AN: Okay, sorry for the long wait time for an update people. I kind of wrote myself into the corner and had to think of a solution that a) I could live with and b) wouldn't add an additional 5 chapters to this thing. That being said, I think i finally came up with something. Shout outs go to Raggio, Irishbrneyes, Shenandoah76209 (who also writes amazing River/Riddick fics that you should all check out), BooklvrAnnie, and beautifulmess2005 for your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. Now enough stalling and on to the show!
Chapter 49: Bodies and Back From the Dead
XXX
Riddick's POV
I'm waiting in the cargo bay for the Captain. I don't have to wait long before he comes down the stairs.
"Riddick." He says as he approaches.
"I don't like it."
Mal frowns now. "Wasn't asking for you opinion."
"You're gonna get yourself killed going in there alone."
"Like I said, wasn't asking for you opinion." He repeats as he walks past me.
"HEY! I'm talking to you." I bark at him.
He stops but he doesn't turn around.
"You fought for the Independents...Battle of Serenity Valley...besides you and Zoe how many of your men come out of that."
He still doesn't turn and look at me, but his fist is clenching. A minute goes by before he says anything. "You'd do it for River." He says and then he walks out.
XXX
...House Madrassa...
Inara is kneeling in front of a statue of Buddha, lighting a few incense sticks. The room is sparsely lush. A lace curtain hangs in front of the light, casting its pattern in shadow over everything. Including the rather large figure in a red shawl who kneels beside Inara...
"Dear Buddha, please send me a pony, and a plastic rocket, and..."
She turns to the figure next to her and her eyes widen. "Mal! What are you doing here?"
He looks back at her a bit surprised. "You invited me."
"I never thought for a second you'd be stupid enough to come!"
He smiles a little. "Well that makes you kind of a tease, doesn't it?" Even now he can't resist teasing her.
"You knew my invitation wasn't on the level..." Inara says as she gets up.
"Which led me to the conclusion that you must be in some trouble."
Inara checks the door nervously. "I'm fine! I'm. giddy."
"For a woman schooled in telling men what they wanna hear, you ain't much of a liar."
"Mal, you cannot handle this man." Inara says as she backs away from the door and the man entering.
The Operative stands before them, his briefcase in his hands. He's carefully studying Mal. "I have to say, I'm impressed that you would come for her yourself. And that you would make it this far in that outfit."
Mal stands now. "I can be very graceful when I need to."
"I've no doubt."
Mal sheds his shawl and robe. Inara kneels at the alter, picks out another incense stick.
"What are you doing?" Mal asks confused.
"I'm praying for you, Mal."
The Operative smiles. "That's very thoughtful. But I mean it when I say you're not in any danger."
"Speak your piece." Mal says as he watches the man.
"I think you're beginning to understand how dangerous River Tam is."
"She is a mite unpredictable. Mood swings, of a sort."
"It's worse than you know."
"It usually is." Mal says as he moves to stand in front of Inara protectively.
"That girl will rain destruction down on you and your ship. She's an albatross, Captain."
"Way I remember it, albatross was a ship's good luck... til some idiot killed it."
Inara looks at Mal as if he has sprouted another head. Mal turns to Inara slightly. "Yes, I've read a poem. Try not to faint."
The Operative moves further into the room. Whenever he moves, Mal counters.
"I've seen your war record. I know how you must feel about the Alliance."
Mal grimaces. "You really don't."
"Fair to say. But I have to hope you understand you can't beat us."
"I got no need to beat you. I just wanna go my way."
"And you can do that, once you let me take the girl back home. Give me the opportunity to help you."
"All I gotta do is let you take one more thing away from me. I've had a lot of things taken in my time. And it may just be that this is one too many."
The Operative looks on incredulously. "This psychotic, potentially murderous girl who can't have the slightest awareness of your protection. This is where you "draw the line"."
Mal smirks. "Well I'm a whimsical soul."
"There's a number of lives that hang in the balance here. Lives under your care. Are they as whimsical as yourself?"
"I got no notion that I'm being heroical at all. Any more than I think you're really just a harmless bureaucrat come to help me out. You move like a killer."
The Operative is stopped by this. Unhappily, he continues. "I have a warship in deep orbit, Captain. We locked on to Serenity's pulse beacon the moment you hit atmo. I can speak a word and send a missile to that exact location inside of three minutes."
Mal pulls a small device, clipped wires sticking out all around it, and tosses it to the Operative. "You do that, best make peace with your dear and fluffy lord."
The man smiles as if amused. "Pulse beacon."
"Advice from an old tracker: you wanna find someone, use your eyes."
"How long do you think you can really run from us?" The man says with a chuckle.
"Oh, a jack-rabbit, like me? 'Sides, I never credited the Alliance with an over-abundance of brains. And if you're the best they got..."
"Captain Reynolds, I should tell you so that you don't waste your time: You can't make me angry."
"Oh please. Spend an hour with him." Inara says with an eye roll.
Mal smiles - then glares at Inara, mouthing "Hey!"
"I need her, Captain. River is... my purpose and I will gather her to me. Whatever else happens is incidental. In the greater scheme."
"Why is it that the greater scheme always makes everything not that great?" Mal asks to no one in particular.
"I want to resolve this like civilized men. I'm not threatening you. I'm unarmed." He says as he moves to sit down.
"Great!" Mal says as he draws his pistol and fires at the man's chest. The Operative is thrown back by the force of the shot. Mal grabs Inara, and moves for the-doorway. However, Mal is quickly captured in choke-hold from behind.
"I am of course wearing full body armor. I'm not a moron."
He tosses Mal hard against a wall, while spinning and blocking a blow from Inara. However, what Inara failed to notice was that the Operative had a small dagger in his hand...it doesn't register at first but then she begins to feel the pain in her abdomen. The Operative throws her off and focuses his attention back on Mal.
Mal is going for his gun again, turning, and the Operative kicks him in the face, sends him back, gun flying. The Operative walks over to his case and draws his sword now. Mal gets up breathing hard, nose dripping blood. The Operative perfectly poised, waiting.
"What is it with swords?" Mal asks he sees the blade.
"Mal! Here!" Inara says as she throws him a decorative sword that was in the room. He catches it and the fight begins again.
"No back up? We're making an awful ruckus..." Mal says as the Operative comes in close.
"They'll come when they're needed." He is clearly amused by the show.
"I'd start whistling."
"Captain, what do you think is going to happen here?"
They come at each other again. The Operative is the much better trained - he's fluid, his blows sparse and deadly. Mal is more bluster and determination, and the Operative's precision is wearing Mal down. Mal swings wild - the Operative counters with a spin-that sends Mal to the ground not far from Inara, breathing hard. He tries to rise again, painfully. The Operative kicks Mal's sword away.
"Nothing here is what it seems. He's not the plucky hero. The Alliance isn't some evil empire. This isn't the grand arena." He says as he prepares to strike.
"And that's not incense." Inara says.
The Operative turns to look: the incense stick burns away - rather like a fuse - and FLASHES in an explosion of light and sound.
XXX
River's POV
She felt it..the minute it pierced her flesh she felt it...She feels it draining from her now...feels her getting weaker...she looks around for something...anything...to break her bonds...but she's fading...and there is nothing the girl can do...tears start blurring her eyes...
XXX
...Back on Serenity...
"Wash get us airborn!" Mal barks as he walks off the shuttle carrying a very weak Inara who is clutching at her stomach, her hand trying to staunch the blood.
"DOC!" Mal screams.
He's moving as fast as he can towards the infirmary. He practically runs into Kaylee, Zoe, and Simon as he makes his way there.
"What happened?" Kaylee asks in shock as she sees Inara.
"Inara... Don't move." Simon says as he turns and runs to the infirmary.
Mal sets her gently as he can on the infirmary table. Simon is frantically pulling things out of drawers.
"Shouldn't've been you. I'm so sorry, it was... it should've been me." Mal says with tears in his eyes.
"That crossed... my mind." Inara says weakly as she looks at Mal. She is as pale as a ghost.
"Doc'll bring you round. I look to have many more nights with you more 'fore you slip... don't move bao-bei..." Mal says as places a kiss on her hand. She moves to cup his face.
Simon is working franticly. Mal is vaguely aware of the others trying to help too.
"I'm sorry Mal..." Inara says weakly. Mal's barely holding it together now; he knows what is going to happen.
"I... love you..." Inara begins to say. "tell her...I...love her too." Her breathing becomes laboured. Hitched. And then stops.
The entire room is shocked silent. No one can believe what has just happened. It isn't until Mal begins to sob that everyone else can process.
XXX
River's POV
Her entire body is wracked with spasms as she feels it...she feels arms holding her down...can hear voices talking..."seizure..." "...help" "River!" "I love her too" filter in before she feels something jammed in her mouth and her eyes roll back into her head...
...Reality Shifts...
...Let the bodies hit the floor...
She sitting in the same classroom as her nightmare...everyone around her is lying down...not moving...and when she blinks they are gone.
...Beaten why for (why for)
Can't take much more...
She looks over to her side and it's as if she is looking back into the lab where they...tortured her...men in white coats...Dr. Mathais... and men from Parliament...
...Here we go!...
She focuses and it's as if she is being sucked into them...their memories begin to flood her vision...but it's as if they are played in reverse...
...One - Nothing wrong with me
Two - Nothing wrong with me...
Reavers...blood...some type of chemical...a settlement...thousands of people...all lying down...the images change rapidly...
...Three - Nothing wrong with me
Four - Nothing wrong with me...
And then she is jolted back into her body...back in the classroom...
Let the bodies hit the floor
She looks around and again she is alone...she walks forward to where there is a cortex open with something flashing on it...
...Push me again
This is the end...
She looks down at the cortex and it's a world...
...One - Something's got to give
Two - Something's got to give
Three - Something's got to give...
And that's when all of the images connect and crystalize in her brain...
...Skin against skin blood and bone
You're all by yourself but you're not alone
You wanted in now you're here...
"Miranda." She whispers.
...Driven by hate
consumed by fear...
She feels hands on her again now...
...Let the bodies hit the floor...
...Reality Shifts Again...
XXX
...Back at House Madrassa...
The Operative sips tea and rubs his temple. He speaks into his comm unit.
"Forget the pulse beacon, there has to be another way to track the ship...get a read on the nav sat. It's a registered transport, you must be able to locate..."
"Sir?" The cadet on the other line of the com interrupts.
"Have you found a nav sat trajectory?" The Operative asks as he sets down his tea.
"Sir... we've found seven."
The Operative looks furious. "Does he think this is a game?"
XXX
River's POV
The girl awakens. It takes her a moment to get her bearings...they had moved her to the infirmary...
She looks over at the body covered in a white sheet...and she feels the tears well up in her eyes all over again.
"She heard you...the girl is sorry..so sorry." She says through sobs.
Her eyes narrow with intent now. She must show them...they have to see. She will make them see...
XXX
Riddick's POV
"We have every reason to be afraid." Book says.
We are all in the common area. Trying to figure out what the fuck to do.
"He's intelligent, methodical and devout in his belief that killing River is the right thing to do...I honestly think the only reason we haven't been blown out of the air is that he needs to see her."
"Needs to see her why?" I ask.
"I'm uncertain. I would say to be sure of the kill, but... I just know he'll kill us all to get to her." The man truthfully looks the most tired I've ever seen him. And I saw him go through hell.
"Preacher...as much as I love this insight, I think it's best you told us how it is you know so much about all this now."
"Isn't it obvious? He was one." Jayne says from the back of the room.
All eyes turn and look at Cobb now, and I honestly think I have just seen the man grow a brain.
"There any truth to that preacher?" Zoe asks.
Book looks a little dejected that his secret isn't so secret anymore. "It's true...I was an Operative in another life."
"Did you know about this?" Mal asks me now.
I shrug my shoulders. "Girl knew...he told me after we made it off that black hole of a hell together."
"Explains why your such a good shot." Jayne remarks. He gets an elbow from Kaylee.
"Explains why you knew what he would do." Mal says with a hint of anger.
"I never thought this would happen...if I could have done anything to..." Book starts to say, but he can't bring himself to say it. The whole room doesn't want to think about it.
"I'm going to go check on River." Simon says as he silence in the room becomes too much for him.
XXX
River's POV
She can feel where they are as she climbs through the ventilation shafts towards the bridge...their minds oscillate with sadness and anger...
Now Simon moves...goes to check on the girl...but he won't find her...she has two point three minutes to reach the bridge now...
XXX
Riddick's POV
The Doc comes running back a few minutes after he left, he smells of fear and worry.
"River is gone! He says as he catches his breath.
"What the fuck do you mean she's gone?" I ask in disbelief.
"Find her and-do not engage!" Mal says as he gets up from the table and walks towards the bridge. Before he gets there though the doors out of the common area slam shut and lock.
Mal starts throwing his shoulder against the bolted door to the upstairs. He gives up, looking around. "She's sealed off the bridge. How the hell did she get to the bridge?" He asks with a wild look in his eyes.
My anger is flooding my veins now. What the fuck is she playing at. "Vents...girl used them to get around when Early got onboard."
"Kaylee get us a bolt remover." Mal says as he walks back towards the cargo bay. "Jayne you stand guard at that door...she comes out...grab her."
Kaylee scurries on ahead and Jayne hold his position. "I'll stay with Jayne, maybe talk reason to her if she shows." Book says.
"Me too!" Wash says.
I walk with Mal, Zoe, and Simon to the cargo bay.
"I do not like her on the bridge." Zoe says as we reach one of the larger vents.
"Cap'n!" Kaylee tosses Mal a bolt remover. He starts pulling a bolt out of a panel on the wall.
"You two hold this spot and catch her if she comes back this way." Mal says as he pops the panel off and starts wriggling in among the wires.
XXX
River's POV
She feels him as the floor panel hinges open, and he is pulling himself up. He moves quietly to the bridge, gun drawn...
"Sorry Captain Daddy." She knows he won't hear her though. She pulls one of the spare guns he leaves on the bridge from it's hiding spot, the one he put there after Early's visit, and continue to work.
She can feel him behind her. His mind a cacophony of anger. He walks towards her gun drawn, but she whips her gun at his face, never looking at him. A moment goes by and then she feels him lowers his own gun.
"The government's man, he says you're a danger to us. Not worth helping. Is he right? Are you anything but a weapon? I've staked my crew's life on the a...person...actual and whole, and if I'm wrong you'd best shoot me now."
She cocks the gun...she needs to buy a little more time...She has almost found it.
"Or we could talk more..."
X marks the spot. Her shaky hand points at the screen now. "Miranda... matches the one from her dream."
He comes and stands next to her now...looking intently at the screen.
XXX
Riddick's POV
Everyone has gathered. Wash is piloting now, and River is by Simon. She moves restlessly, upset.
"How can it be there's a whole planet called Miranda and none of us knowed that?" Kaylee asks.
Mal says as he studies the cortex. "Because there isn't one. It's a blackrock. Uninhabitable. Terraforming didn't hold, or some such. Few settlers died."
"Wait a tick, yeah! Some two years back, before the war. There was call for workers to settle on Miranda... I should've recalled." Jayne says as the metaphorical light bulb goes off over his head.
Everyone is a little surprised the big man can remember such an innocuous little fact like that. Hell even I am surprised.
"But there's nothing about it on the Cortex...History, Astronomy... it's not in there." Mal says as he looks for more information.
I scoff at him. "Hell Mal, you should know out of everyone that half of writing history is hiding the truth. There's something on this rock the Alliance doesn't want known..."
River moves forward now and begins looking at the planet again. "That's at the edge of the Burnham Quadrant...Furthest planet out. It's not that far from here..." She says as she turns back to the others.
"Whoah, no, no..." Wash practically yells.
Zoe moves to another screen. "That's a bad notion..." She hits some commands on the screen, pulls back to reveal a couple of other planets near Miranda. "This is us, see? And here's Miranda. All along here, this dead space in between, that's Reaver territory."
Everyone but me visible stiffens or shutter a little. Even River.
"They just float out there, sending out raiding parties...Maybe a hundred ships. And more every year. You go through that you're signing up to be a banquet." Wash says emphatically.
XXX
River's POV
"We have no choice." She replies methodically.
"Like hell we do!" Jayne says. "I ain't signing up to be Reaver chow."
"No where left to go."
"We got friends, we can just..."
"No, it would put them in danger...if we haven't already."
"She's right...first thing he'll try and do is smoke us out." Book replies sadly. "We go to anyone we are putting them at risk."
"So what do we do? Just turn over and die?' Zoe says with a hint of anger.
There is a moment of silence. No one has an answer for what they should do. Despite all the numbers and outcomes she can run, nothing gives her an answer.
Mal finally breaks the silence. "We're going to Miranda."
And then people begin to chime in.
"Sir?" Zoe asks skeptically.
"Are you insane?" Wash blurts out.
Jayne yells. "I ain't gonna be reaver chow!"
Mal doesn't listen to them. "Wash set us down on the nearest rock."
Next he turns to Kaylee. "Kaylee, I need you to muck the reactor core, just enough to leave a trail and make it read like we're flying without containment, not enough to fry us."
Kaylee blinks a few times and then begins to protest. "But Cap..."
"Kaylee, you got a day's work to do and two hours to do it."
"Jayne, you and Riddick are going to use whatever piece of scrap you can find in whatever town we come across to make a cannon. It's gonna go right on top. Grab some a piece or two of other ships, stick it on. Any place you can tear hull without inner breach, do that too. And we're gonna need paint. We're gonna need red paint."
Riddick nods his head at Mal. The girl can hear the thoughts of Riddick...he understands what the Captain attempts to do, and knows that there is no other way.
Again, the crew is stunned into silence. The girl merely tilts her head as she deciphers the words and thoughts in the Captain's head.
Zoe breaks the silence now. "Sir. Do you really mean to turn our home into an abomination so we can make a suicidal attempt at passing through Reaver space?
"I mean to live. I mean for us to live. The Alliance won't have that, so we go where they won't follow.
Jayne protests. "God's balls, there's no way we're going out there!"
"What's the point of living if you sink to the level of a savage?"
"Please, we should talk this over." Book says as calmly as he can.
"I ain't takin' orders from a man has lost his brainstem." Jayne starts.
Mal pulls his gun and sticks it in Jayne's face. "This is how it works. Anybody doesn't wanna fly with me anymore, next stop is your port of harbour. There's a lot of fine ways to die. I'm not waiting for the Alliance to choose mine. I mean to confound those killers, and take my shot at getting to Miranda, maybe finding out what all I'm dying for. That's my theme now. So I hear a word out of any of you that ain't helping me out when we hit dirt or taking your leave I will fucking shoot you."
Again, nobody says a thing.
"Get ready to get to work." Mal says as he storms off the bridge.
XXX
...A little while later...
Jayne and Riddick were able to gather all the materials they needed. With Wash and Kaylee's help they were able to construct a cannon mount using Vera as the primary weapon. It was small, but it would look the part. River had managed to construct facsimiles of corpses using metal bits and other pieces of scrap that were found in the small town they came across. Wash had docked Serenity far enough out of town that they were able to work without nosy towns-folk watching...they kept to themselves and were happy for the extra coin they made on all the spare parts the strangers bought.
Now a hardly recognizable Serenity was flying towards Reaver space, cannon atop with a space-suited facsimile draped within, long scars, welded-on parts and war paint... the trail of green light burns out with sporadic bursts of vapor. It looks, for all the world, like a Reaver ship.
XXX
River's POV
She is sitting on the floor in her shuttle. She doesn't bother to turn on the lights or light the candles that were left around the room. She merely sits quietly...not quite sure how to feel.
"You should sleep awhile." She hears from the doorway.
She turns to see Mal standing at the door...almost like he is afraid to step onto hollowed ground. She can feel his sadness...hear the words he would have liked to tell her. Her heart breaks for him.
She sighs. "You think anyone's set to sleep? Simon's portioning out overdoses of morphine. Riddick and Jayne are prepping all of the weapons that we have...just in case."
"Cheerful fellows." Mal says as he finally steps into the shuttle. He looks around as if he is seeing it for the first time...really seeing it.
"She told me...told me to tell you..." He tries to say. The girl can tell he won't be able to vocalize the words.
She feels a tear roll down her cheek. "She knows...she heard." She can barely speak above a whisper as the tears begin to fall now.
He comes and slumps next to where she sits on the floor. His own sadness weighing him down.
She turns and looks at the broken man next to her. His eyes are slightly blood shot and his face looks to have aged five years in the last few hours.
"She...I..am sorry. This is all my fault."
"Ain't no reason for you to be sorry...and this isn't your fault. You been tortured and tormented by these hundans long enough." He says with some determination.
XXX
Serenity flies, silent. Everyone waits on the bridge nervously. Those close enough to get a view out the window are looking freaked everyone is stock still. Pressed up against the glass of the window is River, just staring out to see the armada. The black sky is filled with what must be ninety ships in a vague cluster, as Serenity heads toward them. Most of them hang still in the air. Some move swimmingly about. Some turn in gentle drifts, as though looking around. They all wait, tensed up, as they approach, moving slowly through the ranks of ships. Serenity passes a large, bizarrely shaped ship. It turns, as though watching her.
No one says or thinks anything...afraid that the slightest change in anything will ruin their chances of getting through the storm.
It is another minute before Serenity makes it through the Armada, but once they do, they all let out the breath they were all holding and begin to head for the small planet just beyond.
XXX
...Miranda...
Clouds fog the windows, so nothing below is visible.
"Every reading I'm getting says normal. Oceans, land masses... no tectonic instability or radiation." Zoe says as she monitors the scanners.
"Yeah, but no power, either." Wash says as he looks over his screens.
"Nothing at all?" Mal asks.
Suddenly there is a blip on one of Wash's screens. "Wait. Something. Might be a beacon, but it's awful weak."
"Find it." Mal says as he looks over Wash's shoulder at the blip.
XXX
Riddick's POV
I'm watching River pace from the doorway to the bridge. She is pacing back and fourth in the common area as we fly over the surface of Miranda. She's quietly muttering to herself as she does.
"You're making me a tad nervous with all that pacing River."
This seems to break her trance like focus and she looks over at me. "Calculating... adding things up...running numbers..." But just as quickly as the trance was broken, she slips back into it.
I hear footsteps coming down the stairs behind me. Heavy enough to be a man, so that leaves one of two choices right now considering Book and Jayne are getting the suits ready.
"How she doin?" Mal asks from behind me.
He stops and stands next to me in the doorway, worry seemingly etched on his face.
"She comes out of it every once in awhile...mostly just keeps rattling off numbers."
Mal pinches the bridge of his nose. There is a shift in the way he smells and it piques my curiosity.
"Why did you agree to come here Mal. I know that you ain't fond of thought of dying, but this seems like even a stretch for you."
He sighs and seems to deflate a little. "I didn't do right by Nara. There are a thousand things I wish I could do over...River's her daughter. And while they may not have had a conventional relationship...least I can do for Nara is to look after her." He says as he motions to River.
I got to hand it to the man. He has one hell of a moral code.
XXX
Serenity touches down, and after a moment Mal, Zoe and Jayne emerge from the airlock in full suits, armed and in the outskirts of a city. Zoe reads a handheld scanner...
"Gravity's Earthnorm. 02 levels check, pressure... if there's anything wrong the scanner isn't reading it."
" -ai-n-lt anything wrong with the settlement." Jayne says in bewilderment.
"We flew over at least a dozen cities just as big. Why didn't we hear about this?"
Mal pulls off his helmet. Breathes, looking around him. "Well something sure as hell ain't right..."
Mal looks around. Gleaming metal, spread out for miles in every direction. Portions decimated by fires long since cold, others overgrown with weeds, but mostly intact. But silent, as if trapped in amber.
XXX
River's POV
She watches as they all descend the cargo bay ramp. Jayne, Riddick, Mal, and Zoe all armed with various guns...should the need arise. She knows they won't need them though...because she can hear the faint whispers of nothingness in her head. The wind whirling through the streets carries their voices...their memories...and the silent music in her head to her.
...Why does it feel like night today?
Something in here's not right today
Why am I so uptight today?
Paranoia's all I got left...
She continues to walk and follow the others...as the voices of nothing grow.
...But I know just what it feels like
To have a voice in the back of my head
It's like a face that I hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face that watches everytime I lie
A face that laughs everytime I fall
And watches everything...
"Hold." Zoe says as she moves rapidly, gun out, to a skeleton face-down on the ground, clothes tattered. She examines it as Mal approaches, waving the others back.
"No entry wound, fractures..." She says as she looks up at Mal.
"Poison?"
No Jayne's voice is heard. "Got another one!" He is by a downed hovercraft. Inside are three skeletons: two grown-ups and a small child. Clothes in better condition, and again no sign of violence.
"They's all just sittin'. Didn't crash..." He says bewildered as he turns back to the group.
The further they move into the city...the more she hears...and while the girl is trying to keep her composure...the voices...and music...begin to wear her down.
...It's like I'm paranoid looking over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like a face inside that's right beneath my skin...
She sees Kaylee walking near the front of an office building, staying away from the cars. As she backs up into the window the automatic blinds shift and there is a corpse of a man is pressed up against the glass wall right behind her. Mouth open, skin dead blue, terribly skinny... a thing to haunt.
She tries to steer Kaylee without alarming her. "Kaylee... Come here. Don't..." But she cannot find the right words with the voices and music crowding her head.
...Here we go again with the pain I feel isn't real
But in my mind, I find myself in places with names but not faces
My memory races at speeds
Hundred degrees
My soul bleeds, devil must've planted the seed...
But she looks... "AAAAaaoh God..." She scurries away from the window quickly and steps back behind Simon, horrified, as the others approach.
She watches as the group peers in. It's an office of some kind. About half the employees are there, in chairs or on the ground, all in the same state as the first fellow.
"How come they're preserved?" Jayne asks.
"Place must've gone hermetic when the power blew. Sealed 'em." Riddick rumbles in response.
Kaylee is becoming truly upset at all that she sees now, and her fear is not helping the girl's calm. "What're they doing? What's everybody doing?"
...The screaming my name
I need somebody to help me out of the frame...
Simon approaches the window now. "There's no discoloration, nobody's doubled over or showing signs of pain..."
"There's gasses that kill painless, right?" Riddick asks.
"But they didn't fall down. None of them. They just lay down." Book remarks.
Simon's mind is in medical mode. "More than anything, it looks like starvation."
"Anybody want to bet there's plenty of food around?" Mal says.
There's nothing worse than trying to bring yourself on back from the dead
"They just lay down...dead" She says with tears in her eyes. She is at her breaking point again.
They notice her now...She is in the middle of the street, keening, clutching her head. She doesn't want to see this...doesn't wan to see all the bodies. In homes, in piles...an entire world, gently dead.
"Make them stop! They're everywhere, every city every house every room, they're all inside me, I can hear them all and they're saying nothing! GET UP! PLEASE, GET THEM UP!..." Simon comes over and puts his hands on her shoulders trying to offer comfort now.
"She's starting to damage my calm." Jayne says as he pulls his gun out of his holster and takes a step towards her.
"Jayne..." Riddick all but growls at the merc.
"She's right! Everybody's dead! This whole world is dead for no reason!" He takes another step towards the girl.
"Jayne calm your trigger happy ass down...NOW!" Mal yells.
"Look let's just get to this damn beacon and try and figure all this out." Wash says as he tries to inject something other than violence into the air.
"Finally some starts talking sense!" Simon says with a hint of relief as he stands up and moves in front of River slightly.
The girl looks up to see the ape man glaring at her but he re-holsters his gun. He's afraid...and he doesn't like it. She can't blame him...she's afraid too.
XXX
AN: Okay, so there it is. Yes, I know that I am slightly evil to do this to Mal and to River. But if I needed who ever it was death to be a big impact on Mal. Since Book was still on Serenity, there was really only two choices for who that could be. Needless to say, no one is safe from the chopping block. I have an idea of where I want things to go, and like River I am still running all the scenarios to see which one gets me to where I want to be. So till next time...