Hello. Iverik here. Just a reminder: This story uses characters created by someone other than me.
Facing the Black
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Inara was putting on fresh lipstick, mentally reviewing her client list. River was outside. Simon was watching the sensors. Only Kaylee could have heard the noise, and she was distracted.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Simon started as a panel went dark. He tapped it. Nothing. He took a look at the wiring- useless really, since he knew as much about wiring as Wash did doctoring- frowned, and reached for the intercom.
"Kaylee, my panel just went dark." There was a pause, and then the scrabble of a comm coming on.
"Which one?"
"The, ah, seventh one."
"The seventh one?" It would take the two a few minutes to straighten out exactly which panel was malfunctioning. Kaylee determined that it was a panel that led to an underbelly sensor.
It was a simple job really, though awkward. With annoyed familiarity, Kaylee wiggled her way through the access panel. The metal was cold to the touch. It seemed to make everything it touched cold too... even after she pulled away...
"Goseh!" Kaylee's ringing curses reached no one. Just as well. When she had a good reason, the little cheery mechanic could curse a blue streak.
River came inside reluctantly. Kaylee was upset- very upset. It didn't have to do with her, but no one else was noticing. The Academy had tried and failed to destroy River's conscience.
She stopped short, her eyes bulging. Kaylee was dripping wet. "Oh, River," she gasped- completely out of breath, "tell Simon and Inara we've got a water leak. Hurry!"
River paused, contemplating a death by dehydration, and then practically flew to Inara and Simon.
She was quite incoherent.
Kaylee half-crawled, half-swam, towards the leak. The water around her was picking up lubricants and bits of sealants and dust... some of which had been on the boat longer than she, or even Captain Reynolds himself, had been. It didn't matter. Nothing would matter, if the leak was not stopped.
Her fear ebbed slightly when she reached the leaking water container. It was a small, slow drip, not a gushing torrent. It must have been leaking for a while, Kaylee reflected. No time.
She carefully aligned the patch. Shivering from the water's cold, she pulled a bottle of adhesive from a large pocket. Carefully, she aligned the tip with the edge of the patch, and squeezed. Nothing happened.
She squeezed harder. Nothing. Harder. Nothing. HARDER! Nothing. Finally, she squeezed with all her might. Naturally, the bottle exploded. White adhesive splattered everywhere. Kaylee allowed herself a groan.
Just then, a boat came down the access tunnel. Kaylee stared. It was made of half a protein carton box, with an intricate frill cut into the side. In its center lay a new bottle of adhesive. River.
This time, it worked.
Simon walked back into the ship, looking for Kaylee. Calling her name, he almost bumped into her. His eyes widened. "What happened to you?" he blurted.
Kaylee stood dripping, completely soaked. The adhesive had set- some of which was in her hair. She still managed a small smile.
"Uh-" Simon stared. He thought frantically. "I suppose I'll just take the helm for a while longer while you- you get cleaned up, alright?"
"Fine." Kaylee squelched away. As Simon headed back to the bridge, he heard her sneeze.