone, but the stamp he's made on the universe is still there, and he finds himself caught in a web spun of the choices he's made in his past…
Something in history has prompted humanity to explode out from their home world. Could the events of 2164 be responsible? Was Earth a myth or was it real? In fleeing Earth-that-Was, humanity scattered to the stars across the galactic arm. Initial survey teams targeted likely planets and systems for habitation and not all of them ended up on the same side of the sector. Blue Sun exists on one side, separated by a patch of 'wild space' filled with exotic binary and triple star systems, from the rest of civilized space. Few ships brave the route. But luck had it that one ship did. Risking a ghost run, the only contact that the two sides have, the Hunter-Gratzner crashed midway through the journey. Original Port of Departure: Eavesdown Docks, Persephone. Mixed Sino-Anglo culture. Original Port of Call: Tangiers-5. Darkside. Mixed Islamic-Anglo culture. Crew complement: Four. Passengers: Forty. Living 'Cargo': Two. Survivors: Eight plus One
So what happens in 2517 to Dr. Simon Tam, his brilliant but damaged sister, a convicted murder by the name of Richard B. Riddick, and Jack B. Badd now that they are on their way home? They end up slightly out of their own Time, on a ship filled with living sculptures and then a 'quiet' trip to 2005 London brings them face to face with living sculptures of another kind… And just how is this related to the TimeWar?
A Doctor Who / Firefly / Riddick crossover.
Features Doctor 9, companion Rose Tyler; The cast of Firefly; 'Jack B. Badd' and Richard B. Riddick…
Doctor Who and the Ties that Bind.
Part Thirty-Four
Effervescence
Inara tosses the door open and moves out of the way as Simon burst into the small room, "I'll need my red bag. It's in my room." Rose darts away to retrieve it before she even gets halfway off the last step. Richard carefully deposits the screaming woman on the table and begins getting her clothes open. She not fighting him, but she is in terrible pain. He works with military precision, calm and cool, the sort of detachment that comes from having seen death in more ways than one could count.
Around the edge of the room, Simon is quickly taking stock of the supplies, moving from one side of the medical area to the other methodically and quickly. His only thoughts are on saving this life, his training overriding all other fears at the current moment. The entire place is set up in a logical fashion, which is good. Once he figures out the pattern he can find what he needs very quickly indeed.
River knows where they are going. She's been aware that this is where Kaylee needs to be if they are to save her. Even in Verity, River has problems with the medical areas. She's hoping that the blue walls and old-fashioned cabinets allow her to get past her own fears. She wants to help. She knows she could, but for her own terror at getting anywhere near anything to do with medicine. She is so very broken still. She hates this. River freezes just outside the room fighting her own rising panic.
Her little brother, Jack, sees the problem. Thinking quickly, he snags her and pulls her off to the side. Suddenly he's the one doing the comforting. And really as Saritha settles onto her knees and he holds her, Jacob thinks he doesn't mind so much being the strong one that can offer succor.
On the other side of the examination/operating table, Inara opens a drawer of tools. They are surprisingly neat and ordered, sitting on trays. She pulls each one out looking to see what might be useful and preparing to sterilize the selected items. "Extractor?" Simon asks.
"Laser saw." She responds after a quick glance. The extra items go back into the drawer and she places the others into a device to render them germ free.
He shakes his head, "Too crude. Wait for Rose." He finds the medicine he's been searching for and tosses them to Richard along with the hypo. "Dope her." Richard smoothly catches the items and quickly administers the dose. Kaylee goes still and silent, the wound on her belly exposed and angered and bloody red against her slightly Asian complexion. Rose darts in with the requested bag as Simon starts scrubbing for surgery. "Unzip it onto the tray. Decide who is going to assist and scrub up." Richard steps up and begins to wash. Rose gets out of the way, moving back to where River and Jack are clustered outside the operating area and putting her arms around them. It's hard to say who is more upset, Jacob or Saritha, at the moment, so she tries to comfort both.
The Doctor breezes through the door; "The bullet damaged her spine. You're going to need a transfusion."
"Let me get the fragments out first. Kind of you to volunteer, Doctor," Simon tells him.
"My pleasure." He pulls the sweater off, revealing the short sleeve tee he's wearing under it. He then steps in the help them quickly put on scrubs, or aprons, rather.
"Nanos would help here."
"Simon," the Doctor looked at the boy, catching his eyes for a brief moment, "I've got active ambulatory components in my blood that will help her body repair itself because the damage is recent."
"Can you afford to donate?" the dark headed young man asks without taking his attention off the task of cleaning up the wound so he can see what he's doing.
He frowns, "I've made a deal with Captain Reynolds. We can't afford for me not to."
At that point Mal reaches the doorway, "This is over, y'all and me are gonna have a personal chat."
The youngest, his gloved hands already red with Kaylee's blood, says, "Won't that be fun." He sounds a mite sarcastic and more than a few years older than advertised. Inara takes one look at the expression on Mal's face and steps in front of the pale man who is setting up a transfusion line. The captain looks at her confused. Jon turns and places a light hand on her shoulder. The Companion looks back at him then at Mal and wordlessly steps over to assist with Kaylee. Mal gets the impression that there was some sort of nonverbal communication there, and that bugs him to no end.
"Maybe, Jon, you and I need that chat now."
"Actually, I could use my Dad's help here," Simeon spoke up. "So if the chat could wait, we'll have a much better chance of pulling Miss Frye through this."
The Doctor quickly scrubbed his hands and pulled gloves on, stepping in to assist as indicated.
Mal backed up until he was outside the area of the operation, eyes glued to the businesslike seriousness of those still in there. He stayed like that until he couldn't stand the tension anymore then began working a path into the floor.
Jayne and Zoë came through with the Fed, Book on their heels, while the surgery was in progress. The brawny guy peered in at the situation as they passed, looking worried. It was a strange expression for the normally course fellow to be wearing. Zoë maintained her military veneer, not showing how concerned she was to any but those whom knew her better than they knew themselves. That would have given her husband and her captain equal shots at telling that she was frantic with apprehension on the inside about the state of Kaylee's health. But Mal scarcely noticed them, as he was too busy pacing. And that suited Zoë just fine, frankly. She didn't need anyone knowing how much like a daughter she viewed Kaylee to be. It might offend the mechanic, for all she knew.
The Smythe children not involved were gathered together near the window on the far side watching and clinging to each other as the older brother and two fathers worked to remove the bullet shards and piece Kaylee's innards back together. Inara is playing nurse and monitor over the patient's vital signs, while Richard and Jon both are actively assisting in the operation. Mal glances inside, fumes, and swings to furiously pace the floor again. Only upon turning back does he see Jayne huddled on the upper landing above the Smythe kids watching through an observer's port looking very frightened. He quickly moves back to peer through the window at the situation. Little has changed, but for the tools being used. He watches for as long as he can stand to be still before he sets to pacing again.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Richard is standing next to Jon who has a line connecting him to Kaylee. Simeon is washing his hands, having finished hooking up the transfusion line. Inara plants herself in front of the pair, blocking Mal's view of the blood in the clear tube as he steps through the door sometime later. The surgeon turns to the door where the captain is standing, removing his apron. "Given the conditions, it's hard to say what the outcome will be. Once she's stable we can deal with the rest." Currently the situation seems quite touch-an'-go with Kaylee's vital signs slightly erratic and weak.
"Is she gonna get stable?" Mal says as Zoë walks up behind him.
Simeon looks back at the older men behind him, "Hopefully." Really he had no idea. The unusual state of the Doctor's blood could kill her, or completely heal her. All he had to go on was the Time Lord's word because there's nothing in the TARDIS database about it.
Mal moved the boy out of the way and stepped up to Inara, "Move."
"Mal, please don't do this."
"'Nara, this ain't your business."
Behind him Zoë said, "I want know what's going on here."
"Yes, Malcolm. It is my business. You have no idea what you're dealing with."
" 'Ifritah, let the good captain see," The Doctor said. Mal frowns as the Companion bows her head in deference and slides away, submissively. He turns to watch her, puzzled. Zoë lets out a gasp. Mal glances at his friend, notices her shock and then follows her gaze. The liquid running into Kaylee is not red, but a deep burnt orange color. Mal moves to jerk the line out of Kaylee's arm and finds Richard stopping him with a firm, human, grip.
"If you value her life you'll leave it be."
"What the hell is this?" Mal demands.
"Us trying to save her life. Look, we didn't lie to you about being a family. The Richard B. Riddick Dobson's got me confused with is on a forty-four week sleeper ship heading to Tangiers penal in the custody of one marshal William J. Johns. I'm sure you can verify that."
"Out of?"
"Eavesdown."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Zoë, have Wash search the Cortex for the records necessary to prove or disprove this man's story."
She pulled on a blank face not liking the idea of giving Dobson the benefit telling a truth at all, "Yes sir." The dark skinned woman then turned and marched out, heading back to the cockpit. She's unhappy about being excluded and sent away but goes without a fuss.
Mal stares some more at the thick cinnamon colored fluid, "How is this going to save Kaylee?"
"Mal—" He looked at Inara. She licked her lips and froze up. Her dark eyes are like coal, he notes, filled with dread and emotions running hotter than he's ever seen in them before. She's scared. He's never seen her this fearful before.
He looked back at Jon, "Who are you, really? None of this – Jon Smythe crap."
"Please don't, Mal –" Inara began. He put a hand up to stop her and looked at the pale man he was expecting answers from.
"Too bad, really, that I am Jon Smythe. Doctor – Jon Smythe. I've got a perfectly genuine ID card and lengthy 'paper trail' to prove it. I've got three children and one young lady that I'm the acting guardian of. And a spouse named Richard. If I'm guilty of anything it's being too wealthy for my own good, although I do share. I've got a 'distant ancestor' by the name of Doctor John Smith whose funds have been collecting interest for – oh, about four hundred and fifty years or so, give or take a few decades." Mal glowers. "Um, the blood is the wrong color, isn't it? There's a perfectly reasonable explanation."
"Start givin' it."
"Mal—"
"It's all right, 'Ifritah," the Doctor said. "I'm not fully human. Actually, I'm better than," he gives Mal a disarming grin, that is both goofy and dazzling. Mal does the sensible thing and goes for his gun.
Simeon sees the movement, darts in, and grabs the captain by the arm, "What are you... no! No!"
"Let go, son," Mal says to him.
"No shooting anyone in here."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Wash had been expecting Mal to come to the cockpit demanding answers, so for his wife to come in slightly dragging her feet surprised him. "Hon?" He turned to look at her.
"Mal's givin' that crazy mole the benefit of the doubt, and asking for proof that the Richard we got aboard is not Riddick."
Wash froze. "What?"
"Please say he's not Riddick."
"Um… He's not Riddick," Anymore. "He Smythe, been Smythe… for oh, couple a decades at least, I think." I hope. He turns away so he can't see the strange look his wife is giving him, and toggles the secure line into the Cortex. "Wasn't Riddick taken into custody by a marshal named Johns?" Zoë nods as he says, "Yes, here's the official arrest record. Should be half way outta the system by now on the Hunter-Gratzner, according to the booking data." He feels her settle against the back of his chair.
"What about Jon," she mumbles.
"What—Oh, well. I got his file pulled. Shows were Rich has traveled too. Been around, see." It shows years of travel by private boat through credit receipts with theirs being the last on the list. The family's been crossing from world to moon and back again since the war ended at least.
Zoe looks over the file, "His birth info?" She waits for him to toggle it to the surface and then studies it intently, "Where's Quintessa?"
"Other side of Wild Space. One of the original Elder Colonies. Kind of a private lot, so you'll not find much about his childhood. But he was trained on Helion Prime to be a Doctor. The Elder Colonies have a fairly high mutation rate, Quintessa 'specially. " He looked up at her, "What did Jon do, go invisible? Sprout flames? Float?" He says these impossible things like he expects her to actually choose one of them.
And actually, she half suspects that he did 'go invisible' when he attacked Dobson, because she seems to be the only one with any recall of it. But that's not what she tells her husband, on account of the fact that the skill exhibited by Jon when he knocked Dobson flat is not what has her worried. But the gift of blood he is making does worry her, "He's giving Kaylee a transfusion. His blood is – sort of the color of old rust, with a hint of, I don't know, metallic golden copper or dark brass. And it don't smell like blood."
"Oh. Well. He's an Elemental. They have these strange abilities, some say they're not even human anymore, or that they've evolved. It's nothing to panic over." She blinks at him. "Really. Gees, you'd think he had two heads or somethin'." Wash turns back to the controls.
"You're taking this rather calmly."
"Well, its not like he's announced he's pregnant or anything, Zoë." He ignores her startled movement indicated by the creak of her leather vest at his statement, filing it away for later. "I'm from Scorpio Prime, hon. We dealt with Elementals all the time back home because they were trying to find ways to save the colony from the pollution it was smothering itself under. Just because they don't usually come here to Alliance space doesn't mean you can't run into them on occasion. Besides, Jon is a good person."
"He just barely refrained from killing Dobson with a single blow. Just a bit closer to his nose and the man would have had no chance of getting up, ever. And the look on his face…"
"Protecting his family. Would you honestly have been as giving if it had been one of yours threatened?"
She doesn't hesitate with her answer, "No."
"See, point proved. Give the man a chance, Zoë."
The dark skinned woman nodded, "Have I told you I love you today?"
"Yes, but tell me again anyhow." She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear and he pulled her into his lap. He sure hoped she didn't start asking him personal questions about how he knew Rich. He'd not be able to lie to her, he knew. He didn't personally have memories of Jon so he was safe to talk about unlike the ex-ranger.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Mal was aware that Jayne was behind him watching the situation closely. He took his hand off his weapon. Simeon took his hands off Mal's arm.
The conflicting impulses bothered him. On one hand he wanted to rip the overly cheerful, smug, and very endearing expression off of Jon's face. He could see what Richard must have fallen for, because the man, inhuman or not, had enough charm to be a Companion himself, although he didn't act like one. On the other hand he desperately wanted to believe him, to place his faith in his strange truth and finally trust something other than his own self again. There was something compelling about the pale gent that seemed to fit into the hole in Mal's soul where his faith in God used to reside, and Mal was finding it a struggle to not grant him instant access. The fight made him pissed off. Or just inflamed. Or something…
What it came down to was the outside influence that had only passing weight on the rest of it. His course action hinged on the simple fact that the Smythe boy had a point about shooting folks inside this particular area. It would be senseless and stupid. "How's this transfusion helping her, then, if you're not quite human?"
"Every baby is born with the amazing ability to heal and adapt, but it's lost as one becomes older. My blood will jumpstart that latent process, allowing her body to grow new nerve tissue to replace the damaged area in her spine, much in the same way that embryonic tissue is used at the major medical facilities."
"So she's gonna be able to walk again?" Jayne says from the doorway.
Jon smiled broadly, "Oh, certainly. I doubt she'll even be left with a scar."
"How soon will you know if it works?" Mal looks over at Kaylee who actually looks pretty damn good for someone on death's door. All the monitors are indicating that she's strong and just about as healthy as before she was shot. In fact, he'd say she was stable. The change is stunning from the weak vital signs that she was showing at the end of the operation. He squeezes the mechanic's hand. She feels warm, vital, and very alive. His heart sort of flips in his chest. Maybe she'd be alright after all.
"It's working now, actually. Simeon, another five ticks and I think this can come out."
"Let me know when the situation changes," Mal turns to Jayne who is watching the monitors but not understanding that the numbers and rhythms are good ones, "Where's the Fed?"
The brawny tall man forces his eyes off the moving lights and to Mal's face, "Secure." He glances one more time at Kaylee and then turns to exit the room, "Shepherd's with him. Seems to think he's not safe alone with me. Gonna have a bruise for weeks, looks like. I mean, his face is black-n-blue like someone took a bat to it. And I swear it wasn't me."
Richard looks at Jon who shrugs, "At least I didn't punch him."
"You sure?" the bronze man teases.
Mal looks a Jayne, "Stay here and keep an eye on Kaylee for me. I'll go talk to Book. 'Nara? You might want to think about some sort of alibi to keep your career from going belly up if the Fed managed to get more than a location out."
"Don't worry about me, Mal. I'm sure I'll be able to work something out if that is the case."
He quickly heads out and turns toward the passenger area thinking that he knows exactly where the 'secure' area would be. It doesn't take him long to locate the Fed and the priest. Dobson is still out, trussed up like a Christmas goose with layers of dark silver-gray duct tape. He's lain on his side on the bed, which has been stripped down to the bare pallet. Book is perched on a stool with his bible in his hand. The dark skinned man looks up as Mal enters, "Don't worry, padre. I left Jayne in the infirmary." Book looks slightly relieved at that. The captain turns Dobson's head and whistles; "I don't want Jon to ever have reason to land a blow on me, that's for sure."
"I thought Jayne hit him."
"No. No, this was Jon's doing. He must have smacked 'em just right to not cave in his entire face."
Book gets a thoughtful look on his face, "I wasn't aware Jon was there at all until after I grabbed the gun and noticed that Dobson was falling already."
"I tried to warn him not to threaten the man's family." Book nods, remembering Mal's words. "Look Shepherd, this is gonna be ugly business. He's threatening everyone, including you, just because you're here. If we don't find out what he sent out through the Cortex then we don't dare show ourselves on Boros. Authorities might be waiting to arrest every gorram one of us, just because this tosser told them he cornered a 'Riddick' look alike on my boat. I don't believe for a second that Mr. Smythe is Riddick, but the Feds might think otherwise."
"Captain, killing a Lawman carries quite a high punishment."
"Well, lets just double check that he is a Lawman, and not a guild merc from the other side, all right?" Mal moves back to the door, "Then we'll see. There's gonna be a meeting at half past with all hands, minus Dobson here."
"How is Miss Frye?"
Mal pauses, "Looks like Doctor and Doctor Smythe might have pulled off a miracle. She's still post-op, but her vitals were strong. I won't say she's fine until I see her awake and walking again." Book nods. Mal slides the door shut and heads back to Dobson's bunk.
Behind him Wash and Zoë enter the passenger dorm. Mal slides down the ladder and motions for them to follow him, "Let's get a good look at who Dobson really is, shall we?" The pair follows him into the cluttered bunk. Less that half a day and the man's already made a mess of his rented space. Mal sweeps the clutter to the floor and then picks up a case and opens it. It's filled with guns to do Jayne proud. "Stack this in the hall," Mal says after making sure there's no hidden compartments in it.
Zoe takes it and slides it out into the passageway. "I've got the records pulled and copied you wanted, Mal," says Wash, as he begins sorting through the clothes that are scattered on the floor.
"Good. Keep an eye open for his badge, credentials, orders, what have you." Mal snags the next case and finds more weapons. "Zoë, get Jayne or Richard and look through Dobson's cargo."
"Sir?"
"Richard and Jon are as tied up in this as we are, so offer them an olive branch. Besides, Jon kept his end of the bargain and saved Kaylee."
"Yes sir."
Wash is quiet until he knows that she's gone. Then he looks at Mal who is putting the third case in the hall, "Don't ask me, all right?"
"Can't promise that. You said you knew him. You said he was a good guy. Richard's been less violent than Jon has, in fact. But I need to know who he is, Wash. How many others like Dobson is having this guy on Serenity going to bring down on us?"
The strawberry blonde closes his eyes, "Likely," he bows his head, "quite a few." After a moment of silence, Wash adds, "But he might end up being a asset, and we could use a real trained doctor, Mal. Jon and Rich would stay aboard and keep paying rent for a long as you wanted them here. Hell, they might even pitch in for fuel and supply costs."
"Speaking to my pocketbook won't work. Are you saying that he is who Dobson thinks he is?"
"Not saying, either way. He's got the alibi to be Richard Smythe, but I know a hacker who could have given him that, providing of course he knew how to make contact with him. There's no indication that either Smythe has that sort of connections though."
Mal considered this as he looked at the last case; "The man has more guns on him than Jayne."
Wash as found a folder with sheets of plastic, paper, and other printed material. He's carefully shifting through it. "Noticed that. He's a guild merc out of Lupus Five. Here's his cross-system papers, set to expire in just a few weeks. Um, looks like he was after someone else though. Look at this."
"Doctor Simon Tam out of Osiris? River Tam? What the hell, this better not be what I think it is--" Mal goes storming out of Dobson's bunk clutching the papers. Wash rolls his eyes and follows him.
"Mal – not in our best interests to even bring this in front of those who might just kill us for the bounty," he tries as the captain storms out of the dorm, "Come on Mal—"
He finds the Smythe clan outside the infirmary clustered together in the seating area. Jon's got Saritha tucked under one arm and she's pressed against his side like she's trying to burrow into him. Her twin and the blonde young woman are both touching her, trying to sooth her. The younger boy, Jacob is clinging to Richard, and surprisingly, Inara is kneeling down at Jon's feet with one hand lightly touching he knee. What he can't figure out is why Richard, who has a hand curled tightly around Jon's spare one, isn't snapping at the Companion for being there.
But what brings him up short is the totally unguarded sense desperation coming from the gathering, like they are struggling to preserve something so rare, so fragile, that it might shatter at any moment. He looks down at the sheets in his hands, swallows, and looks back up at them. "We best be having that chat, because Dobson wasn't just after a Riddick look alike. He was after a pair of siblings by the name of Tam, Simon and River. And your twins carry more than a slight passing resemblance." He let the warrants and profiles scatter across the coffee table. "My help depends on getting the truth."